• Published 16th Mar 2016
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Vinyl and Octavia: Girl Friends - New Canterlot



Octavia is approached by a very strange girl, and together, they begin their long journey of love and discovery.

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The MP3 Player

One Week Later

Having friends proved to be just as much work as it was fun. Octavia couldn’t remember a time when she felt as alive and free in her whole life, and Vinyl was doing everything in her power to show her more of her crazy world. As Vinyl’s self proclaimed ‘bestie’, Octavia had a difficult time keeping up with her day to day. She was so full of vigorous spirit and overflowing with caffeine fueled energy (which usually wore off after lunch) that Octavia often felt her mind overwhelmed with stimulation. Vinyl made every effort to include her in every part of her life, an experience that, for the rest of Octavia’s days, would never become boring. The biggest push Vinyl made into Octavia’s life was through their shared love of music, regardless of personal taste.

During lunch period at the start of the week, Vinyl had jammed her big headphones over her ears and cranked up a tune so full of bass that she could feel her chest vibrating and her eardrums popping. It wasn’t particularly enjoyable, but Octavia was grateful for the learning experience. It was sound that, if given some time, she could learn to enjoy as well if in the right mood. If Vinyl was so happy listening to it that she would start dancing in the middle of the cafeteria, then Octavia had to acknowledge the fact that there was something special about her choice of music. It inspired Vinyl the same way classical music inspired her, so much so that Vinyl even wrote her own. That was a feat even Octavia hadn’t attempted.

The biggest hurdle that Octavia had to overcome in this newly formed friendship was the now constant use of her new phone which required her to quickly learn how to use the device. Although she occasionally received messages from both Bon Bon and Lyra, Vinyl was the one texting her every chance she got. This didn’t bother Octavia so much unless it was during class. Vinyl would text her saying everyone wanted to go somewhere after school for burgers or something, but she would quickly change her mind and say they would be going roller skating. Octavia did her best to reply back, but most of the time, it was in vain. Her own replies were no more than a few words in length that either acknowledged having read the previous message or an announcement that she was in class and couldn’t be bothered. Vinyl didn’t seem to care one bit about that, but Octavia couldn’t help but feel incredibly welcome to be included in a social circle despite Vinyl’s complete lack of boundaries.

On one of her days that didn’t include music class, Octavia found herself smack in the middle of a conversation about backpacks. School had just ended, and the four girls minus one had gathered on the lawn outside. “Seriously, your bag is freaking heavy.” Vinyl complained to Bon Bon while wearing the same usual jeans and belt. Her shirt was different today. It had some sort of face printed on the front complete with huge round bunny ears and the letter ‘X’ for eyes. “Why am I carrying it for you?”

“We made a deal. You get my cupcake, you carry my bag.” Bon Bon wiggled a finger at her like she was scolding a small child. Her skirt and top matched her features, and Octavia was beginning to realize that many girls would coordinate their fashion choices. Bon Bon was no doubt the only girl in their group who employed real trends in her appearance.

Beneath her glasses, Vinyl was glaring angrily. “You planned this, didn’t you…?” She grumbled. “Tavi, you gotta feel this thing! You can crush a car with this bag of bricks!”

Octavia took an awkward step back and put her hands up in protest when Vinyl had pressed the bag against her chest. “I...will take your word as truth, Vinyl. There’s no need for first hand experience.”

“She’s got the right idea.” Came a new voice. It was Lyra, her black jeans now sporting a new hole for some reason. “Bon Bon always takes her books home before a big test.”

“You set me up.” Vinyl grumbled again at Bon Bon and shouldered her bag uncomfortably. “And who studies for tests anymore?”

Octavia looked back and forth between each of her friends. “Test?” She asked. “Do you have an exam tomorrow?”

“More like a midterm.” Bon Bon nodded. “Shouldn’t you study too, Ly-Ly? Mr. Doodle isn’t going to cut you any more slack.”

Lyra sighed and shoved her hands into her pockets. “I’m done with school…”

“School just started like three months ago.” Vinyl giggled. “And we have three more years to go.”

Lyra shrugged. “Not listening…”

“As usual.” Bon Bon snickered.

“Do you three have other classes together?” Octavia asked before quickly covering her mouth with one hand.

“Yeah.” Lyra nodded. “We have…what, like four classes together? Right?”

“I think so.” Vinyl shrugged. “Not sure. I kinda sleep through the first two until lunch.”

“I really hate to say it,” Bon Bon put her hands on her hips, obviously not hating to say anything. “But you two really need to buckle down if you don’t want to get held back.”

“Yeah yeah yeah, whatever whatever.” Vinyl waved an arm dismissively as if she was trying to avoid the subject like a plague. “Can we go now? This thing SUCKS!” She shrugged her now aching shoulder while pointing to the bag.

Octavia reached out with a hand towards Vinyl slowly as if she was going to tap on her shoulder. “Perhaps, I could be of some assistance. If necessary, I could carry it for you.”

“Really? You didn’t seem too thrilled earlier.” Vinyl put the backpack down on the grass once realizing that no one was walking anywhere yet.

