//------------------------------// // New Found Feelings // Story: The Mysteries of Love // by MysteriousStranger //------------------------------// Rarity's P.O.V. I had no idea what was going on with me lately. Every time I was with Trixie, every time I even thought about her, I felt... weird. It was like if I was in lo... No. That was impossible, she's a girl and I'm absolutely sure that I'm straight... right? What am I thinking, of course I am! She's a friend. A close friend. Surely the reason I felt weird around her was because of how close we became in such a short period of time. We went from enemies to close friends very fast. Granted, I adore spending time with any of my friends and family, I love them all, but Trixie... she was something else. I have had this argument with myself many times before. Trixie is my friend, just like Fluttershy, Sunset or Pinkie Pie was. I was not in love with her. I couldn't be. But why was I getting lost in her lately? When I jogged with her last Sunday, when I touched her hand... even though it was sweaty, I still wanted to intertwine my fingers with her. I was about to when she removed her hand all of the sudden. I was disappointed... but why? I have made myself the same question over and over lately. Why...? Why has she been in my thoughts for the past days? Why did she pop up in my head whenever I watched romance movies or shows? Why did I want to hug her so much? Why did I want to hold hands with her? Why did I stare into her beautiful lavender eyes... stop it, Rarity! Whatever my problem was, I need to pull myself together. Trixie is going to pick me up soon for the karaoke's open mic. I was almost ready. The entire week has been warm, but today has been a cold breeze all day. Naturally, the night was cold as well, so I decided to wear light blue jeans with a purple T-Shirt. I also decided to wear brown boots, matching my outfit. This should be enough. I knew it would be cold, but I think a jacket would be too much. I looked myself in the mirror I had inside my walk in closet. I was ready. I walked out the closet and smiled to my sister, who was sitting on my bed, waiting for me. "I think this will do." "You look great, sis! But why did you ask me into your room? I know you take seriously how you dress up, but you're just going to a karaoke, not a date." My sister's comment made me blush a little. It's not what I wanted to hear. I have had too many weird feelings on Trixie, and now the word 'date' makes it even weirder! It was not a date. Her brother and sister in-law will be there too. Plus, dates are only between people who have romantic feelings on each other, and I definitely do not like Trixie that way. I do not. She's beautiful, indeed, but she's my friend. A really good looking friend who I want to hold between my arms... not again! "I-It's important, alright? I don't want to look like an idiot." "Sis, are you okay?" I gulped and felt my cheeks even warmer. "Why?" "You're acting... strange." "Strange? How? Don't be ridiculous, Sweetie Belle. There's nothing strange about my behavior." I laughed nervously and my sister lifted an eyebrow to me. I turned to give my back to her. "It's almost bedtime. Dad is working on his computer; don't make him come to look for you." "Okay... have fun." My sister sounded suspicious. I didn't dare to look at her as she left. When the door closed, I felt safe enough to sigh. "What's wrong with me?" I moved my hand to my chest to feel my heartbeats. My heart was returning to its normal pace. "There has to be a reasonable explanation for this." I took my purse from my bed before walking downstairs, to the living room to wait for Trixie. I pulled out my phone and placed it next to me. I have asked Trixie to send me a text message when she was outside. I let myself sink into the cushions and stared at the ceiling. I'm really looking forward to this music event, but I fear that these strange... feelings will prevent me from having fun. I really needed to talk to someone about this, but I don't have much options. Since Trixie is a secret friend, I only have her brother, my sister and Sunset to talk about it. I don't know if asking Clementine would be a good idea. He's a nice guy, but I have never talked to him unless Trixie was around and I don't think my sister would be able to help me. Which leaves me with Sunset. But I know what she would say, and the least I needed was to hear her say that I have a crush on Trixie, which I absolutely don't! My phone played the notification ringtone and I fell to the floor as I gasped. It rang all of the sudden while I was distracted. I took my phone but didn't stand up yet. I had the default ringtone for every notification, so I had no clue if it was a text message or from one of my apps. 