I felt warm, that much I knew. My eyes were open but blurred by sleep. I felt so comfortable, so at peace that waking and returning to the living world seemed too difficult. I opted for letting my eyes close and sleep overwhelm me once more. But as I sat there, I could sense that my arm was asleep and there was something digging into the back of my head. Sleep was going to be a hard-earned victory after this wakening.
“Hello, you there?” said a bright voice, a soothing sound to my tired soul. “Wake up, sleepyhead… Hey, you alive?”
I grumbled and turned to the side, ignoring the pleasant sound in favor of sleep. “Lve mealone,” I slurred. “Feelsgood here.”
That lovely voice gave a giggle, and I heard the faint tremble of clothing rubbing against carpet. “Come on, sleepyhead. Wakey wakey!”
Slowly, unwillingly as I could, my bleary vision was opened to the world once more and I was greeted by a face mere inches from mine, staring at me with wide eyes. “YAAAAH!” I sprung to life like I’d been struck and I scrambled up the couch and came to a halt when I slammed my head into the wall. Pinwheels and stars flashed across my vision and I felt like I was going to faint.
Sunset laughed at me, her bright cheeriness mocking my poor state. “Wow, I didn’t mean to scare you that badly!” she said brightly. “Sorry, but I had to wake you since I’ve gotta go.”
I rubbed the back of my head, hoping it wouldn’t bruise. “That hurt, jeez,” I said, scowling. “And after all the kindness I showed you last night…”
“Oh, don’t be a poor sport, it was all in fun,” Sunset teased good-naturedly. “I said I was sorry, what more do you want? A written apology and a kiss to make it feel better?”
I paused at the mention of that last one. “Uh… uhum… So why did you wake me up?” I asked swiftly, trying to ignore how hot her apartment had suddenly become.
Sunset shifted her jacket and revealed a work uniform underneath. “I’ve got to get to work, and unfortunately I can’t just leave you here at my house. Sorry, but if you’re gonna go back to sleep you’ll have to go back home.”
I gave a yawn, thinking about how far away home was from here. “Yeah, I’ll just take the bus or something-” I looked over at my phone and remembered last night. I flicked it open and saw, to my horror, I had a couple dozen phone calls and text messages from my mother. “Holy crap, I am so dead.”
“What’s wrong?” Sunset asked.
“Mom,” I answered. “She must think I went out with Suds and the others- she is gonna flay me!” I rushed to the door and had yet another heart attack- “I don’t have my wallet! I left it at home!”
Sunset gasped, understanding the trouble I was in. She opened her purse and fished out some money, handing it to me. “For the bus fare,” she said. “Hurry! Don’t keep her waiting and tell her I’m sorry, it was my fault you got stuck here!”
I gaped at her. “You are a wonderful human being,” I breathed, grabbing the cash and running off.
A bus ride, two miles of running and half an hour later I crashed through the door to my house to find my mother, predictably, sitting in the kitchen waiting for me with an expression that suggested stormy conversations were ahead.
“And just tell me,” she said furiously, “why you have been ignoring me for the past twelve hours? You have not responded to one message, one single phone call, I half-expected to see the police come through my door, not you! What were you doing last night?!”
“Mom,” I gasped, struggling for air as I tried to recover from my run. “I promise… nothing bad… no Suds… no Wanyama.”
“Really?” she asked, skeptical. “Then where were you?”
“Friend’s house,” I said. I could feel a stitch stabbing my chest and I felt like I would explode. “We were hanging out and… I left my phone on the couch. I promise Mom, not an intentional thing. Complete accident, she fell asleep on my arm and I didn’t want to wake her.”
“She?” Mom looked utterly flabbergasted. I don’t think she’d expected that. “You were at a girl’s house?”
“Her apartment, yeah,” I answered. “Someone from school, she invited me over to hang out.”
It took Mom a few moments to recover from the shock, but her expression shifted from stunned to suspicious instantaneously. “Did you… did you sleep with her?”
“Sleep with her? Uh, I guess so, yeah,” I said.
Mom gave a small scream, “What on Earth were you thinking-”
Holy crap! I woke up for real at that moment and I freaked. “Whoa, whoa, whoa, not what I meant! I am so sorry, that one’s on me, I messed up! No, I didn’t have sex with her, we both fell asleep when we were playing video games! I promise, nothing happened!” Well, not totally true. Something DID happen, but not in a sexual nature. At least I think.
Mom stood up and walked over to me, staring me straight in the eye. “Are you telling me the truth?” she asked fiercely.
I stared right back, knowing what she was wanting. “Yeah. Nothing happened, I didn’t do anything wrong, you can relax. I’m sorry for worrying you.”
