//------------------------------// // March 25: She Don't Believe Anyone Can Help Her // Story: 7DSJ: Protection // by Shinzakura //------------------------------// Both Sunstone and Wildfire looked at the scratches all over the latter’s mother’s prized 2012 Toyota Camry. The crush-blue car was embedded in nothing but key scratches, many of them spelling out words and phrases like VIBEWHORE, DID YOU GET DRUGGED TO? and BRIANWAHED 2 B NOTES FREND. “You know, I don’t know what’s worse,” Wildfire said, giving her friend an awkward smile. “That they did this to Mom’s car, or that half of them can’t spell.” She brushed taupe-colored hair out of brown eyes. “Soooo glad my car’s in the shop right now, or they would’ve done this to my Scion. Spent a fortune getting that and talking my parents into letting me have it!” “Yeah, sorry about that, Wild,” Sunstone said, clapping her hand on her friend’s shoulder. “Your Mom going to kill you?” “No, she knows, and fortunately, the school district’s offered to pay for the damage. Dad’s half-tempted to pull me out and send me over to a private school, but I don’t think that’s going to happen.” “Good. We’d miss you if you did,” was the reply. The two continued to look at the car, reading such nuggets of wisdom as NOTEWORTHYS DRUGGIE SLUT, DID U SPRED 4 NOTS? and MY LIL SISTER GOT NAILED YOU HAG! Finally, without taking her eyes off the car, Wildfire asked, “How’s he taking it?” “Well, he’s promised not to push any of us away anymore. Last thing he needs is to get kicked around right now because he’s by himself – and that almost happened yesterday.” Sunstone then explained their run-in with Torpedo and his teammates, finishing it with, “And if I weren’t there yesterday, I’d be by his bedside today.” “So, did you tell him yet?” The silence was deafening, and that was more than Wildfire needed to know. “You shouldn’t hide the fact that you love him, Stoney.” Neither girl looked at each other as Sunstone sighed. “I…can’t. He’ll never look at me that way, Wild! We were raised together, like siblings – ever head of RSI? And even if not…we’re cousins.” Wildfire chuckled. “Kissing cousins?” “I wish – and honestly, I’d do a lot more than that.” Though her friend didn’t see it, a shy grin broke onto Sunstone’s face. “Besides, I’ve told him before, and he’s never believed me.” Wildfire broke out in laughter. “Because you always tease him about it! You make it sound like you’re harshing him over wanting to play tonsil hockey when you actually do! And besides, I wouldn’t worry too much about the cousin thing. Did you know my parents are cousins? Got married when they were still living in Mexico, and nobody gives them shit for it.” She then shrugged, admitting, “Well, truth be told it tends to freak out my older sister Wildstar, but Wildflower and I are okay with it.” “Yes, but I’m not sure my family would react so well, even though Notes and I aren’t all that closely related. Even still….” She sighed. “I love him and I can’t tell him worth a damn to save my life. And here I offered to help him win Minuette.” Wildfire winced. “Not sure that was a good idea. All you’re doing is cutting your own heart out, Stony.” Wildfire then looked at her friend, eye to eye and said, “Tell him. If he’s really the great guy we know he is, he’ll understand. Besides, you don’t know how he feels about you, do you?” “I know – he wants Minuette, not me.” “Because he doesn’t know you’re on the market, girl. Trust me: if he knew? Minuette wouldn’t stand a chance.” In a move that seemed as though it were out of a film, Sunstone reached into her shirt and pulled out a locket necklace. Opening the locket, she revealed a tiny picture of her and Noteworthy at the New Year’s dance the town threw just months back. They had their arms around each other and while Noteworthy was smiling at the camera, Sunstone had her eyes on him. Though the person who took the pic didn’t realize it, Sunstone knew the look in her own eyes that night: love and desire. Closing the locket and squeezing her fist around it, she closed her eyes to ward away the anguish. “If only I could believe that, Wild,” she replied in hushed tones. “Earth to Minnie….” Waterfire waved her hand in front of her friend’s face. “You’ve been spacing out a lot this morning.” “I…sorry. That news report we heard in your car a few minutes ago really unnerved me.” The azure-and-ivory-haired