Twilight Sparkle stood outside the Jamba Juice shop a few blocks away from her home. It was the last of the weekend and the high school freshman wanted to catch up with her friend before school started back the next day.
Shifting her weight from one foot to the next, she waited patiently for Cadence to show.
The older girl was already ten minutes late.
She was about to go inside and sit when the voice of a classmate stopped her.
“Twilight?”
The bookworm looked up to see a beaming Flash Sentry.
She could feel her ears burn, but forced a smile anyway.
“H-hey!” She greeted.
“Are you here by yourself?” He asked pausing to speak with her.
“I’m waiting for someone.”
“Oh...” His eyes dimmed and Twilight found herself explaining.
“I’m waiting for Cadence.”
“Oh!” He laughed as a blush came over his cheeks. “You can wait for whoever you want to.”
‘Grow a backbone and stand up for yourself...’
“You just looked a tad disappointed.” She stood straighter speaking her mind.
“Yea... Not that it’s my business, but yea... I’m glad it’s Cadence.”
Twilight giggled at his awkwardness. She felt her phone buzzing and politely apologized before reading over a message:
‘Can you grab me a Carribean Passion?? Running late. Will pay you back!
XXOO,
Cadie’
“Guess it’s going to be a while.” She sighed good-naturedly. “You want to sit inside and wait with me?” She asked, tired of feeling awkward around this boy. Or any boy for that matter.
“Sure!”
“Thanks,” Twilight smiled. The two teens headed into the shop and grabbed a seat in the back.
“You know what you want?” Flash asked.
“Yea, but I’m also grabbing Cadence’s too.”
“Don’t worry about it, just tell me what you want.”
“Are you sure?”
“Of course,” he grinned.
She gave him her order and five minutes later he came back with a Caribbean passion for Cadence, a Matcha Green Tea blast for herself, and Peanut Butter moo’d for himself.
“Thanks!” Twilight grinned enjoying the refreshing drink.
“No problem,” Flash dismissed kindly. “Are you going to the dance?” He asked after a big sip of his smoothie.
“Homecoming?” He nodded. “Yea... The Rainbooms are performing at the Battle of the Bands.”
“No shit?” He didn’t know she was in a band. Homecoming was right around the corner.
“Yea, we’re showcasing an original song.” She sat up with pride.
“Can I hear some of it?” He asked interestedly.
“No way!” Twilight reacted as if scandalized.
“Not even a melody?”
“Nope. You’ll have to wait like everyone else.” She chuckled.
“I guess...” He conceded with faux petulance.
“It’s my sincerest of beliefs that the wait will be worth it.”
“It usually is with you.”
She smiled.
At that moment the front door jingled and Cadence entered the store searching casually. Her taffy eyes lit up at the sight of her friend. “Hey!” She called coming over to sit. “Twilight, I’m so sorry! Oh! Hey Flash!”
“Hey Cadence!”
“What took you so long?”
“I forgot my Mom had to pick up-“ Cadence paused as she took in her company. “My mom had other things to do today before meeting some client so I caught the bus.”
“Oh! Well you’re here now.” Twilight smoothly moved the conversation along, despite her disagreement with all the secrecy.
“Yea... Oh! You got the smoothie! Thanks!”
“Actually-“
Flash shook his head and cut her off, “You’re lucky Twilight’s such a good friend, I almost drank it it’d been sitting for so long.” Cadence laughed and apologized again. “I’ll leave you girls to it then. Thanks for letting me hang out with you, Twilight.”
“Thanks for keeping me company,” Twilight beamed as he stood and took his leave.
“You know he likes you right?” Cadence waited till Flash exited the shop.
Twilight turned away to hide a blush. “How do you know?”
“I have my ways... But you should ask him out.”
“What?!”
“Do it now before he makes it down the street. Plus, he forgot his drink.” Cadence coyly gestured to the half full smoothie.
Cadence forced her friend up, giggling as Twilight huffed and moved after the teen with the smoothie in hand.
She came out the door to see him standing against the wall, swiping around on his phone.
“Flash!”
“Twilight- My drink!”
“Yea, you left it...” She handed him the smoothie. “Thanks again for grabbing ours as well.”
