The Nerd and the Cellist

by HAKDurbin

Chapter 11

On Wednesday, I was thinking about the dance steps during the first few class periods. During fourth-period, the social studies teacher, Ms. Harshwinny, caught me drifting off about the waltz and rebuked me in front of the class. I blushed as everyone in the classroom except Soarin laughed. When class ended, Soarin asked me what I was daydreaming about, and I made up a story about me thinking about Star Wars: The Old Republic. He smirked and shook his head before we found ourselves chatting about the game until we had to go to our separate fifth-period classes.

After fifth-period, our group met up for lunch at our usual spot at the cafeteria. Soarin and I continued our conversation about The Old Republic, which got Caramel joining in. We chatted away until we heard Rainbow Dash loudly clearing her throat, grabbing Soarin's attention.

"Soarin, have you forgotten?" Rainbow Dash rebuked.

It took a second before Soarin remembered what she was referring to and replied with a sheepish grin, "Oh, yeah. Sorry, Rainbow."

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes before she turned to the rest of the group and said, "Hey, guys, are any of you doing anything tomorrow night?"

Everyone else in the group turned to the rainbow-haired girl, confused, and Applejack answered, "Can't say I have much apart from homework."

"Eenope," Big Mac said.

"Me neither," Starlight Glimmer said.

"I'm not working then," Fluttershy said.

"Same here," Rarity answered.

"I'm free as a bird," Pinkie Pie chirped.

Caramel and I looked at each other and shrugged before I answered, "I guess we're open."

"Great," Rainbow Dash said. "I know this is kind of sudden, but Soarin and I forgot to tell you guys that our first soccer game is tomorrow night."

"Ooo. That's exciting," Rarity said. "Who are you playing."

Rainbow Dash and Soarin's faces turned serious as they simultaneously answered, "Crystal Prep."

Applejack, Big Mac, Caramel, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie's faces suddenly became as serious as Soarin and Rainbow Dash's. Starlight Glimmer and I looked at each other before the former asked, "What's wrong with Crystal Prep?"

"Everything," Rainbow Dash said bitterly. "Crystal Prep Academy is this high-and-mighty school downtown in the city."

"Their sports teams are super tough," Soarin said. "Have us play against a sports team from Fillydelphia or Baltimare high, and we'll take them down without breaking a sweat, but nine times out of ten, Crystal Prep crushes us. They pretty much win all of the championships every year."

"So, as far as high school rivalry goes, this academy is pretty much the Sith Empire to our Jedi Order?" I asked.

Caramel scoffed and said, "The Sith Empire to our Jedi Order, the Slytherin to our Gryffindor, the Decepticons to our Autobots, whatever nerdy good-versus-evil analogy you can think of, Rough Draft, that's what Crystal Prep is to us."

"Oh, wow," Starlight Glimmer said. "So, why are you telling us this?"

"We're hoping you guys can come to the game and cheer us on," Rainbow Dash answered. "This is our first game, and it's against our rival of all schools, so we need as many people as possible to cheer us on."

Pinkie Pie giggled and said, "Of course, I'll be there!"

Applejack smirked and said, "You bet your boots, I'll cheer ya on."

"What Applejack said," Caramel said.

"Eeyup," Big Mac said.

Rarity hesitated and said, "I do have a project I hoped to work on, but I can't let that stop me from encouraging my friends to the bitter end."

Fluttershy also hesitated before she answered with a smile, "You can count on me."

I looked at Rarity and Fluttershy, concerned, knowing that they were referring to making Octavia's dress and giving me dancing lessons, respectively. I turned to Starlight Glimmer, and she asked with an uncertain look, "What time is the game?"

"It starts at five-thirty," Rainbow Dash said.

Starlight Glimmer turned to me, and I shrugged.

"That's only a half-hour after we usually finish study group with Octavia," I said. "It shouldn't take too long to walk Octavia home after five and come back, so as long as you let your dad know what's up, we should be okay to come. Wouldn't you say, Starlight Glimmer?"

Straight Glimmer's cheeks turned pink from me being considerate of her, which made Fluttershy uneasy. Starlight Glimmer shook off her blush and said, "Y-yeah. Yeah, I'll make sure my dad knows, and I'll be good to go.."

"Awesome," Rainbow Dash said with a grin. "Rarity, I need you to bring some Wondercolt sweaters, ears, and tails? Pinkie, I'm counting on you to lead the cheering."

"Of course," Rarity said.

"You don't even need to ask, Dashie," Pinkie said.

"Sweaters, ears, and tails?" I asked.

"Yup. We wear them for everyone to wear to get into the school spirit," Carmel explained. "Rarity always supplies them for us."

"Ah, cool," I said. "Sounds like we better prepare to get into the school spirit for tomorrow."

"You better believe it, bro," Soarin said.

"Let's show Crystal Prep that they are no match for our school spirit!" Pinkie Pie shouted. "Go, Wondercolts!"

"I second that!" Caramel declared.

"Hear, hear!" Rarity shouted.

"Yay," Fluttershy whispered.