She continued to stare at me for a few seconds before pulling away, apparently satisfied. “Alright, I trust you,” she said. “How well do you know this girl?”
I grabbed some bread from the pantry and stuffed it in the toaster. “Uh, pretty well. We kept running into each other at school so we decided to be friends. She’s the one who’s been tutoring me for English classes.”
“Oh, OK,” Mom said. She opened her mouth, hesitated, and then pushed forward and said, “Do you- like this girl?”
I nearly dropped my plate onto the floor, coming up with a clutch grab and bringing it back to the counter. “What? Say that again?”
Mom’s expression turned from suspicion to a strange delight. “You like this chica, don’t you?”
“I, uh… Mom, I don’t really know the answer to that,” I answered honestly. “I don’t know if I do or not. I mean, I couldn’t afford a girlfriend since I’ve got no job.” That part was true, I hadn’t had a job since last September right before my second arrest.
“Would you take her out on a date if you did have a job?” Mom asked.
I gave her a baffled look, waiting for my toast to be done. “What the heck’s with you? Two minutes ago you were gonna break my neck now you’re asking about my love life!”
“I want something good for my child, that’s all,” she said innocently. Too innocently, really. “A good girl that makes you want to be something worthwhile is what I’ve always hoped for you.”
“Wow, Mom, no ability to leave it alone,” I remarked. The toaster gave a Ping! and I grabbed my breakfast, retreating to my room. “Why don’t you… just let me have the morning to myself?”
“You need to send me a picture of her!” Mom called to me as I raced down the hall.
“JEEZ, MOM!” I slammed the door behind me and slammed by plate onto my bed, my stomach quivering. I’d been hungry when I first came in, but now I felt like a few butterflies had decided to take residence-
Aw, Hell. Not good, not good, not good! I grabbed my toast and immediately set to eating, hoping the sensation was just hunger. Unfortunately, two slices of toast and fifteen minutes worth of waiting did nothing to sate it. I tried focusing on some homework, and had no luck. I was completely, utterly distracted and it was all Mom’s fault. I had nothing!
I gave a snarl and lay my face in my hands, mulling over last night. Nothing that interesting had happened last night, really. It’d just been two friends hanging out, having a good time… and talking about deep personal feelings. And I talking about my Dad, which I never do. And Sunset falling asleep on me and me not wanting to wake her. And me staring into her eyes, those beautiful, shimmering teal eyes-
Aw, Hell.
I got up from my bed and looked around. What was one word that best described me? Not who I was, not who I thought I was, not who I was going to be, but who I really am. I decided on one simple word: poor. I had nothing to offer. I was just some dumb ex-gangster who didn’t really know what to do with his life. And she had just gotten out of a real dark moment in her life, Sunset was almost as messed up as I was. I doubt I was anywhere close to what she needed to get better. But then again, she listened to me last night and about her scars. I’d actually said some stuff that wasn’t total crap.
OK, I may not be King Solomon, but I wasn’t my Dad. That was a start. It still didn’t change the fact that I had no money and no money meant no date nights. And then there was my track record with girlfriends- well, ‘girlfriend’ was a strong word. They’d more or less been… err, tension relievers, if I had to be honest with myself. Was I the kind of person Sunset needed? She needed someone who’d look after her, care for her, and never leave her behind. Never leave her, period.
I wasn’t that. Right?
Monday was uncomfortable. All weekend I’d been occupied with the idea of Sunset Shimmer, despite my best efforts. I kept running through my list of excuses: too poor, too rough, too something, and despite the logic and wisdom in my arguments, I kept finding myself pondering moments with her. It was so odd to me that I wasn’t thinking of any moment in particular. I’d always imagined getting under the sheets with other girls I’d met, but Sunset… it almost seemed indecent.
Of course, all of these conversations were nothing but an endless loop of my brain defying the chaos that was teenage hormones. I had no clue what in heaven, earth or Hell I was doing. All I knew was that if I was to ever date a girl again, I’d need a job.
Right after first period had ended, it all started. “Hey! How was your weekend?” I heard someone behind me say. I froze and felt my stomach do a loop as I recognized the voice as Sunset Shimmer. I turned around saw that familiar wavy hair, that same old leather jacket, and those teal eyes complimented by a small, shy smile-
I realized she was waiting for an answer. “Oh! Uh, fine, fine, I guess,” I said shakily, trying to regain some composure and praying I hadn’t been staring for too long.
Sunset’s smile grew ever so slightly and I could feel my face starting to flush. She’d noticed something that was for sure. “OK, get up to anything or just stay at home?”
“Yeah, just relaxed at home. Did some work for school, but that’s all.”
“Great! How was your English homework?”
I actually managed a smile on that one, one not related to her. “It went well, actually. Least I think it did.”
