//------------------------------// // Chapter 2: Hugs Are Always Good. Always. // Story: Sour Sweet Life // by Nico-Stone Rupan //------------------------------// The first thing Sour Sweet noticed when she woke up was that her door was open. Scanning across the room, her eyes immediately noted that the corner which she usually placed her arrow quiver was empty. A dark chuckle escaped her lips as she quickly realized why it was taken. She then glanced at the archery posters which decorated the walls of her room. They were all old, going back to her younger years when she dreamed of being a world-famous archeress. Sour shook her head at the memory of those dreams. They seemed so silly now. They were just a naïve hope of the future. Hell, after what she nearly did last night, she didn’t know if there even was going to be a future for her. She sat up, took her pills, and checked her clock. 3:22 PM. She had slept all day. It figured since she spent all night thinking about her place in life. It didn’t even help. She still had no idea why she existed. “What did a medication-needing, mood-swinging, reality-questioning mental case have to look forward to?” was the question that she kept asking herself and not able to come up with an answer for. She got out of bed and stepped out to see her father who was sitting in a chair in the hallway. Mr. Sweet instantly shot up when he saw her and tried to put on the best smile that he could. “Baby girl, you’re up!” he said, cheerfully. “Have you been waiting out here all day for me to get up? Should have just gone to work, dad,” Sour growled, shaking her head in annoyance as she passed him on her way to the bathroom. “Well, I thought we could have had a lot of fun today,” Mr. Sweet uttered softly. If Sour didn’t know better, she could’ve sworn that she was detecting disappointment in his voice. She sighed. He was trying. He really was. Still, she wasn’t about to make this too easy for him. Two years of neglect shouldn’t be glossed over so easily, Sour had decided. Suddenly, she paused and titled her head as she reached the bathroom. Something was missing. “Wait, where’s the door?” Mr. Sweet cleared his throat. “Well, uh, we just thought that perhaps it would be best to remove it considering, um, you know… with the bathtub being in there and all…” Sour rubbed her temples in frustration. “I am not going to try to drown myself in the tub, dad.” “I wasn’t saying you were, but…” “Just go away and let me do my business!” Sour shouted. Mr. Sweet nodded. “Please come downstairs right away when you’re done. Let’s eat something, okay?” Sour snarled as her answer as she went into the bathroom. She did indeed go straight down to the kitchen afterwards. Her father was pouring milk into two bowls of cereal. Getting a sudden suspicion, she began to walk toward the drawer which the silverware was kept. “I already got spoons for us,” she heard her father say. Ignoring him, she opened the drawer. Certain utensils were missing. Her suspicion was confirmed. “I see you hid the knives somewhere,” Sour commented, turning to face him with a mocking grin. “Noticed you took the arrows out of my room as well.” Mr. Sweet sighed and nodded somberly. “I just don’t want anything to happen to you, Sour.” Sour sat down at the table. “If you’re attempting ‘suicide watch’ precautions, you’re certainly not using your full imagination.” She scooped and took a bite of cereal before sharply declaring, “A girl can use pretty much ANYTHING she can get her hands on if she REALLY wanted to off herself.” “Sour, please don’t say that kind of stuff!” Mr. Sweet pleaded, a look of horror overcoming his face. Sour couldn’t help but to crack a smile and let out a soft giggle. Mr. Sweet lifted an eyebrow with realization and eased up. “Oh. I get it. Talking like that is your way of trying to punish me, right?” Sour winked and tapped her nose as a “You got it” gesture. “Alright, I certainly deserve it,” Mr. Sweet sighed. “Let’s just think positively. Hey, I know! How about we have dinner at Il Cavallo Ragazza later tonight? Yeah, we used to have a lot of fun at that restaurant, right? It’ll be just like old times!” Sour shook her head. “I can’t eat there anymore. I was banned after my mood swings made me try to beat up a waiter.” Mr. Sweet stared at her. Once again, it hit him how his daughter’s life was really being affected by her condition. Before this and the attempted drowning, he had simply used his imagination of what she was going through, influenced by a lot of online “worst case scenario” information concerning schizophrenia. “Oh. I see.” He took a bite out of his cereal. “Maybe there’s somewhere else we can go, then.” “I’d rather dine somewhere with someone else, if you don’t mind,” Sour said, growling the last part out with extra venom. “Your boyfriend, I suppose?” Mr. Sweet asked, subconsciously lifting his hand to the side of his face where the boy in question had given him a mean right hook the night before. Sour narrowed her eyes. “Do you even know what my boyfriend’s name is?” Mr. Sweet suddenly looked like a deer caught in the headlights. “Um…” Sour sighed dejectedly. “You really don’t know anything about my life, do you?” Mr. Sweet stared at the pain on his daughter’s face. How many times had he caused this look? Too many, he realized. He nodded in the affirmative. “I have been a horrible father. I admit it. I do not know much about your life, I assumed the worst of you and your condition, and I am also responsible for what you tried to do last night.” Mr. Sweet shook his head while wincing. “That… that weighs down on my mind like you can’t even believe. I want to make it up to you. I truly do.” Sour glared at him and then turned her attention to the cereal. “I’m willing to learn about your life,” Mr. Sweet persisted. “Please tell me that I’m not too late. Tell me anything. Tell me about your boyfriend. He’s good to you, right?” Sour ate in silence for a moment, until, “Yes, he is. He’s considerate, devoted, acknowledges who the boss in