Starlight Glimmer and I chuckled at everyone's enthusiasm before we all went back to our lunches. Soarin and Caramel went bank to talking about Star Wars while I focused on my burger. But then I felt my phone vibrate from my pocket, and I took it out to see that I have a text from Fluttershy. I looked up to see her looking at me, concerned, and I checked to see that no one was looking before opening the message.

Fluttershy: Are you okay not being able to work on dancing tomorrow?

Me: A little, but I practiced the steps before I went to bed last night. Maybe we could have longer sessions tonight and on Friday to catch up or something?

Fluttershy: I guess that could work. I'll send you my address.

Me: Awesome. I'll let you know when I'm on my way.

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That night, Fluttershy and I met at her house to go over the dance steps again. Even though I made sure to memorize the steps as best as possible, it was still challenging to dance with my partner close to me. Every time I stepped on Fluttershy's foot, she let out a soft "Eep," and I would be apologizing a dozen times or so, feeling like a heartless monster for hurting a person so innocent and kind. She forgives me with a sweet smile every time, but that kind-heartedness just makes me feel worse for causing her any pain. Regardless, I was improving, and Fluttershy was confident that I would soon be ready to dance to some music, which made me hopeful.

Come Thursday, all of the students in Canterlot High were feeling anxious. Sometimes, I would hear my classmates muttering to each other when the teachers weren't looking, and it wasn't until third period that I found out from Soarin that everyone else was behaving that way because of the game. I was baffled by this information. It was one thing for everyone in our group to be on edge, but the whole school? That was unnatural to me since sports wasn't taken this seriously back at Appleloosa. Not that my old school had teams for sports like soccer anyway.

During lunch, Pinkie Pie and Rarity had set up a stand to sell Wondercolt sweaters, ears, and tails. They gave Starlight Glimmer and me a set for free since we were part of the group. Students were wearing ears, tails, and sweaters during the last two periods until the teachers made them put the ears and tails away. By seventh period, the only people found not wearing them were Octavia, Sonata, and me, though I wasn't surprised when Sonata said that she and her sisters weren't going to the game. Octavia didn't seem interested either, as she treated the day like nothing was going on.

Octavia and I met up with Starlight Glimmer at the music room after class and spent most of our study group studying for a math test scheduled at the end of next week. Octavia and I were getting the hang of the equations at this point, which astounded Starlight Glimmer. The way she was acting, it must have felt like we were struggling to understand that one plus one is two. Once again, though, I had a feeling that Octavia was glancing at me whenever Starlight Glimmer and I weren't looking. I felt uneasy, thinking that it was all in my mind because I wanted to believe that her grayish mulberry eyes were romantically looking at me.

When it was a few minutes until five, Starlight Glimmer said, "Well, we better stop here for today."

I checked the time on my phone and said, "Yeah, you're right. We wanna make sure I come back in time for the game."

Octavia suddenly turned her head to me at the word "game" and asked, "Oh? Are you going to the game, Rough Draft?"

"Yeah, I am," I answered.

"I didn't know you were into sports," Octavia said.

"Well, I'm not really, but our friends, Soarin and Rainbow Dash, are playing, and they asked us to support them," I said. "So, after I walk you home, I'm coming back so that we can cheer for them with the rest of our friends."

Octavia looked like I said something exciting. Starlight Glimmer and I were confused with how she acted as the wheels in the gray cellist's head turned. After half a moment, Octavia asked, "Would it be alright if I joined you?"

"You want to go to the game with us?" Starlight Glimmer asked.

"I do," Octavia said.

"Why are you suddenly interested?" I asked.

Octavia paused before she answered, "Well, I didn't know that you were going, but since you are, I thought this might be a good opportunity to try something new with my friends."

Starlight Glimmer looked at Octavia skeptically, but I smiled and said, "In that case, sure you can come."

"Hang on, Rough Draft," Starlight Glimmer said. "I don't have anything against Octavia coming, but don't you think the rest of our group would have an issue with her inviting herself to watch the game with us?"

"Nah, I think they would be fine," I said with a wave of my hand. "I mean, she's already pals with Rarity, and they talked about shopping with Fluttershy. I'm sure the rest of the group would be more than happy to meet her. Besides, Rainbow Dash wants as many people cheering for the team as possible."

Starlight Glimmer opened her mouth to counter but stopped herself. She knew that I was using this opportunity to spend more time with my crush, but she couldn't deny that I had a point. Octavia also seemed eager to go, and Starlight Glimmer didn't want to say no to her friend.

"I guess you're right," she said. "Maybe if we text Pinkie and Rarity, they can have a sweater, ears, and tail ready for you, Octavia."

"Oh? Do you think that will be necessary?" Octavia asked, suddenly feeling unsure. "I'm not exactly someone who wears stuff like that."

"Neither are we, but we're here to support our friends no matter what, so we're wearing them to do that for this game," I said with a smile. "Besides, you're trying out more things, so it should be just as well."

Octavia paused before she smiled and said, "Fair point, Mr. Draft. In any case, I should inform my parents that I'll be staying at school a little longer."

