The thought of dancing with Octavia occupied my mind at school the next day. For the first few classes, I imagined the two of us waltzing alone close together, with me staring at her mulberry eyes and seeing her smile, impressed with me as her dance partner. At the same time, I thought about how best to ask Rarity if she knew how to dance and if she was willing to teach me. I was optimistic that she would be glad now that she and Octavia are friends, but she could also be unsettled with less than two weeks of teaching me. Either way, I was determined to ask her in the halls after lunch, where none of our other friends were around to know about my mission.
Lunch with the group went by with all of us eating and talking like any other day. Soarin, Caramel, and I got into a heated debate over the Star Wars sequel trilogy, which annoyed Rainbow Dash, who rebuked us every now and then. But whenever Soarin and Caramel were expressing their opinions in detail, I would glance at Rarity, who was laughing and giggling with Fluttershy. Eventually, the bell rang, and we all put away our lunch trays before saying our goodbyes with Soarin and me about to head to gym class together. Rarity was walking to her next class in the opposite direction, but I was willing to risk being late.
"Hey, Soarin, I have something I need to do really fast, so you go ahead," I said.
Soarin looked at me, confused before he replied, "Alright, but don't be late."
"I'll do my best," I said.
I ran to where I last saw Rarity all the way to the main hall just in time to see her walking up the steps to the second floor. I looked around to make sure no one in our group was around before I ran up the steps to Rarity, bumping into students as I went.
"Hey, Rarity!" I called out.
The white girl turned around to see me catch up with her and asked, "What is it, Rough Draft?"
"I wanted to talk to you about something with our friends not around," I said.
"Oh? This wouldn't have something to do with you and Octavia, would it?" Rarity asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Uh, well, if you want to put it bluntly, then yes," I said, scratching the back of my head.
"I thought as much," Rarity said with a smirk. "Well, out with it then."
I paused to think of the best way to phrase it before I said, "You see, after we went to visit you at the Carousel Boutique for Octavia's dress for the wedding, she asked me to be her date."
Rarity's eyes widened, and she clasped her hands together.
"Ooo. That's marvelous, dear," she said. "You must be very excited."
"I am, but there's more," I said. "Yesterday, the two of us realized that we aren't going to have much of a date since Octavia will be playing with the band the whole time, so Octavia suggested that the two of us dance together alone when the wedding is over."
"She did?" Rarity asked before saying with a playful grin. "My, my, my, Mr. Draft, fate is being very generous to you."
"I know, right?" I said with a light chuckle. "But the thing is, I do not know how to dance."
"Oh, that is a bit of a dilemma," Rarity said.
"Exactly. Octavia offered to teach me, but I said I wanted to learn from someone else so that she only gets my best as her dance partner," I said. "So, I was wondering if you know how to waltz and if you could teach me."
"Well, I should certainly hope I know how to waltz as a Manehattan girl," Rarity said before she frowned, "Unfortunately, finding time to do that might be difficult. I do have a lot to do at the boutique, and I will be using a lot of my free time to work on Octavia's dress."
My face fell, and I looked down, discouraged. Rarity placed her hand on my shoulder and said, "I'm so sorry, Rough Draft."
"It's okay. I understand," I said. "I'll think of something else. I'm sure there's someone who can help me."
Rarity gave me a sad smile before her eyes lit up and said, "You know what? There is someone who can help."
"Really? Who?" I asked.
"Fluttershy," Rarity answered. "It just so happens that I taught her how to dance a couple of years ago. She works until late afternoon at the animal rescue shelter on weekdays, so I think we can arrange for you two to meet, and she could teach you when she gets off."
"Really? Do you think she wouldn't mind?" I asked.
"Oh, I know she would be happy to help," Rarity said before adding with a hesitant look, "Although, now that I think about it, it would be best that she knows why you want to learn so she understands why you don't have a lot of time."
I furrowed my brow and asked, "Do you think she can keep this from the others? I don't want them to think that I'm going to try to make Octavia cheat on Blueblood with me or something like that."
"Absolutely," Rarity answered with a confident smile. "Fluttershy is my dearest friend. I would trust her with my life. Why I'd trust her with my career as a fashionista if need be."
