After enjoying a week off for spring break, the students of Canterlot High returned to school the following Monday. The first week back at school was relatively uneventful, but most of the students were glad to have a few quiet days to ease back into their normal routine.
On Friday afternoon, Cloudchaser and Flitter headed to room 119 for English, their last class of the day. When they got there, they found a notice taped to the door: Friday 4/26 - All of Mr. Trope's English classes are canceled for today. Please check online for any reading assignments. Have a great weekend!
"Sweet!" Cloudchaser exclaimed. "We're free! Where do you want to go, sis?"
"How about we swing by Vermilion's room?" Flitter suggested. "Sky should be there right now."
"Good idea! I'm sure Vermilion won't mind if we hang there until track practice."
The twins went up the nearest set of stairs and headed across the school to the art wing. "Room 232, right?" asked Cloudchaser.
"Yep," replied Flitter. "Down the hall to the left." She had taken Drawing & Painting the year before, so she knew Vermilion well. When the twins got to Vermilion's classroom, they found that the door was open, so they walked right in.
"Hi, Vermilion!" said Flitter. "Long time no see!"
"Oh, hey, Flitter!" Vermilion said with a smile. "What's up?"
"Our English class was canceled, but we can't go home early since we have track practice," Flitter explained. "So we were wondering if we could hang out here until then."
"We're friends with Sky," added Cloudchaser. She looked over to where Sky was sitting, and he smiled back.
"Sweet!" said Vermilion. "Feel free to sit with him. It's great to see you again!"
"You too!" replied Flitter. She and Cloudchaser went over to Sky's table and sat down.
"Hey, Sky!" said Cloudchaser. "You mind if we sit here?"
"Not at all!" Sky replied. He motioned to the girl sitting right next to him. "Do you know Lyra?"
Lyra laughed and gave Sky a playful nudge. "Silly! Of course they do. Cloudchaser's in Algebra 2 with me!"
"And besides, Sky talks about you all the time anyway," said Cloudchaser. "It's kind of cute, actually."
Sky blushed. "Yeah, you got me there. I'm just showing how much I love her, that's all." He got out of his seat and began gently massaging Lyra's shoulders. Lyra looked up at him and smiled.
"Remember when I caught you two staring across the cafeteria at each other on Tuesday?" Bon Bon remarked. "You weren't even trying to be subtle that time."
Cloudchaser and Flitter looked at each other and rolled their eyes, while Sky gave a nervous chuckle. "Yeah, I guess we just kind of zoned out," he admitted. "At least it happened after we started dating, though."
"True..." said Cloudchaser. "Anyway, what are you working on right now?"
"Animal scratchboards," Sky replied. He held up the scratchboard picture of Duke that he'd been making. "For mine, I decided to just do my own dog."
"I'm doing a picture of a horse," said Lyra. "I wanted to do a unicorn, but Vermilion wouldn't let me."
"I guess she doesn't believe in them!" Flitter laughed.
Lyra shook her head. "Apparently not. I still do, though."
Cloudchaser chuckled. "Eh, why not? This seems like a fun project, though." She glanced over at Bon Bon, who had now hard at work on her scratchboard. "Watching the black stuff get scraped away is so weirdly satisfying."
"Yeah, it really is," Sky agreed. "The only drawback is that there's no way to erase if you make a mistake. I'm on my second board now since I messed up my first one."
"I think I went through three when I did mine last year," Flitter recalled. "Scratchboards are fun to make, but they're not as easy as they look."
At that moment, Vermilion came over to their table. "How are we doing over here?" she asked.
"Great!" replied Lyra. "Just having a good time, hanging out with my besties."
"That's the best way to spend a Friday!" said Vermilion. She inspected the work that Lyra had done on her scratchboard. "Looks good! When you get to the top of the head, make sure you show the shadow of the mane. Thinner, shorter lines will make that area appear darker."
"All right, I'll do that," said Lyra.
Vermilion turned to Sky. "Looking good so far! I think this is the first time I've had a student do their own pet for this."
"Well, I had a bunch of pictures of him on my phone, so I figured why not?" chuckled Sky.
Vermilion nodded. "That was a good idea! Probably makes it easier too, since you're already familiar with what he looks like."
"Yeah, exactly! I've had him for six years."
"Oh, that's nice!" said Vermilion. "I'd totally bring my dog into school if I was allowed to."