“True…but, I would like to help if you need me to.” Octavia blushed slightly as cast her eyes down to the ground.

Vinyl smirked a tiny bit at the sight of the cellist’s pretty face. “It’s fine, Tavi. Don’t worry. You just keep standing there looking good.”

This made Octavia blush even harder and Vinyl smile wider. She always says stuff like that… “U-Um, well, thank you, Vinyl.”

“Blech!” Lyra opened her mouth and stuck her tongue out while rolling her eyes. “Seriously, V. Get a room!”

Bon Bon began walking away towards the sidewalk, dragging Octavia by the hand beside her. “If we keep talking to them, we’re never going to leave.”

“I-I see…” Octavia awkwardly followed beside her until her hand was released.

“H-Hey, wait up, Bonny!” Lyra bounced into a quick pace to trail after them, taking a position on the opposite side of the candy striped model student.

“Aw, come on!” Vinyl whined as she painfully marched herself in the direction of her friends. “I can’t move that fast right now.”

“Exercise is good for you.” Bon Bon giggled.

“Are you calling me fat?” Vinyl scowled and angrily quickened her pace, the backpack now proving to be less of a burden than she was trying to convey. “That’s really low, Bon. I’m like half your size!”

Octavia put her hand up into the air for a moment to get everyone’s attention. “Pardon me, but I do have a question. Could someone tell me where we’re going?”

“Didn’t you tell her?” Lyra asked Vinyl.

“Um…did I?” Vinyl thought for a moment. “Did you get my text, Tavi?”

“I believe so. You said something about coffee, then said something about a movie, then said something about going to the park.” Octavia dutifully summarized the linty of texts she had received in class.

Bon Bon shook her head in exasperation, something that Octavia was beginning to learn was her way of helping her other two friends get to the heart of the matter. “We’re going to the arcade.”

“Oh, really?” Vinyl’s voice was full of excitement. “Aw, sweet! Gonna shred me some GuitarWarrior!”

“You totally suck at that game.” Lyra giggled. “If you wanna see a real champ, check me out.”

Bon Bon put a hand on Octavia’s shoulder and sighed. “I’m so sorry you have to deal with us.”

“I-It’s quite alright.” Octavia blushed a bit and shook her head. In truth, she was delighted to be a part of something bigger than herself and the solitude of her room. Besides…I can honestly say that I am enjoying myself.

“Yeah, I’m not carrying this anymore.” Vinyl took the backpack off and slung it over Bon Bon’s shoulders before she could protest.

“Um, excuse me, young lady.” Bon Bon spoke in a way that reminded Octavia of her own mother. The difference was that she wasn’t feeling dread from listening to those words. Instead, she felt amused. “I believe we made a deal.”

“Yeah, well, deals off, sister. You can have my ice cream tomorrow or whatever the desert is.” Vinyl grabbed Octavia’s hand and began jogging down the street. “Come on, Tavi! Let’s get there before all the stupid middle-schoolers hog all the tokens.”

“Hey! Vinyl, you are not off the hook!” Bon Bon shouted after her.

Lyra sighed and slung the bag off her friend’s shoulder to carry it for her. “I got it, Bonny. No worries.”

“Thank you, Ly-Ly.” Bon Bon wiggled a finger against Lyra’s chin with a smile. “At least I know you’re a better friend than her.”

“Hey! Lyra!” Vinyl called out from down the street. “Why don’t YOU get a room?”

“Why don’t you shut your face?!” Lyra shrieked back while cupping her hands around her mouth to distance her voice.

“Make me!”

Octavia began to feel her thighs burn a little with each new step. The quick pace Vinyl had set was much too physical for her, and she realized that a PE class wouldn’t be such a bad idea after all. Although having to run was tedious, she was admittedly having fun. Vinyl’s enthusiasm and cheery smile made her feel so welcome and carefree, and she started to feel a little jealous for not having more than just one class to share with her. It appears I am the odd duckling in this assembly. She nearly tripped when Vinyl took a sharp left down another empty sidewalk. “Um, Vinyl? Could we perhaps slow down?” She requested through minor heavy breathing. “I am becoming rather winded.”

“No time, babe!” Vinyl shook her head and quickly swiped her glasses off her nose to keep them from falling off. “I wanna buy all the pepperoni pizza before Lyra gets a slice!”

Oh dear… Octavia inwardly sighed as felt Vinyl’s grip around her hand tighten. Her eyes widened with disbelief after her brain had an extra second to compute Vinyl’s words. What did she call me?

-o0o-

Zombies, or some other form of unholy undead, were advancing toward her. The sight was partially terrifying and intensely bewildering. Octavia could honestly say that she was helpless. Vinyl, on the other hand, seemed to be smack dab in the middle of her own element. Her flawless reloading skills and perfect aim made quick work of every impending danger walking towards the pair, a much needed performance to pick up Octavia’s proverbial dead weight. “Yeah! Aw, sick! I just blew that guys head off! Boom! Suck it, loser!”

“H-How do you reload again?” Octavia asked, still pulling the trigger of her handgun in the hopes of a miracle.