I nodded in agreement before Octavia took out her phone and called her parents. While she was doing that, I sent a text to Rarity about Octavia coming with us. She was happy to hear it and told me that, unsurprisingly, Pinkie was going ballistic over the news of another Wondercolt joining in. Octavia, Starlight Glimmer, and I decided to spend the next fifteen minutes studying for the test some more before leaving the music room and making our way to the soccer field. By the time we got there, the bleachers were nearly filled up with students and parents. The majority of them were CHS students, all dressed in their Wondercolt stuff. The rest were a few adults, and a handful of teenagers in fancy school uniforms that I assumed were parents and fellow students of the Crystal Prep team.

"STARLIGHT, ROUGH DRAFT, OCTAVIA, OVER HERE!!!"

We looked to find Pinkie Pie standing on the right side of a bleacher, waving at us. Sitting beside her were Applejack, Caramel, Big Mac, Fluttershy, and Rarity. On Rarity's other side was a muscular, pale, light grayish blue man with rainbow hair and a slender, pale, light grayish cornflower blue woman with light scarlet and orange hair, whose head reached the man's chin. Both of them had rainbow face paint and wore white t-shirts with blue sleeves that had Rainbow Dash's cutie mark on them. Starlight Glimmer and I felt uneasy with how the couple was grinning at the soccer field in anticipation as though they were wrestling fans excited for a match.

What interested Octavia were the three girls and a boy in their freshman year also sitting with the group. Standing next to the grayish cornflower blue woman was a light gamboge girl with moderate cerise hair also wearing a shirt with Rainbow Dash's cutie mark. Beside her was a light grayish apple green girl with light grayish rose hair tied to a bow. At the end of the row, to Octavia's surprise, was the same white girl and grayish amber boy she saw at Sweet Snacks Cafe. Octavia couldn't believe the young couple was there and wondered how she had never seen them at school before.

Octavia, Starlight Glimmer, and I went up the steps to join our group, and Pinkie Pie guided us to a spot between Rarity and the blue couple. Rarity stood up to greet Octavia by clasping hands and kissing each other's cheeks. She then introduced Octavia to Fluttershy before Pinkie had Octavia sit next to Rarity and Starlight Glimmer sit next to the couple, while I sat in between, Octavia on my left and Starlight Glimmer on my right. I didn't know it back then, but the gray girl and the grayish heliotrope girl were silently thankful that they could sit beside me. Rarity gave Octavia a sweater and Wondercolt ears and tail, while Starlight Glimmer and I took out ours from our backpacks and put them on.

"Starlight, Rough Draft, Octavia, allow me to introduce you to everyone else on our row," Pinkie Pie chirped, pointing at the couple and the four freshmen. "Right next to you are Rainbow Dash's parents, Bow Hothoof and Windy Whistles."

Rainbow Dash's parents turned to us, and Bow Hothoof said, "More pals of our girl, Rainbow, eh? Put er there."

The rainbow-haired man grabbed Starlight Glimmer's hand and squeezed it as he shook, making her yelp in pain before he did the same to Octavia and me. Windy Whistles shook our hands with half of her husband's strength, and we were left massaging our hands.

"They are super big fans of Rainbow Dash. They love meeting her friends," Pinkie Pie said.

"You don't say," Starlight Glimmer said.

"I sure do," Pinkie chirped before pointing at the gamboge girl. "That right there is Dashie's third super big fan, Scootaloo. She's like a little sister to her."

"What's up?" Scootaloo greeted.

"Next to her is Applejack's sister, Apple Bloom," Pinkie continued.

"Hiya," the apple green girl greeted.

"And finally, we have Rarity's sister, Sweetie Belle, and her boyfriend, Button Mash," Pinkie finished.

"Hi," Sweetie Belle said cutely.

"Hey," Button Mash said half-heartedly.

"Pleased to meet you all," Octavia said. She then noticed Button Mash's fingers twitching and asked, "Are you alright, Button?"

Sweetie Belle turned to her boyfriend and said, "Oh, Button's always like this when he doesn't have his Joyboy."

"His what?" Octavia asked.

"It's a portable video game console," I answered.

Octavia let out a silent, "Oh," realizing that it was the console he was playing at the cafe.

"Yeah, Button promised me he wouldn't bring it with us so that he can focus on cheering for our friends," Sweetie Belle explained before turning to Button. "He's been spending a lot of time on the latest Art of Legends game and wants to finish the battle he's stuck on."

"Art of Legends? That's a really challenging game, isn't it?" I asked.

"Sure is," Button Mash answered. "I think I've figured out what I need to do to win, but Sweetie Belle wants me to hold it off until after the game."

"Oh, wow. You must be really addicted to this game if your hands are acting like that," Starlight Glimmer said.

"Yeah, but I will do my best to stop thinking about it for my lady," Button Mash said.

Sweetie Belle gave him a loving look and took Button's hand before leaning her head to kiss his cheek. Starlight Glimmer, Octavia, and I smiled at their moment with Octavia, particularly touched by how the boy was giving up what he wanted to do for his girlfriend. Her gaze turned to me while I was giving Button an approving look, and she thought about how I said I was willing to be there for her while Blueblood was healing even if I didn't have to. Her smile faded, and she lifted up her hand to look at her sapphire ring, wondering if Blueblood would ever make any sacrifices like that for her.

Her train of thought was interrupted, however, when Pinkie Pie gasped and pointed to Applejack, Caramel, and Big Mac shouted, "Oh, my goodness! Octavia, you haven't been introduced to everyone on this side!"

