The Nerd and the Cellist

by HAKDurbin

Chapter 21

The rest of the wedding reception was a blur for Octavia and me. I stayed seated at Goldblood and Pureblood’s table, still shocked that Adagio gave me my first kiss abruptly. Octavia’s eyes fixed on me as she played with the wedding band. The kiss distracted her, but staring at me didn’t keep her from continuing to play perfectly. Octavia knew how to play the songs without concentrating, like she didn’t need to concentrate on breathing. The only thing she had on her mind was what would come after the reception.

Eventually, the wedding reception ended, and the guests rallied together to toss rice into the air as Cadence and Shining Armor raced to the elevator. A limousine awaited them on the bottom floor for their honeymoon in Saddle Arabia. The guests waited a few seconds after the elevator door closed before they grabbed their stuff and said goodbyes to each other before heading home. Twilight organized the staff taking down decorations and clearing tables while Goldblood began writing checks.

Adagio stood beside Camera Flash while Goldblood each wrote a check for him and his dad. I watched Adagio whisper into Camera’s ear after he took his check, and Camera’s face turned beet red. She either told Camera he did a great job taking pictures or said he looked handsome. Regardless, she played her role as the gullible photographer’s date well. Camera Flash, Adagio, and Camera’s parents headed to the elevator, with Adagio and Camera’s mother holding their date’s arms. I looked away while still sitting at Goldblood and Pureblood’s table, but I could feel Adagio looking back with her eyes fixed on me as she got on the elevator.

Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna said their goodbyes to me just as the wedding band put their instruments in their cases before getting in line for their checks. I got up and walked over to Octavia as she put away her cello, not wanting to wait to be near her again. When Octavia saw me walk over to her, she smiled and hugged me. We were still tormented by Adagio kissing me, but we put it in the back of our minds, focusing on the success of Octavia’s first gig.

“You were great,” I said.

Octavia felt a pinch in her heart, knowing I wasn’t focused on her the entire reception.

“Thank you, Rough Draft,” she said. “Did you enjoy the party?”

I hesitated, not wanting to bring up Adagio, and said with a forced grin, “The food was good, but the company was lousy.”

Octavia choked out a chuckle. I offered her my arm, and together, we walked to the table where Goldblood was writing checks. We waited with the other band members, getting their checks before Octavia’s turn. When it was Octavia's turn, Goldblood saw Octavia holding my arm and glared at me suspiciously. Immediately, Octavia let go of my arm, preferring to act like nothing happened than to explain it was okay because I was her date. Goldblood eased up, but Octavia and I wished she could hold my arm longer.

“Ah, dear Octavia. You played beautifully. My wife and I are honored to be your clients on your first professional gig,” Goldblood said.

The band members gave Octavia disapproving stares, and Octavia mentally groaned at her boyfriend’s father’s lack of subtly.

“The honor is all mine, Mr. Blood,” Octavia said, smiling. “It’s a shame Blueblood couldn’t be here to see me play, but at least my servant could watch me on his behalf.”

Though I knew Octavia only called me her servant to please Goldblood, my heart ached. Goldblood looked between me and Octavia with an edge of a smirk before he wrote on his checkbook and ripped out a check for Octavia. Octavia reached out for the check, but Goldblood pulled it back a split second before she could take it. Goldblood reached into his coat pocket with his free hand and took out a gold keycard with a fake friendly smile.

“Oh, by the way, Octavia, my wife and I decided to give you a little bonus as our son's girlfriend,” he said. “This is a key card to one of our best suites in the hotel section of the building just six levels down. Mrs. Blood and I would like you to stay the night there with your servant before we have you brought home to Canterlot.”

“What? Oh, no. I couldn't possibly accept such a gift,” Octavia said.” Besides, Rough Draft and I don't have any extra clothes for the next day or utilities.”

“Oh, please, don't fret about it. We have utilities and nightwear prepared for the two of you,” Goldblood said. “Besides, our limousine drivers are already home for the night, and we wouldn't want to bother bringing any of them back here to have them drive all the way to Canterlot and back. Would we?”

