Chapter 4: Being not classy at all (Octavia)
It felt like hours and Octavia still laid on her bed, crying. Vinyl was gone, all because of her stuck up behavior about her feelings.
‘You wanted it like this.’ she thought. ‘Now the last thing to do is get rid of her memory.’
It sounded cruel, but it was definitely too late to run after Vinyl, not that she even had the choice. Without Vinyl she would feel better and could concentrate on more important things again.
‘Vinyl was important.’ it crossed her mind ‘but not important enough to forget your work and parents, and that’s nearly a shame.’
“Okay not this again.” she shook her head “I am going to forget Vinyl and I will be fine!”
Still mumbling to herself, she decided to take a shower. A nice warm shower to relax a bit. Maybe there she would be able to clear her head for her work that evening. On that day’s plan there was a rehearsal in the evening, practicing a new piece written by Baritone for a new musical in town.
Standing in her shower, Octavia tried to relax and let everything go, focus on her life and the work again. Sadly, another thought came across her mind, her life without Vinyl.
‘Why does this feel so abstrusely awkward? I don’t even have any form of relation to this messy white unicorn.’ she thought, feeling the water patter on her soft coat. ‘Work will distract me successfully, as always.’
With those words in mind she turned off the shower and grabbed for a towel in the cabinet. After drying her fur she reached for her brush that was made for her with a circular handle with a hole in it, perfectly sized for her hoof. Octavia brushed her mane to her usual standard as somepony knocked at the door. Perplexed, she made her way into the corridor to see a smiling Baritone in front of her door after she opened it.
“Baritone! How nice of you to visit me. Do you want to come it?” she started, giving him her usual smile.
“Oh of course Octavia, and never mind, I was in the area anyways.” he stepped in and looked around nervously, after the grey mare had closed the door. “Uhm, Octavia? Where is Vinyl?”
Octavia's face fell and she ran past him towards the living-room.
“Why, in Celestia's name, does everypony have to talk about her recently?” she groaned.
They sat both in Octavia's living-room, drinking their tea in silent. Baritone made a few tries to talk about it, but after various glares from Octavia he dropped the topic. Taking a sip from his cup Baritones gaze met Octavia's and he cleared his throat.
“You can’t hide from everything Octavia. You didn’t even tell her that you like her, and now you’re sitting here trying to avoid anything regarding her. Vinyl's gone again I would presume?” after a nod from her, he groaned. “Octavia you’re not making things easier that way, not at all! Instead the whole situation will grow worse!”
The grey mare blushed slightly and set down her cup, raising to her hooves “Baritone, I have already thought about that! I just can not do this, living with that messy mare in a friendly relationship.” she tried to calm down, without any success. “If you said I like that mare that much, everypony would disagree! How could such a classy mare like me be friends with that… that… horrible disaster?”
Baritone stood up, walking towards the door. While opening it and stepping outside he hesitated, looking back at her.
“Well, maybe it is time for you to stop being ‘that’ classy”
With those words the door went shut, leaving a speechless Octavia inside. Maybe it was time to visit an old friend again.
The grey mare stood in front of a large apartment complex, looking rather worried. After a few moments of shifting from one hoof to another, she finally went inside. Inside the entrance hall she looked at the names around the doorbell buttons, not finding what she was searching for around the first floors.
“Maybe she moved away...” a small whisper, nearly inaudible and filled with fear.
Nonetheless, she continued her search and found the right nameplate on the fifth floor, instantly pushing it without reading the others. She didn’t notice the nameplate right next to the one saying ‘Heartstrings’ said ‘Scratch’. After a while the speaker crackled, causing her to jump.
“Yes?”
“Uhm.. hi Lyra.. It is me, Octavia…” the grey mare started, but was soon cut off.
“What in Luna’s name do you want Octavia? I told you not to come back!” the voice said angrily.
“Well.. we should talk…” Octavia paused, then sighed. “And I might have been wrong”.
After a long silence, a click could be heard, then a small buzzer sounded as the door swung open.
“Fifth floor, apartment forty-two. Don’t you dare make us wait.” the voice crackled.
“Come again? ‘Us’?” her question went unanswered, so she stepped in.
