“Delivery for Mr. Sentry!”
Flash’s eyebrows lifted as he turned away from his locker. A fancy looking envelope was just inches from his face. Grinning, Flash grabbed the envelope and turned it over. “Really? Just for me?”
Ditzy giggled. “Well, you and all of Canterlot High…” She showed Flash the inside of her shoulder bag, revealing dozens of mint green invitations with golden accents. “I’ve gotta deliver most of these by the end of the day.”
Flash let out a low whistle before opening the envelope. “So what dance is it this ti—” hundreds of confetti bits and streamers flew out from the envelope, covering his face, and filling his mouth.
“Spring Fling,” Ditzy informed as Flash coughed and spluttered. “The Monday after next, seven pm sharp! Will you come?”
Flash spit the last bit of confetti out of his mouth and dusted off his shoulder. “Of course! This school always has the best dances. Only, this time….” He trailed off and bit his lip awkwardly. Ditzy's eyes dimmed, knowing exactly what...or rather, who he was thinking about.
Flash shifted awkwardly before shaking his head. “Well. I’d go with my band buddies, but they both have dates. But going solo’s fine. Who are you going with?”
“I’m in the same boat as you. Carrot Top’s going with the rest of the Chess team. She doesn’t like it, but she can’t really get out of it.”
Flash raised his eyebrows. “Well, hey,” he said, smiling. “How about we both go?”
Ditzy tilted her head. “You mean, together?”
“Yeah! You live on 549 Cumulus Street, right? I could pick you up around 6:30-ish.”
Ditzy grinned and bobbed her head. “Okay! We’ll go, then!”
Flash gave a nod. “Sweet.” He closed his locker as the bell rang. He lifted his envelope and gave it a wave. “See ya!”
“See ya, Flash!” Ditzy echoed. She turned and sprinted down the hall before tripping and falling on her face. Nearby students rushed to help her. “Ooh. I’m okay!”
“What I wouldn’t give to be in your position,” Carrot Top sighed. She swirled her mashed potatoes around with her fork, staring into the abyss. “Here I am, preparing to go to the dance in a van with people I can only tolerate for, like, two hours a day, and you…you’re going to the dance with the hottest, most popular guy in school in his car!” Ditzy knocked her head back as she sipped from her chocolate milk carton. “I don’t really wanna hang out with them. I just wanna play Chess. I like Chess. Is that so bad?”
Carrot Top leaned her elbow on the lunch table and rested her chin on the heel of her hand. She stared at Derpy with fascinated and slightly envious wonder. “Seriously. What’s your secret? How does one such as myself get on your level? Is there some kind of protein I should eat? Novels I should read?”
She watched as Ditzy reached for one of her favorite desserts and took a bite. Carrot snapped her fingers. “It’s the muffins, isn’t it?”
“Hey, guys!” a voice sang.
The two girls looked up, and three lunch trays clacked against the table in unison. Roseluck, Daisy and Lilly sat down across from them with an impressive synchronized flourish. Carrot Top begrudgingly moved her things aside as they occupied the rest of the table. “Mind if we join you?” Lilly asked, placing a napkin on her lap.
“Nope, have a seat!” Ditzy said before Carrot Top could open her mouth.
“Are you guys going to dance?” Daisy asked, taking the ends of her forest green hair between her fingers and checking for split ends. “I absolutely have nothing to wear.”
“What are you talking about? You have hundreds of dresses in your closet!” Roseluck exclaimed.
Daisy shook her head rapidly, pursing her lips. “Mm-mm. Hate ‘em all.” She picked up her fork and stabbed at her broccoli. “I need to go shopping. Maybe tonight.”
“No, you should go ask Rarity,” Lilly said, squeezing ketchup on her burger patty. “She makes the loveliest dresses. She’ll be much more lenient with the price too!”
“Rarity has enough on her plate, devoting most of her time on her friend’s dresses," Roseluck argued. "You think they all go out and pick out dresses for themselves?”
The other two hummed in agreement. “You’re right,” Daisy said. “Some of them have the worst taste in clothes. Especially the new girl, the one with the glasses? Hello, twenty-first century, honey!”
