I did little else my first week at Canterlot High School. I was nearly as exhausted as I had been that first night each night after, my body, mind, and emotions still struggling to adjust to the sudden and extreme change. I ended up using my weekend as a period of recovery. I was more than intrigued by the thought of spending one of my free days with Sunset or any of my new friends but simply could not. I was weak to the point of almost feeling sick. I assured myself that the next week would be different, and hoped that such a goal would encourage me to do better.
***
It was another cool morning, something I had grown accustomed to in my first week, along with the view from my bench. Sitting outside had already been integrated into my daily routine. The large crowds within the school still caused me to feel uneasy, and I enjoyed receiving fresh air before being cooped up inside for the rest of the day.
As was usual, I grew tired of sightseeing and turned my eyes down to the glowing screen of my phone. In a state of what at first seemed to be Déjà vu, I was startled by a sudden voice, but I already knew it was not Pinkie. I looked up from my screen to see a cute girl with both mint green hair and skin, along with beautiful, nearly golden eyes. Who am I kidding, it seemed as though almost every girl in the school was attractive, and there were plenty of them. “You’re the new guy, right?” she asked. I responded with a simple nod. “Mind if I take a seat?”
“Nah, not at all.”
“I noticed you’ve been hanging out with Sunset Shimmer. I’m not exactly sure what she told you, but she’s not as sweet as you think. Actually, she’s not sweet at all.”
“She’s not?” I questioned, raising my eyebrow at the strange girl curiously, hoping to receive a better explanation.
“I’m sure you’ve heard what happened…” she leaned in close to my ear as if to tell a secret. “It’s all true; she is some kind of monster,” she whispered softly, and pulled away with wide eyes.
“What’s all true? What do you mean by monster?” I questioned, my tone growing somewhat annoyed.
“You really haven’t heard? It didn’t happen too long ago.”
“What didn’t happen?” I asked, growing more aggravated by the second.
“I probably should’ve just kept my mouth shut. I’m really sorry. You’ll probably figure it out soon enough. I guess I shouldn’t be saying anymore.” She disappeared as quickly as she came, leaving me confused, angered, and questioning everything I had learned about Sunset Shimmer. Perhaps the girl was crazy, maybe she believed that Sunset was a literal monster, but most likely, she meant it in the figurative sense. What had she done to be called a monster?
I wanted to know, but I would feel horrible if I had to ask her. Questioning why exactly she was considered a monster certainly wasn’t the nicest or most well thought out of questions. I knew it may turn out even worse if I asked another behind her back though. I had to know, but at the same time, I had no idea how to figure it out. All that mattered was that the Sunset Shimmer she currently was, was a wonderful girl, and that was all that mattered.
The ring of the bell seemed even louder than usual that morning as it ushered me in to my first class.
***
I was utterly shocked when I was asked at lunch by Sunset if I was willing to have her over after school. Perhaps in a way to make such an offer sound less desperate on her part, she explained that she was interested in receiving some help on her math homework. I was never the best with math, but at least I knew what I was doing in the chapter that we were working on at the time. I did gain high hopes though. After beating around the bush, she finally did admit that her main objective was to spend time with me.
I paced nervously back and forth in my room, awaiting her text. I had only finished my own dinner a few minutes before, and knew that she may still be eating. It felt as if I had been waiting for hours, and I knew that the longer I waited the more issues and worries my mind would create. I began to wonder whether or not I should fix my hair some before she arrived. Intricate plans of what I would say and exactly how it would be said began to form in my mind from worry of being unexciting for her. I thought of drinking something caffeinated so that I could be at least somewhat more energetic. I pondered whether or not I should take a quick shower or perhaps put on some extra deodorant or find some of my stepfather’s cologne.
I finally remembered something I had always been told by my mother since I was young. It’s as easy as being yourself. No one likes a lie, those that do are lying to themselves as well. I tried my best to calm myself. I sat down upon the corner of my bed and took deep, drawn out breathes, letting my eyes fall shut.