girl slumped in her seat, her deep-blue eyes focusing on her friend. “How many of us? How many?” Minuette sighed in her chair and said, “I’d give a kidney to go back to being called Colgate or Aquafresh or whatever, instead of ‘victim’. Or ‘damaged’. Or—” “Minnie, we’ve been over this a dozen times. It wasn’t your fault. If anything I’m to blame for introducing you to Stylin’. And you weren’t the only one he victimized, remember? They found traces of the drug in my system, too; it was just that the batch they gave me was too weak to have an effect.” “You know, I ran into Golden Shamrock and Blueshift? They used to be best friends, and now they don’t speak to each other anymore, because of that damn party! Goldie told me that she and Blue were forced to…. They used them like toys! Two human beings, and they were literally thrown together like robots just for the amusement of som—” As her voice rose, Minuette started to get stares, and it took several hand motions from Waterfire to get the hint. “But that’s not the worst of it.” The tangelo-haired girl banged softly on the table. “That’s enough, Minnie! What did I tell you? I refuse to let you beat yourself up, and if that’s all you’re going to do, I’m going home. I took us out to lunch so we could relax, not so that you cou—” Suddenly the bell chimed and a girl with short spring-green and fuchsia hair raced into the café. “Sorry, Mrs. Cake, I know I’m running a little late!” “That’s okay, dear, I know it’s been a busy day,” Cup Cake replied as she looked at her employee. “Why don’t you take the orders for table five? Pinkie should be out shortly, but they’ve been sitting there a few minutes.” “Sure thing!” Blossomforth replied, reaching over and slipping on her apron, grabbing her pad and pen and then rushing over to the table. “Hello and welcome…to…the….” The teen waitress stood there, her mouth agape. Minuette looked at her, with a look akin to a rabbit in the headlights. “Blossom?” “Minnie?” the floral-haired girl cried out in a voice that sounded like it was being choked. Both girls stood there, completely transfixed, to the point that Waterfire had to wonder if time had stopped. “Ah, I got this!” Moving to the rescue, Pinkie Pie grabbed Blossomforth and said, “Uncle Carrot needs help in the backside…I mean in the rear! No, I mea—” Blossomforth just ran off in a random direction, not even aware that she’d run up the stairs into the Cake domicile. Cup watched the whole display with surprise, but immediately realized what had happened. “Shit. Pinkie—” “Don’t worry, I got this, Auntie Cup!” She turned back to Waterfire and Minuette. “Order’s on the house. What do you—” Minuette stood up, and did the only logical thing she could think of: she passed out. Thirty minutes and an ambulance later, Pinkie was upstairs, trying to coax Blossomforth out of her room. “Blossom? Do you want to talk?” “No,” came the muffled reply under Pinkie’s bedsheets. “I want to hide from the world and if it wasn’t for my baby…I’d want to die right now.” “Ambulance came to get Minnie,” Pinkie said, as she sat down next to Blossomforth in the bed. “Uncle Carrot and Auntie Cup closed for the day. They called your parents, explained everything and said you were welcome to stay the night; your dad will be by first thing in the morning to pick you up.” The cotton-candy-haired girl reached over and stroked Blossomforth’s head, trying to be comforting. “I think I hurt Minnie,” Blossom said in a soft voice. “I…I remember what happened that night. And I think she does too.” “Do you want to talk about it?” Pinkie asked. “No, I—” “I’m not going to be offended,” Pinkie said with a smile. “I know people tend to think of me as this innocent thing that has no idea of what’s going on in the world, but I’m not dumb: I have breasts, I have periods, and I know what all that’s for. I’ve also….” She blushed, though it looked more girlish than anything else. “Anyway…I’m not as innocent as everyone thinks, and I’m not going to be offended if you have to say something that you think might otherwise offend my virgin ears or something like that.” “Really?” Pinkie nodded, and Blossomforth then explained, in graphic detail, of her “encounter” with Minuette at the ill-starred party. “Sometimes I don’t know whether to laugh or cry, Pinkie. I later found out that was my first sexual encounter. My first time, and I was with