//------------------------------// // Prologue I: Put On A Happy Face // Story: TimberTwi Tales: First Impressions // by CapNTilfy //------------------------------// An alarm clock went off, waking Timber Spruce from his sleep. He heaved a sigh and turned it off, wishing he could just go back to sleep and forget the rest of the world. Slowly but surely, Timber got out of bed. As much as he wanted to just stay in his room, he had no choice. Camp Everfree, a camp his and his sister's great grandparents founded, had fallen behind on its payments. This had put the camp in jeopardy. He and Gloriosa Daisy had been handling the camp ever since their parents' untimely passing. A sudden passing that Timber wasn't sure he'd ever recover from. He was once the outgoing sort, but that part of him had died along with his mother and father. He had mostly kept to himself lately, not opening himself up to anybody but his sister. His sister who, sadly, had been under a great deal of pressure from Filthy Rich. You'll never be as good as your father was. Timber sighed again. A group of students and a couple of faculty chaperones from Canterlot High would be coming today and staying for a week... a week that might turn out to be Camp Everfree's last. With a shake of his head, he walked into his bathroom and looked into his mirror. Timber's hair was unkempt, and on his chin was a slight bit of stubble. He simply stared at his reflection. A tired, miserable and lonely young man stared back. God, you're a mess. Is it any wonder why you isolate yourself from the world? Timber slapped a hand on the marble sink as a surge of frustration flowed through him. Self-loathing or no, he would have to put up a facade. A facade he had trained himself to keep from breaking. He wasn't allowed to vent to campers. He had to keep his personal drama private. Just like always. He got out an electric razor and shaved himself clean, then splashed water on his face. Looking back into the mirror, Timber saw that his face was clean and presentable. You're still a goddamn mess, no matter how you look. Timber grit his teeth, then began to run water for a shower. He almost wished he hadn't bothered to look at himself. It did little to improve his mood. Timber lifted the stopper, and the shower water came down. He sighed as the hot water cascaded down his back. Showers were one of Timber's very few escapes from reality. Even then, his worries would eventually catch up with him. As the steam rose, Timber ran a hand through his hair. His relationship with Gloriosa had became strained lately, due to her stress from being under pressure. She had recently found some magical geodes, and Timber had begun to fear for her safety. Timber shuddered. If anything were to happen to Gloriosa, he wouldn't know what to do! She was the only family he had left! Time and time again, Timber had warned her about the magic... and time and time again, she would simply say "I've got this!" God, Timber was getting sick of hearing her say that! Despite it all, though, Timber loved her very much. He just needed some time to himself so he could cool off and collect his thoughts. Your life is going nowhere. His positive thoughts, that was. What very few he had, at least. Those only came when he was at Camp Everfree. Even then, those were few and far in between. You're on the verge of losing everything, and there's nothing you can do about it. Frustration grabbed a hold of Timber and he slapped his palm on the tiled wall, then grit his teeth in pain as his hand tingled. He shook his wrist lightly, then sighed in relief. No major damage done. What would his parents think if they saw how he and Gloriosa were handling things on their own? They'd probably step in and make things all better. They'd think you were pathetic. No, they wouldn't! His parents were good and decent folks! You think you're pathetic. Why shouldn't they? "Shut up," Timber roared, swinging a fist dangerously close to the wall. He had stopped just an inch short. Timber heaved a deep sigh. He really was a mess, and had done nothing to get himself out of his stagnating personal hell. Timber pulled at his eyelids. Negative thoughts or no, he sometimes wondered whether or not he truly deserved this life. With a hollow feeling in his chest, Timber reluctantly left the shower and dried off. He left his bathroom and got dressed for the day, the gazed at an old picture of his parents. Timber gently ran a hand on the glass covering the photo as a tear ran down his cheek. "God I miss you both," he whispered. Timber walked back to his mirror and took a deep breath. It was arguably the hardest part of his day: putting on a fake smile. Keeping up his facade was just the easy part, but he absolutely loathed the inauthenticity he felt whenever he practiced smiling. Smiling, Timber thought, was not something one should practice. Smiles should be genuine and contagious! And yet, here he was, being a goddamn hypocrite. Just another reason for Timber to hate himself. As if he didn't have enough already! Timber shook his head rapidly. There would be time enough for that later. For now, though, he had to put on a happy face. Timber closed his eyes and imagined the most chipper smile. The happiest smile. The biggest over the top shit-eating grin he could think of! He opened his eyes and flashed his pearly whites, then stared at the mirror. It was ridiculous. It made his stomach turn. It couldn't possibly be further from what he was truly feeling, and he hated everything about it. It was perfect. Timber snorted. Then chuckled. He slowly descended into a laughing fit as tears fell from his eyes, and all he could think of was how terrible his life was until his laughter stopped, but his tears didn't.