Chapter Two:
A Soft Yellow
“He he he,” she chuckled, “if I didn't know better Futtershy, I'd say that that guy was into you!” laughed AJ.
“That was SO a foul. Whatever!” Rainbow mumbled to herself in the back seat. Her first game of basketball there had been fun, but it was clear that there were really only a small handful of people who actually knew how to play.
Fluttershy was a little embarrassed by AJ's comment, casing her to blush a bit. “Oh, uh, well, umm...”
“Oh really?” started Rarity, “A nice young gentleman approached you did he? Was he handsome? Was he charming? Do tell us!” her eyes lit up, eager to hear all about her friend's brush with romance!
“Actually Rainbow,” Twilight started, “according to the official rules and regulations of Basketball, that wasn't a foul at all! In fact, according to-”
“Didn't you see him?!?” Rainbow cut her off, “he totally pushed me!”
“Excuse me Rainbow,” Rarity said, “if you don't mind, Fulttershy here was just about to tell us all about the strapping young man that approached her tonight!”
“Um...well...”
“Boring! Last I checked, Basketball was WAY more interesting that who's dating who!” Rainbow said, rolling her eyes.
“Rain. Bow. Dash!” Rartiy said with an air of command, “This is your good friend Fluttershy we're talking about here!”
“Wait, Fluttershy is dating someone?” Pinkie suddenly asked, looking up from her cell. “Who, who, who, who, who?!?”
“A young guy by the name ah Taylor or Tyler or somethin' like that!” AJ said (with a big grin) from the driver's seat. Considering her large truck was the biggest car of all of their vehicals, it only made sense that they all crammed themselves into it. It did, after all, seat 6.
“OOOOHHHHH,” Pinkie said turning to Fluttershy (who was sitting next to her in the back), “Was he cute? What did he say? Did I meet him? I bet I did, I met everyone there! What was he wearing? What color was his hair? Was he cute? Did he ask you out on a date? What are you guys doing? Is it a movie? Where? What are you going to see? Can I come? Can I bring some friends? OH OH! I know! Why don't we-”
“PINKIE!” Twilight quasi-shouted, “give her a chance to answer!” she said as she turned around to face them. Pinkie was sitting next to the window, Fluttershy was in the middle, and Rainbow was next to the other window. Twilight was in the center front herself, with Rarity next to the window and AJ driving.
“Oh! Sorry about that Fluttershy! What were you going to say?” Pinkie asked.
“Uh...well..” Fluttershy started.
“I bet he was a gentlemen wasn't he?” Rarity said.
“Rarity! Give her a moment!” Twilight snapped.
“Now now,” AJ said, “No need ta get all huffy.”
“I'm not getting 'huffy'!” Twi responded, “I'm just trying to give her a chance to tell us about her new boyfriend!”
“He's not my...”
“Oh yeah?” Rainbow cut in, “then why are ya still talkin huh?” she said with a smirk.
“BECAUSE I...” Twi started, but then caught herself, turning red. She was a little upset that she had fallen into Rainbow's little trap so easily.
AJ chuckled, “Well alright then, go ahead Fluttershy, tell us all about it.”
She hesitated for a moment. “Well … he said hello...”
“Uh huh. Then what!?” Pinkie said.
“Let her finish.” responded AJ.
“Well, um, I said hi.” she looked up, glancing at her friends. She was hoping someone would jump in so she wouldn't have to keep talking about it, but the whole truck had fallen silent, and all eyes (save AJ's of course) were on her. “And … um … that was about it. He was … nice.”
“Did he ask your number dear?” Rarity inquired.
“Well, no”
“Did you get a date?” Pinkie questioned.
“No.”
“Did you swap notes?” Twi asked.
“Um, no”
“Did you at least get his name?” Rainbow sighed.
“Well … I did get that.” Fluttershy meekly responded. There was a moment of silence.
“Well, what was it?” Rainbow suddenly asked.
“I told ya! It was Tyler or somthin like that!” AJ piped up.
“Actually, it was Taylor” Fluttershy corrected.
“Was he cute?” Asked Rarity.
“He was lame.” Rainbow answered.
“Rainbow!” shouted Rarity, “Have some manners!”
“What? He totally was! He didn't play any basketball.”
“Perhaps books are more his thing.” speculated Twilight.
“Maybe,” started AJ, “he did talk all proper like.”
Fluttershy went quiet. Her friends had begun talking to each other, not allowing much room for her to pipe up and say anything. At the moment, this suited her just fine. At the moment, she just wanted to think. The whole experience had come as a surprise. She hadn't expected to talk to anyone, nor had she the disposition to do so (not that she ever did anyway, unless animals were involved). Rather, she had expected to just go to the class, and then just sit around for awhile waiting for her friends to finish socializing. She had not expected anyone to actually walk up to her and try and talk to her. But that night several people had. That said however, he was really the only one who said much to her. There were a few others, but his demeanor, his tone of voice, it was different then the others. Deep down, she had wished that she had answered his question. But she didn't know him, and being as shy as she was, she was afraid to talk to him anymore. Indeed, she was both relieved and a little sad when AJ jumped in. He did seem … nice.
The ride home was quiet, save the constant conversation about Fluttershy's new 'boyfriend', of which she had very little part. So, in truth, it was not the ride that was quiet, but Fluttershy. This caused the ride to be a little awkward, and a bit longer than needed. But at least she was with her friends again, and that at least put her at ease. It was after all, the only thing she loved more than animals, that is, spending time with her friends.
