"What?" Soarin said planting his fork into his raviolis. "I can't believe it... Some of us are that lucky! So, did you also see Dashie?"
"No, I'm sorry, I didn't... But it doesn't mean that I won't see her one of these days..."
"I guess I'll often be there with you."
It could seem that they hadn't addressed the topic of Big Mac's new place to live yet. However, the subject often came back to his friend's mouth during the three years of class they had this morning. The coincidence fascinated him so much it occupied the most of his thoughts.
Today, like any other day, the cafeteria was pretty restless. The cliques were all carefully respected, as if an invisible gate seperated each of them. Of course, it always existed in all sorts of schools except in this one the cliques seemed to be defined by a little something more. A sense of belonging expressing itself through the way each of them acted. To be honest, it often made you want to tear it all apart, just to see what would happen. Also, to Big Mac the students of this particular school were a little more noisy and frenetic than anywhere else.
Suddenly, he saw Soarin's eyes opening wide and his whole body turned stiff at the same time than his face froze like a freeze-frame on a computer's screen.
"What is it? Ya don't like yar green tomatoes fritters?" I take them if so..."
He stretched out his fork in order to take a fritter but Soarin prevented him to do so by making click his own fork against the metal. Yet, he kept on staring at something straight in front of him, as if he was witnessing the worst of torture scene ever.
"Maybe that's a good news came too late... Look who just sat beside them."
Big Mac softly turned around and finally had a glimpse at what his friend was staring at. There were the two singers he told him about last time, sitting next to Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie. Soarin's horror was somewhat explainable, not only because of how he loathed the two boys but also because even him could see how embarrassed the girls were about that plot twist.
Her hair tied into a complicated side braid with her uniform sported in a rather unusual way, Pinkie Pie waved gently at Big Mac. They were now living in the same place and potentially going to school together at the same time as they would also probably be led to know each other better as time would go by, yet it really surprised him that she acted so familiarly with him.
"Why is Pinkie Pie waving you while Rainbow Dash is completely ignoring me?"
"I suppose it has to do with fact we're livin' in the same place. Don't get that excited."
He resumed his lunch but didn't forget to take Soarin a few fritters on the way. The latter didn't even notice because he was too absorbed by what the two girls were doing with the two singers. In reality, he was sometimes a little... weird. Similar to the image Big Mac had of the rest of the students here, in the end. He was serious, collected and skilled until the girl named Rainbow Dash came into the picture. Then, he became a complete different person, overreacting to everything and a bit, well, dumb. Or not, dumb. Goofy.
Everything looked back to the normal when suddenly, he froze again. This time, he swallowed but didn't chew the food in his mouth.
"What is it this time?"
Big Mac turned around to see if something strange or shocking was happening at Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash's table but he quickly understood it was something else now. Or rather, someone who changed everything by its mere presence - Trixie had just entered the cafeteria. This time, she was nothing like the quiet girl reading a music sheet under the shade of a tree. And it helped him to understand why Soarin was acting so stiff everytime she appeared in his field of vision. She walked through the room as if it belonged to her, a constant smirk on her face and she didn't stand anyone to stand on her way. Her eyes scanned the place, as if she were looking for someone precise, which she surely was indeed.
Soarin was already on his feet with his bag on his shoulders, tray in the hands and all.
"Sorry, you'll have to lunch on your own for today. I have to hurry. See you in class."
He didn't even have time to utter an answer that Soarin already was speeding through the tables in the direction of the emergency exit. But was that fast enough? Already, Trixie darted in the same direction and they soon both disappeared among the rest of the students. This whole story wasn't over yet.
At their own table, the two girls witnessed the exact same scene. Pinkie Pie softly nudged her best friend and whispered in her ear.
"Dashie... I think Trixie is trying to get her hands over your boyfriend. You shouldn't let her do so."
"Stop it, Pinkie!" she answered, nudging her as well but a little more aggressively. "I never said I liked him or anything."
"You don't need to. I know what you're thinking. Why don't you take the first step and talk to him?"
They forgot they weren't alone at their table anymore. Unfortunately, without them to ask anything to them, the boys from the Sing Department were still acting like pots of glue. They could barely say anything to one another without one of them to think they were talking about them, even when the conversation wasn't related at all. Demonstrated by how Trenderhoof got his chair closer to them both.
