The dreaded hour after school for both parties became one of the wanted hours of the day. Of course, Twilight loved tutoring a willing student and she loved explaining test-studying methods. She seemed so ecstatic when she taught things. And she loved how it gave her a definite A on the test in her classes.
It took Rainbow a second to get used to it. By a second, I mean four days. She was always awkward and cautious to get things wrong. Though she tried her hardest to learn it, it didn't come as easily to her as Twilight had made it sound. But it came easy enough for her to be okay with it.
While Twilight flipped through flashcards at lightning speed, Rainbow Crash answered them at an even faster speed. Of course she was cautious about getting caught, and she assumed Twilight could guess that. So, they never said a word to the other during the day, and they only sat on the steps to study once everyone had already left.
While Rainbow read over notes- she was not going to take her own -, Twilight would complete her own homework. Twilight abruptly giggled and erased a false answer. Rainbow's heart skipped a beat as she froze, her face imploded into red. Why was she so... blushy around this egghead?
And why wasn't she a total jerk? After the first day, she could've gotten everything else on her own. She didn't need Twilight's help after that. So, why did she keep seeing the egghead? And why did she keep being nice and attentive? She should've been a total class clown making jokes and not paying attention to get on Twilight's nerves. But she didn't... and she had no idea why.
And she had no idea why she struck up a conversation. "You find it funny when you get a problem wrong?" Rainbow asked with a mix of confusion and disgust that sounded nice and curious. Twilight giggled.
"Kind of... well," she smiled sweetly, as if this was normal. "The problem was really easy, so it was kind of funny I got it wrong." She seemed content as she stared down at the paper. Rainbow rolled her eyes and put the notes down at her side. She laid back comfortably and put her hands behind her head. She smirked as her shut eyes flinched at the sound of Twilight's voice.
"What are you doing?" Twilight asked. Crash could almost imagine the girl readjusting her glasses or pushing a bang behind her ear. Which seemed more and more like typical Twilight.
"Relaxing! I can't do nine hours of work straight without a break," Crash said cockily.
Twilight rolled her eyes. "It's called lunch."
Crash shot up, ready to debate. "Lunch is for food, not a break."
Twilight smirked, ready for a debate back. "It's a break in-between all the classes! If it was for food, they'd just let kids have food out in classes." The two involuntarily got closer as they fought.
"Like teachers want food in their classes," Crash fought. Their shoulders touched now, but the two were too heated to care. Crash was determined to be right.
"Janitors! They have jobs!" Twilight said as if Crash was stupid for thinking against it. Though the two didn't care about what the other thought, they were right.
"Janitors already have to clean the rest of the school five times a day!" Crash said angrily. "They don't want to have to clean the classes as well!"
Once the two realized how close they actually were, each had their own reaction. Twilight was disgusted by Crash's mint covered cigarette breath. Crash's cheeks flooded red at Twilight's minty one. Twilight tensed up and turned away abruptly, while Crash seemed to move even further, as if waiting for the kiss.
Suddenly, Crash shook the thought away and went back to herself. She was almost sad when she saw Twilight's tensed body, the girl seemed scared. She had to make it up, she had to! But how?
An idea struck her and she groaned mentally. She looked at Twilight again and saw the scared expression on her face, like she just experienced a near-death moment. She sighed and spoke, "What's your favorite Daring Do book?"
"Huh?" Twilight turned to her and readjusted her glasses. Crash almost wanted to shove contacts in her eyes so she'd stop. Twilight spent a second to reassess herself and she seemed amazed. "Wait! I thought you didn't like Daring Do!"
Crash rolled her eyes, "Just answer the question, nerd."
Twilight usually would've found offense to that, but her happiness didn't falter. "Um," she thought it over. "Daring Do: Riddle of the Sphinx!" She announced proudly. She was surprised when she was met with laughter.
"Oh, please!" Crash laughed. "Sapphire Stone is the best! Always has been!"
Twilight grimaced. "How stereotypical. Everyone loves The Sapphire Stone. That's why the others are so much better! They aren't fan favorites with too many fan-fics to count!" Crash's smile was surprisingly not fake.
"Ever wrote any?" Crash asked with intrigue and an adorable confidence to her. Twilight went red, though Crash thought it was because of the question, she had no idea it was her that made Twilight blush.