'I'm outside! 😊' I smiled at the text and felt a warm feeling inside before putting my phone in my purse and walking towards the front door. I took a deep breath before opening the door. My heart started pounding again when I put my eyes on my friend. She was wearing the cotton jacket she usually wears and black jeans and black sneakers. She looked like every day, but... my gosh, she was astonishing! "Hey, Rarity you... you look good." I heard what she said, but I was unable to answer. My tongue was betraying me again. "Rarity? Hello?" She waved her hand in front of my eyes, which helped me to wake up from my trance. "Oh? S-Sorry! I was... I..." Trixie chuckled and smirked. My cheeks felt warmer every second I stared at her. "Don't tell me that you're sleepy?" "Uh... yes! Yes, I'm sleepy." I tried to laugh it off and even faked a yawn. "I'm normally tired at this time, but don't worry, I'll be fine. I promise." Trixie looked at me with confusion for a little while. I didn't sound too nervous, did I? What was wrong with me?! Everything was fine until last week, why was I feeling so awkward around Trixie? I felt relief when she finally smiled at me. My thoughts finally stopped. "Well, you better don't fall asleep on me tonight, because I won't hold your head. Trixie won't stay put while someone else uses her as a pillow." "You monster!" We laughed and we started to walk to the nearest bus stop. Clementine and his girlfriend were already at the karaoke place. I couldn't help but to glance at Trixie more than once. It's the first time we hang out during the night, and she looks... different. Her beauty was admirable. She's a good looking girl, but being this close to her, and under the moonlight... it was giving me a new perspective of Trixie. For some reason, it was hard to get my eyes off her. My heart was racing and I felt like if my body was on fire. In one moment, she looked at me. I quickly moved my head to look straight ahead. "So, umm, I barely saw you last week. Its okay, I know you're busy. You have many friends and a sister, after all." "Oh, yeah..." I have avoided Trixie on purpose because of my mixed feelings towards her. I hated doing this to her, but I lost myself whenever I was around her. I had to force myself into going to the open mic with Trixie. Avoiding her all week didn't help at all, in fact, it made things worse. My feelings were even more out of control. "I'm sorry about that. Having lots of friends means that I need to split my time between them. I realized I neglected them too much lately, so, I decided to make it up to them. I'm... I will probably keep doing it. It doesn't mean that I don't want to hang out with you anymore, it's just that..." "No, no, it's okay, I understand." Trixie gave me a weak smile. I knew she didn't like the idea of seeing me less. I did text her several times, but it wasn't the same. I looked at her hand when she looked to another direction. Before I knew what was going on, I took her hand with mine. Trixie gasped and gazed upon our hands joint together. My eyes focused on our hands as well. Our eyes met and a long silence followed. I smiled at her. My intention was to show her that I still enjoyed her company. However, she started to open and close her mouth several times and she moved her gaze from me. She was making all kind of weird sounds. "You want to say something, darling?" "N-No, no! Nothing. I'm... just wondering if you're going to be fine since... you know, it's not a warm night." Trixie moved her head a lot as she spoke. She avoided my gaze the entire time. "Oh. Yes. I believe I'll fine. I'm not shivering yet." "Now you're not shivering. Who knows how the night will be when we leave." "I think I'll be fine. You're exaggerating. I can even see you're sweating a bit." "I-I'm not!" I laughed softly and kept staring at her. She was still avoiding my gaze at all cost. I wasn't feeling cold at all. In fact, I felt like if I was boiling. Her hand... it was so soft. I didn't want to let it go. It was so weird. My mind wandered off again. I imagined myself holding her arm, then, I imagined myself hugging her. But not just any friendly hug. It was more like an embrace. Then, I was kissing her cheek. But all of the sudden, my mind pictured myself