The next day is Friday, or as all of my friends are calling it, Octavia's Day. By now, the Rainbooms and the E.M.R. groups are aware of the plan and so know about the rules and whose turn it is now. Vinyl sent me a text earlier today saying that she, Lyra, Bon Bon, Derpy, and Doc have their concerns like everyone else, but support what I'm trying to do with Octavia, Sunset, and Sonata. At lunch, Sonata and I sit in our lunch table separate from the Rainbooms and Caramel and Soarin.
"So why are you making sure you have your back facing our friends, Rough Draft?" Sonata asks as she eats her lunch, sitting on the other side of the table. "Is it to make sure you don't look at Sunset since it's Octavia's Day?"
"Mostly," I admit reluctantly. "But for that same reason, I'm afraid to see her face given how she must be feeling right now."
"She does look a little down," Sonata says, looking at Sunset behind me. "But wasn't last night good?"
I sigh wearily before I answer, "No, last night was wonderful. Well, okay, it started rocky with Sunset needing to prove that she's staying in our world and all that, but that aside, it was a fun romantic night."
"So, what's the problem?" Sonata asks. "Are you worried about going to see Octavia is going to taint it somehow or something?"
I chuckle at my good friend's guess before I answer, "Not exactly. I'm just mixed between regretful and excited to spend the day after school with Octavia. Regretful because I know it will pain Sunset knowing that I'm doing this, but excited because I want to do this at the same time. It's only day two technically, and I wish I could be cloned so that I could live two lives, one with Octavia and the other with Sunset."
"That would be nice except that wouldn't be fair to yourself or them either," Sonata says sadly. "I mean, who would get the real Rough Draft and who would get the clone?"
"Heh, good point," I chuckle sadly. "In any case, I hope the answer becomes clear soon."
*************************************************************************************
After school ends for the day, Octavia texts me to see her at her place in half an hour. Why she didn't want us to go there together, I do not know, but maybe she's planning something like Sunset was with the picnic. I start walking from CHS to Octavia's house, deep in thought about what to say. Part of me wonders if she's going to be worried about Sunset and me the whole time, but I hope not.
"Well, look who it is."
I look up to find Alto walking next to me as I'm turning around the corner to his house.
"Long time no see, my boy," he says with a friendly smile. "Off to see my little girl, are we?"
"Yes," I say, concerned, "Are you aware of the..."
"Agreement you have between Octavia and this Sunset girl?" Alto finishes with a frown. "Yes, I know. Octavia told Tempo and me."
I frown at this answer, but before I can say anything, Alto raises his hand for silence.
"I'm not going to say whether or not you're doing the right thing or a foolish thing, Rough Draft," he says calmly. "While I have a strong opinion on the matter, this is your love life, and you will handle it however you feel you should. I must instruct, however, that you do not toy with my daughter's emotions in any way."
I stare at Alto, unprepared for his words, but then I nod in respect and say, "I swear on my life, sir, I have no desire to cause any emotional harm on Octavia. If my heart weren't so split, I'd know what to do, and I would do everything in my power to do so in a way where no one would be brokenhearted if it is at all possible."
"Good," Alto says. "I will hold you to that, young man."
We stand there in silence for a moment before Alto's face turns cheery again.
"Right, shall we continue to the house then?" He asks.
"Are you on your way there too?" I ask.
"Indeed, I am," he says as we begin walking again. "I had some errands to run, and I would have taken the car if my wife wasn't using it, and I rather enjoy walking around and exploring this town."
"Sounds like you have an admiration for the less high-class life like Octavia," I state.
"Oh, I always have, my boy," Alto says. "Life in Manehatten may have given me my passion for the art of music, a job that keeps me well off, and a chance to meet my bride, but not even the greatest of praise from the higher-ups in the music world could have stopped me from finding a way to still have a job there while living far over here in a suburb."
"So, that's why you moved?" I ask.
