//------------------------------// // Chapter 13: Meeting the Parents // Story: A Search for Something More // by HAKDurbin //------------------------------// We walk for about an hour until we make it to juvenile hall. A security guard checks us and escorts us to a room where friends and family are visiting kids. The guard guides us to sit in one of the tables while another guard escorts Sonata to sit on the other side of the table. She is wearing an orange shirt and pants, and her hair had been cut to only reach her shoulders. She sits down, giving us a small appreciative smile on her face that we return. "Hello, Sonata," Octavia says. "How are you doing here?" Sonata lets out a deep sigh before she answers, "I'm doing okay, I guess. It's still a little scary to be in here, and there's not a lot of nice kids, but I'm managing." "Yeah, we heard as much from the others who visited you," I say. "By the by, sorry I tased you and all that." "Oh, that's okay," she says with a small smile. "I did dive in to save Dagi, so I had it coming. If anything, I should thank you. I would never have known she would abandon me like that, and I feel a little happier to be with you guys and the Rainbooms since you guys have been so nice to me after my trial." "You seem strangely okay about that," I say, concerned. "Are you fine with giving the police information about Adagio and Aria?" Sonata's face falls for a moment and she reluctantly says, "I do feel a little guilty about talking to the police, but maybe it's for the best that I do this. Maybe it'll clear my mind after everything I've done for over a thousand years, and give me a chance to move on with my life." "Yes, but I recall Derpy telling us that you said that they are your sisters," Octavia points out. "Are you sure you can live with betraying them after all that time?" Sonata's frown deepens at that question. There is a hint of guilt in her eyes as she looks away from us with a small tear coming out of her eye. Octavia regrets asking the question, and I'm about to tell Sonata that she doesn't have to answer, but she wipes away the tear and looks back at us. "Sorry, it's just that I don't know if I even want to call them sisters anymore," she says with a sniff. "I want to believe that Adagio didn't mean to leave me behind and that it's just out of fear of whatever spooked her and Aria. But at the same time, I don't care anymore. It's like I said back at Vinyl's place; I've tried my best for them despite how ditzy and confused I can be, but they still ridiculed me and insulted me even if we were supposed to survive together. They may have wanted me to come with them back to Equestria back when we attacked the school for all I know, but after Dagi abandoned me…" She sniffs again before tears run down her eyes as she cries, "T-that was the last straw! I may as well have taken a bullet for her, and that's the thanks I get? I should count myself lucky that I was captured by kind and caring people like you two as opposed to some gangsters or something! I just..." She covers her face with both hands as she cries. Octavia and I sit on the other side of the table, feeling sorry for what she's going through. Clearly, something is amiss if something drove Sonata's sister to abandon her. Maybe something else has come here from that Equestria world or something. Whatever the reason, they left Sonata behind, and it hurts to watch her feel like her world has been taken apart by Adagio's actions. I clear my throat and say in a kind voice, "Just for the record, Sonata, I think I can speak for both Octavia and I when I say that if they didn't have the rule against touching inmates, we'd be hugging you right now." Sonata chokes out a chuckle in the middle of her sobs. "Thanks. That's nice to know," She says with a sniff before she recollects herself. "I'm okay now. Really. It's just a little hard to try to get over it after a thousand years. Kinda all the more reason why I hope they let me go and send me to the Apple girl's family so I can start over." "We understand completely," Octavia says. "By the way, is your new haircut part of you starting over?" Sonata chuckles and says, "More or less. Honestly, I think it looks cute." "Yeah, I think so, too," I say. Sonata blushes nervously at that, and Octavia gives me a hard glare. I mouth to her, "I don't mean in that way!" and she scoffs and rolls her eyes. "Sorry, Tavi," Sonata quickly says. "It's just that I don't get complimented by boys very often even when I was a siren. Dagi and Aria were the ones that got the most attention with the guys." "It's alright," Octavia says. "Just remember that mine's off-limits." "Totally," Sonata says with another giggle. "Though who knows? Maybe I'll go back to Canterlot High and find a cute guy who'll forgive me and date me for me." "You're considering going