The Rose In The Background
Chapter Four
"A Hypothesis To Theorize"
Leaving The Golden Mare, the plastic rose now resting under my hat, I ventured forth into the night with a new found confidence...though a mind such as mine coated it in foolishness. My social skills were close to one of a tiny stone sitting in the road, my words simply will not come when the situation beckons them to. My shyness, though never brought up so far but clearly present, was made it's presence clear on numerous occasions in my life. Thus, has me grimacing at the grassing trail leading away from the bar and towards town.
Woe is me, a classic line but cliche and over dramatic. Woe is me, repeating it somehow erupted a sad chuckle from my chest. How hard could it really be, to approach the mare of my dreams and simply talk to her? How painful is it really to stand in her presence in cooled expression and advance her as an average pony would? Why does love weaken the heart, and not strengthen it and motivate one to go after their love? Why does love weaken the mind, and not sooth it in waves just thinking of its desired mare?
Why does love, in this case, have me questioning my own capabilities socially and not give me confidence? Why do I not feel as though I have a shot at her? That I am unworthy? That if our lives up to at that moment were scaled, I would be in the deep and her skyrocketing of chart? Why do I feel like a lowly clod of dirt resting in the earth, and her a cluster of diamond resting in the center of a cave surrounded by others of her kind? Why does love leave me so hopeless?
...Why does love leave me so scared-
"Oh!" I gasped, jumping back as I bumped into something so...soft?
"Oh, excuse..." My eyelids snap open and my body froze in fear, fur standing on end and my brain unable to connect to its co-workers. Ears on end and muzzle scrunched, I could see similar shock in the ivory gemstones that stared back.
"I...I..." One by one, single syllable sounds fell from my lips like a waterfall.
"I'm s-so sorry! I-I wasn't-" Her voice shattered into pieces, picking up her words from the ground like pieces of a broken plate, shattered upon the ground between us.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see two other mares behind her. I knew the cream colored one as Bon Bon, the mare who ran the candy stall across the street from Sugarcube Corner. The mint one, however I've never seen before. Bon Bon eyed the rose mare with confusion, while the mint unicorn snickered with a hoof to her lips.
My hooves itched, the awkward stammering between us and all around feeling growing unbearable.
"My apologies." I say, silencing the mare almost immediately. "I should have been paying attention."
She looked at me for a brief moment before turning her gaze to the grass. "No, no! It's my fault, my mind was elsewhere..."
"But mine was, as well." I defended her. "I never can keep my head out of the clouds."
"No, please. Don't blame yourself." She said, her voice losing panic and softening. "I'm sure you're very busy and have much to think about, being a sales pony and all."
"Well, I..." I stalled, taken aback. She knew me, she actually remembered me. "...If you don't mind me asking-"
"Not at all!" She cut me off, shocking us both as a red tint flushed her cheeks. "I, uh...go on."
"If you don't mind..what is your name?" I asked, cautiously. "It's just, uh...I've ran my stall across the way from yours for awhile now..."
"Roseluck." She said, her faltered expression warming to the smile I've only seen in my dreams. "My name is Roseluck, Mister...?" She says, extending her hoof to me.
My mind goes blank, it freezing up as if asked to answer a high level algebraic equation in another language. Almost being able to taste the sandpaper dryness in my mouth, I shakily extend my hoof to hers until they touched and we shook.
"Topsworth." I answer after what felt like an eternity. "My name is Topsworth, but everyone calls me 'Tops'."
"Topsworth." My name rolls off her tongue and dances between her lips, causing the oxygen to leave my lungs in a soft sigh and a shiver to run up my spin. I looked down to see at our hooves were still connected, and look up once more to see that Roseluck noticed as well, her smile growing as heat rose to my cheeks.
"Ahem."
Our eyes left each others and turned to the two mares off to the side, Bon Bon staring at Roseluck with an all knowing look, again whilst the minted pony was near tears at this point and holding her stomach.
"Not to interrupt this little meet and greet, but we were just heading somewhere and it closes in about an hour." She says kindly.
"I see." I say understanding, but my heart sank in my stomach knowing the rose mare-Roseluck, would leave without me. "Well it is getting a bit late..."
Our hooves departed, my heart wanting desperately to pulled her with it but my mind won that battle. "It was nice to, uh, finally meet you." My words came out relaxed.
"Finally..." I hear her say, her voice in a near whisper as I can just make out the reflecting stars twinkling in her breathtaking eyes. "It was very nice."
"Um..." Bon Bon hums. "Well, alright then. Let's go, Lyra." She says, walking by us and laying a hoof on Roseluck's back and taking her along with the minted pony I now know as Lyra.
"Uh..." I watched after them, heading down the trail out of town. "Bye."
Roseluck turned away from the two mares, her lips curled into a warm smile. "See you tomorrow." She says, just before vanishing into the dark of the night with her friends.
I stood there, in the midst of the moonlit front side of town, as my heart fluttered and my hooves grew minds of their own. I couldn't fight the smile growing on my face, shaking my head as I felt chuckles behind my lips. Soon, they broke through and I too into laughter, joy filling my heart and tickling my teeth. I had spoken to her! I shook her hoof and held it!
I bring my hoof up to my view, using the other to caress where hers was, feeling the spot and remembering the softness of her fur. The love I had for this mare was but an accusation hours before.
At that moment forward, it grew to a Hypothesis. One hypothesis I needed to theorize.