"It is," he says plainly. "Tempo was reluctant, obviously, enjoying the high life and all that, but in the end, she knew it was better for us. We thought it was better for our little girl, in particular, what with my father gone, her teacher disowning her and all that nonsense with that boy, Blueblood. That's what pleased us to see her make all of her friends at school and get together with you."
I give him a brief smile before he turns to me with a sad face.
"I'm sorry about that misunderstanding between you and her, Rough Draft," he says.
"Thank you, sir," I say. "I understand I have you to thank for keeping my presents safe."
"Indeed you do," Alto says proudly.
"So, you didn't think I was cheating on her?" I ask.
"Son, I may not have the whole story, but from my perspective, only a fool would believe you were manipulating her like Blueblood," Alto says. "My little girl can be reasonable for her age, but she also has her mother's feisty side that leads to poor judgment. I only wish she came to her senses sooner for both of your sakes and the sake of this Shimmer girl."
I nod before a thought enters my mind, and I bite my lip before I speak.
"Speaking of which," I begin. "Did she really feel nothing for Treble Clef?"
Alto raises his eyebrow skeptically.
"You don't trust my daughter?" He asks.
I sigh before I answer, "It's just that even after what she's told me, she still broke me when I got the news about her dating another guy shortly after that. It may be wrong to doubt her, but at the state that our relationship is in, I need more than one voice to put my mind at ease."
Alto nods in understanding before he walks ahead of me before he stands in front of me, blocking my path so I can't walk.
"Then let me be the only other voice you need to put that young, doubting mind at ease, boy," he commands. "Treble Clef is a nice fellow, and perhaps he would have been a better guy for Octavia if they met after the whole scenario with Blueblood. But even when Octavia hated you for what she thought you did, you could see it in her eyes that she was hurting for you. No gesture Treble Clef made towards her no matter how kind and true they were was going to stop that. As far as I'm concerned, Octavia was freeing him from a lost cause when she dumped him, knowing that you were not going to leave her mind or her heart."
I am taken aback by the way he spoke. Even though he was speaking calmly, there was a hint of anger in his voice that sounded intimidating as if I overstepped my bounds somehow.
"Do I make myself clear?" He asks.
"Crystal," I answer.
"Good," he says before he moves from my path, and we continue to walk. I follow him feeling a little ashamed for saying I felt any doubt about what Octavia said about her and Treble Clef.
Finally, we reach the house, and Alto takes his keys out from his pocket and unlocks the front door. When we both come in, my ears are immediately filled with the muffled sound of an instrument that makes me smile. Alto chuckles, noticing my reaction.
"It has been five months since you've last heard her play her cello, hasn't it?" He asks.
"Feels a lot longer than that," I say with a serene look on my face.
"Well, then you better head to her room, my boy," Alto says as he walks down the hall. "My daughter would not like her audience to keep her waiting.
I nod in agreement before I go up the stairs and walk down the hall. The sound of her cello grows louder and louder until I make it to her doorway. I take a deep breath to prepare for the time with my first love as best as I can before I quietly open the door.
When I walk in, Octavia has her back facing me as she sits on a wooden stool and plays her cello. Her phone lies on her bed as it plays piano music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gY2Ncv6Rk2E&feature=emb_logo
I can't help but smile at the soothing sound of her playing her instrument again. I lie my head against the door and intently watch her put her all into the piece. Yet as beautiful as the song sounds, I can't help but feel that it sounded sad. The notes she pays are so low that they sound lonely. Like Octavia is imagining herself in a solitary place where there's no one to comfort her or hear her play. My heart feels heavy as I begin to understand how Octavia has been feeling since the day we broke up on a different level. It's like I could never really understand the sorrow Octavia has been feeling until I hear her express it through this song.
When she finishes, I sigh quietly.
"You didn't have to wait until I was finished to greet me, darling," Octavia suddenly says, still not facing me. "You could have gone ahead and kissed me, and I would have kept on playing for you."
I'm surprised that she knew I was here without her looking, but then I remember how smart she is and walk over to her.
