Sunset and Twilight smiled to one another as they entered the school cafeteria. As usual, it was awash with friends talking to one another, filling the room with a never-ending buzz of activity. The clubs were here, the cliques were here, all the sports teams were here, even Sunset and Twilight's friends were here. However, it was unfortunate that those other girls, though they gave their usual friendly wave to the two, were sitting around a table that was simply too crowded for them to join in. Still, there was plenty of time for them to get together later on and have fun. One lunch without them wasn't going to do anyone any harm. So, Twilight scoured the area for a free space to sit, and she did indeed fine one. It was towards the far end of the cafeteria, where a certain blue-haired guitar player was enjoying his meal. Making their way over, the girls made a point to at least make themselves known to him before sitting.
"These seats taken, Flash?" Sunset asked.
The boy, looking up from his plate, smiled to her, giving a nod before gesturing to the vacant chair beside him.
"Nope. Go right ahead."
His ex-girlfriend smiled back to him, and without a word, she and Twilight got themselves comfortable. There was no real conversation to be had right now, so the three of them started to simply get on with their meals. It was apparently rather tasty, judging from the satisfied looks they all had, but there soon came a time when Twilight, briefly looking up from her own plate, noted Flash looking a little down about something. He was holding onto his phone, staring at something upon its screen, and letting out a long sigh as he did so. She knew it was rude to pry, and yet, she could not fight her curiosity in this.
"You okay?"
Flash, blushing over the fact that he'd been caught, quickly got his phone back into his jacket pocket, before forcing a smile for the girl's sake.
"Oh! Yeah! I'm fine! Just...er...looking at stuff."
Sunset, who now started to take an interest in this herself, looked to him with curiosity equal to Twilight's.
"Oh? like what?"
Now, if this were any other guy, they might try to further put off talking about what they were doing, or perhaps make it out as "not a big deal". But, this was Flash Sentry, and the boy was simply too honest for his own good. So, after giving a somewhat tired-sounding exhale, he pulled out his phone again, giving the two girls a chance to look at it. It was a video posted online by two of their classmates for all to see. Their names escaped them for the time being, but it seemed as though they were on a date, and having fun too. Seeing that, Sunset couldn't help but feel confused by it, and so looked back to her ex.
"And...you were looking at that because...?"
Flash glanced away, looking as though he were actually ashamed of this.
"I...don't want to bother you with my problems."
Sunset snickered to that, reaching over and placing her hand on his shoulder.
"It's no bother, Flash. We're friends, remember?"
A silence followed that exchange, and Flash eventually looked back to her. Her concern for him was genuine, and he was grateful for that. But even so, saying what was on his mind was still looking pretty difficult for him.
"It's just...I wonder...why it is that...I can't really have that myself."
The girls said nothing, causing him to explain himself.
"A relationship, I mean. You and me, Sunset? That didn't work out."
Sunset nodded in agreement as Flash continued.
"And Princess Twilight...well...you made it clear to me back in Camp Everfree why that was never going to work out."
For a few moments, he stared at his plate.
"I just...I don't like thinking about how I can't really...hold on to that. What people must think of me."
He frowned.
"Relationships...they're good. They're something everyone should have. And I...I just...don't want to be known as the guy who can't get himself one that lasts."
He had finished saying what was on his mind, and the two girls looked on, taken aback at what they'd learned of him. It wasn't something they enjoyed, seeing him upset like this. He was their friend, and so they naturally wanted to cheer him up. But, there was no denying that his track record in the romance department hadn't exactly been stellar over the years, so they struggled to think on exactly what they could say. After a while, Twilight just so happened to have an idea. It was a small one, but as she thought more and more on it, she realised that it might just be the best thing to say to him right now.
"Does...does being single actually upset you?"
Flash looked over to her, blinking a couple of times, before finally answering.
"Well...um...being single isn't something people are..."
However, Twilight shook her head, and soon afterwards interrupted him.
"No, no, no! I didn't ask about societal expectations! I asked whether being single made you upset!"
Here, Sunset started to look a little inquisitive herself, and her eyes drifted back over to her ex.
"Yeah...it does kinda sound like you want a girlfriend because you feel you have to, Flash. Is that the case?"
The boy looked completely at a loss for words, but, as he scratched the back of his head, he thought on what he'd been asked.
"Well...I guess...I've never felt unhappy about not having a girlfriend. I never stop and say to myself stuff like, you know, I'm single, so therefore I must be miserable. Nothing like that."
He paused, focusing on that notion for a good long while.
"I enjoyed the time I spent with Twilight..."
Slowly he smiled, looking back over to Sunset.
"...and I enjoyed my time with you."
Sunset chuckled.
"Yeah, I was hardly the best girlfriend, Flash."
Flash gave a shrug.
"Maybe...but now that you've asked me...no...I've never felt that being single was the end of the world for me."
Sunset smiled along with him, placing her hand upon his and giving it a quick pat.
"You weren't wrong when you said having a relationship was a good thing. But you know what? Being single is good too. Nobody's going to say you're a bad person for not having a girlfriend. And they're not going to say you should automatically feel unhappy if you're by yourself."
Twilight gave a nod, showing her agreement, before suddenly gaining a more serious expression.
"And if they do say those things to you...well...then I suppose they're the ones who need to make a change."
Another moment of quiet crept in-between the three of them, giving Flash lots of time to think on all of this. Slowly, he began to nod, and a small smile began to form on his lips.
"Yeah...yeah! I mean, you two don't need romance to feel happy, right?"
"Nope!" Sunset answered.
"Applejack doesn't either! Or any of the other girls!" Flash continued.
"No, they don't!" Twilight concurred.
Flash gave a loud laugh to himself, releasing a long sigh shortly afterwards.
"Ooooooooh boy! And there was me just getting myself all worked up over it!"
Smirking a little, Sunset gave him a quick pat on his back.
"Yeah...you kinda were."
The three all laughed together, and Flash, moments afterwards, offered up a big and happy smile.
"I am Flash Sentry...I'm single...and that's okay!"
The other two clapped their hands together briefly.
"That's the spirit, Flash!" Twilight declared.
"I decide when I want to be in a relationship, and nobody else!" he continued.
"Preach it, friend!" Sunset replied with gusto in her voice.
Flash again gave a sigh, slumping back into his chair, looking quite content at what he'd just accepted. Soon, he smiled to his two colleagues.
"Thanks, girls, I...I guess I just needed to be told that."
The two smiled back to him.
"Hey, friends help each other out," Sunset answered.
After a quick moment of adjusting her glasses, Twilight to spoke up to the boy, giving a sweet smile in the process.
"Glad to have been of help."
Flash nodded to her, but then, he seemed to be thinking on something. A slight blush crept to his cheeks, and after a small moment of hesitation, he finally spoke.
"But...if I did try to find a relationship with somebody...that'd be okay too?"
The two girls immediately shrugged their shoulders.
"Sure," Sunset blurted out.
"Whatever's right for you," Twilight added.
Relaxation came to Flash immediately afterwards..
"Good, just needed to ask."