"Wow, that's quite the trust. You guys are really tight, huh?" I said.
"Of course, dear. We've been close ever since I moved here," Rarity said.
Suddenly, the warning bell rang, and Rarity gasped before starting to run to her class.
"I'll talk to her during seventh period and send you a text afterward!" she called out with a wave as she ran.
"Great! Thanks, Rarity!" I shouted, waving back.
With that, I ran to my class, feeling giddy that I had a teacher for learning how to dance. Of course, it wasn't long before the final bell rang, and I would be a few minutes late.
***************************************************************************************************
When I made it to sixth period, Mr. Iron Will made me do ten push-ups as punishment for being late. It was a painful experience since I don't usually do push-ups, but it was worth it. Soarin asked what I had to do that made me late, and I made up a story about discussing an assignment with Rarity since we go to the same class at different times. Soarin was skeptical but decided to drop it, and I made a mental note to let Rarity know about the story if it needed to be backed up. As long as Applejack didn't hear about it, I figure it would be no skin off our noses.
Eventually, school ended, and Octavia and I walked to the music room to meet up with Starlight Glimmer for our usual study group. We were halfway to the music room, talking as we walked when I felt my phone vibrate, and I took it out to see that I got a text from Rarity. I told Octavia I had to respond, and she nodded in understanding before I took it out.
Rarity: Rough Draft, Fluttershy said she would love to teach you, but she has a later shift at the animal rescue center tonight, so she suggested that she teaches you there since she won't have much to do. Does that work for you?
Me: Works for me.
Rarity: Excellent. I'll send you the address and directions to get there from your house.
Rarity followed her text with the address and directions, and I put away my phone just as Octavia and I were entering the music room. As usual, Octavia and I were struggling with math even with Starlight's help, but as long as Octavia was there and we got our homework done, I was okay with it. Though I wasn't sure if it was my imagination or Octavia was constantly glancing at me whenever Starlight and I weren't looking. After I walked Octavia home, I sent Fluttershy a text to say that I was on my way and then sent a text to my parents to let them know that I would be home late.
After roughly fifteen minutes of walking, I made it to the animal rescue center. I went inside and looked around to see so many animals all around the building. There were dogs, cats, birds, fish, rabbits, gerbils, hamsters; there was even a large cage full of all sorts of reptiles. The dogs, cats, rabbits, and fish I could understand, but seeing lizards and iguanas and the like were a surprise to me.
"Hi, Rough Draft,"
I turned my head to see Fluttershy entering the room and smiled until I saw Starlight Glimmer coming behind her. The grayish heliotrope girl was startled to see me, which confused me, but I decided to ignore it as Fluttershy walked over to me.
"Hey, Fluttershy," I greeted before turning to Starlight Glimmer. "Fancy seeing you here so soon, Starlight Glimmer."
"Yeah, what a surprise," Starlight Glimmer said, avoiding eye contact with me. "What are you doing here?"
Before I could think of an answer, Fluttershy stepped in and said, "Oh, I'm sorry, Starlight. I forgot to tell you. Rough Draft asked Rarity and me to teach him how to dance before the Fall Formal?"
"The Fall Formal?" Starlight Glimmer asked while I looked at Fluttershy, equally confused.
"You don't know?" Fluttershy asked, pretending to be surprised. "It's the first dance of the school year that takes place in late October. Rough Draft wanted to learn how to waltz since he's never been to a dance before, and our group goes to the school dances together."
Starlight Glimmer looked at me, puzzled, and asked, "Really?"
Fluttershy turned to me and gave me a wink. It took a moment before I figured out what she was doing and smiled at Starlight Glimmer.
"Oh, yeah. When I heard from Rarity about it, I thought I should learn how to dance since I've never been to one, being an outcast in Appleloosa and all," I lied. "After all, there's no reason not to learn when I can dance with all of my friends now, right?"
Starlight Glimmer paused, making me unsure if she heard me before she smiled and said, "Oh, that's nice, but aren't you learning a little too soon?"
I shrugged and said, "Yeah, well, better to learn now while there's time. Plus, Rarity wasn't taking no for an answer when she offered after finding out that I don't dance."