"Well, what can I say, love?" I ask as she turns her head to look at me with a sweet smile. "It's been so long since I've seen you perform, and I wouldn't want to take that chance of interrupting you. Especially with such a sad yet beautiful piece."
Octavia's smile grows, and her grey cheeks turn pink before we both lean in for a soft kiss.
"So, what do you have planned for today?" I ask.
"Oh, not a whole lot actually," Octavia says. "I thought we could hold each other and talk, and maybe later tonight we could watch a movie like we used to. It's not a big night planned, I know, but since we were interrupted from having a moment of just being together the other day, we could make up for lost time."
"That makes sense," I say, nodding. "It has been too long since we would just hold each other in silence where it could be just us and our love, and there was no school, no E.M.R., no magic or anything like that."
"You couldn't be any more right, darling," Octavia says with a smile. "But first, I have a song that I want to perform for you. I decided to try writing my own original music again, and I came up with a piece that I don't want anyone to hear, but you and you alone."
"Oh?" I say curiously. "Did you make it just for the occasion?"
"No. I've been working on it for the past couple weeks," she answers while taking out a stand and a music book. "That's part of why I waited a couple of weeks to approach you after Sunset Shimmer went back to her world. I knew you were in mourning and so needed some time alone, so I used the time to write this song. Consider it part of my apology for what happened between us and a way of expressing what you mean to me."
I smile before I say, "Then please play away, my lady."
She giggles at my response before her smile turns into a focused face. She opens the music book and gives me a fond look before she takes a deep breath, starts another track on her phone, and plays.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbnqO-KCA0A&feature=emb_logo
She starts with one long note before the piano music plays on her phone. The music in her cello feels much softer than the last one. This is isn't a song expressing how she feels lonely, like that last one. This sounds like she's at peace. I see a small smile on her face as she moves her bow against the strings back and forth. On one or two moments, she stops playing and lets the track on her phone play and opens her eyes for a moment to look at me and smile brightly, and I smile back. Eventually, the piano music ends, and it's just Octavia with her cello. With the background music over, the cello practically echoes the room as Octavia plays the last few notes.
When she finishes, I stare in amazement, and she looks at me with a pleased smile.
"Well?" She asks.
"Beautiful," is all I manage to say.
Octavia smiles as she puts down her cello and sits next to me on her bed. She wraps her arms around my neck and goes for a soft kiss. I wrap my arms around her waist as she begins to kiss me more passionately. When we part, she has a sweet and happy smile on her face.
"Thank you, darling," she whispers. "That's just what I hoped you would say, nothing more, nothing less. Just that one word was all I needed."
"Well, you more than earned it, love," I say before I lean in for another kiss.
When we part Octavia rests her head on my left shoulder like she used to and hums in pleasure, clearly having missed her favorite spot. I blush slightly but keep my arms around her waist as she has her arms around my torso, and we hold each other in silence where it's just us.
"You know when we first met, you were so shy," Octavia says after a few minutes.
"And you looked to high class and focused," I say. "But I won't forget how I suddenly stopped my conversation with Rainbow Dash when I first laid my eyes on you."
Octavia hums in acknowledgment before she frowns.
"It has been five months, hasn't it?" she asks.
I frown and nod reluctantly.
"Yeah," I say quietly, making Octavia sigh sadly.
"I am so sorry for not believing you, Rough Draft," she says. "If only I thought things through for just one moment or never listen to Vinyl, we wouldn't have spent so much time apart. We could have spent Valentine's Day together; I would have given it my all to make your birthday so special, there's just so much time we lost all because I gave up on us even if neither of us wanted that."
"It's okay, Octavia," I say calmly. "We've been over this; there's blame to share about what happened that day. I'm not angry or bitter about what happened. Maybe still hurt, but in the long run, the past is in the past."
"I just wish I can know for sure," Octavia says.
"You want me to say it, then I will," I say before I lift her head to look at me as I give her a kind look. "Octavia Melody, I forgive you."