Twilight answered nervously, "O-Of course n-not!" She smiled just as nervously. Though she was only met with a laugh.
"You so have!" Crash laughed again. She totally ignored Twilight's embarrassment and kept laughing. For some reason, once she stopped, she almost looked ashamed. "Uh, it's not weird or anything! A lot of people do! I'm sure it's cool anyways!"
Now it was Twilight's turn to laugh. She was so enlightened by Crash's attempt to soften the hard blow. She smiled, "Don't worry. It totally sucked." Crash was giggling too.
"Wanna know the best Daring Do fanfic?" Crash asked with a cheeky smirk. Twilight readjusted her glasses and returned the smirk.
"What is it?" Twilight asked, bored and confident.
"Daring Do and Rosetta in the Jungle of Perils!" Crash admitted proudly. Twilight smiled brightly in response, which only made Crash's confidence waver and fall at the sight of such cuteness.
"Oh I know!" Twilight said giddily. Her feet tapped like a melody against the step beneath her as her hands clapped like a child. Crash found her so adorable. "Rosetta is so adorable while Daring Do is as snarky as always!"
Crash smirked cheekily, remembering their close encounter earlier. Talking about a nerdy Rosetta and a bad ass Daring Do didn't help her situation as the two almost kissed and got closer as these sessions continued. A little leading on couldn't hurt, right?
They'd never talk again after today, so why not? Why not play with the little nerds heart? It was tempting, but for once, she thought of the consequences and decided against it. Sure, she'd feel like a total badass as she was the cold-hearted one towards the one crying, but she didn't want to deal with it. The egghead was already an annoyance.
Twilight went back to her explanations as Crash thought about things, so she wasn't listening. She was brought out of her trance once Twilight spoke about something other than language arts. "Hey, since you won't need anymore tutoring after today... why don't we meet here tomorrow and you tell me what you got?" Her smile seemed so innocent and pure. She was too pure and stupid to be around Crash.
"Uh, sure," Crash stated simply. Twilight smiled happily as she went back to explaining things or doing her homework. Eventually, the two sat in silence with the other. Twilight did her work, briefly explaining things every now and then while Crash relaxed.
Rainbow Crash felt as comfortable as she usually did in her black beach chair. And she wondered why. It was probably because she at least knew the information that would be on her tests, she'd be able to go up to her coach and get a hearty laugh of approval.
Sure, she would love proving him wrong. That hearty laugh would be of pride in her, but she knew the defeat that would sit behind it. She couldn't wait to hear it, she couldn't wait to be on top again.
But that was expected. And she wouldn't be comfortable, she'd be cocky and anticipating. And she already had that, so what the hell was making her feel so... normal? She took a look over at Twilight and saw the concentrated look on the girls face.
Her bangs hung around her face, her glasses were already sliding off her nose, the eraser of her pencil sat between her teeth as her brows furrowed. Suddenly, her body shot up with glee as she swung her hand down to answer the question. The idea that this was their last study session almost upset Crash.
So, without noticing it, she thought of ways to continue them casually. She could always get the tests right and fail the next ones. Her coach would never get rid of her without a warning, so he'd tell her to physically make up her grades. And that could be where Twilight came in!
She could even tell the little nerd that she got bad grades when she aced things. But of course, her coach could simply kick her off the team, and it would be obnoxious acting like she didn't know things she already knew. But it would be worth it to hear Twilight's nerd voice rant over social studies, right?
Suddenly, she shook her head and mentally slapped herself many times. She didn't like this egghead, not even as a friend. She just wanted to mess with the brat. Yeah, that was it. She couldn't wait to get a good grade and never talk to the nerd again! Thirty more minutes to go with the egghead! With the annoying, stupid, and uncool egghead!
Although, she wasn't ready for thirty minutes to become two. They weren't even half into their session when the two walked up.
Pinkie bounced over to the two while Rarity walked with class. The two recognized Twilight, but they had no idea who could possibly be having a study-date with her. The two were so eager to figure out. But as they got closer, confusion sat into Pinkie while disgust sat into Rarity.
Twilight was too busy to notice the two approach, but Crash saw them just fine. She fumbled to do something, her mind swam, begging for an idea to change how the situation looked. She glanced at the two and saw them getting closer. So, she did what she didn't want to do.