"Well, if it's a small enough dog, maybe you could smuggle it in your bag like Fluttershy," suggested Cloudchaser.
Vermilion laughed. "I might be able to fit her in there, but I don't think she would enjoy it! Anyway, I'll leave you girls - and Sky - alone now. Keep up the good work!" She went off to check in with the next table.
Cloudchaser turned to Bon Bon. "So... have you been feeling like a third wheel lately?"
"Kind of..." Bon Bon admitted. "Lyra and I are still besties, though. That'll never change."
For the rest of the class period, Sky and the girls enjoyed hanging out and chatting with one another. Vermilion stopped by their table at regular intervals as well. Eventually, the bell rang and it was time for everyone to leave. Vermilion announced that it was time to clean up, and Sky, Lyra and Bon Bon put away their scratchboards and returned their X-Acto knives. They then headed out with the twins.
"Bye, Vermilion!" Flitter said as she left.
"It was great seeing you again, Flitter!" Vermilion replied. "I hope you get to take DP2 with me next year!"
Flitter nodded in agreement. She had originally wanted to take Drawing & Painting 2 this year, but hadn't been able to fit it into her schedule. "I hope so too! By the way, did Sky tell you about how he visited your great-great-aunt's mansion over spring break?"
"Yes, he did!" said Vermilion. "It's a small world. Have a great weekend!"
Sky and the girls headed downstairs before splitting up at the school's main entrance. "Well, we have to go to track practice now," said Sky. "See you later, Lyra!"
"You too, Sky," Lyra replied with a smile. She and Sky exchanged a kiss, and then she and Bon Bon headed out the door. Sky, Cloudchaser and Flitter began heading to the gym for track practice.
"I hope today's workout isn't too hard," said Flitter.
"Well, we just had a meet yesterday, so probably not," replied Sky. "Still, I'm looking forward to sleeping in this weekend."
"And snuggling up to Lyra, I'd imagine," put in Cloudchaser.
"Maybe!" chuckled Sky. "I'll have to see if she's up for anything."
That night, Lyra took a nice long shower as usual, and put on her pajamas after drying off her hair and body. She hung her towel on the rack, and went back to her room and got into bed. Since it wasn't that late yet, she picked up her phone from the top of her dresser and gave Sky a call. "Hey, Sky..." she said sweetly.
"Good evening, milady!" Sky replied in a suave tone.
"Oh, Sky!" Lyra giggled. "I just thought I'd give you a ring before I go to bed."
"Aww... I appreciate it. I was about to go to bed too. We're always on the same page, aren't we?"
"Always!" Lyra then had an idea. "Say... if you're not doing much this weekend, do you want to have a sleepover at my place? I think my bed has room for two..."
"A sleepover with you?" Sky exclaimed. "I would love to! Do you think your parents will be okay with it?"
"Eh, I'll find a way to convince them. I know they do want to meet you, though. So does my sister."
"Well, um... how much have you told them about me?"
"Well, they know I'm super good friends with you, but not much else, I don't think. My sister is so nosy, though. Every time I text you, she wants to know about it!"
"Oh no!" Sky laughed. "Well, perhaps she'll get to meet me this weekend."
"And maybe she'll finally stop poking her nose into our private time!" Lyra tittered. She let out a soft yawn. "Anyway, I'm not going to keep you up all night. Good night, Sky. Stay warm and cozy!"
"Good night, Lyra. I love you so much." And Sky hung up.
Lyra turned her phone off and put it back on top of her dresser. She got out of bed and walked over to her bookshelf. At the end of the top shelf was a fantasy novel called Last of the Highland Unicorns, which she hadn't finished reading yet. She took it off the shelf, got back into bed and opened the book to where she'd left off. She usually found that she slept better if she spent some time reading before going to sleep.
After reading for about half an hour, Lyra felt herself starting to doze off. Once she finished the chapter she was on, she closed the book and put it on top of her dresser. She fluffed up her pillow, pulled her soft magenta blanket over her body, and turned off the lamp next to her bed. As she drifted off to sleep, she imagined Sky snuggled up next to her and smiled to herself.
