Chapter Four - Bullies and Best "Friends"
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I sit in my corner, attempting to tune out the pink nuisance next to me as the teacher draws the lesson to a close.
“...And that concludes our reading of Huckleberry Finn,” says Ms Liebe, ignoring the sigh of relief from the less literary students. But as some students start to pack up she says, “Did I say the lesson was over?” causing them to freeze.
“As we have finished reading, I expect a full essay on the journey of Huckleberry Finn, both his physical journey down the river, and his journey as a character, with at least two thousand words, to be handed in a week from today.”
The class around me groans pathetically, especially some of the boys.
“Don’t give me that, Two thousand words is hardly anything, and you have a whole week to complete it, show some maturity,” snapped Ms Leibe.
Clearly unimpressed by the class’s unenthusiasm, she continues, “Or is it just that you need… more incentive?” Her voice, suddenly becoming less harsh, catches the attention of the class, while I roll my eyes.
‘Here we go again,” I think.
Ms Leibe, on the other hand, leans forward on her desk in a far from decent manner, and delicately removes her spectacles, showing off her spectacular green eyes.
With the entire class suddenly hanging on her every word, Ms Leibe says sweetly, “It’s just that your success as students means so much to me, that I’m willing to offer a... special gift to the first one to hand in an essay… provided it's done well, that is.”
I note the little squeak that the new girl made at the prospect of ‘special gift’, and how she was redder than a tomato. ‘Poor schmuck.’ I also see that the girl called Ditzy simply rolls her eyes too, nice to know someone at this school isn’t a complete idiot.
At this moment the bell rings and Ms Leibe straightens up, putting her glasses back on, breaking the spell. “Class dismissed,” she says simply, “except for Ms Pie, I wish to have a word.”
The class files out, leaving me and the teacher. I walk to the front and stand square in front of her, arms crossed.
We stand like this for a good two minutes, just staring at each other.
I eventually speak. “Is there a problem, Miss?”
“I believe you have something to give me,” she calmly retorts.
“What makes you think that?” I say.
“A supposition, care to prove me wrong?” she says.
“What’s going on?” says Pinkie, confused.
“And if I say I don’t have it?” I say, ignoring her.
“Then I will most likely accuse you of lying and ask anyway,” says the teacher, oblivious to the third party.
“Okay seriously, what's happening?” says Pinkie, a little bit freaked out.
“I don’t know, after that stunt you pulled in class, I’m not sure I should…” I say, pretending to think about it.
“But you will anyway because you don’t give a damn about the rest of the school body, right?” she says, smirking.
“WHAT IN EQUESTRIA’S GOING ON!” cried Pinkie desperately.
“True,” I say. Reaching into my bag, I pull out a stack of paper and deposit it on her desk. “This should be roughly two thousand three hundred words.”
“On topic, I trust?” says Ms Leibe, picking it up and flicking through.
“Of course.”
“And quotes and examples to back up your assertions?”
“Do you even need to ask?”
“Very good, I’ll get to grading it later,” she says, placing it back on the desk. “Congratulations, you are the first to hand in your Huckleberry Finn essay.”
“What!?” says Pinkie, jumping onto a stack of papers on the desk, “Bu-but, you just gave out the assignment, how could she have…” She then narrows her eyes at the teacher. “Your helping her cheat or something aren't you, I’m onto you Miss teacher person.”
“Since you are the first to hand in, you get the special gift,” she says, grabbing the piece of paper from the top of the pile, causing Pinkie to slip and topple off the desk. She held it to her face, fluttering her eyelashes. “How would you like it?”
I roll my eyes. “Same way as always, if it's all the same to you.”
She lowered the paper, revealing a smirk. “Your wish.”
She picks of a sticker off the sheet and sticks it on the front of my essay. It is decorated with a black heart with holes in it, and has the words ‘Chryssi approved’ around it.
“That’s a new design, you're getting these custom made now?” I ask.
“I found a website that does it cheap,” she says.
“Chryssi approved?”
“A nickname I had in college, thought it would look cute on a sticker, don’t even think about using it.”
“So I’m still on Chrysalis am I?” I ask.
“Only if you’re feeling formal,” she shrugs, “Chrys will do.”
“With an I or a Y?”
“Hilarious.”
“Really? I thought it was dumb.”
“Good to see your wit has not dried up during your fever.”
“I try.”
“On that subject, I got a call from Shining this morning, apparently you were muttering on your way to school, he asked me to ask about how you’re feeling.”
“Mildly annoyed, as a matter of fact, half the people I actually talk to are suddenly taking an interest in my mental health.”
