//------------------------------// // Cold Jam // Story: On The Rebound // by AdmiralSassMcAwesome //------------------------------// “Today we will be perfecting a timeless classic; the jam doughnut.” Day two and Donut Joe's students would be attempting their first doughnut before working through each skill individually to perfect their art and attempt more difficult recipes. Joe was proud as punch as he watched his class begin their task. This group was relatively talented and three of them were already involved in the industry. One of the most difficult things in making the humble jam doughnut was getting the jam itself right. No student of Joe’s would be using pre-made jams. Neither would they be using any spells (should they be unicorns). No. His students would make by hoof, from scratch, a jam with a fruit of their choice. Several of the students, being unimaginative had decided to use the base recipe given them and merely make a run of the mill strawberry jam, but others were already displaying a creative flair lashing out with unheard of combinations and in some cases, savoury style jam doughnuts. Joe wasn’t about to curb any creativity on this task, this was his opportunity to see what level each of them was working at and therefore how best to approach their teaching. An hour into the process, they were ready for their first taste test. Although the jam was far from being ready, Joe would be able to see well enough already which doughnuts would be a success. “Spoons out!” He called out as he began his rounds. Walking at a firm pace with his head held high, Joe levitated a glob of each jam into his mouth giving it a good swish around his tongue before pronouncing a judgment. “Too lumpy, Dizzy.” “Comet, try adding some more sugar.” “Hmm, nice job, Flitter.” “Cherry, a little too much sugar…” “Now, Pinkie…” Joe pulled a face as a blue coloured glob touched his tongue. “What’s going on here?” Pinkie, who had been looking a little mopey this morning, turned her head away with a slight sniff. “I don’t know what I’m doing wrong, it just doesn’t seem to be cooking…” Joe felt a little tug at his heart as he regarded this miserable mare. As a chef, he wasn’t meant to be so sparing on his students, and he generally tried very hard to come across as mean. But deep down, Joe had always been a push over. “Well, just let me finish up the tastings and I’ll see if I can sort it out.” He said softly before continuing his round. “Mmm, I’m looking forward to your finished product! Excellent work.” Pinkie heard Joe praise Goldengrape who worked at the bench beside her. She looked down into her blueberry mess, which sat cold in its pot. Granules of sugar floating all over the surface of the liquid and clinging to the sides of the semi mashed berries which grouped together in lumps. Due to the light overhead she could make out a dim reflection of herself in her failure. Her lips curled downwards and her eyes wide and gleaming with threatening tears. In her mind she could still hear Twilight’s words from this morning. It’s not that we don’t like having you around, but Flash and I need to spend some time on our own every now and then… Pinkie sniffed back her tears, not wanting to fall apart in front of her co-students. But she had tried so hard to not get in the way last night. And what was she supposed to do if she couldn’t hang out with Flash and Twilight? She didn’t really know anypony else in Canterlot. She lifted her head and looked at the ponies around her, all busily beginning their dough after having made the needed adjustments to their respective jams. She could maybe ask one of them if they wanted to do something? She shook her head. No. She would just get in their way. First Discord had rejected her and now Twilight? Pinkie was beginning to think she might never have another friend, let alone special somepony… “Alright, Pinkie. Let’s see what the problem is.” Pinkie turned to see Donut Joe approaching with a warm smile. Stepping out of the way to make room for him before the stove, Pinkie gave another involuntary sniff. Hearing this, Joe paused to give her a concerned look before turning back to her uncannily cold jam. “There must be something wrong with the stove is all…” He murmured opening the cupboard below it and checking the connections. After a moment he pulled his head back up. “Strange, it looks fine to me.” He then turned his attention to the top of the burner. Pinkie wiped idly at her nose as she watched the baker checking everything over. “What is it?” She asked as she noticed him suddenly stand very still, the muscles in his legs tensing ever so slightly. Joe took a deep breath. “Pinkie…” He said, trying to sound calm. He may have been a pushover but that didn’t mean he was lacking in temper. “Yes, chef?” He opened his eyes, which he hadn’t realised he had closed, and gave his neck a slight crack to relieve the growing tension in it. “Next time, it might help if you turn on the stove.” He bit his tongue after the words escaped. He hadn’t meant to sound so harsh. He hoped that he had softened it enough to not upset her any more. When he finally looked at Pinkie he saw a single tear roll down her cheek before she pushed past him to return to her station. Joe mentally kicked himself. ***************** After class, Pinkie was very slow to pack up her things and was therefore the last to leave. Knowing that Twilight and Flash Sentry would be heading out shortly, she decided the pass some time in the store section of the Canterlot Doughnut Emporium before returning to the castle so as to avoid her ‘friends’. Entering the shop, Pinkie made her way to the front counter and took a seat. As it was late in the afternoon and not far off dinner, the store was relatively empty save two tables of mares finishing a day of shopping with a coffee and a doughnut and an elderly