Octavia stares at me for a moment before she gives me a bright smile and kisses me firmly on the lips.
"Thank you, darling," she says before resting her head on my shoulder again.
"You're quite welcome, love," I say back.
We let silence retake us for a couple of minutes before I remember something that makes me chuckle, making Octavia to lift her head and look at me curiously.
"Oh, I've completely forgotten to tell you this," I chuckle. "Want to hear the greatest thing you'll ever hear in your life?"
Octavia raises an eyebrow before she answers, "Honestly, darling, the only thing that would fall into that category to me is you saying 'I love you with all my heart. Let's get back together and never speak of Sunset Shimmer ever again.' And I don't think that's what you're thinking of saying."
I chuckle nervously before I say, "Okay, let me rephrase that. Do you want to hear the funniest thing you will ever hear in your life?"
Octavia keeps her eyebrow raised for a moment before she smiles and says "Well, it has been some time since you've made me laugh, so give it your best shot."
I grin excitedly and say, "Okay, so it turns out the whole thing with the Spring Fling was a blessing in disguise,"
Octavia frowns and says, "Rough Draft, please tell me this doesn't have to do with you and Sunset Shimmer."
"Oh, it doesn't," I answer. "It has to do with Rarity."
Octavia looks at me, confused, and asks, "How was pouring mop water on Rarity's head a good thing?"
"Well, it turns out that she wasn't there just to win Princess of the Spring Fling for the third year in a row," I answer. "It turns out that she was there to impress a guy she had a big crush on from Manehattan who just happened to be visiting and recently broke up with a cellist from his school and is Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna's nephew."
Octavia looks at me, still confused for a few seconds before the pieces come together in her mind. As soon as they do, her eyes widen, and she gasps loudly.
"NO!" She shrieks hysterically.
"Yes!" I say, grinning.
"Blueblood?!" She yells in disbelief. "She was trying to get with Blueblood after I had just dumped him that whole time?!"
"Pretty much," I say as my grin grows. "So, what was the biggest regret in my life turned out to be the key to stopping Rarity from presumably experiencing the very same situation you were in."
Octavia stares at me, bewildered with this news. Then, her eyes begin to water, and she tries to contain herself before she screams in laughter. She holds on to her stomach and eventually falls out of her bed and starts kicking her feet as she laughs so loud that she practically can be heard from here to Crystal City.
"Let it all out, my love," I chuckle as she starts banging her fists on the floor. "I did when I found out, and it feels so good."
She continues shrieking in laughter for another three minutes or so before she finally stops. She climbs back to her bed, out of breath, and her eyes red from the tears. I wrap my arm around her waist, and she rests her head back on my shoulder, drained.
"Had a good laugh?" I ask.
"My insides really hurt, and my throat is sore, but otherwise yes," Octavia wheezes. "I should probably rest before we go downstairs so I could grab some tea."
"That sounds like a good idea, love," I say.
We take a minute before we leave her room and walk downstairs to the kitchen. Octavia pours a pot of hot water, puts it on the stove, and we sit next to each other as we wait for the water to boil. After a moment, Octavia chuckles lightly.
"You know, the thought just occurred to me," she begins. "If I was still dating Blueblood and I went with him to visit Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna, I would have been there at the Spring Fling."
I chuckle at the thought.
"That would've been funny," I say.
"Funny yet sweet," Octavia says with a loving smile. "It would be like in some way I was connected to your past before we officially met and fell in love."
I smile at her and say, "That does sound kind of romantic."
"Indeed," Octavia says with a sigh. "I kind of wish it did happen."
"Well, maybe in some way it can," I suggest. "Maybe after college, I could write a teenage fantasy novel about a rich couple who moves to a suburb, and the girl falls in love with a nerd much to the anger of the boyfriend who only dates her for her beauty and popularity."
Octavia giggles as I continue.