"Oh, that makes sense," Starlight Glimmer said. "Rarity is stubborn at times."
"Duly noted," I said. "How about you? Did you come here looking for a pet?"
"Oh, no, no, no. I'm more of a plant person," Starlight Glimmer said, waving her hands. "My dad just happens to be working late, so since I don't have to worry about him making a fuss over where I am, I decided to go for a walk around town. I happened to be passing by and decided to visit Fluttershy and check out all the animals she takes care of here."
"Cool," I said. "Speaking of animals, Fluttershy, I'm surprised by the large variety of animals you have here."
Fluttershy giggled cutely and said, "Well, there's always all sorts of animals in need, and it's my pleasure to take care of them while they don't yet have a home."
"That's nice," I said. "Anyway, shall we get started?"
"Oh, yes, we should," Fluttershy said, putting her hands together. "Follow me."
Starlight Glimmer frowned and rubbed her arm as she asked, "Uh, is it alright if I join you two?"
Fluttershy and I looked at each other before Fluttershy smiled and said, "Sure."
Starlight Glimmer smiled and followed Fluttershy with me. I, on the other hand, felt uneasy and whispered to Fluttershy as we walked down the hall, "Are you sure we should let her join us when this is supposed to be a secret?"
"There's no harm in letting her join as long as we don't bring up your date," Fluttershy whispered back. "Besides, we do normally go to the school dances as a group, and it's not a bad idea for you to learn now since you would be finished with working for Octavia Melody by then, so there's no reason to learn from that too. After all, you would like to do that with all of us, right?"
"Absolutely," I said with a smile. "I guess it makes sense since she might talk about it in front of the others anyway. Though, would Applejack call us out if learning to dance for a school dance is a half-truth?"
Fluttershy frowned and looked down, hiding her face with her hair.
"Um, maybe. I've never heard of that happening before," she confessed. "I honestly made up the story on the spot without thinking about Applejack until just now."
I furrowed my brow and said, "So, we're rolling the dice. Great."
"What are you guys talking about?" Starlight Glimmer asked from behind.
Fluttershy and I turned to her, and I said, "Nothing. Don't worry about it."
Starlight Glimmer tilted her head at me and then decided to drop it, figuring out that we were talking about something private. Fluttershy led us to a moderately sized room at the end of the hall where boxes of animal food were stacked up against the walls. Fluttershy moved some of the boxes to make room and turned to me and Starlight Glimmer with a smile.
"Alright, Rough Draft. Before we get to actually dancing, I'm going to show you the basic steps," she said. "It's very important that you know this since you'll be leading."
"How do you mean leading?" I asked.
"When two people are waltzing, the guy leads the dance," Fluttershy explained. "You are in control of the way you and your partner move."
"Seriously?" I asked. "That's kinda a bit of pressure for me, don't you think?"
Fluttershy giggled again and said, "That's why we're going to work on the basic steps first and work practice with music another day."
"Good idea," Starlight Glimmer commented. "I learned how to waltz from my dad, and he started with music right away. Lord knows how many times I stepped on his feet just because it was how it was done in the old days.'"
"The old days? You mean like his method is one of those historical things he's obsessed about?" I asked.
"You can say that," Starlight answered.
Fluttershy gave a comforting smile and said, "Well, we don't have to worry about it, especially when you've never danced before. Right, Rough Draft?"
"Right as rain," I answered. "Anyway, why don't we get going?"
"Good idea," Fluttershy said before she gestured to me with her hand. "Stand in front of me."
I quietly obeyed, standing two feet away from Fluttershy at the center of the room. Starlight Glimmer stood against the wall to watch as Fluttershy began.
"Alright, Rough Draft, first, take one step forward with your left foot while I step back with my right," she instructed.
"Uh, how far should I take my step?" I asked.
Fluttershy took a second to think about it and said, "Well, depending on the dance, you and your partner can take small or big steps, but let's go with small for today."
The grayish olive girl took a small step back on her right, and I smiled as I took a step forward.
