//------------------------------//
// WEE - Part 10 
// Story: Colgate Takes Acid 
// by Scott Grimm 
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A small pitter patter could be heard on the windows of the squad car as Octavia looked outwards. Was this the right move? Was she truly doing the right thing? What else could she have done? Her friend was on the loose, her marefriend was a wanted criminal and she was just trying to put an end to the nightmare that was Colgates birthday.

Her head in hoof, she lifted herself up and looked back at Vinyl. Vinyl’s eyes still wet with the dew of her pouting. Initially, she felt remorse but immediately evaporated and was replaced with anger or was it frustration? Her emotions had become so convoluted that she herself couldn’t pinpoint the exact nature of what she was feeling.

Reluctantly she let out a sigh of exhaustion and returned her head to her hoof, looking back out to the slight drizzle that had begun rolling down the window of the police cruiser.

Colgate on the other hoof was just sitting there, uncharacteristically quiet for her usual brash loud self. Her eyes were fixated at the cuffs that had just recently become bestowed upon her. Periodically wincing from the police lights that flooded through the window by the neighboring squad cruisers.  She broke her mindless gaze to quickly peer at her marefriend. Or at least what she could tell was still her marefriend. Her mind raced with the right words to say to break the silence between them as soon as she fixated on her. The flood was too much for her brain to take before she quickly broke her line of sight and returned to her new fashion statement.

The random calls from dispatch could be heard coming from the police cruiser, calling out different events of the evening not related to theirs. Vinyl let out a sigh and clunked her head against the window on the right side of the cruiser, never breaking sight of her hooves. The melodic sound of rain continued on, now getting ever increasingly heavier as the continued their cruise towards the police station. Suddenly it lightened up and Vinyl raised her vision upwards, seeing the red light that had stopped them in their tracks. The stop gave a quick moment of reprieve from the moving car and the silence had become even more deafening. Her eyes darted to the front and could see the cops chattering between each other. The driver, an older grizzled veteran from the look of things. His mane whiter than snow and his fur a strike contrast. Blacker than night. His voice raspy, periodically clearing his throat as her talked to his partner. The opposing mare was the complete opposite. Bright cyan blue was her mane, with a streak of purple riding on its edges. Her fur was a warm, hazelnut colored. What a clash thought Vinyl, but she made it work. Vinyl’s eyes drooped down again, slowly making their way towards Octavia.

“You just couldn’t trust me. Not even for one evening.” Mumbled Vinyl.

The break of silence perked Octavia’s ears up as she quickly twisted her head towards Vinyl who continued not to make direct eye contact with her. Instead, she saw her fixated at the seat in front of her.

Octavia shifted herself to face her marefirend. Her rump making a rough sound against the leather making an ever-greater break in the silence. The policemares paid no mind to the noise, they were still fully engaged in their conversation. Octavia took notice of this and pursed her lips. Her eyes met the image of Vinyl before she retorted.

“Don’t you pin this on me.” She stated firmly. “None of this would of happened if you could’ve, oh I don’t know. Maybe just take her out to a nice dinner? But no. No. You had to take her out and do something that you wanted to do.” Her words were hushed but did nothing to hide the venom laced within them.

Vinyl shifted her head at Octavia, locking eyes for but a second before reluctantly leaning her head back over onto the cruisers glass. Her head meeting the glass with a loud thud.

“You’ve never trusted me.” She retorted. With no sign of emotion evident in her voice. To her, she was just stating facts at this point.

Octavia hadn’t left her gaze from Vinyl. However, they had begun shifting back and forth, looking her up and down as she searched for the right words to come back with. Dumbstruck with what she just heard; she couldn’t believe her ears.

“How fucking dare, you.” She whispered. A pause came through as the police cruiser became illuminated with a green light. The cruiser once again picked up speed and the pitter patter of the rain returned in full force. “How fucking- dare you.” She said again, this time taking an aggressive body posture. “I don’t trust you? After everything. After everything we have been through. Screw up after screw up, that I looked the other way and forgave because I believed you could do better. That I thought, wholeheartedly with every single fiber of my being that you could do better. You have the absolute audacity to believe I don’t trust you?” Her words still tainted with scorn. But the scorn wasn’t due to the present situation. They were built up on resentment. No reaction could be seen from Vinyl as she continued to look out the window, prompting Octavia to continue. “I have been nothing but understanding, loving, supportive. Everything that you haven’t been for me. Who was the one that bailed you out of jail not once. Not two, but five times from jail. Who’s the one that looked the other way when I found clothes neither of us owned in our own laundry and you said it was just a ‘friends’?” She made air quotes with her hooves. “Who’s the one that spotted you the last five grand for your student loans? Who’s the one that pays all the rent for our ridiculously priced apartment that YOU chose? Even when I said it wouldn’t be a wise decision, but you assured me that you’ll cover YOUR end of the rent. Who’s the one that even now, with complete and justified rage towards you still believes there is something redeemable in you?!” He words raised from a hush to a slight yell prompting a quick tap on the glass that separated them from the police in the front of the car followed by a ‘be quiet back there.’ Octavia looked back at them and remained silent for a second before the policemare turned back around and continued her conversation with the driver. She noticed a freshly made tear had begun to pool under her eye. Wiping it away, she followed with a sniffle and slouched herself back down. Her anger had been replaced with sadness. “Why do I even bother with you. Celestia damn you.” She muttered.

