It wasn’t like Wallflower to leave Sunset on read.
Sunset gripped her phone anxiously in her hands. Her palms were becoming slick with moisture, nervous sweat building up in the creases of her skin. Her phone would have slipped through her hands if it wasn’t for the death grip she had on it. “Why isn’t she responding?”
She sat at the edge of her bed and stared at the bright screen in front of her. It was late. Way too late for Wallflower to have been awake, and yet, Sunset knew she was - or at least, she hoped. As per usual, Sunset had been scrolling through her social media in the dead of night as sleep once again failed to come. She found herself liking the typical bout of animal pictures, the occasional witty anecdote under a confident selfie, and several images of cupcakes.
Once she had caught up on her friends’ new posts, Sunset found herself looking at her own account. Unlike the rest of her friends, Sunset didn’t have many posts. There were a few pictures of her and her friends, and the rest were of her and Wallflower. Her favourite picture was the one they took at the lake. It was a warm day, and Sunset had packed a picnic for them. Admittedly, Sunset was having her doubts about the location that Wallflower picked, but it turned out to be a lot more fun than it seemed. Sunset looked at the picture tenderly, a smile creeping up to her face. She learned to not judge a book by its cover; or rather, a place by its appearance.
The other pictures brought Sunset through various memories; a picture of her and Wallflower at the movie theatre before they watched Cunning. Wallflower was so scared, but at least that meant that Sunset got to hold her tight. There was also a group picture of the first time they had ever all hung out together – Sunset’s friend group and Wallflower. Everyone was smiling at the camera, each holding a fluorescent bowling ball and making a silly face. Wallflower was off to the side, but Sunset made sure to pull her into frame at the last moment. The smaller girl smiled weakly at the camera, which wasn’t strange; Wallflower was always pretty shy.
Each picture reminded Sunset of why she loved Wallflower. The lake one reminded her that Wallflower was always so observant and open to going to new places. She always knew where the prettiest spots were, and the lake was no exception. The movie theatre picture proved that she was willing to try new things, even if she was afraid. And most importantly, the bowling picture showed that she was open to making new friends. That was something that Sunset wanted to make sure Wallflower did. Of course, she knew it was okay to be reserved, but Sunset didn’t want Wallflower to feel lonely.
But as she kept looking through, Sunset had noticed something. As luck would have it—if you could even call this luck—Sunset saw a post her girlfriend made on her Snapgab story; a simple black screen with the words ‘I’m sorry’ on them. It was set to be visible only to her close friends, but if Sunset was being honest, she didn’t know who else aside from herself that included.
So she texted her. At first, it was just a quick ‘Are you okay?’, but when she got no response, her texting became more frantic. Sunset rubbed her forehead. “And she won’t pick up either,” she mumbled to the cold darkness. It was worth another shot though, she figured. With slightly trembling hands, she pressed the dial button next to Wallflower’s name. The phone rang once, then twice, then three times. “Come on, Blush… Please pick up…”
She didn’t.
Sunset held the phone close to her ear, even when the voicemail message came up. “Hey, it’s Wallflower. I’m not at the phone right now, but you can leave a message, or text me. Or don’t. You probably dialed me by mistake. Beep.”
There was a knot in Sunset’s throat. The sound of her girlfriend’s voice would normally calm her, but it only served to scare her even more. As the phone went silent, waiting for Sunset’s message, she sniffled. “I don’t know where you are… But I hope you’re okay, Wallflower. Please, please call me back.” She paused and swallowed the bunched-up clot of emotions in her throat. “Please. I love you.”
She hung up the phone. Sunset dropped her arm limply to her side, her grip loosening to the point where it was barely non-existent. Her phone slipped out of her moist hands and clattered onto the floor. The sound reverberated in the empty, dark room. It was deafening.
Sunset swiped her sweaty hands on her thighs. The denim of her jeans absorbed the moisture. She got changed into something better suited for the cold immediately after seeing Wallflower’s post but after realizing she didn’t even know where to look, she decided to sit on her bed and try to contact her. It didn’t work.
What could she do? She had no way of knowing what Wallflower may or may not do. She couldn’t have known where she was or how to find her. So what could she do? Sunset looked down at her phone once more before picking it up from the floor. Wallflower wouldn’t pick up, but she knew someone who would. Even this late at night.
Sunset scrolled through her contacts and clicked on the name she searched for. The phone rang a few times, and for a moment, Sunset was afraid. Afraid that she wouldn’t pick up either. But she knew her friend would never let her down. She was dependable like that. The ringing stopped, and the line clicked.