"And the school somehow has magic, and the boyfriend makes a deal with a bunch of forces of dark magic to get rid of the nerd while he and the girlfriend are falling deeply in love."
"I love it already," Octavia says sweetly before she teases, "But you left out all the Star Wars stuff in the story."
"Good gracious, you're right," I say in an over-the-top impression of her accent, which makes her giggle again. "Somehow, I'll have to get permission from Lucasfilm to turn the nerd into a powerful Jedi, and he and the snobby, rich boyfriend can have this huge climactic battle that includes both of them commanding huge armies of AT-AT, AT-ACT, and AT-M6 walkers to fight each other. The movie will make millions just out of silly little boys who want to see big powerful machines blow each other up."
Octavia snorts out a laugh.
"That's more like it," she snickers. "I knew you'd figure out a way to put Jedi and AT-whatevers somehow. You just needed a little push."
"And you are encouraging as always, love," I say with a smile.
"And don't you forget it," Octavia says.
"I wouldn't dream of it," I say before I take her hand and kiss it.
Octavia blushes lightly at the gesture before the pot steams. She briefly leaves to pour herself some tea and takes a big sip before she returns to the table. She puts her drink down in front of me, sits on my lap, and wraps one arm around my neck while caressing my cheek with the other.
"I missed having conversations like this," she says quietly. "Even when I hardly understood whatever nerdy thing you would say, hearing you talk about the things you're passionate about was the only thing that would keep me sane."
"Really?" I ask with an eyebrow raised.
"Well, sane compared to all the nonsense in Manehattan," she admits reluctantly.
"That's better," I say, smirking. "Though I kind of had to be so passionate about that stuff because you're so passionate as a cellist."
Octavia gives me a sad smile as she wraps her other arm around my neck and lays her head against mine.
"Do you remember the times when we would just do what we love together?" She asks.
"How can I forget?" I ask as I wrap my arm around her. "We would be alone in the music room, and you would play your cello while I was writing our story. Every now and then, we would glance at each other while we played or wrote and smile at each other as if that was just another way of saying 'I love you.'"
"Hmmm," Octavia says blissfully in agreement. "And later we would go to either of our houses and cuddle until either one has to go home. Sometimes we decide to put on a movie to watch while cuddling."
"Yeah," I answer with a sad smile. "I remember wishing it would last forever every time."
"So do I," Octavia says sadly. "And I wonder how our story would have ended if I hadn't, well, you know."
"Yeah, I wonder about that, too," I reply.
We continue to hold each other while Octavia occasionally sips the rest of her tea for about ten minutes before Octavia breaks the embrace.
"Well, now that I've finished my tea, how about that movie?" She suggests.
I smile and say, "I don't see why not. Do you have one in mind?"
"As a matter of fact, my parents rented this romantic comedy last night that they recommended," Octavia answers. "I thought we could start reliving the times where we would just hang out by watching a film that neither of us have seen for once."
I keep on smiling and say, "We did usually watch something that one of us likes and recommended to the other whether it was Star Wars or Lord of the Rings or Ever After. So it only makes sense that we see something neither of us has seen for a change."
"Quite," Octavia says as she gets off my lap, takes my hands, and escorts me to her family room to watch the movie.
The film is a rom-com called What If. It's about a guy who is getting over a break-up he had a year prior and befriends a girl that he starts falling in love with who unfortunately has a boyfriend. They begin to hang out more after he accidentally knocks her boyfriend out the window injuring him and later goes on a business trip in Europe. The film has a lot of familiar romantic comedy beats in terms of story, but the dialogue is very witty and the chemistry between the guy, Wallace, and the girl, Chantry is strong.
The entire time we watch this film, Octavia and I cuddle like we used to. Every now and then I glance at her and see her smile both invested in the movie but also just being happy to be with me as she snuggles into my chest. Though interestingly, she laughed her head off when Wallace accidentally knocks Chantry's boyfriend out the window. When the movie ends, Octavia sighs contently before she moves her head to rest her chin on my chest as she looks at me and says, "That was a nice flick."
