“Hey, Flutters!”
Fluttershy turned around to a sprinting Rainbow Dash, catching up with her with a fistful of notebook paper. “Hi, Rainbow,” she said happily, clutching her books in her arms into her chest.
After catching her breath for a moment, Rainbow matches Fluttershy’s walking speed. “Flutters! Check it out! I’ve written a bunch of new, cool songs. We totally have to jam them out after school!” Rainbow said with much excitement.
“That’s great, Rainbow. I’m sure the others would love to try out your new songs,” Fluttershy said.
“Oh yeah! These gotta be the coolest songs I've come up with!”
Fluttershy chuckled at Rainbow’s enthusiasm.
Rainbow has been brimming with ideas on what direction The Rainbooms would be going. The Rainbooms themselves had not practiced any new songs in a while and Rainbow had been hit with inspiration. Although it has seemed to Rainbow lately that the other members in the band weren't as committed as her, she couldn’t wait to show her friends.
These other songs she’s come up with have much more energy than the past. The Rainbooms are going to have to be tighter than ever if they were going to pull them off. It might be a different direction than the rest were used to but Rainbow is certain she can win them over. At the very least, Pinkie might get a kick for the higher tempo.
She was just going to have to wait until after school.
“Wow, these school lunches couldn’t get any grosser,” said Rainbow.
“Hey! Muh family works real hard to serve ya lunch,” said Applejack.
“Maybe they should work harder,” Rainbow said with a laugh. Applejack smirked at her, even if it was at the expense of her family. Rainbow and Applejack were always joking with each other, so neither one ever got upset.
Rainbow always cherished the small moments whenever her and Applejack were alone. She loved hanging out with her other friends, of course, but something about Applejack made her feel a bit giddy.
“So. Fluttershy’s been tellin’ me you’ve been working on some new material fer the band,” Applejack said, snapping Rainbow out of her stupor.
“Oh, right! This new stuff I’ve cooked up is going to be kick ass!”
“Language, Rainbow!” Applejack chastised her with a scowl.
Rainbow sunk in her seat a smidge. “Heh. Sorry,” she apologized, rubbing the back of her neck. “I’m just super psyched to show you guys,” Rainbow said, her spirits picking back up.
Applejack smiled at her. “Well, that’s mighty excitin’. Can’t wait ta hear ‘em.”
With that statement, Rainbow grinned ecstatically.
The rest of her friends joined Rainbow and Applejack in the cafeteria, setting their trays and taking their seats.
Everyone quickly took to their own respective conversations on various topics and subjects. With a tinge of sadness, Applejack turned her own attention towards Rarity, talking about some job they have both applied for.
A soft touch on her shoulder, broke Rainbow out of her thoughts.
“You okay, Rainbow?” Fluttershy asked.
“Huh? Yeah. Of course!” Rainbow said with a fixed smile.
Fluttershy gave her a soft smile and a reassuring squeeze on Rainbow’s shoulder before returning her hand to her side.
Rainbow always cherished Fluttershy’s friendship. The two went back as far as elementary school. Even though they have wildly different personalities, Rainbow being brash and confident and Fluttershy being shy and timid, they have somehow managed to stick together.
“A new student!” Pinkie exclaimed excitedly, practically jumping out of her seat. The whole table seemed to turn their heads in the direction Pinkie was pointing.
A girl with pink hair, similar to Pinkie’s but a darker hue, with the side of her head buzzed and the rest cut short only covering her left eye, sat alone picking at her questionable food with a fork. She fashioned a nose ring on her right nostril and several earrings on each ear. The new girl also wore heavy mascara (too much if someone asked Rarity), and black lipstick. Her appearance seemed to try to repel any sort of potential social interaction.
To anyone, she might be described as a social parasite: a rotten, lousy second-class citizen. To Rainbow, she seems like she is the coolest person in the room. This girl almost personified the vibe Rainbow is aiming for with her new music.
“It’s lunch time and she hasn’t gotten the welcome wagon! You’re losing your touch Pinkie,” Pinkie said. Pinkie Pie was always a social butterfly, making friends with anybody and making anyone feel included.
“Darling, I’m not certain she’s one for, ahem, new companionship,” Rarity suggested, clearly sensing the impressions from this girl.
“Nonsense! Who doesn’t want more friends!” Pinkie said with might, standing up from her seat.
“I don’t know, Pinkie. She seems pretty scary,” Fluttershy whimpered, shrinking in her seat.
“I have to agree with the others, Pinkie. It seems this girl doesn’t want to be bothered, well, by anyone,” Twilight said.
Rainbow bit her tongue. She secretly wanted Pinkie to go up to her and introduce the girl to her. However, it seems that the rest of her friends were on the defensive.
“I think you should go for it,” Sunset said, with enthusiasm that was somewhat absent among the rest of the group. “Who knows? She might look scary,” she said with a reassuring glance at Fluttershy. “But we can’t judge a book by its cover.”
The group nodded their heads in agreement. “I should be ashamed. Of course you’re right, Sunset. For all we know she could be an upstanding person, despite what her fashion sense may suggest,” Rarity said.
“She does look a lil’ funny. But look at me, Ah’m the only one ‘round here with a stetson, heh. Ah’d hope noone thought Ah was just som’ dumb redneck jus’ cuz muh accent and Ah work on the family farm,” Applejack said.
