//------------------------------//
// Chapter 14: The Things We Say 
// Story: Classroom Changeling 
// by Someguy458 
//------------------------------//

Shit.

I felt like shit.

My best friend just spent all her energy piecing a few small slivers of evidence into an explanation and a plan, and I called her crazy for it. And just after she'd bestowed her trust unto me for not abandoning her!

What a piece of fucking shit I am.

I couldn't even stand up anymore; I'd moved to lie on the floor with my chin resting on the coffee table at some point. The minutes felt like years as I lay there. Wallowing in my regret. Like the piece of shit I am.

Shit.

"Rove, are you okay?"

I lifted an eyelid halfway, finding myself looking at Mazarine. "No."

"Who was at the door?"

"Osmond."

"Oh? What did he want?"

I sulked. "She wanted to talk to me about this whole predicament."

Mazarine stayed silent for a moment, likely processing my use of pronouns. "...and?

"I destroyed her trust."

A look of concern came across her face. "What happened?"

I explained the dream we had last night (leaving out the first part), and theory that Os had come up with, which I'd promptly spat in the face of. She stayed silent for the entire explanation, taking in everything I said.

Finally, she spoke up: "Yeah, that was pretty mean."

I groaned, placing my hooves over my head. "I know, I know!"

"But it's not too late."

I blinked. "What?"

She gave me a reassuring smile. "Go to her. Tell her you're sorry, and work to make it up to her."

I threw my hooves in the air, "I-I can't. You heard that theory; it did sound crazy, right? Tell me it sounded crazy!"

She pursed her lips. "I will admit, it was a bit far-fetched. But what else do you have to go on?"

I opened my mouth, but froze. She was right. She was right, and that only made me feel worse.

Mazarine snapped me out of my wallowing by putting a hoof onto my shoulder. She looked me straight in the eye and stated three simple words that got me going:

"Go to her."





Os walked down the street, mulling over everything that'd just happened. She'd never felt so betrayed in her life. One minute, Rove had said he'd always be there for her; the next, he was leaving her on her own to find a solution.

So she stomped down the street as the wind picked up. She hardly even noticed when the papers in her wings' grasp started slipping out and blowing away in the wind. She didn't even have a word for how she felt; she was just... empty.

Finally, as the last few sheets of paper left her grasp, she ground to a halt.

And she started to cry.

She didn't know how long she spent crying; it didn't matter. She finally thought she'd found the one friend she could trust, the one friend who didn't abandon her when she came out, but just when she needed him most, he—

"Os?"

She froze at the voice. A venomous snarl tried to make its way out of her throat, but she held it down. "What," she stated in a low, even voice.

"I, uh... I think you dropped these..."

Os finally turned her head to face the voice.

There stood Rove, her sheets of paper in his magical grasp. He had a demure smile on, but he clearly wasn't happy about something.

Os maintained eye contact as Rove levitated her papers towards her, and she grabbed them with her wing.

A moment of silence passed. Rove's clearly fake smile began to falter.

Then he broke down crying.

"Os, I'm so, so, SO sorry! I should've been there for you like I said I would, I shouldn't have called you crazy, you were only trying to help and you were doing the best you could with the little we have to work off of, I'm a horrible friend, I don't deserve to know somebody as great as you, I'll understand if you never want to see me again but PLEASE FORGIVE ME-E-EEEEE!!!"

Os stared blankly at the quivering mess of a Changeling grovelling at her hooves. A thousand thoughts flew through her head, but she settled on one: "Why?"

Rove flinched back at her harsh tone. He sniffled, his face a mess from his tears. "These past two days have been just... they've been a lot. Everyone I know is turning into cartoon characters, I'm feeling things I've never felt before; it's frightening. I don't know why I pushed you away; maybe I just want everything to go back to normal, so hearing that more could be happening....

"That's not an excuse, I know. I don't have any right to be asking for your forgiveness; I spat in the face of your trust, and right after I told you I'd be there for you no matter what. I'm a horrible friend, and a horrible person, and..."

He couldn't continue; his sobs overtook him. Os wanted to tell Rove exactly why it hurt her so much; how she'd spent the last ten years trying to find a friend she found comfortable enough to come out to, and how she thought she'd found one in him, only to have it crushed the very next day.

But she just couldn't muster the energy. She silently shook her head, and turned around. Rove's expression turned to one of heartbreak as Os continued walking down the street.

"Wait."

Os paused. She turned her head slightly, giving him an even glare.

Rove, now more dejected than he'd ever been, lit his horn and retrieved a binder from the backpack she hadn't even realized he was wearing. "I should probably give these back to you, then," he stated as he levitated the binder towards her. She eyed it warily, flipping open the cover.

Her eyebrows raised. It was the first cards they'd ever traded with each other.

And they were still in mint condition.

Os looked up at Rove, who was already turning to trudge dejectedly back home.

"Hey..."

Rove's ear swiveled, but otherwise, he froze.

Os smirked a bit. "I might need a little help carrying these... wanna walk with me?"

Rove turned, blinking as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. Their eyes met each other's; cloudy blue eyes meeting yellow slitted pupils.

"S-sure..." Rove eventually stammered.

Os nodded, smirk growing. "Then what're we waiting for?"

Rove turned around shyly and, when she didn't lash out, he hustled to Os's side, taking the binder in his magic.

And thus, they began to walk.





After a few minutes, Os spoke: "I was really counting on you, y'know..."

I flinched, despite her even tone. "I know..."

"I've never been able to put as much trust into anyone as I have to you."

I sighed. "I know, I know; you were only trying to help, and I had the nerve to call you crazy."

She shook her head. "Honestly, in any other circumstances, I'd be right there with you."

We both chuckled a bit, although mine was more forced.

Then I continued, "But still... I know I can never truly make up for how I treated you, but I want to try; I'll do anything."

She looked me over out of the corner of her eye, and I could swear I saw it sparkle. "Maybe come to my place and help me with my theory?"

I smiled. "Gladly."

With that, we gathered up what few papers hadn't been blown away by the wind, and set off towards her house.