Diamond Tiara sat in her new spot in the back of the class, pondering her life as the teacher's words slowly became a garbled, incomprehensible mess in her mind. She couldn't focus on school, she couldn't focus on anything except her loneliness.
Three days, it's been THREE days, and she hasn't said a word to me… not even a text. Diamond did her best to hold back tears as she thought of the fight that had driven off her only friend, Silver Spoon. I really screwed up this time, she really isn't ever going to speak to me again.
She placed a pencil at the top of her desk, watching it roll down before repeating the steps. The simple task was all she could manage, and the only thing she felt was keeping her sane. The pencil would roll, and she would breathe, trying to steady herself, pull herself together.
I will not break, diamonds don't break. She tried to rally herself around her mantra, but she knew that even diamonds shattered if you hit them right.
Who am I kidding, I'm not a precious gem, just worthless rubble. Her head sinks down to her desk, and she can hold back her tears no longer. She sobs silently through class, the bell was the only thing to snap her from her trance. School was over, she'd have to go home now.
Normally she'd go to Silver Spoon’s, and avoid her mother while she's drinking. She couldn't do that now, she'd have to hold up in the library until all of the after school activities were over, it wasn't ideal, but it should keep her out of the house long enough for her dad to get home.
As Diamond Tiara made her way towards the library, her eyes stayed glued to the floor, she didn't want anyone to see that she had been crying. She was about half way there when she ran into someone. “Sorry,” she mutters without looking up.
“Sorry? Ain't somethin I thought I'd hear from you,” Diamond Tiara recognizes the familiar southern drawl, it belonged to one of her favorite people to pick on, Apple Bloom. She actually didn't have a problem with her, she found her accent charming, attractive even. She only singled her out because Silver Spoon didn't like her, something she was beginning to regret.
Diamond Tiara looked up at her, with red, puffy eyes. “I don't have the strength to be mean right now,” she sighed as she tried to walk by, but a firm hand gripped her shoulder. Great, just what I need, she picks today of all days to stand up to me.
“What’s wrong,” Apple Bloom asks, genuine concern in her voice. If her friends were there, she knew they'd advise her against it. Diamond Tiara was their enemy, and had been since middle school. But her friends weren't there, and her big sis always told her to help out those in need…. Even if she didn't necessarily like said person.
Diamond let out a sigh of relief, before giving the offer some thought. She was alone, and breaking. She needed a shoulder to cry on. “Silver Spoon and I… aren't friends anymore.” Saying the words aloud brought more tears to her eyes. Not even a moment had passed, and she felt strong arms wrapped around her.
Apple Bloom didn't say a word, she just held her right there, in the middle of the hallway. She could feel tears soaking into her shirt.
After several minutes of bawling her eyes out, something she'd been holding in for too long, Diamond asked. “Why…. are you doing this?” Now that her mind was clearing up, Diamond was realizing just how much was wrong with this scene.
“Cause you needed it,” Apple Bloom says firmly, without any hesitation. “Do I need a reason to help someone in need?” she asked with a slight cock of her head.
“With the way I've treated you all these years, you just come to my side… it doesn't make sense.” The thought had occupied her mind from her sadness. “You should be getting revenge, teasing me, making my life miserable.”
“You look miserable enough already, and frankly, I was raised better than that,” Apple Bloom said, her voice getting a little more stern towards the end to help drive in her point.
“I.. wish I could say the same,” Diamond Tiara imagines her mother trying to teach her that sort of behavior, the image in her head doesn't resemble her mother at all. Diamond sighed, she used to want nothing more than to make that woman happy, but what had it gotten her? A lifetime of loneliness.
“Well maybe you could come over and learn? If nothin’ else you wouldn't be lonely anymore,” Apple Bloom said with childish optimism.
Diamond Tiara looked at the girl holding her. “You'd really want to hang out with me? After everything…”
“I ain't livin’ in the past… or in this hallway for that matter, so are you coming along or not? Supper will be done soon and I'll get scolded if I'm late.”
A small smile touched Diamond’s lips, and she nodded. “I just need to send Daddy a text and let him know I'll be home late,” she couldn't hold back the traces of excitement in her voice. Apple Bloom wasn't her first choice in a friend… or even in her top twenty for that matter, but at this point she was happy to have anyone, besides she was kind of cute.
With a few taps on her phone, her plans were set. “Alright, I'm good to go.” Diamond said as she walked close to Apple Bloom. Too close at first, she put a bit of distance between them after accidentally stepping on her shoe.
As they walked through the school they kept mostly to themselves. As excited as Diamond was, she didn't want her big mouth to ruin it before they even got started. Her plan had been to simply let Apple Bloom do all the talking, but she wasn't saying anything either, which worsened Diamond's already bad nerves.
Apple Bloom finally broke the silence as they neared the parking lot. “I'm not sure how you feel about southern food, but you're more than welcome to have supper with us, Granny always fixes plenty,”
Apple Bloom’s attempt to cut the tension snapped Diamond out of her train of thought. “Sure, I was probably just going to get something on the way, but home cooking sounds nice."
“Best you'll ever have,” Apple Bloom added as she unlocked her green truck. “Hop on in,” she added enthusiastically as the lock on the passenger door clicked