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// Prologue: How to Make Friends in Homeroom 
// Story: After So Long 
// by ChaseTheChangeling 
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~~~~Five Years Earlier: Dragons Borrow High School, Delamare~~~~


The school was nothing to be proud of. It would sooner be on an eye witness news channel for a shooting than a slide show for a graduation. Likely one would be more plausible than the other considering the crowd. Vinyl smiled, a little shaken by the large group of other ponies in her path, but more excited about what options she had for classes, and what other ponies would be attending. Stepping off of the school bus that took her to the school, she stood in awe of the masses for a moment, and at the building in a less than enthusiastic manner.  

It was a basic orange brick building, squat, with few windows, and a large doorway. It was really just nothing. It was hardly two floors. Vinyl rolled her eyes and shook her shoulders a bit to level her bag. Before she was able to take a single step, a group of ponies pushed past her violently, knocking her to the ground without the slightest bit of concern. Vinyl peeled herself from the pavement and checked her things to be sure nothing had fallen off. 

For today, Vinyl came in to make an impression, and decided the best way to do that, would be to throw on her favorite things from past years in school. Regardless of the clashing styles. Vinyl had opted to wear a large baggy green hoodie with grey sleeves, a military book bag, and a leather spiked collar. Her mane? Her mane was a plain mess. The frizzy poofy fuzzball was nothing but an explosion having frozen and settled in place on her head, and just below her bangs, on her muzzle lay a trademark pair of shades to hide her eyes from harsh light. 

Shaking her head, Vinyl trotted into the crowded school, and despite her intimidating height, she was pushed around the halls like a rag doll. The smells of cheap Axe body wash and spray overtook Vinyl's nose, paired with the smell of generic mane spiking gel. Almost all of the ponies looked and smelled like clones of each other. All of the pegasi had spiked gelled manes. There was something almost creepy about a whole, single race, having the exact same hair style. Vinyl ignored it and pushed her way into one of the History class rooms. 

"This should be home room...." Vinyl whispered as she looked over the class. As to be expected, the young ponies were horrible. Disgusting, violent, and raunchy mares and colts were jumping from table to table, throwing things and swearing, and picking on the occasional pony not partaking in the antics. If you wanted to be cool, you had to do what everypony else was doing. Even being an idiot... mostly being an idiot. Vinyl gave them a quick once over before getting an army of curious eyes falling onto her. There were about seven ponies in the back of the class that went almost silent when she walked past. They ignored her as she sat down. Well, for the most part. Despite the hushed whispers and muffled chuckles Vinyl knew was aimed at her. With a huff, the alabaster unicorn yanked out a sketch book, and pencil, thinking about something to draw before looking around the room once more, being careful to avoid the looks of the less... desirable crowd. Vinyl finally set her eyes on a young mare that sat on the desk behind her in the next row to her left. Vinyl hadn't even noticed her really before now. She looked... interesting. 

'Alright, Vinyl...' she began to ponder as she looked over the other mare, 'Look her over... can you talk to this pony?' This lovely mare beside Vinyl wasn't like any of the other ponies she had seen yet, she had a style that didn't fall under "Hood Rat". She was a lovely grey earth pony, curved, and eyes of a purple colour, her black mane long and hiding most of her face as she handled an automatic pencil in one hoof. Vinyl noticed the dark clothes, and the sketch book before the mare, and smiled. Well, if she wore dark clothes and drew, surely she would enjoy talking to another pony of similar interests?

"Hey there," Vinyl began with a smile, "I like your picture." She totally nailed it.

"Yeah..." the mare hardly even looked up. Well... maybe not as nailed as she thought. Vinyl frowned and turned back to her paper and sighed. Maybe there was a detail she missed? Vinyl turned back around to look at the grey earth mare, this time she seemed to be getting visibly tense, likely due to the creep of a unicorn hovering and trying to talk to her. Vinyl shuddered at the horrible thought of being so awkward. Vinyl finally gained her thoughts and took a quick peek at the chest of the mare behind her, seeing an image and acronym she knew well. The grey mare tensed up a little more under the stare, regardless of its short length. Vinyl thought it best to speak before this mare opted to punch her and run away.

"I like My Chemical Romance too." 

That was the only sentence that needed to be said. When Vinyl saw those purple eyes light up, and that shy muzzle smile, her mane falling away from her face and finally seeing Vinyl for a pony to interact with as opposed to some obstacle. Vinyl shifted in her seat and for the first time ever the shy earth mare bombarded Vinyl with all of her favorite musicians, instruments, and songs, showing her drawings and stories and fan art. Vinyl engaged, and for the whole home room, the sound in the room was no longer just loud shouts and curse words, or banging on tables and rap lyrics being recited poorly. No, there was something more, the sound of a lasting friendship being created, the sound of two ponies with like hearts and like minds, a kind soul meeting with another and bonding, creating a friendship that would be stronger than Vinyl had ever expected.