“Eugh… Hello? Sunset?”
Sunset could have done a backflip thanks to the sudden burst of energy she got from the voice. “Applejack! Oh man. I’m really sorry to wake you…”
Her attempt to sound calm didn’t work. “Uh, you okay, Sunset? Ya sound kinda panicked… And it’s the middle of the night.”
“I’m… I’m okay, I just need your help.” Sunset rubbed her finger on the hem of her jeans.
“T’ain’t a problem, sugarcube,” Applejack reassured. Sunset could almost hear the smile in her voice. “Whaddya need?”
Sunset bit her tongue. How was she going to explain to Applejack without getting her worked up, too? The last thing she wanted was for the farmer to make a late-night drive to help her look for Wallflower. “Well, I’m… kinda worried about Wallflower.”
There was a pause on the other end of the phone. This wasn’t the first time Sunset found herself hating phones. How was she supposed to know how the other person felt if she couldn’t see them? How was she supposed to prevent situations like this?
“Why are ya worried? Is somethin’ wrong?” Applejack’s voice was more alert than it had been at the beginning of the call.
Sunset frowned. She didn’t want her friend to worry, too. Maybe this was a mistake… But I need to help Wallflower… “She’s not answering my texts or my calls,” Sunset said quietly. If she didn’t have to explain, that’d be optimal.
Applejack chuckled lightly on the other end. “It’s the middle of the night, Sunset. Wallflower ain’t exactly a night owl, ya know.”
Of course she knew! They’d been dating for almost a year now! “I know that, Applejack! But she… She posted something on her private story that made me afraid. She said she was sorry.” Sunset found herself twirling her hair in her fingers. Maybe she was being stupid, after all. Wallflower was probably asleep in her bed, and she was fine. Yet, something inside Sunset was telling her there was something wrong. “I dunno, I just… I can’t help but feel she needs me. She’s been really distant lately, and I know she struggles with feeling like she’s not good enough.”
“Look, I get it.” Applejack spoke deliberately, an edge of caution in her voice. “But I’m sure she’s fine. Do ya have a reason to think she might be in trouble?”
How could she answer that? Sunset sat in silence for a moment. Maybe she needed a different perspective. Holding her phone away from her face and opening the contact list yet again, Sunset spoke, “Hold on, I’m going to add Rainbow Dash.”
The phone let out a muffled noise. “I’m right here,” Rainbow’s groggy voice responded from Applejack’s side.
Sunset cocked her head. That was unexpected. “What? You know what, never mind.” She shook her head, there was no time to consider what had just happened. She placed the phone back on the side of her head. “I’m not sure what to do. I want to make sure she’s okay, but she isn’t responding.”
The line was silent for a moment. “You should go find her, obviously,” Rainbow Dash finally spoke up. “If you’re worried, you should make sure she’s okay. She can’t have gone far; she doesn’t drive.”
“But she’s probably fine, Dash,” Applejack interjected. “No need to get Sunset all worked up over nothin’.”
“So you’re telling me that if you were in Sunset’s position and I did that exact thing, you wouldn’t be worried?” Rainbow Dash’s voice grew strained.
“Now, I never said that,” Applejack shot back. “But I reckon she should think about the situation before she goes and does anythin’ stupid. Like going out in the middle of the night by herself.”
Sunset frowned. This is exactly what she didn’t want. “Girls, stop arguing…”
“It isn’t stupid if it’s to find her freaking girlfriend, Applejack. Besides, she doesn’t have to be alone,” Rainbow Dash pointed out. “I’ll go with her! I just need to sneak out the window, but I mean, I’ve done that a bunch.”
“No!” Sunset screamed. Her arms were trembling. She wasn’t sure when that started. Stunned silence filled the air. Sunset took a deep breath and steadied herself before speaking again. “Look, I appreciate your help, girls. Maybe she is okay, Applejack. But I just… I don’t want to assume. And I think Rainbow Dash is right. I’m not helping anyone by sitting in my room by myself. I might as well go look for her. If you want to come, then that’d be great.”
“Well I know I’ll definitely come,” Rainbow Dash stated. There was a rustling noise. “You coming, AJ?”
Applejack sighed. “Well if that’s what you think is best, then I support ya, Sunset. I’ll come along too.”
Having too many people might prove to be a disadvantage. Sunset considered it for a moment, then snapped her fingers. “What if one of you stays near Wallflower’s house in case she goes back? I’m not even sure her parents are home.”
“What do you want to do,” Rainbow Dash asked, presumably to Applejack.