I felt that if it were anyone else, Blueblood and his parents would be more than happy to wake up their limousine chauffeurs in the middle of the night to make them drive clear to the other side of the country. Octavia and I looked at each other, irate with how far Goldblood and Pureblood were going in an attempt to convince Octavia to stay with Blueblood. Still, it was clear that Goldblood would not take no for an answer. Octavia sighed and begrudgingly held her hand out for the key card.

“In that case, we would be honored to accept your gift,” she said.

“Excellent”, Goldblood said. “The suite is on floor 66, room 647. Please, enjoy your stay, Octavia.”

Octavia kept her forced smile and nodded as she took the key card and then Goldblood gave her her check. She and Goldblood bade each other good night before Octavia and I walked to the elevator with the other band members. The band members glared at Octavia, bitter that she was spending the night in a suite while they either paid for their own rooms at other hotels in the city or were going to take a taxi to wherever they lived. Octavia avoided eye contact with him as the elevator took us to floor 66. We bade them good night as we exited the elevator, but they did not respond. As soon as the elevator door closed. Octavia sighed heavily and slumped her shoulders.

“Well, I think it's a safe bet that they will not want to play with me again after tonight,” she said. “They probably expect me to always get special treatment after every gig.”

“Well, you certainly should expect that whenever Mr. Blood is your client for sure,” I said. “Though, it's not like you're getting paid more than them, right?”

“No, I'm paid the exact amount that my fellow band members and I were offered,” Octavia said. “Still, I worry I will gain a bad rep for this on my first gig.”

“I'm sure you won't have anything to worry about as long as you get gigs that have no connection to Blueblood and his parents,” I said. “Besides, special treatment or no special treatment, you still played beautifully.”

Octavia looked at me with a sweet smile and said, “Thank you, Rough Draft. I appreciate that. And hey, you get to spend the night in the suite, too. I'd say that's a very nice way to spend your first night in a major city like Manehatten. Don't you agree?”

"Hmmm. You know, you're right. This is a nice addition to my first time in a big city," I said, smiling. "Plus, it's good compensation for putting up with Blueblood's parents. I can only imagine the look on Blueblood's face when he learns the suite is for both of us."

Octavia chuckled and nodded in agreement. We soon found our room on the right side, and Octavia used the card key to unlock the door. We went in and took a few steps before we stopped, and our faces lit up in awe. The massive suite had an attached bathroom, a living room, a kitchen, and a dining room. The walls were gold and white, the dining table was made of glass, and the bathroom had a hot tub. Octavia and I looked around, dumbfounded that we were staying there for the night.

We went into the bedroom at the very end of the suite and saw a king-sized bed, a 72-inch TV hanging on the wall, and a glass wall where we had a great view of the city. A smile covered half of my face until I noticed there was only one golden night robe folded on the bed. I wondered if there was another bedroom with a golden night robe for me until I looked to my left and saw an air mattress lying in front of the bed with a small pillow, thin white sheets, and a green lobby boy uniform folded on it. I turned to Octavia, who looked daggers at the mattress with her teeth clenched.

"Of all the stiff-necked, condescending discrimination," Octavia snarled. "They would have you lying on a little mattress with a lobby boy uniform as your pajamas? I ought to go back up there and demand that they give us a place with your own bed!"

"It's okay, Octavia. We should have expected something like this," I said calmly.

"Maybe, but that doesn't make it any less wrong," Octavia said. "If this bloody suite is a means to convince me to call off the break with Blueblood, Mr. Blood has done more harm than good."

"I hear you, but you deserve the suite more than I do," I said. "Besides, I'm perfectly okay with my 'pajamas' not having the same color as your night robe. I mean, if I see any more gold-colored stuff here, I might go colorblind. Heck, I bet if Mr. Blood wore this night robe, he could blend in with the walls."

Octavia covered her mouth to hide a snicker. The snicker turned into a high-pitched giggle as she leaned on the door frame. I chuckled at my joke before Octavia quieted down and wiped a tear in her eye.

"You got a point. Gold isn't my color either," Octavia said. "In any case, if we end up in a suite again, I'll make sure you have your own bed to sleep in."

I smiled and said, “I'd like that.”

“Good,” Octavia said. “Anyway, if memory serves correctly, you, Mr. Draft, owe me a dance.”