She sighed and looked at Twilight, expecting to get one last sorrowful look noticed before she had to do what she knew she had to do. Twilight didn't look up and starting humming in concentration. She sighed again and stood up, finally catching Twilight's attention.
Twilight looked up with confusion. She noticed Rarity and Pinkie Pie as they approached the two. Though she understood, she still felt too hurt to understand. She looked up at Crash, as if begging for her not to do it. She got a bored expression that drove home her hurt into confusion.
"Hello Twilight," Rarity said. Her tone had underlying disgust as she looked at Crash. She cleared her throat, "Well, I never expected... this..." Twilight's face went red, but before she could explain herself, Crash spoke.
Crash looked over her shoulder and grimaced at Rarity. "Expected what? If you really think I would have anything to do with this egghead, you're wrong."
She only got confusion as a response. "Huh? But you were sitting next to her!" Pinkie Pie bounced, she seemed amazed. Crash spat.
"Reminiscing in the hilarity of a stupid egghead, almost feels relaxing being around others so much less cooler than me!" Crash turned to them with a smirk, her hands behind her head. Rarity and Pinkie seemed so offended. They didn't see the betrayed Twilight in the shadow of their hate.
"Hey! Twilight's is so much more cooler than you!" Pinkie fumed angrily. She puffed out her cheeks as her fists curled.
Rarity huffed and crossed her arms. "I agree! Besides, she's much smarter than you!" She seemed so much more infuriated than Pinkie Pie. "You don't have to be a jerk about everything you do! How does it please you to see others in dismay from everything you do!?"
Crash's expression didn't waver. Twilight was terrified her niceness was all an act, and of course, she was starting to believe it. "Gives me a sense of power over others," she said flatly. Suddenly, her blood boiled at the thought of Rarity and everything she did to Applejack. She growled, "You should know all 'bout it, princess."
"Huh?" Rarity asked, offense covered her stance. Pinkie bounced in front of her.
"I think you should leave, now," she said rudely. Crash shrugged and started off, her hands shoving in her pockets. She never looked back, she didn't even look tempted to.
Twilight watched in disbelief as she walked off. She wanted Crash to race back and ask her if she wanted a ride home, setting shock into Rarity and Pinkie. Twilight would accept and she'd feel the wind blow through her hair as she screamed into Crash's back. She almost wanted to cry. She felt so betrayed. And she had no idea why. It's not like she knew Crash personally.
Rarity and Pinkie Pie plopped down next to her, hugging her with all their might. Her gaze didn't shift. "Mmmm, I'm so sorry, darling!" Rarity said and she shoved her cheek onto Twilight's shoulder.
"Yeah!" Pinkie said happily. "She's just a meanie, don't worry about her!" She continued, explaining how Twilight was cool and not a nerd. Rarity's head nodded in agreement.
She tensed and froze as Rainbow looked back at her. The girl fumbled to turn away and seemed so nervous. She obviously let out a sigh as she continued on. Twilight smiled sadly.
"Don't worry," Twilight said sadly as Rainbow perched on her bike. It raced off, "I know." She spent the rest of the hour with Rarity and Pinkie Pie, doing their homework and joking around. It wasn't as fun as making fun of Daring Do fan-fictions, but it was fun.
Afterwards, they got slushies and Pinkie Pie dropped them off at their respective houses. Twilight smiled in content as she walked into her house and pulled out her phone, seeing the many missed messages from her friends.
The next day, she waited by the front of the steps at the end of the day. She didn't see Crash return to class after she left once she finished her test. She mentally slapped Crash for it, saying as they had a lesson after the test she'd need to teach Crash all over again.
She waited for a bit and was confused when Crash never showed. But she was determined to not leave until their usual hour was up. Of course it was a long time, but she could always text her friends or listen to music as she waited. Or she could re-read Daring Do and the Ring of Destiny as she waited.
After about forty five minutes of switching between listening to music, reading, and texting, she started to think Crash wasn't going to show. She sighed as she shut her book to continue listening to music for the remainder of the fifteen minutes.
What she didn't expect was to get a tap on the knee in the middle of her relaxed, dozing off state. She jumped at the idea that it was Crash. Once it wasn't she was visibly disappointed, but still happy to see the girl there.