back to the school?" I ask. "Don't get me wrong, everyone in our group and the Rainbooms will have your back without question, but while I'm on uneasy terms with Sunset Shimmer, I know that she didn't gain everyone else's trust right away." "I know," Sonata says sadly. "But it's worth a try. I mean, if they forgave her, I'd like to think they'll eventually forgive me too. Though why are you unhappy with Sunset Shimmer? Doesn't everybody love her now?" I get uneasy at her question that I should have expected in hindsight. Octavia doesn't hesitate to take my hand and squeeze it for comfort. I turn to her and give her an appreciative smile before I turn to Sonata and say, "Sorry, that's a story for another time." "Okie dokie," she says bubbly, which makes Octavia and I chuckle. Suddenly, we hear a ringtone coming from Octavia's pocket. She takes her phone out, looks at who is calling, and groans in annoyance. "It's my mother again," she grumbled. "Please excuse me, Sonata." Sonata nods and Octavia stands up and walks to the exit to answer her phone. I look at my girlfriend, curious about what is going on between her and her mom that's irritating her. Respecting her privacy, I turn back to Sonata again to find her giving me a sly grin. "What?" I ask, confused. "You two are such a loving couple," She says in a cute voice. "Oh no, we're just together. We're not in love yet," I say. Sonata tries to cover her mouth to cover a cute giggle and says, "Keep telling yourself that, lover boy. You can only deny it for so long." "Uh, no offense, but what would you know?" I counter. "You've only seen us together in like, what? Two separate days? You can't say for sure, just like that." "Oh, I can tell plenty just from seeing you two together right now," She says before leaning a little closer to me with a smug smile on her face. "Come on. You totally loooooooooooove that girl. Admit it." I try to think of some comeback trying to deny it. Like, maybe I can explain to her how Soarin and Caramel convinced me to wait a while before I can believe that I'm in love with Octavia. But while I am thinking about it, I turn to look at Octavia, and the words I was about to say dies in my throat. Despite looking annoyed while talking to her mom, I couldn't help but think of all that we've experienced together over the past month. The talks, the movie dates, Sugarcube Corner, her concert, the kiss that made us officially a couple, everything. It's at this moment that despite my best friends' advice, I know I can't hide the truth anymore. "Yes. I do," I say. "You do what? Come on, say it," Sonata demands in a teasing tone. I take a deep breath and say, "I'm in love with Octavia." "AWWWW!" Sonata exclaims, making the people around us look at her funny. "This is so cute! Finally admitting you love your girlfriend! That is so romantic!" "Yeah, yeah, keep it down," I hiss. "Even if I admit it, that doesn't mean she feels the same. I'm just waiting until the right time where I know that she loves me back." Sonata rolls her eyes at me. "Oh, get a clue, Rough Draft," she says. "It's obvious that she loves you too." "How would you know?" I ask. Sonata giggles at my query and says, "Oh boy, you're so dense it's adorable. Haven't you noticed how she looks at you or how she was so quick to try to comfort you when I asked why you dislike Sunset Shimmer? Or how she was glaring at you because I blushed when you said you like my haircut and then acted a little possessive of you? I may be a little absent-minded, but even I'm not that ditzy. She clearly loves you back." "You think so?" I ask. "Oh, I know so," she answers cheerfully. "I may have lived for over a thousand years, causing hate against both people and ponies, but when we weren't doing that, I can see when a couple together are really in love with each other. In fact, answer me this; does she like to spend time with you and support you on things you like to do." "Yeah," I say. "Well, there you go," she says. "Couples may do that when they only like each other too, but I can tell during this whole visit that's not all she thinks of you. She loves you for realsies, and she's just waiting for you to take that step." I turn to Octavia, who is still arguing with her mom on the phone. I think about how she apologized after Pinkie Pie chased us out of Sugarcube Corner and later encouraged me that I'll make the stories I want to make, made me part of the E.M.R. so I can fight any future magical encounters with her, when she was happy that I put her in my story and so on. She says she's dating me because I'm the most caring and sensitive guy she's ever met, and that means a lot to her. The more I think about it, the more it makes sense. "You know what, Sonata, I think you're right," I say confidentiality. "I'm going to confess my love for her." "Yay!" Sonata cheers