“Yeah, Pinkie! You should totally go introduce yourself and, like... see what’s she’s all about,” Rainbow finally put in.
Pinkie Pie took a deep breath then exhaled. “Wish me luck!” she said as she zipped over to the mysterious new girl.
All the girls watched Pinkie intently. The girl looked aloof as Pinkie gleefully introduced herself. This looked to confuse Pinkie. The group then watched Pinkie through a series of random antics, only to annoy the other pink haired girl. To the girls’ dismay, the other girl looked to scorn Pinkie. Pinkie then backed away unsurely with a nervous laugh. Pinkie then slowly, with a slouched back, walked back to her group of friends.
Pinkie plopped down back on her seat in front of her not so suddenly appetizing food. “Maybe, you guys had the first impression of her right,” she said. “I don’t think she want any friends that are… um… what did she say?... lame?”
“Lame?!” Rainbow exclaimed with her fists slamming the table. “You’re not lame. If you’re lame, that makes me lame!”
“Nice diffusing of the situation Rainbow,” Twilight retorted.
“Ugh, that’s not the point! This… girl insulted my friend. And we are not a bunch of lame-os,” Rainbow said.
“No one insults our friends,” Sunset said.
Rainbow stand ups. “I’m gonna have a word with this new girl,” she said.
“A’right Rainbow, jus’ don’t get carried away, a’right,” Applejack said.
Rainbow looked at Applejack and gave her a confident smirk. “When do I not get carried away?” she said.
Applejack held back an eye-roll but instead showed a wistful grin. “Jus’ get her straight fer messin’ with our friend.”
Rainbow winked at her and proceeded to the mysterious looking new girl, who was still inspecting her lunch.
“Hey!”
The exclamation got her attention, with her heading snapping right towards Rainbow, who was right on the other side of the cafeteria table.
“You’ve got some nerve making fun of my friend!” Rainbow snapped.
“Um, you mean the other pinked hair girl?” she asked.
“Well duh! You didn’t have to be such a… well… uh.”
“A bitch.”
Rainbow gasped then quickly composed herself. “Yeah, that.”
With a smug look on her face she retorted “,then call me a bitch.”
Rainbow gulped looking around the cafeteria and then at the girl in her face. “You’re a… bitch?”
The girl laughed which confused Rainbow. “I’m sorry,” she said, wiping a tear from her face. The girl regained her composure. “Y’know you’ve got some rad hair?”
Rainbow Dash blushed, taken aback. “I… uh…”
“It’s so, I dunno, counterculture,” she said as she smirked again. “Not gonna lie, both you and your ‘friend’ have conviction. I’ll give you both that.”
Rainbow tried to retort but was speechless. She wanted to stick up for her friend but this girl’s backhanded compliment was not what she expected.
“Look, I’m sorry I upset your friend but she’s… I don’t know… came on too strong?” the girl said. “I just want to eat lunch alone then she comes up… and now you,” she observed. “So? Are you supposed to beat me up or something?” the girl concluded.
Rainbow choked up, not knowing what to say. She then regained herself. “Look, whoever you are-”
“Eve,” the girl interrupted, sticking a hand out for Rainbow to shake.
“Yeah, Eve…” Rainbow said ignoring Eve’s hand “...look no one just disses my friend like that, alright. She’s my friend. And all she wanted to do was to introduce you to the school.”
Eve, surprisingly, looked somewhat embarrassed. “I guess you’re right,” she said. “I’m sorry,” she apologized. “Sometimes I forget my ethos.”
“You’re what?” Rainbow, stupidly, asked.
“My ethos. Y’know, being punk rock n’ all?” Eve said as if it was obvious.
Rainbow was still lost. Punk rock ethos?
Eve sighed. “You know, not giving a fuck about what others think and doing what the fuck you want to do,” she elaborated.
Rainbow was astounded by her language but was still intrigued. She still wasn’t exactly sure what Eve was talking about though. “Yeah, totally. Punk. I’m… that.”
Eve held back a laugh. “Do you even know what punk is?”
Rainbow had to think for a moment. “That’s the stuff that was kind of popular in the early 2000s right? That stuff rules… right?”
Eve sighed.
Rainbow then regained her composure remembering her band and her new songs she’s written. “I’m actually in a band.”
That got Eve’s attention as she raised a brow. “Really? What do you play?”
“What don’t we play? Guitar, bass, drums, even the tambourine. And I’m the singer”
Eve, once again, sighed. “What kinda music do you play?”
“Oh,” Rainbow responded with a mild blush. “Well…” Rainbow thought for a moment. “We play kick ass music! And we are the Rainbooms!”
Eve mulled over what she heard. “The Rainbooms, huh? I guess there were the Raincoats,” Eve said to herself. “When you say ‘kick ass’ what do you mean? Like punk? Or hardcore?”
Rainbow wasn’t exactly sure what she was talking, but Rainbow knew for sure without a doubt was hardcore. “Heck- hell yeah, it’s hardcore.” Rainbow then decided at the moment she needed to double down. “You should come by the music room after school. That’s where we practice. You can see how awesome we are,” Rainbow said.
Eve mulled over the idea. “Well… why not? You seem cool, and surely you’ve got some cool things to share.”
Rainbow almost squealed. “Yeah, just be in the music room after school and we can blow your socks off!” Rainbow said with a new vigor.