“Well, when we get today’s homework in, let’s take a look over it, alright?” she said. “And let’s look over the test once we get it back, see if there’s anything that we need to review.”
The test! I’d totally forgotten about it, I’d been so caught up with Sunset Shimmer that I’d lost track! Anxiousness in regards to Sunset was immediately replaced by fear about the grade I was gonna get. Had I improved after all, or had I remained the same? Was all the work Sunset had put into me- all the work Sunset and I had put in- worth it?
“You’ll have done fine,” Sunset said soothingly as we took our seats. “Just relax and we can look at it later.”
I certainly hoped so. Miss Cheerilee walked in a moment later and started handing out test papers back to the students. I glanced up ahead and saw that Fluttershy, in the greatest twist of irony I’d ever encountered, had received her fifth straight A+ in the class, putting her atop the class. I never understood how she knew so much about words and never, ever used them.
“Here you are,” Miss Cheerilee said pleasantly, handing me back my test. I felt my mouth go dry, but I noticed that her demeanor around me this time round was a far cry from the last test we’d taken. Had I improved after all? My heart pounding a million miles a minute and unable to bear it any longer, I flipped the paper over and winced as I read the B+ on the top right corner of the paper.
B+! I thought my jaw was gonna hit the floor I was so stunned. “Fantastic improvement, glad to see you’re applying yourself! Keep up the good work!” Miss Cheerilee had written underneath. I felt my body go limp from lack of tension and I was light as a feather. As I’d been feeling her gaze throughout the entire class, I turned to face an awaiting Sunset Shimmer and I flashed my paper with a playful smile. She beamed at the sight of the grade and gave me a thumbs-up before we returned to reality and faced today’s lesson.
I tried not to think about Sunset Shimmer throughout the lesson and failed after the first five minutes. I was beginning to wonder what the point was about all this.
“You did it, I told you that you would!” Sunset exclaimed as we walked to lunch, her wringing my arm in delight.
“What are you so happy about? It’s my grade!” I asked, trying to ignore her infectious attitude.
“Come on, we’ve worked so hard, you should be proud!” she replied, giving me a shove.
“She’s right, really. Way to go!” Fluttershy declared, or as loudly as she could manage.
“Still not as good as yours, though,” I said fairly. “Your grade in that class is… what, 3.98 or something ridiculous?”
“Umm… yes, I think,” Fluttershy said demurely. “I just don’t like to bring attention to it, that’s all.”
“Typical Fluttershy,” I muttered, but bearing a satisfied smile as we walked to meet the others at our usual place.
“So? How’d it go? Did you do well?” Pinkie Pie asked in her usually frenetic manner. “You’re smiling a lot so you must have gotten a good grade! Come on and tell me you got a good grade!”
“Yeah, I got a B plus, thanks to her help,” I said, pointing at Sunset Shimmer.
“Awesome, way to go!” Rainbow cried, giving me a whack on the back.
“Nicely done, darling,” Rarity said approvingly.
“Yup, you did alright,” AJ agreed. “Glad Sunset’s gigantic brain was able to help you get whipped into shape.”
I nodded earnestly. “Yeah, I can’t imagine where I’d be without her,” I said, “She saved my neck on this one big time.” I then recognized that statement could mean more than one things and I shut up swiftly.
Sunset, thankfully, missed it. However, I caught a sly smirk playing across Rarity’s lips for a millisecond and Rainbow Dash for some reason looked angry. I decided to keep on listening to the others for a while instead of speaking, delving into the ham we’d been served for lunch.
At least for a little while. Rarity stiffened beside me and I turned to see she had become stock-still. “What’s up?” I asked.
“The table a few lanes down,” she said. “They’re giving us quite an unfriendly look.”
I leaned over and saw a group of guys and girls- Lyra, Octavia, and Bon Bon were the only three I recognized- staring at us hard. No, not at us, at Sunset Shimmer. They were glaring at her as if they wished her nothing but ill. “Jeez, if looks could kill,” I muttered.
“What’ve they got to be so mad about?” Applejack asked, having been listening in to our conversation. “Do any of y’all know?”
“Nothing, unless…” I glanced over at Sunset, who had just picked up on the fact that something was amiss. “Unless they’re still mad at her.”
“Who’s mad about what?” Sunset asked, looking at me and twisting about to see Tavi and the others. As if on cue, Octavia got to her feet and unleashed a middle finger upon the crimson-haired girl.
“Why, that she-lion!” Rarity declared hotly, looking absolutely appalled. “What on Earth made that necessary?”
I didn’t care. I knew who that was directed to and that was all I needed. “Gimme a pencil from my bag,” I said heatedly, and Rarity quickly summoned one from my bag. I took it from her hands and flung it across the hall, landing a wonderfully shot hit across Octavia’s forehead, and she stood up to face me, anger etched in every line on her face. My face cold with fury, I brought up both my hands and gave her two middle fingers, mouthing the words “Go to Hell” for good measure.
“Goodness, I wasn’t expecting you to do that!” Rarity said crossly. “I certainly wish I hadn’t helped you do such a crude act!”
“Sit down, sugarcube, what’re you trying ta do?!” Applejack demanded.
“What, I’m supposed to just let her do that to Sunset? She’s one of our friends!” I countered hotly.
“Got a point there, AJ,” Rainbow said, coming to my defense. “Why not just fight back?”
“Stop agreeing with him, last time you flipped someone off you had ta run around the soccer field for an hour!” Applejack replied. “You both know better!”
I pulled a face, fully ready to fight back, but I felt something tug at my sleeve and I was pulled back into my seat. “Just leave it be!” Sunset said reprovingly. “Don’t descend to their level, alright? Not for me.”
“Why not for-”
“Drop it,” Applejack ordered sternly. Her no-nonsense glare meant business. I gave a loud groan and settled for returning to my meal and I didn’t say a word the rest of the period. Rainbow asked me whether or not our next boxing meet-up was still going on for the next day, and I nodded that it was so. She’d shown zero improvement but she sure seemed to like coming along.
Classes came and went and soon I found myself sitting in the library alongside Sunset Shimmer again. I found myself trying to get closer to her but at the same time not too close, because that might be weird- well, the whole thing was weird period, but this was odd even for me.
“Hey! You listening?” Sunset asked of me, bringing me out of my daze with her displeased frown.
“What? I’m doing the best I can here!” I replied, trying to find a way to support my own bluff.
No chance. “Oh yeah? What did I just say, then? Repeat me word for word,” Sunset challenged.
I glared for a few seconds, then let out a long, lingering moan. “Ugh, today,” I murmured as I rubbed my eyes. “I’m sorry, I’m wasting your time, aren’t I?”
“Yes, you sorta are if you’re not paying attention,” Sunset said reprovingly. “Wait,” she added before I could say a word. “Look… let’s just relax, forget this stuff for today. I think we’re both a little wound up right now.”
As she shoved away the supplies we were using, I looked in her teal eyes and saw that a hardness had taken residence there. Not the cruel fires I had known from her, but a pain and anger that I hadn’t yet seen before. “You’re mad about Octavia too, aren’t you?” I asked.
“Yes,” she admitted lowly. “I know I shouldn’t be, but stuff like that’s been going on for weeks and it’s hard to put up with.” She looked over at me and continue by saying, “Sorry, by the way. I shouldn’t be getting mad at you, and I shouldn’t have gotten mad at you during lunch. It wasn’t fair to ask you to be like Rarity or Fluttershy.”
I felt guilt flood my veins and wash away whatever wrath I had stored up. Here she was, the victim of mockery and she was the one apologizing to me. “You didn’t do anything wrong,” I said. “You were right, anyway, I just get sick of people picking on you and that was a pretty low blow. I just reacted without thinking.”
“Yeah, I know,” she replied, rubbing my thigh gently with her hand in an attempt to soothe me. “It’s a knee-jerk thing for you, isn’t it?”
“Probably too much so,” I admitted. “I’m great at the fight part, not so much the fight.”
“At least you can fight back,” she muttered darkly. “I turned this whole school into a bunch of zombie slaves and nearly set them off to conquer the world. They’ve got every reason to be mad at me.”
We both sat there, Sunset staring off into the distance while I stared at her. She was such an oddity to me. She had so much confidence in her friends, even in me, yet she had no confidence in herself. I didn’t understand it.
“Don’t talk like that,” I said gently. “Yeah, you did some bad stuff, but it’s over. They should just get over themselves.”
“I turned into a raging she-demon,” she said wearily, “I think they can still be mad at me.”
“I say they can’t, who they gonna listen to?” I challenged.
Sunset gave a small smile. “Yeah? What’re you gonna do, go and threaten them all into silence?”
“Now that’s an idea,” I remarked playfully.
She gave a laugh, giving me a friendly push. “You’re so stupid,” she said. “But thanks anyway.”
“Why do you talk about yourself like that, anyway?” I asked. “I’ve done a bunch of illegal BS and you don’t hear me putting myself down. It’s unnecessary.”
“I dunno, I just- it keeps me in my place,” she decided. “It makes sure I remember who I am and what I’ve done. So I don’t do it again.”
“You’re not gonna do it again,” I replied. “Come on, you know that! Look at you! You’re helpful and kind and patient and compassionate and pretty-”
Whoops.
