//------------------------------//
// Masking Pain 
// Story: A Human World 
// by Icewind505 
//------------------------------//

"Anyways, AJ I was wonder-"

AJ slapped a hand to his friend's mouth. His eye was twitching and his mouth was twisted into a sarcastic smirk. He looked at Dash and started to speak to him as you might to a person of low intellect.

"First of all Dex, I 'ppreciate ya intraducin' me to the girls. But Ah've told ya time an' time again that my name's not AJ. Yer the only one that calls me that. Ya can call me Andy or somethin' but my name's not AJ. It makes me sound like a girl. So don't go callin' me AJ. Do Ah make myself clear?"

Dash nodded with Andrew's hand still slapped over his mouth. He was shaking slightly, but he soon regained his composure. He removed his friend's hand from his mouth and anger flashed through his eyes. He threw his face into Andrew's and glared at him. Andrew glared back at Dash as he started to speak.

"I get that you don't wanna be called AJ, but I'd appreciate it if you didn't call me Dex, or Dexter. I like Dash, it's suiting for me. Do I make myself clear?"

"They should call ya Crash. Ya may be the fastest on track team but ya need ta jump over the hurdles. Not wear 'em like a fancy belt. Ah'm gonna call ya by the name yer parents gave ya. Ya got that?"

Dexter scowled. It had been a while since his parents were brought up and he was in no mood now to talk about it.

"I hate my stupid parents. They shouldn't even qualify as parents. They left me. I don't need them. I don't need anything from them, not even my name."

Dex turned around and ran toward the outskirts of town. Andrew ran a hand over his face and returned to the apple stand. The girls stood with mouthes agape, a bit mortified at what had just happened. Andrew forced a smile at the girls and threw them each an apple. But Rainbow Dash dropped hers and tackled Andrew. She slapped Andrew across the face a few times before she got off him and pulled him off the ground. She glared at him with eyes narrowed to slits. She had gone through almost the same thing when she was younger, and she hated seeing anyone else like that.

"What's so bad about the name Dash! It's a great name! Did you see how fast he went? He ran right into us when we were coming into town! It felt like a freight train just hit us in the side! How is the name Dash so bad? Give me a straight forward answer!"

Andrew pushed himself away from Rainbow and opened his mouth to speak. But he closed it again. There wasn't anything bad about it. He had acted irrationaly, lately it was becoming harder to control his temper around Dexter and he had to admit it. Rainbow Dash opened her eyes again and sighed. 

"I thought so."

With that she ran away from her friends and Andrew and headed in the direction that Dex was heading. Hopefully she could find him and comfort him. Maybe she could even get him to come back. Just maybe...

~

Dex sat on his rock. He had headed toward his quite place. A large glade, it was round in shape and about a mile wide. He had painted the grass to make it look like a track and practiced there everyday. He had even taken the time to chisel a makeshift bench out of a large rock. Now, he sat on his rock while staring blankly at the ground, he was completely oblivous to the world around him. He didn't even notice when a certain rainbow haired girl sat next to him. Rainbow Dash gazed around the glade and sighed, taking in the beauty. She looked toward Dex with pity and worry. She leaned over, grimaced and what she was about to do and hugged him. He yelped in surprise and jumped, she let go of the shocked boy as he toppled off the stone.

"Oh my gosh! Are you okay?"

Dex got back up to his feet and grunted. He sat back on the stone without a word. After a few silent minutes Dex mumbled something under his breath. Rainbow Dash cupped her ears, signaling him to say it louder.

"Why are you here?"

"To comfort you, I might barely know you but you took quite a beating there pal."

"I just kinda want to be alone right now."

"Look, Dash-"

"Call me Dex."

"Huh?"

"Everyone else does, you might as well."

"Okay. Dex, if it makes any difference I didn't even meet my parents. They just dropped me off at school and took off."

"I guess that's something we kinda have in common. But it still doesn't make me feel any better"

"Okay, but this might.'

"I told you that nothin-"

Rainbow Dash grabbed Dex by his face and turned him around. Dex couldn't believe what was happening. As soon as Rainbow Dash had him, their lips had locked. Dex pulled away, this girl he hardly knew had just kissed him. He opened and closed his mouth as he tried to make words come out. But the only thing he could manage was a strangled peep. Rainbow Dash laughed, the sound rang through the glade. 

"That really shut you up. I kinda did think you were cute when I first saw you, even if you do eat meat. So, are you gonna finish the job or not?"

Dex still stood there with his mouth open. He gulped, he was stuck between a rock and a hard place. He wanted to, but would Rainbow Dash think any less of him? If he didn't move soon Rainbow, would probably do it again, he never thought that a girl should make the first move. Rainbow tapped her foot on the ground impatiently waiting for his answer. Dex smiled and hugged Rainbow Dash. She hugged him back, they shared this moment for a second. Dex smiled, he wanted this moment to last forever, but he knew that it could only get better from here on out. Dex leaned in on Rainbow, she closed her eyes and leaned ever closer to the boy. They could feel each others breath when they heard someone yell.

"Dex! What the hell do ya think yer doin'!?"