//------------------------------// // Chapter 9.1 - You are being negative, Flash Sentry! // Story: The normal life of Nitpick Bittersweet // by Ryusun //------------------------------// In the parking lot of CHS, there was a sporting, custom blue Camaro with a two tone blue shield behind a yellow lightning bolt in the hood and the sides being shaken by the constant movement of a young teenager inside it. “Where is my USB drive? I am sure I left it in the glove compartment.” Flash Sentry was desperate while searching for his grade-depending drive containing his computer project for his next class. “There it is! How did it end up below the seat? Snap! I better hurry or I am going to be late!” Being sure that his car was locked, Flash made a quick check-up in his current image with his car reflection: his black jacket with red and blue strips in the arms was in an outstanding condition, his blue hair brush backwards to perfection, his new white T-shirt with his trademark blue shield and lightning bolt was impeccable, his pants and tennis arranged to give a rocker vibe, plus a light and sweet cologne applied to his skin. Everything was in place, today was important. He got inside the school and hurried up to the computer lab. Once he was a few classrooms near his destination, he started walking slowly, confident and fresh. He wanted to give a great impression to someone new in school. “There she is!” Flash murmured to himself, the reason for going an extra mile in his already cool image. The new student, Twilight Sparkle, started attending CHS today, and this was the only class he shared with her… he asked around once he knew about her future arrival at school. This was going to be his opportunity to get close to her, and even after the incident during the Friendship Games, he didn’t have hard feelings for her, his infatuation with her remained strong. The few exchanges he had with her were enough to understand that she was curious, smart and above all, special, not only because she resembled the lovely princess from another world. As a matter of fact, they may be the same people in shape but he could feel that their personalities had significant differences. He couldn't describe it, but he was sure of it. Flash accepted the fact a few days ago that dating Princess Twilight was impossible because the difference in schedule, worlds, distance and species. He was a romantic fool, but was well-aware that once committed with someone, he would want to spend too much time with her girl. It happened with Sunset Shimmer, and a princess like Twilight does not have that kind of time. But now he can start again. It could sound bad for some people what Flash was doing; trying to date someone who resembles his last crush would indeed sound like a replacement. But this Twilight was not Princess Twilight. She was the Twilight Sparkle of this world! They may share the same image and special qualities, but they differ in background. They were different people, they were different individuals, and Flash wanted to give his best in this new opportunity in love. Their first talk was awkward, fast and normal, but given time, it could turn trusting and friendly. Since there were five empty spots in the class and everybody were arranged in pairs, that means that Twilight would be alone. He could offer her being her teammate in class and doing the project together would make a perfect excuse to do the appointment during weekends. Once they know each other better, he could ask her for a date. It was a perfect plan. He was grateful for once for arriving late to class in the day the teams were made. “Eh, excuse me but you are blocking the way and I need to get inside.” Flash didn't noticed that he was blocking the way to the lab. “Oh! Sorry, man!” He recognized the student; it was the guy who asked him earlier where the classroom number twelve was before break time. He looked shady and kind of a loner. Flash took his assigned seat after letting him pass. Everyone started to arrive to classroom, but the usual seat belonging to the most energetic girl in the school was used by Twilight… who was besides Sunset. “Oh great…” But Sunset already had a partner, so for whatever reason she hasn't arrived, it will be just for today. So there are still three spots left in class if he took into account Twilight and the new guy. The new guy was in the last row where nobody ever sits, but this was good! Since Flash's position was in the middle row and the empty seat beside him was screaming for an owner, no doubt his partner will be indeed Twilight. The stars were smiling for this fellow romantic guy. The professor finally arrived and class started. “Good afternoon, students, I am pleased to say we have two new students joining our class, could both you come here and introduce yourselves?” Professor Gizmo was a young, new teacher who specializes in the robotic engineering field. He gave an aura of being nerdy; his white coat, pimpled faced-skin and extremely thick glasses didn’t help much in the matter. Nevertheless he was a cool guy, he teaches like he was another classmate and was really supportive all the time. He could become another favorite teacher in school like Bridge if he kept it up like that. For now, Twilight and the new guy were in front of the classroom and they started to introduce themselves. “Hi, my name is Twilight Sparkle! It’s good to be your new classmate! I hope we can be friends given the time, and let’s hope you can teach me how to improve my programing skills this time, Professor Gizmo!” That sounded awfully friendly to our romantic fool… could it be that- “You know you can ask me anything, Twilight! Shining Armor would never forgive me if I didn't help you!” Who was Shining Armor? What was the relationship