My eyes widened. In the midst of dealing with Goldblood, Pureblood, Adagio, and the surprise of Octavia and me spending the night in a suite, I had forgotten that we planned to dance after the wedding. I quickly returned my smile before Octavia realized I had forgotten and straightened my jacket to look as though we were still at the reception instead of getting ready for bed.

“You're right,” I said, imitating Octavia’s accent. “How do you propose we handle the music?”

“Oh, I have a few tracks on my phone of me recording some of these songs I played tonight,” Octavia said. “I was thinking of dancing in the living room before bed.”

My smile grew and my heart became warm, loving the idea of Octavia and I hearing her play her cello while we dance. It was all too fitting as I grew to love hearing her cello whenever Octavia performed. I offered Octavia my arm again, and she smiled as she took it before we walked to the living room. She took out her phone, opened the music app, and scrolled until she found a track she wanted for our dance and pressed play.

Octavia took my right hand, put her left hand on my shoulder, and I wrapped my left arm around her waist. My cheeks grew warm from being so close to the girl I liked, but I forced myself to hide it. Octavia saw my red cheeks before I shook it off, and her heart skipped a beat, hopeful that she had a chance to claim me after our dance. As we moved back and forth, I fought the urge not to look down at my feet to look like I had not been practicing for several weeks. Fortunately, I did not need to because, by this point, how I danced felt natural after memorizing everything Fluttershy and Starlight taught me. About a minute into our dance, Octavia looked at me with a smile that made my heart race.

“You dance very well. I'm impressed,” she said.

My cheeks heated up again, and I said, “I had good teachers.”

Octavia’s smile stretched out to the sides of her face. Then her smile slowly faded, and she looked down at the ground. As much as she was enjoying the dance, it occurred to Octavia that it may be the only time she could dance with me. Either I rejected her feelings, or something was going to happen that would compel her to stay with Blueblood, or, most painful yet, Adagio might have successfully won me over. If this was to be our only dance together, she was determined to make the most of it. I opened my mouth to ask what was wrong, but then she moved closer to me, resting her head on my shoulder and wrapping her left arm around me. My blush grew, covering my face, and I felt goosebumps on my arms and legs.

I couldn't believe Octavia was holding me so close. Did she not realize that only couples are so close to each other when they dance, or could friends of the opposite sex do this too and I did not know because I was still new to having friends? Either way, this was too good to be true. It was as if fate allowed me this moment of the girl I liked holding me close. I didn't know if this made it okay for me to move closer to Octavia, but if this was the only time I could I was willing to take the chance.

I tightened my hold on Octavia and moved my head closer to hers. Octavia was taken aback before she smiled and tightened her hold on me. We became lost in our own world, not wanting this moment to end for fear of what would happen next. All that mattered to us was refusing to let each other go for fear of never getting to be close together again, not knowing we had the same feelings for each other.

I don't know how long we were like this, but Octavia eventually noticed her phone playing a different track. She smiled briefly, realizing we'd been dancing longer than planned until she realized we needed to stop. She hated that we had to stop, but we couldn't dance forever, and she was on a mission. She squeezed me before she shut her eyes, dreading what she had to say.

"Rough Draft, the song is over."

I opened my eyes and turned to Octavia's phone, realizing she was right. I sighed through my nose and reluctantly let go of Octavia. She took a few steps back and took a moment to force herself from showing any sadness before giving me a sweet smile.

“That was lovely,” Octavia said. “Well worth the wait, I'd say.”

“I think so, too,” I said with a small smile. “I'm glad that my hard work paid off. I really wanted you to enjoy dancing with me.”

Octavia's smile grew, and she said, “I did. And I am honored to have been your first official dance partner, Rough Draft.”

My cheeks began heating up again, but I didn't mind. The room became silent as we did not know what else to say to each other. I awkwardly coughed and opened my mouth to suggest that we turn in for the night, but I stopped when I noticed Octavia playing with her fingers and giving me a hesitant look.

“Listen, Rough Draft, there's something I've been meaning to ask you for a little while, and I want you to give me the honest truth no matter how painful it is,” she said.

I looked at Octavia, confused and said, “Okay, shoot.”

Octavia looked away and bit her lip while still playing with her fingers. Her hands then turned to balls of fists before she turned to me with her eyes shut as though she were bracing herself for someone to poke her with a needle or punch her gut.