leaning towards Trixie's face. What was it? What was my brain doing?! "Rarity!" "Wh-What? Huh?" I moved my head to all directions before looking at Trixie. "We're at the bus stop." I looked my surroundings and, sure enough, we have arrived. It was one of those bus stops with roof and a bench. I reluctantly let Trixie's hand go to sit down and wait for the bus. This time, we changed roles. She tried to look at me but I avoided her gaze at all cost. With each second that passed, I just wanted to be closer to her. I could barely resist the urge of laying my head on her shoulder. My heart was still racing and I still fell hot. "Rarity, are you okay? I'm starting to get worried..." I moved my head to look at Trixie straight into her eyes. Her face truly showed worry. The way she looked at me with those beautiful eyes of her. I just want to kiss her. Wait, what? Why would I do that?! She's my friend AND she's a girl! It makes no sense. "Y-Yes, I'm fine. I'm just nervous. I have never been to that place before. I don't know what kind of people goes there. I don't know the ambience." Trixie smiled before speaking. "Oh, don't worry about that. Remember that I'll be with you. Only good people go there. Troublemakers are kicked out without a warning. The bouncers are professionals and keep the peace. Trust me, I have been going there for a while, and I have only seen one troublemaker." "What about alcohol?" My friend shook her head. "Nope. All kid friendly. Actually, the troublemaker I told you about was kicked out because he walked in while drunk, demanding beers." "Oh, then I feel more comfortable going there now." I faked a smile at her. I wasn't worried about the ambience at all. I made up something in the moment. I was amazed by how fast I managed to think on something. "Our bus is here." Trixie said as she stood up. I entered the transportation after her and paid before sitting next to my friend. The bus was almost empty, so it wasn't hard to find good seats. "Clementine, Rosemary, over here!" Trixie waved at her brother as soon as she found him. The place was crowded. Trixie took my arm and lead me through the crowd as soon as we arrived. I'm surprised how fast she found Clementine. "Trix, Rarity! I'm so happy to see that you made it." "I would never miss any of your performances, Clem." my friend said with a smirk. I could still see her facial expressions properly since the lights were still on. I glanced at the stage. The technicians were working. "You missed one." Clementine said, crossing his arms. "I was sick! And I had to force you to not to cancel your performance for me!" Clementine laughed but Trixie kept frowning. The woman next to Clementine cleared her throat before looking at Trixie. "Trixie, are you going to introduce me your friend?" "Oh! Right. Rarity, she's Rosemary. My brother's girlfriend." "Pleased to meet you." The woman raised her hand to me. Her hair was dark pink and she had brown eyes. She was wearing a brown jacket, dark blue jeans and brown boots, a different model from mine. I shook my hand with hers. "The pleasure is mine. I'm Rarity." Rosemary was smiling warmly. She seemed to be a nice person, just like Clementine. How could Trixie be so mean when she's surrounded by good people? She only started to be nicer when she asked me to be her friend, but only then, she was still only nice to me. "I'm glad Trixie has a friend like you. I thought she always went straight to her room after school." "I do." Trixie spoke. "But I talk to Rarity. I hang out with her from time to time." "I see." for an instant, Rosemary’s smile faded, but she regained it when she spoke again. "Let's enjoy the night, shall we?" "Yes, you girls go ahead and find good spots. I'll be at the backstage." Clementine and Rosemary shared a kiss. "Good luck!" Rosemary said. "Thanks, Rosey. Although I don't need it. My band is awesome." "Do you always have to be so cocky?" Clementine's girlfriend said with a smirk. "She learnt from the best... me." Trixie spoke, puffing her chest with pride. All of us laughed before Clementine walked towards the backstage. Just then, I realized something. "Wait, I just noticed he's not carrying any instrument." "He doesn't need one." Trixie said before crossing her arms and closing her eyes. "He's a singer. The best singer you'll ever hear. Well, after me." "Oh, yeah?" I looked at her with a smirk. "If you're so good, then why did you lose the school's battle of the bands?" As expected, Trixie's proud smile disappeared and took her