a girl I consider a friend, and neither of us swing that way and yet….” The floral-haired girl’s voice fell to a near hush. “They used us like meat, like our lives weren’t worth anything. I’ve…adjusted, had to adjust because of my baby, but Minnie doesn’t have that support.” “Do you want a hug?” Pinkie asked, a look of concern slipping onto her features. “No offense, Pinkie, but contact with another girl right now is the last thing I want.” Blossomforth then shook her head and added, “Besides, I’m fine. It’s Minnie that I’m worried about – does she have a support network, or is she hanging out in the wind with nobody to help her?” “Look at ‘em sway with it,” Derpy sang out at the oven, opening it. A short blast of heat radiated from the appliance, signaling that it was ready to accept her incredible treasure. “Gettin’ so gay with it,” she continued, reaching over to the kitchen island and grabbing the priceless tray within its confines sat priceless works of art. She half-spun, sliding in the tray from her left hand, down her arm, past her shoulder blades, and into the oven via the length of her right arm, before shutting the oven closed due to a cute bump from her butt as she belted out, “Shoutin’ ‘Olé!’ with it, wow! Uuunh! Papa loves mamb—” “You are sooooo weird,” a voice sang out, and Derpy froze. The teen turned to see her sister standing at the entrance to the kitchen, a sneaky grin on her face. “Who listens to that stuff? It sounds like Grandma’s music.” “Because it is! You know how much I like Golden Voice,” Derpy said. “Hello?! Sapphire Shores? Tequila Sunrise? Midnight Moondust? Ever heard of them?” the younger sister retorted. Derpy shrugged. “You know I’m not into modern stuff.” Dinky rolled her eyes and groaned. “Derpy, you are weird!” “Whatever. Anyway, don’t touch these when they’re done, okay? They’re some cherry chocolate muffins I’m baking especially for Carrot.” She grinned. “Besides, I put a new batch of double chocolate chip cookies in the jar for you to share with your friends…which is why I’m guessing you came down here?” Dinky blinked in surprise, before her older sister laughed. “Call it an older sister’s hunch.” Dinky went over and hugged her sister. “I swear, Derpy, sometimes you act more like Mom than she ever did.” Derpy winked. “Maybe there’s some sort of alternate universe where I’m your mother instead of your sister?” “Yeah, right – like that would ever happen,” the girl said. “Well, can you get me a plastic container? The girls’ll be here soon and I want to make sure we don’t make a mess in my room.” “Smart girl.” “Well, Dad did say that if I didn’t listen to you, I’ll be in deep trouble.” Dinky was about to say something additional, but then the doorbell rang. “Hey, maybe that’s them.” “Well, maybe you should go answer the door and I’ll take care of the cookies,” Derpy replied, a grin sliding onto her face. “Yeah, okay, whatever.” Dinky rolled her eyes again and raced for the front door. A second later, she called back, “Hey, it’s your boyfriend!” My boyfriend? Derpy’s mind shut down on that thought. Even at the tender age of sixteen, she’d yet to go on a date and while she liked a lot of the guys at school, half of them were turned off by her eyes, even with the fact that her glasses corrected most of the visual error…and the rest of them were only interested in her because of Carrot. That probably had been the origin of her snarky and cocky outward attitude, something that she definitely wasn’t towards those who were close to her. Hedgehog’s dilemma: always going to push away those who could get close, she sighed. Well, anyone who wanted to get close to her was probably doomed to have to navigate the hell that was her life anyway. “Who is it?” she called out. “Heya, Derps,” a voice said as he came into the kitchen – it was Pencil Code, a fellow member of the computer club. The guy was an okay codebanger, Derpy had to agree, but he had no pizzazz or style when it came to scripting. He was cute, however, though he really needed to upgrade from the thick glasses and circa-1990s plaid shirts. Then again, I’m little better, she thought mentally. Carrot’s always telling me that I’d look good if I clean myself up, an— “Derpy?” Code voiced. “You okay?” She blinked once, as though to let reality slide back into her mind. A second later, she narrowed her eyes as her trademark attitude kicked into