//------------------------------//
// Monday: The Rules... 
// Story: Prom Protector 
// by Natedogg2006 
//------------------------------//

Rainbow Dash felt good. Relatively speaking. 
     
Having not been able to sleep much both Friday and Saturday night, her weekend had been fairly miserable. This had however left her with plenty of time to consider her current situation and come up with something resembling a plan. It was honestly probably the most planning she'd ever put into anything. 
     
Finally having a plan, kind of, combined with how exhausted she had been allowed / forced her to get to bed really early Sunday and wake up nice and early and fully rested Monday morning. Thus, as previously stated, she was feeling pretty good. At least better then she had been all weekend. Being close to the upcoming soccer season, Rainbow had intensified her usual work out routine which now started with jogging to school every morning. Her new found good mood made this a fairly uplifting experience. 
     
This good mood she was in made it possible for her not to panic as she noticed a familiar car pass her as she neared the school. Fluttershy's mom usually dropped her off before school, and it seemed like today they had randomly synced their departure. This did happen from time to time, but it was especially helpful to Rainbow today. 
     
Fluttershy got out of the car at the usual place. After giving her mom a quick thanks and goodbye Rainbow saw her turn in her direction to wait for her to catch up. Rainbows brisk jog slowed to a stop as she approached. Fluttershy stood smiling patiently as Rainbow greeted her while doing a quick cool down exercise.
     
"Hey Shy, how's it going?"
     
"I'm fine Rainbow Dash. How was your weekend?"
     
Rainbow internally sighed but maintained her usual casual demeanor. "Not bad. Just started stepping up my training, so a little tired but feeling good."
     
"Oh, I almost forgot that soccer season was starting soon. Does that mean you're going to need my help again this year?"
     
Rainbow smiled as they began to walk next to each other towards the school from the edge of the parking lot. "Of course. Can't train at my peak without my personal cheering section." That was another of the guilty pleasures Rainbow had allowed herself to enjoy over the years. She figured Fluttershy probably thought it was Rainbow trying to share her hobbies or something like that. In truth, trying to impress Fluttershy pushed her harder than anything else. She liked to think she was impressing Fluttershy in various... other ways, but that was obviously just wishful thinking. 
     
"O, ok, all try to do my best again."
     
"I know you will," Rainbow shot her a genuine smile. "But while I got you here, we've got much more pressing things to talk about." She reached out and wrapped her arm around Fluttershy's shoulder. She heard a slight inhale in shock but otherwise Fluttershy handled it better then she would have considered. "I had some ideas on how to make this whole fake girlfriend thing work out." That got the reaction she was expecting. While the shy girl managed to keep walking her pace slowed as she gripped the straps of her backpack tightly and let her hair fall over her face just a little. 
     
"Oh yeah, we probably should figure out how to handle that." Her hands came off the straps as she began poking the index fingers of each hand together nervously. "The truth is though, I've been too nervous all weekend to think about it that much."
     
"Well no need to worry. I've got it all planned out."
     
Fluttershy peeked out of her hair to give the Rainbow girl a quizzical stare. "Rainbow Dash, you planned something?"
     
Rather than be insulted by the words Rainbow actually puffed her chest out with pride. "Dang right I did. Figured it was my lack of planning that got us into this, it should be my plan that gets us out. So first things first. This?" She indicated the arm that was already draped over her fake girlfriends shoulder. "Or this?" She moved the arm off and brought it down so she could embrace the other girl's hand. She managed to hide any affect the gesture was having on herself.
     
Fluttershy was blushing again and attempting not to focus on their joined hands. "W, what are you talking about?"
     
"My plan is to come up with a few semi intimate gestures that will make people think we're together without having to do much. So over the shoulder? Or hand in hand?" She repeated each gesture as she spoke.
     
Fluttershy didn't respond for some time and kept looking away. Rainbow was about to push for an answer again when she heard the stuttered beginning of a response. "I... If, umm. If... we're trying to act like a couple then..." She readjusted the grip their hands had on each other so that their fingers were now intertwined. "... This would probably be best. I... It's what they do in the stories I read."
     