between these two? Flash started to feel anxious. “Well, Nitpick, it’s your turn, you can do it!” Twilight talked with him with an awfully familiar tone as well. “My name is Nitpick Bittersweet. Like Twilight here, we came from Crystal Prep Academy and I hope we can coexist peacefully.” He was… plain. “You haven't changed one bit, Nitpick.” “Well, you didn’t have changed either, ‘Professor’ Gizmo!” They chuckled for a moment of agreement; they must know each other. “Indeed. Very good, let’s update you in the mechanic of our class. I will grade you with an ongoing project for all the semester. It can be anything you like as long its purpose it’s meaningful. For example, you can develop an application that facilitates accountability calculation if you have knowledge of the subject, or a book editor to make more appealing digital books with image and word style editor. As you can see, your classmates are working in pairs, and since you are new here, you will temporally work individually with an existent team. They will show you an example of their works to help you inspire your minds in what do you want to do for a project!” “The work is in pairs… Can I just work alone, Professor? I would be just dead weight for my partner!” Flash was thanking the new guy for making things easy for him in his mind. “Well, this task is meant to be in pairs to improve team work, but let’s see. Twilight, ladies should be asked first in the subject. There is a classmate over there, Flash, who is currently working alone and Nitpick here. With whom you want to team up?” After Nitpick's last statement of wanting to work alone, there is no way she would choose him. Flash started to stealthily adjust the empty seat for Twilight. “Are you sure you want to work alone, Nitpick? It could be fun working together again.” ‘What!? Flash thought dumbfounded. Not only the response was fast, but her tone was really friendly. Totally different from her exchanges with him during the Games. “Are you sure you want to work with me, Twilight Sparkle? I wasn't of much help during our physics project last year. As a matter of fact, you practically did everything yourself.” “Nonsense, you were truly helpful in doing the mockup to show the gravitational effects in a theoretical solar system affected by a dying sun and a black hole in it. It was really fun working with you, unlike Trenderhoof and his friends who always were making silly excuses to not assist us in the assignment.” “But I…” “…Please.” “But… Fine!” Flash Sentry's plan was completely ruined before it even started. “Now that our team problem has been solved, you still need to be with another team for today, you can choose whoever you like, Twilight. Nitpick, since you were chosen for a team, why don’t you work with Flash for today? Flash, help Nitpick get used to our pace, please.” “Yes, Professor.” ‘Great, not only I wasn't chosen by Twilight for pairing, now I have to work with someone who doesn't look friendly for today’ Flash was sighing in apathy for this turn of events. But suddenly a realization appeared in his mind. Since they were from the same school, he could asked him questions regarding Twilight to find if she isn't dating someone and don't build false hopes. And if everything turns out fine, make inquiry about her hobbies, likes and dislikes. Nitpick was now besides him. Using his best social skills and speaking in low volume to not disrupt class, talking time started. “Hey Nitpick, welcome to CHS! I am Flash Sentry; believe me when I say you will like this place!” He raised his hand and invited him to do a handshake. Forcefully, Nitpick accepted. “Yes, I know, everyone in school has told me the same damn thing since I arrived.” Nitpick responded with the same low voice as Flash, but annoyed. He wondered if someone in school made him mad for whatever reason and he was in this bad mood because of it…or this was his normal mood. “Flash, aren't we supposed to work in your project?” “Right, let’s start!” Flash uploaded his work from the USB and opened Windowed Visual Projects. “Well, my project consist of making an interactive tutorial to learn playing electric guitar! I already have the code to make the application work in chapter-like lessons. My goal is to make people confident in their skills, but I am finding difficult to transmit the basics in words or where to begin with.” “If I wanted to play a guitar, the first thing I would like to learn is what I have at my disposal.” “What do you mean?” “Electric guitars have various components, right? The first thing I would want to learn would be how to tune the guitar, how to put cords, the purpose of the stick below the cords and so on. You can't use an instrument if you don't know how to use all its tools…at least that’s what a beginner like me would like to know if I were interested.” “You make a good point. And the stick you mention is called a Tremolo Bar, not all electric guitars have one.” “You can make a small chapter explaining the different types of guitar, and the first few chapters can be about of how you learned to play.” “Good idea, but the way I learned is somewhat weird. I just played mimicking the sounds until it sounded right. I don’t think that would help anyone.” “But you know how to read the musical notes, right?” “That’s right. I learned that later on during middle school.” “Then you can start with that.” “Sounds good to me.” Flash was quick to judge Nitpick. Sure, his way of speak was dry and plain, but he paid attention and gave his honest opinions about the subject at hand. Maybe he could be more open with some questions regarding Twilight. “I am sure you will make friends here.” “Why do you say that? And I already have friends; Lightbulb and Dancer are here in this school so I don’t need anyone