//------------------------------// // What Remains of a Dream after you Wake Up // Story: Remnants of a Dream // by Scout Charger //------------------------------// It was Saturday morning. The day after Big Mac had talked, and to a certain degree beat, some sense into Scout. After he and Macintosh had parted ways Scout had pondered for the rest of the day which girl he’d like to choose. Both of them said they would like to give dating him a shot and he definitely had a soft spot for both of them. But he also knew that if he’d choose one of the girls, there would be no chance he’d ever try and date the other. So taking the chance with either Sunset Shimmer or Applejack meant that any chance with the other was gone. Of course Mac had been right, there was no false decision to make here, but there was also no absolute right one either. In the end, Scout didn’t decide that evening. He just showered, watched some movies and went to bed early. However, the next morning his subconsciousness made the decision for him. He walked into the kitchen, made himself some toast and scrambled eggs and sat down at the table. When he looked across the table, an image seemed to flash before his eyes. There was a girl sitting right across from him, smiling while she drank her coffee. His mind was still kind of sluggish and he didn’t realize that he smiled back at her. “Would be great to wake up to that smile each and every day.” He thought to himself. When he took the next bite from his eggs his eyes widened in realization. For about five minutes he sat there, almost frozen solid. Another fifteen minutes later he was showered, dressed and ready to visit her. Scout stood in front of the door, taking deep breaths to prepare himself for what lay ahead. “Come on, it’s not that she’ll turn you down or anything. She already told you she essentially wants to date you and you … also had sex before.” He told himself to calm his nerves. In his right hand was a single rose. Not because he might have needed it, but his mother and sister had always told him how much they liked to get flowers from a boy and so he thought it would be a nice gesture. At least it would be if she actually liked roses, a detail he just then realized he didn’t know. With courage born from desperation Scout brought his hand up to the door and knocked. The world seemed to fall dead silent as footsteps could be heard from behind the door. Time slowed to a crawl and the moments seemed to drag on indefinitely. Was this really the right thing to do? Was this the right time? Was she the right girl and was he the right guy? Questions and uncertainties burned like newborn stars in Scout’s mind and what should have been mere seconds felt like an eternity to him. A key turned inside a lock and a latch was showed to the side. “I could still run. She hasn’t seen me yet. I can still get out of this.” Uncertainties grew into fears and Scout’s brain rapidly declined into a state of pure and utter panic. But what made him want to run also held him in place. His rapidly panicking mind froze him in place. Even though his head screamed for an escape, his legs wouldn’t budge an inch. The door opened and there she was. At first her expression was flustered. Who would visit so early on a Saturday morning? When she saw Scout though whatever she wanted to say died in her throat and her mouth fell open. Scout’s mind was blank. Words and thoughts had turned into a concept utterly alien to him. There were only emotions and a purpose. He slowly raised his arm and offered her the rose he brought. She looked at the rose. Then to his face and back to the rose. Her eyes suddenly began to shine with a mixture of happiness and doubt. She knew what this was about. It was then and there that the smile Scout had imagined this morning at his kitchen table became reality. It was the most wonderful thing he had ever seen. Her smile was so bright that it felt like an angel descended from the heavens, just for him. Right then and there all the stupid, sappy love songs Scout had ever heard suddenly made sense. She put her hand to his and pushed it aside. As much as she loved to see that single rose, it was slightly in the way right now. Moments later she stepped forward, wrapped her arms around Scout’s neck and pulled him into a gentle kiss. She met no resistance. Scout wrapped one arm around her waist, the other around her shoulders and pulled her closer. When they finally broke the kiss Scout looked into his new girlfriend’s eyes. She was beautiful, probably the most beautiful girl in the world. He touched the rose he had brought to her nose, smiled and whispered. “Right decision.”