I was lost in thought with the suffering of my sore body. The stress from yesterday was quickly driving me crazy. My arms ached, my legs were unresponsive and my face still hurts.
“At least it isn’t swollen…” I said with a bit of relief while touching my face.
Since Gily told me to eat more healthy stuff, I decided to make one of her special recipes this morning. I have most of the ingredients I need to make the new smoothie she recommended me! The only thing I lacked was a special whey protein for people with relaxed lifestyles like mine, so I’ll buy it later when I go to buy my groceries in the supermarket later.
I checked my funds and I noticed that I hit the yellow zone sooner than I expected. Yesterday’s activities made me spend more money than I thought… Curse those Apple’s and their eccentric work. But now wasn’t the time to think of that! I took a quick shower, made my incomplete smoothie and drank it. After taking my breakfast, I proceeded to wear my casual clothes. Since I feel that today was going to be special, I decided to use my Tac-shirt.
Speaking of special, this day is meant to be celebrated! One of my friends was born seventeen years ago in September 28! I took out my phone and started to write a message to her.
-Nitpick: Hey there!
I wonder if she is awake. Sunday’s are pretty much her hibernation day.
-????: Do you need something, my beloved friend? (✿◠‿◠)
Good, she is awake.
-Nitpick: I was wondering, when you are going to be back with us?
-????: Next Friday… Next Friday my brother and I’ll be back to Crystal State.
-Nitpick: Then next Friday without a doubt I’ll tell you the words that were meant for this day in person.
-????: I love all of you! Gilda and the rest said the same to me, except my brother! We’ll be going to eat breakfast soon at a small restaurant.
-Nitpick: Enjoy the day! We’ll meet again soon!
-????: ♥
I’m not going to give her a birthday congratulations through phone texting! That would be lame and cheap! Real friends must give at least a hug and drink coffee if it’s possible to do so. Since she is coming back soon, I must talk with the others about it and plan something for her!
Making sure that I wasn’t forgetting the essential items like the wallet, my phone and ensuring that I brushed my teeth to perfection, I went straight to the local supermarket. This town is really convenient if we take in account how small it is compared to other towns or cities in the nation. Every point of interest was at least a half an hour nearby if you had an accelerated pace and knew where the shortcuts were. Also, if you consider that your starting point was the town center.
Finally I arrived to the supermarket, it was really spacious today! Everybody tended to buy their groceries during Fridays or Saturdays and today was excellent to buy everything I needed. Milk, eggs, fruits, cereal, almonds and such were put in my basket. There were special discounts if I buy some inventory in bundles and I really needed to cash in such offer.
“Twelve boxes of almond milk with two packages of dry seeds like almonds at thirty-nine with ninety-nine cents? I belong in this place!”
Happily that I managed to invest my purchases within the tight restrictions of my current money, I left the supermarket and went straight to the small plaza that was near it. I needed to buy the casual protein that Gily told me about yesterday. The nutrition store was full of extravagant looking bottles and expensive stuff, seventy dollars for a bottle of vitamins was out of question!
I got near the clerk of the store and asked about for what I was looking for.
“Excuse me. Don’t you have this kind of protein at sale here?” I asked him while showing the photo that Gily sent me.
“Sorry to say that this store doesn’t work with that one! Let me call for you the main store in the city and ask if a store nearby has it!”
“Thanks, I appreciate it!”
If I say to Gily that I didn’t buy that as I promised her I would do, she will kill me!
The clerk used the phone and dialed to the main central store of this nutrition chain franchise. After a brief wait, he had an answer for me.
“The store located at the Chocoratte Plaza has lots of bottles of this particular brand!”
“Thanks for helping me out, I’ll go right away!”
“It’s a pleasure to serve you!”
Well, the road will be long so I better left my groceries at home. Once I got back to my house and ordered everything in its place, I finally went to the bus station and waited for the next ride. It’s eleven with thirty-three minutes in the morning so the next bus will arrive in twelve minutes.
Damn this kind of services, but it’s the cheapest and fastest choice around.
The bus arrived and this time I saw a face I hadn’t seen in a while. Mr. Ranger was and old man that tended to drive a little more aggressive than the other bus drivers. This will be a short trip.
“Nitpick! Months without seeing you in the bus roads! Have you been busy in that school of yours?” Said Mr. Ranger while taking my fare money.
“Actually, I transferred to CHS because of a problem.” I said while taking the nearest sit to him. “Are you still the fastest driver around town?”
“HAHAHAHAHA! Hold your panties tight!”
And a hellish driving soon was felt.
The Chocoratte Plaza, it’s been weeks since I was here with Gily. That expensive stuffed deer was kept safe in the obscurity of a special box in my closet. Now I found myself again in this accursed place with insufferable crowds. I searched for my target store I when I finally was in front of it, a post signed was hanging on the road.
“We are taking a breakfast… WE’LL BE BACK IN AN HOUR!?”
Damn it! What I’m supposed to do in an hour? I took a deep breath and calmed myself with this predicament… Maybe I can go to the bookstore and see if I can find the special edition of Knight Seiyamus! I just needed two issues more to complete my collection of the color printed format of my favorite manga!
The bookstore had a healthy array of customers and my section of interest was empty. People had a trend that international comics or mangas are for children.
Fools! Fools all of them!
But how can I blame them? Cheap fan service started to ruin the image of what was once a proud market! But serious stories or serviceable reading material can be found if you search well enough. I started to inspect the volumes and… bad luck. The available issues were already in my possession.