"I agree," I say before turning my head to her. "Though I must admit, I didn't think you'd laugh so hard when Chantry's boyfriend flew out the window."
Octavia blushes lightly and gives me a nervous chuckle before she says, "Well, it's not something you see every day in a rom-com."
I raise my eyebrow, unconvinced manner she sighs in defeat and says, "Alright, I might have imagined that Wallace and Chantry were you and me, and her boyfriend was Blueblood while we were watching since it started kind of similar to the idea of your new story."
I stare at her for a few seconds before I ask, "So in your head, I knocked Blueblood out the window."
"Well, in my defense, it's not like I knew that's where the movie was going," she says with another nervous chuckle. "Besides, you could come up with something similar in your future story that explains how the girlfriend ends up spending more time with the nerd under the rich boyfriend's nose."
"So you're basically suggesting that the beginning of my story is the nerd somehow accidentally knocks the rich boyfriend out the window and gets hospitalized, thus leading to the nerd spending more time with the rich girlfriend?" I ask.
Octavia shrugs and says, "It might be an interesting way to start the story. Like since he knocked her boyfriend out the window, the rich girlfriend forces the nerd to do things for her in a snooty manner as a way of making restitution or something like that, and it leads to both of them spending time together. Then over time, she becomes kinder and more interested in the stuff he's into, and that's when they fall in love."
I chuckle at the idea.
"Well, as somewhat psychotic as it sounds given your obvious dislike for Blueblood, I will admit that it's one way to start the relationship," I admit.
Octavia chuckles with her mouth closed before she remembers something.
"You know, when it got to the two of them asking how many serious relationships they've had, it got me thinking," she begins. "You said your first conversation with Sunset Shimmer was the longest you've ever had with a girl. So, has there been no girl in Applelosa you've at least had a crush on before you moved here?"
I frown before I admit, "Oh there were about four or five girls that I crushed on if for no other reason than the fact that they were pretty before it turned out that they thought I am a freak for being so nerdy just like practically everyone else who weren't my parents."
"Did they call you that?" Octavia asks.
"Some of them," I answer. "None of them said anything as especially hurtful as what Sunset said to me after he Spring Fling, but it still stung that practically every time I thought a girl was somehow different from the rest, it turns out she also detests the stuff I'm into as if I have some disfiguring disease. So as you can imagine, experiences like that along with what happened with Sunset and me put some weight into being reluctant with telling you what I write."
Octavia looks at me sadly.
"I'm sorry that happened to you," she says before she smirks again. "Tell you what, if we get back together, we'll take a trip to Applelosa and see if we can find every pretty brat whoever treated you that way and show off that you have a beautiful, fancy girlfriend who knows better."
I chuckle with my mouth closed and say, "Deal. And maybe we can do that to all those guys besides Blueblood who tried to impress you at Manehattan too?"
Octavia rolls her eyes and says, "As fun as that sounds, that might be a little trickier to do."
"Why's that?" I ask.
Octavia hesitates before she says, "Well, for one thing, as far as I know, most of them live in vast parts of Manhattan, whereas Appaloosa is a small town. For another thing, there were a lot of shallow, snobby boys who have tried to win my affections."
I raise my eyebrow and ask, "How many guys exactly?"
Octavia looks away in thought.
"I lost count after a while," she says. "I want to say about eleven or so?"
"Eleven?" I ask flabbergasted. "So about a dozen guys or so tried to win your heart with their riches and flowers and jewelry or whatever, and the only person who succeeds is little old me long before I bought so much as a necklace for you?"
"Yes. Doesn't that make you feel more special than you frankly already should?" Octavia says before she pecks me on the lips.
I blush lightly before I remember something.
"You know, speaking of special and coming back to talking about the movie, there was something in particular that caught my attention," I say.
"Oh?" Octavia asks curiously.