gear. “Heya, Code,” she said, waving. “What’s up?” The boy snickered. “So what’s with all the 50s Happy Housewife stuff?” Derpy’s eyes narrowed. “You so much as breathe the concept in anyone’s general direction?” She got right into his face and hissed, “Expect really weird Yugoslavian porn to be dumped all over your pretty computer the next day.” “Y-you wouldn’t dare!” Code stammered. “News flash, stupid – who the fuck just had your house entirely networked since you don’t know shit about hardware?” “Uh, my parents?” She then grinned. “And who do you think they paid to do all the work?” When his jaw hit the floor, she added, “Honestly, I would’ve done it for free, but your mom insisted that she pay me. So naturally I’m going to set a backdoor in case I need to do some repairs from remote. Of course, you know as well as I do that back doors can be used for other things as well.” “You know I’ll find it,” he countered. “Not in time,” she insisted, folding her arms. “So?” He sighed. “Fine, I get the hint.” “Oh, stop being such a pussy. Here, have a cookie.” She passed him a triple chocolate chip, and while he munched, she asked, “So now that we got that out of the way, what brings you here?” “Working on a new proggie for a commission and wanted to know if you’d validate the code for me. It’s going to pay quite a bit, so I want to make sure that I’m covered. Less bugs in it the better.” She shrugged. “Well, you’re usually not sloppy with your code, so I’m guessing this is big. What do I get out of it?” To her surprise, he blushed, “Well…I thought…um…well…maybe…you’d want to go out for dinner and talk about it?” She blinked. Twice. Thrice. Then, in a hushed but surprised voice stammered, “A-a-are you asking me out?” Pencil Code suddenly stood a little straighter, and looked at her straight in the eye. “Yes, I’m asking you out on a date.” Derpy’s eyes suddenly went wider and choked off the comment that she’d planned to say. “Y-you’re what?” “Look, Derpy…we’ve known each other for years. You’re cute – probably the cutest girl I know – and I’ve wanted to ask you out for the longest time. This just gives me the excuse to do so. So, do you want to go out?” “I-I-I’d…have to think about it. I’m watching my sister this week and next while Dad’s on training and….” Derpy knew she could solve it in a heartbeat by having Dinky stay over a friend’s place that night. But that also brought up a huge issue: she was being asked out by a guy who thought she was cute. It wasn’t something that she expected in the least, and she didn’t know how to react to it. I’ve got to ask Carrot what to wear an— Ice suddenly infested her veins. Carrot…if I bring this up to her, she’ll think I betrayed her. After all, Derpy was the one who never dated, while Carrot had her choice of the boys, right? But that had been before the Vibe and all those damn events…. Her eyes narrowed. Code was friends with Noteworthy, who was one of the ones who had escaped any responsibility for the whole affair. Maybe it was true that he was just as much of a victim as the rest of them, but it wasn’t something that Derpy believed to be true in any way, shape or form. But that wasn’t her problem. No, my problem’s how to get dating advice from Carrot while not twisting in the knife further, she sighed. Code heard that sigh and looked at her sadly. “Hey, so you don’t want to go out. I understand,” he said in a disappointed voice. To her own surprise, she blushed. “Actually, I’d like to,” she admitted, “but…hey, gotta figure out what to do with my little sister, remember? I…look, let me call you later tonight after I look at your code and we’ll see do what we gotta see…I mean, see what go gotta we! I mea—” The boy chuckled as he handed her the flash drive. “You know, I don’t ever think I’ve ever seen you this flustered before, Derpy.” Momentarily recovered, she snatched the drive from his hands. “And if you want me to go out with you, you’ll forget about it, right?” she grumbled in a tone that indicated that him telling anyone else was at his peril. “Uh…yeah.” Noteworthy strummed on one of the demo guitars, trying to tune it in order to make it sing. He had nothing better to do today, with his friends all working on other stuff and he not wanting to be beat up. Plus, even he knew that if he chased Minuette around long enough, he was going to look like more of a stalker than a dating