• Published 2nd Jul 2018
  • 2,853 Views, 272 Comments

Blooming - Bookish Delight



Wallflower Blush strikes up an unexpected close friendship with a quirky indie movie director. In fact, _best_ friendship status could well be a possibility—if she can just keep this pesky redemption arc under control.

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07: Wallflower's Butterflies

Rarity chuckled as she paced around the yearbook club room's center counter.

"Worry not, Wallflower. I'm always gentle with my interrogations. But I would like to start with the one word I heard during your cafeteria reverie, which stood out me ever so much." Rarity stopped, and looked straight at Wallflower. "Or, I should say, the one name."

"W-wait." Wallflower froze again. "I... I-I was talking?"

Rarity laughed. "Darling, you didn't merely talk, you were conversing! It was actually quite fascinating to watch. I only wish I'd been able to join in, but context is queen, and I had none to go on. Now, I know gardening is your passion, so the odds are against me. But when you said 'Juniper'," Rarity continued, stressing the word and causing Wallflower to slouch in embarrassment, "you could have been referring to the plant. Or you could have been referring to the berry. But what are the chances that you have might have been referring to the person?" She stepped closer to Wallflower, causing Wallflower to instinctively step back. "Please tell me you were? Please, for the love of everything, make this interesting for me—"

"Rarity," Sunset said.

"R-right, yes, of course," Rarity said, backing off and straightening her blouse. "Not pressing, not goading. Simply curious. And ever so willing to help, if my intuition is correct, which it always is. Because I know only one 'Juniper'—as does Sunset, and likely the rest of Canterlot City." She took out her phone, swiped her finger a few times across its screen, and showed it to Wallflower. "One 'Montage', of the cinematic persuasion?"

Displayed onscreen was indeed a photo of a smiling Juniper—except, instead of her hair done up in twin ponytails, she was wearing a single long braid. On reflex, Wallflower gasped at the sight—she officially wasn't sure which hairstyle she liked seeing Juniper better in. Quickly, Wallflower put her hand over her mouth—no need to give herself away completely.

But judging by Rarity's expression, it was already too late. "Exactly the reaction I was hoping for," she said, sidling next to Wallflower, shoulder-to-shoulder. "My good Miss Blush," she said, softly, "are you looking to break into movies?"

"I-I..." Wallflower stammered.

"Don't worry," Sunset said. "Nothing you say leaves this room. Besides, I may already know a couple of these answers ahead of time."

Wallflower stepped back. "W-what do you mean?"

"Juniper... may have texted me a couple of days ago," Sunset said, taking out her own phone.

"She did?" Wallflower darted towards Sunset, making grabbing hands towards her phone, but a giggling Sunset kept it out of reach. "What'd she say about me? What'd she ask? "Did she think I was weird? I just know she thought I was weird."

"Well, that'd be more than I know, then," Sunset said. "She was really just keen on asking me how well I knew you. I told her that you and I more or less just met. Which seemed to... deflate her a bit. She seemed really curious to learn more about you, in general."

"Oh, my gosh..." Wallflower whispered, fingers against her lips. Juniper wanted to know more about her after meeting her? Wallflower was overcome with ripples of apprehension. She'd literally never been in this situation before. What was she supposed to do?

Sunset furrowed her brow. "She also said that she left something with you, and asked me if you got it. Did you? I don't even know what she was talking about."

With a loud gasp, Wallflower rushed back to her backpack, dug inside, and took out Juniper's business card, showing it to the two. She then turned it over to reveal the phone number. Sunset's eyebrows show up. Rarity gasped outright.

"I take it back! Looks like she's trying to bring the movies to you," Rarity said with a grinning chuckle.

Wallflower sighed and leaned back against the counter. "This is just going to be teasing until lunch is over, isn't it?"

"Oh, far from teasing," Rarity said, leaning next to her. "On the contrary, I'm so happy for you that I just can't help but smile! You've got good taste—Juniper's actually a really nice girl. Well, she is now. There was a bit of an A-to-B road that needed to be traveled first, for certain," she said, shifting her fingers in opposite directions. "But she mellowed out rather nicely."

"How did you two even manage to meet?" Sunset asked, leaning on the counter to Wallflower's other side.

"We... literally bumped into each other on the sidewalk. She was rushing to try out the new smoothie flavor at Sugarcube Corner. After she apologized, she invited me in to have a smoothie on her—I-I mean, with her," Wallflower quickly corrected. "I mean, she paid for it." She swatted at Rarity as the latter giggled more loudly than before. "Oh my god, Rarity, just quit it," she said, stifling her own mirth and struggling to keep her face from burning.

"Oh, right, Lemon-Lime Smoothie Day," Sunset said. "Twilight and I went there that evening on our own—" Sunset paused, looked at Wallflower, then continued. "Anyway, now I wish we had gone earlier. We missed you by hours."

"Might have been too busy for you to get any words in edgewise," Wallflower said. "Photo Finish and... someone from Crystal Prep? They crashed our party."