“Are you in love with Adagio Dazzle?” she asked.

My heart sank as it was apparent she saw Adagio kiss me.

“No,” I said without skipping a beat. It was almost as if I shouted it. “No, not at all. I swear.”

“Are you sure?” Octavia asked. “Because I couldn't help but see you dancing with her at the reception.”

“Adagio tricked me into dancing with her,” I said.

Octavia frowned and asked, “How can she trick you into dancing with her?”

“Uh, it's a little hard to explain,” I said.

“Try me,” Octavia demanded.

I hesitated and said, “When we were doing the fundraiser at the Tasty Treat, Adagio almost asked me to the Fall Formal before Starlight stepped in, claiming that we were going to the dance so that I could shoot her down. Adagio said she forgave me for already having a date on the condition that I would dance with her the next time there was an opportunity.

“And you two settled on dancing tonight?” Octavia asked.

“No, she just declared she had a blank check to dance whenever she wanted. She never told me that she was going to the wedding,” I said. Apparently, she was Camera Flash’s date.

Octavia raised her eyebrow and crossed her arms.

“Indeed? Then explain to me why you kissed her,” she said with a hint of venom in her voice. I flinched, feeling as though Octavia punched me in the gut. My worst fear came true. Of all the things Octavia witnessed during the reception, it had to be that heaven-forsaken kiss. The only hope I had now was the truth behind it, but I feared nothing I said would convince Octavia.

“I didn't kiss her. She kissed me without my consent,” I said.

“You didn't seem to resist her,” Octavia said.

“I was taken by surprise,” I protested.

“Did you enjoy it?” Octavia asked venomously.

“Enjoyed it? I'm tormented by it,” I said in annoyance.

“What? Nothing was pleasing about a beautiful girl like Adagio Dazzle giving you your first kiss?” Octavia asked bitterly.

“How could I be pleased? My first kiss was stolen from me,” I said. “If I had known it was going to happen, I would have run away because there's only one girl in the world that I would even consider wanting as my first kiss.”

My eyes widened, and I covered my mouth, shocked by what I said. Octavia’s suspicious glare faded into a look of unease. It was comforting to hear I hated that Adagio kissed me, but now she feared that I could be talking about the second girl Rarity told her about. She clenched her arms while they were still crossed to resist any show of concern about who I would want to kiss more than anyone. For all that she knew, I might not be talking about the second girl, and perhaps I might change my mind if she expressed her feelings.

“Oh, is there? Do tell,” Octavia commanded, keeping her suspicious tone.

“W-w-well, I'm not sure how to explain it,” I said bashfully.

“Oh, please, try,” Octavia said. “Is this a girl from our school?”

“Yes,” I said.

“How long have you known her?” Octavia asked.

“Since before school started,” I said.

“Did you become friends right away?” Octavia asked.

“No, we became friends later on,” I said.

Octavia pursed her lips and turned away from me, rubbing her chin in thought.

“Saying he's known this girl since before the school year hints that it could be Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, or Starlight, but he became friends with him right away. He became friends with Sonata after the school year started, but they didn't meet before the school year,” Octavia thought. “Rough Draft is very sweet to Sonata, but I can't imagine either of them seeing each other that way. Could this other girl be someone our friends don't know about? No, that can't be right. Rarity knows.”

Octavia mentally growled in frustration, feeling her head hurt from how hard she was thinking about this. Her demeanor confused me, leaving me unsure of whether I should be nervous or curious about why she was asking these questions.

“So, you've known this girl since before school started, but you didn't become friends with her until later,” Octavia said. Would you say this girl is shy?”

“Hardly,” I answered.

“Book smart?” Octavia asked.

“I wouldn't go that far, but I do think she's smart," I said.

“Would you describe her as beautiful?” Octavia asked.

“The most beautiful person I've ever seen in my life,” I said.

“More so than Adagio?” Octavia asked.

I scoffed as though the answer was obvious.

“As far as I'm concerned, Adagio Dazzle has the combined beauty of a pig and a goat compared to this girl,” I said.

“Do you think there is a chance this girl would return your feelings?” Octavia asked.

