As Wallflower took another sip of her smoothie—and Juniper followed suit—the two girls sitting in front of them continued to look on, with shaking bodies and scrunched lips which showed that they were about to utterly burst with laughter.
Wallflower let go of her straw and looked up from her drink. "You're welcome to take a picture. Not only will it last longer," she said, looking right into Photo Finish's gaudy shades, "but isn't that also kind of your forte?"
"While that is true, there are times when Photo Finish absolutely adores just living in the moment!" Photo replied through giggles.
"And this moment is too adorable for words," the other girl said. "Might I suggest attending the sock hop at the gym later? You'll fit right in."
"You're lucky I'm enjoying both this shake and the creative significance of this scene," Juniper said, "otherwise I would wreck you both."
"Now, that is no way to treat your business associates, is it?" Photo said.
Wallflower looked to Juniper. "Business associates?"
"Fortunately—though sometimes, in once-in-a-blue-moon cases like this, unfortunately," Juniper said with an overdramatic sigh. Gesturing to the two, she continued, "Wallflower, meet my associates, Photo Finish and Sunny Flare. A-kay-a, mah gurlz. They drive me crazy, but I love 'em. Also, we just made a killer movie together!"
"It's a short film about a once-powerful woman of privilege forced out of her media empire, and inching her way towards making a comeback to rebel against the establishment that rejected her in the first place, with the help of friends she made on the outside," Sunny said with a big smile. "I'm the star."
Wallflower saw Juniper blink and then wince. "W-wow," Juniper said. "I mean, when you put it like that..."
"Hey, I've said it before," Sunny said. "I couldn't have acted that movie half as well without your guidance. For multiple reasons."
"And Photo could not have filmed it without your cinematic sense, or Sunny's eye for melodrama!" Photo added. "Photo has not worked so much in the rain in her life." She patted her head with both hands. "Photo would like to do something more upbeat next time, though? Her hair was crying for mercy all through filming."
Juniper, Photo and Sunny laughed. "All of ours were," Juniper said. "But sure, you got it."
"How are the film festival submissions going?" Sunny asked.
"O-oh!" Juniper said, placing her hand behind her head with a nervous laugh. "Got a... couple of rejections, but it's a drop in the bucket compared to the number of submissions I sent out. Totally normal." Clearing her throat and regaining her composure, she smiled. "Some folks just don't know greatness when they see it. But I'm not worried one bit, and you shouldn't be, either. We kicked all the butt!"
"Indeed we did! By the way," Photo said, shifting her gaze, "you said your name is Wallflower? Wallflower Blush? She furrowed her brow. "Photo Finish recognizes you, if only vaguely."
"You... you do?" Wallflower asked.
"Yes, but she has no idea from where! Hang on, hang on, Photo will check." Photo opened up her backpack, and took out what Wallflower recognized to be a work-in-progress copy of the CHS yearbook.
Right. Of course the school's official photographer would have one, Wallflower reasoned. Which meant that things were probably going to get dicey, right about—
"Mein Gott!"
There it was.
"'Not Pictured'?" Photo gasped at the page before her, turning the book round and round in her hands. "But that is simply not possible! Photo Finish had a checklist of everybody in the school to take her pictures of! And in the end, everybody was checked off!"
Her mouth slackened, and she looked at Wallflower like a sad puppy. "I... I could not understand how I could have forgotten you."
A memory flashed in Wallflower's mind—the same memory she'd erased from Photo with the Stone over a month ago, when neither of them had been satisfied with how Wallflower's shoot had gone. "It's not your fault. I... tend to be pretty forgettable," Wallflower said, clutching her arm and looking away.
"Nonsense!" Photo slammed the yearbook on the table and pointed skyward. "No one is 'forgettable' in the eyes of Photo Finish! Everyone has a unique life, a unique story to tell. Everyone has hopes, dreams, wishes to connect with the rest of the world!"
Photo raised her shades, meeting Wallflower's eyes. "I have no doubt in my heart that the same goes for you. Which means you matter just as much as the rest of the students in this school."
"Um. Wow." Wallflower softened, pushing down feelings of guilt. Once again, she'd heard the last sort of words she expected from a CHS student. "Thanks, Photo."
Photo let her shades fall back onto the bridge of her nose. "No thanks are needed. But Photo Finish would like to apologize profusely. Please, let Photo schedule a session so that she can make this right."
Wallflower thought about it. Now that she knew what Photo liked in her pictures—that being, candidness to a fault—perhaps Wallflower could actually deliver it. The first time, she'd just wanted to get in and out, which had had disastrous results for all involved. She nodded. "Okay. Sunset Shimmer and I are part of the yearbook committee, so we're already connected, in a way."
Photo blinked. "You are already on the committee?" She clutched her head. "Now Photo Finish knows she is having the mind problems."
"Don't blame yourself, Photo," Wallflower said, pushing aside another pang of guilt. "Like I said, I can be pretty elusive. It's not your fault."
"Wow, Photo," Sunny said. "I knew you were passionate about your art, but I've never seen this side of you."