Rainbow let out a small snort, both to seem nonchalant and to force the blush in her face that the feeling the new position had caused away. "You and those cheesy romance comics of yours Shy."
     
Fluttershy finally looked over to Rainbow Dash, an indignant pout on her face. "It's called manga. You always get it wrong." By this time they were passing through the main door of the school. While the school was usually busy, the girls were fairly early so the halls were mostly empty. This was a plus for Fluttershy as it seemed no one had noticed her outburst.
     
'Stop looking so cute when I do and I might stop.' "Yeah yeah, manga or whatever." She purposefully pronounced it wrong to draw the pout out more. "Next thing. Do you think pet names would help?" 
     
This ended the pout as Fluttershy once again blushed and turned away. After another few seconds Rainbow noticed a slight nod.  Rainbow smiled. "Ok then. For the rest of the week I'm calling you Shyshy." That actually drew a slight laugh from the other girl. Rainbow gave her a mild glare. "What?"
     
"I.. It's nothing Rainbow." She said this between giggles.
     
"What? I already call you Shy, so I can't use that. I thought it would sound cutesy like something a couple would use. You don't like it?"
     
"N.. No, it's not that." She finally managed to suppress her giggling. "In fact I think you did great. I never thought I'd hear you say something that cute."
     
Rainbow looked away to hide her blush, but still tried to play it off. "Hey, I'm Rainbow Dash. I can pull anything off if I want to." Sometimes Rainbow envied Fluttershy's hair and how much it could hide. "So your turn. You got any ideas for some kind of pet name for me. 
     
Fluttershy seemed to think that over for a while. They were almost to their lockers by this point so Rainbow was hoping she'd think of one quickly. "Umm, I guess. W.. would it be ok if I called you Dashie then?"
     
Rainbow had to look away again. "Really Shy? You had to come up with something that cutesy for me?"
     
"Oh, I'm sorry. I could try to come up with something else."
     
By this time they had made it to their lockers and there were now some students around that might overhear them. Thus Rainbow wanted to finish this up and get the day started. "No it's fine I guess. It does seem like something you'd come up with if we were really dating."
     
Both girls went through the ritual of getting into their lockers and dropping off their homework and lunches. There was still time before the first bell so both girls meandered at their lockers to finish their conversation.
     
"One more thing." Rainbow hesitated. She could feel Fluttershy's eyes on her giving her a quizzical look as she waited for what was to come. But to avoid getting caught looking away again she maintained a relaxed posture while leaning against her locker. "Kissing." Rainbow needn't have bothered, that sent Fluttershy into a mild panic attack and she definitely couldn't see Rainbows reaction. "I think we're ok on that front, and I'm sure you want to avoid it as much as possible. Luckily PDA is supposed to stay limited on school grounds anyway. So even if we end up in a position were we might, you know, have to so no one suspects anything, we can keep it light and quick." She looked over to her friend who was just managing to look back at her. "And on the off chance it does happen, I'll give you a warning." She stepped over and ran her hand across the shy girls forearm in a semi intimate way. "Just something small like this. Is that ok or is that too much for you?"
     
Fluttershy seemed momentarily frozen staring at the fingertips still lightly brushing her arm. But after a moment she managed to choke out a reply. "That... That's fine, I think I can handle that much."
     
"Good." Rainbow let out a sigh of relief. She lowered her voice as she noticed other students starting to enter the hall as the first school bell grew closer. "And I'm just gonna say again Shy..." The words were low enough that Fluttershy had to lean in to hear them. "... I'm sorry I caused this. That's why I planned all this, I wanted to try to make this up to you even just a little."
     
Fluttershy seemed to notice the slight gloom come over her. She leaned in close and gave the normally confident girl a soothing hug. "It's ok Dashie." She waited for Rainbow to look up and give a smile at the new nickname. "I think we can get through this."
     
Rainbow did give her a smile back. "Yeah I do too," she said as she returned the hug just a little, she still had an image to maintain. The two broke apart before Rainbow Dash spoke again. "So, did you have any ideas."