Sunset gave me a look, her eyes saying a million words that I couldn’t possibly understand. She stared at me for the longest time, studying me for something in particular. After a minute or so, she gave a weak smile and said, “I think I’m gonna go on home. See you tomorrow?”
I’d done something wrong. “Yeah, see you,” I said faintly. Right when she’d gone out of sight, I crashed my head into the table, suffering the agony of failure. This day had been awful.
Right hook. Jab. Uppercut, swerve, uppercut.
“You’re putting too much power into your punches, your body is getting pulled along with your arm,” I cautioned.
Body shot, check hook- swerve, swerve, right pull. “I know, I know, I’m gonna get it!”
“Watch it, you just left yourself exposed, your left fist dropped on that last one.”
“I know. I’ll get it next time round.” Gazelle punch. Jab, uppercut, bolo punch.
“Watch it, you’re losing control of your form.”
I KNOW!” Rainbow’s straight punch came directly for my face and I easily missed, parrying the blow and sending her crashing into the ropes where she toppled to the floor, gasping for air.
“That’s it, I’m calling it,” I said, pulling at the strings on my gloves with my teeth. “You’re worn out, Rainbow, just admit it. You’re gonna get yourself hurt if you don’t stop.”
“I’m fine,” she snarled, clutching at the ropes to pull herself up and failing, collapsing on the ring floor in a sweaty heap.
“Crap. Manny, I need a hand!” I called, throwing aside my gloves and pulling her arm over me. Manny, who had been watching for the last few minutes, came hurtling over the ropes and helped me out, bringing my exhausted friend to her feet.
“I’m fine, let go of me!” Rainbow protested irritably, her face flushed and soaking in sweat. “Come on, this is embarrassing!”
“Shut up and sit down,” Manny replied coolly, ignoring her pleas. When we sat her down on a nearby chair, he ran to grab a bottle of water from the fridge in his office. “Wait a few minutes for you to stop breathing so hard, then drink.”
“He’s right, Rainbow,” I said, crouching down before her. “You need to rest, you’re pushing yourself too hard over this.”
Rainbow gave me such a furious look that I wasn’t sure whether she was going to hit me or start crying. She snatched the water bottle from my hands after a minute and started chugging away, doing her best to ignore me.
“See? Bet you feel better already,” I said pleasantly. “Next time, learn to control your exertion and stop yourself. You got lucky this time, boxing can do a number on your body.”
“You didn’t have to do that,” she muttered mutinously, wiping her face with a towel. “I was gonna be fine.”
“We call it as we see it, chica,” Manny said witheringly. “You were playing the fool and could’ve gotten yourself hurt. Next time don’t try to be so impressive!”
“Please, I’m the greatest, who do I need to impress? I’m an all-star athlete!” she countered.
“And you look like a complete mess,” Manny scolded. “You may fool this one, chica, but not me. If you want to practice in my gym again, show some restraint.” He stalked off over to watch another sparring session on the corner ring, leaving the two of us there.
“Mean old goat,” Rainbow sneered.
“Don’t,” I said severely. “Manny’s rough but he’s a good guy. Don’t disrespect him, he was completely right.” Not that I knew what he meant by me getting fooled, though. I’d seen through her protests for those last few minutes.
“He had no right to say any of that! He doesn’t- he can’t know-”
“Hey! Dashie, wake up alright?” I said. “You’re not listening to me!”
“Don’t call me-”
“ENOUGH!” I shouted, grabbing her wrists and squeezing them tight. “Rainbow, you’re a good soccer player, that’s fine. You’re strong, I get it. I’ve seen you play and you’re good, but you’ve got to calm down or else you’re gonna do more damage than you’ve already done! Let it go, you haven’t injured your pride or your ego, no one here is gonna say anything! You don’t have to prove anything to anyone, so do yourself a favor and relax.”
Finally, with my frustration having reached its limit, her blazing expression cooled and she relaxed in her seat, taking a long, calming breath of air to temper herself.
“Sheesh, I’ve never seen you lose your temper like that before,” I remarked. “What was so up in your craw that you kept going like that?”
Rainbow’s gaze flickered to me instantly and immediately away, a scowl forming on her lips. “It’s nothing, just- just being competitive as usual.”
I shook my head. “No, sister, that’s way more than your usual competitive self,” I replied. “You pushed yourself way too hard for that. You’ve been doing this with me for a while now, what made today so different?”
Another flicker and another scowl, deeper this time. “Why were you so angry when Octavia flipped off Sunset?” she asked suddenly.
That wasn’t what I was expecting at all. I floundered for a bit, wondering whether or not I should tell her what I’d been thinking all that day. “Umm… I don’t know, I was just reacting, I guess. Sunset’s my… friend. And I don’t want someone doing that to my friend.”
