“So what’s her story?” Baton asked me quietly in the kitchen as I watched Baton pack a lunch. Coco had accidentally fallen asleep on the couch and ended up staying the night. Her parents had been surprisingly okay with it on the morning.
Based on the sounds, it sounded like the girl was taking a shower at the moment. We had both insisted upon it. I looked around quickly and gestured for my sister to lean in.
“You cannot tell anyone and I fucking mean anyone this, got it? Not the police, not your super hero friends or any of the principals. Got it?” I demanded as Baton nodded slowly.
“Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!” Baton recited some weird ritual with her hands and poked her eye.
“What the hell was that?” I asked in confusion as she smiled.
“Pinkie Pie promise. It can’t be broken no matter what you’re about to tell me.”
The name sounded familiar and I raked mind as to why, snapping my fingers.
“The pink girl who baked the Mona Lisa inside a cake who brought a confetti cannon into the gym. Pinkie Pie is her name. That makes sense she would have some weird ritualistic code,” I said as Baton laughed and tossed a granola bar into her lunch bag.
“Yeah she’s a unique one.”
I took a deep breath and told Baton everything. What I walked in on in the bathroom, me technically getting my ass beat, running from Dean Cadence, trying to convince Coco to tell the police what happened. My sisters face grew more angry and disgusted looking by the second.
“What the actual fuck is wrong with people?” Baton fumed as she slammed her milk glass down. “All because she’s different? We have multiple gay or bi people at chs. Lyra, Bon Bon, Vinyl, Octavia, Derpy, Sunset, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity and Trixie to name a few. I for one am proud as fuck of you. But what are you gonna do about the Dean?”
I didn’t have a good answer for that. I had spent all night wondering that myself before I passed out. I could kiss my clean school record goodbye after that stunt. Probably going to have to hang out with Indigo and Lemon Zest in detention. Those two always got in trouble for something.
“I don’t know,” I said finally and sighed as I put my backpack on. “I just don’t know.”
We both looked back at Coco walking down the stairs nervously with her head bowed and her hands clasped in front of her.
“I am so, so sorry for accidentally falling asleep on your couch. I didn’t mean to. You girls didn’t need to make me breakfast, I could have got something at school,” Coco muttered as Baton and I smirked at each other.
“It’s no problem at all,” Baton reassured the shorter girl. “This apartment gets lonely at time so it’s always nice to have a nice girl like you around.”
“Oh okay,” Coco muttered as she put her shoes on, picking up her back pack. “I’m glad I pack a spare set of clothes for after gym class. Will you take me to school please? I’ll pay you back for the food you used and gas when I can.”
“Don’t worry about it,” I said and waved a hand lazily. “We certainly aren’t the richest people like Sunny Flare or Fleur, but we get by. We will be fine.”
Coco bit her lip in an oddly adorable fashion as she seemed to have an internal fight with herself before sighing.
“Okay. You win I suppose. But if there’s ever a next time, I will be paying you two back and that’s final,” Coco said sternly and I stared in surprise. I hadn’t ever expected her to be stern like that.
“Okay well uh we will see. Let’s go to school, shall we?” And face the music and inevitable detention, I silently added to myself. “Do you want a ride to school qBaton?”
“Nah, Blueberry Cake is coming to pick me up. Thanks though sis,” Baton said as I followed her out the door, closing it behind Coco, ensuring it was locked.
“No problem. See you after school.”
It had been a fairly quiet drive to school. We didn’t talk much except for small talk here and there. The radio filled the silence with news. I always did hate how they rarely played music in the mornings but it would have been too awkward without something filling the silence.
The closer we got, the more terrified Coco seemed. I will give her this, she hid it well but I could tell. It was weird, I could always tell when people were afraid. It was like a special talent of mine.
“We can turn around right now if you want,” I said quietly as we sat in the parked car. “We will get in more trouble but you can avoid those girls and have the weekend away.”
“We should go. You uh you’ll be there right?” Coco asked hopefully as I nodded.
“All the way,” I promised as we each slowly got out of the car. Our fellow Shadowbolts were shuffling like zombies past Dean Cadence. She always greeted us as we came in. I recognized one of the girls from the incident and I gave her a cold glare as she smirked at us.
Oh what I would give to just tackle her right now and beat her ass.
Dean Cadence noticed us and her eyes narrowed as she started in our direction. I grabbed Cocos wrist and started dragging her to the side entrance most students used to hide from faculty during school hours to smoke cigarettes.
