//------------------------------// // Sonata Cheating Heart Part 01 // Story: The Shadowbolts Adventures // by DragonShadow //------------------------------// It used to be that the best part of Lemon Zest's day was the feeling of accomplishment that came from good grades. Now, however, the best part of her day was when the final bell tolled and she was able to slip on her roller blades and leave the grounds with her girl. This was her plan this average school day as she rounded the corner of Crystal Prep Academy on her wheels with her hands behind her back in a casual fifteen mile-per-hour stroll. She slipped between the other students on her way towards the front sidewalk, where she found Sour Sweet just reaching the end of the school lawn with her new friend walking close by her side. Sonata Dusk was her name, Lemon remembered after some mental digging. She seemed like a nice enough girl, and Sour Sweet had a big happy smile on her lips as Sonata's hands flipped around in front of her, making various shapes with her fingers. "Hey, girl!" Lemon Zest turned her feet sideways and began to circle quickly around Sour Sweet and her friend. "School's out! Woo!" "Woo!" Sour Sweet hooted as she and Sonata pumped their fists over their heads until Lemon came to rest in front of them and wrapped her girlfriend up in a tight hug. "Hey! I guess you're doing your post-school skating?" "You know it!" Lemon Zest winked as she pulled back. "You coming with?" "Totally!" Sour Sweet turned towards her new friend. "You wanna come too?" Sonata nodded vigorously. "I dunno." Lemon Zest put her hands on her hips as she looked Sonata up and down appraisingly. "Can she even stand up on a pair of blades? Sonata grinned and jammed her thumb confidently into her chest with her hips in a cocky pose. "I think that sounds like a challenge!" Sour Sweet clenched her fists with a grin. "Let's roll, girls!" It wasn't long before they hit the road, with Sonata Dusk borrowing a set of Sour Sweet's skates and protective padding. The girl was so thin that Lemon had expected her to rarely get out and exercise, but somehow she pushed herself along with such power and grace that she was practically circling around Sour Sweet with an eager grin. "Holy crap, Sonata!" Sour Sweet grinned appreciatively. "Is there anything you can't do!?" Sonata was rolling backwards at high speed as she flipped her hands around in front of her again. Sour Sweet laughed.  "Haha! Yeah, I can't cook either! Fuck it, that's why we have takeout and microwaves!" Sonata pumped her fists into the air as if in agreement. "Hey, I like cooking!" Lemon Zest slid up beside them. "A meal always tastes better when you make it yourself! Like winning a race! It's no fun if you don't run first! Well... not as much fun, anyway." Lemon giggled. "Hah! Good, you can be the homemaker while I go out and storm the world!" Sour Sweet surged ahead of her, struggling to keep up with Sonata's pace even going backwards. Lemon Zest pushed herself to keep up with Sour Sweet fairly easily. Lemon spent way more time on a pair of skates than Sour Sweet did, but however fast she went Sonata still seemed to hover right in front of her with that bright, innocent smile, even going backwards. Curiously Lemon pushed herself just slightly faster, but Sonata turned to face forward and kept pace with her with a wild grin on her lips. Lemon went faster and faster still, but Sonata continued to keep pace with her with seeming ease. Sour Sweet was cackling madly behind them. "Don't let me hold you back! Three two one go!" There was a moment of silence where Lemon and Sonata exchanged a steady glance, then they both took off down the street. The wind whipped Lemon Zest's hair back behind her, while Sonata's single long ponytail was almost completely straight behind her like a flag in a wind storm as they roared down the sidewalk towards their destination, Sour Sweet's house. Lemon Zest cut one of the corners so tight she had to leap a row of bushes, landing easily on the far side. A quick glance over her shoulder showed Sonata matching her move with the grace of a ballet dancer, and quickly closing the distance between them again. No matter how hard Lemon pushed herself to get ahead, Sonata simply refused to fall behind for more than a few seconds. Over several more bushes, kicking her way over a row of garbage cans, taking a turn by rebounding off of a light pole on the corner, Sonata matched her move for move, easily making up any ground she lost on each maneuver. It was less like a race and more like she was just copying what Lemon was doing. "Are you taking it easy on me!?" Lemon shouted through the wind. Sonata put one finger to the side of her lips guiltily. "Stop it! I told you it's only fun if you try!" Sonata nodded and suddenly, in a burst of speed, began to pull ahead. Lemon's eyes went wide in shock at how fast she was. She pushed herself as hard as she could, and for a moment seemed to be catching up, but what little ground she gained was quickly lost again as Sonata widened the gap between them before they reached their destination. Sonata was still spinning when Lemon Zest rolled up to her with her arms limp at her sides. "Where did you learn to do that?" Sonata wiggled her hand in front of her with a shrug, though she continued to skate in small circles on the street in front of the house. "Hah! I think I can guess who won!" Sour Sweet grinned as she rolled up to the two of them, where Lemon was standing in awe while Sonata was half-skating half-dancing her way back and forth across the street. At the sound of her voice, Sonata rolled up to her and threw her hands victoriously into the air. "I thought it was you!" The girls wrapped each other in a tight hug. "You're amazing, Sonata!" "Yeah... amazing." Lemon Zest mumbled under her breath. "Now come on." Sour Sweet pulled away from her friend and jerked her thumb towards her house. "Let's work off that exercise with movies and popcorn." Sonata clapped and turned to follow her inside, while Lemon rolled after them more slowly, and silently.