The fire had been put out, and the Fire Department was now cleaning up. The chief had said its cause was a faulty wire that had sparked and set your microwave on fire. It was a really old microwave, so it wasn't much of a surprise.
Doesn't make it okay though.
You and Sunset were sitting on the curb. You were clutching the black box in your hands.
When he left, Sunset turned to you. "Anon, where were you keeping all that money?"
"I was storing it in the freezer.” You reply.
She doesn't say anything. She just looks at you like you’re insane.
"I keep stuff in the freezer I want to keep safe. If you're robbing a house, you don't look in the freezer for valuables." You tell her.
She still looks a bit confused, but she shakes her head, putting what you said behind her. "Where did you get all of it? Did you steal it?"
You shake your head. "No, I didn't steal it. It's a contingency plan I never wanted to use..."
She still looks confused. Looks like it's time to spill your guts.
"My family is kind of, uh... Rich.... Like, millionaires..." You say.
Sunsets eyebrows shoot up and she stares at you. There was a few moments of silence as she tried to process what you said.
"How... How did your family become millionaires?" She asks.
"Well, you know that little plastic part that's at the end of a shoelace? Yeah, my great grandpa invented that." You say.
She blew out a puff of air in stunned surprise. "Then... What in the world are you doing here? Why are you living in a place like this? What happened?"
You stay there, looking at the remains of your apartment. "Nothing happened. I chose to live in a place like this instead."
Sunset leans in slightly, her curiosity piqued.
You clear your throat. "People look at you differently when you have money. You're viewed as something more than human. And at the same time, when a person with that much money often thinks they're more than human, but they act like a complete prick... Not always, of course, but often. You see it almost all the time in Hollywood. They're under the impression that having manners and being decent doesn't apply to them because they have money..."
She looks to her feet as you talk, almost like she's thinking.
You keep on talking. "I didn't want to end up like that. I probably would have, if it wasn't for a great friend that I had."
She looks up at you. "What was his name?"
You smile a little. "Her name is Applejack. She was a great girl. She was like the sister that I never had, but I always wanted."
The crunching of footsteps on snow interrupts you.
The fire chief comes walking up to you two. "Well, we're sorry that this happened. We're in the process of cleaning everything up and working on the legal issues of everything. You got a place to go for the night?"
You look down at the box in your hands. "Yeah, we can rent a room..."
He cocks his head at you. "Son, it's almost Thanksgiving. Don't you have a family to stay with or something?"
You shake your head. "They don't live in town."
He looks to Sunset. "What about you?"
She looks down at the ground. "N- No... I don't have anyone..."
You wrap your arm around her shoulder, giving her a hug. "Not true. She's got me."
She looks up at you and smiles. Really smiles.
The chief grins. "Well, alright. You need a ride?"
Oh yeah, you have no vehicle.
"You wouldn't mind giving us one?" You ask.
"I'll call a cab for you." He replies.
You thank him and he walks away, talking on his radio. Sunset hugs you back and sighs. She's tired. So are you.
You rest your head on hers and stroke her hair. You feel like sleeping right here, but your thoughts and the cold keep you awake.
You're going to have to go back home. The little secluded district of big houses where rich pricks live that you hate. It's a few hundred miles away though, so you'd need to fly there. You've got an emergency $5000 for clothes, food, and a plane ticket back home.
No doubt Sunset had more questions, but you'll answer them tomorrow.
---
You are Sunset.
So many things are going through your head right now. You're stressed, cold, tired, and sad. And confused. Why on earth would Anon choose to live in a place like this when his family has all kinds of money?
Sure, he says he hates rich peoples' attitudes, but there's always something with every situation that people don't like. Surely, this was no exception.
And who was this 'Applejack' that he's so fond of? Not that you're jealous, or anything.
You take a deep breath. All the adrenaline from the fire had worn out, and you're far too tired to ride this train of thought right now. Your eyelids are heavy and your vision blurs. You shut your eyes for a moment while you wait for the cab.
After a minute or two, you're on your back, looking up at Anon... He's in a car... You both are... Interesting.