“Come on,” I grumbled and kept dragging a quietly protesting Coco. We passed the greenhouse as a pair of hands grabbed us and yanked us inside. I spun around and balled a fist to defend myself as Indigo back away sheepishly. Lemon, Sugarcoat and Sunny Flare stood behind her with nervous expressions as I sighed. “Oh it’s just you four.”
“Easy girl,” Indigo said hesitantly as she raised both hands. “We were looking for you. We all tried calling and texting you yesterday but you didn’t answer after your guys little escape from school.”
“Yeah what the hell was that about?” Sugarcoat demanded as she stared at Coco. “And who exactly is this?”
“This is Coco Pommel. She’s a friend of mine and she will be hanging out with us permanently from here on out,” I said adamantly as Sugarcoat narrowed her eyes. I knew I was about to be in a verbal fight. Sugarcoat and I both claimed to be the impromptu leaders of our group.
“And why exactly is she going to be doing so?” Sugarcoat demanded as she pushed her glasses up and stepped forward.
“Because I said so. I can’t and won’t say more than that,” I growled as I stepped forward to get in her face. I idly noticed Coco getting more nervous and I inhaled. “And if you aren’t going to support it, well then I’ll just end our friendship.”
“Woah now,” Indigo said as Sugarcoats eyes widened. “Let’s not go that far girls. I’m sure Sour Sweet has a good reason and besides, Coco is a nice girl. I share my history class with her. And Sugarcoat just wanted to know what was going on, didn’t you Sugar?” Indigo shot the girl a glare.
“I would like to be made aware of these things,” Sugarcoat grumbled as she placed her hands on her hips and looked away.
“I know you,” Sunny Flare pointed at Coco. “You’re in my drama class. You’re always running with Suri.”
“Mhm. Sunny Flare correct?” Coco asked and Sunny nodded.
“I’m quite good friends with Suri. I’m surprised she hasn’t introduced us before-”
“She calls you Dummy Flare behind your back,” Coco interrupted quietly as we all stared at the two. Sunnys face turned red as she clenched a fist.
“Never mind. She is no longer my friend.”
“And one of us will always be with Coco till she safely gets in her parents car or I drop her off. You understand me?” I sneered at Sugarcoat as the others all looked at each other.
“I don’t think it’s really cool to force them to do that,” Coco said softly and retreated a bit when I shot her a look. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize. This is for your own good. Especially if they come back,” I said coolly as Indigo raised an eyebrow.
“Who is they?” Indigo demanded as I paused. I didn’t know those girls names myself in all honesty.
“Blueberry Curls and Sheer Perfection were a few,” Coco admitted under her breath as she shrugged.
“Speak of the devil and they appear,” I muttered under my breath as the door opened. The pink girl from before opened the door and gave a cold smile our way. I shoved Coco behind me as Lemon Zest caught her.
“Why hello there,” the girl I presumed to be Sheer Perfection commented casually. “Having a nice time I see. We missed you earlier Coco.”
“I think you should leave,” I growled and pushed her a bit. “She doesn’t want to see you and frankly, nor do I.”
“I don’t entirely know what’s going on but if Sour wants you gone, then you gotta leave,” Indigo chimed in as she stepped forward with a fist.
“Oh she didn’t tell you?” Sheer Perfection smirked and I narrowed my eyes. “She interrupted us trying to help reform poor Coco here from her misguided life of liking her own kind.”
“Her own kind?” Sunny Flare echoed in confusion. “You mean girls?” Sheer Perfection nodded as Sugarcoat coughed into her fist.
“Technically, you can’t stop her from dating who she wants,” Sugarcoat said as she pushed her glasses up.
“And why don’t you tell them just what your methods were,” I added angrily as Sheer Perfection shook her head. “That’s what I thought.”
“Come back when you want our help again Coco,” Sheer Perfection smirked faintly as she turned around to leave. “Don’t want you corrupting poor Sour Sweet and her gang of friendly misfits.”
“Oh I’ll show you just what a gang can do,” Indigo growled as Sugarcoat and Lemon held her back as Coco sat in the back watching nervously.
“Now I know what you mean when Coco needs to be around us,” Sugarcoat muttered as we watched Sheer Perfection continue walking to school. “She’s a bitch.”
“Oh you don’t know the half of it,” I commented idly.
“We should get to class,” Coco muttered as Lemon pulled her to her feet. “I hate school.”
“I can agree with that,” Lemon chuckled as her headphones hung around her neck. “This place is the worst ever.”
I had no words but just simply nodded my head. I hated this place with a burning passion.