Vinyl reached for her hand and shook the weapon with the barrel pointed to the side. “There, now shoot, girl!”

Octavia brought the weapon up towards the enemies and began shooting. Of all the thirteen rounds, only one hit a single target. “I-I can’t do this! There are too many!” She exclaimed in exacerbation and fear.

“Crap! I’m out! I’m out!” Vinyl dropped her weapon and took a position less than an inch behind Octavia with her hands squarely gripping around Octavia’s own. She began pulling on Octavia’s finger while forcing her weapon side to side, effectively controlling her movements. “Whoooh!!!” In the worst possible moment, nearly ten more zombie-like creatures jumped the nearby wall and advanced on their position. “Aw, come on!”

The sound of Vinyl’s voice was deafening in her ear, but that hardly weighted on Octavia’s mind. Her face was bright as a red taillight thanks to Vinyl’s bosom against her back and her arms wrapped around her body. She could feel her electric blue heartbeat against her shoulder and her warm labored breath against the back of her head. Between all the stimulation of terror in front of her and intimacy behind her, Octavia had half a mind to collapse. She could feel her own heart beating out of her ears and deafening everything else around her.

Finally, her miracle came. The game ended when both players lost all of their lives, and Vinyl took a step back and ran her fingers through her hair. “Well, that sucked. Man, I’m like, super thirsty.”

Octavia lowered her arm and dropped the weapon into the plastic holster mounted into the side of the arcade machine. According to the words on the side of the monitor, the game was called ‘Home of the Dead’, a name that had deterred Octavia long before she was forced to play. “It’s over…” She muttered to herself with a big sigh of relief. “Finally…”

Vinyl giggled and leaned up against the monitor next to her for a virtual pinball game. “Wow, Tavi, you realllllly suck at shooting zombies. Seriously, if we get trapped in the same barn together after World War III, remind me to take your gun.”

“I…apologize for my poor performance.” Octavia continued to blush, still reeling from the intense lack of personal space merely seconds earlier.

“I’m totally kidding, girl.” Vinyl shook her head and took her sunglasses off the top of her head, hanging them between her breasts with a complete lack of grace. “You did pretty good for your first time. But, I’m kinda surprised this is your first time at an arcade.”

“I-Is it?” Octavia felt the embarrassment return. "I suppose…I haven’t had many opportunities to go to any.” Nor do I particularly enjoy them…especially by myself.

“Well, we can keep coming back here if you want. This place is pretty cool on the weekends when pizza is half off.” Vinyl patted her on the back with a smirk. “Right now, I can totally go for a float. You want one?”

“A…float?” Octavia cocked her head to the side. Is she referring to one of those flower parade constructions?

“What??? You’ve never had a float before?” Vinyl grabbed her hand and pulled her firmly away from the ‘Home of the Dead’ console. “Oh, you are sooo getting a float!”

As it turned out, what Vinyl was referring to had nothing to do with flowers. What Octavia now had in her hands was a massive glass mug filled to the brim with foaming soda and couple scoops of ice cream bobbing up and down against the brim of the glass. With a float of her own, Vinyl led her back to their booth with a table where Bon Bon and Lyra had pizza in front of them. The pizza was very marginal in quality, but Octavia was beginning to understand the pedestrian charm of middle class food. It was neither good nor bad, merely something to be enjoyed for the sake of enjoyment. The float, however, was something else entirely. Whoever comprised ice cream and soda should receive a Noble Prize!

“She kicked your ass, huh?” Lyra asked while covering her pizza slice in pepper. “Vinyl’s way too into that weird zombie game.”

“Hey, it’s called ‘skill’, girl.” Vinyl raised an eyebrow at her. “You don’t got none.”

Bon Bon patted the spot next to her opposite of Lyra, and Octavia took a seat. “You hungry at all? I got pepperoni, but if you’re not a meat person, you can throw them away.”

“Or give them to me.” Vinyl sat next to Lyra and gave a thumbs up.

“Or do that.” Bon Bon rolled her eyes and daintily bit into her slice.

Vinyl showed no hesitation when picking up a slice and shoving half of the poor thing into her mouth. She bit down and chewed loudly with a dumb smile. “So uh,” She began speaking with her mouth full, spewing bits of cheese onto the table. “Anybody want my extra tokens?”

“Oh, yeah over here!” Lyra held out her hand in front of Vinyl’s face.

“Uh…” Vinyl swallowed and shook her head. “Okay, anybody ELSE want my extra tokens?”

“Just give me the tokens, V.” Lyra flicked her in the nose and kept her hand below her chin. “Come on.”

“Seriously. Any takers?” Vinyl pointed at Bon Bon, and she shook her head. The same thing happened with Octavia. With a sigh, Vinyl reached into her pocket and gave Lyra the tokens. “Fine…”

“Sweet!” Lyra took them and began climbing over Vinyl’s lap with a pizza slice in her mouth.

“Lyra! Not cool!” Vinyl growled as she painfully felt the mint girl clamber over her to exit the booth. “You’re right on my nuts, girl!”

