"So, Berryshine," Officer Pops spoke up from behind her driver's wheel, "tell me, what's this presentation going to be about?"
"Well, it's sort of a secret," Punch replied, lounging in the passenger's seat. "I'm actually not supposed to tell anypony until I give the presentation itself."
"You know, I very much admire your work," Lolly continued. "I actually wanted to be a forensic psychologist, but I decided to become a cop instead. The student loans were too much for me to pursue my master's. Weird how career paths change like that."
"Yes, very weird," Berry said, staring at the pegasus's cutie mark distantly. It was a pair of hoofcuffs. Not the most welcoming cutie mark in the world.
"You're sure that you can't even give the slightest of a hint? I'm sorry, I know I'm badgering you, I just find this stuff so interesting!"
"No, I'm sorry-"
"Then you're under arrest," Pops responded, staring Berry in the eye with a fierce intensity. The earth pony felt her stomach twist up into tight little knots. How did she find her out? How did sh-
Lolly started laughing heartily. "Oh...oh, Jesus. That's always such a hoot. Pretending to be a crooked cop is so hilarious, don't you think? I'm just playing with you, Shine. Is it okay if I call you that?" Before Berry could respond, she continued speaking. "Anyways, I actually have my B.A. in psychology, though I'm not really putting it to good use now, I suppose. You know, I've always found experiments on learned helplessness exceedingly interesting, especially the one conducted by Seligman. How do you feel about it?"
Oh, shit. "Uhm....well, I....find it interesting too, what with the...learned helplessness..."
Lolly blinked a couple of times at this response. "Well, don't be so modest, Shine, ahaha. What element of the psyche makes you think that the dogs reacted the way they did to the electric shocks that were administered? It seems so counter-survival for the animals to give into their-"
Punch pretended to fall asleep to escape the conversation, which very clearly went over her head. Oh Celestia stop asking questions I barely even managed to get a high school education can this bitch please just leave me alone and let me be a dumbass in peace, she thought.
"Oh, jeez. Must've been up all night researching, huh? Well." Lolly Pops tapped her steering wheel with the tips of her hooves. She scratched behind her ears and coughed a couple of times. Berry had to secretly wonder if the mare would ever shut up. She didn't.
"Guess I'm just going to...turn on the radio...but that might wake her up, so that may be a bad idea. Hmm."
Oh my Celestia, does this bitch know how to think without using her vocal cords? Berry thought to herself.
"Pew, pew, pew pew peeew," Lolly said, as if answering Berry's thoughts, pretending to shoot other cars passing by with her hoof. "Pew, pew, pew pew..."
"Will you JUST SHUT UP?!" Berry suddenly piped up, her eyes still shut. The car was silent and thick with tension. She could feel Lolly's eyes burning into her face, likely filled with shock that the kind and patient Berryshine had lost it. It was a few seconds before Punch decided that it would be best if she pretended that she was talking in her sleep. "You...uh...you mean duck, bring me back my cupcake! Shut up, stupid duck!" She muttered lamely.
Lolly, the ever-gullible, seemed to be satisfied with this continuation. She muttered to herself, "Sleep-talker, huh? That reminds me of this one time when I was-"
---
When Berry woke up a couple of hours later, she assumed that her body must have forced her to fall asleep out of pure annoyance and mental torment. At least they were almost in Manhattan at this point.
"Oh, hey, you're awake!" Lolly said. "Did you know you talk in your sleep? I actually read a really interesting study about how sleep-talking is-"
Berry interrupted her before Pops could get into any more psychological mumbo-jumbo that she didn't understand. "Oh, wow, are you hungry? Because I am super hungry, how about you?"
"Really? did somebody ring a bell, or something?" Lolly replied. Berry stared at her, having absolutely no idea what she was going on about. Then Pops burst out laughing. Nervously, Punch joined in.
Finally, the laughter died down. "Just a nice little psychology joke to start off the day," Officer Pops chuckled. "Right, well, I always keep some snacks in my car just in case. Here, have an apple."
Berry Punch ate the apple ravenously. She actually hadn't had a meal since yesterday morning, and she didn't want to drink on an empty stomach once she arrived to Manehatten. It was good. She felt something bubbling inside of her belly...something like...happiness? Or like she was doing something wrong? Is this what gratefulness or...maybe even...guilt... felt like?
She burped. All better!
"Well, we're finally here!" Officer Pops said, opening her door to let the light magenta mare out right on the outskirts of the borough. "Good luck on your presentation, okay? Be safe! I'm sure I'll hear about it all the way to Ponyville!" She shut the door and began her journey back. Punch stared at the car driving off.
Now that she was actually here, Berry wasn't 100% sure what she was planning. She must have forgotten. "Shit," she whispered under her breath. She decided that she should pick up some real food- she couldn't think on an empty stomach. However, she had to take extra care not to spend TOO much money on food while she was in Manehatten, considering that she still needed to be able to afford the trip home on a bus. She wasn't counting on any bus drivers in Manehatten recognizing her and refusing to let her ride, considering that this was one of the few cities where she had no track record. She found a carrot-dog stand and she fished through her saddlebags for bits-
Wait.
She didn't bring her saddlebags.
"OH, SHIIIIIT!"