Lilly let out a high-pitched giggle.
Ditzy felt a strange heat rising inside of her. “I think her clothes are very pretty!”
The conversation stopped dead, and the girls stared at Ditzy, who looked mildly embarrassed at her own outburst. Carrot Top didn’t stop chewing; she looked in between Ditzy and the three girls across the table and gave her shoulder a slight shrug. “Yeah. She dresses pretty cool.”
Roseluck, Daisy and Lilly shared a brief look, and Daisy shrugged. “Hmm…I suppose. It’s not terrible…”
They resumed eating, and Ditzy gave Carrot Top a grateful look. Carrot winked. “So, guess who this one’s going to the dance with?”
Ditzy mentally snatched her previous gratitude back.
“Who?” Lilly asked, blinking curiously at Ditzy.
Ditzy nudged Carrot Top’s foot beneath the table, but Carrot refused to be silenced. “Flash freakin’ Sentry!” she stuffed a forkful of mash potatoes in her mouth and grinned at the shocked expressions on the trio’s faces.
Roseluck stared at Ditzy, who made a feeble attempt of hiding her face behind her napkin as she wiped her face. “Flash,” she stated flatly, her gaze piercing. “Flash Sentry.”
“The Flash Sentry that goes to this school,” Daisy said, squinting her eyes.
Carrot Top swallowed her food and took a sip of water. “Well, there’s only one of those ‘round here, so yeah. That Flash Sentry.”
The trio looked extremely suspicious. “Really?” said Lilly.
Ditzy put her napkin down. “It’s true.” Her voice was soft, and her eyes glued onto the table. “He is going with me.”
The girls stared at Ditzy for a few moments. Daisy’s eyes lifted, and she broke the silence with an excited “Hmm!” Ditzy looked up, and Daisy lifted her hand and waved. “We’ll just see for ourselves. Here he comes now!”
Ditzy’s head whipped around. Sure enough, Flash was headed toward their table with a lunch trey in his hands. “Flash! Over here!”
Flash turned his head and approached the table, lifting a hand in greeting. “Hey, what’s up?”
Smiling, Daisy rested her chin on her folded hands. “So, is it true? Are you going to the dance with Ditzy?”
Flash looked down at Ditzy and nodded. “Yep.”
The Trio reeled, and Carrot Top covered her mouth to hide her grin. “You are?” Roseluck said, her eyes wide.
Flash nodded and gestured at the seat next to Ditzy. “May I?”
“Mm-hmm!”
Everyone stared as Flash sat beside Ditzy. He gave a pleased sigh as he picked up his hamburger and bit into it. “Ohhh, yeah.”
“Uh…wow,” Daisy said, looking at the two of them. “I’m sorry, I’m just…huh. So, how did you two come to this…agreement?”
Flash made to speak, but his mouth was full of burger. Ditzy laughed. “None of us had anyone else to go with.”
Flash pointed at Ditzy and nodded as he chewed.
“So, you asked him to go with you?” Rose Luck said, quirking an eyebrow.
Flash shook his head. “Mm-mm.”
“He asked me.”
More stares. The table was silent until Lilly finally spoke up. “…Why?”
Daisy slapped her shoulder.
“Ow, what?”
“Oh my gosh, Lilly, you can’t just ask people why they asked someone out!”
Flash raised an eyebrow, having swallowed most of his food. “S’there a problem?”
“No,” Roseluck said quickly. “No, of course not. It’s just…that’s so sweet of you, Flash. I think it’s great!”
Flash and Ditzy looked at each other, and Carrot Top narrowed her eyes. “You think what’s great?” Flash asked.
“That you’re taking her! It’s very gentlemanly of you.” The other two bobbed their heads in agreement.
Flash frowned. “I asked her because I want to go with her,” he said firmly. “Ditzy and I have been friends for a long time, and it’s been a while since we did something fun together.”