"Good. Now, step to the right with your right foot, and I'll step to the left," Fluttershy said. We take our respective steps. "Next, you're going to close your left foot to your right, and I close my right foot to my left."
"Uh, what do you mean close?" I asked.
"It basically means you bring your feet back close together," Starlight Glimmer explained. "You're basically standing back in a straight position."
I responded with an "Ah" before Fluttershy, and I simultaneously stepped up straight.
"Good, we're halfway there," Fluttershy said. "Next, you step back with your right foot, and I step forward on my left."
"Alright," I said before taking my step.
"Then, step to the left while I step to the right," she instructed. "And finally, you close your right foot to your left, and I close my left foot to my right."
We took our last two steps, and Fluttershy clasped her hands together, giving me a cheerful smile with her eyes closed. I looked at her and then turned to Starlight Glimmer, confused, and asked, "That's it? It's just those six steps?"
"More or less," Starlight Glimmer said. "There's a little more movement you can do, but you got a ways to go before you're ready for that."
"Agreed, Starlight," Fluttershy said before turning to me. "And besides, you still have yet to memorize the steps, don't you, Rough Draft?"
I hesitated and scratched the back of my head, not looking at Fluttershy or Starlight Glimmer, which was all the answer they needed. Fluttershy walked over to me and patted my shoulder.
"Don't worry. We're just getting started," she said. "We'll just keep going over it until you have it memorized."
I gave her an appreciative smile, and she stood back to her spot. For the next fifteen minutes, we went through the steps repeatedly. Every so often, I would mistake which foot to take a step with, making me uneasy. Fluttershy was patient with me, being the kind-hearted soul she was, but Starlight Glimmer was concerned with how I kept messing up. Finally, after making one more misstep, the grayish heliotrope girl sighed and stepped between Fluttershy and me.
"Can I try something, Fluttershy?" She requested.
"Sure," Fluttershy answered.
Fluttershy stepped back to the wall, and Starlight Glimmer placed her hands on my shoulder. She looked down for a moment to hide a blush before she shook it off and stepped back until she was a couple of feet away from me.
"Don't overthink about which step to take," she said. "Pretend that I'm your reflection in a mirror, and we're going to move in the same direction at the same time, okay?"
"Uh, okay," I hesitantly said.
Starlight smiled and said, "I'll take the lead, so just copy me and keep facing straight toward me. Keep my arms straight."
I wasn't sure how her idea would help, but I was willing to do anything to better understand how to dance. I gave Starlight Glimmer a nod before she slowly took a step towards me with her left foot. I took it as a sign to move my right foot back as though she was about to step on it. She then held her right foot up to her side and waited for me until I realized that she wanted me to mimic her movement with my left foot. I took my foot out, and we took a step together before she moved her left foot toward her right, slow at first until I caught up with making the same movement with my right.
Step by step, Starlight Glimmer slowly moved her feet halfway until I copied her, trying not to move her arms. We continued the process until I started to figure out the order and take each step at the same time Starlight Glimmer was moving. She smiled and began to move a little faster, forcing me to pick up the pace. Eventually, we were moving in sync and at a steady pace. Fluttershy stared at Starlight Glimmer, amazed with how well her method was working. I looked down at my feet and smiled at how they began to move naturally and then looked up at my dance partner with a giddy smile
"Hey, I'm actually dancing," I said.
Starlight Glimmer let out a laugh and said, "Yes, Rough Draft, you are."
"Is this part of how your dad taught you to dance?" I asked.
Starlight Glimmer scoffed and rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, right. Like he's that open-minded," she said. "No, Sunburst came up with this to help me waltz better before a school dance. We went together as friends."
"Well, lucky me," I said with a grin. "If we ever bump into him, I'll have to thank him for teaching you."
Starlight Glimmer flinched before bringing back her smile, hoping I didn't notice. I looked at her, confused with how she reacted, but the moment was broken when Fluttershy walked over to us and cleared her throat.
"Um, I might be jumping the gun, but maybe it's time we take things up a notch," she suggested.
"You mean like playing music?" I asked.
"No, I think you'll need to work on rhythm first for that," Fluttershy answered. "I'm talking more about standing close to your partner."