Octavia looked around the big hall, quite impressed by the amount of mailboxes. Reaching the elevator that already waited, she pushed the button for the fifth floor. As the elevator started to move, she sighed and leaned against the wall. Octavia felt nervous in high apartments, even though most ponies would call fifth floor rather… menial. A small bell chimed, letting Octavia know she had reached the right floor, and the door opened. She stepped off of the elevator into a blue corridor, surprisingly fitting to Vinyls mane colour.
‘Ugh, not the right thought.’ Octavia decided silently, going to search for the right apartment.
Soon Octavia found apartment forty-two, hesitating to knock on the door. This wasn’t easy for her, and her old friend still sounded angry, even after nearly two years. Letting out a small sigh she knocked at the door, waiting for her destiny…
A mint green coated unicorn opened, an irked expression on her face. “Looky looky who came here once she needs her cookie”
That made Octavia blush slightly “I am indeed sorry for all my behaviour Lyra and…”
The unicorn cut her off “Just to keep things straight right away, if you’re planning on trying to change my mind again, leave now!”
Instead of an answer Octavia began to sob, small tears leaving their trail on her muzzle. She just looked at the unicorn, a silent plea in her eyes.
“I’ll probably regret this, but come in Octavia” Lyra sighed and waited for Octavia to come in, closing the door behind her.
Lyra led their way into a big living-room, where she sat down next to a beige coated earth pony. The temperature seemed to drop several degrees, both earth ponies shooting daggers while glaring at each other. The green Unicorn sighed nervously.
“Octavia, I think you remember Bon Bon?” Lyra started.
“Yes, I think I can remember her pretty well. What in Celestias name is she doing here?” the grey mare asked.
Instead of an answer Bon Bon smiled and leaned towards Lyra.
“What are you two.. ahh!” Octavia cried as lyra turned around, closing the distance and meeting Bon Bons lips.The kiss lasted a while and neither of them noticed when Octavia just passed out.
After a while, Octavia came back to consciousness, but instead of laying on the floor, she was on the couch. Lyra sat down in her view, smiling a bit while Octavia had only one question in mind.
“You still become a fillyfooler, even after your parents and I told you to think about it again?” she asked, though the answer was obvious.
“Would you stop feeling real love just because someone tells you to do so Octavia?” Lyra glared at her.
“Since nothing has happened since back then what I would define as love… I can not answer that Lyra.” the grey mare sighed. “I have to admit that I do not even know what love feels like”.
“You don’t know… but the stallion from rehearsals, what was his name again? Baritone? He seemed so nice and really caring about you and..” Lyra was soon stopped by a hoof on her muzzle.
“Please drop it Lyra. I was never interested in him and I will never be. I do not know what It is missing from him, but it seems to be quite.. something I could not go any further without.”
The Unicorn tried to speak but Octavias hoof was still on her muzzle. “Oh, beg your pardon Lyra. Speak again?” she blushed at the following words. “Maybe you’re a fillyfooler after all Octavia!”
That made Octavias face drop rather quickly “How dare you say such things to me Lyra? My parents are proud of me and I can be, too! I am a classy mare, with not to say at least some manners after all” she huffed.
“That doesn’t have to dissent from being a fillyfooler Octavia! Now let’s drop that conversation, you wanted to talk with me. I suggest we do this in our old favourite cafe, but only if Bon Bon is allowed to join us”
Octavia looked at Lyra. Trying to leave Bon Bon behind seemed to be no option. “Alright Lyra, let us go”
They sat at a small cafe near the Concert Hall, enjoying the clear sky with a cup of tea. Octavia enjoyed the time, although a small shadow lasted on her mind called Vinyl.
“Well Lyra, first I want to apologize for my behaviour. To be honest, you two look really cute together, and I am really sorry for any actions I took with your parents in the past. I think all my… manners taught by my parents were making me doing all this, even though I knew I could have stopped it.”
Lyra seemed speechless so it was Bon Bon who answered. “After Lyra told me everything you did, I really thought I would hate you for the rest of my Life. You made our Life horrible, even convinced her to break up with me for a couple of weeks. But.. I would say your apology is accepted, at least by me.” her voice was clear, loud and self-confident. “I also get to know ponies pretty well during my job as a candymaker, and I would say that there is something on your mind that is bothering you, and I doubt it’s about Lyra and I.” she blinked, and Octavia felt like Bon Bon’s eyes could see inside her.
