Back Into the Swing Of Things
The passage of six years can change many things, but seating arrangements on a school bus was not one of them. There never were assigned seats to begin with, but the friends and the cliques always stuck together and soon everything became permanent.
However, six years can change the appearance and attitudes of the people in the seats. Octavia was now a freshman, with a slim build and long black hair that went past her shoulders; it did a good job of contrasting with her vivid lavender eyes. She scolded herself for waking up so late, missing breakfast and barely catching the bus. Only covering the bare necessities of personal hygiene, and sporting jeans and a blank grey T-shirt over her tank-top, Octavia wanted nothing but the chance to go back home and crawl under her sheets. Of course her parents would have none of it, and so she found herself here, unkempt and unprepared, but none-the-less on her way to school.
This must be what Vinyl feels like every morning, Octavia thought, speaking of which... she turned to Vinyl. Her friend was about as well-off as she was as far as appearance went, but Vinyl had a way of making unkempt look good. She wore her usual casual attire, baggy cargo pants and a snow-white top, and her blue hair looked as if she had just gotten out of bed. But there was something else, something Octavia felt was quite obvious, right under her nose, but she couldn’t put a finger on what it was about Vinyl that was different. Octavia decided that it was unimportant, and moved on to a more pressing matter. She always missed the happenings of her school friends over the summer, as her parents were slow to release their hold on their little angel, so Octavia had to find out everything she could from Vinyl. This became routine, and was usually the highlight of her first day of every school year. But, as usual, Vinyl was absorbed in that incomprehensible noise she called techno. A light tap on the shoulder though and Octavia was tackled by her friend, followed by an endless stream of warm greetings.
“Yes yes, it’s nice to see you too, Scratch. Now, please get off me.”
“It’s been too long,” Vinyl exclaimed after returning to her upright position, “where’ve you been?”
“Same old, same old; vacation for a week, then Cello practice for the rest of the summer. You?”
“Same old, same old; DJ’ing for Pinkie’s plethora of parties, and other people as well. Hell, there was a couple that hired me for their wedding, how cool is that?”
“Wow,” Octavia gasped, “that is amazing. Was it a good wedding?”
“C’mon Tavi,” Vinyl shrugged, “you know I’m not into that sappy stuff… But I will say that it surprised me.”
“How so?”
“A story for another day; I’ve got to catch you up on what’s happened over the summer!” Surprisingly, this took up most of their bus ride to school. Spike had finally plucked up the nerve to ask Rarity out, which surprised Octavia, last she saw him he wasn’t exactly emotionally fit for such a risky action.
Spike didn’t fit in with the other boys in the middle school; he was a bit more...feminine than the rest. Inevitably, he was assumed to be gay and made fun of. He seeked refuge with childhood friends of his, such as Twilight and her friends. However, this only gave his enemy’s more ammo for their verbal assaults. He struggled throughout middle school, but it sounded like he bounced back in Octavia’s absence, since he was able to do what had been trying to do ever since he laid eyes on Rarity.
According to Vinyl, they weren’t per say, together, but they were a lot closer than they were before. The fact that Spike was stuck in middle school for another year didn’t help matters, but they were in a kind of limbo, sometimes a couple, others not.
In other news, Twilight had once again made scientific breakthroughs that made headlines, though Vinyl couldn’t care enough to remember what specific science. Rainbow Dash kept herself busy in athletics camp, setting records that would most likely last at least a few years. Because she was being quiet as usual, it could only be assumed that Fluttershy spent her summer at the wildlife center. AJ had to work the farm, along with Big Mac, which took up most of their summer. Pinkie Pie...well, she was what occupied everybody’s time when they weren’t at camp or a summer job.
As Vinyl delved into her zany adventures with the pink-haired party girl, Octavia realized what was different about her friend.
As she did a mental facepalm for not realizing earlier, Tavi said “Vinyl, I can’t believe it, you’re still wearing those stupid sunglasses I sent you for your birthday!”
“Stupid? These things are amazing!” Vinyl exclaimed as she took off the purple shades for a quick examination. “I never leave the house without them, they’ve become part of my identity! I’m more surprised you’re wearing that pink bow-tie I sent you as a joke-gift for your birthday!” Vinyl began to laugh.
“I happen to like it very much,” Tavi commented, looking down to make sure it was in place, “I think it suits me well. Strange, I too have a tendency to wear it every day...”
“Well,” Vinyl replied, obviously still trying to decide whether or not Tavi was joking, “although it wasn’t really meant to be appreciated, I’m glad that you do.” The two shared a few chuckles, then Vinyl said “It’s good to have you back around, Tavi.”
“And the same to you,” Octavia replied, “and it appears that we’re here!” Sure enough, in front of the bus now pulling into the parking lot loomed the two-story monster that was Ponyville High. Octavia looked forward to her new classes and teachers, but she could not say the same for Vinyl.