“Hey, I’m your homegroup teacher, it’s my job to care,” she shrugged, “If you ever need to talk about something with a teacher for whatever bizarre reason, I’m here.”
“I’m expected to receive reasonable advice from the person who bribes students with the prospect of sexual favours?” I say, raising my eyebrow
“Hey, I never promised anything, it’s only their dirty minds that make them think like that.”
“That and you showing off your rack.” I snark.
“Hey if you’ve got it, flaunt it, nice change of subject by the way.”
“Whatever, see you later.” I say, walking out.
“And tell Maud that my date for tomorrow canceled, so I’ll be coming to bowling after all.”
“What am I, a messenger? Tell her yourself!” I call over my shoulder as I leave the room.
As I turn to walk down the hall, I see a very pouty pink pony glaring up at me. I prepare to walk over her, but what says stops me in my tracks.
“I can’t believe you cheated!”
For some reason Pinkie’s comment stung in a way that I’m not used to, so much so that I feel the need to retort.
“Not that I care about your opinion, but I did not!”
“What was that then? You handed in the assignment directly after she issued it!”
“I finished reading the book weeks ago, she gave me the essay topic early when I asked for it!”
“So you get more time than everyone else, that’s cheating!”
There was that sting again. “No, it’s practical, because I can work better on my own! Chrys knows this, which is why she lets me do it!”
“So it’s cheating and favoritism!”
Sting.
“It is not cheating!” I snarl, leaning right into her face, causing her to recoil. “It is facilitating alternative learning styles, are we clear?”
Pinkie nods mutely.
“Good.” I say straightening up.
“...It’s still not fair on the other students.”
“Oh why the hell not?” I say exasperated, “How does this affect their schooling in any way!”
“Because they will never get one of Chrysalis’s cool stickers,” says Pinkie, as if it's the biggest tragedy ever to befall someone's life.
My hand collides with my face.
“What?” she asks innocently.
“It may surprise you to find out that most of the class could care less about Chrys’s special stickers, What they want is to give her the…”
“Now what do we have here?” says an annoyingly familiar voice.
“Oh, what the fuck now!?” I groan, rounding on who I know to be there.
“My, that’s twice you snapped at us, and here you are, talking to yourself in the hallway, with a raised voice no less,” says Cathy.
I take a moment to calm myself before speaking again. “What of it, Cath?” I say, crossing my arms.
“It seems that after all this time of being a creepy loner, little Pinkamena has finally gone off the deep end,” she says, circling like a shark, Violet right behind her as always. “We always thought you would,” she put her hand on her forehead dramatically . “I suppose there's nothing left to do but wheel you off to the loony bin.” She finishes with a laugh.
“Wow, I thought you were just being rude to these girls earlier because you were an antisocial butt, but now I see that it’s because they are bigger butts,” says Pinkie.
“Not in the mood for your shit right now, Pinkie,” I snarl.
“Having trouble with the voices in your head are we?” says Cathy in mock sympathy.
My mind swims, trying to think of a way to make Cathy drop it, to try and divert it back to her, but I can’t think of anything relevant to the situation.
“What? Nothing smart to say? God, you really are losing it,” Cath giggles.
As I feverously wrack my mind, I spot Pinkie sitting, looking worried, off to one side. Inspiration strikes, it is a crazy, dumb idea, but my smart mouth seems to have failed me so it was all I had.
I shrug. “Eh, you got me.”
“I- wait What?” Cath does a double take. “I... I got you?”
I shrug again. “Yup, I’m going insane, I’ve spent all morning talking to a miniature horse version of myself,”
“Err…” says Cath, caught off balance and looking more than a little weirded out.
“Only this me is a hundred times more nasty,”
“More nasty?” says Cathy looking uneasy.
“I am?” asked Pinkie, raising an eyebrow.
“Hush Pinkie, am speaking,” I say, before turning to Cath again. “Oh yes, she’s an outright psycho.”
“Is that a fact?” says Cath, backing away slowly.
“Okay is this due to the tickling incident? I’m sorry, I didn’t realise those chest thingys were so personal.”
I look down to her with a face of mock horror. “Pinkie, where do you get such ideas?”
“What ideas?” says Cath, who has started hugging Violet, who is hugging back.
“She thinks I should take you to the kitchen and make some ‘special cupcakes’ with you.” I say ominously.
“Special cupcakes?” says a befuddled looking Pinkie.
“S-special cupcakes?” says a shivering Cath.
“Don’t worry Cath, I’m not going to do anything like that.” I say sweetly.
“Really?” she says.
“Despite how delicious it might be.”