“Yea... Hey can i-“
“Would you-“
“You first.” He chuckled sliding his phone back into his pocket.
“Would you like to go out sometime? My treat.”
“I’d like that. Maybe I could hear a song?”
She grinned ignoring the blush she knew stained her cheeks, “I know just the one.”
“I’m glad to see you’re feeling better.” Her brow furrowed with silent question. “You just seemed off lately. Timid. I was worried something might be wrong.”
“I’m fine now... Maybe I’ll tell you about it some time.”
“I’ll hold you to it. See ya around, Twilight.”
*****
“I just want to apologize about my behavior that night… What happened really left my friend in a bad way. I’d just visited him before going to the game.”
Coal Stone sat across from the Changeling Ambassador with a rueful expression on his features. The changeling princess had been surprised to receive a timid call from the outspoken man who’d accosted her at the school’s sports function. Though his sincerity was true, she still didn’t care for his outburst and had commented, albeit jokingly. However, anything that had the potential to badly affect her people would always have her attention and so she agreed to meet him at a local coffee bar to discuss his concerns.
“Tell me about him.”
“Jett’s your average boy scout- hardworking, polite, dignified, and mostly keeps to himself. It’s just so weird the way he acted with her.” His thoughts on the matter were obvious from the disgusted expression on his face. “Like she wasn’t even the type of girl he would fall for…”
“Amethyst Sahara?” She offered to which he solemnly nodded gripping his cup of coffee. He had told her the name over the phone when he expressed a desire to meet her in person. She already had her agents looking into it. “How was she?”
“Flashy, loud and had no concept of restraint of any kind.”
“Sometimes love happens with the people you least expect. That’s not so suspicious.” Adelpha smiled kindly. She and Justinian were proof of such.
“I know it sounds crazy… but the way she looked at him sometimes-” Coal took a deep breath as he tried to convey how disturbing his friend’s relationship really was. “Some guys lose their dignity when it comes to pretty women- I’d know,” he laughed disparagingly, “but Jett hadn’t been one of those. He’d just fall into some love sick stupor and he’d do whatever she wanted. Even things he hated! It was like he was someone else.”
That tidbit perked her interest as she hadn’t heard of this type of response since before the embassy was a thing. Adelpha carefully worded her next question. “How was he after those moments?”
“What’dya mean?”
She a took a sip of her thai tea before answering. “Like did he seem embarrassed or upset after these lapses of judgment?”
Coal looked thoughtful. “He just seemed regretful and lost…”
“Like confused?”
“Yea…” She frowned as he continued. “He said she just made him feel like his head was underwater and even though it was hard to think, the only thing that mattered was her happiness, even if it hurt. He’d turn into a real fool when it came to Amethyst. Just happy to do whatever she wanted.”
“Did it hurt him?”
“I think it did. I mean I think the stress took its toll. None of us gave him any rest about it. Had we realized how stressed he was maybe…” Coal trailed sadly and Adelpha softened. He really was just upset for his friend. “He ended up in the hospital for a while. Dealing with Amethyst just seemed exhausting. It was like every interaction we saw took a physical toll.”
Even though she was mostly sure his friend had encountered a ling, she still had to ask. “Could it be your friend had just fallen head over heels in love with this woman even if she seemed like a bad fit? What makes you think a changeling had anything to do with it?”
“It’s just I’ve seen love drunk, but this… this was unnatural.” His brow furrowed, “it just happened so suddenly and the shift was so drastic. Like where would they have even met? They had nothing in common. She was the type of girl he’d never go for. I’ve read in papers what they’re capable of and Jett has always been a staunch man. Only something like a siren could bend that man… and now he’s broken and she has everything- which is crazy because taking care of his family was always his top priority. He’s been saving and supporting his mom and sister for years. They’re both disabled and two months into being with her, they’re basically homeless. Like what the fuck, ya know?”
To her dismay, the signs and symptoms matched: Drastic change in behavior, stupors and confusion followed by regret and depression, physical weakness and mental breakdown.
The changeling princess reached across the table and grasped his wrist with a comforting smile. “I think the Embassy can help your friend.”
Coal’s face lit up in surprise.