Fluttershy stood over her with a nervous smile that asked, 'Am I intruding?'. The girl seemed so innocent and friendly. Twilight was almost baffled at the idea that she knew Fluttershy the least. She smiled up at the girl and took out her ear buds.
"Why are you still here? Even the cheer squad practice is over," Fluttershy asked. She almost seemed sympathetic. Suddenly, a cute smile appeared on her face. "Don't tell me you like school that much... I mean! It's fine if you do... but... uh..."
She was cut off by Twilight's laughter. "It's fine, Fluttershy. I know what you mean." She smiled further at the abashed smile on Fluttershy's face. "But I was just waiting for someone, looks like they weren't showing."
"Oh! I'm sorry," Fluttershy stated timidly as she shifted her balance. She stared nervously at the ground, obviously feeling the awkward non-familiarity between the two.
"You know, I didn't always go to Canterlot's local school," she said timidly and abruptly. Her balance shifted once again as she obviously felt nervous. Twilight smiled at her attempt.
"What school did you go to before?" She smiled up at the nervous girl. She almost liked running into Fluttershy over Crash now, well Crash had completely left her mind at this point.
Fluttershy smiled back as she took a seat next to Twilight. "It wasn't around here. Cloudsdale, I went there for my whole elementary year and sixth grade," she explained.
Twilight felt so much closer to Fluttershy and so much more relaxed. As if this was a casual talk between two best friends. "What was it like?" she asked with interest. Her heart skipped a beat at the sight of Fluttershy looking up at the sky with a smile.
"It was nice. There were bullies, but it was nice. I just wished I left my childhood best friend behind," Fluttershy stated without thought. Twilight tensed again. Things were moving too fast, she was supposed to get cover ups, not hardships on the first encounter!
"W-who-" she finally understood the context of the situation and whirled to Fluttershy "-Why!?" She practically yelled. Fluttershy giggled into the sleeve of her sweater. Twilight was still very confused. "Doesn't everyone always miss their childhood best friend?"
"Yeah, they do," the situation took a turn for sorrow as Fluttershy stated that sadly. Twilight tensed up again, letting sympathy ready itself. "But I'd rather see her in ten years and reminisce over elementary then see her now."
Twilight didn't even need to speak for a continuation. "Would you rather not see them? Or have the feeling they're only doing what's bad for them...?" Fluttershy asked. It was as if she was looking for guidance in the situation.
Twilight actually took time to think about the answer. Soon, she came to the same conclusion as Fluttershy. "I'd rather not see them... but who are you talking about?" Twilight asked desperately. Well, it sounded more desperate in her head.
Fluttershy didn't speak for a bit. Her knees bounced as her hands fumbled amongst themselves. Leaves rolled by as breezes hit, Twilight could almost see the sun set with every passing inch. Suddenly and abruptly, Fluttershy sighed and answered sorrowfully. "Rainbow Crash... though I knew her as Dashie or Rainbow Dash."
Twilight was too stunned to think or even react properly. This sweet teddy bear of her friend was friends with the brutish Rainbow Crash that betrayed Twilight. Betray was definitely not the word needed, but it was the word Twilight used. Her best thought out reaction was, "Huh?"
Fluttershy chuckled. "I know, right? Weird... she used to defend me against all the kids who made fun of me... now she'd be the one making fun of me..." she seemed so sad and depressed about it. And the abrupt conversation topic of it told Twilight it had been eating at the girl for days.
Fluttershy's shoulders rose and fell as if she was holding back a sob. "I just have this sense she's going through something awful... and I just want to repay her and help her so badly..." Fluttershy spoke so softly and cautiously Twilight barely heard it. But she did, and she felt awful.
"Why don't you?" Twilight asked. She knew that if Fluttershy tried hard enough, Crash would break. So why didn't she?
Fluttershy smiled. "I don't think she'd want me too... I think she'd want someone else too..." Twilight's cheeks flared red at the idea that this was just a relaying of a message. That this wasn't a venting moment and it was just a master plan to get her and Crash together. Why was the world putting the two together so much?
"Why don't you think she'd want you to?" Twilight asked. She kept up the act that she was the therapist, though she was still calculating many things. Mostly as to why Fluttershy trusted her with this information.
Fluttershy smiled sadly and wiped growing tears from her eyes. "Well, it usually ends with the two dating in the end... right? I don't think she'd want to be with her childhood friend."