bubbly. "How are you going to do it?" "I...have no idea," I say, scratching the back of my head. "I kinda just accepted that I'm in love five minutes ago, remember?" "Oh yeah," she says, giggling at her mistake. "Well, take her on a date. Like, dinner and a movie or something." I scratch my chin in thought and say, "You know, that's not a bad idea. Now that I think about it, we haven't gone on a real date since before we got together." "For realsies? You totally should fix that ASAP!" Sonata exclaims. "Just find a nice place and have dinner and maybe go for a walk, and then you guys could sit on a bench, and then you make this lovely speech that ends in you confessing that you are deeply in love with her. Eeeek! That's just so romantic!" "Well, I'm not sure if I'm going to do all that word for word, but I'll think of something," I say. "I guess I'll start by suggesting that we have a real date this Saturday or something." Sonata is about to comment on that before a security guard comes behind her to say visiting time is over. Sonata sadly stands up, saying, "Aw," before she turns to me and says, "Let me know how it turns out, okay?" "Absolutely," I answer. "I'll tell Octavia you said bye." "Thank you! Good luck!" She calls back as the guard escorts her back to her cell. I turn back to Octavia feeling confident that I'm going to tell her I love her. As I walk toward her, she has just finished her phone conversation, still feeling annoyed. "Where's Sonata?" She asks. "She just went back to her cell," I say "Ugh, great," she says, frustrated. "What's wrong?" I ask "Do you have anything planned this Saturday?" Octavia asks back. "Actually, I was just about to -" I start before she interrupts. "Well, you do now," she declares. "You're going to meet my parents, and then we are going to the Manehatten Ball." "Wait. What?!" I exclaim as she grabs my shirt and drags me away. **************************************************************************************************\ "Octavia, can you please just tell me what is going on?" I ask. Octavia dragged me from juvenile hall to a tuxedo store and practically barged in and demanded the owner to start measuring me for a tux. The owner wasted no time in taking me by the hand and began taking measurements with Octavia standing next to us with an annoyed look on her face. "I told you. You're meeting my parents and going with us to the Manehattan ball on Saturday," She answers plainly. "Yeah, I got that. But why?" I protest. Octavia huffs and explains, "When my mother called me before we went to visit Sonata, she announced that we're going to the Manehatten Ball. It's a dance that we went to every year back when we lived there. She wants us to go again for old times' sake and say hi to old friends, but I argued that I want to stay here with my new friends and with you." "Yeah, have I mentioned that I'm glad I make you happy?" I say, a little flattered. "Many times," She says without missing a beat. "Anyway, she said she respected my wishes, and that seemed to be the end of it, but then she called me while we were visiting Sonata and said she had a 'fantastic' idea. She said if you mean so much to me, then we should kill two birds with one stone and have you meet her and my father before the four of us drive for three hours to go to this stupid ball." I stare at her as the tuxedo guy is making me try different coats. "Okay, a couple of things," I say. "First, why in the world does your mother think it's a good idea for me to come with you guys right after I had just met her and your dad? Second, why does she think she can make me do that without my own parents' consent for me to go all the way there? Third, how am I going to pay for a tux? Fourth, do people still have balls in this day and age? Cause when I hear the word ball as in a dance, I pretty much think Cinderella. And finally, does she really think that she can just take a guy who's lived in a small town to some fancy dance that he doesn't know how to act in that kind of environment?" Octavia huffs before she says, "To answer your first two questions, my mother is a very stubborn woman. She usually doesn't take no for an answer, and she's not very good at thinking things through. She may be trying to live a normal life like my father and me, but she's still so used to the high-class life that she would try to buy you from your parents if that means getting what she wants. To answer your third question, I'm going to pay for your tux. Next question, yes, people still have balls, and to answer your last question, we'll have to go over a few dances and how to behave in my old society. You're not going to be perfect on such short notice, but frankly, I'd rather you only know some things while still being the guy I'm happily dating than having you act completely like everyone else