“Hmm, I guess you can go with her, Dash. You’ll just fall asleep otherwise.”
Sunset smirked as Rainbow Dash snorted. “Okay, great. You know where she lives, right?” The silence on the other end was answer enough. Sunset shook her head. “Right, I’ll send you her address. We can meet up there and then we’ll be on our way.”
“Try not to worry too much,” Applejack said, trying to sound as reassuring as she could. “I’m sure before ya know it, you’ll be havin’ another picnic at the lake and ya won’t even be thinkin’ about tonight.”
“Yeah! It’ll be alright.” Even through the phone, Rainbow Dash’s confidence in the situation shone through the speaker. “I’ll see you soon, okay?”
“Agreed. If ya need me later, just call me and I’ll find a way there.”
Sunset nodded, even though she was by herself. “Yeah, will do. Thanks girls.” As they said their goodbyes, Sunset bit her lip. She looked at her phone screen as the call disappeared and opened her messaging app. Still nothing from Wallflower. Sunset typed in the address into her text stream with Rainbow Dash and hit sent.
It had only been half an hour, but half an hour was too long. Sunset’s eyes threatened to betray her, to make her cry. Crying wouldn’t help anyone, though. She knew that much for sure. Plus, now she had friends that were willing to help. With a renewed sense of hope, Sunset stood up from her bed and checked her notifications again. It was silly to check so often, but she had to. No new calls or messages. That didn’t matter. She would find Wallflower if it was the last thing she’d ever do.
Sunset grabbed her keys and helmet and rushed out the door. She said a quick haphazard goodbye to Ray, her pet gecko, and closed the door behind her with a loud thump that would surely make her neighbours upset. She didn’t even bother to lock it. No more time could be wasted.
Sprinting as fast as her long legs could take her, Sunset burst out of the building and ran to her bike. She threw her helmet on, if only to have somewhere to put it, and started her bike. With a roar of the engine, she took to the empty dark streets of the town she had called home for so many years. The wind nipped at Sunset’s eyes, and she regretted not bringing goggles. In an attempt to work against the increasingly dryness of her eyes, she started to tear up. Unfortunately, this meant she almost started crying.
But she wouldn’t. She couldn’t. She forced the tears back and bit her lip anxiously. Sunset revved her engine and sped down the streets. She looked around, her eyes falling on everything around her in an attempt to make out a silhouette, a moving shadow… Anything. She barely focused on the road in front of her, but it’s not like anyone was ever driving that late at night. Besides, nothing mattered except finding Wallflower.
She knew she shouldn’t do it, but she had to. Sunset fished her phone out of her pocket with her left hand and flicked her eyes down to the screen occasionally. No message. No read receipt. Sunset frowned and clicked the call button again, but just as she expected there was no response. “Hey, it’s Wallflower. I’m not at the phone right now, but you can—”
“Fuck!” Sunset swerved to the side of the road thanks to her outburst. She threw her free hand back on the handlebar, nearly dropping her phone in the process, and managed to nearly straighten herself back out. Almost.
The front wheel of the motorcycle hit a telephone pole and Sunset propelled over the handlebars with a squeak. She managed to brace herself and used her arms to catch her body from free falling onto the ground. It still hurt, though. She sat on the ground, pain shooting up her legs and arms. She glanced at her motorcycle; it seemed to be fine. For a moment, Sunset sat, completely bewildered. Her breathing came in ragged clumps, and there was a new rip in her jeans.
Sunset ripped the helmet off of her head and threw it on the ground next to her. Her eyes burned as sweat fell into them. She couldn’t tell if she was crying or not, just that there was something streaming down her cheeks. Something bad was going to happen and it was all her fault. She should have been there for Wallflower, should have seen her post earlier. She should have been able to find her. To hold her close and soothe her fears away.
Instead, she was sitting on the side of a road in the middle of the night under a streetlamp that flickered off just as she really started crying. She was doing nothing; she wasn’t being helpful, she wasn’t being good enough for Wallflower.
But this wasn’t about her, it was about her girlfriend. The one who needed her. Sunset grunted and stood up, dusting her pants off. She looked around on the floor for her phone that she had to have dropped at some point following the collision. A reflecting light caught her eye, and she bent down to examine it. Her phone lay on the ground face down. Sunset grimaced as she picked it up. A huge crack ran down the middle of the screen. That didn’t matter. She still needed to make her way to Wallflower’s place to find Rainbow Dash and bring her along. An extra pair of eyes definitely could have prevented this.
