The next day was rather difficult for Rumble.
"NO!" He screeched, burying his face into his pillow. "I'm not going to school! You can't make me!" Rumble further resisted his brother's attempts to pry him off the bed. "PLEASE don't make me!"
"Rumble!" Thunderlane was losing his patience. "You're going to school today and that's final!"
"NO! Please don't make me go!" Rumble wailed, kicking his hoof loose from Thunderlane's strong grip. It was quickly recovered, and he spent his time helplessly trying to buck and kick, desperately fighting to stay where he was, but he was gradually being pulled from his spot.
"You have to go! You're already fifteen minutes late!" Thunderlane grunted as his brother tried to kick him again, and pulled his head back to avoid a blow. "Why is school suddenly such--" He stopped in mid-sentence as Rumble's horrified wails cut him off, "...a problem?"
"I-I can't tell you!" the terrified colt yelled out in fear.
Thunderlane finally managed to break Rumble's grasp on the bed, both of the two ponies shot across the air until they crashed into the wall on the other side of the room.
Rumble's legs flailed and he desperately tried to break loose of his big brother's firm grip, to dash back to the safety and comfort of his warm bed and avoid the Tartarus school was about to be for him. He beat his wings frantically, but Thunderlane prevailed in dragging him to the outside of his room into the hall.
"Nooo!" Rumble struggled against Thunderlane's strong arms, which were closed tightly around his chest, and squealed as he tried to fight and resist his brother's orders.
"Rumble! Why do you suddenly hate school?" Thunderlane gave out an exasperated sigh as Rumble gave up underneath his grasp. "Aren't you happy you get to see your friends? When I was your age--"
"Don't give me any of that!" Rumble snapped, trying to loosen Thunderlane's grip. "I've heard that whole 'When I was your age' speech! I know how it goes!"
"Well, why are you suddenly hating school?" Thunderlane chose to ignore the disrespectful comment Rumble threw at him.
"I..." Rumble wouldn't speak. He knew it shouldn't have, but the image of Pipsqueak, standing menacingly over him, possibly holding a bat, scared the sense out of what was left in his mind. He swallowed hard. I guess I can tell Thunderlane... He's my brother... I know I can trust him.
But he didn't speak, and simply stammered over the first couple of lines. He couldn't put his thoughts to tongue, and didn't know how to for that matter. He was just... such a coward. Letting a pony named Pipsqueak scare him... It was pathetic. Thunderlane would just laugh in my face like the others, he concluded to himself with a heavy sigh that carried forbidden emotions.
"Rumble?"
"What?"
"Are you going to tell me?"
Rumble stared deep into his brother's eyes. Golden, a symbol of pure friendship. Eyes he trusted and knew. Eyes that had watched over him, had belonged to a pony who loved and cared for Rumble. Thunderlane would never laugh at me. Not if I'm this distressed about it.
Rumble didn't like to admit it, but Thunderlane loved him with all his heart, and Rumble loved his brother, and was sorry for the way he had neglected his attempts in trying to listen to him. He felt like he should try to tell, and maybe... just maybe, Thunderlane would understand. His eyes traced the wooden floor for a moment before working their way back up to Thunderlane's after a moment of silence.
"Well?"
Rumble swallowed. "No, I'm sorry. I can't tell."
Thunderlane gave an exasperated sigh and released his brother from his weakening grasp. "You'd better get to school, then."
Rumble simply nodded and grabbed his backpack.
No, he couldn't tell. Not when Pipsqueak had his eye on him. If Thunderlane were to get involved, who knows what would happen? He had already threatened to literally rip his wings off his body! It was best to keep it to himself, as scared as he was, he concluded. Besides, Pipsqueak was a shrimp compared to him. He couldn't possibly be that bad.
Still, he avoided Dinky, who was busy spending her time with the one who had kept his watchful eye on Rumble. That hateful, watchful eye that always managed to send a shiver down Rumble's spine. But that wasn't the only sudden pang of uncertainness that Rumble felt when he saw Dinky with Pipsqueak.
How can she be with Pipsqueak? He's a total overprotective bully! He acts all kind and shy on the outside but he's a real jerk on the inside! He's a smooth-talking, rude, annoying, manipulative, fake, two-faced pony who doesn't deserve Dinky!
Rumble glared down at the ground until a thought dawned on him. Maybe I'm the jerk... I'm too selfish and jealous to accept the fact that Dinky's not interested in being anything other than a friend to me... He sighed, unsure of how he felt anymore.
He really wanted to be with Dinky. That he was sure of. But then Pipsqueak comes marching into the scene and ruined everything for Rumble. Over the course of two weeks he had become depressed, tired, lonely, just... not himself anymore. It was like he had completely flipped over.
He had just been so jealous of Pipsqueak... but had hated to admit it. And now that Pipsqueak had shown an evil side to Rumble, he had him more envious than ever for some reason.
Maybe I should just let this whole thing go... I'll find a new friend, and I'll get over Dinky eventually. Maybe I'll even fall in love with a mare I'll meet somewhere else... If she wants to be with that jerk, then that's her business. Rumble reluctantly began to think about this idea that lingered in his mind, beginning to accept it as time went on.
He had watched Dinky's budding romance blossom into a loving relationship, one that Rumble had grown cold and distant from.
Over a few days, yes, Rumble had learned to ignore them. To let them be and forget about all of this, to try and move on.
But he had never actually gotten over Dinky. He had just neglected her as Pipsqueak had ordered and pushed her out of his mind. But there was a part of him that, if resurrected, would long to see his best friend's beautiful face again, to talk to the only mare he had ever felt a burning romantic interest in, for her to realize the darkness in Pipsqueak and to leave him for Rumble.
But he knew that that would not happen, or so he thought it wouldn't, and had come to accept that fact over the course of a few days.
And there were times when Pipsqueak had shot him glares of hatred and signs that had warned, "Don't you dare come near us." He had not reacted. Dinky had not talked to him as she had gotten lost in her new obsession with the young colt, and would follow him around like a puppy chasing its own tail. Rumble could practically see the love in her eyes, only it wasn't directed at him, it was for Pipsqueak, and that stung. Horribly. But he had shoved that feeling down his throat every time Pipsqueak had looked him in the eyes.
But as mentioned earlier, he never did forget his passion for Dinky. He had swallowed down many a pang of sorrow when he watched them together. But altogether, he really had thought he had gotten over Dinky as the time went on.
Then of course, came the school dance, and everything changed for everything.