“Your friend?” Rainbow asked suspiciously, looking straight at me. “You sure?”
I’d been found out. My mouth went dry and I was stymied for much longer than I would’ve wished. “I- I don’t know, Rainbow, I don’t. She’s been running through my head all weekend long and every time I see her I just remember Friday night and-”
“What happened Friday night?” Rainbow asked timidly.
“I accidentally fell asleep at her house,” I admitted. “She fell asleep on me and I didn’t want to wake her, so I just sat there for a bit and then…” I sighed, running my fingers through my hair. “I don’t know what to do.”
Rainbow sat there, eerily still like a statue. Then, slowly and far more gracefully than I would’ve expected of her, she wrapped her hands around my face, bringing the two of us face-to-face. For a girl so hard and rough at times, everything about her suddenly had become so soft and vulnerable. She had a pained expression, a sad smile playing along as she looked at me like she never wanted to stop. I looked up at her eyes and saw –to my utter amazement- that she was starting to cry!
“Rainbow…” I said softly, “Hey, you OK-”
“You are so stupid,” she said angrily, throwing her towel in my face. She stood there seething, unable to face me. “You’ve been around for only a few months and you’re the dumbest person I know. I don’t get how you can be so thick.”
I was at a loss. “Umm, what did I do-”
Apparently it was not my day to end sentences. “Oh just shut up,” she said wetly, wiping her nose with her hand and storming out of the gym.
“Hey wait a second, how’re you gonna get home?” I asked, racing after her. When I smashed out of the entrance, I looked down the road and saw her running as fast as her legs could take her. I didn’t know what I’d done to make her mad, but she was upset about something.
I walked back into the gym and, predictably, every eye was on me, including Manny’s. He beckoned me to his office with a single flick of his finger and I slowly followed him in, preparing myself for the inevitable scolding that was to follow.
“You know why she was so mad?” he asked me the moment I closed the door.
“Not a clue,” I shrugged. “I’ve never seen her like that-”
“She’s got her eye set on you, moron,” he groaned, rubbing his temple. “She’s right, you really are the dumbest person she knows. You couldn’t read the signs if it was a billboard.”
OH. Sweet mother of all that’s holy, that was the problem? I went cold, rigid as a board. “Oh, Hell!” I breathed. The time when I said it was crazy she and I would date, her overexertion today, that guy’s remark the other day causing her to freak, her always agreeing with me, siding with me, always wanting to go boxing with me, our constant zingers…
“You’re seeing what you’ve done, aren’t you?” Manny guessed shrewdly, having a laugh at my expense. “Let me guess: you thought that the two of you were just good friends who were both really competitive and she was a good sparring partner, here and when you wanted to trade a few insults. Am I right?”
“Far too right,” I replied, annoyed. “I feel like an idiot.”
“So, no different from usual?” Manny replied cheekily.
“Shut up,” I scowled. “Wait, actually, I need you for something.” I faltered, shook myself and said, “Manny, do you need an extra trainer here?”
He looked at me in apparent surprise. “Sorry, flubber, Ricardo and Karina are all I can afford right now, with Martin gone. The fight did some good round here, but I’m too small-time to get a real team going.” He scrutinized me for a second. “Why you asking, anyway?”
I sighed, deciding to lay my cards on the table. “Manny, I need a job,” I confessed. “I’m looking to start getting some real money so I can-”
“Hold it,” he interjected. “Is this for her or some other girl?”
Oh jeez. “No, not Rainbow,” I said flatly, trying to ignore my discomfort. “It’s for another girl and- am I really that obvious?”
“There’s a reason you’ve never once landed a hit on me, flubber,” he responded in kind. “Look, I wish I could help you, but no openings here. Try asking around places and see what you can find.”
My shoulders drooped and I bent down to grab my gear. “Alright, thanks anyway,” I said lowly.
“Hold on a second,” Manny said before I could make my exit. “This girl… what made you want her? Why choose her over the one who’s been coming with you?”
I mulled that question over, thinking carefully. Manny didn’t usually ask questions like that unless he wanted a genuinely serious answer and he’d been good enough to me to deserve one. And besides, it was one I should have an answer to. Why DID I like Sunset over Rainbow? Both girls were attractive. Rainbow and I were more alike and we had pretty similar personalities, while Sunset was calmer and more reserved. Rainbow and I could take each other on, while Sunset and I had some pretty stark differences. Rainbow and I had been friends almost immediately. Sunset and I had only just started getting along. So why?
“Hard question, isn’t it?” Manny deduced. “You better know how to answer that when it matters, mi ariete. If you want to stay loyal, be good to her, you gotta remember why you chose her over everyone else.”