Octavia turned away from her ring to look where Pinkie Pie was pointing. The two oldest Apple siblings and Caramel smiled at the cellist as she asked, "Oh? Are they also Rough Draft's friends?"

"You bet your boots, missy," Applejack said. "Name's Applejack, and this here's my brother, Big Mac.

"Eeyup," Big Mac greeted.

"And I'm Caramel," Caramel said. "I must say, I never thought we'd have the famous Octavia Melody with us. Did Rough Draft invite you?"

"Actually, I asked if I could join after I found out that he and Starlight were going to be here," Octavia explained.

Applejack and Caramel looked at each other, confused, and the latter asked, "Really? I didn't peg you for someone interested in sports."

"Indeed. It's not something I'm accustomed to," Octavia said. "But I do like to try new things whenever I get the chance, and I do appreciate Rough Draft being there with me when I do."

"Well, that sounds about right. Our Rough Draft sure does aim at being a good friend for ya," Applejack said.

Octavia turned to me with a sweet look and said, "And I couldn't be more thankful."

I smiled back while struggling not to blush at the way the beautiful girl was looking at me. Octavia giggled at my bashfulness, which made Rarity and Pinkie give me teasing smirks, Applejack, Caramel, and Big Mac simultaneously raising their eyebrows, while Fluttershy and Starlight Glimmer were uneasy. I was nervous with how the Apple siblings and Caramel were curious about how Octavia was amused with my blushing, but before either of them could ask, Vice-Principal Luna's voice was heard from the speakers.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the first soccer game of this school year," she said. "Tonight, the Canterlot Wondercolts will face off the Crystal Prep Shadowbolts."

Immediately, everyone stands up from the bleachers and cheers as both teams enter the field with Rainbow Dash, Soarin, and the rest of our team waving at us. Bow Hothoof, Windy Whistles, and Scootaloo cheer louder than anyone else, with Rainbow Dash's parents shouting things like, "Go Wondercolts," "Big game against the Shadowbolts! Here we go," and "Go Rainbow Dash! Best! Wondercolt! EVER!" Rainbow Dash looked away from her parents with her cerulean cheeks turning pink, and Soarin patted her shoulder with a sympathetic look.

"Wow, I never thought I'd see Rainbow Dash look embarrassed," Starlight Glimmer said.

"No kidding," I said before turning to Rarity. "Are they always like this?"

"Let's just say you're lucky that you're not sitting next to them back when they would use megaphones to cheer before getting kicked out," Rarity answered.

"Oh, my," Octavia said.

The cheering died down and sat back down while the teams took their positions out in the field. A referee placed a soccer ball at the center of the field, while Rainbow Dash and a Crystal Prep player stood opposite the center circle. The referee blew her whistle, and within a blink of an eye, Rainbow Dash had the ball before the Crystal Prep player could move. Soarin and the other Wondercolt players ran beside Rainbow Dash, passing the ball to each other before any of their opponents could take it from them. Eventually, they make it to the goal area with Soarin having the ball. The goalie prepared to block Soarin, but at the last moment, Soarin kicked the ball back to Rainbow Dash, who shot the ball where the goalie wasn't blocking, scoring a goal.

Everyone in the Canterlot side got up from their seats again, cheering at the top of our lungs. Rainbow Dash's parents and Scootaloo roared louder than anyone again, with Windy Whistles screaming, "That's our daughter!" The Crystal Prep team and everyone on their side was dumbfounded that they let their opponents score less than a minute into the game. They huddled up and whispered to each other before they retook positions, and the game continued.

"Oh, my, that was really fast," Octavia said. "Is our team normally like this?"

"They sure are," Pinkie Pie chirped. "Rainbow Dash is the fastest soccer player there is, and she takes her role as captain of every team in CHS very seriously. She trains her team so that they keep up with her whenever she has the ball. That's how they were so quick to go on the offense with her to make that goal."

"Wow, that's pretty cool," Starlight Glimmer said. "Looks like we have a chance to win, no problem."

"Actually, it's not that simple," Caramel said.

"What do you mean?" I asked. "Were one goal ahead of them."

"We are, but there's more to it than that," Applejack said. "Crystal Prep is known for being a proud school with a reputation for achieving excellence both academically and in sports. They tend to treat everyone as inferior to them."

"Exactly," Caramel said. "More than likely, Rainbow Dash aimed to score the first goal so quickly to prove that the Wondercolts aren't to be taken lightly. We may be ahead, but now the other team is going to take us seriously. Now that they know, the real game is about to begin."

"Eeyup," Big Mac said.

Octavia, Starlight Glimmer, and I looked at each other, finding their explanation strange before we went back to watching the game. Sure enough, the Crystal Prep team was better prepared for what our team had planned, making it hard for the Wondercolts to hold the ball for long. For fifteen minutes, the ball moved from one side of the field to another. Pinkie Pie took it upon herself to keep everyone cheering for our side.