"Oh, Photo Finish and Sunny Flare," Sunset said. "They're Juniper's friends. Twilight, too, though only the former two get to see her anywhere approaching 'often' because I think they were making a movie together?"

Wallflower nodded. "That's what they said. She mentioned that she was in the movie industry and everything. Well... was. I should have asked her about that."

Rarity and Sunset looked at each other.

"You, uh, probably should," Rarity said. "Those details aren't ours to share. Still, it sounds like you two had a great time. And from what I saw in the cafeteria, it would appear you think she's nice enough to be around again."

Wallflower thought back to Juniper's chipper, optimistic voice and words. Back to sharing the smoothie, side-by-side. Back to their shared squeals as they connected over plants and TV shows. For the first time in her life, she found herself wishing for some kind of... reverse Memory Stone. One that could play back a single event, over and over, until she was satisfied.

"She's... she's more than nice." Wallflower turned away, gripping the edge of the table, and closing her eyes with a serene smile. "She likes the colors I like. She loves the hobbies I like. She lives an amazing life—I mean, she's apparently got, like, crazy movie connections. Heck, she's a moviemaker herself." She turned to Sunset. "And she's beyond pretty, Sunset. Like, if you put all three of us together into a smoothie. And then added really hot pink glasses—I mean, hot pink glasses. Because they're pink and really bright."

"Of course," Sunset said, as she and Rarity shook with chuckles.

"I haven't been able to stop thinking about her for the last few days. It's kind of driving me nuts. I've never... connected with anyone like that before. I keep dreaming about doing it again, because she..." Wallflower sighed. "She's the first person to maybe make me believe that I'm interesting enough to connect with."

Rarity and Sunset's giggles were gone by now, replaced with empathetic nods. Both of them held Wallflower's hands.

"Is..." Wallflower whispered with wide eyes, "Is this what it's like to have a friend? Like, a real friend? Or even a..."

A word came to her, a word she wasn't sure she should use, because even if things had felt that way at the smoothie shop, what right did she have to assume things? She'd had distance-crushes before—everyone did—but never had one almost literally sneak up on her like this. She shook her head.

"I seriously have no idea. This is... I've never..." Wallflower trailed off, looking for words, before settling on, "I don't know what to do."

Rarity and Sunset looked at each other again. "I wholeheartedly feel that this is something you should follow up on," Rarity said. "Friendships are always best explored up close, rather than analyzed from afar."

"However, since we're talking about exploring connections," Sunset said, "here's the other thing that doesn't add up, at least for me. New Smoothie Day was Tuesday. Today is Friday. You have her number. But Juniper's still texting me about you." She gave Wallflower a concerned look. "Have you talked to her since then?"

Wallflower's look, in response, was like a trapped rabbit. "No," she said meekly.

"Well, that explains the impromptu stargazing," Rarity said. "Absence makes the heart grow more longing."

"Is it okay if I ask why not?" Sunset asked.

"It's... not like I don't want to," Wallflower said. "But every time I reach for my phone to try, something stops me." She sighed and looked away. "Usually me."

Wallflower raised her arm, and plopped it back on the counter.

"I got as far as putting her number into my contacts, but every time I try and send her a text, I... I get stuck wondering if I even should." She spread her arms in exasperation. "How do you talk to someone that you've... you know. Thought about spending a bunch of alone time with?"

"In my experience," Sunset said, taking one of Wallflower's hands, "saying 'hi' gets you to a lot of places."

Wallflower scoffed and rolled her eyes. "You two know how to say 'hi'. I don't."

"Wallflower," Rarity said, taking her other hand, "finding someone you truly click with is a wonderful thing. And believe me, I know all too well how easy it is to let opportunities like this slip by because I didn't follow up on them."

"It's worse than that," Wallflower said. "Opportunities slip by me even when I try not to let them! No matter what happens, no matter how many times I was able to start over, I—" Wallflower pointed to Sunset's pendant. "You know what? Words won't work. I know what your gem does. Touch me again, and I'll show you."

Sunset tensed. "Are you sure?"

Wallflower nodded. "It's okay. Do it."

Sunset reached out, and touched Wallflower's arm. Wallflower looked up, saw Sunset's eyes glowing with magic, and closed her own.

She meditated on the countless times where she tried to approach someone, anyone, and was either ignored for her trouble, given apathetic shrugs, told to buzz off, or—worst of all—acknowledged with a friendly smile, leaving her completely frozen and clueless as to what to do next.

Before she found the Memory Stone, those situations simply resulted in her shuffling away—usually to a nice, safe, empty room, always with the lights turned off. She'd sit on the floor, against the wall, hugging her knees, controlling her breaths, doing her best to forget what she'd just done—the slow, long, hard way. Even after she'd adopted her "peaceful garden" technique, even after cultivating her own garden sanctuary, calming down was always a process.

Then the Memory Stone entered her life, and things became so much easier... or, at least, that was what she'd figured at the time. In reality, the more time passed, the more memories she'd taken away from all of those people who had never asked... the more she realized that she was still stuck with all of them.

Stuck with so much pain, that she could never share with anyone else.