there." "Well, that much works for me," I say. The next thing I know, the tuxedo guy drags me over to one of the dressing rooms and gives me a complete tux to wear. Annoyed at the guy's attitude, I put the tux on and step out with Octavia and the tux guy waiting for me. "Well, it fits me fine," I say. "How do I look?" Octavia smiles as she walks over to me, kisses me on the cheek and says, "You're going to be the most handsome guy at the ball." I smile back and peck her on the lips as thanks before she turns to the tux guys and says, "We'll take it." The tux guy rolls his eyes before walking to the cash register to start the purchase. ************************************************************************************************************** For the next two days, Octavia and I have been going to my house after school, for her to teach me how to act for the ball. Octavia doesn't want to teach me at her place because of her mother, as Octavia puts it, "wants the boy who's dating her daughter to be a surprise." My parents weren't on board with me doing his on short notice, but once Octavia explained the deal about her mom, they hesitantly relented. By Friday, Octavia has taught me the basics of how to act and starts teaching me how to dance. Currently, Octavia is teaching me how to waltz, which I'm not doing a very good job at. "Dang it, I keep stepping on your foot," I complain. "I told you I suck at dancing." "Oh, don't be such a child," Octavia ridicules while rubbing her foot. "I know it's a little hard to get used to, but I'd appreciate it if you learn it with a sense of maturity." "I can't make any promises," I say back. "Who makes it so important to know how to waltz anyway?" "Well, it's like I told you before; the high-class people in Manehatten are very traditional people," Octavia explains. "Just as my family prefers to perform very fancy and traditional music, these people like to carry on the old ways of judging people based on wealth, the ability to act properly, and, of course, having fancy talents like playing classical music or knowing how to dance." "Okay, why are we doing this when you don't want me to be like these people again?" I ask, annoyed. "Because while I don't give a flying feather about these people, I want things to go as smoothly as possible. We come, we put up with it for a couple of hours, and then we leave. I know it's going to be tricky since you aren't used to any of it, but the less attention we make, the less we hopefully have to deal with these people, " Octavia said. "Gotcha," I say. "For the record though, if anyone asks what my hobbies are and they mock me when I answer, I don't care how they react or if your parents disapprove. I'll make fun of them back." "If it comes to that, you have my blessing, Rough Draft," Octavia says. "But I warn you that my mother is as stubborn as they come. Say or do one thing wrong, and she'll disapprove of our relationship so much that we'll have to date in secret like Romeo and Juliet." I stand still for a moment and gulp nervously. "Fine, no pressure for me," I say sarcastically. Octavia walks over to me and wraps her arms around my neck while saying, "I know I'm asking a lot from you, but at least we're finally taking the step on our relationship where you meet my parents. After all, I only had to meet your parents because you were so determined to have all of our movie dates at your place. Plus, I love that I can act like I have a normal life by introducing my (relatively) normal boyfriend to my parents." I give her a small smile before I wrap my arms around her waist and say, "Well, if it means that much to you, then I'll do my best, dearie." She smiles back and gives me a deep kiss before she says, "I appreciate it, darling. But you still need to think of a better nickname for me." "I figured you'd say that," I say with a snicker. **************************************************************************************************************** It takes a few tries until I get his enough at waltzing to please Octavia. Afterward, I walk her home, and we kiss at her front door as usual. "Now, don't forget, be here in your tux at 2:30 sharp," Octavia instructs after the kiss. "We're leaving at 3:00, and my mother would like to inspect you before we go." "As you wish, dearie," I say. "Also, if there are any other tips on how to please your mother, now might be the best time." "Oh, don't worry about it, Rough Draft," She says encouragingly. "Just be nice and polite, and you'll be fine." "Are you sure? You did say a couple of hours ago that she's really strict," I counter. "I know what I said," She responds. "But I think after these lessons, you'll manage to impress my mother." "Well, what about your dad? Shouldn't I focus on impressing him too?" I ask. "Not really. He's very easy going compared