prospect. So here he was, on an off-day, working. “Sounds like you got the tuning down flat, son,” Noteworthy’s father Blues Traveler said with an approving nod. BT, as everyone called him, was a travelling jazz musician and blues player, as well as an in-demand session musician. Though he traveled far and wide, he always returned to Canterlot and his family. This year, however, due to Noteworthy’s issues, he had returned early from a world tour that he’d been on and had just gotten in town a few days back. “So, you want to talk about what happened?” “No, sir, but I’m guessing you already heard,” Noteworthy replied, focusing on the sounds coming from the guitar. One of the strings sounded a little more twangy than normal, even though he had it tuned the way he wanted it. As always, his grandfather was right; factory-issue strings were as cheaply made as possible, and he would have to replace these with a set of Elixirs, since they were on sale this week; or XLs, since they tended to be one of the better selling brands out there. “Yes, but I want to hear it from you.” Noteworthy looked up and saw a look on his father’s face that he did not want to see: not anger, but disappointment – at himself. No doubt BT blamed himself for not being around and being a stable influence in his son’s life, and as a result, his son had traveled down a path that he wouldn’t have if he’d been there. “Dad, it’s not your fault. It’s mine,” Noteworthy said, accepting the blame. “I should’ve known what Flash and Blueblood and the others were getting into. I should’ve been the one to say something.” He then slammed his hand down on the strings, giving it a loud twang and breaking one; the string snapped out and hit his cheek, drawing blood. “But I didn’t, okay? I didn’t until I couldn’t take it anymore, because the girl I like was targeted!” BT reached into his pocket for a Kleenex, handing it to his son. “Little rough on the merch, Notes. You know that’s no way to treat a piece of art like that.” Noteworthy took the tissue. “Yeah, and it bit me back as a result. Just another girl who don’t like me – and another blow I deserved.” “You know, your mother and I didn’t raise you to be so defeatist.” “Yeah, well I bet you probably didn’t expect to raise a monster like me, either,” Noteworthy began, but stopped before he could say his next part. He looked at his father and was hoping that there would be some response as well. Instead, he saw what looked like intense sadness in his father’s eyes. “Son…I wished you never traveled down the same path I did, but…this ain’t the end. At least you got off clean.” Noteworthy’s face registered confusion, and that seemed to be his queue to continue. “When I was your age? There was this girl I was wild about, girl by the name of Saffron Blaze. Hottest girl in town, and best of all, she was with me. Your grandpa told me that she was the kinda girl that men by rights should stay away from, because they’re nothing but trouble. And you know what? He was right.” “I don’t understand.” BT grinned, but it was a melancholy one. “Remember son, I grew up in the 80s. Big hair, parachute pants, pastel and neon everywhere and everyone looked like they were trying to be the cover of a Duran Duran album. Saffron? No different. She looked as hot as could be, and never let me know differently. I know that you haven’t, ah, been with a girl yet, but when I was younger than you, Saffron and I? Wasn’t a time when we weren’t doing it ever since we started dating. In hindsight, we were doing that more than actually dating, per se, but back then my mind wasn’t really focused on that. “It was a friend of hers that had gone on to college a couple of years before that had introduced us to coke. I tried it once, didn’t like it, swore that I’d stay clean and far away from it. But Saffron…she took to it like a duck to water. She did it on a regular basis and little by little stopped being the girl that everyone wanted and started to become really the girl that everyone stayed away from, even me. And then about two weeks after we stopped going together? She ODed. Her parents said when they found her, they found a key of coke – where the hell she got it from, nobody knows – and a picture of me and her in one of her hands. The other? Well…that’s private. “Her parents blamed me for the whole thing; after all, if I’d known about it, why didn’t I say