They shot open at the buzz of my phone which still rested against my thigh, tucked tightly away in my pocket. After struggling to pull it out and quickly tapping in my passcode, my heart pounded heavily against my chest and my stomach buzzed with anxiety. Hey. Think I’m at the right place. Come outside to make sure. I was expecting her to at least give me a heads up before coming by.
I opened the door with an almost shaking hand. I was greeted by a rather odd but completely adorable sight. I couldn’t help but stare; I had never expected to see Sunset in pajamas, even on an occasion like that. It seemed as though she tried to look her best each and every day. Something about the abrupt change in appearance made her seem even more beautiful than she already was. Perhaps it was the simple fact that she was comfortable enough around me to do such a thing that made the sight so striking.
Sunset giggled nervously at my near-obsessive staring, a light blush appearing on her cheeks. “Sorry if I look sort of weird. I took a shower before I came and didn’t want to get all dressed up again. Hope you don’t mind.”
“Not at all,” I said, laughing just as nervously and feeling my cheeks heating up. “Oh, and come in.”
She nodded her head and smiled softly as I opened the door wider for her. “Hello, Sunset Shimmer, right?” my mother asked from behind me, causing me to jump slightly in shock. I began to wonder how long she had been watching us. I had explained to her earlier that what she was doing was exactly what I didn’t want, but of course she did it anyways. Pushing her way in front of me, she extended her hand in greeting.
“Yes,” Sunset said, lightly grasping her hand.
“Well, I just have to say that you are a very pretty girl.”
“Thank you,” Sunset said with a grin, “even though I’m sure I don’t look the best right now.”
“Oh, you look great, sweetie… anyways, I’ll let you two be. I was told not to interfere,” she said with a smirk as she turned her eyes to me. Sunset giggled and gave me a teasing wink as my mother wandered off into the house.
I rolled my eyes in embarrassment and silently lead her to my room. After setting down her books upon my bed she asked if she could take a seat. I of course told her yes and watched as she gently rested upon her bottom and then crossed her legs, showing off her pair of velvety, yellow slippers. Once again, I was awestruck by how adorable she looked.
I quickly grabbed my pencil and sat before my open book and notepad which I had already laid out beside her. “I guess we better get to work, huh?” I asked nervously, my heartbeat quickening, unsure of any other option.
“Yeah, I guess,” she sighed, pouting and huffing at me teasingly.
“Oh, come one, it won’t be too bad,” I said with a smile.
She gazed into my eyes for a slight second, causing me to freeze up. “At least I have someone to do it with.”
“Yeah,” I mumbled softly as her eyes darted away.
After helping her feel comfortable with solving the problems, we both began to grow silent as we worked out our answers, wanting to be done with the work as quickly as we could. Silence always tended to make my mind wander, even if I was concentrating on something important. I couldn’t help but think of what the strange girl had said to me early that morning. I still couldn’t wrap my head around Sunset ever being a truly wicked girl, but subtle hints did seem to point to it.
Even though she was beautiful, sweet, and had the sort of personality that would make a girl popular, it seemed as if nearly every student at CHS hated her or avoided her. That slight façade of acting overly-nice still hung over nearly everything she said or did, even now that she seemed so comfortable around me. Finally, there was still the way she dressed, always nice, but rebellious in a way. I began to wonder if perhaps her past was a rather dark one, and what exactly something like that said about her, along with what it meant for me, for us.
“Whew,” she breathed out, a relieved smile upon her face. “All done.”
“Good,” I said, smiling back. “So, uh, now what?”
“Ugh, I dunno, I’m exhausted. I feel like I haven’t sleep in ages or something.” She groaned as she pushed her books aside and fell forward onto the bed, giving herself a rest. I was unsure of exactly how to react. Would she grow uncomfortable if I lay beside her? Perturbed at myself for being so hesitant, I forced myself to do so, knowing that if I didn’t, the night would turn into a series of what-ifs.
