//------------------------------// // Track 4: Heeding The Call // Story: Heavy Rock // by CoffeeMinion //------------------------------// Most of school passed by Flash unnoticed. All he could think of was the last bell of the afternoon, and the wink he knew he’d get from Pinkie Pie after it sounded. At long last, the bell came, and the wink followed. And while most kids either left the campus or headed out for sports, Flash instead made his way to the music room, and started getting things set up. There wasn’t much to do, really; he got out amps for his guitar and a bass, then went and hunted down a spare bass from the storage rooms. Plugging those in shouldn’t have taken half as long as they did; but then his mind wasn’t half as focused as he might’ve hoped for. A clicking sound from elsewhere in the school echoed through the halls, and made him jump. It was a door. He looked over at his setup and frowned. “Mic stand, idiot! Drums! No, maybe we shouldn’t really try to play…” “Hey there,” a familiar voice said from the door. Flash turned, grinning. Then the grin fell from his face. It was Sunset. “Oh, uh… hey,” he said, trying to hide his blush. She smiled at him. “I was doing that volunteer thing off campus today, but I heard through the grapevine that your show went well the other night.” He gave her a sheepish grin. “Heh, yeah, you could say that.” “Well?” Her smile seemed to brighten the room, and it had a marked effect on his blood flow. “Aren’t you going to tell me about her?” Flash cleared his throat. “Come on, Sunset. Don’t you think that…” “No,” she said, suddenly much closer than he realized. Her smile melted him a little, as it always had. It was gentle and infectious, and it was like he could feel the heat radiating off her body. Or at least his own temperature seemed to be rising. “Flash, I want you to tell me,” she said. “Well…” Flash put a hand on the back of his neck. “She just came up out of nowhere, shouted me down during my set…” Sunset chuckled. “Oh, you really have a type, don’t you?” Flash shared a laugh with her. “I guess I do. Or something. I dunno. She really does seem… interesting. Bold.” “Passionate?” Sunset asked with a wink. “Very funny.” Flash turned away, rolling his eyes. Sunset stepped past him and studied his gig setup. “Does she play?” “I don’t know.” “So she’s really into rock music?” Flash sighed. “I guess I don’t know that, either.” “Look, I’m sorry for the questions. I just know things haven’t gone your way lately.” She gave him a look of compassion. “I just want you to know I care.” Their eyes met. Flash felt his heartbeat quicken. “Sunset…?” “Hey,” she said quietly, holding up a gently reproachful finger. A noise from the door made both Flash and Sunset startle. “We’re here!” Pinkie shouted, bursting into the room. Limestone trailed behind her, looking around with trepidation. Pinkie bounded up to Sunset. “Sunset, meet my sister Limestone. Limestone, this is Sunset Shimmer, recovering evil-demon-queenie-pony-thing, and a daily reminder that personal progress is possible for anyone. Isn’t that right, Sunset?” “Real subtle, Pinkie,” Sunset said. Limestone focused briefly on Flash before turning to Sunset. “Oh. Uh, nice to meet you.” Flash watched as Limestone and Sunset met each other’s eyes and shook hands. Pinkie stood just to the side, pumping her fists. The awkwardness was palpable. After a moment, Pinkie gasped, and looked at each of them in turn. “Oh, Sunset, I just remembered! I need you to come with me for a few… lots of minutes! Definitely not just so these two can be alone or anything! Come on!” And with that, Pinkie grabbed Sunset’s wrist and dragged her from the room. Flash and Limestone met eyes for a moment, but then Limestone looked away, fuming. “I see how it is.” “W… what?” Limestone gave him a flat look. “You asked me over here so you could dangle me in front of your hot ex you’re trying to get back with.” She turned toward the door. “Look, if you wanted help with something dumb like that, you should’ve just asked Pinkie. Girl’s smarter than she looks; I’m sure she could’ve come up with something.” “No! I’m serious, it isn’t…” He paused, mentally replaying her words. “Did… you just say that Sunset’s hot?” She shrugged. “Didn’t say I’m batting for that team, but seriously, you must have been pretty dumb to let her go.” He looked away, frowning. “It’s not that simple. And that really isn’t fair!” “Tough nuts, Charlie. Neither is life.” Limestone flipped him an obscene gesture, then turned and walked out out the door. Flash stood stunned as he watched her go. He tried not to let his thoughts linger on how her butt looked in her jeans as she walked away from him, especially since anger and frustration were actively vying for the top spot among his emotions. But after a moment, an odd admixture of attraction and the other two feelings spurred him to follow her. “Wait a minute!” he called as he entered the hallway. Limestone stopped, turned around, and stalked back toward him with an upraised finger. “I have better things to do than screw around with high school drama. I have a job, kid; actual responsibilities. What do you have, other than your… good hair, and questionable guitar