Unfortunately, the Wondercolts couldn't keep the ball from reaching their goalie for long. One of our players kicked the ball out of bounds on our side of the field, giving the Shadowbolts the ball. The opposing team used this opportunity to bring the ball closer to the goal area, and they passed the ball to each other multiple times before one of them shot a goal with the ball barely missing our goalie's arms. Everyone grew uneasy from Crystal Prep scoring, but things only got worse when another Canterlot player accidentally kicked the ball off the field during a play, giving the opposing team a penalty kick that led to them scoring another goal. The first half soon ended with everyone rooting for CHS worried that our rival team was up by a goal. I watched Soarin, and the rest of our team sitting on the benches and drinking water while Rainbow Dash stood in front of them, agitated as she talked to them

"I don't like the way Rainbow is talking to the team," Starlight Glimmer commented.

"Indeed, I fear she may be taking things a little too seriously," Octavia said.

"Well, the way our friends explained the rivalry between Crystal Prep and us, Rainbow Dash must be extremely determined to win this particular game," I said.

"Actually, it's probably a mixture of that and how Crystal Prep basically scored because of big mistakes like giving our rivals a penalty kick," Caramel said. "It's usually the opponent team that does things like that, so Rainbow Dash is probably upset that the team is giving the toughest team they could face opportunities to score like that."

"Eeyup," Big Mac said.

"Don't worry, you guys. Rainbow Dash has an awesome plan to take down Shadowbolts during the second half. I just know it," Scootaloo said confidently.

"That's the spirit, Scootaloo," Bow Hothoof said. "I betcha Dashie already has a plan to outwit those evil Shadowbolts."

"That's right, honey! Our girl's gonna pulverize them into itty bitty little pieces!" Windy Whistles shouted.

Bow Hothoof grinned and turned to his wife, shouting, "Yeah! And then she's gonna put them back together just to crush them again!"

The couple turned back to the soccer field and let out battle cries even though the second half hadn't started yet. Everyone else in our group looked at Bow Hothoof and Windy Whistles like they were having spasms. Even Scootaloo was unsettled with how far her idol's parents were behaving.

"I changed my mind. These two are taking things too seriously," Octavia said.

"Agreed," Applejack, Caramel, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rarity, Starlight Glimmer, Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Button Mash, and I said simultaneously.

"Yup," Big Mac said.

After a couple of minutes, the second half began with Crystal Prep having the ball. They started off trying to score the same way they made their first goal, but our team was on to them. An opposing player made a shot, but our goalie caught it with both hands and threw it over to Soarin, who made an attempt to score a goal. The teams once again switched back and forth between who has the ball with everyone on our side for ten minutes, worried that our team won't score again before time ran out.

Luckily, as we reached the last quarter of the game, the Crystal Prep team made a mistake. Rainbow Dash made another attempt for a goal, only for a Crystal Prep player to take the ball before it could reach the goalie. The opposing player passed the ball to a teammate, and she brought the ball to our side of the field. She gave it to another player who kicked the ball towards the goal area only to trip halfway. Everyone on the bleachers went, "Oooo," as one of our players took control of the ball. With one of the Crystal Prep players helping the one who tripped up, the Shadowbolts were on the defense with two players short, giving our side the chance to make it to the Crystal Prep goal post. The player with the ball passed it to Rainbow Dash, and she kicked the ball into the corner of the goal net to score.

We roared with applause once again with Bow Hothoof, Windy Whistles, and Scootaloo praising Rainbow Dash. I could see everyone on the Crystal Prep team looking concerned with the score tied and the player who tripped feeling low for such an embarrassing mistake. The Shadowbolts grew eager to regain the lead as the game continued while we cheered for the Wondercolts with hope.

As less than four minutes remained on the clock, Rainbow Dash made another goal attempt only for the goalie to catch the ball again. The goalie threw the ball to one of her teammates, who attempted to pass the ball to another teammate before Soarin could intercept it only to over kick it, setting it out of bounds. One of our players took the ball to throw it at his teammate, who made a drive to the goal area only to accidentally collide with a Crystal Prep player. The referee blew the whistle and held out a yellow card before giving the ball to one of the Crystal Prep players. However, before the teams continued playing, Soarin ran over to Rainbow Dash and whispered something to her ear. Rainbow Dash smirked and said something to Soarin that made him scratch his head with a goofy smile and his cornflower blue cheeks turning pink. I tilted my head as they went back to the game, and I felt Octavia tap my shoulder with a curious look.

"Rough Draft, was it my imagination, or was your friend, Soarin, blushing when he was talking to Rainbow Dash?" She asked.

"You saw it too," I asked.

"I did," Octavia answered. "Does he normally act like that around her?"

"First I've seen that happen," I said.

Octavia raised her eyebrow and said, "Indeed? I wonder what his real feelings are for Rainbow Dash."

I gave a befuddled look and asked, "Wait, are you saying Soarin has a…"

"I think it's a reasonable assumption," Octavia answered.

I stared at my crush for a moment before turning my head back to the field to look at Rainbow Dash and Soarin. It seemed odd to believe that either of them might have feelings for each other, but I couldn't deny that Soarin blushed, leastways, not when Octavia saw it too. The thought then occurred to me that I didn't see if Rainbow Dash saw him blushing before they went back to the game.

