Pony heart

by sunsetsjournal

Distracted in class

Chapter 2 :

Distracted in class

That day Sunset had not able to do anything but staring at the portal through the window glass. She has even been blamed twice by Ms. Cheerlie for not paying attention, which was very hard not to notice, since she was usually the most focused and smart girl during class. As Sunset did not seem to care too much about the prospective of being caught a third time, her weird behaviour became a matter of serious concern to her friends, so it was that Rarity decided to approach her immediately after the bell that announced lunch break rung. She was the first to sit by Sunset in the school cafeteria:

“Hello darling” cheerfully said the girl greeting her dear friend:

“Mnh… what, oh, hey Rarity”, she could not help but notice that not only Sunset looked like she had just been woken up from a long sleep, but she had also not picked her favourite hayburger from Granny Smith:

“something fishy is definitely going on...” though Rarity as Sunset feel into her deep thoughts once again. The usually smiling girl was suddenly not so more than a statue with her eyes constantly staring at the wall in front of her, but deep down it was obvious that her mind was up in the clouds. Rarity kept observing her for quite a while, wondering if it was a good idea to wake her up or leave her to her daydreaming. Suddenly something, maybe a hidden instinct, told Sunset to come up to her senses and caused her to turn to Rarity who was very surprised at her friends’ s sudden reaction:

“aren’t the others coming?” Sunset asked:

“they ought to be here any minute now”

“Mnn...fine”

“Is something bothering you my dear?”

“What do you mean?”

“Oh please Sunset, stop bluffing: you’ve been quite since the very first moment I sat here; not to mention your earlier behaviour during class time, the all of us noticed”

“how obvious has it been?” sighed Sunset: “pretty much darling, pretty much”.

Hearing those words made Sunset lower her head and suddenly stop talking:

“you didn’t even get your usual lunch! I must say your are having us all worried; now would you please tell me what’s going on?”. That tone of voice was unlikely used by Rarity, at least when talking to her friends, which made Sunset realize that it would have been best if she had talked straight away:

“I am sorry, it’s just that I don’t think that it would be fair of me to bother you with something as minor as some worries that even I don’t fully understand!”

“which is why they aren’t minor and you need to talk about them; trust me Sunset, for whatever it is that is bothering you, you’ll feel so much better once you get it off your chest”.

In spite of Rarity’s attempt to comfort hear friend, Sunset decided that if would be better if she had been quite and starting eating the salad that had replaced her usual meal for that day. Rarity, ‘though, was not the kind of girl to give up right after the first failed attempt of doing something and kept close to Sunset the whole day, yet nothing worked. Sunset looked completely lost into a limbo: her eyes were cold and empty, her face did not react to the simplest sign of joy, refusing to smile, above all her forehead kept being corrugated at all time, not even Pinkie Pie was able to change her mood. After the last bell rang Sunset stood up from her seat and silently headed for the front door. She passed the hall way filled with ribbons and trophies: “How and when did they win so many prizes? I’ve spent almost four years here and I don’t remember the school participating in one single event, maybe I should ask principal Celestia...”. Suddenly Sunset stopped walking and stood still in front of a wall, yet that was no ordinary wall like the rest of them:

“I hoped to never see these again”

sighed Sunset, as she pointed her gaze above what was in front of her. The things whose sight had shocked her must have been awful, for Sunset Shimmer was no girl to be scared in the first place, but what her eyes had sawn was dreaded enough: “curse you pictures, I hope somebody comes and takes you down all at once, so you won’t torment me every time I get here and see you!” thought Sunset just before turning around: “Wait a minute, who said I have to wait to get you out of my sight forever?” Sunset suddenly took the pictures that had been taken at her three previous coronations of princes of the fall formal and had been hanging on the wall for quite a while, neared the first trash can she could find and throw them away. Seeing those pictures she hated so much in such a horrid state made her calm down: “Finally!” sighed the girl after taking a deep breath: “they’re gone...gone for good”.

Sunset stood there, thinking for a while, then started walking towards the door once again, until she heard a familiar voice: “Hey Sunset!” the girl turned back and saw her dear friend Applejack coming:

“hooowe, am I glad to find you!”

“Where you looking for me?” Sunset asked:

“Was I?! I’ve searched the whole school to bottom, you were so upset before we didn’t get a chance to talk; want me to take you back home?” although Sunset had been off her mind the whole day, it seemed that blowing up her steam before and Applejack’s kind voice had made her relax for a bit, plus she had smiled for the first time that day:

“Thanks Applejack, I could really use some company” Sunset did not have to ask twice, as her friend took her arm under hers and led the way pass the door and for the hall time until they finally reached Sunset’s place.

They arrived tired from a tough school day, tired but happy:

“Haaa, and then Big Machinstosh said nop” laughed Applejack struggling to finish telling her joke: “And I said Big Mac wait, pay attention to...and then he fell into the pig pen and ended up covered in mud!” those words sounded pleasant to Sunset’s ears for she was smiling and giggling with delight: somehow Applejack had found a way to lift her friend’s spirit keeping her off her mysterious worries: “Thanks” said Sunset while she was still crying from laughing:

“I really needed this”

“You bet your boots you needed it” answered Applejack with a smile on her face: “But what are friends for if not for comin’ through when you need ‘em?”.

Sunset walked towards the door, stopped before going in, turned around and smile once again to her friend: “Sunset...” said Applejack suddenly: “Ah don’t suppose ya’ all wanna tell me what was freaking ya’ll out before, right”

“Tomorrow Applejack” sighed Sunset:

“Ya’ll promise to tell me tomorrow?”

“Yeah” “Then I trust y’all, Sunset”.

Applejack smiled to her friend before heading to her own house at Sweet Apple Acres; in the meantime Sunset had not entered hers yet: “Tomorrow...” said the girl sighing again while touching the blank pages of her journal, as she shut the door behind her.