At 19:00 on Saturday evening, Sky arrived at Lyra's house, carrying his sleepwear in a small gym bag. Lyra had managed to convince her parents to let Sky spend the night, though they wanted to get to know him over dinner first. Sky had expected to feel nervous about meeting Lyra's parents for the first time, but all he felt was excitement for the sleepover. He hopped up the front steps and rang the doorbell.
Lyra answered the door almost immediately, greeting her boyfriend with a warm smile. "Sky!" she exclaimed. "Come on in!" She put her arms around Sky and gently led him into the house. Once inside, Sky set his bag down on a chair, then gave Lyra a nice warm hug and a kiss on the lips.
Lyra was wearing a pink long-sleeved shirt with a lyre on the chest, and a pair of pink pajama pants dotted with red hearts. "I see you're in your PJs already," Sky chuckled.
Lyra grinned. "I've been wearing them all day! How do I look?"
"You look lovely," Sky said with a smile. "Cute, beautiful, amazing." He thought Lyra looked even cuter in her pajamas than she did in her normal outfit. He leaned in to kiss Lyra again, and they happily explored each other's lips for a while. When their lips parted, Lyra turned toward the kitchen. "Come here, let me introduce you to my family!"
Sky nodded and followed Lyra into the dining room. Sitting at the table was a tall, slim man with cyan skin and shoulder-length alabaster hair, and a younger teenage girl with spring green skin and two-tone pink hair. Lyra introduced Sky to them. "Sky, this is my dad and my little sister Minty."
Lyra's father smiled and stood up from his seat. "A pleasure to meet you, Sky. I'm Orpheus Heartstrings." He and Sky exchanged a firm handshake.
"It's nice to meet you too, Mr. Heartstrings," Sky replied with a smile.
Orpheus chuckled. "As long as you keep my daughter happy, you can just call me Orpheus. I won't demand a title from you!"
"Um... very well then, Orpheus!" said Sky.
Minty Bubblegum tilted her head to look at Sky. "So you're the boy that Lyra's always talking with," she remarked. "I was wondering when she'd bring you over here."
"Well, I hope we didn't keep you waiting too long!" Sky joked. "This is me. Sky Scraper."
Minty thought for a moment. "You know... for a guy named Sky Scraper, I thought you'd be taller than this."
"Minty!" Lyra groaned, rolling her eyes.
Sky shrugged. "Yeah... I get that sometimes. But in any case, it never bothered Lyra."
"Of course not!" Lyra agreed. "Don't listen to anything my sister says. She acts all weird whenever she's around boys."
Minty's face went red. "No, I don't!"
"Uh, yeah, you do," Lyra replied. "I've seen you before."
"Now, now, let's not bicker about silly things like this," said Orpheus. "It's not nice to be nosy toward guests, but a little awkwardness here and there is nothing to be ashamed of."
Lyra and Minty promptly stopped arguing. "So this is what it's like having a sibling..." Sky chuckled to himself.
At that moment, a woman with light green skin and turquoise hair walked into the dining room. "Ah, you must be Sky!" she said. "I'm Lyra's mother, Spearmint Tea. It's very nice to meet you!"
"You too!" Sky replied. "Thanks for agreeing to have me over."
"You're welcome!" said Spearmint. "We were surprised when Lyra asked, but we didn't see any real harm. Dinner will be ready in a few minutes, so I hope you enjoy beef stroganoff!"
"Sounds good to me!" agreed Sky.
When Spearmint had finished cooking, Sky allowed her to serve him his portion, and then sat down at the table next to Lyra. "This is really good!" he said after taking a forkful of beef.
Spearmint smiled. "Thank you! I'm glad you like it."
"My mom's always been an amazing cook," Lyra said to Sky.
"So is mine," said Sky. "She can make just about anything."
"How have you been liking Canterlot High so far?" Spearmint asked. "You transferred there a few months ago, if I recall."
"Yes, in February," Sky replied. "It's been great so far. I have a lot more friends here than I did at my previous school. My best friend there being Lyra, of course." He smiled as he brushed his hand against Lyra's under the table. Lyra giggled and smiled back at him.
"Ah, that's good to hear!" said Spearmint. "Where did you go to school before?"
"Crystal Prep," Sky replied. "Going there was not fun."
"Then I certainly don't blame you for transferring," Spearmint agreed. "Glad you're having a better time now!"
Sky nodded. "Me too." He figured that he wouldn't elaborate on his time at Crystal Prep unless Lyra's parents specifically asked about it.