My moment of thought was interrupted when I heard everyone groan, and I looked back up to find that we made another failed score attempt. The goalie handed the ball to a teammate, and the teammate began kicking the ball toward our side. But while most of our team followed to defend our goalie, Soarin and Rainbow Dash looked at each other and nodded before Rainbow Dash ran over to catch up while Soarin stayed behind on the Shadowbolts' side of the field.

The Crystal Prep team drove the ball all the way to the goal area, but our goalie once again caught the ball and passed it to Rainbow Dash. The opposing team ran toward her to take the ball, but Rainbow Dash just smirked, having predicted that they would. She kicked the ball into the air, sending it flying over the Crystal Prep player's heads, and it landed right in front of Soarin. Everyone on the Wondercolt side of the bleachers gasped in excitement while the Crystal Prep team's hearts froze, realizing they had no one on their side of the field. We all stood up from our seats and rooted for Soarin as he kicked the ball toward the goal area. The goalie moved to her left, thinking Soarin would shoot in that direction, but Soarin smirked and shot on the right, sending the ball hitting the top corner of the goal net. We screamed and cheered as our team ran over to high-five Soarin. Both teams retook positions, and with the blow of the whistle, the game continued with Rainbow Dash once again in control of the ball.

"This is great. We're in the lead again," Starlight Glimmer chirped.

"We might actually win this," Rarity said, beaming.

"Maybe, but there are still two minutes left," Applejack said, "That's enough time for Crystal Prep to score again."

"Oh, dear," Fluttershy whimpered.

"Don't worry, guys. Rainbow Dash and the others can stop them," Scootaloo said. "We just gotta keep cheering."

"Excellent idea, Scootaloo," Pinkie Pie said before she stood up and shouted, "Everyone, let's get into the school spirit!"

All of us nodded in agreement and started shouting words of encouragement. The cheering motivated our team as they kept the ball from reaching their side of the field while Crystal Prep grew eager to score one more goal.

But then, one of the Crystal Prep players decided to run over to our side of the field while everyone was opposite. He waved his hand to one of his teammates who had the ball, and she realized that he had the same idea Soarin had. Rainbow Dash and Soarin turned to the guy and ran over to him, but the ball was already passed. We all got up from our seats as Rainbow Dash and Soarin chased the Crystal Prep player. Bow Hothoof and Windy Whistles, and Fluttershy and Rarity huddled together. The next thing I knew, I felt something grab my left sleeve, and I turned my head to see Octavia grasping my sleeve while she watched in worry. My face turned pink with her hold on my sweater, but I shook it off to go back to watching the game just in time to see the Crystal Prep player take a shot at the goal. Our hearts stopped as we watched the ball fly toward the goal post. The ball flew past our goalie's arms, and my heart sank until the ball bounced off the top of the bar and landed a foot beside the goalie. Rainbow Dash, Soarin, our goalie, and the Crystal Prep player stared at the ball for a moment, dumbfounded until the goalie smiled and kicked the ball to Rainbow Dash. Rainbow smiled, and she and Soarin started heading to the other side of the field with the ball until the timer went off.

"And that's the game!" Vice-Principal Luna announced from the speakers. "Canterlot High wins three to two!"

Everyone on the Canterlot High side of the bleachers screamed at the top of their lungs. Pinkie Pie threw confetti into the air while Fluttershy, Bow Hothoof, and Sweetie Belle hugged Rarity, Windy Whistles, and Button Mash, respectively. Applejack and Caramel also hugged each other, laughing until they realized what they were doing, and backed away, flustered. Octavia, Starlight Glimmer, and I cheered and laughed with joy, but in the midst of it, Octavia realized she was still holding my sleeve and reluctantly let go, blushing. When I noticed that she was no longer grasping my sleeve, I resisted the urge to frown in disappointment. Regardless, we were all ecstatic that our team won, and Rainbow Dash, Soarin, and the rest of our team couldn't be happier.

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After a few minutes of celebrating, people began to disperse and congratulate the team. Bow Hothoof and Windy Whistles pulled Rainbow Dash into a spine-crushing hug before Scootaloo stepped in to hug Rainbow Dash next. The rest of our group went to embrace or high-five Rainbow Dash and Soarin with Starlight Glimmer, Octavia, and I come in last. I high-fived Soarin and Straight Glimmer hugged Rainbow Dash before the two players noticed Octavia. Confused, they pulled me closer, and Soarin whispered into my ear

"Rough Draft, what is Octavia Melody doing here?" He asked.

"She asked Starlight Glimmer and me if she could go to the game with us," I answered.

"And you said yes because it meant more time with your crush?" Rainbow Dash asked suspiciously.

"Well, partially that, but also because she wanted to try something new," I admitted with a shrug. "Besides, we agreed that I focus only on being a good friend to Octavia, and hanging out with other friends is what friends do."

Both of them were skeptical of my explanation, but before either of them could say anything else, Octavia cleared her throat. We broke our huddle, and Rainbow Dash and Soarin smiled, extending their hands.

"Sorry about that," Rainbow Dash said. "I'm Rainbow Dash, and this is Soarin."

"Wassup?" Soarin greeted.

"Octavia," Octavia replied as she shook their hands. "Congratulations on winning the game."

"Thanks. It feels good to take Crystal Prep down a peg," Soarin said.

Rainbow Dash scoffed and said, "You can say that again."