anything? Why did I just abandon her? And you know what? They were right. I did. I just walked away instead of helping her, and she would probably be alive today if I did – and if not, my conscience would be clear. So if you’re wondering why I’m not mad at you? It’s because I’m mad at myself – for not teaching you that there are people out there who get themselves in holes, and people like us are put there with them to help them out. And I didn’t teach you that. So, yes, while you’re suffering for what happened…you’re not alone, son. By no means, are you alone.” Lying in the darkness of her room, wearing headphones, Carrot Top felt alone and empty. Nobody was home, and Derpy was busy taking care of her sister. Carrot didn’t dare to step out of the house for fear that something would happen again, just like it did last night. She hadn’t told Derpy what had happened, because she didn’t want to drag her friend down with her. While the blonde had went to get them snacks, Carrot went off to the restroom to freshen up, and would meet her at the seats. Off into the restroom the carrot-hued girl had gone, without any issue, entering a stall. But it was when she was seated there on the toilet that she heard the voices of other girls just outside, at the sink: “Did you see who’s here? Carrot cunt!” “Who? Oh, you mean Carrot Top, right? Yeah, heard she gangbanged a bunch of guys while on that drug. Heard she liked it, too.” “Figures. Goddamn slut’s already got the eye of every guy at school, and probably a few girls, too.” “Yeah, bet she’s spent some time with that blonde chick who goes to County – the one they say fucks everyone she meets?” “Dunno about that, but wouldn’t be surprised. Anyway, saw who she’s here with. The retard with the eyes – as if she thinks glasses are going to fix them.” “Eh, they’re fuckbuddies anyway, I’m sure – just a matter of who wears the strap-on. Anyway, we’d better get to our movie, it’s starting in a couple of minutes.” Shivering with a mixture of shame, anger and fear, Carrot made her way to the seat next to Derpy. Thankfully, the movie had a part that brought tears to everyone’s faces, or else she might have to explain what had happened. “You know, she probably already knows,” a voice said in the room. Surprisingly, it was her own. Carrot sat up to find herself standing there, in the nude. “She probably stays with you out of sympathy, you know.” “What do you mean?” Carrot asked her double, looking at something the other Carrot was missing: namely, the scar from the surgery. She was scarless and perfect in a way that the teen on the bed would never be ever again. “You know that she sees you as nothing but a basket case,” Other Carrot said, sitting on the bed and looking at Carrot. “She may have thought of you as a sister once, but you know her mind. She’s analytical, logical and looks at things through a mathematical lens. And right now? You’re just an experiment.” “That’s not true!” Carrot retorted. “She’s only like that to protect herself. With people she really knows, she lets down her guard and she’s the sweetest girl ever! Besides, she would never treat me like that!” “Oh, really? Then why isn’t she here?” “Because she’s taking care of Dinky!” “That’s a lie and you know it.” Other Carrot reached over and caressed her duplicate’s face. “Dinky’s smart enough to take care of herself and besides, it’s spring break – she could easily stay over a friend’s. No, Derpy’s there because she doesn’t want to be here. And why should she? You’re ugly now.” Other Carrot gestured towards herself. “Meanwhile, look at me: I’m perfect, not a scratch on me, and worth the eye of every guy – and girl – at school. That girl over at County, the one with the rumors? Bet she only dreams of what you had.” An evil grin came onto Other Carrot’s face as she added, “Or should I say used to have?” “That’s not true! Derpy said I’m still beautiful, my parents say so too!” “And yet you’re lying in bed, wearing clothing, so you don’t have to see the mark of your shame anymore. And yet look at me. Pristine and flawless. Everything you want to be. Everything you used to be. And yet…there’s a way that you could still be.” “No, it’s impossible.” “Oh, really? Then ask Candlewind. Most beautiful woman, back in the sixties…until she started to get old and fat and forgotten. And you know what?” A sinister grin came onto Other Carrot’s face. “It