I Am Octavia

by Matthias Ramsey

Moving On

One week later...

Octavia returned home after her week-long vacation to a note on her door.

Miss Octavia,

As requested, your mail from the past week has been withheld. We ask that you call us between noon and three today so we can send someone with your mail.

Thank you,
PPS

"Well, no sense in waiting." She put down her bags and went to the phone.
Her call was answered almost immediately. "Ponyville Postal Service. Postdienst speaking."
"Yes, I'm calling about withheld mail?"
"Ah, you must be Octavia. All right, we'll get someone right over."
"Thank you."
"Have a nice day." Postdienst hung up.

Twenty minutes later, there was a knock on her door. Octavia opened it. The mailmare had her head down, rummaging through her bag.
"Hello?"
The mailmare looked up, and Octavia was stunned to see the crimson eyes of Vinyl Scratch.
"Hello! Octavia, right?" Vinyl rummaged through her bag while Octavia collected herself. "We didn't get a whole lot of mail for you, but a couple packages came."
Octavia finally managed to say something. "What are you doing here, Vinyl?"
Vinyl looked up. "Well, delivering mail. What else could I be doing?"
"You're a mailmare?"
"Yup. Third day on the job." Vinyl took out Octavia's mail and gave it to her. "I did what you said. I left a note on my DJ stuff up in my room, and there's another one in the kitchen. The spare key's under the doormat." She tapped her hoof on the doormat to emphasize. "If you need anything else from me, I get off work at six. I live just across the street." She jerked her head at the house. "And, of course, you can call me. Just a quick warning, I'm working on something in the garage in my free time, so if I don't answer the front door just knock on the garage door." She winked. "Guess I'll see you tomorrow." Vinyl turned away and started down the path.
"Vinyl, wait."
Vinyl stopped and turned back around. "Yes?"
"I..." Thoughts were awhirl in Octavia's head. "Sorry. I...wait here." Octavia ran to her bedroom and pulled a box out from under her bed. She took it back outside. "Here. I...this is for your birthday."
Vinyl smiled and shook her head. "It's fine, Octavia. You don't have to give me anything. My birthday came and went, just like it always does." She turned away again. "I have to get back to work. I'll see you." She walked away.
Octavia was left with a package and a heavy heart.
Octavia. Not Octy, not Tavi. No nicknames. Just Octavia.
It seemed that Vinyl had moved on, accepted Octavia's rude, sudden cutoff of their friendship.
She didn't like it. It made her...sad.
What Vinyl didn't know was how much she'd regretted the decision after she'd made it.