“Man, if I didn’t have friends here, I would’ve ditched the system the first chance I got.” she muttered. For some reason I don’t doubt that, Tavi thought as they stepped off the bus. The two entered along with a sea of other students; searching for homeroom, meeting up with friends, trying to avoid being trampled by their classmates. Octavia took out a carefully folded piece of paper that held her schedule, and where her homeroom was located. A-7, with a Mrs. Wild Fire. Hmm, easy enough. With some quick observations of her surroundings, Tavi could tell that she was already in the A wing, she just needed to follow the numbers. Meanwhile, Vinyl seemed completely disoriented, obviously without any clue of where her homeroom was.
“I’ll uhh...catch up with you later, alright?” Octavia called out as the bell rang, “Good luck!”
“Heh, thanks,” Vinyl called back. I’ll need it...
. . .
“Good morning, class,” an overly cheery voice said to her audience, “hope you had a great summer!” When no reply was heard, she continued “So, ready for your last pieces of education before college?” To this, there were multiple mumbles and grumbles, an exasperated sigh from one bold student.
Ms. Cheerilee looked over her class, trying to keep her usual upbeat attitude. Usually the fact that she was teaching made her happy, but after a long summer of conferences discussing the lack of teachers in the district and a last-minute grade switch, she was not ready for school yet. Although relatively young as teachers go, most of her colleagues would agree that she had been around the block around a time or two. Her fandango buttoned suit was uncomfortably tight-fitting, but it was the only formal thing she could find in her closet that hadn’t needed to be ironed. She put on a smile and bared it, like she always did when she couldn’t change her situation.
She flipped back her brunette hair and scanned the seats. Almost everybody was present, something to be noted with teenagers from this district. Funny, she thought, I had a kid last year who was tardy on the first day as well...at that moment, Vinyl burst through the door, panting heavily.
“Is...is this this C-19, history?” she asked.
“Well, if the door plaque didn’t a good enough job to inform you yes, it is, Miss Scratch.” Cheerilee replied, much to her own astonishment, replying so quickly as if it were hard-wired to wise-mouth her old nemesis.
“No...” Vinyl looked up, startled by the familiar voice, “not you. I thought I was done with you back in the middle school!”
“Miss Scratch, do we really need to fall back into old habits this early in the year? Honestly, your first day, your first period and you’re already disrupting class.”
Vinyl finally overcame her shock and replied slyly, “I guess some things never change, Cherry.”
“When you speak to your higher-ups, it would be wise not to get on their bad side so early in the game.”
“Early? Aww, you haven’t forgotten all the fun we had the last few years, have you Cherry? You’ve only followed me through every year in junior high. At this point I might have to call the cops on you for stalking,” Vinyl snickered.
“Wouldn’t that be a role reversal...” Cheerilee shot back, “just because the school district is short on history teachers is not grounds to assume I am stalking you, Miss Scratch.”
“A likely story...” Vinyl muttered.
“If you are finished,” Cheerilee continued “could you please find a seat, before I have to hand you another detention, since obviously the countless detentions I gave you last year didn’t do a darn thing to change your attitude.”
“Whatever,” Vinyl shrugged.
“And please remove those utterly ridiculous glasses!”
Vinyl looked up, “Nah, I’m good.”
“Excuse me?” Vinyl started moving toward her seat, “Vinyl, remove your shades or it’s after-school detention.”
“The shades aren’t coming off Cherry,” Vinyl replied. She didn’t mind removing her glasses, but it was fun pissing her Cheerilee off.
“Then I’ll be seeing you after school; now please take a seat.” Vinyl continued to the empty seat, a smug grin on her face. Even if she had to spend every day of high-school enduring Cheerilee for a History teacher, she could at least return the favor by making her life a living hell as well.
“Now, we’re going to start with the America’s. If you open your textbooks to page...” At this point Vinyl had already stopped caring. Even if she did care, her books were nowhere to be seen, so it wouldn’t have mattered. However, she was fortunate enough to find her seat next to one of her school friends, Carrot Top. Sporting a yellow top and white shorts, she was more educationally inclined than Vinyl, but when friends beckoned, she’d listen.
“Psst.” Vinyl whispered.
“Morning to you too,” Carrot Top whispered back, “detention on the first day? I think that might be a record”
“I try,” Vinyl shrugged, “how’ve you been, C-Top?”
“Not bad, not bad,” she replied, “went out to Cali with Lyra, Bon Bon and Derpy.”
This surprised Vinyl somewhat, “Lyra and Bon Bon, and Derpy, within a one-mile radius of each other?”
“Oh come on Vinyl, I know you don’t like them, but they’re alright, honest. We all had a great time together.” Vinyl rolled her eyes. Lyra and Bon Bon were, to her at least, the stereotypical popular girls of the school. Gossiping, back-stabbing, all-around assholes, it was still a mystery how Carrot Top could even be friends with them. Obviously she saw some sort of nice side to them that Vinyl couldn’t, but as long as their attitudes didn’t wear off on Carrot-Top, she didn’t care.
Carrot Top was a great friend. Upbeat, caring, not to mention a wonderful cook. There wasn’t a single new kid that Vinyl knew of who wasn’t warmly welcomed by Carrot Top. But if you asked anybody what Carrot Top’s greatest trait was, they’d tell you about how far she’d go to defend her friends. Case and point: Derpy.