The guilt, the sadness, the rejection, the heartbreak, all came rushing back at once. Sunset pulled her hand away as a choked sob escaped Wallflower's lips. The two met eyes. Sunset stayed silent.

"Do you see now?" Wallflower said. "Nothing's worked, and it's because of me! I'm..." Wallflower clenched her fists. "I'm not good at people. Not for lack of trying, but I never have been. I had infinite tries with the Memory Stone, Sunset. Infinite. Tries. And now you know what happened to me with those infinite tries!

"I tried saying hi to you," she said, pointing to Sunset, then Rarity. "I tried saying hi to you, to Trixie, to everyone in this school! And everyone in the schools I went to before it! I tried sharing myself!" Wallflower stepped away, her hand to her heart. "But in the end, every single time, I messed it up! Because I wasn't worth paying attention to! They were right! You were all! Right!"

Sunset stepped forward, gripping both of Wallflower's arms this time. "Wallflower, no—"

"Yes!" Wallflower yanked away, her voice cracking, her body tensing. "Just accept the facts! I did! And after I did, I..." Wallflower deflated just as quickly, her voice muting. "I got so mad when I saw you becoming popular so fast, after being mean for so long. But you earned it, Sunset. I watched you earn it. I watched you earn it years ago too, Rarity. I..."

She sniffled. The lump in her throat grew larger. Her voice cracked even more. "I'm so sorry, you guys. I've been jealous, and awful, and angry at so many people and I don't know what to do about anything anymore, I—"

More chokes. More whimpers. More tears threatening to fall down her cheeks. Less will to fight them.

Until, finally, the will was gone completely.

Before Wallflower knew it, she was in Sunset's arms, burying her face in Sunset's chest, letting out all of the guilt and sadness she didn't have the energy to keep in anymore in a barrage of sniffles and quiet, staccato sobs.

She only barely felt Sunset's arms wrap around her, or Rarity embrace her from behind as well, as she shut her eyes tight, and welcomed the darkness.

The same darkness that always embraced the frightened little girl who always ended up running away, to the closest empty room, and locking the door behind herself.

The little girl who always wondered why she could never get it right.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Wallflower couldn't stop saying the words, over and over again. "I don't know what to do. I never did—"

"Shhh," Sunset said, running her fingers through Wallflower's hair. "No more apologizing. No more hating yourself. That's not—" Wallflower felt Sunset's breath hitch. "That's never how we get through this."

"But it's true," Wallflower managed. "I haven't earned this. I haven't earned any of you being so nice to me."

Rarity sighed. "Oh, the number of times I've heard those words since last year."

"You will," Sunset said. "Because you're as special as anybody else."

Wallflower pulled back, wiped her eyes, and looked into Sunset's. "Why do you believe in me so much?"

"Because we remember when we used to ask that question, when other people decided to be our friends," Sunset replied. "So, like I said: no more apologies. You're here to learn. We all are."

"And the first lesson is that there are no perfect first impressions," Rarity said. "No perfect hellos, no perfect conversations. To think otherwise, to plan for otherwise, is folly."

"I don't know about that. Juniper's first impression was pretty perfect," Wallflower said.

Rarity's grin slanted. "Before or after the part where she nearly gave you a concussion?"

Wallflower froze, then chuckled through her sniffles. "Okay, I guess you have a point. I know I wouldn't have been the one to ask her to a smoothie if I'd bumped into her."

"To be quite honest," Rarity said, "Sunset and I remember a time when that would have applied just as much to Juniper as well."

"What do you mean?" Wallflower asked.

"She doesn't have many friends besides us," Sunset said. "Partly because she doesn't go to CHS, and... partly because of other reasons," Sunset said, fingering her geode.

Wallflower saw Sunset doing so. She tilted her head. "What kind of reasons?"

"Ones she's moved past," Sunset said. "But which still haunt her. Similar to you and me, actually."

Wallflower's hand flew to her mouth. "Oh, no."

"Since she doesn't go to any of the local schools," Rarity said, "it's been harder for her to keep up a group of friends than it is for us. Meaning that, to not be lonely, she has to fight for it, for lack of a better term. You took a big chance by accepting her invitation, and that is to be commended—but believe me, she took just as big a chance by just asking you to join her."

Wallfllower picked up the business card from the counter, looking at it again. Sunset and Rarity looked on with her. "I guess she was happy with the results of her chance-taking after all," Wallflower said.

Rarity nodded. "Now, imagine you put yourself out there for someone... and then they ignored you afterwards. I presume you won't have to imagine very hard, however."

"I—" Wallflower gasped. "Oh no. I've been awful."

"Ah-ah, remember what I said," Sunset said. "You're not awful. And I'm sure Juniper won't think so when you talk to her, either. "

"Yeah," Wallflower said. "Tonight. I'm not letting friendship opportunities slip by. Not anymore."

"Excellent. Do let us know how it goes. I know you have Sunset's number. Here's mine as well," Rarity said, showing Wallflower her phone.

Wallflower smiled up at her new friends. "Thank you. Both of you."

"Of course," Sunset said. "Sharing the love is how we keep it alive."