With a giggle, Lyra stood by the table and patted the grumpy girl on the head. “Hey, be nice or you’re not getting anything from the prize counter.”

“I really don’t care.” Vinyl shoved her hand away and stuck her tongue out at her.

“Are you sure? I’ve seen you looking at that Devil May Try poster. Isn’t that your favorite game?”

“Not listening.” Vinyl shrugged and continued to drink her float.

Octavia was only vaguely aware of the conversation around her. Most of her attention was engrossed in her float. The flavor of the soda was overwhelmingly sweet, but it was made sweeter by the bits of ice cream that danced across her tongue. She lowered her head and stuck her tongue down into the mug to try and scoop the ice cream up into her mouth, but it was a vain effort. The ice cream defied her will, only making her look ridiculous. It wasn’t until everyone around her started giggling did she look up from the mug. “Did…I miss something?”

Vinyl was trying to hold back her giggles while speaking. “Here, Tavi.” She reached out with a napkin to wipe the cellist’s face. “Slow down, babe. You’re gonna get a brain freeze.”

“I-I see…” Octavia swallowed hard and subconsciously wiped her chin with the back of her hand. B-Babe? She really likes that word.

“Don’t tell me this is your first time eating a root beer float.” Bon Bon was covering her mouth with a smile. “Octavia, you are just too precious.”

Lyra slapped her knee and chuckled before grabbing the pepper from the table for her new slice. “You’re such a weirdo, Tavi!” She laughed a bit harder and began making the same ridiculous face that Octavia sported while endeavoring to slurp the ice cream.

Octavia finally understood why they were laughing, and as she wondered what her face looked like while absorbed in her desert, her face turned red with embarrassment. She knew her friends were only teasing her with good natured intentions, but it was still somewhat uncomfortable. “…Perhaps I need a spoon.”

“On it.” Vinyl got up and gave Octavia a warm smile. “Be right back. Let’s go, Ly.” Both she and Lyra walked away deeper into the arcade.

In an awkward silence, Octavia stared down at the remainder of her float. Since she was all alone with Bon Bon, she had no idea what to say. Being alone with one of Vinyl’s friends had never happened before, and Octavia was worried that Bon Bon was just as aware of the tension. However, instead of speaking to break the silence, Bon Bon slid a paper plate with a slice of pizza in front of her new companion. “Here you go, Tavi. Please have a slice before V and Ly-Ly go crazy and eat the rest.”

“O-Oh, um, why thank you.” Octavia nudged the plate with her finger and turned to Bon Bon for a moment to see a pleasant smile grace her pretty features. She turned back to her pizza and brought the plate up a few inches to take a tiny bite out of the tip of the cheese. Her eyes grew wide and her mouth watered in response before she took a much larger bite.

“First time having pizza?” Bon Bon asked, putting a hand on Octavia’s shoulder. “I had the same reaction too my first time.”

“I-I see…y-yes, this is my first time.” Octavia nodded her head slowly and swallowed, her face still a bit flushed.

“Hey, Octavia.” Bon Bon’s voice now sounded serious. “Listen, I want to apologize if hanging out with us is…too much sometimes.”

Octavia lowered her plate and turned to her politely. “I’m afraid I don’t understand.”

“Well, what I’m trying to say is…” Bon Bon wrapped a colorful curl of her hair around her finger. “…Vinyl and Lyra can be a real handful sometimes, and I can tell you feel a little out of place.”

Very true… “I…suppose it has happened once or twice.” Octavia blushed even harder and returned her gaze downward at the table.

Bon Bon put an arm around her elbow and laid her head on her shoulder for a moment. “Well, all I’m trying to say is…I’m sorry if Vinyl’s been driving you crazy.”

“She…hadn’t done so…” Octavia shook her head and smiled softly, the physical contact of Bon Bon’s light embrace somehow comforting. “…Vinyl may be a free spirit, but I do enjoy her company.”

“Oh, that is such a RELIEF!” Bon Bon giggled and let go of her arm. “I was really worried that you didn’t want to be here with us.”

“It’s quite alright.” Octavia gave her a reassuring smile. “I wouldn’t wish to be anywhere else right now than with my new friends.”

“Vinyl was right. You are a total doll!” Bon Bon wrapped her arms around her neck and squeezed tightly. “You have no idea how badly Vinyl wanted to talk to you at the beginning of school.”

“Hey, hey, hey!” Vinyl shouted as she dropped two plastic spoons on the table and quickly scooted into the opposite booth across the table, clapping one hand over Bon Bon’s mouth. “Don’t listen to her. She doesn’t know what she’s talking about.”

Octavia couldn’t help but notice Vinyl was flustered. Her pale white face was as red a stop sign, but she had great control of her facial expressions. If it wasn’t for the blushing, Octavia wouldn’t have known any better. She…looks quite pretty when self-conscious…quite unlike myself. With a bit of shock, Octavia looked away from her when she felt her heartbeat quicken. There was an incredibly powerful feeling rising up within her chest, and it was scaring her. Be still my heart!

Bon Bon rolled her eyes and brushed Vinyl’s hand aside. “It’s true though. You’ve asked about her nonstop to everyone in class.”