"Well, it was during a conversation that Wallace has with Adam Driver, a.k.a. Kylo Ren," I say while Octavia rolls her eyes again at pointing out something Star Wars related. "At the end of that scene, Kylo Ren said, 'All this love stuff is complicated, and that's good because if it's too simple, you've got no reason to try and f you got no reason to try you don't.' That got to me because I think that sums up what makes our relationship so unique."
Octavia looks at me in confusion as I continue.
"It's like you said before, our relationship had a lot of challenges even when we first got together," I say. "But that's good because that's part of what makes our love precious. With Sunset and me, our challenges weren't so much about love so much is just being friends again, and the love thing came after. We, on the other hand, became a couple only a few days after meeting and in many ways, it seems like we should never have tried to make it work when you put how different we are on paper, and yet we still feel in love."
Octavia smiles sweetly again and says, "I agree. I guess it comes back to what my grandfather said to my father about how love takes a lot of work and trust. I don't know much about you and Sunset, but I know how hard we had to work for our relationship to grow. My parents and grandparents at least had music to build on their relationships, but we had to find our special way to connect, and that's part of what makes our love valuable to both of us."
"Exactly," I reply. "It is amazing how far we've come since Pinkie Pie's party."
Octavia chuckles with her mouth closed and says, "Indeed, who would have thought I would have fallen for the guy who was dancing like a complete goof outside Pinkie's front yard?"
"Or that the girl I did not think I was worthy of being near would defend me in front of a whole crowd of people, or would lay by my side when I was unconscious and healing from a gunshot wound even though I was with another girl," I add.
"Seems this school year is full of surprises for both of us," Octavia says. "Whether it was from magical encounters, or dating each other or Sunset Shimmer and Treble Clef, life may as well have been trying to make up for spending our whole lives in such dull places like Applelosa and Manehattan."
"Indeed, it does," I agree.
We hold each other in silence until I hear Octavia go, "Oh!"
"What is it?" I ask.
"I almost forgot," she says. "Father and I are going to perform in a concert at the Crystal Pavilion in a couple of weeks. I am to perform a solo there while my father is one of the violins. It's a big moment for our family since it will be the first concert in a real professional orchestra that I'll ever perform and I would love it if you came. I checked the date, and it would be during one of my days."
I beam at the news
"I would love too," I say sincerely. "I would be honored to see you perform with your dad."
Octavia smiles sweetly.
"Thank you so much, Rough Draft," she says. "You don't know how much that means to me."
We continue to rest our heads against each other for a few minutes. Suddenly, Octavia starts sniveling, and I turn to see that her mouth is quivering, and her eyes are beginning to water. I lift her head to look at me with my hand.
"What is it?" I ask, even though I think I know the answer.
"I-I-I'm scared, Rough Draft," she whimpers. "I want you to be happy no matter who you choose, but I don't want to lose you for good. It's just so cruel to think that what we had did end over nothing and then that nothing turned into something that can take you away from me. I don't know if what we're doing right now is the road to getting you back or just borrowed time before you come back to her. I know we shouldn't be thinking that far ahead while we're doing this, but I'm just so scared that you will slip out of my fingers again."
I frown at her words and lightly push her head to rest against my chest again.
"I'm scared, too," I say quietly. "Terrified, actually. It hurts how my heart can't decide between the two of you and that I have to let one of you go for good. Both you and Sunset Shimmer mean so much to me, and I wish there is a clear path to tell me which path to take, but there isn't. All I can do is be with both of you and hope our paths become clear in time."
Octavia lightly nods in understanding.
"Keep on holding me, my darling," she instructs quietly as her hug tightens. "Please, just...just hold me."
"As you wish, my love," I reply with my hug tightening, and she snuggles further into my chest. "No matter what happens, you will always be one of the greatest things to ever come into my life."
"And you will always be one of the greatest things to come into mine," she whispers.
With those words said, we hold each other tightly, refusing to let go. Our path remains unclear, but as far as our hearts are concerned, this is a moment that will last forever in our memories.