our relationship is…” She paused as if an idea was forming. “… and he gives your daughter a mighty fine dicking when she needs it.” Mr. Sweet nearly choked on his Fruit Loops. “He does WHAT?!” Sour studied his reaction intently. His brows furrowed with fury. His nose was flaring. His whole expression clearly had a healthy “I’m going to kill him” message all over it. It was as if some fatherly instinct suddenly burst forth from its long suppression. She smirked with much satisfaction. “Maybe you do give a shit about me after all…” Mr. Sweet instantly lightened up upon recognizing that that was her idea of a test. “Oh, well, yeah I do.” He then shifted uncomfortably and uttered, “He’s using protection, isn’t he?” “I’m taking birth control pills,” Sour informed, nonchalantly taking a bite of her cereal. “Okay, that’s good,” Mr. Sweet stated, awkwardly taking a bite out of his while mentally begging for the subject to change to anything else. He certainly got his wish. At that moment, marching band music suddenly began to be heard. Loud marching band music. As in, really close by marching band music. “Is that coming from our front lawn?” Mr. Sweet asked, getting up to investigate. Sour got up as well and followed. The front door was opened. Father and daughter gawked at the unexpected sight. A crowd of kids suddenly erupted in cheers for Sour Sweet as the Crystal Prep Academy Marching Band performed the school fight song. Many in the multitude were holding up various signs with messages such as “I SOUR” and “DON’T GIVE UP”. Eclipsing them all was one large banner being held up with two poles steadied by Indigo Zap and Lemon Zest. The banner was just the right size for everybody to have signed their names across. It read in huge, multi-colored letters: “WE ARE ALL HERE FOR YOU, SOUR SWEET”. “I had no idea you were so popular,” Mr. Sweet stated, astonished. “I… had no idea I was, either,” Sour admitted. Her boyfriend ran up to give her a loving embrace. He then took her by the hand and led her to the crowd, informing that there were more who wanted to give her a hug as well. A lot more. One by one, an awestruck Sour Sweet was treated by the embrace of a well-wisher. There was Trenderhoof, Frosty Orange, Fleur de Lis, Neon Lights, Gilda, and so many others, not even counting her own best friends. She had passed them all in the halls every school day. Some she knew well, most she surely needed to get to know better after this. “I’m proud to be your friend, Sour Sweet,” Sugarcoat made sure to include with her embrace. “I’m proud to be yours, Sugarcoat,” Sour assured back. Sour suddenly felt something on top of her head. Starlight Glimmer proudly patted the purple beret which she had just placed. “Sour Sweet, by the power invested in me by myself, I declare you an honorary member of Our Klub, the Marxist Student Society of Crystal Prep Academy!” “Thank you, Starlight,” Sour expressed while embracing her. “Make sure to get things straightened out soon,” Starlight abruptly whispered into her ear. “The coming revolution will need every fighter it can get.” Sour instantly backed away and gave the crazy communist girl a polite, but awkward smile and nod. The Crusaders then nearly toppled her over when all three attempted to give their hugs all at once. “Sour, we hope you don’t mind, but we just put up a new tribute video online about you and explained what you’re going through,” Scootaloo said. “Yeah, there’s been so much support fer ya already from yer fans!” Apple Bloom added. “Not a troll comment in the bunch, either!” Sweetie Belle guaranteed with a wink. Sour smiled. “I appreciate that so much, girls.” She then noticed the presence of her favorite horse girls. Fluttershy came up to embrace her. The rest of them wanted in just as bad, despite the fact she wasn’t really close with them. She proudly received each and every one, none the less. She remembered how much she wanted to beat them all in the Friendship Games. It seemed so long ago now. Yesterday’s enemies become today’s friends. Of course, she hesitated when she faced the former CPA student. “Oh… h-hey, Twilight.” Twilight put on an awkward smile. “Hey, Sour Sweet.” “Listen, I’m sor – ” Twilight cut her off with her hug. “Let bygones be bygones. I’m just glad that you are alive, Sour Sweet. We all are.” Pinkie Pie then suddenly appeared right beside her and presented a large cake. “For you! Hope you have a Sour Sweet tooth!” She then began giggling profusely at her own joke. “Thanks, Pinkie,” Sour said before shooting her boyfriend an irritated look. “You told her to say that, didn’t you?” The boy shrugged with a guilty, yet proud smile. All of a sudden, that smile was replaced with a surprised gape as Mr. Sweet threw his arm around his shoulder. “Thank you for taking such good care of my daughter,” Mr. Sweet expressed sincerely. “I’m grateful that there has been at least one good man in her life. Perhaps you possibly could give me some guidance in that area?” The boyfriend beamed at him, nodding in agreement. Seeing her boyfriend and her father begin to bond finally caused Sour’s emotions to go over the edge. Tears began to swell up in her eyes. Sour scanned across the faces of the crowd. She couldn’t help but to imagine those faces if she actually succeeded in drowning herself. This same crowd could have very well been a funeral procession right then. Their supportive, smiling faces made her feel confident that she did have a future. She suddenly felt she could go on, secure her education, build a career, marry, and have children. Maybe some old, “silly” archery dreams could even be revived. All in all, just do what made her happy. Even if she didn’t have all of these supporters, there was still one person who she would always have behind her. Barring she did anything stupid, she would have her own self. There was indeed a shot at a good life, Sour Sweet began to realize. It was a shot that she was determined to never try to blow again. From then on, she was going to remain on target. THE END