Sunset rubbed the sleeve of her jacket under her nose, reluctantly pocketed her phone and looked at her bike. It could be worse. She frowned and picked her helmet off of the floor and put it back on her head. The cold winter air made it worthwhile to have something on her head, at least.
Carefully, she lifted the motorcycle off of the ground, set it on its two wheels and took a few steps back. There were some pieces of plastic broken off of the shell of her motorcycle, but nothing too serious or in need of repairs. That was good. She lifted one leg over the seat and then pushed herself on to the vehicle, leaving one foot on the ground as she prepared herself for the ride. The motorcycle had never turned off, but at least that meant there was no more time to be wasted.
The wind blew against her. It was barely anything more than a breeze, but it felt as though she was being weighed down by the force of a monsoon. Sunset gripped the handlebar tight and sped down the street, keeping a careful eye on the road. Occasionally, her eyes drifted to the sidewalk and searched,but they never came up with anything.
The high rises slowly turned into houses as she reached Wallflower’s neighbourhood. In front of a compact two-story house, she took note of Rainbow Dash’s van and both Applejack and Rainbow Dash standing in front of it. Rainbow Dash tapped at the hood of the van as Applejack stood next to her with her arms crossed. Both girls looked over at Sunset as she approached and stood up straight.
Sunset pulled into the driveway in front of Wallflower’s house and stopped her bike in front of the van. She leaned over and placed her foot on the floor for stability. Rainbow Dash and Applejack waved and walked over to her. “Hey, thanks for coming.”
“Of course.” Rainbow Dash smiled, but then looked at Sunset again. “Holy cow, what happened to you?”
Sunset looked down at her ripped, dirty jeans and her scratched motorcycle. “Nothing, I just had a mishap. Don’t worry about it, I’m alright.”
Applejack frowned. “Are ya sure? If ya want, y’all can take the van. Be a lot safer that way.”
Sunset shook her head. “Nah, it’s okay. But thank you.” With a tiny grimace, Sunset glanced down at her fiddling fingers. “If you’d rather go back home, that’s okay with me.”
Rainbow Dash tilted her head and placed a hand on Sunset’s shoulder. “You know us, we’d never leave you hanging.”
Applejack mirrored Rainbow Dash’s action and placed a hand on Sunset’s other shoulder. “I’ll be here on the lookout. Got my phone all charged up and everything.” She held up her other hand and waved her phone. “Dash is gonna go with ya and leave the van here in case I need it. She has a motocross helmet so don’t ya worry about that.”
Sunset nodded and shuffled forward on her bike and padded the seat behind her. “Well, hop on.”
Rainbow Dash looked at Applejack, who blinked at her in some sort of unspoken communication, then got on the bike behind Sunset. Applejack walked to the van and opened the trunk, took out a blue motocross helmet and tossed it to Rainbow Dash.
Sunset waited for Rainbow Dash to put on her helmet and adjust herself on the seat. Rainbow Dash slid her arms around Sunset’s stomach and then gave her a thumbs up. Sunset nodded mutely and revved the engine as Applejack leaned against the van and gave Sunset a tiny smile. Sunset returned the smile with furrowed, worried eyebrows and sighed. I hope we find her too.
With a low growl of the engine, the motorcycle set off down the road. Since she now had a second set of eyes to help look, Sunset decided to focus on driving. She wasn’t worried about Rainbow Dash’s observational skills; she proved she had those by being as good of an athlete as she was. Still, though, Sunset couldn’t help but worry.
As she pulled into a stop at a red light, Sunset put her foot down on the ground to keep them upright. “Not seeing anything?”
“No. Nothing,” Rainbow Dash responded. She was silent for a bit, letting the quiet sound of the engine fill the empty space before speaking up again. “So… I didn’t want to force you to talk about it if you didn’t want to, but why are you so worried about Wallflower? I mean, she wouldn’t do anything, right?”
Sunset frowned and lowered her head a bit. Her hands tightened around the grips on her bike. “I get how she feels,” she started quietly. She wasn’t sure where she was going with it, but she knew that she couldn’t avoid the subject. “She feels like she’s alone, even though she has us. And… feeling like that gets hard sometimes. She… I’m afraid she might do something.”
“Oh.” Rainbow Dash’s hold on Sunset tightened a bit. “Do you ever feel like that?”
Sunset took a moment to think about her answer. It was important to be honest. She knew she’d want Wallflower to be honest. “Not much anymore. I used to, especially when I was wreaking havoc around CHS.” The tiny laugh that escaped surprised even her. “And even for a while after Princess Twilight magicked some sense into me. I felt like… Like everyone was pretending to be nice, like I didn’t deserve it.
“But you girls were always able to cheer me up, and eventually, I found something in Wallflower that reminded me of… well, me. I didn’t want her to keep feeling that way.” Sunset grimaced, her eyebrows furrowing at the following realization. “But I failed. I failed her, because if I had done it right, she wouldn’t be in this situation again.”
“Again?”
“When I first started dating Wally, she told me she had tried to… kill herself before.” Sunset felt Rainbow Dash tense behind her, but kept speaking anyway. “I was afraid at first. I was afraid it was my fault, or that I would do something wrong and trigger something in her to do it again. I was so afraid of being her friend that I almost… wasn’t.” She sighed and looked up from her clenched fists she hadn’t noticed she was staring at. “I realized I was being stupid. I wanted to protect her from me, but I realized that ignoring her wouldn’t be the best way to do that. That’s why I promised to keep her safe, I wanted her to know how much I loved her. I still want her to know how much I love her.”
Rainbow Dash shifted behind Sunset. “I didn’t know. I mean, I assumed something was going on with her. She always seems… sad. Out of place, even when we all hang out together. I didn’t want to ask, though. I didn’t think it would be cool of me, especially if I was wrong.” She trailed off and rested her head on Sunset’s back. “I’m sorry, I should have made sure she was okay.”
“It’s not your fault. She doesn’t like talking about it, and I think she’s still trying to get used to having so many friends,” Sunset assured her. “You girls are great, but maybe just a little bit overwhelming for Wally.”
Rainbow Dash nodded. “Well, when we find her, I’ll make sure she knows she’s always welcome with us.”
The light turned green once again, and Sunset swallowed dryly before revving the engine. “Yeah, sure. But just… Be calm, okay?”
If there was anything that Sunset hated about having a bike it was that she couldn’t talk to anyone while driving. Not unless she wanted to scream over the engine, but that seemed unappealing at the moment, so Sunset stayed quiet. It wouldn’t have been a problem if she was by herself, but knowing that one of her best friends was behind her and trying to process the information made a pit form in Sunset’s stomach.
Would it have been better to refuse Rainbow Dash’s help? That was an answer she’d never know. A right turn put them on the road that led to the school, and Sunset ducked her head. Did Wallflower have good memories of CHS? It was where she and Sunset first kissed—behind the curtains of the stage—but was that enough? It wasn’t. It couldn’t erase everything bad that happened. School was nice, but the memories weren’t. Sunset took one last look at the looming building before speeding down the road away from it.
She drove without a plan. The cold air cut through Sunset’s driving gloves and her fingers went numb. Every inch of exposed skin was numb; her fingers, her face, her neck. Was Wallflower okay? Sunset wished the cold would numb her feelings, too. Even just for a little bit. Maybe the cold would numb Wallflower, too. Although Sunset wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
Eventually, Sunset and Rainbow Dash reached the end of the road. They had been everywhere in the city, and Sunset was almost ready to give up. They’d been to almost every single place that might mean something to Wallflower. The school, the library where Sunset had first asked Wallflower out, the restaurant where they went on their first date, the mall where they told their friends they were dating. She went almost everywhere.
There was only one thing she could do. Sunset slowed to a stop on the side of the street and dug into her pocket for her phone. She held it in front of her with trembling hands. The firm grasp of Rainbow Dash’s reaffirming hand on her shoulder allowed Sunset to steel herself to try again. It would work this time. She knew it.
Sunset unlocked her phone and hoped for the best. It rang once, twice, then clicked. Her breath caught in her throat as silence came from the other end. “W… Wally?” A noise that Sunset could only describe as a whimper came from the phone. Sunset’s heart dropped. “Oh my God! Are you okay?” Sunset turned to look at Rainbow Dash wildly.
“Mmmm…” Wallflower’s breathing was quick and stifled. When she spoke, it became apparent to Sunset that she had been crying. “I’m sorry, Sunny…” Her voice cracked and stuttered through her tearful hiccups, and Sunset’s heart shattered into a million pieces in her chest.
“It’s okay,” Sunset reassured. “Where are you right now? I can come get you.” For Wallflower’s sake, she tried to keep her voice steady. But her body betrayed her again as her voice broke in the middle of her sentence.
If Wallflower noticed, she didn’t show it. “I’m…” There was silence for a moment as Wallflower drew in a long, shaky breath and then sniffed. “I’m at… the picnic place...”
The picnic place? Sunset racked her mind trying to figure out what that meant when something clicked.