hand to massage her forehead with her fingers. "You had to remind me..." Rosemary and I giggled while Trixie slowly smiled. "Alright. Let's hurry before the best seats are taken." Both Trixie and I nodded at Rosemary's statement. We found a good spot on the front row. Each table had a brochure with the names of all the bands that would play. Weird. I didn't think that an open mic would take the time to do these. I suppose it's because they do it so often and the same bands play every time. There was also a list of every beverage the place had for sale. "If you want a drink, I can go to the stand." "No, thanks, Rosemary." I smiled at Clementine's girlfriend. "I'm not thirsty. Besides, look at these prices! $25 for a small bottle of water. I'll pass." "Okay. And you, Trixie?" "No, thanks. I'm good." "Well, I'm thirsty. I should have brought my own water. I'll be back soon." Rosemary stood up and walked to the stand were the beverages were sold. I watched her until she got there. "She's nice." I said as I moved my head to look at Trixie. "She is. Clementine is really happy with her." "How long have they been dating?" "Their third anniversary will be in a few months. Clementine went to her house to celebrate their first anniversary, and they spent last year at our apartment. My brother said that he wants to make this year special. He's planning on taking her to 'Chez le Chérie'." "Wow, Trixie. Your pronunciation was perfect." My friend chuckled. "Well, of course. Trixie happens to know a little of that language. The basics, to be precise." "Really?" I said as I put my elbow on the table to use my hand to support my head. "Why didn't you tell me?" "You never asked and it hasn't been relevant until now. What was going to do, just randomly say 'oh, by the way, I can speak another language.'?" I laughed softly and kept smiling at her. "What words can you say, exactly?" Truth to be told, I was fascinated by her pronunciation. That accent... got to me. Unfortunately, Rosemary returned just when Trixie was about to speak again. "I'm back! I brought extra plastic cups in case you girls want some." "Thank you. What did you buy?" I asked. "Diet cola. It's delicious! Have you tried it, Rarity?" "I did, but I'm more of a fan of juices. I have no problem drinking it if I get thirsty." "Okay. Just let me know." just as Rosemary poured her drink into her cup, the lights attenuated and technicians left the stage as a man walked towards the microphone. He tested it before speaking. "Welcome, welcome, everyone! We're about to begin another night of good music by several independent artists who just like to play music for fun! We'll always have our doors opened for them so everyone can enjoy music, either original or covers. Without further ado, here's the first band!" Everyone applauded and the first band stared their performance. All of their songs had a pop style. Not bad, but not so great either. I didn't get bored. I almost fell asleep at the second band, though. It was rap. I hated that genre! At least I wasn't alone. Trixie and Rosemary were completely uninterested as well. Rosemary, like me, struggled to keep her eyes opened and Trixie entertained herself by playing with her phone. After the rappers, it was finally Clementine's turn. Everyone cheered when it was their turn. Were they really that good! Trixie even whistled at them! I felt lost. Surely, I was the only one who wasn't cheering. "Thank you, everyone!" Clementine used the microphone to speak. "We, are pleased to see you all gathered here. Maybe we're not the band some of you came to listen, but we still promise you a great show! And here we go!" It was obvious that Clementine liked being the center of attention. None of the bands so far has given a speech before playing. Their music was indie rock. I really liked this genre. They played a couple of great and upbeat songs, but the third one started with a slower rhythm before getting upbeat. Clementine was a fantastic singer. One could easily get lost on his voice. Rosemary was love dazed by his singing, and I'm sure she wasn't the only one. Suddenly, in one particular part of the song, my eyes shifted towards Trixie. She was singing along with her brother with the same passion as his. The lighting was doing wonders on her. She looked so beautiful, and the passion she had on the song caused my heart to race again. My body heated up and I found myself unable to move my eyes from her. I touched one of my cheeks. It was burning. All these sensations... I... I