"Were my princesses talking about me? Look, I'm here with you today."
In order not to laugh at him, Pinkie Pie started to stare at the ceiling. Even she thought it was a stupid way of behaving. And she knew that Rainbow Dash wouldn't stand it for too long. She always hated everything that was too 'sappy' and didn't want to be considered like a lady but like the cool girl she was.
It didn't last very long. Rainbow Dash leaped on her feet so suddenly that it even surprised her best friend by her side, who jumped from scare on her chair.
"Sorry! I have stuff to do!! I have to finish my dress for the show. Are you coming too, Pinkie?"
"Yes. I better hurry up as well."
They left them there without even a goodbye and vehemently refused them to accompany them to their workshop. They were real pain in the arse, always following them around when they only wanted to relax and calling them stupid names. Maybe it came from the fact they were among the only ones who were completely immune to their so-called charm. But because of them, once again, they didn't have time to finish their lunch and the days were long. By the end of the classes, there was no doubt where they would both go and it wouldn't be directly home.
***
Once classes were over, the first thing Pinkie Pie did was to drag her best friend outside so they could take a snack at the closest possible restaurant. All day long, her stomach had gurgled and she had smiled embarrassingly at Miss Rarity each time it arrived during a moment of silence. Now, she couldn't take it anymore. She had to eat, to eat anything and quickly.
As they reached the entrance of the Burger King, her stomach made another noise and she could think of nothing else than her fries and her sandwich and maybe even an ice cream and onion rings and...
"Dashie, hurry up!" she said, looking behind her shoulders as her best fiend was walking while rummaging through her backpack. "I'm so farmished I could eat a mountain!"
"Wait a minute. I can't find my wallet!"
No, not now. It wasn't the moment for being head in the clouds.
Pinkie Pie took a few steps back and almost literally snatched the bag off of Rainbow Dash's hands. She started to rummage through it frantically, as if she was on the verge of a heart attack.
"What's the color of your wallet?"
"Well, rainbow, of course."
"But everything's the color of a rainbow in your bag. Oh, why can't I find it?"
She brewed everything that was inside the bag as if they were ingredients of a soup. Yet, there still was no trace of this damn wallet. Maybe it was because she was so nervous that it kept on slipping through her fingers. She had to calm herself but how could she when her stomach gurgled so much it hurt?
As her last resort, she crouched on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant and spilled the content of the bag. Everything that was inside fell in a disorganized pile in front of them and red from shame, Rainbow Dash had to crouch as well in order to hide a few tampons popped against the asphalt, under the curious gaze of many passersby.
It was worse this way. What if someone came here running and tried to steal her smartphone or her ID documents? Identity fraud existed after all.
"Do you think someone stole it to you? I really can't find it."
"I don't know. I don't remember if I had it with me this morning. My school card was in my jacket's pocket."
"Oh no!"
Pinkie Pie got up and with a annoyed face, she walked towards the electronic counter that rested outside in front of the door to embrace it close. Once again, passersby were staring at them but it wasn't what irritated Rainbow Dash the most. She didn't really care if people were looking. What was really upsetting was that she had to clean the mess made by her friend on her own.
"To think that I'm so hungry."
Once again, her stomach gurgled soundly.
"Goodbye my little onion rings with barbecue sauce, goodbye my pea and soja burger, goodbye my cheese fries, goodye my ice cream, goodbye my coke with a lot of ice."
And her stomach gurgled even louder.
"It's so sad. I think I'm going to cry."
"I can buy you two something to eat if you want."
Pinkie Pie, surprised, hadn't seen a small group had approached them. She turned around and saw two mature men with grey hair and glasses, dressed in the typical suits of office worker. Nothing was missing, not even the rings on their forefingers and the bawdy glow in their dark eyes. Frowning, her backpack now tidy on her shoulders, Rainbow Dash took a step closer, ready to pounce on them on the least sign of indecency.
"What?" Pinkie Pie asked after she let go the counter.
"You seem to be very hungry. You both are cute as a button, that would be a shame to leave you to your own devices. We could buy you something to eat, in exchange of you going in town with us."
Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash already heard about this type of men but they never had the misfortune to meet them yet. They promised teenagers and very young girls a lot of money and as a counterpart was expecting them to keep them company. Officially. Unofficially, everyone knew the girls were obliged to sleep with them after that. Many of the rape victims were their victims.
She had no intention of doing anything like that but as she glanced at Rainbow Dash, she immediately understood her friend was on the same wavelength than she. The best defense was attack. And in order to attack, they had to let them think they were tempted by the offer.
"You would really do that? How much would you give us?"
"Well," one of them said, looking at his workmate with dirty (and disgusting) eyes. "Let's say 200 bits to start."
"200 bits? Isn't that a little... Not enough!"
Rainbow Dash was about to pounce on them as she wanted since they opened their mouth but two strong arms held her back and forced her to step away. She was shaking and screaming insults at the two men who, red from shame, tried to act as if all this had nothing to do with them. As for Pinkie, she only stood there laughing. For sure, they weren't expecting something like that.
Soarin and Big Mac were strolling in town when Soarin stopped in the middle of the street, spotting Rainbow Dash from afar. He always seemed to be almost hypnotized each time he saw her, but also he possessed some kind of sixth sense allowing him to detect the young girl's presence even in the distance. They looked at the young woman as she was complaining about putting away the content of her bag on her own while Pinkie Pie was hugging the electronic counter. He thought that girl was really a special person at the same time as being incredibly endearing. Then, the two mature men approached them and they felt it smelled like trouble.
Soarin was still holding Rainbow Dash back, who kept on struggling with all her might. He never would have thought she would be so strong for a girl so small. It only comforted him in the idea that she was the perfect girl for him. He always liked girls with a temper.
"Us? Accompanying old codgers such as you? You could as well pay us a million bits if you want to, we won't even go across the sidewalk with you! You perverts!"
They were, one more time, the object of curiosity from all the passersby who were staring at Rainbow Dash screaming with an amused look. More embarrassed than ever, the mature men quickly blended in the crowd, looking at their feet and hiding their crimson faces. As they were getting away, Rainbow Dash seemed to struggle even more and to scream even louder. Soarin only let her go once he was sure they were away enough not to risk that she would pursue them to kick them.
"Why did you hold me back?" she asked Soarin. "You should have let me smash their faces in!"
Pinkie Pie's stomach emitted one more loud gurgle and, with a funny grimace of pain, she stopped laughing and held her belly. That was enough to make Rainbow Dash fidgetting and recover a semblance of calm.
"It's my fault. I lost my wallet... Well, in fact I only let it home. So, we can't eat."
Big Mac took a glimpse at Soarin. In his eyes seemed to be shining the words "that's my luck!'. He would really be a bad friend if he didn't understand the message and decided to turn away from him. As he could guess his intentions just as easily as he breathed, he evetually sighed and nodded. In all likelihood, it really pleased him.
"We were about to take a snack as well, so you could come with us. We'll pay, without anything in return."
Without anything in return, yeah sure, thought Big Mac. Although he wasn't expecting anything similar to what the mature men had in mind, he knew very well there was an hidden intention behind Soarin's act of generosity. He wanted to get to know the pretty Rainbow Dash better and why not, ask her on a date by the end of their snack. He was no fool.
He didn't know that Rainbow Dash as well wanted to say yes because it gave her an excuse to spend a bit of time with Soarin, who she admired in secret. Because she was very proud, she always vehemently denied being soft on him, afraid it would break her image of the cool girl who cared about nothing but her ambition and reputation.
As for Pinkie Pie, she was so farmished that she surrendered without further delay. If she couldn't eat right now, she swore she would collapse from hunger. In a way. She nodded to her friend, as a sign that she accepted the offer.
"Alright, we come. It's really nice, thank you. We'll repay you tomorrow."
"Don't bother."
Soarin stepped closer to Rainbow Dash, in the hope they would go to the same counter and order shoulder to shoulder. But Pinkie Pie followed her on her heels and disrupted his plans. She grabbed her best friend's arm and they both started to hop towards the counter while singing a song which main theme were fries.