Daisy looked at Ditzy, whose cheeks were starting to warm. “So interesting,” she murmured. “I wouldn’t have thought that someone like you and someone like her…”
Flash’s face grew a bit stormy while Ditzy covered her face with a hand. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Yeah,” said Carrot Top, her expression mirroring Flash’s.
“Uh—nothing! Nothing,” Daisy said, raising her hands in defense. “It’s just that he usually goes with girls like Sunset Shimmer, or…or Twilight Sparkle.”
“The other one,” Lilly clarified.
Carrot lifted her chin. “Well, what’s the difference? Flash has great taste in women…” Flash glanced at Carrot Top over Ditzy’s lowered head. The orange-haired girl gave a small wink. “Don’t you, Flash?”
Flash’s eyes brightened. “Why, yes…” He scooted closer to Ditzy and casually put his arm around her shoulders. Ditzy’s head snapped up with wide eyes. Flash lowered his eyelids and smiled tenderly. “I do indeed.”
Carrot Top bit her tongue to keep from laughing as the jaws across the table went completely slack.
“F-Flash—” Ditzy stammered, but was silenced by his finger on her lips.
“Shh, don’t say anything, my...precious little Lima Bean,” he said lovingly. Ditzy’s mind spun, wondering where and how in the world he got that name from. “I know you wanted to keep our relationship a secret, but…babe, I just can’t fight it anymore.” He squeezed her shoulder. “People should know.”
Ditzy slowly tore her eyes off Flash and landed on the shocked and mystified girls across the table. “Uhhh…. yeah.” She grinned nervously and patted Flash’s hand. “I guess we’re exposed…now…!”
“YOU…” Daisy squawked, her eyes bulging.
“And him,” Roseluck breathed, pointing a finger.
“Together!?” Lilly almost screamed, briefly turning a few heads.
Ditzy and Flash regarded each other, both sending brief and silent signals between them before nodding. Ditzy rested her head on Flash’s shoulder and smiled demurely at the Trio while Flash grinned. “Surprise.”
Carrot Top now had to cover her mouth with both hands to keep from howling, but the three girls were far too invested in the “couple” before them to notice. “And I’m telling ya…there’s no one else I’d rather go with than this one right here.” He gave her shoulder a softer squeeze this time, and Ditzy’s smile inched a little wider.
He meant that one.
Lilly put her hand over her heart, looking touched. “Aww,” she said with a little smile. Daisy and Roseluck still looked shocked.
“If I’m not mistaken,” Flash said as Ditzy’s head left his shoulder, “You have a Shop Class after Lunch is over. Why don’t I walk you on over there before the bell rings? It’s a long way from the Cafeteria…” He gave the tip of her nose a light tap. “Wouldn’t want you to be late.”
“Why, that’d be lovely…honey! Would you care to join us, Carrot Top?”
Carrot Top shook her head, biting back a snicker. “Oh, no…you two lovebirds go on. I’m finishing my food…Besides, now that you’re out in the open, you’ll need to make up for lost time!”
She covered her mouth again as Ditzy and Flash rose from the lunch table. Flash picked up both of their lunch trays. Roseluck, Daisy and Lilly watched them as Flash dumped the waste contents and put the trays in the used stack.
Fully aware of eyes on them, Ditzy and Flash linked arms and walked out of the Cafeteria together. Carrot Top turned back to the bewildered girls and sipped out of her straw. She swallowed, smacked her lips loudly, and sighed. “Young love, huh?”
As soon as they were out of the Cafeteria, Ditzy and Flash leaned against each other in hysterics as they walked. Ditzy giggled into her hand, her face flushed. “Oh…oh my goodness,” she breathed, attempting to catch her breath.
“Shh, shh!” Flash whispered, though his shoulders shook with laughter. “Keep going, keep going—they might follow us out!” A chortle escaped his lips.
“Quiet, quiet!” Ditzy squealed. People gave them strange looks as they marched down the halls, arm in arm. “You were wonderful, just wonderful,” Ditzy said happily, putting a little skip in her step. “Why didn’t you join the theatre club? I thought you said you couldn’t act!”
“I can’t,” Flash smirked. “They’re just knuckleheads.”
Their arms stayed linked.