"Any ideas of what you want to do when you grow up?" Orpheus asked. "Lyra's always wanted to be a professional musician like me."
Sky thought for a moment. "Probably an architect or some kind of civil engineer. I've always been interested in stuff like buildings and bridges, so anything that involves designing them would be a good career for me."
"That sounds like a great plan!" said Orpheus. "I know some architecture professors at the university I teach at. They and their students do some really interesting projects."
"Oh, what university do you teach at?" Sky asked.
"Opal Valley University, in the town of the same name. I work in the music department, of course."
"Cool!" said Sky. "I've heard of that place before, though I'm not looking at any colleges right now."
"Well, you still have plenty of time, so there's no need to get started just yet," said Spearmint.
"Exactly," agreed Sky. "Typically I use my free time to just read about stuff I'm interested in, or go out and explore different parts of the city. I also really like looking at road maps for some reason."
"Ah, you'd get along with my brother Atlas then!" remarked Orpheus. "He's a professional cartographer."
"Really?" Sky exclaimed. "Wow, that's so cool!"
"Yep!" said Lyra. "Whenever we visit him, he always shows us whatever map he's been working on."
"That's awesome!" said Sky. "Looking at maps is fun, and knowing how to read one is a good skill too."
"Absolutely," agreed Spearmint. "The GPS doesn't always take you on the best route, that's for sure."
"Anyway, what kind of music do you like to listen to, Sky?" asked Orpheus.
"My taste in music is probably different from most people my age, but I actually like listening to classical," Sky replied. "I never had the patience to learn how to play an instrument, but I find classical music more relaxing than whatever kind of songs are trending these days."
Orpheus smiled. "Then you've come to the right family! I'm a classically trained harpist, and I've been training Lyra since she was young too. Has she played any of her original compositions for you yet?"
Lyra brushed up against Sky. "Not yet, but I can play one for you later tonight! I've got my lever harp in the basement, so if you come down there with me after dinner, I'll play a special song for you."
Sky grinned. "Ooh, yes please!"
"So what first got you into classical music?" asked Spearmint.
Sky chuckled. "Honestly, I think it was from watching old cartoons with classical soundtracks when I was younger. My ears have always been pretty sharp."
"That's as good a way as any!" said Orpheus. "It's always interesting to see how the soundtrack compliments the visuals."
Sky continued talking with Lyra, Orpheus and Spearmint about the various works of music and art that they enjoyed. Even Minty joined in on the conversation a bit, though she was usually preoccupied with her phone. When Sky was finished eating, he took his empty plate to the kitchen and placed it in the dishwasher. "Thanks again for inviting me to dinner," Sky said to Spearmint. "The beef was delicious!"
"You're welcome, dear!" Spearmint said with a smile. "And thank you for helping us get to know you."
Sky smiled in return. "No problem at all! I'm going to get changed and head down to the basement with Lyra now."
"All right then, enjoy the rest of your night!" said Spearmint. "Orpheus and I will be watching TV in the living room if you or Lyra need anything."
"Sounds good. Thank you so much for letting me spend the night here!"
Spearmint left to join Orpheus on the living room couch, while Lyra came up and put her hand on Sky's shoulder. "Looks like my parents approve of you!"
"Yay!" said Sky. "Both of your parents are really nice."
Lyra smiled. "I'm glad you get along with them. Anyway, want to come downstairs with me? We've got a nice couch in the basement."
"Well, let me change into my PJs first. If I'm going to be snuggling with you on the couch, I want to be extra comfy."
Lyra giggled and kissed Sky on the cheek. "Good idea! I'll see you down there, cutie."
Sky went back to the living room to grab his bag, and then went into the first-floor bathroom to change. He took off the clothes he'd been wearing during the day, and put on the loose white T-shirt and light blue sweatpants that he always wore to bed. He then exited the bathroom, found the door to the basement stairs, and leisurely headed down.
Sure enough, Lyra was sitting on the basement couch, with her hand on top of a golden lever harp. "So, what do you think of my basement?" she asked. It was a furnished basement with a large TV, a fireplace, and a small kitchenette.
"I think it's really nice!" Sky replied. "My house has a finished basement too, but my parents haven't done much with it since we moved in. Did your parents do all of this?"
