//------------------------------//
// 10: Roadtrip 
// Story: The Roommate 
// by totallynotabrony 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 10: Roadtrip

“How do you get comfortable with these stupid seatbelts?” demanded Rainbow.
“I can sort of understand what you’re going through.”  I gestured to where the strap crossed my chest.  “Most car designers are sexist.”
“Speciesist,” the pony corrected.  She managed find a position in the passenger seat that she could deal with.
“So are we finally ready to leave the parking lot?” I asked.
Rainbow gestured at the windshield.  “Go ahead.”
I put the transmission in gear.  It ground a little because the car was almost as old as me, but caused no further trouble.  I got the car on the interstate headed south.  
There isn’t a whole lot of scenery on I-65.  It’s…um, cornfields.  Occasionally with some soybeans for variety.  Wooo.
Thanks to Fall Break, we had another Monday off school.  The weather was turning chilly as the season progressed into autumn.  The other cars on the road all had their windows rolled up.
“How long is this going to take?” asked Rainbow.  “How fast are we going?”
“Maybe an hour.”  I glanced at the dashboard.  “We’re doing seventy.  That’s the speed limit.”  Rainbow made a noise that suggested she didn’t care for such laws.  Too bad, I was driving.
To pass the time, I asked about Twilight.  Previously, my roommate had used words like “nerd,” “egghead,” and “really powerful magic,” to describe her friend.  That’s about what Rainbow said this time.
We were soon circling the bypass around Indianapolis.  The first stop was the Navy office.	 Rainbow had previously talked to the recruiter on the phone, but both of them wanted a face to face meeting.  The building where the office was located was not really easy to get to from the interstate.
I handed Rainbow my phone and asked her to give me directions.  She balanced the device in her hooves, studying the map on the tiny screen.
“I feel like a rally navigator,” she said.
I glanced at her.  “A what?”
“In cross country auto racing, the driver takes directions from a navigator,” she explained.  “I heard about it watching online clips from a show called Top Gear.”
Rainbow had really taken to the internet.  I figured it was a good thing we didn’t have a TV in the dorm room, or she might become more pop culture savvy than I was.
She managed to navigate us to the recruiting office.  I went inside with her and sat down in the waiting area.  It was difficult to find something to read that wasn’t related to the military.  The civilian secretary gave me a smile.  I wasn’t sure if she felt sorry for me for having to put up with a pony, or if it was a look of encouragement for going out of my way to do so.
We were on a schedule to meet Twilight, and had only budgeted half an hour for Rainbow to talk to the recruiter.  The two of them used every minute of it.  The pegasus emerged from his office looking like she’d received some minor bad news, but wore a determined look.
I got up.  “How did it go?”
“There’s nothing that says a pony can’t join the Navy,” she replied.  “There’s nothing that says it’s possible, either.”
“What stops you from just submitting an application and hoping for the best?” I asked.
Rainbow shot me a look.  “This is my entire future we’re talking about here.  I was hoping for something a little more certain than that.”
We walked back outside.  Rainbow sighed.  “As long as it’s not impossible, I’m going to keep working as hard as I can.”
“I’ll do whatever I can to help,” I promised.
“Thanks.  It means a lot,” said Rainbow.  She cleared her throat and looked away.  “So how do we get to where we’re meeting Twilight?”
I pulled out my phone as we got in the car.  “She said she’d be at the White River State Park.  I think that’s downtown.”
Rainbow looked at the map again.  “It looks like a little spot of green in the middle of the city.  I don’t know how you humans are able to force nature to grow where it’s completely unsuited.”
I laughed.  “As a species, we’re big fans of terraforming.  My grandfather once told me a story about a place in the Philippines called Cubi Point where they cut an entire mountain in half to build an airport.”
Traffic cooperated, and we arrived at the park on time.  I glanced around.  “What does Twilight look like?  How will I know when I see her?”
Rainbow stared at me.  “She’s a purple unicorn.  Pretty distinctive.”
I laughed.  “Just look for the pony.  Got it.”
We found Twilight under a tree next to the canal.  There were a few tourist pamphlets spread on the grass in front of her.  She looked up as we approached.  “Hey you two!”