stallion sipping a milkshake a few seats away from Pinkie at the counter. As the elderly pony reached the end of his glass, his straw gave forth a loud spluttering as it began to take in more air than shake, drawing Pinkie Pie’s attention. Her brow creased as she noticed the brown foam clinging to the sides of the glass, reminding onlookers of its previous chocolaty contents. Discord loves chocolate milk. Pinkie thought sadly. Her mind returning to the first time he had rained its deliciousness all over Ponyville. If they had gone out together, Pinkie would have had an endless supply of chocolate milk and any other treat her heart desired. But not now… She sighed again as she placed her head upon one hoof which was supported by the counter below her and fell into dismal musing. “Pinkie? Oh my gosh! I can’t believe it’s you, what are you doing in Canterlot?” Pinkie looked up to see a familiar face across the counter. Bon Bon had gone through a rough breakup a couple months back with her long time partner Lyra Heartstrings, and as a result had headed off to Canterlot to start afresh. “Bon Bon, I didn’t know you were working here. I’m doing a doughnut course for Sugarcube Corner.” Pinkie tried to smile, but did so unconvincingly which Bon Bon did not fail to notice, but seemed to push aside for the moment. “Of course! It’s so good to see you.” She smiled warmly, obviously excited to see a familiar face. “Well, once I moved here it was harder to find work than I expected, but Joe was kind enough to take me on in the store.” Bon Bon continued to regard Pinkie in a chipper manner, but eventually her smile faded as Pinkie’s melancholy became painfully apparent. “Are you okay, Pinkie?” Pinkie nodded slowly. “I’m alright, I’m just a little…” She paused and looked up at Bon Bon who smiled sympathetically. Hadn’t she just gone through a break up, she’d understand how Pinkie felt. Pinkie was about to explain herself when Bon Bon interrupted. “Heartbroken?” Pinkie gaped. “How did you know?” Bon Bon laughed a little. “Pinks, I was just like you are now when I got here.” She sighed sadly as she remembered. “That whole business with Lyra was really messy and it left me feeling useless and unwanted.” “You look okay now.” Pinkie commented. Bon Bon laughed again, more happily this time. “Sure, I’m great now.” Pinkie’s brow furrowed in question which Bon Bon noted. She rested her forehoof over Pinkie’s and gave her another bright smile. “You want to know the secret to getting over a broken heart?” Pinkie was sure she would say something corny, but she nodded anyhow. Twilight’s solve hadn’t really worked out. “The best way to get over falling out of love is to fall back in.” Bon Bon grinned proudly as though she’d expounded something terribly deep. “It’s like having an itch. Sure, you can let it go and have it annoy you, or you can give it a good scratching and be done with it.” Pinkie thought about what she had been told. Having an itch was probably not the best analogy. Afterall, once you started scratching you usually kept going till it drove you nuts. But at the same time, what she was saying made a lot of sense. Pinkie glanced back over at the empty milkshake glass which had now been abandoned by its drinker. “Oh, I gotta go Pinkie, stop in again some time, hey?” Bon Bon said as she quickly trotted over to the door of the store where a yellow coated mare with a curly blue mane had just entered. As Bon Bon approached the mare, they gave each other a soft nuzzle before heading out. Pinkie gazed absent-mindedly back at the empty glass, her mind working over this new revelation. Who would have thought her problem could also be her cure? “You like chocolate milkshakes, huh?” Pinkie shook her head as she was once again pulled out of her musings. Donut Joe had entered the service side of the counter and levitated the glass towards himself before letting it slide into the sink. “No.” Pinkie replied curtly, still feeling a little sore over the incident with the stove and even sorer over the thought of consuming Discord’s favourite beverage. Joe sighed and scratched his head through his mane. “I’m sorry about this morning. I didn’t mean to sound snappy. I’ve always had a bit of a problem with my temper…” Pinkie regarded him sternly for a while longer before letting her gaze soften. “That’s okay. It was a pretty dumb thing to have done…” Joe felt relieved as she turned her attention onto the table and ran her hoof in a circle upon the smooth laminate surface. After a short silence, Joe spoke up. “Can I get you anything?” Pinkie didn’t look at him or even speak, instead she simply shook her head in a negative. “Are you sure? Students eat free, you know?” Joe said with a laugh. “Really?” Pinkie asked in disbelief. Joe coughed. “Ah, no. But, I kind of owe you, so…” When Pinkie failed to respond, Joe added unwittingly, “I really can’t interest you in even just a chocolate milkshake?” Her response came in an unexpectedly loud and angry tone that left Joe slightly dazed. “I said no!” There was an awkward silence which followed and gathered the attention of the few ponies left in the store, one table vacating the area rather skittishly. Joe was likewise tempted to turn on his heel and leave the mare alone. But something made him stop. He silently cursed himself for being such a pushover as he came around and took the seat next to Pinkie. She didn’t move or look at him. He therefore began to idly tap his hoof upon the counter as he tried to think of how to initiate a conversation. “I was really impressed by what you did at that competition. You saved all our hides that time.” Pinkie took a moment to turn and look at him, and when she did she found a genuine smile on his face. Unperturbed by his flattery, she went back to looking off into the distance. Joe licked his lower lip in thought as to how to continue. “I