“Well, I guess you are right Bon Bon, but I do not know how to.. formulate it.” Octavia thought about it for a second. “It is about a mare I have just become acquainted with, and she is invading my thoughts every few seconds”
Lyra suddenly found her voice. “What happened?”
Octavia tried to explain everything, from the time she met Vinyl at her door, to the actions where she nearly lost her and invited her to stay. At the end she talked about Hearth’s Warming Eve, today. “...And it was just impossible for me to say yes. My mind just said no, and found all those awful words for her, making her run away again. This messy white mare is somehow interesting as a friend and I just don’t know why.” she ended.
While she talked Lyras eyes grew wide, a small knowing smile around her Lips. “If i would have to guess the pony you are talking about I would say it’s my new neighbor. Her name is Vinyl Scratch, white coat, blue spiked hair with some light-blue in it. Yes that is definitely Vinyl.” the green unicorn chuckled. “And looks like you’ve got a crush on her”
“I am NOT having any questionable feelings for that mare Lyra! She is indescribably messy and rude on top of it!” Octavia’s voice grew louder and louder, causing some ponies from the cafe to look at her.
Bon Bon smiled wickedly, causing Octavia to become nervous. “Well then Octavia, let’s try it. We will do something that should reveal how you feel about Vinyl Scratch, and it just happens that I exactly know what”
“Bonnie sweety, you always scare me to hell when you talk with that smile. You are up to something, again!” Lyra tried to glare at her marefriend, but Bon Bon continued.
“Let’s walk a bit and talk about my plan” she chuckled.
Octavia’s jaw nearly fell down “You want me to do WHAT?” she creamed, causing the other two mares to flatten their ears in annoyance.
“How about you drop your voice a bit Octavia?” Lyra tried to hold back her impatience. “Bonnie thinks meeting that mare would either solve your problem and show you that she means nothing to you, or the second possibility that we are right and you love her, or at least feel more than just that tiny friendship.”
“This is just not possible Lyra. You know how I act even to the smallest signs of friendship or anything related to that. And I didn’t even care that she left my house, I even encouraged her to close the door carefully!”
Lyra was enraged by those words, staring directly into Octavias eyes. “This is because your damn freaky, stuck up parents are controlling your Life!” She stepped towards Octavia with every single word, poking her. “You’re acting like your parents would, not like you, and you deny it every time!. I’m so sick of it! You sniffy, silly, dumb mare! Stop living your life after your parents and finally start live your own!”
Octavia was speechless. Even Bon Bon stared at her marefriend, not knowing what to say. The grey mare felt tears running down her muzzle, fighting her own mind. Was it true? Did she really act like her parents would? Could she even act different?
“I… I don’t know what to say..” Octavia cried. But then she remembered Baritones words.
‘Maybe it is time for you to stop being ‘that’ classy’
With a small sigh Octavia looked at Bon Bon, smiling and causing the beige earth pony to get nervous. “Oh, I don’t like this look….”
“Maybe I finally figured something out.” Octavia was still smiling. “Let’s go through with your plan again Bon Bon, it seems so.. surprisingly interesting now.”
Exchanging unsure looks, Lyra and Bon Bon led the way back to the apartment. Coming close they saw a recognizable blue spike-haired mare coming out of the entrance hall with a turquoise pegasus by her side, both smiling wildy.
“Oh look Octavia, theres Vin… Octavia?” Lyra searched around but Octavia was gone. Both mares continued to walk, only greeting the other pair with a small smile and a nod, while Octavia was hidden around the next corner. she stood silent, peeking around the edge to see Vinyl. She seemed quite happy with that pegasus at her side and Octavia felt her temper rise again. Shaking her head, she tried to calm down.
‘This is touching you too deep for only friendship’ she thought with a small sigh.
Once Vinyl and the pegasus were gone she quickly reached Lyra and Bon Bon, who were waiting inside the entrance. Both shared a knowing look, then they went upstairs for the plan.
Octavia laid on the couch, thinking and sipping on her peppermint tea.”So you think it would be a good Idea if I would go to that club? What am I intended to do there? I do not like that noise they call music and I do not like parties at all!”
Lyra groaned “That’s the point! Going there, in an environment you would barely stay in for one minute on your own, could be the possibility to see what you feel for that mare.”
“I do NOT feel anything for this messy white unicorn!”
