//------------------------------// // Chapter 5 - I Hate This School And Everyone In It // Story: Oddball // by BittyBug //------------------------------// Chapter 5 - I Hate This School And Everyone In It The crunch of leaves replaced the sounds of Sunset’s sneakers hitting the pavement as concrete turned to dirt. Her new injury stung, and stabs of pain shot through her back with every step, but still she ran to the thicket of trees across from the school. She ran and ran and ran, greenery whirring by, until she burst through the forest into a small clearing. Sunset stopped, her eyes blurred with angry tears. She screamed and hurled her already injured fist into the nearest tree. “FUCK,” she yelled, kneeling over and clutching her hand. Pain ruptured throughout the appendage, the thin bandaging doing next to nothing to soften the blow. “Well that wasn’t very smart,” There was the sound of another’s voice and Sunset tensed. ‘Is it that demon again?’ She turned to see a green-skinned girl that she hadn’t noticed before regarding her from a small bench. They locked eyes, and for a moment the two simply stared at each other. After a long silence, the green girl sighed, setting her lunch aside and brushing crumbs off of her oversized brown sweater. “Welcome to my garden, I guess. My name is-” “Wallflower Blush, I know.” Wallflower blinked. “You know who I am?” “Of course I know who you are, I know who everyone is,” Sunset snarked, internally glad that her sinister reflection wasn’t back. She shook her head a bit, dislodging some leftover mashed potatoes that had clung to her hair. “Huh,” was Wallflower’s response. She cocked her head to the side, eyes taking in Sunset’s pitiful state. “Why are you crying?” ‘Shit,’ Sunset straightened and hastily rubbed at her eyes, wincing a bit. “I’m not crying,” she said firmly as she tried- and failed- to regain some semblance of dignity. “Uh huh,” Wallflower said, unconvinced. Sunset scowled, looking anywhere but at the other girl. This gave her time to take in the area she had stumbled across. An intricate garden was growing in the clearing, filled with all sorts of plants and flowers. Only one or two were in bloom, the rest looking a bit dreary in the cold air. Despite their current state, Sunset recognized some of the plants; a group of asters populated the farthest parts of the garden, closely joined by a cluster of daisies. Bundles of daffodils were paired with a spattering of small narcissus flowers close to the entrance, complementing the tall trees and mossy rocks well. ‘Wow,’ Sunset thought. She was almost a little impressed. ‘This place must be really beautiful in the Spring.’ A rustling sound caught Sunset’s attention and her eyes snapped back to Wallflower. The girl was rummaging around in her backpack, her brown eyes combing through the ragged bag until she produced a small tupperware container. “C’mere,” Wallflower nodded towards the stone bench she was sitting on. Sunset hesitated, and the gardener rolled her eyes. “You said you know who I am. You should already know that I’m harmless.” Sunset huffed and apprehensively trudged over to the bench, taking a seat next to Wallflower. She watched as the girl popped the lid off the container and dipped two of her fingers into the odd green paste that it held. She reached out, and Sunset flinched away. “What are you doing,” she snapped. Wallflower snorted. “Jeez, you’re so jumpy. It’s not like, poison, or something.” Sunset gave her a doubtful look, which granted her another eye roll. “It’s a plant based medical paste,” Wallflower elaborated. “It helps with bruising.” No large part of Sunset’s skepticism was banished, but she didn’t move when Wallflower’s hand got closer to her face. She hissed, closing her eyes as the cool mixture hit her skin. It was lumpy, and it stung a bit at first, but Sunset could already feel the pain soothing. Wallflower took her hand away, and Sunset opened her eyes. She saw the quiet girl eyeing her left hand, still wrapped in bandages. She reached out again, her eyes searching Sunset’s for silent permission. Sunset just clenched her jaw and nodded slightly. Her hand throbbed as Wallflower carefully unwrapped the dingy bandage. Wallflower’s eyebrows scrunched together when she saw the extent of the bruising. She spared a glance at Sunset as she spread a generous amount of the paste onto Sunset’s hand, covering the dark shades that spread across her knuckles. “That wasn’t just from the tree, was it,” Wallflower mumbled as she gently coiled the bandage around Sunset’s hand once more. The response was only a haughty scoff as Sunset yanked her hand back. “You know who I am, right?” she asked, changing the topic. Her voice was cold, still demanding the same respect that had so recently been stripped from her. “Why are you helping me?” Wallflower considered the question for a moment, eyeing Sunset with an unreadable look, then shrugged. “Eh. I guess it just feels nice to be noticed.” She stood and stretched, then cast a glance down at the girl. Sunset watched, not bothering to hide her annoyance as the gardener’s eyes went from the bruising at her hairline to her rebandaged hand. The two locked eyes again in what Sunset decided was a battle of wills. Neither spoke. Finally, Wallflower broke the silence, still maintaining eye contact. “You wanna eat lunch out here with me?” She asked. The question caught Sunset a bit off guard, but she didn’t let it show. Wallflower turned her gaze to the garden around them and Sunset mentally congratulated herself on the win. Unaware of their competition, Wallflower continued her thought. “Nobody knows this place exists, so people aren’t gonna bother you.” A rejection and a scathing comment were on the tip of Sunset’s tongue, but she faltered. ‘She has a point. At least this way, I won’t get another fruit to the face.’ Sunset narrowed her eyes. There was… something in Wallflower’s deep brown eyes, but it wasn’t anywhere near the malice that she had expected. After a minute of internal debate, Sunset huffed and looked to the ground. “Sure,” she said harshly, her distaste evident. “But we aren’t friends, okay?” “M’kay.” If Wallflower was hurt by Sunset’s words, she certainly didn’t show it. In fact, Sunset was a little miffed to find that she didn’t seem particularly concerned at all. “Let’s go, the bell’s about to ring.” The pair walked to the school in silence. Sunset was mentally course-correcting the entire time. ‘So, CHS has finally had enough. Obviously I can’t get away with much anymore.’ She glanced at the green-hued girl, who was easily keeping up with Sunset’s long strides. She could certainly make use of another pawn, especially since Snips and Snails had wisened up. ‘I’ll keep her in my back pocket until I find a way to get back on top,’ she calculated as they approached the building. ‘After all, this world is just full of fools who can’t understand what they’re dealing with.’ Wallflower pushed the doors open, and the two stepped into the warm, heated air of the school. She looked at Sunset. “Guess I’ll see you tomorrow.” “Yeah, see you.” Sunset watched Wallflower disappear into the crowded hallway. She smirked and began walking to her next class. ‘I’ll rise again.’ *** Friday brought with it a feeling of liberation for the Wondercolts. Lyra and BonBon had proven that the mighty Sunset Shimmer could, in fact, be conquered. Rainbow Dash was eager to take advantage of that. “Move it, Sunshit,” Rainbow said. She shoved Sunset, nudging her elbow harshly into the redhead’s side as she passed her in line. The chromatic-haired girl sent a smirk over her shoulder. She could tell that Sunset was seething with anger, but did not catch the wince the other girl let slip. “I don’t know if you remember,” Sunset shot out through gritted teeth, “but I still know everything about everyone here. I can still ruin you.” “I’d like to see you try.” Sunset barked a laugh, fixing Rainbow with an evil look. “I’m sure everyone would simply love to know about your little crush on-” She was cut off as Rainbow Dash darted forward. She grabbed Sunset’s shirt with a venomous glower cast at the girl, who returned the look with just as much rancor. “You better not finish that sentence, Shimmer, or I’ll-” “Rainbow Dash!” Applejack approached and interjected before someone started throwing fists.  “C’mon,” She grabbed the grumbling Rainbow Dash by the arm and hauled her back in line behind Sunset. The farmer fixed Sunset with a careful look, but ultimately gestured with her head towards the register. “Go on now. You might be a bad apple, but at least you didn’t start nothin’ today.” Applejack shot a glare at Rainbow Dash, who huffed. Sunset scowled at the pair and stomped forward to pay for her lunch. Rainbow watched as she slapped a few dollars onto the counter and stormed out the fire exit doors. The two purchased their food and moved towards their usual table, where the others were already seating. Their friends looked up as the two sat down. Applejack swatted the back of Rainbow Dash’s head. “Hey!” “Hay is for horses, Dash,” the farmer scolded. “You can’t just go around pickin’ fights with everyone you dislike.” Rubbing the back of her head, Rainbow sunk into her seat. “She was asking for it,” she muttered, poking at the jell-o she had bought. Fluttershy frowned. “Now, Rainbow, there’s no need to be so-” “Pugnacious?” “Meany weenie?” “Plum foolish?” Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack all spoke at once. There was a beat of silence as the three met each other’s eyes before the whole table burst into laughter. “I was going to say ‘hostile,’” Fluttershy giggled. “But those work too.” Rainbow grinned as the table went back to their usual banter. Her eyes flicked over to Fluttershy, who met her gaze with a small smile. The athlete's heart fluttered. Sunset’s words rang through Rainbow’s head. ‘Dammit!’ She shoved them back as far as possible and focused on her lunch, tearing her eyes away from Fluttershy and trying to ignore the butterflies still present in her chest. *** “Soo…” Wallflower began. Sunset shot her a cranky look, not in the mood to fraternize, but her companion wasn’t deterred. “How’s the bruise?” Sunset blinked. “Um,” she said, floundering for a moment. She still wasn’t quite used to people being unaffected by her, despite the new attitude the Wondercolts has adopted. “Uh, it’s okay, I guess. Whatever that green shit was helped.” Sure enough, the bruise at Sunset’s hairline had gone from a gross yellow to a much calmer red overnight. Even her mangled hand was starting to heal a little quicker, having changed from its deep purples to lighter shades. Wallflower nodded. “I made it. It’s a combination of Arnica and Lavender, mostly. Helps reduce swelling.” The redhead raised her eyebrows. ‘Hm, there’s a story behind this,’ She thought. ‘Why would little old Wallflower Blush need to make something to alleviate bruises?’ She filed the thought away, mentally making a note to do some snooping later. Out loud, Sunset responded with a hum. “That’s interesting,” she said, her tone more calculating than intrigued. She shifted on the bench, wincing as her jeans rubbed the bandages over her tail wound. ‘Wait a second-’ A lightbulb went off in Sunset’s head. “Say,” she began, then took a bite from her apple. She kept her features a practiced calm and her breathing even; she was well versed in keeping her intentions unknown. “You wouldn’t happen to have something that helps with burns, would you?” “Uh,” the gardener raised an eyebrow at Sunset. “I’m sure I could whip something up. Why?” “Well, you see,” Sunset started, putting on her best sympathetic face. “My dear brother suffered from an accident recently and was left with a terrible burn on his back. I was hoping I could find something to spare him the pain.” Internally, Sunset smirked. ‘The ‘hurt family member’ card is always a favourite,’ she thought as she outwardly laid on the puppy-dog eyes. Wallflower’s eyebrows raised further. “... Right,” she said with a disbelieving glance and a bite from her sandwich. Sunset’s eyes narrowed. ‘She doesn’t believe me, huh? I didn’t think she had the mental capacity to spot a lie.’ “I’ll see what I can do,” Wallflower continued, unaffected by the suspicious look Sunset was giving her. “Shouldn’t be too hard, probably something Aloe-based...” Sunset finished her apple in silence. ‘I guess it doesn’t matter, so long as I get what I want and she doesn’t ask questions.’ She shook herself out of her thoughts and once again cast her gaze towards Wallflower. The gardener had pulled out her phone. She tapped it a few times, then handed it to Sunset. “Here,” she said. “Give me your number. I’ll text you when it’s finished.” Sunset took the phone, albeit hesitantly, and added herself as a contact. She handed the phone back to Wallflower who took it, then tapped the screen a few more times in rapid succession. Sunset’s phone buzzed with a notification. 12:56pm - Unknown Sender > It’s Wallflower The redhead snorted and added Wallflower as a contact. “Anyways, I’m almost always here over the weekends,” Wallflower said, gesturing to the garden around them. “You can meet me here if you want.” “Mhm.” The splitting sound of the bell caught the attention of the pair. Neither spoke a word as they made their way back to the school and went their separate ways. *** Wallflower inhaled the crisp autumn air as she stepped out of Canterlot High and into the sunlight. Students shoved past her like she was invisible, eager to meet the awaiting weekend. She sighed, descending the steps and receiving another bump as Spitfire ran past to meet Rainbow Dash and the other soccer players. The gardener paid them no mind, her brown eyes on the ground and her shoulders hunched as she made her way down the street. Little buttercups and clovers pushed up through the cracks in the sidewalk. Wallflower was careful to avoid stepping on them. She passed Sugarcube Corner, where many students of Canterlot High were flocking to, not bothering to look up. Wallflower began to relax as the area’s popular stores and businesses soon gave way to smaller, more niche shops. She stopped for a moment to gaze into the window of her and her mother’s favourite antique store before continuing on her way. Soon, a familiar building came into view, bringing with it a smile to Wallflower’s face. The bell above the door chimed as Wallflower entered the shop. Her smile grew as a cheery voice rang out from the back. “Welcome to ‘Stroke of Luck Flower Shop!’ I’ll be with you in a moment!” Wallflower found a rare moment of peace as she slowly walked through the store. She ran her hands gently along the leaves of the many plants that filled the small building. It was a small sanctuary against the rapidly freezing weather, a place where the flowers were still happy and blooming. “Sorry about that.” A stout woman with light peach skin and raspberry coloured hair sauntered into the room. “I was just filing some-” She stopped, her face lighting up in a smile when she noticed Wallflower. “Oh, ’Blush!” “Mmph!” Wallflower was swept up into a suffocating hug. “Hey, auntie Roseluck,” she managed to get out through the tight embrace. Still wearing her bright smile, Roseluck released her niece. She moved back behind the counter, idly tidying the cluttered surface. “Sorry, the store is such a mess! I haven’t had time to clean since that shipment of saplings came in.” True to Roseluck’s comment, the store was in disarray. The front desk had almost no room on its surface, so covered in papers and folders. The rows of plants were in no discernible order; perennials and annuals were mixed up, warm and cool colours clashed, and hanging arrangements clouded over sun loving flowers in planter boxes. “It’s alright,” Wallflower chuckled. She reached over, grabbed a haphazard pile of receipts, and began ordering them by date. “I can help when I come in for my shift next week.” Roseluck faltered, almost dropping the binder of sales records she had been holding. “Now, ’Blush, I know you’re eager to get back to work, but...” ‘Here we go...’ Wallflower thought. She kept her gaze on the receipts in her hands. “Are you sure it’s been enough time?” Roseluck gently put a hand over one of Wallflower’s, stopping their task. The girl looked up and met her aunt’s worried eyes. “Working won’t make things any easier if you still need time to grieve.” Wallflower sighed. “I know, but I really want to come back. I won’t have much to do in my garden now that the weather’s getting colder. It’d be nice to still have something to do...” ‘...and to have an excuse to stay away from home as long as possible.’ Though unspoken, Wallflower’s last thought seemed to reach Roseluck. The woman's face darkened. “Uh, besides,” Wallflower continued before Roseluck could push her on the topic. “It’s almost been a year. I’ve had enough time.” Roseluck bit her lip. Her concern was evident and Wallflower winced. “... If you say so, dearie, but please let me know if you need a break.” “I will, auntie.” There was a small silence, but it was broken by Roseluck before it could get uncomfortable. “So!” The elder gardener put the records binder down and clapped her hands together, the warmth returning to her features. “What can I do for you? I know you didn’t come here just to help me clean,” she joked. “Well,” Wallflower started. “I was hoping to grab some Aloe Vera, if we have any left. I’m making something for- uh, for an acquaintance.” If possible, Roseluck smiled even wider. “Wallflower Blush! Did you make a friend?!” “Um…” Wallflower couldn’t bear to shatter the hopeful look in her aunt’s eyes and the joyous smile on her face. “Kinda?” The answer was good enough for Roseluck. “Oh, I’m so proud of you!” She pulled Wallflower into yet another bone crushing hug, going as far as to spin her around in a circle. The girl yelped. “I knew you’d find someone! Oh! You must tell me everything about them, spare no details! Can they come for tea sometime? I’d simply love to meet-” “Uh, auntie? Can’t really breathe.” Roseluck blushed and set Wallflower down. “Sorry, ’Blush. I’m just so happy for you!” She beamed, then gestured towards the back room. “Here, tell me about your friend while I find you some of that Aloe.” When Wallflower didn’t immediately start talking, Roseluck sent her an expectant look behind her shoulder. With a sigh, Wallflower followed her aunt to the back, resigned to her fate. The small back room was somehow even messier than the front of the store. Extra gardening tools lay against half the far wall, a few having fallen over onto the floor. A creaky wooden desk was blocked into a corner, surrounded by half empty boxes of wares and a rusted filing cabinet. Shelves lined the left and right walls and were filled to the brim with anything from potted plants, to planter boxes, to plant magazines. ‘Oh boy, she really needs my help organizing.’ Wallflower peered around a stack of boxes. “Um, her name is Sunset. Sunset Shimmer.” “What a lovely name!” The older woman began rummaging around through the shelves of excess flower seeds and flower pots, searching for the requested plant. “Very charismatic. Go on, tell me more!” “Uh.” She side stepped out of the way as Roseluck shuffled by obliviously to the other side of the room. “I was going to make her a burn salve from the Aloe and probably some Comfrey. She said her brother got hurt.” “Oh, my, how terrible!” There was a loud clanking as a stack of watering cans fell over, then another CLANG as a planter box followed in suit. Finally, Roseluck pulled out a small potted aloe plant from the shelf. “Well, you’re quite kind for helping her.” She handed the plant to Wallflower, who took it with steady hands. “She’s lucky to have a friend like you.” “Yeah,” Wallflower said. “Lucky her.” Wallflower was no fool. Under her quiet demeanor was an observant girl with an eye for detail; details that most people often overlooked. Nobody noticed her, but she noticed a lot of things about others. She realized that Curly Winds and Wiz Kid were dating two years before they announced it on MyStable. She saw that the famously cold-hearted Gilda had a soft spot for kids, particularly orphans. She knew Trixie Lulamoon was being bullied, despite her best efforts to brush it off. Wallflower also noticed the way Sunset winced when she sat down. Or how she grit her teeth as she walked. How she bit her lip when someone shouldered her, the way she didn’t lean her back against the stone bench, the pain in her eyes. No other conclusion seemed probable, and the request for burn treatment only solidified Wallflower’s suspicions. ‘Sunset Shimmer is injured.’