Photo nodded. "Photography is about capturing everything about a subject one possibly can. I leave no stone unturned, no story untold, no life unrecorded! But I really would not have even remembered Wallflower's name if Sunset had not told me hours ago."
Photo stared into space. "Now there is a personal story Photo wishes she had captured in pictures. Sunset used to be awful. But last year, after all of the magical shenanigans," she said, complete with jazz hands, "she threw herself into all of the social whathoosits while being almost impossibly nice!
"None of us wanted to believe her when she said she'd changed... but over time, it stuck. In the end, it turned out she had a lot to offer when she wasn't busy being so angry at the school. And she has been nothing but helpful to Photo, so Photo is always helpful back." She looked at Wallflower. "Talk to Sunset when you want to do your shoot, and Photo will come running, no matter where she is."
"Oh." Sunny leaned against the wall of the booth, looking at Photo with a sly grin. "You'll come running for Sunset, huh? I see how it is."
"N-Nein!" Instantly, Photo went flustered and red-faced. She waved her hands back and forth. "No, no, no, Sunny, Photo means only professionally when it comes to Sunset. For you—"
"I'm kidding, you photogenic goof," Sunny said, hugging Photo and looking at Wallflower. "Anyway, if it wasn't plainly obvious, we didn't order that big single glass to be mean about it. We just like giving Junie a hard time." She looked at Juniper with a wink Wallflower just barely managed to catch. "Especially when it's for her own good."
"I have the worst best-worst-best friends," Juniper said, rolling her eyes. "But seriously, thanks for the good time today. Like, all of today." She sighed. "I know now, I really needed it."
"Of course," Sunny said. "It's been too long since we've seen each other. Like, three whole weeks!"
Juniper did a double take. "Wow, it really has been since the wrap party, huh? I'm so sorry, you guys."
Photo nodded. "Photo and Sunny were getting worried. But we knew you were busy."
"Ahhh, between work, and editing this thing, and getting it submitted everywhere, I just haven't had time to stretch out like I wanna," Juniper said. "But, after I finish cutting the second teaser tonight, I'll be totally free. And hey, I've got some extra cash now that I'm no longer paying festival fees, so your smoothies are on me, along with Wallflower's. Never let it be said that I don't treat my friends right!"
Juniper, Photo and Sunny cheered. Wallflower simply smiled.
If there was one thing she'd learned today, it was that for her, just being part of a cheering group was enough.
---
Juniper stretched her arms as she and Wallflower walked out of the door. "Oh, gosh, that was seriously the most fun I've had all month." She turned to Wallflower. "How about you? Did you have a good time?"
"Definitely," Wallflower said. "Thanks for having me. Though normally I wouldn't meet people so... insistent on buying other people drinks just because of a street accident?"
Juniper shrugged. "Hey, in my business, you're supposed to network, and I try whenever I can, but I'm still sort of..." Juniper looked away. "Not great at it. Hence knocking people halfway unconscious."
"Honestly, I can relate," Wallflower said. "But today, I'd say it was worth it."
"Yeah." Juniper nodded. "I think so, too. You're really fun to talk to." She looked back at Wallflower. "I hope we can do it again."
Wallflower had never heard those words directed at her before in her life. She had to stop herself from floating away. "Maybe it's possible? Where do you go to school?"
"I'm... in-between scholastic pursuits," Juniper said. "Saving up for film school. Right now, I work at Canterlot Cinema most days. You should drop by! I'm always there during the weekend matinee." She hesitated, then added, "Did you say you knew Sunset Shimmer?"
"Yeah," Wallflower said. "Photo was right, she is pretty nice. Do you know her, too?"
"One might say I do, yeah," Juniper said, shifting back and forth from one leg to the other, before hesitating for several more moments. "Hey," she finally said. "Give me a second? I think I left something inside."
"Sure," Wallflower said, watching as Juniper darted back into Sugarcube Corner. Several seconds later, she walked back out, holding her purse. "Yep. Totally forgot the tip." She reached inside her purse, and handed another card to Wallflower. "Also, while I was in there, I realized I gave you the old version of my business card by mistake. You can toss that one out. Make sure to keep this one instead, okay?" she said, flashing the brightest smile Wallflower had seen on her all afternoon.
"Uh, sure."
"Great. Well, I've got to run. Movies wait for no one, and all that. You take care, all right? So long!" Juniper waved as she walked away, briskly.
"I will," Wallflower said in the other direction and giving a small wave of her own. "You take care, too."
Wallflower turned back around, resuming her well-worn path back to her house. As she approached the corner, she looked back... and saw Juniper looking back towards her as well. Both girls sagged with sheepish grins, gave a little wave to each other again, then turned and continued walking.
Wallflower strode faster, then rounded the corner. Once she did, she leaned against the wall, and looked at the new business card. The cute little Juniper head—as cute as its creator—was still there, along with the same writing, description and all.
She turned the card around.
A phone number was written on the back in green ink.
Wallflower didn't actually melt, but sinking to the ground and hugging her knees with the world's most satisfied smile was close enough.
Yes.