“Wow, look at them go,” I say, watching them disappear around the corner.
“I don’t get it,” says Pinkie, “How are cupcakes scary?”
“You really don’t want to know,” I say, starting to walk. “Walk with me.”
“Okay,” says Pinkie, confused, but also enthused by the invitation.
“I had my doubts about you Pinkie, but I’m really starting to consider your proposal of friendship,” I say causally.
“Really!? Oh I am so happy to hear-waitaminute-” Her glee turns into suspicion. “You're going to use me as a means of further distancing yourself from the student body, aren't you?”
“Correct.”
“OH, COME ON!”
The rest of the morning breezes past, and I find myself in the cafeteria, enjoying my solitary lunch, as usual with only myself for company. Albeit myself that is slightly more talkative than usual.
“Wow, this is neat! we have a table all to ourselves,” says Pinkie, looking around the large room.
“Yeah, no one sits here anymore,” I say nonchalantly.
“...It’s because of you, isn’t it?” she says flatly.
“Yup.”
“Were gonna have to do something about that,” she says.
“Let's not and say we did.”
“But I’m trying to help you make friends!”
“Good luck.”
Pinkies cut her own reply short as she notices someone approaching. “Shh, someone’s coming.”
“Why, it’s never stopped you before,” I say.
“This could be your chance! Quick, socialise!” she says grinning.
A guy I recognise as Thunderlane approaches my table and gestures to the seat occupied by Pinkie. “Mind if I sit here?”
“Right there? Yes I do as a matter of fact,” I say casually. “Pinkie is sitting there.”
“Pinkie?” he says, confused. “Who's Pinkie?”
“Since you asked, she’s a strange twisted fragment of my tortured imagination, who is currently giving me a very disapproving glare,” I say as nonchalantly as possible.
I could just see the confused sweatdrop dripping down his forehead.
“He glances at the seat, then back to me. “You… you do realise there’s nothing there... right?”
“Of course I know that, but if you sit there then she would be sitting in you, and then she might burst out of your chest and make an alien joke, and it’s very hard to hold a conversation with the voices in my head when my imaginary pink horse is making pop culture references… Wow look at him go,” I say as Thunderlane beats a hasty retreat.
“I am not happy with you right now,” says Pinkie, forehooves crossed.
“Hey, I socialised, didn’t I?”
“I’ve never even watched Alien!”
“He didn’t know that.”
“For all you know, he could have been trying to be friendly.”
“Thunderlane? Unlikely, more likely he just bit off more than he could chew.” I say.
Pinkie tilts her head. “Huh? what do ya mean?”
“Thunderlane considers himself a bit of a ladies man, and is prone to boasting. Obviously one of his friends, probably Soarin, it’s his kind of humour, thought it would be funny to take him down a peg by making a bet to see if he could talk me into a date, knowing full well how I deal with such propositions.” Sure enough I could see Soarin’s smug grin from here as Thunderlane sat back down at their table.
“How do you know all that? I thought you don’t care about other people?” says Pinkie.
“Just because I don’t care doesn’t mean I don’t listen, it’s amazing what people will say when I’m around, because they think I don’t pay attention.”
“That’s… actually kind of cool,” says Pinkie. She looks around the room. “What can you tell me about… her!”
My gaze follows her pointing hoof. “Applejack, country girl, lives outside of town, has two siblings, an older brother, and a younger sister, honest, hardworking, average grades, has a habit of butting into other people's business, very approachable, hates liars and bullies.
“Cool, what about her!”
“Rarity, Socialite, fashion victim, attempts to start trends rather than follow them, clothes designer in spare time, makes all her own clothes, drama queen, mid-to-high grades, has a little sister she complains about a lot, has a lot of friends, usually seen moving in a pack for safety, horrible gossip.”
“Her!”
“Rainbow Dash, sports maniac, soccer star, academic underachiever, low-to-mid grades on anything non sports related, tomboy, spends most of her time with her team, has a lot of weight with the school jock and knucklehead demographic, short tempered, boastful.”
“How about the one next to her?”
“Cloudkicker?”
“No, Fluttershy!”
“Fluttershy, timid, meek, animal lover, soft spoken, dislikes crowds and being the centre of attention, average grades, has very few friends, mainly being Rainbow and Rarity. Is rarely seen not in the company of one or the other, but rarely both, due to this the school bullies mostly leave her alone.”
“Wow, you’re good at this,” says Pinkie.
“Everyone needs a hobby,” I say, shrugging.
Pinkie spots someone, standing in the middle of the room holding a tray and looking around lost. “What about her?”