“Ok, that is enough out of you.” Vinyl sat up and flicked Bon Bon on the ear.

“Ow!” Bon Bon giggled hard and rubbed her ear with her fingers. “Poor girl…” She put a hand on Octavia’s back and cooed. “To have to deal with this poorly dressed jerk everyday. How do you do it?”

Octavia reached for her spoon and focused all her attention on eating her floating ice cream. Unfortunately, her racing pulse and thoughts proved too much of a distraction to enjoy her ice cream to its full potential. It was too bad really…she didn’t have many opportunities to indulge her sweet tooth. As everyone went back to their food, the silence around the table continued for the next few minutes until the fourth of the group came back, huffing and puffing for breath. “Y-You guys!” Lyra exclaimed as she put her hands on her knees to breathe more deeply. “You aren’t gonna believe this!”

Bon Bon lazily turned her head and blinked slowly. “Oh, Lyra. You’re back. And what are we not going to believe, hm?”

“Did you see another Sapphire Shores look-alike?” Vinyl sighed and gave an apathetic shrug.

“Okay, for the LAST time, it was Sapphire! You guys NEVER believe me!” Lyra threw her hands up in frustration. “Just, whatever! Forget about that. You guys gotta see this!”

Vinyl sighed louder and looked up from her float. “This better be good.”

“It’s back.” Lyra put her hands on her hips with a smile. “It’s back!”

“What are you referring to?” Octavia looked up from her float, very thankful that all attention and focus had shifted. “I’m afraid I don’t understand.”

“Wait…the photo booth?” Bon Bon gasped. “The photo booth?!”

“What? Seriously?” Vinyl’s face grew into a smile. She bolted out of her seat, looking side to side. “Where???”

“Over there by the old air hockey tables.” Lyra pointed with a finger to the backroom of the arcade where all the old machines ended up, mostly unused but still functional.

“Aw, sweet!!! Come on, Tavi! Let’s hit that up!” Vinyl grabbed Octavia’s arm firmly and pulled her out of her seat.

“B-But, V-Vinyl, I’m not finished with…” Octavia sighed heavily and gave into Vinyl’s lead, very saddened to say goodbye to her dessert.

“Hang in there, Octavia! Be strong!” Bon Bon called out after her.

“Would you shut it!?” Vinyl growled back before marching swiftly to the backroom. She stopped with Octavia by her side, both girls standing directly behind an ancient looking photo booth old enough to accept nickels, dimes, and quarters instead of tokens. “Ohhh….awesome. We are SO doing this!”

Bon Bon came up behind her and patted Vinyl on the shoulder. “You are such a kid sometimes, V.”

“Whatever. You got any change?” Vinyl turned to her. “I spent all my quarters on tokens.”

With an overtly warm smile, Bon Bon produced a few quarters from the pocket of her skirt. “You’re lucky I like you so much.”

“Gross. You’re making this weird.” Vinyl took the quarters and inserted them into the slot by the threshold from which the curtains hung.

Lyra shoved all three girls inside forcefully, cramming their warm bodies against each other for a moment. “Let’s do this already! Come on!”

“Lyra!” Bon Bon shrieked. “You’re putting wrinkles in my blouse!”

Octavia could feel herself being pressed into Vinyl’s chest with her head against her shoulder. She expected Vinyl to flinch and recoil back, but instead, she had put an arm around her. When Octavia looked up at her, she saw Vinyl’s big red eyes and wonderful smile that showed a great deal of amusement. “You okay there, babe?” She asked through a playful snicker.

She keeps saying that…babe. And…I never know what to say. Octavia blushed fiercely, her whole body heating up. She quickly stood and brushed herself off while looking away. “I apologize for that, Vinyl. Forgive my clumsiness.”

“Girl, if this is you clumsy, then I’m not complaining.” Vinyl laughed and pinched her very gently on the hip. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to make the poor cellist ‘yip’ and nearly jump. The blush on Octavia’s face was now showing through her grey complexion with an intensity unlike anything she had ever felt before. It was more surprising to see her image on screen through the camera.

“V, can you not right now? This isn’t a hotel room.” Lyra began tapping the colorful oversized buttons beneath the screen in front of them.

“Oh, I really like that filter.” Bon Bon pointed to one of the selections on the screen.

“This one? The candy one with all the licorice?” Lyra raised an eyebrow. “Seriously, how old are you again?”

“Let’s just take the picture first and deal with the dumb stuff later.” Vinyl suggested. “I’m missing my float right now.”

“Okay, Okay, hang on.” Lyra set the timer on the screen for ten seconds. “Everyone say ‘Bite me!’.” No one did as she requested, and Octavia wasn’t sure why. In her defense, however, she was still trying to recover from Vinyl’s strange display of affection. “Come on… I said ‘Bite me!’.” Bon Bon did exactly so. She bit down on Lyra’s shoulder just as the flash went off. “OW!”