“Really?” Sunset crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at Wallflower. “This is the place?”
Wallflower gave her a small smile. Her face reddened with what must have been embarrassment at Sunset’s comment. “Um, yeah… I think it’s nice, don’t you?”
Sunset looked out at the scene in front of her. The lake glistened, reflecting the spring sun off of the water’s surface. Vibrant grass painted the landscape to be like something in a painting; the bridge adding a hint of manmade architecture to the natural greenery of the surrounding area. Sunset could see why Wallflower liked it. “Yeah. you know what, it is nice. But it’ll be even better with this picnic I have packed.” She set down a basket full of food. “You brought a blanket, right Wally?”
“Of course I did.” Wallflower reached into her bag and pulled out a green and blue gradient blanket and set it down over the dewy grass. “It should be okay. At least you won’t get your butt all wet.”
Sunset snorted. “And how would you know anyway?” Sunset smirked, adding a wink for further effect. “You looking at my butt or something?”
Wallflower’s blush deepened as she looked away and sat down. “No! Don’t be silly.”
“Me? Silly?” Sunset sat down on the blanket next to Wallflower. She leaned over and planted a kiss on her burning cheek. “You’re the silly one. That’s why I love you.”
She hadn’t even meant to say it. It came out by accident, but she completely meant it. Wallflower stiffened, and Sunset blinked. She leaned back, hoping she didn’t just mess up. Brown eyes looked over at her, surprised. Sunset swore internally, but Wallflower’s approaching face calmed her down.
Wallflower’s lips were soft, like the kiss. It was too short. Wallflower sat back with a grin. “I love you too.”
That’s where we first said we loved each other, but it must be frozen over now. It’s not even that nice on its own. “I’m, uh, I’m on my way.” Sunset paused. “I love you, Wally.”
Wallflower breathed a deep sigh. “I love you too.”
She just hoped that it would be enough – that she would be enough. With a nervous frown and a reaffirming pat from Rainbow Dash, who held onto Sunset once more, she sped off down the road in the opposite direction. The wind blew with her, and if Sunset believed in something of a higher power, she’d think it was on purpose; a way to get her a speed boost and lead her in the right direction, but that was ridiculous.
They reached a split in the path. One way led to a trail that would take them to the bottom of the lake; the very same place in Sunset’s memory. Something inside her knew that Wallflower wouldn’t be there, but it was worth a shot. Sunset rolled to a halt and sat up straight. The engine lowered to a quiet grumble as Sunset spoke. “Dash, I need you to run down there and take a look around for me, alright? I’m not sure she’s down there, but we need to be safe.”
Rainbow Dash nodded and hopped off the bike. “Sure thing, Sunset. I’ll text you if I find anything. I have my geode, so I won’t be long, but I’ll take a good look and see if I can spot her.” As if prompted by her next words, Rainbow Dash yawned. “I am kinda tired though, so I’m not sure how long I can go full speed.”
Honestly, Sunset wanted Rainbow Dash to take her time, so she shrugged. “Don’t wear yourself out. I’d rather you take longer than exhaust yourself.” She bit the inside of her cheek and looked at Rainbow Dash. “Thank you so much, Dash.”
“Hey, no problem, Sunset.” Even through the helmet, Sunset could tell that Rainbow Dash was smiling. “It’ll be alright, okay?”
Sunset nodded. “I’ll be up here and I’ll take a look further down the road. Keep your phone on.”
With a thumbs up, Rainbow Dash ran off, although not at superhuman speeds. Sunset sighed as she waited for Rainbow to disappear down the path and to the frozen lake. Slowly, Sunset drove up to the long viaduct-like structure and made her way onto it calmly. She didn’t want to risk scaring Wallflower off.
After the longest few minutes of Sunset’s life, she spotted a figure standing on the bridge overpassing Mirror Lake. If Sunset’s heart could have dropped through her body and onto the floor, it might have done so right then and there. Of course, it didn’t, but that didn’t stop Sunset from feeling like it did. “Wally!”
As Sunset threw caution to the blowing wind and jumped off her bike without utilizing the kickstand, Wallflower turned around. She held herself in a half hug, each hand holding the opposite bicep. Sunset took off her helmet, dropped it to the floor and took off in a half sprint toward Wallflower who was illuminated from above by a streetlamp. That one didn’t turn off, though. “Sunset…”
Wallflower stood next to the barrier, body turned now to Sunset. She shriveled up a bit, trying to retreat into something that Sunset couldn’t place. The first thing that came to Sunset’s attention was that she was wearing a T-shirt, and the night was cold. Sunset frowned and walked closer to her cautiously. The redhead threw her arms gently around Wallflower’s neck and pulled her into a tight hug. The shorter girl tensed for a moment before returning the embrace. “Wallflower, I am so glad you’re okay,” Sunset mumbled as she breathed in the warm, herbal smell of the gardener’s hair.