The purple pony grabbed her friend in a hug.  Rainbow, not usually one to let her emotions show, had an honest smile on her face.
The two of them disengaged and Twilight looked at me.  “You must be Denise.  It’s good to finally meet you.”
“You too.”  I offered my fist and she bumped it.
“I was thinking we might talk over lunch,” said Twilight, picking up her things from the grass and packing them away in her saddlebags.  I had seen unicorn magic on TV, but it was interesting to watch up close.
“Sounds good,” said Rainbow.
“I am kind of hungry,” I admitted.
“I’ve been experimenting with different types of human food,” said Twilight, consulting a small notebook.  “How does Chinese sound?  Is that a good choice?”
I nodded.  “Most places have a couple of vegetarian dishes.”
“Is it anything like Chinese Night at the dining court?” asked Rainbow.
“Hopefully it’s better than that,” I laughed, starting to search for a nearby restaurant with my phone.  Twilight watched with fascination as my fingers moved across the screen.  It was somewhat strange to be examined like that, but Rainbow had told me she was some kind of professional student and I should expect to be under the microscope.
“There’s a place a couple blocks away,” I said.  The three of us walked in that direction.  The restaurant turned out to be a buffet.  It wasn’t very impressive-looking, with greasy trays full of colorless food baked into crusty lumps after being under heat lamps for hours.  An average Chinese restaurant, in other words.
The grade from the health inspector was an A minus, however, so I figured eating there probably wouldn’t kill us.  Rainbow was familiar with the concept of a buffet, and Twilight followed her lead.
The two of them came back to the table with plates piled with noodles and vegetables.  I asked how Twilight’s sightseeing was going.
“It’s very interesting,” she replied.  “I’ve seen the state capitol, a couple of museums, and the Scottish Rite Cathedral.  That’s the fancy Masonic Temple downtown.”
I had no idea what she was talking about, but I had a sudden mental image of myself and two ponies going on a globe-trotting adventure to uncover an ancient conspiracy.  Maybe I had read too many Dan Brown books.  
Twilight described a little more of her day so far.  It troubled me slightly that she seemed to know more about Indianapolis than I did.
Rainbow broke into Twilight’s monologue a few times with questions or comments.  I was content to just sit back and listen.  This meeting wasn’t about me.  It was kind of interesting observing Rainbow when she was around an old friend.  She talked and laughed more.  I suspected that perhaps this was her real personality showing itself.
After we had finished eating and paid the bill, the three of us walked outside.  Twilight pulled out two small boxes and said, “Before I have go, I have something special for you.”
The first box contained something that resembled alfalfa cubes, which were used on Earth as a treat for horses.  These somehow appeared fancier than the cubes that could be found at the local feed store.
“Hey, are these from that farm north of Ponyville?” asked Rainbow excitedly.
Twilight smiled.  “They sure are.  I told Mr. Haybale that I was getting them for you, and he gave me some from the freshest crop.”
Rainbow took one of the cubes and munched happily on it.  Twilight went to offer the box to me, but stopped.  “Oh, I guess you don’t eat these.”
“It’s all right.  I don’ t think it’ll hurt me.”  I peeled off a flake from one of the cubes and put it in my mouth.  It tasted like generic plant material, not too objectionable.  I wouldn’t have been surprised to find it on a salad.
“I do have something else that you would probably like,” said Twilight, opening the other box.  Inside were three cupcakes with pink icing.  Despite eating too much at the buffet, my mouth was suddenly watering.
“Pinkie Pie cupcakes,” said Twilight.  Rainbow took one of them and stuffed it in her mouth.  She practically swooned at the taste.  And I thought she was excited about the alfalfa.
I picked up one of the cupcakes and bit into it.  I’m not exactly a connoisseur of such things, but it was literally the best pastry I’d ever tasted.  "These are amazing."
“Oh wow,” said Rainbow.  “You have no idea how long I’ve been craving one of those.”
Twilight laughed as she finished her own cupcake.  “I thought you might like a little taste of home.”
Rainbow’s face fell slightly, but Twilight was busy looking for a trash can for the empty boxes and didn’t notice.