-o0o-

The sun had already set with only the crowning tip of an orange glow still lingering in the coming night sky on the horizon. With their little arcade adventure over, Vinyl and Octavia made their way down the sidewalk away from the middle of town. They walked side by side, an earbud in each girl’s ear that connected to Vinyl’s MP3 player. Although they didn’t say anything, Octavia felt grand and free.

However, being out late worried Octavia a little. Her mother could be downright overbearing with her daughter’s daily whereabouts, but ever since she had made new friends, her mother had mysteriously provided a great deal of leniency. At first, she was incredibly suspicious of her new friends, but after a long fight between her mother and her father that Octavia would not soon forget, the cellist found herself spending a great deal more time out of the house and away from her family. It was probably her father’s doing. He desperately wanted his daughter to be more outgoing and sociable, traits that her mother obviously didn’t care too much for. Still, whatever the reason might be, Octavia more than welcomed the opportunity to be away from her wretched parents.

“Not bad, right?” Vinyl looked to her side down at Vinyl with a smirk. “I found this band online a few days ago, and I am HOOKED! Sick ass drops, right?” She had taken her big headphones off from around her neck and shoved them into her bag, favoring earbuds in order to share the music. Although the sun was almost gone for the day, she had her big sunglasses on again.

“I…would have to agree.” Octavia dutifully nodded up at her. In truth, she didn’t know how she felt about Vinyl’s new tunes. She neither liked nor disliked it at this point, but she was just happy to have someone willing to share her life with like this.

Vinyl shrugged and put the earbuds away. “I know it’s not totally your thing. Sorry…” She rubbed the back of her head. “I don’t really have anything else on my thing.” She held up her music player for a moment before sliding it into her pocket. “So, I’m kinda curious. Do you like, have a favorite band or are you just all about classical stuff?”

“Um…” Octavia put a finger to her chin to think. “I…suppose…I may not have a favorite composure, in the definitive sense. I moreso enjoy the collective works of late eighteenth century-”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, hang on.” Vinyl shook her head slowly and ran a hand through her hair. “I didn’t understand a word of that.”

“I…I’m sorry.” Octavia sighed. “I’m afraid I’m not proficient at speaking well.”

“Sooooo…like, it’s hard to…talk?” Vinyl raised an eyebrow.

Octavia looked up at her for a quick moment before gazing down at the sidewalk. “…I believe that’s what I meant to say.”

“Oh, got it.” Vinyl smiled and began kicking a pebble down the sidewalk as they strolled onward. “I think I’m starting to get you, Tavi. You’re not just smart, you’re like a deep thinker or something, huh?”

“Deep…thinker? I-I wouldn’t presume to make that comparison.” Octavia blushed a bit. “Perhaps…I think I think too much.”

“Nah, well maybe a bit, but you make it cute.” Vinyl giggled. “You have this adorable face when you’re thinking hard.”

Oh dear…again with the compliments. What am I supposed to reply with? “Um…th-thank you?” Octavia slid her hands into the tailored pockets of her sweater vest. “V-Vinyl? Could…I ask you a question?”

“Uh, yeah sure. Go for it.” Vinyl shrugged her shoulders in an effort to crack her back.

“…Why…me?”

“Huh?” Vinyl turned her head and raised her eyebrow again. “Why you what?”

Octavia sighed and shook her head. “Please forgive me. I…am just merely curious as to why you decided to talk to me that day.”

“Oh…well, I dunno.” Vinyl giggled a bit. “You seemed pretty cool, I guess. I dunno, maybe it was because you play the cello or something. I just thought that was pretty dope. It’s like meeting somebody who plays the bagpipes. Kinda just makes you go ‘whoa!’, you know?”

“I…suppose.” Octavia smiled a bit when she saw Vinyl throw her hands up during her funny verbal demonstration. “I do have to admit, meeting a musician such as you without an actual instrument is quite an experience as well.”

“Really?” Vinyl smirked. “Thanks, Tavi. Coming from you, that really means something.”

“From…me?”

“Well, yeah…” Vinyl shrugged. “I guess…you’re my first friend who’s like, an actual musician. I don’t really know anybody who can play like you.”

“I…don’t quite understand.” Octavia fidgeted with her bowtie.

“Um, well, shouldn’t you be in a music school or something? You kinda seem way too smart for Canterlot High. Besides, you’re like, WAY ahead of everyone else in class. A lot of us just take the class to get out of running circles on the track.” Vinyl pushed her glasses up atop her head and cast a remorseful smile to her.

“O-Oh…um…” Octavia looked down from her gaze and bit her lip before replying. “W-Well...my father believes I need to interact with others more…”

“So that’s why you’re slumming it up down here with us?” Vinyl laughed and patted her on the back. “I’m totally kidding.”

“Mn…” Octavia continued watching the cracks in the sidewalk as the pair marched onward.

After a few moments of silence that was driving Vinyl crazy, she asked, “So, what do you usually listen to? Would it be cool if I borrowed your MP3 tomorrow and check out your tunes?”

“I…don’t have one.” Octavia shook her head apologetically. “Sorry.” Vinyl stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes wide and mouth open in surprise. Octavia noticed she stopped walking and turned to face her. “Is…something the matter, Vinyl?”