wasn’t anything that death couldn’t solve. Look at her now! She’s on the list of The Most Beautiful Women in History! And she earned that spot by checking out early – no getting old, fat and decrepit like Hampstead Sweetheart or Roman Holiday.” Other Carrot leaned forward and said, “And you can be just like her – an immortal beauty, while you still can. Before anyone realizes how hideous you’ve become.” “How?” Carrot asked, not sure if she should. In reply, Other Carrot whipped her hand out, producing a small bottle of pills. “All you have to do is take these, instead of the ones the doctors have you taken. Trust me, your parents won’t miss them, just like they won’t miss you. They’ll be free of you, Carrot, and you’ll be free of the fear, the misery, the ugliness. You’ll get to be Aphrodite once, more, and all…” Other Carrot got closer, within Carrot’s personal space, adding, “…you have to do…” Other Carrot pulled off Carrot’s shirt, so both nude chests were mirrors of one another, as Other Carrot then pulled Carrot’s face to hers finishing with, “…is just take these.” And with that, two pairs of lips that were identical to one another connected— —and Carrot opened her eyes, sitting up and breathing heavily, still wearing her shirt… …and a bottle of her father’s prescription of sleeping pills. In her other hand, about ten of the pills, more than enough to overdose. With a panic, she threw the pills away, burying herself underneath her sheets and shivering in panic. Did I…did I? You could be beautiful forever, the voice in the back of her mind cooed, a siren’s song of suicide that repulsed her right now…and yet also spoke to her in a way that she never felt before. Carrot reached over to her phone, and dialed a number that she knew would immediately answer. “Derpy?” she asked in a weak tone. Derpy knew in a moment that something was wrong. “Carrot, you okay?” “Do…do you hate me? Am I just an experiment?” “No! Whatever gave you that idea? Let me guess: someone talk to you this morning? Let me know who it was and I’ll take care of it, I promise.” “No…no just an unreasonable fear,” Carrot spoke, tears sliding down her cheeks. It was a lie. Derpy still cares about me. It was just a lie. “Hey, I’m coming over. I’ll be there in a couple of minutes, just as soon as I have Dinky’s friends go home. Maybe I can have Dinky stay over there.” “No, that’s ok—” “No. You need me and to me there’s little more important than that. I’ll be there no later than four. I promise.” Derpy hung up the call, and after a few minutes, Carrot set the phone down, then got out of bed. Looking at her alarm clock, she noted it was 3:03, and the afternoon sun shone through the window. “She’s not going to save you,” Other Carrot’s voice seemed to echo in the room. Carrot turned to see Other Carrot standing in the mirror, naked and sweaty. “The only thing that will truly save you is death.” “No. She’s my best friend. She’ll be there for me – and you shut up!” Carrot screamed. “You know that’s the truth, Carrot Top – because at the end of the day, all you are is really just Golden Harvest, a girl with a stupid name that no one will remember. But if you take my advice…you’ll have everything and more.” Figures started to coalesce amongst Other Carrot in the mirror, and a second later, they became males, just as nude. A second after that, she recognized the faces as Other Carrot eagerly beckoned them to be with her, lie with her and do whatever they wanted to her. Carrot screamed. The mirror shattered and— “Carrot?” She felt arms around her. She was shivering like the room was frigid and she was cold and naked, goosebumps all over her body. “What happened?” “Derpy?” Carrot looked up into the citrine, bespectacled eyes of her friend. “How…how’d you get here so quick?” “So quick? No, if anything, sorry I’m late!” she apologized. “And why on earth did you throw your phone at the mirror? Look – nevermind that.” Derpy went over to Carrot’s dresser, pulling out a t-shirt, sweatpants and underwear, then pulling her friend to her feet. “Go take a bath and relax – sounds like you need it. I’ll make some hot chocolate for us or something and I’ll clean up this broken glass.” “Okay,” Carrot said numbly, standing up and making her way towards her bedroom door and the bathroom on the other side of the hallway. But as she did, her eyes briefly drifted to the clock. It read 4:37.