“You tired too?” she asked as she rolled over onto her side, practically forcing me to gaze into her beautiful eyes.
“…Yeah, I’m always tired though,” I said with a laugh, causing her to giggle slightly.
“Maybe you should get more sleep then?” she questioned, giving me a smirk. “I really think I need to.” I was beginning to wonder if she was simply making a couple of statements, or hinting at something in a round-a-bout way. “I always end up sleeping better with someone else. I don’t know what it is exactly… maybe the extra warmth… or just knowing that I have someone else by my side.” A deep frown appeared on her face, and her eyes seemed to grow wet as if about to burst into tears. “It’s been a really long time since I’ve had that kind of company.” My heart began to pound heavily, my cheeks grew heated, and I felt as if I was running out of breath; it was not only a hint, but also a plea.
“I…” was the only word I managed to mutter out. I gazed into her eyes for a moment longer before she turned them away. Perhaps I had misunderstood after all. I was beginning to think my sudden hints of affection were making her nervous. If that was the case, I had already ruined whatever I thought we had. There was no point in holding it back if the outcome was the same… and there always was the off chance, “If you really want to, I could uh… be that someone. I mean, no way my mom would ever let you spend the night or anything like that but we could cuddle for a bit or… something like that.”
I could see her face growing red as she pondered, or perhaps pretended to ponder the question. “Yes!” she finally gasped, a wide smile upon her face. “I was sort of hoping you’d say that.”
My heart somehow began to pound even faster as she wrapped an arm around my shoulder and pulled herself against me, making the first move. Almost as if it was a repressed instinct, I placed my arm around her slender waist and pulled her even closer.
I suddenly realized that I had never been so close to a girl in my life. My entire body shuddered with both excitement and nerves at the thought. Sunset gazed at me questioningly a moment before letting out the softest of giggles. Our foreheads touching, I could smell and feel her breaths as they pushed out onto my face.
I let my eyes fall shut as her hand began to move in a circular motion across my shoulder blade. My body and mind had been numbed by the shock of suddenly getting so incredibly close to her, but those feelings began to come back as I relaxed with the calming motions of her hand.
Sunset’s body was extremely warm, her soft velvety pajamas gently pushing up against my clothes and exposed arms. Her perky, but soft breasts pushed up tightly against my chest, and her crotch lightly touched my own as she rubbed her slipper covered feet against mine.
I attempted to pull her even closer, wanting more of her body and warmth, while gently rubbing my forehead against hers. In that blissful silence, I began to realize how hard I had truly fallen for her, and how desperately I wanted more. The thought of pressing my lips to hers crossed my mind, but somehow I knew the time wasn’t right. We still had to shorten the distance between us. I felt as if I barely even knew her. At that moment, cuddling was the perfect reward for what I had accomplished so far. I had never even thought we would have grown that close.
With a slight adjustment, Sunset accidentally rubbed her crotch somewhat deeply against my own. I blushed, stunned and immediately aroused by the sensation. My body then tensed and shivered slightly. I grew both awkward and ashamed as she quickly pulled away. “Thank you for everything tonight, but I just… I’m not so sure about us, and I guess now would be the perfect time for me to leave,” she said softly, a hint of disappointment in her tone.
“…I’m sorry,” I mumbled as she rose to her feet and gathered her books.
She responded with a sweet, comforting smile and stroked a hand through my hair. “You didn’t do anything wrong, I promise. It’s just that…” her words faded into nothing, and she left in silence, leaving me more alone than I had ever felt before and completely confused.
At first I was under the assumption that I had ruined our night with my stupid hormones, but after what she had said, I had no clue what went wrong. It seemed as though with anything relating to Sunset Shimmer, there was always something more, something I didn’t know; it annoyed me to no end. I was almost certain that one of those unknown subjects was the exact reason why the night ended the way it did. I needed answers, but I still knew my asking would be insensitive.
The coming days would begin to convince me that I despised school, myself, and my life. That night of late contemplation and little sleep would be bliss compared to what was to come.