//------------------------------// // Chapter Six: Meeting in the Hall // Story: Anon-A-Fix // by Soufriere //------------------------------// Amidst the fallout from Anon-A-Miss’s gossip-mongering stood an unusual, perhaps ironic, circle of calm: Trixie Lulamoon, known throughout the school for her massive ego and delusions of grandeur indicated in part by speaking of herself in the third person, as well her love of watching others suffer. Finding minions to help with her nefarious but ultimately inconsequential deeds, such as the Cow Catastrophe, was easy, but she generally preferred working her magic alone. Also being alone to enjoy her vice, peanut butter, recently banned at CHS due to overblown allergen fears. This day, Trixie accessed her locker in an empty dead-end hall on the ground floor as the lunch period began in order to put away her morning textbooks, and also to get out her contraband jar of Porter Pann when she heard footsteps stop immediately behind her. She did not turn around, but had a fair idea who her visitor was. Her suspicions were confirmed when the visitor spoke. “Hello, Trixie,” said Sunset Shimmer, an undercurrent of rage in her voice. Trixie, not easily intimidated, turned around to face Sunset with a broad, sly grin. “Ah, Sunset. Trix— my lovely ex-comrade,” she said, dropping her pretense but keeping her singsong tone. “How are you today?” “I’ve been better.” “Such a pity to hear that,” Trixie said with absolutely no sincerity. “Can it, Trixie,” Sunset near-growled, her voice as low as she could get it. “I know what you’ve been doing. You’re Anon-A-Miss.” “Ha!” Trixie could not help but emit a hearty guffaw. “I wish! She’s stirred up this pathetic school more than I ever could! As far as I’m concerned, Anon-A-Miss deserves a medal.” “The Trixie’s Great And Powerful Commendation for the Dissemination of Chaos and Destruction, bestowed by and upon Trixie,” snipped Sunset. “As always, you give me far too much credit.” Trixie looked around her to make sure the two of them were the only ones around. Once she had, she turned around on Sunset and pushed her up against a locker. Sunset, clearly used to this, made no expression until Trixie began stroking her cheek. “You never change,” Sunset said, frowning. “Even back in junior high, you were a massive pain in my flank.” “Neither do you,” retorted Trixie, “Which is why your entire life here has been a lie. Hasn’t it, Miss Phoenix Rays, my dear tutor? I’m sure you had your reasons for leaving your old job to pose as a high school student, but you’d think someone else besides me would have noticed your little makeover: ditching the deep-red wig, out-of-style clothing, and thick glasses. The other kids here are so… stupid. After all, do pardon me for being five years late on this, there aren’t too many freshman girls in this city who already have these.” Trixie placed her right hand on Sunset’s large left breast, then ran it down her body, tracing the concave curve of her waist before arriving at Sunset’s hip, then moving it back to rub her butt. Before Sunset could say anything, Trixie moved in and kissed her cheek. “W-would you stop that!?” Sunset snapped in protest, her cheeks blushing involuntarily. “Why? It’s not like you’re in any danger of getting fired this time.” Trixie ran her left hand from Sunset’s right hip until it cupped her right breast. She gave it a quick squeeze before turning to pet Sunset’s hair and kissed her cheek. “Besides, it’s not illegal if I do it to you.” “That’s not how it works. Also, I don’t swing that way, if any way. You know it. Go after a girl your own age and orientation. Please. …And I swear if you lick my face again I’ll punch you,” Sunset said sharply. Trixie sighed as she extricated herself from Sunset and blupped her tongue back into her mouth. “Well, can’t say I didn’t try my best.” “If only you’d had that attitude when it came to your schoolwork,” Sunset snarked with a roll of her eyes. “You really could have gotten into Crystal Prep if you’d given half a damn and weren’t, well, you.” “My point is, Sunset,” Trixie continued, her duller tone indicating she was through playing, “You have more than a few secrets that I know you don’t want revealed. If I’d wanted to destroy you, I could simply tell everyone what I already know. That’s far easier than setting up a fake social media account, stealing and/or hacking your phone twice, and then posting whatever dirt I found. You know me; I always prefer the direct approach.” “Clearly,” Sunset snarked. “So you’re telling me you don’t know who she is?” “Why, I had assumed you were,” replied Trixie at maximum smugness. “It’s certainly within your traditional M.O. Let’s see… You tricked your friends, stole their secrets, and posted them on a public forum for everyone to see. All of that after you spent seven weeks gaining their trust. I couldn’t have done it any better for I, I am but the apprentice before you, my master.” “Except I didn’t…” Trixie had already turned to walk away, greedily clutching her peanut butter jar while in search of a spoon, but Sunset’s former pupil stopped, fully willing and able to twist the knife one last time. “Remember what you told me all those years ago when you were still my tutor?” she asked rhetorically. “You said: ‘Facts are facts, but they’re irrelevant in the court of public opinion. Ninety percent of people are idiots who create their own truth regardless of the evidence. So, always question everything. Never trust anyone blindly. If you do, you might get hurt.’ Who would have believed you’d forget your own lesson?” “I never forgot it, Trixie. I… learned that life can be so much more if you allow.” “Keep telling yourself that. It’s worked out so well thus far, yes? Ta-ta.” With a slow wave, Trixie disappeared behind a corner, and Sunset was back to zero in her search for the identity of Anon-A-Miss.