//------------------------------//
// Prologue: Mr. Cake's POV 
// Story: Cups and Carrots in a cake 
// by keam 
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"Are you sure this is a good idea? I could just go with the black tie instead!" I questioned nervously, frowning as my “buddy” Terry Stable ignored me and used his magic to tie a burning orange coloured  bow tie around my neck.

"Sure, Carrot, it matches your mane. After all, can't walk around with that flame on your head without a matching accessory!" Terry replied, ruffling my bright orange mane whose colour was what had driven my mother to naming me “Carrot cake”, and, while he was at it, tying the bow tie harder around my neck.

"That's hard enough, Terry!" I suddenly yelped, backing away from the mirror and my best friend, who was now busying himself with applying gel to his chocolate brown mane and fixing with his tuxedo. I still couldn't believe how easily he had convinced me to come with him to the big school dance, even though I had no partner and most ponies didn’t even know who I was.

"You know, Carrot, Marissa was really excited to hear that you're coming along. She got a friend who's without a date for the dance, too. I'm sure you two will have fun together!" 

There it was. Terry's matchmaking skills had gotten me a date for the dance, an unknown mare I had never met before, in the same moment as I agreed to come along. Terry, on the other hoof, had without hesitation won over Marissa Mare, the hottest girl in school, and convinced her to be his date. My own date, Cupcake they said she was named, was a friend of Marissa and I guessed it couldn't be too bad as she was known for her pickiness when it came to who she chose to be friend.

"Yeah I guess it'll be okay...better than being a loner...but how come Cupcake didn't have a date?" I asked suspiciously, suddenly realising how weird it sounded with a friend of the school's uncrowned queen standing without a date.

"She decided to join in late. Marissa convinced her, same way I did with you. An obvious match, ya know? Can you give me my tie?" He explained, using his magic to levitate the chocolate brown tie from my hoof as I offered him it.

"Yeah, I believe you...you could have asked if I wanted a date, though..." I sighed, knowing very well that even if he had asked, and I hadn't wanted a date, I would have been too shy and passive to say so...

‘Just hope she's kind and dosen't mind an ugly-looking thing like me...worst that can happen is that she dumps me in front of everypony, and I'll get humiliated...like it wasn't bad enough that I look like a mare!’I thought to myself, looking down at my tall, thin, giraffe like body. 
I knew that I was a totally okay guy on the inside, but not mare bothered to notice as all they saw was my awkward body and crippling social fear... However, the fact that this friend of Marissa hadn't really planned on going to the dance gave me hope that she might have social issues as well.