Twilight smiled just as sadly when she thought of something to lighten the mood. "Yeah, neither would I." Fluttershy responded with a sweet laugh that signaled the end of the therapy session.
The two relaxed against the steps and talked until sundown. The two never noticed the Crash in the background who held a piece of paper with an eighty seven circled in red. She sighed and walked off after Fluttershy stopped her moment. She felt guilty and awful. But she couldn't fix it.
With either of them.
School was a heaven and hell for younger Twilight. She loved learning and doing projects, and everything smart and intelligent! What she hated, was the jerks who pushed her around and didn't say sorry. What she hated were the people who scowled at her for their bad day, dragging her under their bus of a bad mood.
She sighed as she sat on the steps of the school, waiting for her dad or mom to come pick her up. She sighed as she glanced over at the soccer field, seeing it empty. Soccer practice got cancelled, meaning Lightning Dust had to take bus and not drag Twilight over to soccer practice to 'fix up' players with Band-Aids.
She watched as kids on top of kids left into cars. She was always the last one off the steps, off the school grounds. She sighed. She actually calculated that she would get home after the last kid got off the bus. On Lightning Dust's bus anyways.
She sighed again, as if waiting for someone to appear. Suddenly, someone plopped down next to her with a bored expression as her feet kicked. Her arms held her up from behind, her hand almost sat on top of Twilights. Twilight was disgusted. How could people not even know basic manners? Why did they always invade her personal space?
She rolled her eyes in hate. She was caught off-guard when the random girl started talking suddenly. "Hey, you know how all the kids in this school suck cause they're all too rich to get out of their own butts?"
Twilight was so cautious her body seemed to reflect away from this random girl. And her less-than-decent speech pushed her further. "Uh, sure?" Twilight questioned.
The girl threw her hands up and fell back in a pout. "They all suck! They're so mean and they're always such bullies! Yet, they pull their favorites on their bus of a bad day with 'em." The girl pulled herself up and slouched over her knees, her arms wrapped around them. "It sucks, man... I mean... why do they always have to pick on everyone else?"
She seemed on the verge of crying as her body shivered from a cold breeze. Twilight ignored her less-than-decent speech and felt sorrow a bit too late. "Hey! You okay? I mean... I'm here to listen if you want to talk about it..." Twilight said nervously. The girls eyes cut into her.
"Really? You'll just leave soon, and then who'll I have to talk to?" The girl asked and sighed loudly. She even peaked open her eyes, as if looking for a fairy god mother to come make it better. Twilight looked around for something.
She started looking through her stuff and grabbed a pair of head phones out of her bag. She slipped them on the girls head and smiled. "There! Now you don't have to listen to all the jerks!"
The girl looked confused. "Huh?" She held a cupped hand up to her ear. Twilight laughed and pulled the head phones off of her head and rested them on her neck.
"I said, 'There! Now you don't have to listen to all the jerks!'" She smiled happily. The girl nodded and slipped them on. Her eyes widened as if she was pulled into the world of wicked computers and dub step without the music. She whirled to Twilight with a smirk.
"Cool!" She said loudly. "Hey! I'm Lemon Zest! Who're you!?" Twilight chuckled as she pulled the head phones off of Lemon Zest once again. Once she pulled away, her smile grew as her motherly instinct kicked in.
"You talk a lot louder when you wear them," Twilight pointed at them with a chuckle. Lemon Zest stared down at them and chuckled. "Oh, and I'm Twilight Sparkle."
"Cool name!" Lemon Zest said loudly, but not as loud as before. "Hey, don't you need these back?"
Twilight shook her head. "Nah, keep them. I never use them." Her smile was so comforting, but Lemon Zest still had obvious distrust.
"But won't your parents get mad?" Lemon Zest asked as she messed with them, removing them from her neck and looked over the design. Basic black head phone with a white star on either ear? She definitely needed a pair of her own.
"Nope!" Twilight said happily and stood up. "My mom won't notice the one gone out of the fifteen I have!" Lemon Zest seemed so depressed to see her go as a black car drove up. But the hand that extended to her told her it wouldn't be the last time she saw Twilight Sparkle.
"See ya later, Lemon Zest." She smiled.
Lemon Zest smiled back with comfort as she shook the girls hand professionally and painfully boringly. "See ya laters, Sparkles."