was kind of excited by the thought of having someone so talented in the kitchen. Most of my students are just stay at home cooks. They just don’t get our world, you know?” Nothing. Joe sighed again. “Pinkie, I could be off the mark, I’m certainly no expert in reading mares but… Something’s up with you. That incident with the stove today said it all. Your heads somewhere else.” He had expected her to scold him, but her lack of response made him think maybe he should go on. “Do you wanna talk about it?” He asked softly. Another silence followed, but this time Joe determined not to break it. Pinkie just needed to be given enough time to work up the courage to speak. Pinkie herself was by now just more than mildly confused. Up to the point when Joe cam and sat by her side, she’d still been half dazed and lost and in thought. But now, Joe was… Comforting her? She didn’t quite understand why. Slowly she let her gaze drift to his face which was focusing a soft look of concern on her. He wanted to know what was wrong? Could she tell him? Pinkie had never held back much in her life, but these experiences of rejection and romance where all relatively new to her and so she wasn’t sure she knew how to act about them. Shouldn’t they be kept secret? But, she didn’t necessarily have to tell him everything either. Taking a breath and keeping her gaze off Joe she decided to focus on the problem at hand. “I’m just feeling a little down ‘coz Twilight and Flash don’t want me around.” Joe knew that that couldn’t be half of why Pinkie had been upset, but if that was what she was willing to share, then it was a start. He didn’t have illusions of solving her problems, but he’d sleep better at night knowing he’d shown her some kindness. “As in, Princess Twilight? Celestia’s old student? I remember her when she was still studying in Canterlot. So, she’s got a coltfriend, I take it?” Pinkie nodded. Joe thought for a bit. “It’s not easy when your friends start dating. Not that I would really know… But, I can imagine that considering how close you guys were the night of the gala and on that train ride, it would be tough on you.” Pinkie stared blankly ahead. “Were?” She asked. Joe blinked once or twice as he gathered her meaning. “That’s not to say you won’t be anymore, but I think sometimes these things have a way of taking over peoples lives for a bit. They probably just need some time to get over the initial infatuation of it all.” Joe had to stop and laugh at himself. “Listen to me, like I know everything about relationships. I haven’t gone out on a date or a social outing in years…” Pinkie turned to look at him again. Twilight and Flash had only been going out for a while. Maybe Joe was right, maybe they just needed some time to spend together alone to get it all out of their systems. Fluttershy had gotten pretty distant during the first part of when she had been dating Discord. “You’re probably right. It’s not like they’re shutting me out entirely anyhow. I mean, they’re taking me to the opera tomorrow.” Pinkie allowed a slight smile to grace her muzzle. Joe smiled back, “You see. It’ll all work out okay.” After a moment more, Joe walked back to his position of manning the counter. “How about a doughnut?” He asked, feeling proud of the change that was overcoming Pinkie. Pinkie smiled warmly at this. “Sure, why not?” “What would you like?” Pinkie tilted her head in thought. “Surprise me.” “Okey dokey.” Pinkie continued to smile as Joe selected a doughnut for her. She felt slightly more settled now. Bon Bon had given her the cure to her heartache and it seemed that patience was all she needed to wait out the selfish phase of Flash and Twilight’s romance. Joe returned with a brightly iced pink doughnut that he placed gently in front of Pinkie before attending to the dishes which were gathering up. Pinkie picked up her doughnut and was about to bite into it when she suddenly said, “Thank you, Joe,” in a surprisingly soft and genuine way. “Not a problem.” Joe said as he levitated a dishcloth. Pinkie Pie bit into her doughnut, the blend of the icing was smooth and distinctly raspberry flavoured, while the doughnut itself was spongy and relatively light. As she savoured the delicious treat she began to think about the pony who had made it and who had so kindly showed an interest in her. Joe was busily stacking the clean plates away in the shelves below the counter, so he didn’t notice Pinkie’s intent gaze. His build was not dissimilar to that of Big Macintosh back in Ponyville. Although it couldn’t be denied that Joe was considerably more well rounded, but that was to be expected of a pastry chef. Besides, Pinkie had never been as lithe as somepony like Applejack who toiled all day in the hot sun. And now that Pinkie thought about it, Donut Joe’s weight gave him a kind look which suited his demeanour. Pinkie had never had a pony come out of nowhere and show concern to her before. Usually that was the role of friends and family. Pinkie wasn’t quite sure what it was, but something about this stallion warmed her heart. She knew it was partly because of his kindness, but there was something else there as well. “Joe?” She asked suddenly. He turned to look at her expectantly. Pinkie bit her lip slightly as she looked at his face with new eyes. “Are you doing anything tomorrow night?” Joe blinked heavily. He hadn’t anticipated that question. What did it mean? Oh no… What if she thought he liked her because of their talk? “Uh…” He couldn’t lie to her. “No, I don’t think so.” He replied reluctantly. Pinkie beamed. “Why don’t you come to the opera with me? Then I won’t have to be a third wheel again!” Joe felt his jaw slacken. “Um.” He paused, trying to pluck up the courage to make an excuse, but the hopeful look in her eyes was too much for a pushover like himself to bear. “Sure. I’d be happy to.” He lied.