skills?” His mouth dropped open in a half-formed response as he first stared into her narrowed eyes, then studied her set jaw and flaring nostrils. Seconds later, he began to laugh. The effect on Limestone was electric. She jerked back as though she’d been slapped, and her eyes went wide. “S… stop it!” she shouted. Flash didn’t. His shoulders shook with unrestrained laughter. He slapped his knee, and doubled over, letting the hilarity flow through him. “I’m,” he managed, struggling for breath. “No, I’m sorry, it’s…” Limestone balled up her fists, gritted her teeth… but ultimately just stared at him. Flash brought himself back up with a big smile underneath his shining blue eyes. “Look, Limestone, I’m sorry. It’s just… that’s how you do it, right? You get people all worried about making you mad, and they end up doing whatever you say. Right?” She took a deep breath, but didn’t answer. He pointed at her eyes. “But there, right there, I see it. Remember what you said about ‘good hair?’ Every so often, you let this whole… thing drop. And when you do, you’re pretty cool.” “I’m ‘cool?’” she said stiffly. He shrugged, maintaining his smile. “I don’t know. You seem cool, when you aren’t actively trying to push me away.” Limestone stood silent and motionless. The frown on her face carried none of its usual anger, but something much more pensive and uncertain. Flash pointed a thumb back toward the music room. “Do you want to head back and start jamming, or maybe we should just relax a little first? Don’t take this the wrong way, but you look like you could use a pick-me-up.” Her eyes narrowed. “What do you have in mind?” He chuckled, holding up his hands. “Don’t worry; nothing funny. Why don’t we go hit the juice place across the street? I’ll buy you a smoothie.” Limestone’s gaze fixed on him. “What are you playing at?” Flash shrugged. “Maybe making this a little more like a date and less like just a straight-up jam session?” She raised her chin. “You seriously want to… get a smoothie with me?” “Sure.” He grinned at her. “Why not? We’re both single, and we have some stuff in common, right?” “…Do we?” He rolled his eyes. “You just have to make this as difficult as possible, don’t you? ‘Cuz otherwise you’re worried… what? That you’re being too easy?” Limestone furrowed her brow. Her features tensed. Then the unthinkable happened: a tight, messy smile worked its way across her lips. She snorted. “‘Easy.’ Me.” Then she met his eyes, and the smile overtook her cheeks. Flash felt a bit of trepidation at the sight; hers was clearly a face unaccustomed to smiling. And yet… “You look nice when you smile,” he said, immediately following that up by squeezing his eyes shut and sighing. “Not to say you don’t look nice all the time. Maybe call it a rare pleasure.” The proverbial clouds obscured Limestone’s smile once again. “It’s gonna take more than charm and a smoothie to get anywhere with me, Charlie.” He smiled and nodded. “Well, let’s start with that, at least. Right this way.” They walked through the hall of CHS together. Limestone looked all around, seeming to drink in every detail of the place. “What is it?” Flash asked as they approached the main doors. Limestone looked at him and frowned. “No, it’s… interesting, coming here.” She stared at a case full of trophies and framed pictures of sports teams that they passed by. “So many people; so much stuff. I guess I see why Pinkie likes it here, and why Maud kinda didn’t.” Flash nodded. “Yeah, Pinkie’s lots of fun. I remember Maud, too. Always very quiet and intense. You didn’t ever go here, right?” He stepped ahead slightly as they reached the door, pushing it open and holding it for her. “Thanks. And no.” She took a breath. “I was homeschooled, like my youngest sister, Marble.” “Wow, I can’t imagine not going somewhere. I don’t know what I’d do with myself.” Limestone tensed. “I did okay.” “…Sure, no, I didn’t mean anything. Sorry. Does Marble like it?” She shook her head. “I don’t think she could handle a real school. Pinkie’s Pinkie, and Maud’s Maud, but Marble, well…” He grinned at her. “Is Marble?” Limestone snorted again. “Well Captain Obvious, isn’t it just looks, brains, and everything with you?” Flash rolled his eyes and shook his head, but smiled. “You’d better stop stroking my ego before I get entirely the wrong idea.” She stopped right in the midst of the main walkway leading out to the sidewalk, staring at him. “What?” he asked after a few moments. “You don’t care, do you?” She gestured indistinctly. “That I’m trying to piss you off about ninety percent of the time? You really don’t care.” He shrugged. “As you were so kind to point out, I used to date Sunset. What you don’t see now is how she used to be. I mean, we broke up for a reason.” He went quiet for a moment. “And that reason was because she was borderline abusive.” He looked up. “But that was a long time ago. My point is that I get it about being with someone who’s got an acidic sense of humor. It isn’t quite my thing, but I can dig it.” “Base.” “...what?” Limestone gave him another unpracticed smile. “Lime is basic, not acidic.” Flash pursed his lips. “I bet you’ve been waiting your whole life to make that joke, haven’t you?”