Wallflower made a noise of acknowledgement, but didn’t respond. Instead, she tightened the hug and clenched her fingers between Sunset’s shoulder blades. The action sent a wave of relief over Sunset; the touch meant that Wallflower was really there. She was really there. “What… What happened, Wally?”
Light green hands released their grip on the back of Sunset’s jacket as Wallflower took a step back, letting her arms dangle at her side. Sunset kept her hands on Wallflower’s shoulders and frowned as she noticed the wet streaks down the green-haired girl’s cheeks. “I just… I wanted…” Wallflower’s lips quivered. “You don’t need someone like me… You shouldn’t have someone like me…” She turned to look next to her where the bridge overlooked the frozen lake. “I’m so sorry…”
Sunset’s stomach dropped. The bridge was sixty feet from the surface of the now frozen over lake. If Wallflower had jumped… Sunset shuddered. “No, no, no… Don’t be sorry, Wally,” she murmured. Wallflower gripped her biceps again and started to shake. “Please don’t be sorry, Blush… I’m here for you. I will always be here for you.”
“I know,” Wallflower whined. She started crying again, but in a way that suggested she didn’t have much left in her; it was mostly hiccups and dry sobs. Sunset let her cry for a moment, unsure if she should hug her again, or let her be. She opted to rub her shoulders. After the silence filled in only by Wallflower’s tattered breathing, she spoke again. “I didn’t… I don’t want to be a bother… I just... I just feel so alone…”
Her words struck through Sunset’s chest like a knife. Sunset’s eyebrow twitched as she tried to push her own tears down. It wasn’t much of a surprise to her; Wallflower always complained about feeling lonely, even when they hung out as a group. But it had been so long since she’d tried…
“I know,” Sunset whispered. “I know you do, but I’m here right now. And you could never be a bother.” She wasn’t sure if what she was saying was helping at all, but it’s all she could come up with. “I’m always going to be right here. The others, they’ll be there too.” As soon as she said that, she regretted it. Wallflower winced, which made Sunset cringe at her words. There was no taking it back, though. “They really like you, you know. And we’ll be there for you. I will be there for you.”
“How do you know?”
Sunset looked over Wallflower’s shoulder and to the path on the other side that led down to the lake. “Because I had Applejack and Rainbow Dash help me look for you. They’re worried about you because they’re your friends.” Sunset frowned, watching for a shift in Wallflower’s expression. All she got was a slight tremor in the edge of Wallflower’s mouth.
Green hair stopped blowing in the wind and cascaded gently down to her shoulders. Without the breeze, the night felt eerily silent. Wallflower held her left wrist in her right hand, clutching it tightly. “Please don’t tell anyone else,” she murmured. If it weren’t for the wind’s disappearance, Sunset wouldn’t have even heard it. “Please don’t tell anyone, Sunset. I don’t want to go back to the hospital…”
Sunset frowned. “I…” She bit her lip and looked to the side. If I don’t tell anyone, she probably won’t get the help she needs but… She glanced back at Wallflower, who looked at her with puffy, red, teary eyes. Sunset sighed. But if I tell someone, I might lose her for good. “Okay, I won’t. But you have to promise me you’ll tell me when you… get like this, okay?”
Wallflower nodded. There was no smile on her face, but her lips rested in a way that Sunset recognized as being an improvement. “Okay.”
“And,” Sunset added, “you gotta talk to someone else about it. A professional.”
The smaller girl’s frown returned. “Sunset…”
“Please,” she insisted. “Wally, please. I can’t imagine what would have happened if I didn’t come get you tonight.” Her voice wavered, which made Wallflower shrink back a little.
“I wouldn’t have… Fine,” she mumbled. “But, uh, can we… Can we go home now?”
Sunset smiled a little. She wanted to talk about what had happened with Wallflower, but past experiences taught her that it was best to go at her girlfriend’s pace. It seemed she wanted to put it behind her for a bit. Who was Sunset to refuse? “Yeah, of course. Uh, although Rainbow Dash is here, too... ” Sunset paused and looked at Wallflower with a tiny, apologetic smile. “You mind if I text her?”