“The new girl? You were there when she was introduced, you probably know just as much as I do,” I say.
“Come on, she’s been here at least three weeks, there must have been something your information network can dig up.”
I snort. “Other than the fact she is really bad at hiding that she’s into girls?”
Pinkie rolls her eyes. “I mean besides the obvious.”
Suddenly feeling more self conscious for some reason, I search in vain for somewhere to sit.
Not that there isn’t any empty seats, it’s just that no-one wants me sitting at their table. Word had already spread it seems, and my new sorta-friend Ditzy is nowhere to be seen, apparently at some club activity, which left me once more alone for lunch.
I scan around desperately, until I spot a nearly empty table. My heart skips a beat, and I start to make my way over. but stop as soon as I see who is sitting there.
Pinkamena, the girl who should not be disturbed under any circumstances, lest you face her terrible wrath.
But then again, being caught standing in the cafeteria was not, I had learned from experience, ideal.
I decide to risk it. After all, when caught between a rock and a hard place, it’s best to get as close as possible to the hard place in the hope that it somehow shields you from the rock, that makes sense right?
Swallowing my fear, I take a step forward.
“Is it just me or is she coming this way?” says Pinkie.
“After the warning that Ditzy girl gave her? I’d be surprised,” I say.
“Yup, she’s definitely coming over.”
“You have got to be joking, the girl looks as skittish as a squirrel.”
“She’s nearly here, look lively.”
I look over to see the girl named Lyra standing opposite me at the table, with an expression that resembled an incredibly subdued awkward smile.
I look directly into her eyes, while she stares awkwardly back.
This position is held for a good minute, with me simply waiting to see what she is here to do.
She shifts uncomfortably. “Ummm… H-hello.”
“What do you want?” I say sharply, causing her to flinch.
“W-well, um, I, er, you see, couldn’t really find anywhere to sit, so um, could I maybe sit at your table, please?”
I look around. “There seems to be a lot of empty seats on other tables, why here?”
Lyra looks at her feet. “Well, no one else wants me on their table…”
I raise my eyebrow, but it seems no explanation is forthcoming, as Lyra is still examining her own shoes.
“So... can I?” says Lyra, resigned, but hopeful.
“That depends, Miss Heartstrings,” I say, causing Lyra to look up, “and that is if you are willing to share the table with a potentially deluded girl and her imaginary friend.”
“Wha?” says Lyra, befuddlement all over her face.
“Oh come on, Pinkamena!” says Pinkie Grumpily.
“Look…” I try to say, but Pinkie cuts me off.
“No looks! No buts! And definitely no ‘now look here's’! Forget your anti-social meanie-pants stuff for one moment, and see that this is the human equivalent of a kicked puppy! By the looks of her, I’d say she’s been kicked several times already and she does not need another one. So either you let her sit here, or I will never, ever, ever ever-ever-everevereverevereverever…” she pauses to take a deep breath, “...Ever let you hear the end of this.”
I’m not sure how I feel about this outburst. A small part of my mind says I should just send her packing anyway just to spite her, but then I take one long hard look at the girl in question...
She just won’t stop staring at me, her dull blue eyes piercing my mind like a spike of ice. I am starting to get majorly creeped out.
Just as I was considering excusing myself and trying another table again, suddenly, she says, “Fine, just sit down and shut up before I change my mind.”
The words almost didn’t register. “Y-you mean it?”
“I don’t like repeating myself, are you going to sit or what?” says Pinkamena.
Quickly I sit on the nearest seat, setting down the lunch tray. After a few moments Pinkamena seems to lose interest and starts looking off to some far corner of the room, absently taking what looks like some sort of cookie out of her lunch box and idly nibbling it while leaning on her other hand. Not wanting to disturb her further, I quietly start eating my own cafeteria lunch. Not the best food, but not bad as cafeteria lunches go.
"See, was that hard?" says the invisible pink horse that I can’t see or hear.
Pinkamena grunts, why I don’t know, but I’m not going to ask.
As lunch went on, I became aware of a growing hush across the room, the background chatter steadily dying away, I look up to see what’s going on, only to find that almost every eye in the room is pointed in my direction. You could hear a pin drop in the ensuing silence.
Then she walks in.
There is a reason up to this point that I was having trouble in school, that I didn’t have any friends, no-one wanted me to sit with me in lunch, that I transferred out of my homegroup…
Her name is Black Saturday.
I internally groan as the school’s queen bee walks in.
In the land of bitchy teen girls and young adults that is high school, the bitchiest and meanest is always on top, and Black Saturday is no exception. A sociopath even by my standards, cruel and sadistic. Couple that with good looks, and for whatever reason this equals popular girl.