to my mother, who is the decision-maker of the two. He'll like you just fine." "Works for me," I say before I continue with my best impression of her accent, "So, could I have one more kiss before I go, my lady?" Octavia giggles before she answers, "Your accent is unnecessary, but since you asked so nicely..." She wraps her arms around my neck and gives me a long kiss. When we part, she points her finger at my chest and says, "2:30 sharp," before she enters the house. ****************************************************************************************************************** The next day, I arrive at Octavia's front door two minutes early, so I decide to stand on the front porch until the clock on my phone says 2:30. Once it does, I raise my hand to knock when the door opens to reveal Octavia in a long, glittering white dress and wearing gloves that go to her elbows and pearl earrings. "You know, Rough Draft, I love that you're trying to be as punctual like I asked you to be, but there's nothing wrong with being a little early," she says with an amused look. But instead of responding, I stare at her as if I was back in her concert in awe when I first heard her play the cello. The dress compliments her, and the earrings and gloves give her a sense of class. In short, my girlfriend looks beautiful. I snap out of my thoughts when she clears her throat, looking even more amused. "You should take a picture, it will last longer," She teases. "We excuse me if I'm dating the most beautiful girl in the world," I playfully counter. "And it took a nice dress for you to say something like that?" She asks with her eyebrow raised. "Well, I thought it went without saying," I reply. "How else would I have noticed you at the party not one month ago if not by how truly wonderful you look?" Octavia rolls her eyes and smiles before she walks over and pecks me on the lips. "Smooth move, Mr. Draft," She says sarcastically. "Now, come on." She grabs my hand and takes me inside. The house itself is a little bigger than most houses in town, but unlike Vinyl's house, it still has a sense of a middle-class home in the suburb. The rooms are bigger, but they are filled with fancy-looking couches, coffee tables, and several musical instruments from a grand piano to several kinds of flutes, violins, and cellos of different colors and sizes. "So, what do your parents do again?" I jokingly ask. Octavia rolls here eyes smiling as she leads me to a room where her parents are sitting on a couch waiting for us. Her father is wearing a nicer looking tuxedo with a white bow tie and a large flower pinned to his coat pocket. He has light brown hair that is slowly turning grey and a face that implies that he was of high class but has a kind heart. Her mother, on the other hand, is about a foot taller than her father and is wearing a red dress similar to the one Octavia wore at her concert. She has the same hair as Octavia, but it only reaches to her shoulders with the bottom of her hair curled up. Her face looks strict and skeptical, with her eyes half open and a suspicious look on her face. "Mother, father, this is my boyfriend, Rough Draft," Octavia says calmly. I take a couple of nervous steps to her parents, clear my throat, and with a timid voice, I greet her parents. "G-good evening Mr. and Mrs. Melody. It's a pleasure to finally meet you," I stutter. "M-M-Mrs. Melody, you're looking lovely. Uh, your beauty truly explains how I've found such an equally beautiful lady in my life." From behind, I can hear Octavia facepalm in embarrassment, and I turn around to see her pinching the area between her eyes. Suddenly, two hands grab my face by the cheeks and forcefully turn my head around to see Octavia's mother standing close to me with the biggest, widest, and scariest smile on her face. "Oh. My. GOODNESS!" She shouts excitedly before she pulls me close for a tight hug that matches Pinkie Pie's. "OCTAVIA, HE'S SOOOOO CUTE! OH, I CAN'T BELIEVE HOW PRECIOUS HE LOOKS! YOU OBVIOUSLY TAKE YOUR TASTE IN BOYS AFTER ME! A CUTIE-WOODY-PIE JUST LIKE YOUR FATHER! IF I TOLD YOU ONCE, I'VE TOLD YOU MILLION TIMES HOW YOUR FATHER IS SUCH A CUTE-WOODY-PIE! OH MY WORD HE'S SO ADORABLE!" Octavia's mother finally releases me from her hug, and I wheeze heavily. I manage to regain my posture as I manage to say, "T-thank you, Mrs. Melody." "Oh, no need for that, dear, just call me Tempo. Mrs. Melody makes my skin crawl," she says in a giddy tone. "Uh, very well, Tempo," I say hesitantly. "Oh, you're such a gentleman," she says flattered. "I bet you're going to be the most charming boy at the ball. Now let's get going. I'm going to start the car. Alto, darling, go grab our coats. I'd rather we be prepared in case it's cold over in Manehattan. Don't forget to grab a spare on for our guest." "Oh come now, Tempo, dear, there's