“Uh, yeah there is! You don’t have a MP3??? Seriously?” Vinyl put both hands on her head and gasped before grabbing Octavia’s hand, pulling her down the sidewalk in a brisk pace. “You are coming home with me so I can give you one of mine.”

“I…I-I…I’m not sure this is such a good idea.” Octavia stuttered with hesitation in her steps. “My mother will be furious if I’m not home soon. It’s already past six!”

“Just, I dunno. Give your house a call or something really quick.” Vinyl suggested while continuing her pace. “Girl, this is a music emergency. I need to make this happen.”

“W-Well…I-I…” Octavia followed her down the sidewalk quickly to ease the tension she felt in her arm while being forcefully pulled. She reached for her phone and began to dial her mother’s number, but quickly decided against using it. She knew her mother wouldn’t be particularly happy about her staying out late on a school night, but if she made it home eventually and her mother had her fill of chardonnay, then it would probably work out in the end. Between choosing either my mother or Vinyl… Well, it was an obvious choice, but a choice that she knew she would eventually regret a little. “A-Alright, I suppose perhaps for a few minutes then.”

“That’s my girl!” Vinyl smacked her on the butt gently and let go of her hand. “Just wait until you see my stereo. It is, are you waiting for it? It is BOSS.”

T-That…kind of hurt! Octavia rubbed her backside with one hand while marveling at how bold Vinyl could be. Her lack of personal space could not be rivaled by any other in Octavia’s memory. She also felt extremely flustered now, something she was trying to get used to but was having a difficult time doing so. “Vinyl, I really don’t think that was neccessar-” She looked up from the sidewalk but stopped speaking when she realized that Vinyl was already at the end of the block.

“Are you coming or what, Tavi!? Girl, you are SLOW!” Vinyl shouted back at her, two hands cupped around her mouth. After a grueling ten minutes of power walking and five minutes of waiting at street corners to safely cross, Octavia was led deeper into downtown. Vinyl’s house, if it could be called that, was a small duplex style building that looked liked a cereal box jammed in between two other and much bigger boxes. Octavia guessed that the house was actually longer than it was wide, probably a consequence of midtown construction. It was the strangest thing for Octavia to see houses so close together without any décor or lawns in front of them, a sharp contrast to her own home which required a near army of people providing upkeep.

Without any hesitation, Vinyl unlocked her front door and bounded inside, kicking off her shoes in mid stride. Octavia gracefully removed her own shoes and watched Vinyl leap towards the stairs. “Um, should we perhaps be more quiet?” Octavia asked.

“Quiet? Why?” Vinyl stopped at the top of the stairs to face her.

“Well, I wouldn’t want to upset your parents by making too much noise.”

“Oh, it’s just us for now. I live with my mom, and she works kinda late.” Vinyl motioned for her to follow. “Come on. I wanna show you my room.”

“Um…well…” Octavia took a hesitant step towards the stairs. “I…really should be heading home soon…at the very least by eight o’clock.”

Vinyl gave a big shrug. “It’s fine, girl. Relax. I’m sure I can convince my mom to take you home when she gets back.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t want to be an imposition on your family.” Octavia protested but still took steps forward.

Vinyl ran partway down the stairs to grab Octavia’s arm before pulling her up in a frenzy. “It’s fine, it’s fine, babe. I can talk my mom into almost anything.”

I have a bad feeling… Octavia stood on the steps in silence for a moment before begrudgingly nodding her head. “If that’s the case…”

“Sweet!” Vinyl led her to her room and blew open the door with pride, moving her hand in a welcoming gesture through the threshold of the door.

Octavia could see now why Vinyl was so excited. The entire room looked absolutely nothing like the rest of the house. The walls and ceiling were padded in specially designed foam which resembled the inside of a music studio. There was a small twin bed, sheets and pillows in a messy pile, a big TV in the corner of the room which must have cost a pretty penny, and even a massive soundboard just like what a true music studio would have. The top corners of the room were home to suspended speakers the size of small car tires as well, but with the big bundles of wire nailed beneath them, it was evident that an amateur had installed them. “…Your…room?” Octavia asked through a hard swallow.

“Kick-ass, right?” Vinyl put her hands on her hips and raised her eyebrows.

Those definitely were not the words Octavia would have used, but nonetheless, it was truly something. “Quite…” If it wasn’t for the presumably dirty clothes on the floor, this would be the perfect room for someone like Vinyl. Is…that her…underwear?

“Alright! Let’s get to business.” Vinyl began rubbing her hands together like she was about to lift a heavy object. She sat in the chair in front of the soundboard and pulled her laptop out of her bag.

Octavia stood by her side and watched her click and type occasionally, all the while wondering where to sit. As if to answer her question, Vinyl pulled her down onto into the same chair beside her. The physical contact she was now experiencing was undeniably both abrupt and surprising. “U-Um…”

“Hang on, just give me a sec.” Vinyl mumbled as she booted up a program. “Oh, right!” She leapt out of the chair in a clumsy haste to dive under her bed for a small box. Inside the box was an assorted number of MP3 players, all different shapes and sizes. She sat back down beside Octavia will a large pill shaped object and forcefully jammed the device into the USB port with a loud crunch which, even for someone like Octavia who knew nothing about computers, could reasonably assume this probably wasn’t healthy for either machine. “Ok, so you just tell me what songs you want, and I’ll get them on this thing.”