One of her cronies seems to point out my table for some reason, and they start stalking over.
This confuses me, for despite the fact that I think she is a pathetic controlling brat whose daddy obviously didn’t love her enough, I was under the impression that she and I were under an unspoken truce. She knows she can’t hurt me, so she leaves me alone. It’s an arrangement that has worked for quite some time, I get my space, and she can take out as much of her personal insecurities on the student body as she wants. What would make her risk this delicate equilibrium by encroaching on my personal space? Then I remember that my personal space isn’t so personal right now, and that Lyra has adopted a ‘deer in the headlights’ look.
Suddenly Lyra’s behaviour made sense, she was Saturday’s new punching bag.
“Well, hey there Heartstrings, all here by your lonesome?” says Saturday, wearing her predatory grin.
“…”
Her grin turned into a snarl. Quick as a snake, she grabbed Lyra’s head, and turned it to face hers, “I asked you a question, Heartstrings, aren't you going to answer?”
“Yes, Miss Saturday,” says Lyra timidly.
“Good girl. See, was that so hard, you’ll make an obedient freak yet.”
I felt my fist clench involuntarily.
“Because that’s what you are, isn’t it? A freak. What are you?”
“... a freak.” says Lyra softly, the beginning of tears welling up in her eyes.
“Are you crying, oh my god she is crying,” Saturday laughs, “What a pathetic little weirdo.”
I start counting under my breath.
“This is horrible!” says Pinkie, her eyes quivering, “You can’t just sit there, do something!” I sit still as a statue. “Pinkamena?”
“Now come on, I want you to say it with me, pathetic…”
“Pathetic…” croaked Lyra.
Unnoticed by everyone except Pinkie, I start to tremble, my fists clenched so tight, the knuckles have turned white.
“Little…” Saturday continues, oblivious.
“Little…”
“Pinkamena?” asks Pinkie, nervously.
“Weirdo-”
“OH SHUT YOUR FUCKING FACE!”
A new silence reigns, as all eyes were trained on me, as I stood, glowering. Even Lyra froze, tears suspended on her cheeks.
Saturday was clearly not expecting this. “E-excuse me?” she blusters.
“I don’t wanna hear it! In fact, any more of your pathetic self-righteous power play and I might feel the need to beat you to death with your own frozen smug!”
Her shock turned quickly into anger. “Did you call me-”
“Yeah, as a matter of fact I did call you pathetic,” I say, getting up into her face, “because you are, a pathetic little girl who wasn’t loved enough as a child or something, so now you feel the need to try and push everyone else down in order to fool yourself that your life is actually worth something.”
She opens her mouth to retort, I cut her off again.
“And don’t even try to try the verbal fencing with me, because you know that there’s no shit you can throw at me that I won’t throw back harder, so save yourself the embarrassment!”
She stands there bewildered for a moment, before her eyes narrow. “Be careful Pinkamena, I’ve tolerated you until now, but you’re stepping across a dangerous line.”
“Whatever,” I say, picking up my lunchbox and heading for the door, my invisible pink horse falling in behind me.
“Running away, are we?” she calls after me.
“As a matter of fact, I’m going off in search of intelligent company, because there is clearly none to be had here.” I call back. I turn around in the doorway. “Hey Strings, you coming or what?”
Lyra looked confused for a moment, before scrambling out of her seat and after me.
“W-where are we going?” she says as I lead her out the cafeteria.
“Outside, there's a place I go to be alone, if you're still hungry you can have some of my lunch.”
Lyra didn’t respond, she just sat staring at me to stunned for words
“I know you probably don’t care too much about what I think,” says Pinkie, “But right now, I am super proud of you.”
“Whatever,” I say, “Let's just go.”
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I really like this chapter. I especially like how Pinkie interacts with Lyra. I was hoping to see more of this story and the wait was worth it. It will be interesting to learn more about this Pinkimena and how the characters are different
EDIT: Reading this chapter made me think I need to read the earlier chapters to remind myself of some things. For instance has there been any indication of whether Pinkimena is into men, women, or nobody yet (whether that she has no interest what so ever or just has not thought about it yet)? Lyra just made me think of it.
6905244 Kind of you to say so, I'll try not to disappoint you
Glad to see this back.
Huh ... I wonder what brought all that on ...
6958439 Wow, my first quote comment...
Cool!
I'm liking this Diane a whole lot.(I call Pinkamena Diane)
She's great. Snarky, has an Attitude, and is knowledgeable about everyone.
I'm really liking this story.
Also this