Wallflower shook her head, even seeming a bit embarrassed. “No, of course not. But I wish you hadn’t gotten her involved.”
“I’m sorry, I was just so scared…” Sunset looked down. “They won’t tell anyone if you ask them not to. They’re some of the best friends you could ask for, trust me.”
“I... I believe you,” Wallflower whispered as she watched Sunset swipe on her phone.
A few moments passed as Sunset had a brief back and forth with Rainbow Dash. She rolled her eyes as she put her phone in her pocket and held out her hand for Wallflower to take. “Rainbow says she’s glad you’re okay. And she’s getting Applejack to come pick her up, so you can come with me.”
“Oh… Okay.” Wallflower intertwined her fingers with Sunset and smiled meekly. “They’re nice, I know that. I just… I feel like I’m not good enough sometimes…”
Sunset squeezed Wallflower’s hand gently. “I get it. But you’re so much more than good enough. You’re really kind, you get along well with everyone, and you’re totally super cute when you talk about plants and get all excited.” Sunset smiled as Wallflower turned away from her and blushed. “Plus, you are so much more than you think. You just haven’t been able to see it, but I see it. I just want to be able to show you, if you let me.”
Wallflower looked at Sunset, but Sunset couldn’t quite place her expression. “I... I will. I want to see what you see…”
Sunset breathed sharply in relief and gave Wallflower a gentle kiss. It wasn’t a long kiss, nor was it passionate, but it held all the emotion it needed to hold. As they separated, Sunset held amusement at the fact that even after all the kissing they’d done, Wallflower still became red every time. “Oh by the way, that one was from Rainbow Dash.”
“What?” Wallflower smiled a bit, which made Sunset smile in return.
“She told me to give you a big kiss,” Sunset explained innocently.
Wallflower shook her head. “Maybe she should do it herself.”
Sunset gasped in fake shock and held a hand up to her chest. “Wally…”
“I’m kidding. Besides, I just want to go home right now.” Wallflower’s features dampened a bit, and Sunset was ashamed to admit she had almost forgotten the situation. “I’m tired…”
“Of course.” Sunset rubbed her thumb on Wallflower’s hand. Tentatively, they made the short walk back to Sunset’s bike. “Shit, well she sure took a beating,” Sunset muttered.
“Huh?”
“Oh, my bike. Had a bit of an accident earlier,” Sunset explained as she bent down to put the bike right side up for the second time that night. She didn’t notice Wallflower’s horrified look until she was going to pass her the helmet she had picked up. “Don’t worry, it was nothing too bad.”
Wallflower furrowed her eyebrows and took the helmet. She was at least looking a little more like her old self, Sunset thought. “Is that why your knees are all scraped up and bloody?”
Sunset cocked her head and looked down. She hadn’t even noticed. “Oh, I guess? But really, it’s no big deal,” she repeated with a smile. “I had a worse fall off of Applejack’s ATV that one time.”
Wallflower giggled, then covered her mouth with a hand. The sight was strange; her face clearly showed that she had been crying for a long time, and yet she was smiling. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to laugh.”
The motorcyclist waved her hand dismissively. “Nah, it’s okay. It was funny, I know.”
“But you sprained your wrist.”
“And got out of gym class for a week,” Sunset pointed out. “So really, it was worth it.” Sunset hopped on the bike as Wallflower put on the helmet.
“If you say so,” Wallflower said as she climbed on behind Sunset and wrapped her arms around her stomach, pushing herself closer to the driver.
Sunset blinked happily as she felt Wallflower’s body pressed up against her own. She looked down at the arms hugging her for protection, and at the lines that covered them. Some were redder than the others, but Sunset didn’t want to bring it up. Not then. “Aren’t you cold? You’re in a T-shirt.”
Wallflower shifted behind Sunset. “A little bit… I just… I didn’t want any… padding.” Her voice was quiet.
“Oh.” Sunset took a hand off the handlebar, brought it down to her stomach, and rubbed one of Wallflower’s forearms. “Are your parents home?”
Wallflower shook her head. “No, they’re on a business trip.”
“Then stay at my place. I’ve got plenty of clothes that should fit you, and we can watch a movie, or sleep if you prefer,” Sunset offered. “We can do whatever you want. I just don’t want you to be alone tonight.”
“That… would be nice…” Wallflower pressed her head against Sunset’s back. “I think I’d like to watch a movie, if that’s okay.”
“Sounds perfect.” Sunset revved the motorcycle, but took a moment before starting the drive back. “Oh, and Wally?”
“Hmm?”
“I love you so much.”
“I love you too.”