“See y'all later!” shouted Applejack as the others got into their cars. Fluttershy stood there next to the truck quietly. They had all found a nice park 'n ride to meet up and then car pool from. She watched as Twilight got into her simple, yet functional car, Rainbow into her old, but fast car, Pinkie into her ice cream truck (it's how she made money on the side), and Rarity into her nice purple car. Fluttershy lived with AJ on her uncle's farm while she was down here. Considering that she wanted to one day be a vet, it only made sense to her to live on a farm to get hands on experience.
The slamming of doors and the roaring of engines signified the end of the day. Each left to go home, leaving AJ and Fluttershy alone. Turning, AJ smiled at Fluttershy before hoping back into her truck. She stood there, in the orange light of the park n' ride for a moment before walking around the truck and getting into the passengers' seat. The heavy slam of AJ's door startled Fluttershy as she softly closed her door. “You alright sugarcube?” asked AJ with a note of concern in her voice.
“Me? Oh, I'm fine.” smiled Fluttershy.
“You sure you're alright? You were quieter than a hog-tied horse tonight.” AJ said with a raised eyebrow.
“Really … I'm fine.” came the meek response, “I was just thinking about class, that's all.”
“Uh, huh. Sure you wern't thinkin' about that guy?” AJ said with a grin.
Fluttershy blushed a little. Not for embarrassment (well, perhaps a little), but for irritation. The whole ride home all of her friends had been calling him her 'boyfriend', and she was starting to be rather irritated by it. “No!” she said while dropping her head and closing her eyes, “And I'd appreciate it if you'd stop calling him my boyfriend! All he said was hi, and all I said was hi back!” her face was a little red.
AJ was taken aback, “Ok ok, no need to get in a tussle about it. I didn't mean nothin' by it, I was just playin. It was just all a bit of fun.”
“Well,” she paused for a second, “I don't think it's fun!”
“Alright. I'm sorry. I didn't mean ta hurt your feelin's or nothin' like that.”
Fluttershy took a couple of breaths. She opened her eyes, lifted her head, and looked out the windshield, then out of her window. After a moment's pause, and a sigh, she turned to her friend; “It's Ok. I know you didn't mean to embarrass me or anything like that. I just … I just … I just wish you guys wouldn't tease me about that.”
AJ nodded her head. “Well, you know, sometimes ya just gotta loosen up ya know? I mean, we were all just kiddin with ya, it's not like we actually thought that he was your boyfriend or anything like that.” She turned her head forward as she turned on her truck, and with a mighty roar it came life. “An't no harm in just a little teasin'!” AJ shouted over the sound.
Putting the truck in reverse, AJ slammed on the gas and turned hard left. The sudden jerk made Fluttershy squeak with surprise as she hurriedly grabbed her seat belt and hastily attempted to buckle in. Then with a loud roar, they were off. “I … I guess so...” Fluttershy said after they were on the road for a few minutes.
“Kiddin aside, you know what I think? AJ said.
“What?”
“I think you should talk to him next time.”
“WHAT?” Fluttershy's face suddenly felt very hot.
“I mean it! He was nice o' nough to try an' talk to you right?”
“Y-yeah, I guess so...”
“So next time when he walks up and asks ya somethin', say somethin.”
“You really think I should?”
“Why not? Way I see it, y'all got nothin ta loose. I'd reckon he was just being neighborly. Nothin' wrong with makin new friends right?”
“I guess not...” Fluttershy was unsure about that. It had taken a good long while for her to make the friends she had now. The idea of adding more friends seemed almost … scary, and disrespectful. It seemed almost as if her making new friends would somehow be an insult to the friendships she had worked so hard to make. That aside, what if he didn't like her? What if he just wanted to make fun of her? What if he wanted to be more than friends? That thought was really scary.
“Oh come on Fluttershy!” AJ said, “Just relax a little would ya? It's not like he's gonna ask ya ta marry him!”
Fluttershy's face suddenly caught fire. It burned with a great heat, and was redder than one of AJ's apples. Reflexively, she covered her face with her hands, only then to bury her face into her lap.
“Ugg.” AJ groaned, “Seriously, just stop thinkin' so hard about it would ya? Y'all an't doin no one no good by thinking about it that much. Looka here, he probably just wants to be your friend, alright?”
“You, you really think so?” came Fluttershy's muffled response.
“I do, so you can stop actin' like a fool and sit up straight.”
“Oh...” she hesitated, “Ok then...” Slowly she sat up and straightened up, her face still burning. Romance was something that she had thought of, but it had always seemed so important, so serious. She had always thought it was something that took a very long time to form, and that it was a connection to another on the deepest level possible. It went beyond life and death, it was...
“We're home.” AJ cut into her thoughts.
“Huh? Wha-?” Fluttershy suddenly looked around. Sure enough, they were back at the farm. She had become so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't even noticed.
“Now come on lovebird, let's get some sleep alright?” AJ said with a yawn.
Fluttershy's face became buried once again.
“Oh for Pete's sake!” AJ exclaimed.
It was 1am. Sleep, like her senses, was lost. She was the kind that, much like the earth, soaked in everything that fell upon her. That's why she had loved her friends so much. They understood that, and though they would indeed tease her from time to time, they knew how far was too far. Tonight however, they had gone a bit too far. She tossed and turned. She wanted to sleep, but she couldn't. Her eyes were heavy, but her mind was was buzzing endlessly. She was still a bit upset over how lightly they had taken the whole thing. She felt frustrated. Maybe if she didn't go next week, then they would all forget about it. Maybe if she didn't go next week, he'd forget about it! She rolled onto her side. Perhaps that was the answer, perhaps she would just stay home...