"They did! A long time ago, back when I was in elementary school. Anyway, I've got a song to play for you now." Lyra winked at Sky and gestured for him to sit down next to her. Sky happily obliged and put his arm around her. Lyra placed her fingers on the strings of the harp, and began to play.
Sky had never heard a more beautiful piece of music. As Lyra gently ran her fingers over the golden strings, she produced a beautifully smooth and calming melody. Sky allowed himself to get completely lost in the sound of Lyra's music, closing his eyes and gently leaning his head on her shoulder. Lyra looked over at him and smiled while she continued playing. "You're loving this, aren't you, babe?" she whispered.
Sky opened his eyes and quietly replied, "It's lovely. You're lovely."
As the song went on, Sky allowed his mind to wander. He thought about how much his life had changed for the better over the course of the past two months, and how lucky he felt to now be able to call Lyra his girlfriend. He imagined himself and Lyra going to more of their favorite places together, and all of the things they both had to look forward to. The connection that he felt with her was something truly special.
After a few more minutes, Lyra finished her song. She reached up and gave Sky a gentle pat on the head. "Asleep already?" she giggled.
Sky opened his eyes and sat upright again. "Nope, still awake! That was the most beautiful song I've ever heard in my life. Thanks for playing it for me, Lyra."
Lyra smiled. "Aww... you're welcome, Sky." She went over to the kitchenette and pulled a bag of mini marshmallows out of one of the cabinets. She opened the bag, stuffed a few in her mouth, then came back and held it out for Sky. "Marshmallows?"
"Don't mind if I do!" said Sky. He reached in and grabbed a few for himself.
Lyra sat back down next to Sky on the couch and pulled a light green fleece blanket over them both. She placed the bag of marshmallows in between them, and grabbed the TV remote off of the armrest. "There's a good rom-com starting in a few minutes," she said. "Octavia recommended it to me. Want to watch it?"
"If you want to, then sure! I don't think I've ever actually seen a rom-com before. I'm not into the romance genre that much."
"Me neither, but Octavia said this was one of her favorites. It's called Two Girl Summer."
"Interesting title," Sky chuckled. "Now I'm intrigued."
"Yay!" Lyra turned on the TV and began flipping through the channels. After scrolling past the local news stations, she found the channel that the movie was on. As it began, Lyra and Sky leaned against one another, and Lyra placed her leg on top of Sky's. "Ooh, you're warm!" she exclaimed.
"So are you..." Sky replied with a smile. "I really love your PJs, by the way. Not sure if I said that earlier."
"Oh, thank you!" Lyra moved the blanket to reveal her thighs. "Yeah, they're really cute, and comfy." She gave Sky a kiss on the cheek, and Sky responded by giving her a kiss on the lips. They were soon more intent on giving each other affection than watching the movie. When their lips parted, Sky fed himself two more marshmallows.
"Hey, save some for me!" Lyra giggled.
"Okay, here you go!" Sky grabbed another pair of marshmallows and allowed Lyra to eat them out of his hand. They continued sharing marshmallows for the next hour and a half, laughing together at the movie but mainly enjoying the warmth of each other's company on a Saturday night.
When the movie came to an end, Sky looked down at the bag of marshmallows and saw that it was empty. "Wow... we went through the entire bag together!"
Lyra laughed. "Well, who can blame us? They're good! Did you like the movie?"
"It was better than I thought it would be! The competition between the two girls was hilarious."
"Totally! Even Bon Bon and I would never act like that! I think this movie's one of my favorites now too."
Sky nodded. "It was a good one, that's for sure. Anyway, do you mind if I go brush my teeth? I figure I should do that before we hit the sack."
"I'd better do that too. You can use the bathroom down here, I'll go upstairs."
"Works for me!" Sky pulled a toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste out of his bag and went into the basement bathroom. Once he had brushed and rinsed, he came back out and laid down on the couch.
Before long, Lyra came back downstairs too. She smiled and looked at Sky with lidded eyes. "Time for cuddles..."
Sky simply grinned and nodded. Lyra laid down on top of Sky, her head resting against his chest, and pulled the blanket over them both. Sky gently wrapped his arms around Lyra and buried his nose in her turquoise hair, taking in her sweet minty scent. "I love you, Lyra..." he whispered.
"I love you too, Sky..." Lyra whispered back. It wasn't long before they were both fast asleep.