couldn't deny it anymore... Maybe... Maybe I'm falling in love with Trixie. She looked at me and smiled while she kept singing alone. My chest hurt more. Yes... I think that's the case... Trixie got to my heart. But the strange part was... I didn't mind anymore. After Clementine's turn was over, Rosemary went to the backstage while Trixie and I went outside. "So, you liked it?" "Huh?" The music left me almost deaf. I had problems hearing Trixie. She was smiling at me again. It was killing me! All I could think of was on holding her close. I need to control myself. I couldn't be too obvious with my new found feelings. "The music, my brother. Did you enjoy the other bands?" She walked closer to me as she spoke. Don't come too close, Trixie. I'm sure you would see my red cheeks even in the dark of the night! "O-Oh. Yes and no... The first band was fine, but the second was dull." "I agree. I'm not fond with rap either. It makes no sense. It's just some guys saying random rhymes while a three seconds loop accompanies them in the background. Where's the fun in that?!" "I'll tell you where. Nowhere. It doesn't exist in rap. brr!" I started to shake. The night got colder since we arrived. Trixie crossed her arms and shook her head at me. "Don't tell me you're freezing." "I-I'm not!" it was obvious that I was. I should have brought a jacket, just in case. But, nooo. I didn't listen to my reasonable argument. I hugged myself to try to get a warm sensation, but it wasn't working. Suddenly, I felt something on my shoulders. I looked up and noticed that Trixie was right in front of me, putting her cotton jacket on me. "Wh-What are you doing?" "I'm more used to this cold. You need it more than I do." I looked at her. She only had a blue t-shirt to protect herself from the cold. "Are you sure?" "I can handle it, don't worry about me." she winked an eye at me and I swear that I could feel my heart melt. She was so close to me. I had to repress the urge to kiss her. I didn't want to scare her, not after all we went through. Besides, this was completely new to me. I never thought I would get a crush on a girl. Would these feelings still be here when I wake up? "Trixie, Rarity! You're still here." "Eek!" Clementine and Rosemary startled me since showed up all of the sudden. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to... is that my sister's cotton jacket?" Clementine was confused, but Rosemary just kept smiling like usual. "Yes. She was cold so I gave it to her." Trixie sounded proud, but maybe I was reading too much into it. "Okay." Clementine smiled with pride too. Maybe it was natural for them? I didn't look too much into it before. "Listen, I have to stay to talk with the band about something. I'll take Rosemary home before returning. I have called a taxi and told them to pick you up at the corner that has a bench. Here's the money to pay for it." "Alright. I'll see you in the morning, then." Trixie hugged Clementine and Rosemary hugged me. "It was nice to meet you. I hope we see each other again." "Me too." I smiled at her and we all waved at each other as we parted ways. I didn't say anything until we sat on the bench. "It was fun. Your brother is a great singer, and his band isn't bad at all." "They're very passionate with the music they play. They love the band that originally composed the songs they cover. Have you ever listened to them?" "I don't think I did." "I'll give you one of their albums on Monday. My favorite album to be precise. Make sure to return it to me, okay?" "Yes, of course. I'll return it to you without a single scratch." "You better, or I'll hunt you down." "Don't be so dramatic, Trixie." my friend laughed softly and moved her head to look at nothing in particular. Since she wasn't looking at me, I scooted over to be closer to her and laid my head on her shoulder. Trixie gasped, and spoke, still, not focusing her eyes on me. "Wh-What are you doing?" "I want to rest my eyes for a bit. Is that a crime?" "T-Trixie told you that her shoulders weren't going to support your head..." I moved my head to get more comfortable. I... I really liked being so close to her. I doubt that these feelings will fade some time soon. "Don't be mean, Trixie. I'm tired." "Okay... if you insist. Trixie will do an exception with you." I never wanted this moment to end. I wouldn't be able to be so close to her again without being too obvious. Sadly, the taxi arrived in five minutes. I mentally sighed before reluctantly standing up. It was time to go home.