no need," Octavia's father protests. "The weatherman said it's going to be perfectly warm over-" Before he can finish his sentence, Tempo gives him the adorable eyes pout. Just like Pinkie and Octavia before, I clutch my chest in pain, and I notice Alto doing the same thing until he quickly says, "Yes, dear." With her pout turned into a cheerful smile, Tempo walks out of the room while Alto gets up from his seat and pats me on the back with a sympathetic smile. "So sorry you had to experience all that, dear boy," he says with a chuckle. "My wife can be very excited when she wants to be, but don't worry; she can be calm and collective after a while." "Uh, I'll hold you to that, sir," I say as calmly as possible. Alto chuckles before he says, "I've been told Octavia has used that pout on you as well." I wince and rub the side of my chest where my heart is remembering that day she used the pout on the way to visit Sonata. Alto chuckles and pats me on the back again. "Don't worry, young man. You'll get used to it," he says encouragingly. "Date our daughter long enough, and it'll be like accidentally hitting your foot on a table or couch. It hurts right away, but before long, you'll forget it ever happened." With his "words of wisdom" said, Alto exits the room leaving me to turn around and find Octavia leaning against the door with her arms crossed and an amused smirk on her face. "Octavia, what in the world was that?!" I shriek. "I thought you said your mom is strict and skeptical!" "I lied," she answers plainly. "My mother is the most eccentric person in the world, even compared to Vinyl, Lyra, and Bon Bon. For years I've wanted to have a boyfriend meet my parents, thinking my mother is stubborn and critical only to discover that she's the opposite. I'm pleased that neither you nor my mother disappointed me." "Seriously? You had your mom scar me for life just for your sick amusement?" I shout disturbed. "Did she even demand that I come with you with you guys to the ball?" "Oh no, that much is true," Octavia answers. "She did have the 'fantastic idea' to have you come with us since she hasn't met you yet. I really don't want to go, but at the same time, I do want you there to be my comfort for what we're going to put up with. Plus, I wanted payback for your 'I'm Batman' prank." "Don't you think that was kinda overkill?" I ask. "Perhaps, but on the bright side, both she and my father approve of you, and that's what counts," Octavia says before she walks over me, wraps her arms around my neck and whispers in my ear, "Besides, my mother is right. You are a 'cutie woody pie.'" I shiver at those scarring words her mother said before I say, "You call me that again, and I'll dump you on the spot." "No, you won't," She says, unfazed. "No, I won't," I admit. "But I would find a way to get back at you. Like, put you in the doghouse or something." Octavia snickers at my comeback. "You may try, my darling, but only the girlfriend can do that," She says. "Yeah, I suppose you're right," I say with a sigh. "Speaking of which, how much do you intend to use that pout against me in the future? Cause if you plan to be the only decision-maker and the only one driving the car, if we get married, you may as well tell me now." Octavia scratches her chin, pretending to be thinking about my question, and playfully says, "Well, if you're a good boy, I might let you drive around the block once in a while." "Very funny," I said with my eyes half-closed. "Yes. Yes, it is," she says. "But all joking aside, if we ever get married, I'd rather we be more of a team than anything else." "That's better," I say pleased. Octavia smiles before she gives me a playful smirk and leans into my ear. "Besides, if hypothetically, we are married, and I want to use the pout to make any big decisions for us, that's what all three or four of our children will be for." She whispers. I blush at the thought before I quickly say, "Hey, we better get going. Your mom might not be super strict and all, but I imagine she's likes this ball so much that she would want to head out asap." "Too right you are, Rough Draft," Octavia says, knowing what I'm doing. "Ready to see my old world of fancy snobby rich people?" "As ready as I'll ever be, Octavia," I answer. "As ready as I'll ever be." ******************************************************************************************************* We start the drive to Manehattan, and Octavia's parents start asking me about myself. Most of it is the basic stuff like do I have any siblings, what year I am in school, how long have I lived in Canterlot, and so on. Eventually, they ask what my hobbies are and what I want to do after school, and I reluctantly admit that I currently write fan fiction. They were surprised at first, but they thought it was interesting, which all things considered