“STOP lying to us Octavia! We’re no foals anymore!”
She fell silent. It felt like they were right but Octavia was too proud to accept it easily, and they wouldn’t leave the topic until she visited that club.
“Fine, I will do it, but only if you two accompanies me towards this hell!” the grey mare groaned.
She regretted it as soon as they stood in front of the Club, a long crowd in front of the door waiting to get in. Lyra sighed and joined the crowd, waving for them.
“I guess we’ll have to wait then.” the green unicorn said, but then she was startled by an booming noise coming out through the door of the club, suddenly opened by an employee whispering something into the bouncers ear. He seemed to shudder, then cleared his throat.
“Alright everypony, listen up. All of you here at the moment will get in in ten seconds to see Sassaflash and DJ-Pon3. Behave and stay in the line and everything will be fine!”
Octavia looked confused “Sassaflash and DJ-Pon3?” her thoughts were stopped the moment the crowd pushed in through the open door, causing the volume of the noise to go up and Octavia laid her ears down in pain.
“It is really loud” she winced towards Lyra, but the mare just continued to pull Bon Bon and her towards the bar. Lyra motioned for her to sit down.
“You have to listen to me now Octavia. You have to do this alone, but I suggest you have fun, maybe drink a bit. We’ll be over here on the dancefloor so if something goes wrong, just tell us, ok?” Lyra smiled and took Bon Bon towards the dancing crowd.
The grey mare was left shocked. “Wait, you can not just leave me here! I do not know what to do now!” but the two were already gone in the dancing mass of ponies.
Sighing, she looked at the bar pony, motioning for a drink. “Please do give me something strong, I am planning to forget everything about today”.
She got a smile back as the bar pony gave her a glass full of ice-blue liquid. Now a bit unsure, Octavia decided to look around the club and get drunk later. After all, she was still a proud mare, not in need of such filthy pleasure as being drunk and not herself.
She spotted her nearly instantly. A white unicorn with blue spiked hair and purple shades. Vinyl was drinking out of a round glass, really getting into everything as her head bobbed up and down to the beat of the bass. At her side she saw the turquoise pegasus from earlier, feeling anger starting to grow inside her again.
The pegasus was close to Vinyl, a bit too close for Octavia.
‘Stop it.’ she disciplined herself ‘She is just working with her and... wait, why do I even care?’
The pegasus moved closer every minute, then Vinyl picked the microphone up and started shouting at the crowd.
“Yo, DJ-Pon3 wubbing your night with Sassaflash. Move your lame flanks, because we have all night!”
With those Words her horn glowed and suddenly the bass was turned up, making Octavia vibrate in its sound. She felt like air, fresh and full of power, about to dance away. She liked this music.. Vinyls music… she froze immediately and grabbed the drink she left on the counter, drinking the whole liquid at once as she tried to forget her surroundings. After her third drink, she felt light and slightly dizzy. She was getting drunk.
‘Octavia, the classy mare with high manners, was getting drunk’ her mind laughed at her. How far had she fallen because of that white mare?
The grey mare tried to focus on Vinyl again, who was now flank to flank with the pegasus. Octavia felt more anger coming up, and tried to focus and stop the feelings she had at that moment.
She failed. Once she saw them leaning into a kiss Octavia lost control, letting out an infuriated yell and stomping right towards the stage. The alcohol made her act like she never had before, blinded by the hot feeling tightening around her chest.
At that moment Vinyl recognized her and waved for somepony, breaking her kiss for a short time. It was the bouncer from the front of club, but Octavia couldn’t care less at the moment. But as Vinyl pointed towards her and talked with the silver pegasus that stood at her side now just to continue kissing the turquoise mare again, she only felt her anger grow worse.
“You incredibly dumb, messy, infuriating” a small pause “something! Stop kissing that mare and face me instead of pointing at me!” Octavia shouted, but it went unheard. She nearly reached the stage, but found herself surrounded. The bouncer who had talked with Vinyl looked at her.
“Miss Scratch wants you to leave, and you’ll leave now!” he stated.
It made Octavia laugh, barely in control over herself. “Look, I will only say this one time. Get the BUCK out of my WAY” she stormed forward, pushing against the security that tried to hold her down. Octavia screamed, shattered, and tried to hurt everything around her, her mind a small cage of anger and feelings towards Vinyl.