Those words did not fall on deaf ears. Vinyl heard every single one of them, and they resonated in her mind. Still not moving a muscle but her lips, she answered Octavia’s words. “You think you’re without blame? Do you realize the pressure I’m under? Compared to you? Honestly, why do you bother with me? I have no job, no money, and here I am. With one of Canterlots premier musicians that for some reason decided it would be a fantastic idea to be with, move in with, and deal with me. I must live up to your standards. Not my own. I have to struggle every day to be the mare you think I am. Not the mare I want to be. Sure, I’m a klutz. A screw up. A numbskull… The list is never ending, and yet, I continue to strive and try and be the mare you think I am. And even now, even when I’ve fucked up more than I ever have, I still wanted to do right. Even if that meant I was in the wrong. I wanted to bring Colgate home safely. I wanted to get you out of this mess, scotch free. I wanted to have this whole thing fixed. So, years down the road we could just look back at it. Like a fond memory.” Colgate shifted her head, finally making eye contact with Octavia. She noticed the fresh tear smear that graced her coat. Forcing a smile through her sheepish demeanor. “And now. Now, I don’t know.”

Her body slumped over, again clunking down her head against the glass. Octavia was taken aback. She never knew how Vinyl had perceived her, or the pressure she put herself under. Octavia wanted to snap back quickly with something witty and filled to the brim with scorn. The words escaped her though. Her mouth agape instead spewed out air. Letting her frustration and rage flood out of her as she herself slumped back into her seat. Her head now took on an uncomfortable position, looking upwards towards the ceiling of the squad car. Deafness returned to the car as she searched the remnants of her mind for what to say next. A purely blank slate were the only results. A few stop lights came and went before she continued on with her marefriend.

“It would have been funny huh?” She questioned, her vision never leaving the ceiling. The only response from Vinyl was her eyes shifting away from the seat in front of her, only to look into the corner of her eye, barely revealing Octavia’s silhouette coming in and out of the lights. “I mean, who else can have a story like this?” She continued, almost talking to herself. “Every event I go to, it’s always me me me. Every single one I meet, gushes and boasts about their achievements. And it’s all so- boring. Meanwhile, I’m living this absurd life, I mean hell, I’m in the back of a police cruiser.” She chuckled slightly to herself. “I have never, felt more rage. And resentment. And pain in my life than tonight. Nothing right now, is a single emotion of positivity.” She paused for but a moment, wiping another new tear that had begun to form. “And yet-“ She stalled on finishing her sentence.

“And yet?” Vinyl interested in what she had to say, had shifted her gaze more towards Octavia.

“And yet, I have never felt more alive than tonight. More excitement. More, I don’t know, real?” She chuckled again to herself at the thought. “I have lived my entire life, set by rules. Law. Order. Everything that a civilized society deems appropriate. Then here you are, a living embodiment of anarchy. That for one reason or another I decided to let into my life. Maybe I knew this would be the road you ultimately lead me down, or maybe I simply knew you’d be able to bring excitement to me. Whatever it is, you’re here now. With me.” Vinyl perked up even more. “I’m sorry you feel the pressure to impress me, or I suppose impress others around me. To make you feel, worthy? I never asked for you to, and you never had to.” Octavia shifted her head over, still resting firmly on the headrest behind her. Her eyes now meeting with Vinyl’s. “I knew who you were before. And I still know who you are now. I accepted you as an imperfectly perfect being. Flaws and all.” A weak smile graced her lips. “I loved you for who you are. Maybe I was a fool for trying to think I could change you, when you didn’t need changing. Granted tonight was an extreme and I’m still filled with such anger. But, - “ She let loose another sigh. “It’s what I signed up for. Maybe I didn’t expect ‘this’ to ever happen, still. I’m here aren’t I?” An uncomfortable chortle came from Octavia trying to lift Vinyl’s spirit up. She returned in kind.

“Yeah, not exactly willingly though.” Vinyl shift her hooves a bit, rattling the cuffs bestowed upon her from the police in front.

“Yeah, not the quiet night I was hoping for. You’re right about that part. Still, regardless of why I’m here, I’m here.” Octavia slowly lifted her head, breaking their gaze with each other. Her head returning back to the headrest behind her, “Are you?”

Vinyl, who had the full attention of Octavia looked her up and down. Puzzled with the question. “I mean, obviously? Yeah. We’re clearly in the same squad car.” Stating the obvious.

“Mmhmm. We are. Physically, sure. We’re here right now. But, are you here.” She deadpanned, still fixated on the ceiling above.

Still unsure of her meaning behind her words Vinyl questioned her once more. “I-I’m not sure what you’re getting at here Octi.”

Octavia chuckled to herself once more and shook her head left to right ever so slowly. “Clearly you’re not. The vinyl I know couldn’t be contained. Believe you me, I’ve tried. The vinyl I know, wouldn’t let a small speed bump get in her way. The vinyl I know would come up with something. Even if it was stupid, and ill conceived and would probably never work out in the end. That vinyl, that Vinyl would have a plan. But I guess she’s not here right now.” Octavia Slouched herself over as she finished, her back facing the cyan mare.

She now understood what she was getting it. She swallowed hard. “Octi, I don’t have a plan. Every plan that I’ve had tonight has just ended up making things worse and worse. To the point of where you’ve got caught up in all of it. I-I can’t do that again.”

“That’s never stopped you before-“