Derpy was like any other girl; she liked to talk, text, and all that fru-fru stuff that Vinyl could care less about. But she went through one of the roughest childhoods anyone could imagine. It wasn’t because of her parents, no, they were quite nice to their daughter. No, the reason for Derpy’s hurt was her eyes. Ever since birth, her yellow eyes had been cock-eyed. Surprisingly, she still had twenty-twenty vision. However, like Spike’s feminism, her strange appearance gave bullies an excuse to abuse her. Among them was Lyra and Bon Bon. For many years, Carrot Top was her only real friend. Almost daily, Carrot had to stand up for Derpy, despite jeopardising her well-off social status. But as time wore on, people accepted her, and she’s been really enjoying herself now-a-days. She had a part-time job as a mail-girl, and was always a pleasure to see.
Yet it still baffled Vinyl that Lyra and Bon Bon, Lyra and Bon Bon could vacation with Derpy. It just didn’t seem possible. Maybe C-Top bribed them? she thought. No, she’s not the type. Vinyl continued to rack her brain for a logical explanation, which occupied her until class was over.
“And that’s it for today’s lesson. Remember to get that paper done by the end of the week. Have a good day!” Ms. Cheerilee called as the students left the classroom. “And Vinyl,” she called, “don’t forget, or your parents will be hearing from me.” Knowing her parents, the detention would be a quicker punishment, and her lateness home could be explained by a great many things, if she walked.
Now, what did I have for second period again?
* * *
Hey everypony! Glad you decided to look at a beginner's first shy steps into the world of writing. If you enjoyed this, or would like to point something out, just leave a comment, whatever advice you have is greatly appreciated. I'm also in need of editors, because the more reworking my story undergoes before being published, the better. If you're interested, just send me a message here, or on my DA account (under the same name).
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Absolutely brilliant. You'e earned yourself a thumbs up, track, and favorite.
Keep it up, great start. Can't wait for the next chapter.
This i could get into
For a beginners shy steps, your a good writer!
Thumbed, favorite, and now watching the story, congrats!
This could be an interesting story. Normally I don't much care for the high school scenario, but for some reason, I clicked this and I read it. It's a little too early right now to make any in depth comments, so I'll reserve any criticisms.
One thing I did notice, and this is kind of nit-picky, but you wrote "they're" when you should've put "their."
"but as long as they’re attitudes didn’t wear off on Carrot-Top, she didn’t care."
I'll favorite this for now to see what you're gonna do, but if you need help with proofreading and such, hit me up.
I hate humans and ponies mixed.
I really liked this story.
You have done well.
Just the cover art gives me the most deliciously warm and comforting Strawberry Panic!/The Last Uniform/Kashimashi vibe. High school yuri is a genre I know well indeed. Say hello to an upthumb and a favorite.
Hahahaha this is too funny keep it up
not sure how i feel about this yet. tracking for now, but saving a rating for later. it's a good start no doubt.
704034 You have the wonderful JohnJoseco to thank for the cover art. He's an awesome artist of both humanized and strait up ponies, and definately worth checking out. His DA can be found here: http://johnjoseco.deviantart.com/
703781 Thank you very much. I am grateful of my one editor for being so much help, but even he isn't perfect. I'll message you when I finish up the first draft of the second chapter.
707006
Yes, I know JJ well, but the style threw me a little. It's a bit more manga style than his usual. I should have seen the JJ, though.
Lyra and Bon Bon... evil? Shades of Kaname and Momomi. Derpy and Carrot Top together? Yes, this pleases Photo Finish
The only way it could have been more perfect would have been if it had been an all-girl school. But like I said, high school yuri is my jam. 
Scratch and Tavi are playing their parts to the hilt, tomboy and girly-girl to perfection. Tsumugi and Beniko.
First time writing? And this is what you come out with?
Color me impressed.
I don't know why I read this but I'm glad I did, it's not the sort of thing I'd be typically interested in. I'll give it a like but I'll have to see more chapter before I favorite.
707052 What do you mean I'm not perfect? Lol
707521 I don't know where you get the idea that Octavia is a "girly-girl". She's proper, not a girly-girl, girly-girls are all pink and frufru and are always overly excited about everything.
708716
In the context of her relationship with Vinyl that is the role which she fills. Besides, there are many flavors of girly-girl, particularly when comared against a tomboy. The "Prim and proper lady" is one such "mode" of especially-feminine character. Perhaps I could have said "Masculine-Type-Female and Feminine-Type-Female" with the type inserted in proper place. But that isn't as punchy and is not a trope.
I am such a sucker for Vinyl and Octavia...
I like this so far. I hope you continue, can't wait for more!
why are none of the stories I read complete
anyway this is a great story, hope the next part comes out soon
hrm.... I approve of this! and that aint an easy feat my friend, well played.
884433
I'm so sorry guys! Real life's been taking up a lot of my time lately, but I can confirm that the first draft of the second chapter is complete and is under revision by editors Brony Alex, ObCom and blazikenking. I know it's been waaay overdue, but chapter 2 will be out there soon, I promise!