"Indeed," Octavia said. "You were rather passionate about winning the game. Not as much as your parents were, though, Rainbow Dash."

Rainbow Dash frowned and asked, "You've met my folks, huh?"

"Met them and sat next to them," I answered.

Rainbow Dash groaned and said, "Sorry you had to put up with them."

Octavia chuckled and said, "They are a pair of characters."

"That's putting it mildly," Soarin said before he changed the subject with a smile. "Anyway, Rough Draft has been telling us all about you."

"Oh? Nothing bad, I hope," Octavia said, turning her head to me.

"Hardly," I assured with a smile.

Octavia smiled back, pleased before the four of us stood in awkward silence. After half a minute, Pinkie Pie popped up from behind Octavia and me, saying, "Hey, everybody, Rainbow Dash's parents are treating us all to milkshakes at Sugarcube Cafe to celebrate."

"Awesome!" Soarin exclaimed.

"Now there's something about my parents I like," Rainbow Dash said, smirking before turning to Octavia and me. "You guys want to come?"

Octavia frowned and took out her phone to check the time.

"I would love to, but it is getting late, and my parents will want me home soon," she said. "I'm afraid I must have Mr. Draft walk me home."

"That sucks," Soarin said, looking at me. "It would be great if you could join us, bro."

"I'd like to do that too," I said. "Next time you guys win a game, I'll come. Promise."

"We'll hold you to that, Rough Draft," Rainbow Dash said.

"Don't worry, Dashie. With your first game against Crystal Prep out of the way, there's no way you will lose the next game," Pinkie Pie said.

"Heh. Yeah, the competition should be easy peasy from here," Rainbow Dash agreed. "Anyway, we better get going. See you tomorrow, Rough Draft."

"Later, bro," Soarin said as we fist-bumped. "Nice meeting you, Octavia."

"The pleasure is all mine," Octavia said.

The team and everyone in our group began following Bow Hothoof and Windy Whistles to the parking lot with Applejack, Caramel, Big Mac, Fluttershy, Rarity, Starlight Glimmer, Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Button Mash, saying goodbye to Octavia and me. Octavia had her eye on Sweetie Belle and Button Mash, particularly as they walked to Rarity's car hand in hand. After everyone left, Octavia and I turned around and began walking in the direction toward her house until we heard a female voice.

"Hey, Octavia Melody!"

We turned around to see a pale orchid girl with grayish violet hair held up in a headband in a Crystal Prep running over to us. I looked at the girl, confused, while Octavia stepped forward to meet her.

"Suri Polomare? My goodness, is that you?" Octavia asked.

"You bet it is," Suri Polomare answered with a smile. "I knew I saw you from where I was sitting during the game, okay?"

"Oh, my, what a surprise," Octavia said. "I didn't know you moved to Crystal City."

"I sure did," Suri Polomare said proudly before she looked at Octavia's Canterlot High sweater, ears and tail, smirking. "And may I say never pegged you for someone dressing up for a school game, okay?

Octavia chuckled nervously and said, "Yes, this is unusual for me, but I wanted to try something new. Frankly, I never thought I'd have so much fun watching a soccer game. It was an exciting experience."

I smiled at Octavia, glad to hear that she enjoyed coming to the game. Suri Polomare, on the other hand, shrugged and said, "Well, don't expect your team to win again. Nothing will stop the Shadowbolts from coming on top."

"I don't know. We beat you once, so we can do it again," I boasted.

Suri Polomare turned to me with an unamused look and asked, "And who are you?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I haven't introduced you to each other," Octavia said. "Rough Draft, this is Suri Polomare. We were in middle school back in Manehattan. Suri, this is Rough Draft."

"Pleased to make your acquaintance," I said with a smile.

But Suri Polomare raised her eyebrow and crossed her arms, giving me a condescending look.

"Rough Draft, eh? So this is the guy who pushed your boyfriend off a balcony," she said.

Octavia and I looked at Suri Polomare, appalled, and she said, "He didn't push Blueblood. He was knocked off by accident."

"That's not what I've heard," Suri Polomare said.

"Well, it's not true," Octavia said. "For that matter, who told you about that?"

Suri Polomare snorted out a laugh and said, "Come now, Octavia. You are dating the Prince of Manehattan himself. Do you honestly think word wouldn't get out in the Manehattan high society? I may live in Crystal City, but that doesn't stop my family and me from keeping in contact with our friends there. Everyone knows that a guy named Rough Draft coldly knocked Blueblood off a balcony and has been forced to be your servant as punishment, okay?"

Octavia furrowed her brow and said, "Rough Draft is not my servant. He is my assistant."

"Really?" Suri Polomare asked with a skeptical look. "It doesn't look like he's your servant assistant or whatever."

Octavia's and my eyes widened, worried that Blueblood would find out that we weren't doing what he commanded. Luckily, Octavia thought of something, crossed her arms, and held her head up high with her eyes closed as she replied.

"That's because I ordered my assistant to take me to the game," she claimed. "In fact, he's just about to take me home on my orders."

"That still doesn't sound right," Suri Polomare said. "From what I've heard, Blueblood has expected you to work this nobody to the bone for what he did."