was a comforting reaction. Octavia herself is pleased with how her parents and I are getting along. "So tell me, Rough Draft, have you ever been to a ball before?" Tempo finally asks. "No, I haven't," I answer. "Octavia has been giving me a couple of pointers with how to act and dance and all that." "Oh goodness, it's only been a couple of months since we moved, and I almost forgot about all that," Tempo says in a worried tone. "I hope I can manage to dance like I used to." "I'm sure you're going to be fine, dear," Alto encourages. "Still, it's good of you to do that Octavia. I wouldn't want your boyfriend to be completely in the dark about how our life used to be." "Yeah, that reminds me, how do you two feel about the move I may ask?" I ask. "I know how Octavia feels about it, but out of random curiosity -" "Rough Draft!" Octavia hisses. "Oh come now, Octavia, no need to get hostile," Tempo says. "It's alright for him to be curious, given the circumstances. Now to answer your question, dear Rough Draft, it's a little challenging for us. We've been living that kind of life for a long time, and it's tricky yet somewhat exciting to live in someplace more quiet where you don't need to worry about your status." Octavia and I exchange nervous looks thinking about how unquiet things have been at Canterlot High with the Fall Formal, the Battle of the Bands, and the Dazzlings' trial. "Yes, it's tricky to adapt," Alto confirms. "But we felt it was best to make a change. We're certainly glad that our little Octavia has been managing the change well with her new friends and getting together with you, dear boy." I can't help but smile and turn to Octavia, and take her hand. "Well, I'm glad to have met her," I say as Octavia gives me an appreciative smile and squeezes my hand. "Aww! That's so sweet!" Tempo cooes while watching me to that from the rearview mirror. "Quite," Alto says. "You certainly have more heart than those snooty blokes that have tried to woo Octavia at her old school." "Yeah, Octavia has told me all about those 'blokes,'" I say before turning to Octavia. "Speaking which, should we expect some of your old classmates at this party?" "Oh, I wouldn't count on it, darling," Octavia answers. "This is the kind of ball where usually I'm the only kid that comes to this ball." "Really? Why's that?" I ask. "Well, how shall I put this? They think this particular ball is too old fashioned for them," she explains. "They think it's something only their parents enjoy while the teens prefer to stay at home and relish how rich their families are. So, I'm the only one there because my parents make me." "Oh, don't be rude, Octavia," Tempo cheerfully rebukes. "You still have a little fun when we come to this ball." "Yeah, when I was younger," Octavia grumbles with her arms crossed. Tempo scoffs and goes back to focusing on the road. "Well, at least you won't have to go through it alone," I say comfortably. Octavia gives me an appreciative smile. "And I am thrilled with that," she says before she lays her head on my shoulder and wraps her arms around mine. "Aww," Tempo cooes again as she watches us from the driver's seat. Octavia rolls her eyes at her mother but soon closes them, glad to be laying her head on my shoulder and hugging my arm. I smile and kiss her head, glad to see her happy. I can't wait to tell this girl I love her. ******************************************************************************************************* A couple of hours later, we reach Manehattan. I can't help but look at the window, amazed at the tall buildings and all the crowds of people walking down the street. "Are you amazed at this?" Octavia asks in amusement. "Well, yeah," I admit. "I'm an Applelosa child, remember? Most of my childhood was in a small humble town environment. A suburb like Canterlot was intimidating enough when I moved, so this is overkill. I've seen these kinds of building in movies, but to see them in real life..." Octavia giggles at my amazement. "You are so cute right," she says before kissing me on the cheek. "You are going to be the best thing the entire night." "I'll do my best," I say, smiling. After a few minutes, we park next to the building where the ball is taking place. We enter the building where a person at the front desk leads us to the elevator, and Tempo presses the button for the top floor. When we reach the top, there are glass doors where we can see people already inside mingling. Octavia's parents go in, but Octavia and I stand at the front doors, both of us feeling a need to take a moment. Octavia lets out a sigh and then takes my hand. "Remember, we've got each others' back," she says. "We go in, we put up with it for a couple of hours, and we go out. Alright?" "Right," I confirm. "Let's get this show on the road." "Indeed," She says before we go in.