You close your eyes again and open them a second later to see that you're in a bed. It has a musky smell to it. It almost smells like old people.
You sit up and see Anon sitting on the edge of the bed, on his phone. He looks up at you for a second and continues playing on his phone. No clear sign of happiness is present on his face.
"Mmmnn... When did we get here?" You groggily ask.
"About 30 minutes ago." He replies.
You slept through the whole cab ride here.
You sit up and yawn. "What are you doing?"
"I'm booking us a flight." He says. "We're going to my hometown for a bit."
You pause a moment at that. You've seen those airplane things flying around in the sky before, but you've never ridden in one. The closest thing they have to one of those in Equestria are zeppelins, or hot air balloons. The thought of riding in one of those makes you nervous.
"An airplane, huh?" You say.
He nods, not looking up from his phone. "Yep... Tomorrow at 3... Plenty of time to get some more clothes, some lunch, and a cab."
You take a deep breath and look down at the floor. He sounds like he's lost all the joy he had in him before, and it breaks your heart.
You look back up at him. He turns his phone off and sets his head in his hands. He's really upset about all of this.
You get out of bed and sit next to him. "Anon..."
He doesn't acknowledge you.
You place your hand under his chin and force him to look at you. "Anon, listen to me, okay?"
He stares at you with a somber look on his face.
"I don't know what's going on inside that head of yours, and you don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I don't know if you think you're a failure or something for doing this, but listen when I tell you that you aren't a failure. Everything will be okay."
He scoffs and closes his eyes. "Yeah right... I'm a total failure... My place burned down, the only place I could afford on my own, and I couldn't even do that right... Now, I'm having to rely on someone else for my basic needs... I'm pathetic...."
Okay, that offended you a little.
"Well what about me then? Am I a stupid failure too? Am I pathetic? I've been relying on you for weeks now."
He stayed quiet, but you could see that got him thinking.
You put your hand on his leg. "There's nothing wrong with others helping you out. If I've learned anything since meeting you, it's that everyone needs help sometimes."
He still stays quiet for another moment.
"Well, yeah, but... I just feel like I'm being a moocher asking for help..." He says.
You make him look at you again. "Have I come off as a moocher to you?"
He stares at you silently. "No... No, you haven't..."
You smile some and huff out a small laugh. "Do you think you're the only one who feels good about helping someone just because?"
He doesn't reply.
"Anon, you've helped me get back on my feet. You've given me a second chance at life and I couldn't be more grateful for your kindness and selflessness. I owe you a debt that I won't ever be able to fully repay." You smile at him. "You're worrying about this whole thing way too much. Like I said, everything will be okay. You aren't a failure or a loser or a moocher because you need help from someone else."
You kiss him softly and hold it for a few minutes.
You break it and look in his eyes. "You'll never be a loser or a failure to me..."
He stares back at you.
...
Come on, Sunset. Tell him you love him. He needs to hear it. It will be perfect.
---
Come on, Anon. Tell her you love her.
She's the most wonderful, most beautiful girl you've ever met, and she's just helped you out more than words can define. She's not a burden to you. Never has been, never will be.
You've known you love her for a while now. She deserves to know it too.
---
It's just three little words. Three little words that he needs to hear.
Why are you waiting? Tell him!
---
Come on, Anon. Do it! Do it now! Tell her!
"I... I'm..."
You're so close!
"Th... Thank you, Sunset..."
---
You waited too long in the silence. It's far too awkward to say it now.
You smile at him as best you can. "Y... You're... Welcome..."
Yeah he is... Too bad he heard it from a scared little girl...
---
'Thanks for still liking me even though I'm a huge pussy, Sunset.' You think to yourself.
You return her smile with a fake one and the both of you go in for a hug and hold each other. Your smile vanishes and you rub her hair.
She probably really needed to hear that you love her. She deserves it, after saying everything she did to you...
---
You sit there in sadness as Anon rubs your hair. He probably doesn't feel any better. He doesn't know that he's loved. You should've told him.
He needed to hear that you love him. He deserves it, after everything he's done for you...