else.” “Well, you seem pretty honest, and I know those two, they are good guys. But you don't consider Twilight your friend?” “Well, she is a good acquaintance at most but I don’t know her well enough to call her a friend. She is a good girl, though.” With this Flash now knows that Nitpick isn't her friend or dating her. “It seems Twilight and you know the professor.” “I was surprised to see him here. He is a friend of Twilight's older brother, Captain Shining Armor. The professor and I met during an expo comic during Christmas. We are not friends either but I consider him a cool guy.” So the guy named Shining Armor was Twilight's brother… Flash though he could be his future brother-in-law. Well, the moment of truth is now or never. “Do you know if Twilight is dating someone? I know you said you didn't know her well but…” “I see… to tell you the truth, I don't know. Honest. Why you don’t ask her out if you are interested in her? You look like a popular guy, maybe she will agree going out with you.” “You think so?” Flash was suddenly filled with hope. Even if he admitted to not knowing her well, the fact that he mentioned he could have a shot made him happy. “Well…yeah.” “Thanks, man!” “Anytime…hey, could I ask you a question?” “Sure, man, go ahead!” “Well… I wasn't completely honest about wanting friends…since you opened about your love interest…well, this is embarrassing, talking about this. Normally, the only people I trust telling this kinds things are my friends, and making friends is really hard, you know, especially in Crystal Prep!” Flash being good at social relationships realized that Nitpick could be wary of new people. Crystal Prep was said to be a place where only the high caste had a place and landing here at CHS where the probability of making friends was high was alien to him. Perhaps opening to him would help him in a way. “Come on, you can tell me!” “I liked someone at first sight, maybe it’s foolish of me, but I really liked this girl!” “Most of the girls here are good people. I don't know if you notice but this school is full of pretty girls, who is the lucky one?” “You talk like if it’s already granted that I would date her in the near future.” “You never know if you don't try, you said that yourself earlier.” “Well, she is here in this classroom.” Flash thought hard of who could it be. This class of now twenty one students has nine girls: Octavia, Vinyl, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rari- “Let me guess, it’s that girl with the fashionable purple hair, Rarity.” “No.” Plain as water. Normally, people are attracted to the opposite of their personalities. If Nitpick was shady and unconfident, maybe someone as bright and confident like Rarity would be his crush; at least, that’s how Flash always thought. Sunset was different than him in various aspects like goals, activities and so on; the only thing they shared in common was music. If opposite is not the case, maybe similarity is the answer. “Then the pink haired girl, Fluttershy” “No” Plain again… “Then the black haired girl, Octavia.” “No, too classy.” “Normally I get the right answer in this kind of things in the second try… although with Twilight is a special case for me.” “Sorry if I sound like an unbearable bastard with my short answers.” “Don’t worry… and I give up, at this pace I will name all the girls in class.” “Well, she is sitting beside Twilight.” “WHAT!?” Flash made a loud noise; everyone turned their attention to them. Nitpick was getting red of embarrassment, Flash needed to do something quick. “It's something wrong, Flash?” “No! No, Professor! It’s just that… Nitpick gave me an awesome idea and it really worked in my application, making chapter-like tutorial for my guitar teaching program” “Good to know, Kiddo, but try to be more quiet next time.” “Uh, yep, of course.” The awkward moment quickly died off and everything got back to normal. “For a moment I thought you were going to expose me and everybody would laugh at me.” “Is this how Crystal Prep was back then?” “You could say so… thanks for not meeting my expectations of how this could have ended-” And then, a moment of silence. These words weren't from another world, it was the expression that made him feel… sad? He needed to answer his previous question with honesty. “You know, I know Sunset well…too well in fact.” “Meaning?” “Well, She is… she is my ex-girlfriend.” “Oh….OH! I see.” “Don’t take it wrong, it was sudden, that’s all! Besides, it’s more than a year since we broke up, but I assure you, she is a nice girl! And before you ask, we had a disagreement of sorts but nothing serious.” “Tell me the truth, do I have a change?” “Well…” “I need to know, so don’t bullshit me…please.” This one is a though one; give him false hope and pray that a miracle happens or be straightforward and end his crush for his well-being? Normally he would opt for the former, there was always hope to make things work, but this case was different, not because is about Sunset, her former girlfriend… but. “I am sorry but you don’t have any change, Nitpick. You appear to be very wary of people and I don't think she would like that. I don’t mean to say you are bad, I just met you and I think you are a good guy. There are girls as nice as she in the school, but please forget about her, not as her ex, but I worry about the outcome with her. She is simple too much for you…she was too much for me, too, believe me.” “Somehow I knew you would say that… she must be an awesome girl if you say it like that.” “That she is… I am sorry.” “Don’t be. Thank you for your sincerity, Flash.” This was the first time Flash Sentry felt those words had that kind of weight. The class was over, and since he didn't have a change to speak with Twilight today, it was time to go home.