I nodded, thinking it over. What had changed about Sunset? What made her so different? Rarity was beautiful, Fluttershy was gentle, AJ and I were close as could be, Pinkie was fun and Rainbow was strong… all good girls, all worth admiring and caring about. So why, why of all people, was it Sunset Shimmer?
“She… makes me want to be a better person,” I finally confessed. “She’s done a complete 180 with her life and she’s so great to people even though she gets treated like crap. She’s helpful and patient and… and I’m not as good as her. If she can be like that, then I want to as well. She makes me want to be worthwhile.”
Manny looked at me, studying me for any sign of falsity or deceit. After time had passed, he slowly gave me a nod of approval. “That’s the answer I was hoping for, ariete,” he said sagely. “Good luck finding a job.”
I walked out of Manny’s office feeling far lighter than I had when I’d entered, my mind now focused on the first step I had to complete. If I was to ask out Sunset Shimmer I needed cash, and to get cash I needed a job. Manny told me to ask around, but I know I couldn’t ask around here in the West End. No safe job here. As for a normal job? I’d be screwed thanks to my criminal record, so the only place I could think of was school, and there was no job there for me-
Unless I asked one of the students for a place…
“You want a what?” Applejack asked, looking more flummoxed than I’d ever seen her.
“I need a job,” I repeated, “and I’m having trouble finding one, so I thought of Sweet Apple Acres. Do y’all need an extra hand on board for anything?”
“We always need an extra hand when it comes to farmin’,” AJ replied thoughtfully. She peered at me. “What’cha want it for, anyhow?”
“I need money,” I said evasively. “So… anything at all?”
AJ’s eyebrows shot up and she gave a self-satisfied smirk. “Ah dunno, darlin’,” she drawled. “Ah don’t think you’re quite cut out for hard work like farmin’.”
“Oh please, look at this!” I said, flexing my arms to show off my array of muscles. “I’m strong, I’m durable, and I don’t quit. What more do you want from an employee?”
“How about the capacity to shuddup and take orders for a change?” She replied lightly.
I scowled at her. “Haha, very funny. Now come on, can I get a job at the farm or not?”
AJ looked at me and laughed, probably knowing full well why I wanted the job at all. “Alright, ah’ll talk to Granny Smith and Big Mac about it,” she said finally. “We’ll talk it over and have an answer for you by the end of the week, how’s that sound?”
It was the best chance I could’ve hoped for. “Yeah, that sounds good. Thanks a lot, Applejack,” I said gratefully.
“Yeah, sure,” she said. “Jus’ make sure to not stand around and daydream all the time if we hire ya, OK darlin’?”
I felt my insides shrivel but I managed to keep a straight face. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I replied pompously.
“Please, you’re about as obvious as a-” she came to a halt and stared when she caught sight of Rainbow Dash, who had been walking over to say hi. But when she caught sight of me, she turned pale and ran off at top speed. Applejack, unaware of the previous day’s events, could do nothing but simply stare in confusion. “The heck was that about?”
“Uh…” I scratched the back of my head and my insides shriveled even further. “You see, when we were boxing yesterday, she, uh, had a bit of a meltdown.”
Applejack gave me a look of mild suspicion. “Breakdown, huh? What’d she do?”
“She overexerted herself and nearly got hurt,” I explained. “She got super upset and called me an idiot and-”
“She kiss you?” It was stated so bluntly that I was simply amazed at Applejack’s gall. It took me a couple moments to recover.
“Are you kidding- did everyone else but me know?” I asked.
“Seems like it,” AJ answered. “So- she kiss you?”
“No! She grabbed hold of my face for a while, but no,” I answered. “She even…” I let the end of that last sentence drift into nothingness, for I was willing to bet that Rainbow wouldn’t appreciate me telling the story of her crying.
“She why you’re wanting the job?” AJ guessed.
I shook my head. “No, she’s not,” I answered heavily. “And I think she figured it out yesterday, too. She was more upset than I’d ever seen her.”
Applejack sighed, shaking her head mournfully. “She wanted someone who could keep up with her, match her for everything she’s got. You’re one of the few people to ever beat her in anything. I think she liked that about you.”
“Yeah… I didn’t mean to hurt her feeling like that, she’s my friend,” I said.
“My advice would be to let it sit for a little while,” AJ advised. “She’ll be awful mad at you, so give her time to cool. She won’t force anything on you and she’ll understand, but let her cope with it for a bit. In her own way, don’t force anythin’.”
I nodded, shifting my backpack. It hadn’t been a very pleasant week so far, and hurting my friend so deeply like that hadn’t been on the to-do list. I hadn’t even MEANT to…
“Sugarcube? Hey, you OK?” AJ asked, grabbing hold of my arm and looking up at me anxiously. “You awake in there?”