“Oh, speaking of home,” Twilight went on, “Did you hear that they made a motion picture about Daring Do?”
“Really?” asked Rainbow.  “That’s cool.”
Twilight consulted a piece of paper with a schedule printed on it.  "I have to get going now.  It was really good to see you, Rainbow.”  
The two of them hugged again.  I thought for a moment that Rainbow wouldn't let go.  Twilight managed to disengage herself from the pegasus' grip.
“It was nice to meet you,” I said.
“You too, Denise,” responded Twilight.  “Bye!”
Rainbow and I headed back to the car.  She walked along with her head down, not smiling.
“Is something wrong?” I asked.
She sighed.  “Seeing Twilight reminded me of home.  I kind of miss it.”
“You’re only in your first semester of college,” I said.  “That’s normal.”
“I don’t know.  I still feel disloyal for leaving.”  Rainbow sighed.
I wasn’t sure what I could say to change her mood, but inspiration struck.  “Do you want to go see that Daring Do movie?”
Rainbow perked up.  “Really?  Sure, let’s do that.”
We found a movie theater that was open during the early afternoon.  It was one of the big multiplex theatres and had lots of comfortable seats.  I didn’t know what Equestrian movie theaters were like, but Rainbow seemed impressed with this one.  I declined snacks because we had just eaten lunch, plus the dessert Twilight had brought.  
The poster on display for the movie made me think it was an animated film for kids.  In fact, that’s what it turned out to be.  As the lights darkened and the screen lit up, I saw Rainbow’s eyes narrow skeptically.
I had never heard about the Daring Do series of novels before.  Rainbow had, and I think she enjoyed the movie, but still grumbled about it.
“I liked it,” I said.  “It was cute.”
She shot me a look.  “Daring Do isn’t supposed to be cute.  She’s a serious action hero.”
I shrugged.  “They say the book is always different than the movie.”
Turning my cell phone back on revealed a new text message.  It was from Nathan and simply said call me.  I dialed his number as I opened the car door.  
“What’s up?” I asked when he answered.
“We need to talk,” Nathan said.
I paused while putting on my seatbelt.  “About what?”
“Us,” he said.  “I don’t think we should be together anymore.”
“Why?” I demanded.  I had suspected this moment was coming, but didn’t expect it to be so soon.  I didn't expect to be getting dumped.  Even if it was inevitable, I was kind of angry.
“I don’t want hurt you,” he explained.
“Is there someone else?” I asked.
Nathan coughed.  “Well, actually...”  
“More than one?” I shouted.  “How long has it been going on?”
“That’s not what I said!  It’s nothing like that.”  Nathan sighed.  “Goodbye, Denise.”
I took the phone from my ear and let my forehead drop to the steering wheel.  I’m not going to cry.  He isn’t worth it.
I heard Rainbow shift uncomfortably.  She touched my shoulder.  “Are you all right?”
“No,” I whispered.
“Well, could you at least pull yourself together long enough to get us back?” asked the pony.  “I can’t drive.”
I glared at her.  She looked away.
Straightening up, I started the car and put it into gear.  Traffic on the interstate had better not cause problems.  I was in no mood to deal with it.



Rainbow sat next to me at the student health center.  She looked a little awkward reclining in the uncomfortable chair, but I didn’t comment.  My hands were folded in front of me and my shoulders ached from staying hunched for so long.
I shot to my feet as a nurse appeared.  She looked up from a clipboard in surprise.  “Whoa, relax.  You’re good.  We didn’t find anything.”
I let out a breath that I had been holding for what felt like hours.  “Thank you.”
The woman nodded knowingly.  “Be more careful in the future.”
“Absolutely,” I promised.
Rainbow left the building with me and we headed back to the dorm.  We walked a couple of blocks before she broke the silence.  “That was good news.”
I sighed.  “Yeah.”
“So you’re not going to kill Nathan?”  It was a poor attempt at a joke, but I appreciated her trying.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do,” I murmured.  “I have to go over to his place at some point to get my stuff.”
“I’ll go with you,” Rainbow volunteered.
I smiled for the first time in several hours.  “Thanks.”