“Oh, I should be so lucky,” I said. This girl is one of the sweetest people I've ever known, but I am not worthy of her affection.”

“I see,” Octavia said, still rubbing her chin. “And, what, pray tell, would you do if she liked you back and wanted you as her boyfriend?”

“Er, I don't know. I guess I would hope to kiss her, but my chances are so small that I haven't really imagined what I would do if she said she likes me,” I said.

“You think that highly of her?” Octavia asked.

“With all my heart,” I said.

Octavia furrowed her brow, growing more perplexed with my answers. In her eyes, the only girls in CHS that people would describe as indescribably beautiful or considered out of a guy's reach are Adagio and Rarity, neither of which I was interested in. At this point, Octavia accepted that she was getting nowhere with these questions, and it was time to rip the Band-Aid.

“Tell me who she is,” she said.

My cheeks heated up again, and I looked away uncomfortably.

“I don't think that's a good idea,” I said.

Rough Draft, I'm not asking you. I'm telling you,” Octavia said, facing me again.

“Why are you so bent on finding out who I have feelings for?” I asked.

“Just answer the question,” Octavia said.

“But, if I tell you, things are going to get awkward, and I don't think anything's going to be the same, and -”

Octavia growled and stormed toward me. She grabbed me by the jacket and pulled me toward her. My eyes widened as her violet eyes pierced through my soul.

“Rough draft, I really don't care about things being awkward or anything like that,” Octavia said. “For several weeks you've had me worried that Adagio Dazzle has been wrapping you around her fingers, and now you are telling me that you have feelings for someone else. I am tired of only getting bits of information about whether or not you have feelings for anyone, and I demand that you come clean with me. If you don't, I am kicking you out of this suite right now and after we get home I am never going to speak to you again. So, for goodness sakes, will you just man up and say -?”

“It's you!”

Octavia's voice died in her throat, taken aback from me screaming. I covered my mouth in shock, and Octavia let go of my jacket, allowing me to take a couple of steps back. My purple face turned beat red and my pupils shrunk to the size of grains of sand. I couldn't believe it. I confessed to Octavia that she's the person I like. Octavia’s cheeks turned pink as she stared at me, unable to believe what I said either.

“Do you mean that?” she asked.

I stayed still with my hand still covering my mouth. Then I shut my eyes, lowered my hands, which had turned into balls of fists, and took a deep breath.

“Y-y-yes, I mean it,” I stuttered. “I-l-l like you… Octavia. The truth is I've had a crush on you since the moment we met. You are the most beautiful girl I have ever met in my entire life. I honest to God can't imagine how anyone could come close to your beauty, both inside and out. When our friends told me you were someone to avoid because you were dating Blueblood, I couldn't help but still want to see you again. They warned me multiple times to suppress my feelings, but the more time we spent together I got to see what a kind, level-headed, talented, passionate person you are, and that just wanted me to be around you more, even as just a friend. And it's not like I've been feeling this so strongly that I've been trying to manipulate you into dumping Blueblood so I might have a chance. I really would be happy for you if Blueblood changed the error of his ways and worked to make you happy with him again like he used to. And I'm not an idiot. I know I don't have a chance with you. You are thousands of miles ahead of me with what you want to do with your life. Your family is highly respected, and I've lived most of my life in a tiny town in the middle of the desert. But even so, I've been more than happy to be your friend because you need friends in your life more than I do. You need people to support you, to make you laugh, to help you have fun, and I'm happy that I've been there for you when you need it and that my friends have become your friends. I would love nothing more for you to see me the way I see you, but I value your happiness over anything else.”

The suite grew silent again. My face felt like my blush had covered my head, and yet it felt so freeing to finally confess my feelings to Octavia. I hoped that, at the very least, she was willing for us to stay friends and we could move past this. But my mind was so wrapped around confessing my feelings that I didn't notice Octavia's blush covering her cheeks and turning from pink to red. I closed my eyes and prepared for Octavia to shoot me down, but instead, I felt too soft hands take mine. I opened my eyes and my heart jumped as I saw Octavia standing close and staring at me nervously.

“One more question,” she said softly. “Can I kiss you?”

“W-w-w-what?” I stuttered.