Octavia frowned again and said, "I don't care what Blueblood expects. Rough Draft is my assistant, not his. I will have him work for me in any way I see fit."

"Like taking you to a game instead of making him do hard labor? Don't you care about what this guy did to your boyfriend?" Suri Polomare questioned.

"Of course, I care. I was terrified when he fell off that balcony," Octavia said, agitated. "But that does not mean I have to make Rough Draft slave away after doing something anyone with half a brain could see was an accident."

"Seriously? The heir to the most powerful company in the world offers you the world, and you won't take his side on something like this?" Suri Polomare said before pointing at me. "This low life is not worth defending."

"What do you know what Rough Draft is or isn't? You're judging him on whatever exaggerated information Blueblood tells people," Octavia challenged.

"And that's good enough for anyone in our world. You of all people should know how respected Blueblood is, okay?" Suri Polomare said.

"My boyfriend may be highly respected, but that doesn't mean he's telling the truth about what happened," Octavia stated. "Rough Draft may work for me, but he's also my friend, and I will not tolerate speaking ill against him."

I smiled at Octavia, touched that she was standing up for me. Suri Polomare scoffed and said, "Now this is incredible. I never thought I'd see the day when Blueblood's girlfriend, whom he holds in such high regard, would behave this way. If you're going to defend the guy who injured him, then why are you even dating him?"

Octavia stared at Suri Polomare, baffled by her question. I didn't know what Octavia was going to do, but it was clear that the pale orchid girl went too far in insulting her. After a minute, Octavia frowned and turned her back on Suri Polomare.

"Mr. Draft, take me home," she ordered in a cold voice.

"Yes, Ms. Melody," I replied.

Suri Polomare scoffed again, appalled as she watched us walk away from her without another word. She waved her hand and walked in the opposite direction, deciding to disregard Octavia's behavior. As Octavia and I made our way down the street toward her house, I glanced at my crush, who was still peeved over what Suri Polomare said. Eventually, her look of irritation melted into a look of gloom before she stopped walking. The two of us stood in silence until she turned to me.

"Rough Draft, I feel stuck," she said.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Octavia paused before she looked at her ring and said, "I'm worried about my relationship with Blueblood more than ever. Having him put his job before me hurts enough, but the way he's been behaving lately, especially with what happened at the Tasty Treat, makes it feel like he's becoming less like the person I've been dating for some time. I want to work things out with Blueblood, but after we had a fight earlier this week, it became clear that he doesn't want to change, and apparently, everyone I know from Manehattan believes anything he says against you, even though he knows I disapprove. I don't know what to do."

I frowned, feeling sorry for how depressed Octavia was. A part of me wanted to give her a hug to comfort her, but I resisted the urge, thinking it might not be what she needed. I looked down and thought about how best to reply.

"Maybe you two could just spend time away from each other for a while? Like maybe go on a break?" I guessed.

Octavia's frown deepened, and she said, "No, I don't want that. I have been thinking of just not speaking to him for a little while so he can cool off, but I can't take things that far. I may as well imply that our relationship is going to end."

"Maybe, but it sounds to me that you probably should take that risk," I said. "I may only know about your relationship from your side, but if Blueblood is this stubborn, then maybe going on a break will help him understand how serious his attitude has been affecting your relationship. I can't tell you what to do, Octavia, but it's clear to me that this is stressing you out, and frankly, that worries me."

Octavia was silent, still staring at her sapphire ring, and I became worried that I overstepped my bounds. Eventually, the gray girl sighed, and she turned to me with a smile.

"You never cease to amaze me with how caring you are, Rough Draft," she said. I blushed at the compliment, and Octavia quietly giggled with her mouth closed before her glum expression returned. "In any case, you might be right. I don't want to do it, but if I want things to improve, I might have to put my relationship on hold to clarify to my boyfriend that he needs to think about what he's doing. Perhaps not worrying about Blueblood and me will even relieve me of the stress I've been feeling."

I smiled and said, "I hope it does help you that way, and maybe that will help Blueblood become the guy you care for again."

"I pray it will," Octavia said before giving me a determined look. "Alright, it's decided. This Saturday, I'm going to visit Blueblood and tell them that we're going on a break."

I tilted my head and asked, "Why wait until then? Wouldn't it be better if you did it tomorrow so that you got it off your chest the sooner, the better?"

"As much as I would like that, I'd rather think about how best to phrase what I need to say," Octavia answered. "Besides, we still have that math test tomorrow, so it would be best to focus on that first and think about Blueblood and me later."

My eyes widened, and I hit my forehead with the bottom of my palm.

"D'oh. The test. I totally forgot about it," I said.

"Then I suggest you take me home so you can go home and get back to studying," Octavia said, smirking.

"Yes, at once, my lady," I said with a bow.

Octavia giggled again, and we continued walking to her house. As we walked, I glanced at Octavia again, who appeared to be feeling better. The thought occurred to me that her and Blueblood on a break could be my chance to develop something between her. Octavia did say that going on a break might imply that she and Blueblood will break up, and with me frequently being there for her, that might make me seen as boyfriend material. But then I realized what I was thinking and shook my head, reminding myself that I'm supposed to be only her friend. Still, whether she mended things with Blueblood or developed something for me, my hope was that she would be happy, and that was more important.