Starlight blushed and looked down so that Fluttershy and I didn't notice and said, "I don't think we need to go that far, Fluttershy."
"Yeah, that seems a little too soon," I said. "I might step on Starlight's feet."
But Fluttershy gave me an assuring smile and said, "Don't worry. That's why we practice. Besides, the way Rarity tells it, it would be a good way for you to be used to being so close to a girl. You don't want to be bashful the entire time you two are dancing, would you?"
Fluttershy used half of her hair to hide a wink from Starlight Glimmer. I furrowed my brow, figuring that Rarity instructed Fluttershy to have that be the next step in teaching me, hoping that a spark between Octavia and me would ultimately break her and Blueblood apart. I mentally sighed at how Rarity was being sneaky, and yet the part of me that was crushing on Octavia was thankful that I had an ally like her while I wanted to make the most of my time with the gray girl.
"Alright, Fluttershy, you make a reasonable point," I said. "What do you say, Starlight Glimmer? Want to give it a go?"
Starlight Glimmer's cheeks turned to a deeper shade of pink, and she hesitated before she said with a smile, "Well, you're the one who needs to learn this, so if Rarity and Fluttershy think it's a good idea and you're on board with it, then I'm okay with it."
Fluttershy and I smiled, and the former gently pushed Starlight Glimmer from behind until she was a foot away from me. Starlight Glimmer put her hand on my shoulder and clasped my hand with her other hand. Fluttershy placed my free hand on Starlight Glimmer's waist, and I instantly blushed. My dance partner smiled at my shy demeanor, feeling comfortable with her cheeks barn red with the two of us close together.
"Now, just take it slow again until you feel comfortable," Fluttershy said. "And this time, Rough Draft, you take the lead starting with your right foot."
"Got it," I said. "Ready, Starlight Glimmer?"
"Mmm-hmmm," Starlight Glimmer replied.
The two of us simultaneously took a breath before I looked down at my feet and took a step on my right foot while Starlight Glimmer stepped on her left. I mumbled what the next step was, thinking of making the opposite steps I took when Starlight Glimmer was leading. Within a minute and a half or so, we did all six steps, and I turned my head to Fluttershy, who nodded before Starlight Glimmer, and I repeated the process.
But while I was growing more comfortable with dancing so close to my partner, Fluttershy's gaze turned to Starlight Glimmer. Our grayish heliotrope friend was smiling as she waited for me to move, finding the way I was focused on my feet to be cute. Fluttershy tilted her head, curious of why Starlight Glimmer was looking at me that way, but her train of thought was interrupted when I stepped on Starlight Glimmer's foot, and she backed away with an "Ow!"
"Sorry," I said with a guilty look. "Did I step on you really hard?"
"Not terribly," Starlight Glimmer said, kneeling down as she massaged her foot.
Fluttershy frowned and cleared her throat, saying, "Why don't we call it a day and pick this up tomorrow night, Rough Draft?"
"Yeah, I think we should," I said, scratching the back of my head. "Maybe you could tell me the steps again, and I'll write them down on a note on my phone so I can practice?"
"That sounds like a smart idea," Starlight Glimmer said as she stood back up.
With that, I took out my phone and wrote down the steps as Fluttershy told them to me again. She then walked me and Starlight Glimmer outside to the front of the animal rescue center and said, "I'll send you a text to let you know if I'll be here or at home same time tomorrow, Rough Draft."
"Sounds like a plan," I said before turning to Starlight Glimmer. "And thank you for being my dance partner, Starlight Glimmer."
"My pleasure," Starlight Glimmer said with a bright smile. "Maybe we'll dance again during the Fall Formal."
"Maybe we will," I said. "See you guys at school."
"Yeah, see you," Starlight Glimmer said.
Fluttershy waved as Starlight Glimmer and I walked home in separate directions. As soon as we were out of sight, however, Fluttershy's cheerful smile disappeared. She thought about how Starlight Glimmer was looking at me and realized that she suggested the two of dancing out of hope. Fluttershy covered her face with her long, grayish rose hair, feeling like someone was looking down at her in disapproval.
"Oh, dear," she whispered.