She managed to kick one of the security ponies, but soon found herself held down by various others. They managed to lift her up and drag her outside, while Octavia screamed towards Vinyl once more “Vinyl I hate you! You bucked everything up and don’t even care! I hate you!” Her screaming went unheard again while being carried outside.
Once outside the security dropped her not to gently, causing her to land on her flank painfully. Now it was official. She went to the lowest state of social being, and it was all because of Vinyl.
Octavia began to cry, tear after tear running down her muzzle, everyone with a small cry in it, that went unheard after it shattered on the ground. Soon she felt somepony beside her, hugging her. It was Bon Bon.
“I won’t ask you what happened, but I saw most of it. Let’s go home” her voice was soft and calm as she dragged Octavia up. She felt nothing anymore, everything around her turning black slowly.
She woke up in a soft, green bed, but it wasn’t her own. Sitting up, she felt all her muscles screaming and her head aching like never before, making her immediately lay down again. Wincing from pain, she breathed heavily, as a face moved into her sight.
“You’re awake, that’s good. How’re you feeling today?” Lyra asked nearly inaudibly.
Octavia answered in her normal volume “Not too good, I am afraid.” she regretted it immediately, her headache growing even worse.
The green unicorn nodded with a caring smile. “That’s about what I thought. How does a stack of pancakes, coffee and some fresh air on the balcony sound to you?”
“Great indeed, but may I take a shower first?” the grey mare looked at Lyra, trying to remember what happened and thinking that a shower would indeed be a pleasure now. Lyra nodded, leading her towards a small door after Octavia got up on her shaking hooves.
The warm water running down her coat started to relax her muscles and the pain in her head even started to go away. Maybe the day could only get better. She turned the shower off after a while, stepping out and drying her fur.
Lyra and Bon Bon were in the kitchen, sitting side to side, nuzzling each other with their muzzle. They jumped when they saw her, an apology in their eyes, but Octavia just smiled. It would have annoyed, maybe even offended her one day before, but now she felt happy for both of them.
Bon Bon smiled back and served her some pancakes. “Felling better?”
“A bit.” then the grey mare fell silent, eating her pancakes with pleasure. They went out onto the balcony, every mare sipping a cup of coffee. After a while Octavia looked to Lyra. “I still can’t remember anything after you two left me at the bar, so what happened?”
“You really can’t remember anything?” Octavia shook her head as an answer. “Well, you drank quite a lot and kinda.. went off” Lyra said, looking worried.
The grey mare still looked confused so Bon Bon went on. “After we left you at the bar, we couldn’t see everything anymore. But you got drunk.. really drunk. Then Vinyl did something and you started raging at the stage, only to be stopped by security, and even then you didn’t give up and kicked one of them down. After that, they threw you out and we carried you home”
Her hoof met her face with an audible sound, but Octavia was also curious. Bon Bon was hiding something and Octavia wanted to know everything.
“What exactly was Vinyl doing?” she glared at Bon Bon, forcing an answer.
The mares exchanged fearful looks, then Bon Bon went on “She kissed Sassaflash”
Octavia felt nothing but pain. She remembered… Vinyl kissed Sassaflash and enjoyed it, then let Octavia be thrown out by the security… Octavia was furious seeing Vinyl kissing somepony. What was wrong with her? Maybe.. Vinyl was important to her…
The grey mare shook her head. “Seems like I just got drunk and since I have never experienced such a thing... I guess I went mad. ”
Lyra looked serious now. “Well we would say it looked more like Lo…” Octavia stopped her with a hoof.
“Please don’t Lyra. I might have to admit that I like her, but I just can’t have other feelings for her.”
The green Unicorn was about to say something else when she noticed a yellow blur in the air, heading straight for them. All three mares looked at it, scared, but the blur corrected its course, crashing into the neighbor's balcony, Vinyls balcony. They looked over the railing to see a yellow mare in a wonderbolt uniform knocking loud at Vinyls door. It was Spitfire, captain of the Wonderbolts, and she was more than furious.
“Vinyl Scratch, open the bucking door! I’m sooo going to kill you for this!”
Octavia sighed and sat down. Her life was getting more and more interesting with every day passing by. Thinking back about what Baritone said she stood up and walked inside.
Maybe it was really time to stop being classy.