I took a glimpse at my watch and I still needed to wait forty minutes… fucking luck I have today. A chocolate ice cream could appease my bad mood. The ice cream stand of this plaza had a special Neapolitan ice cream that had dark chocolate and sweet strawberry in it, the vanilla was the middle point that balanced everything. I love that flavor so a sundae will be my order.
There was nobody in the stand. Lucky me! I hasted my steps, slowly feeling the flavors in my mouth already. I took out the usual eleven dollars for the extra sized sundae and I asked the attendant of the place to give me my order!
“One Royal Size Sundae with the Tortoise Neapolitan flavor and lots of cream and sprinkles, please!”
There were two hands with money extended to the ice cream seller. One was mine and the other belonged to someone I didn’t expect to meet here. Her fiery hair, her blue-emerald eyes and godly figure were unmistakable!
“Sunset Shimmer!?”
“Nitpick Bittersweet?”
This was bad comedy! We said our names at the same time!
“What a surprise to see you around here! Did you come here to hang with someone in particular?” Said Sunset in a friendly manner.
“Uh, no! As a matter of fact, I just came here to buy some nutrition products to improve my health.”
No point in lying to people when it’s something silly.
“You Sundaes are ready!” Said the ice cream seller.
“Oh thanks!” I finally said.
We paid for our desserts and I tried to go to the farthest seats of the place while eating my treat. I couldn’t step getting stressed by the fact that Sunset stick with me like glue during my small walk! Finally sitting in a bench, she continued our conversation.
“How nice to hear that you are trying to improve yourself! With attitude like that we can surely win the Intern Tournament!”
Your misunderstanding of my situation is inspiring.
“Yeah, I need to eat healthy now. I don’t want to keep losing weight from the stress from the training and-“
“STRESS!?”
“WAAHH!”
DON’T FRIGHT ME LIKE THAT!
“I’m so sorry! I just, I, how… are you really losing weight!?”
Oh shit, better sugarcoat the truth to not worry her anymore.
“Yeah but it’s because something personal happened and you don’t have to worry about it! I’m fine, trust me!”
“Maybe you should consult with someone to help you! I could ask someone if they know a professional to-“
“Sunset…” I interrupted her. "I’m fine!”
Silence… we silently finished our ice creams. It took us near an hour to do so and with this I can finally go to the store, buy the protein and finally go home.
“I should go! I need to buy my things and go home!”
“Wait!”
Did she just stop me?
“Why don’t you and I spend the day together? We could go to the arcades or watch a movie! It could be really fun!”
“Are you serious? This is not a joke!?”
OH PLEASE! TELL ME IS A JOKE!
“I’m telling the honest truth, Nitpick!” Said Sunset with her eyes closed and a big smile.
“I… well”
“Come on, I don’t bite!”
Perhaps, but you can do something far worse than hurt my skin… you are my crush after all. I should be grateful that this kind of chance appeared to me but the truth is that I know my position. If I try to imagine that I have an opportunity with her, the fall will be a pain to deal with later. It’s better to let this chance pass.
“Well, I don’t-“
Suddenly my phone started to ring. I quickly checked who was calling me and…
“Mother?”
“You should answer the call, I’ll wait for you!”
“Ok…”
As I answered the phone and put it near my ear, I could see that what Sunset meant with what she said was that she would be standing right in front of me with a sweetie expression… Mother, save me!
“Nitpick?”
“Yes, Mother. Do you need something?”
“Just doing our weekly call and making sure you are fine! What are you doing?”
“Doing the groceries, Mother!”
“Did you buy the almond milk?”
“Yes.”
“Tooth paste?”
“Yes.”
“Food?”
“Yes, Mother! Don’t worry about me like that!”
“But I must worry because I’m your mom! Besides you are my cutie and little, useless son!”
Did Sunset Shimmer just blush with that remark? SUNSET SHIMMER DID BLUSH WITH THAT REMARK! She heard everything my Mother said! I better finish this conversation.
“I better wait right there for you, Nitpick!” Said Sunset while pointing out the benches where we were sitting in.
“Who was that? Is that a girl talking to you? Are you having a date?”
How did you hear her? I admit she is close but not that much!
“Uh, nou!”
“Yes, you are right!”
Don’t speak, Sunset! And stop hearing to my Mother!
“PRAISED BE THE LORD! MY SON IS HAVING A DATE! DARLING, OUR NITPICK FINALLY IS HAVING A DATE!”
NOOOOOOOOU!
SUNSET HEARD THAT!
SHE FUCKING HEARD THAT!
SHE IS NOW COVERING HER MOUTH WITH EMBARRASEMENT!
SOMEONE KILL ME NOW!
“I’ll stop bothering you now, love birds! Enjoy yourselves! Oh, how wonderful is the beauty of youth!”
And she hung off the call.
Awkward silence reigned upon the land. The pressure I felt in this moment combined with the damage that I sustained with my fight with Braeburn were enough to put me scared. Finally, she was the one to smash the silence.
“Your mom sounds like a, uh, nice mom!”
DON’T SAY THAT WITH A FACE LIKE THAT!
My phone rang once again, this time it was a text from my bank account.
-Bank: Your balance has been updated! $200.00 dollars were added to your account!
Another message arrived. It was from my Mother this time.
-Mother: If you mess this chance to get a girlfriend, marry her and give us grandchildren’s in a few years, your father and I will disown you as a son, Nitpick Bittersweet!
…
“Do you want to go on a date with me, Sunset Shimmer?”
“I-I would be honored!”
Seriously, kill me now!