“Can I kiss you?” Octavia repeated. “You said Adagio gave you your first kiss without your consent, right? I'm asking for your permission to give you your second kiss.”

I was motionless with my mouth hanging open. Octavia Melody asking if she could kiss me? This couldn't be right. My mind must have been in denial, wanting to hear the best-case scenario instead of facing reality. And yet, Octavia never tried to deceive me or mess with me in any way, and her eyes gave me this hopeful feeling that she really wanted to do it. After a few seconds, I concluded that if Octavia was serious, then there was no way I would throw away this opportunity.

“Yes,” I said. “Yes, please be my second kiss.”

Octavia smiled and stepped closer to me. She put her hands on my cheeks, and I let out a bashful whimper. Octavia chuckled with her mouth closed, finding my reaction to be cute. Her blush grew as she leaned toward me and closed her eyes. I closed my eyes, bracing myself before our lips connected.

Octavia’s soft lips against mine were a sensation beyond what I could have imagined. Adagio’s kiss was firm in its own right, but kissing Octavia was something I never wanted to end. It felt as though our mouths were destined to connect like pieces of a puzzle. I wrapped my arms around Octavia and pulled her closer to me, desiring to deepen the kiss. I thought to pull back, thinking I shouldn't have without her permission, until Octavia put her hand on the back of my head, wrapped her other arm around my neck, and pulled me closer to her. My heart raced as Octavia softly moaned, relishing the pressure against my lips.

The girl of my dreams enjoyed kissing me. Me. At that point, I wasn’t kissing Octavia for myself but for her. I said her happiness was all that mattered to me, and if kissing me filled her heart with joy, I would kiss her till my dying day.

Eventually, Octavia and I pulled back due to lack of air. Octavia’s cheeks were beet red, and she breathed heavily as she stared at me. My cheeks flared up as I processed what had just happened like I had woken up from a dream. Then, Octavia smiled and pulled me closer, resting her head on my shoulder. I froze for a moment with my face heating up, then I smiled and tightened my hold on her.

"I have something to confess," Octavia whispered in my ear.

"What?" I asked.

"I like you too."

My face fell, and Octavia and I moved our heads back. She gave me a sweet look while holding my cheek and her arm still around my neck.

"You're…you're serious?" I asked.

"Very," Octavia said.

"H-h-how long have you felt this way?" I asked.

"Shortly after school started," Octavia said.

"Seriously? I’ve been telling our friends time and time again that I wasn’t trying to break you and Blueblood up,” I said. “You mean to tell me the whole time I’ve been hiding my feelings you developed feelings for me?”

“I suppose it’s a little ironic when you say it like that,” Octavia said.

“I...I don’t know what to say,” I said.

“How about, ‘Will you be my girlfriend, Octavia?’” Octavia said.

I froze in place again as Octavia moved closer to me again with a flirtatious look with her hands behind her back. I backed away until I was up against a wall, and Octavia placed her hands on the wall on opposite sides of my head, trapping me. It was clear from how her violet eyes sparkled that she would not let up until I asked.

“I-I-I mean, I’d love to, but are you sure?” I asked. “You’re only on a break with Blueblood and -”

“Stop,” Octavia commanded, putting her finger on my lips. “As of this moment, there is no Blueblood, his parents, Adagio Dazzle, or anyone else that might take issue with how we feel. Just us alone in this suite. If you meant everything you said, Rough Draft, seize your moment. Ask me.”

I hesitated, while Octavia moved her finger away so I could speak. My legs shook as I mustered the courage to ask the words I thought I'd never ask.

“Octavia…will you be my…girlfriend?”

Octavia smiled and leaned her head until our noses were almost touching.

“I will.”

Octavia tilted her head and pressed her lips against mine again. I let out a sound of shock muffled by Octavia’s mouth. I stood stupefied like a statue while Octavia’s lips caressed mine. Then, the edges of my mouth curled up slightly and I closed my eyes and wrapped my arms around Octavia. She pulled me toward her with her arms around my neck as the kissing intensified. This time, our hearts fully understood each other. We no longer had to hide our feelings or act as though this was the only time we would ever be intimate with each other. This was our time in each other's arms, and our lips locked, and as far as Octavia and I were concerned, we could make it last for eternity.