I gave another mournful nod. “It’s been a confusing couple of days, AJ,” I confessed. “Stayin’ over at Sunset’s on Halloween and a bunch of other junk’s just made it-”
“Whoa, hold on there a sec! You went to Sunset Shimmer’s place on Friday?” Applejack inquired.
Wow, I was getting so sick of telling this story over and over. I cut to the chase and gave AJ whatever details she’d want as quickly as I could. Though it wasn’t all bad, as my story and my own personal thoughts were enough to put Applejack into analeptic shock. I thought her jaw was actually going to sink to the floor.
“Uh. Wow. Not- not what ah expected to hear,” she said feebly, occasionally giving a weak chuckle. “Ah wasn’t thinkin’ that you- that of all the girls here- wow.”
“I’m- just keep it quiet, alright?” I requested. “I’m not really sure what I actually think yet and I don’t want anyone knowing. I don’t even wanna really tell you.”
“Ah’ll keep it quiet, you got mah word on that,” Applejack said firmly, a smile starting to play across her lips. “Ah never would’ve thought it, but…”
“But what? Come on, tell me,” I inquired.
Applejack’s smile widened and she immediately turned her back on me and walked away, laughing all the while.
I ran after her but eventually gave up, deciding whatever was behind her mirth wasn’t worth knowing. Sometimes, I decided, girls are just weird.
And then sometimes they’re just plain obnoxious, as I would find out after lunch.
“I know something about you,” someone said in a singsong voice. I twisted about to see Rarity staring at me gleefully, tiptoeing around to face me.
“I never doubted that statement,” I remarked. “Though you’ll have to be more exact than that, vague isn’t quite all that revealing.”
“I know something very, very secret,” Rarity whispered gaily, her face simply alight with happiness. “And I know you only just found out yourself.”
Absolute, unequivocal horror. “Rarity, how in Hell did you-”
“I know you have a crush on Sunset Shimmer!” she sang, prancing past my ear.
“WILL YOU ALL STOP INTERRUPTING ME?!” I raged, stomping the floor with all my might. “Holy crap that gets old! Applejack, you low-down lying little bit-”
“Oh, Applejack knows, too?” Rarity exclaimed delightedly. “Oh, I can hardly wait for it, just imagine how wonderful it’ll all be!”
Now I wasn’t just angry, we had to throw confusion and horror into the mix. “Wait, how do you know, then? Only person I’ve told is… Applejack…” I felt like I’d just been slammed with a right hook as the answer came to me.
“Rainbow Dash was fairly bitter this morning,” Rarity said quietly. “She mentioned you two’s little moment during exercising yesterday, and she said you loved our new friend-”
“-Well I wouldn’t say love, but I do like-”
“-And that you really cared about her, from her assumptions,” Rarity finished, having totally ignored my protests. Her eyes misted over as her imagination transported her far away from me and the rest of her surroundings. “Oh, just imagine it for a moment: You, Sunset, hand in hand as you walk along the lakeshore, romantic candlelit dinners and intimate words whispered in each other’s’ ears, moonlight serenades and true love blossoming forth with vows of loyalty and faith forever till death to you part-”
“What are you smoking?” I asked, utterly aghast. “I mean –man, it feels so good to interrupt someone else for a change- just hold your ponies for a second, you just went into cheesefest overdrive! I can’t even ask her out cause I can’t afford it yet, and I’m still in high school. We’re not in love, she probably doesn’t even like me, and that is WAY too much information for a normal conversation on attraction.”
“Oh, but darling,” Rarity pouted. “It’s been so long since we’ve had a whirlwhind romance, think of what talk it would generate- you, the newcomer and former ruffian, and Sunset Shimmer the redeemed beauty of Canterlot High. It’s a perfect tale of love and redemption! And after all the chaos with Sunset and Flash-”
Wham! I became so distracted by that last sentence that I walked straight into a wall of lockers, scuffing my nose and causing tears to stream from my eyes. “Wha-ha-haaat did you say?” I spluttered, coughing and generally making myself look like a fool.
“Oh, that’s right, you haven’t heard,” Rarity said. “Well, you see, dear, Sunset Shimmer and Flash Sentry used to date for quite a while, and they had a bit of a falling out. They were the hot couple here at school for quite a while…”
Rarity went on at a length, but I’d stopped listening.
Flash. Flash Sentry, the king rocker of Canterlot High, the big man on campus, the one all the girls want, the one that makes girls get hot, the guy who never misses a step, the guy who’s always described as perfect and wonderful and great-
THAT was the standard I had to live up to.
I was so f*cked.