Octavia stared blankly at the computer screen, fully appreciating her ignorance towards all things technology. “Um…do I need to pay for anything?” She asked, a finger tapping her knee.

“Oh, heck no.” Vinyl laughed. “I get all my music for free.”

I can’t believe I’m going to ask… “How…do you manage to do that without any form of payment.”

Vinyl turned to her and winked. “Yeahhhh, this isn’t like, completely legal or anything, so just keep it between us and maybe Lyra.”

“I…see…” Octavia swallowed harder than ever. Oh heaven help me…Vinyl is turning me into a criminal.

“So? You want classical, right? That’s your thing?” Vinyl impatiently drummed her index and middle fingers against the soundboard.

Octavia merely gave a solemn nod, and for the next few minutes, Vinyl began compiling a list of songs and artists of which she imputed into a new playlist library. Each song that was added was automatically searched in Vinyl’s favorite file-sharing site, and each file was burned into ‘mp3’ format and uploaded into the device. So far, there were only a little over twenty songs that used up just shy of a tenth of the device’s storage capacity. “Oh, and perhaps Pachelbel’s Canon in D major.”

“…Right.” Vinyl was clearly bored to tears with classical music playing in the background, but she soldiered on. “Anything else?” She asked while trying her hardest not to let Pachelbel’s music numb the insides of her ears.

“…I can’t think of anything else off the top of my head.” Octavia shook her head, a small level of excitement now brimming inside her chest in anticipation of listening to her favorite pieces.

“Great!” Vinyl sounded just a tiny bit too enthusiastic to stop. “While that thing is working,” She pointed to the computer. “Let’s find you some headphones.” She got up from the chair and shoved her hand into her bag. “Here.” She held out the same earbuds they had been using while walking home together. “You can keep these.”

“Oh…Are you sure, Vinyl?” Octavia gasped. “I couldn’t possibly accept so many gifts in one night.”

“Uh, you’re not.” Vinyl laughed. “Besides, you can’t listen to music without headphones. Just take them, ok? I want you to have them.”

“…Th-Thank you.” Octavia reached out and gently cupped her hand around the long rubber wired pair. “You really didn’t have to.”

“Actually, I did. You can’t tell me you don’t have an MP3 and NOT expect me to get you one. It’s just…you know, like common niceness or whatever.”

I believe the word is decency. Octavia gave a smile and nodded. “Thank you, Vinyl.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Vinyl visibly blushed and rolled her eyes. “If you keep thanking me, you’re not getting anymore of my stuff.”

It was Octavia’s turn to blush, and she diverted her eyes to the big speakers around the room. “…Understood.” She giggled softly.

“So…I bet you wanna hear these guys blast.” Vinyl exhaled hard and pointed to the speakers in an effort to change the subject.

Yet again, those were not the words she would’ve used, but Octavia was curious. “Well…if it’s not an inconvenience.”

Vinyl giggled and slowly shook her head before standing up. She patted Octavia on the head and smiled. “Damn, you are just too freaking cute.” She walked towards the door and flicked a couple of switches on the wall that made the speakers softly ‘pop’ as current was supplied to the drivers. “Hit the space bar on the computer real quick.”

Octavia, still in the midst of an emotional overload from Vinyl’s sudden affection, took a moment of blank silence for the command to fully reach her brain. She did as she was told and was immediately treated to the sound of Pachelbel’s Canon filling the room with the same volume and depth as a concert worthy theater. Vinyl dimmed the lights while moving the knob for the speaker’s volume higher. “Oh…my…word…” All of Octavia’s thoughts and feelings from that previous moment seemed to disappear as her ears were filled with the sound of a grand piano echo through the room like a whistle into a massive cave.

“Sweet, right?” Vinyl nodded her head, very pleased at Octavia’s reaction. This type of music wasn’t exactly what these speakers were designed for, but it was still impressive. Vinyl watched as Octavia’s smile grew bigger and bigger, her feet began shuffling slowly back and forth across the floor as if in a dance.

This was exactly right. Octavia was completely enraptured by the sound of music. Without any care towards the scattered clothing on the floor, she whisked her arms side to side. “Vinyl, your room is magnificen-” Octavia gasped softly when she felt Vinyl gently grab her hands, their faces only inches apart. “V-Vinyl?...Is something…wron-”

Her smile now replaced by a somber and apologetic frown, Vinyl muttered just loudly enough to be heard over the music. “I’m…sorry, Tavi…”

Author's Note:

Wow...:pinkiegasp: 39 comments??? I can't possible reply to them all...

Thank you everyone, so so so much for reading and liking and everything you wonderful folks do. :pinkiehappy:

You are all the most wonderful people in the world, and I hope I can live up to everyone's expectations. Thank you all so much. :raritywink: