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Chapter 13,442 words
Chapter 26,011 words
Chapter 33,385 words
Chapter 45,092 words
Chapter 56,308 words
Chapter 6, Part 13,359 words
Chapter 6, Part 24,939 words
Chapter 74,929 words
Chapter 85,430 words

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

“Hey there” cooed Vinyl, sauntering across the apple field. Swaying her hips as she slinked forward, Macintosh could feel her gaze from behind the lavender glasses. “What brings a guy like you around here?”

“Ah-Ah-Ah...live h-here.”

“Is that right?” Vinyl stood inches from his face, twirling his long hair around her finger. “Must be lonely. All alone...out in the orchard. All day.” She lowered the rims of her glasses, but he couldn’t recognize the color of her eyes. They looked like a haze of blue and yellow, and truthfully Mac wasn’t really focusing on her eyes. Vinyl was leaning forward, her low-cut tank-top giving Mac quite the view.

“Um..I guess so” Mac said, blushed as he tried to look away. But being a man with two good eyes, he was of course powerless against the allure of her cleavage.

“Well, let me be a good houseguest. I wouldn’t want my host getting lonely, now would I?” Vinyl held his shoulders, leaning in for a deep kiss. Mac shot his eyes wide out, but he soon relaxed into it, pushing back against her.

“Mmmm” Vinyl moaned. Mac pushed back harder, living in the moment and pushing past his usual shy demeanor, something he rarely did. Vinyl threw her arms around his thick shoulders to pull herself up.

“Mac, wake up” she whispered into his ear. He just mumbled to her, staying locked in her embrace.

“Wake up!”

Mac woke with a start, launching his head up against his headboard. OW! Damn it! he thought, staring out the window across from his bed as his head throbbed. He had this dream for the third time in a month since meeting Vinyl Scratch. They quickly established a friendship; him being rather shy and her the more out-going type, they seemed to balance each other out. She was surprisingly upbeat for being uprooted like she was, and Mac was impressed with how well she was doing.

Someone knocked on his door. “What?” he shouted.

“Breakfast!” cried the matriarch of the Apple family. She went by many a name, but most people called her Granny Smith, or miss Smith. Grumbling, Mac sat up and rubbed out his eyes. He kept his thoughts on Vinyl, though.

Mac found Vinyl’s cherry attitude very likable. He knew himself well enough to know he wouldn’t have done as well in her situation. The fact that she was so creative was also a big turn on. Vinyl had a great love for music, and that was one of their main discussion points. He was a music lover too, though their tastes were vastly different.

Mac thought back to the first time he met Vinyl. He arrived late to music class, having to take a seat in the back. As he sat, Mac noticed the girl next to him. She had amazing blue hair, that could only be described as bottled lightning. She wore a black tee, and a pair of jeans that were obviously meant to show off her backside. Well, it was obvious to him at least, and he could confirm that they were working. She was a little pale, but not in a sickly way. And those glasses. His gut told him there was something special behind them. Mac had to admit that he was attracted to her.

Ah mean, she always seems to look good, but...she’s a friend. It’s just mah damn hormones actin‘ up. Hell, Ah’m a red-blooded man. Can’t help if Ah notice stuff like that. Ain’t like she’s the only girl Ah’ve thought about. He thought back to his dream. He had other dreams like that, save for the fact that they’d been...more raunchy. Though, those dreams always involved models, or stars, like that stunt pilot, Spitfire. This was different.

They hadn’t hung out yet, but he wanted to change that. “Ah’m sure she’d love the orchard,” Mac thought aloud. He knew almost everyone found the farm boring, but he could always hope for the chance. Or maybe Vinyl'd really love the orchard, like in his dream. Uhhh, Ah gotta quit thinkin‘ like that, Mac thought, shanking his head. That’s over the line. Just push those thoughts away. Ain’t no use in worryin’ about ‘em. Crawling out of bed, he got in the shower and groaned. Macintosh liked his showers hot; it helped him wake up quicker, and he always felt cleaner than if it was cold. 'Sides, he thought, she wouldn't be interestin' in some worker like me. After he washed, Mac got dressed and headed downstairs. He met his sisters Applejack and Applebloom to the kitchen table, both thoroughly done with breakfast.

“Mac, yer gonna make late!” cried Applebloom. “Ah can’t be late today, Ah got a presentation taday!”

Macintosh chuckled. The “presentation” she had was little more than a short story review, but getting up in front of the class was always hard, especially for fifth graders.

“Okay, okay. Let’s go, Ah guess Ah’ll eat at school.” Mac opened his mouth to ask AJ how she was getting to school, but she cut him off.

“Don’t worry ‘bout me, Ah’m gettin’ a ride with Rarity.”

Macintosh stood confused. “Yer friends with miss Rarity? Ain’t she in mah grade?”

“Yeah, but Ah’m only four years younger than you!” Applejack growled. He hated when Mac acting the elder, even though he was older, and was much more mature than a person his age should be. “An’ remember, ya’ll were held back at first. Sides, Ah kin hang out with whoever...”

Mac threw his hands up defensively. “Calm down, Ah ain’t mean nothing’ by it.” He walked over to his sister, kissing her on the head. “Have a good day at school.” With that, he grabbed his math book and left the house. The farm was quiet this morning, the signs of harvest over. They only hired a few workers outside the family, but they helped keep the business running when Macintosh and Applejack were at school. Mac worked the fields when he got home anyway, but since they had a record-breaking season this summer, he was allotted much more free time in the fall.

Applebloom followed Mac outside, running past him and hopping onto his Harley Davidson Blackline. A soft-tail design, it sported a black paint job, with red highlights streaking across the gas tank and down the rear fender. It was fitted with a dual tour saddle seat with a backrest on the very end. Before this year, when Macintosh finished his work early, he would work on this bike. Whether compiling parts, or shining the finish, or changing the oil, Mac usually spent at least an hour on his bike. Like most things on Sweet Apple Acres, it was old but well taken care of.

“Hey now, Ah don’t see a helmet, Applebloom” Mac frowned.

“Ah know ” Applebloom groaned. Reaching into the saddlebags of the bike, she retrieved a bright red helmet. She put in on, strapping in under her chin. She also pulled out a black helmet, and tossed it to Macintosh.

“Thanks, sis” he said, applying it to his dome. He swung his leg over the center to the bike, balancing the machine. Kicking once on the start lever was enough to engage the engine. The beast rumbled under him, just egging for a ride. He warming it up for a minute or two, making sure it was properly ready for a trip. When Mac was satisfied it was ready, he threw it into gear, driving into the brisk morning.

“And that, class, is how you derive the function of X.”

Professor Pemdas stood proudly in front of the class, taking pleasure in her job. She was the only one, though. Most of her students had already learned this and were coasting through, or had given up long ago. The teacher was an older one, a splash of gray in her hair that was done up in a bun. She wore a very professional pantsuit, displaying her dedication to her job.

Vinyl tore into her notebook, the chicken scratch being indecipherable if it was english, let alone complex mathematical equations. The notes were written left-to-right, right-to-left, sideways, upside down, and with various degrees of completion. Stupid letters, thought Vinyl. I was good at math until they started adding the alphabet. The hell am I gonna use this for, anyways?

The teacher checked her watch. “Looks like that’s all the time we have for today. Make sure to finish those equations, class.” As students fled the classroom, Pemdas stopped Vinyl. “Miss Scratch, could you come here please?”

Vinyl swung around and walked back to the front desk. She knew exactly what this was about.

“You haven’t turned in your homework today.”

Vinyl shrugged. “Yeah, sorry about that. I forgot.”

Pemdas was unfazed, her head down as she look over a pile of papers on her desk. “You haven’t turned it in for the past week.”

“Um...” Vinyl chuckled nervously. It’s not like I wanna ignore it, but...

Her teacher sighed. “Miss Scratch....” Vinyl could practically mimic what would happen next. Pemdas would explain how important routine homework was, and how it needed to be finished to be helpful. She was not willing to have this conversation again.

“Look!” said Vinyl, interrupting the professor. “I’m trying to figure this stuff out. I just...can’t. Every time I look at it, my mind just blanks.”

“Hmm. That’s a problem, now isn’t it.” She clicked her tongue and looked up to meet Vinyl's eyes. “I could set you up with a tutor, if you like.”

Vinyl groaned. A tutor was not something she wanted, and previous tutors had been...well, less than helpful. Most had giving up on her around the third lesson. Might as well give it a shot, though.

“Fine, we can try it” she mumbled.

“Show up here at 2:00. I’ve only got one student aid signed up, so you’ll be learning from a...miss Sparkle.”

Vinyl nodded, finally allowed to leave. She trudged through the halls of her new school, avoiding anyone who passed by. She only really knew Macintosh and Cheerilee, and everyone else seems focused on making her feel like the outcast. She tried to meet people, but most people mistook her eagerness as an oddity.

She passed by two large opened doors and into the dining area. It was large, especially for a smaller school like Ponyville High. Three rows of long tables ran down the room. After grabbing a tray of food, which contained a surprising amount of apple products, Vinyl found Cheerilee sitting by the corner, her face stuck in a book.

“Yo!” said Vinyl as she sat.

“Hey Vinyl, how was math class?” said Cheerilee. She’d become Vinyl’s confidant since the time they'd first met. Vinyl didn’t complain about anything serious. They had just met, after all. But Vinyl felt better having someone there, and she was one of few female friends Vinyl ever had, including the people she'd met in Canterlot. That had unfortunately gotten her a certain reputation at her old school, and Vinyl wasn't willing to repeat that.

“Oh, ya know, the same as always” Vinyl chuckled, sitting next to Cheerilee.

“Good, good.” Cheerilee smiled. “Are you getting your bearings around town?”

“Kinda” Vinyl admitted. “Haven’t been into the country yet.”

“Ah noticed.”

Vinyl looked behind her. Macintosh walked to their table, his backpack slung over his shoulder. “Haven’t seen all out there. Ah’m tellin‘ ya, it’s the nicest piece o‘ land ya can lay yer eyes on.” Mac took the seat across from Vinyl. "Ah'm startin' ta think ya'll are avoidin' me" he said with a grin.

“I will, I will. Don’t get you’re panties on a twist. It's just been hard to get out recently” said Vinyl. Which was the truth, if not the whole of it. She was having trouble finding her way out there, but she also wasn't totally sold on the idea of hanging out on a farm. It just didn't seem like a whole lotta fun. But she wasn't going to tell Mac that.

Macintosh laughed. “Ah know yer tryin’.“ Macintosh looked around, watching the entrances. For who, Vinyl couldn’t tell.

“Watching for someone special, Mac?” Vinyl teased.

“Nah, but Caramel suppose be comin‘ by.”

“Who’s that?”

Cheerilee joined the conversation. “Caramel’s stopping by? I didn’t know he was in school yet.”

Mac smiled. “Yeah, he jus‘ started this year.“ He shook his head, slightly frowned. “Ah hope it hasn’t been too bad yet.”

Vinyl rose her eyebrow, titling her shades a bit. “ You worried?”

“Ehh...” Mac looked uneasy. “Kinda. You know, new school fer him an‘ all. Plus...”

“Plus?” Vinyl echoed.

“Plus...Caramel may seem kinda, well, funny. To some people, at least. “

“Whadda mean?” asked Vinyl.

“Well...” Mac nodded in the direction of the entrance. Vinyl pivoted to see a slender man walk into the lunchroom. He was a shorter man, with neatly trimmed brown hair. He wore a light brown polo and khaki pants. Caramel looked more proper than most guys in the room, and much better groomed. Watching him arrive at their table, Vinyl saw a distinct sway in his hips. It...wasn’t quite womanly. It had a flair all on its own.

“Macky!” Caramel yelled, pulling Macintosh into a tight hug.

“Howdy...‘Mel” Mac stuttered as he gasped for air. Caramel release Mac from his hold, giggling a tad.

“Sorry cous’, my bad” Caramel said sheepishly. He pulled a chair up next to Macintosh.

“So how are ya? Haven’t seen ya’ll at the farm fer a bit.”

Caramel smiled. “I’ve been pretty good. Mrs. Cake’s been working me a lot later.”

“How ‘bout school?” asked Mac. “No one’s been givin’ ya any trouble?”

Caramel released another light giggle. “Mac, you need to stop worrying.”

“Ah can’t, you know that. Jus’ promise me ya’ll will tell me about anything, ya hear?”

“Yeah, yeah. My big strong cousin is here to save me.” Caramel huffed. “Mac, I can take care of myself.”

“Sure ya can.”

Caramel sighed, resting his face on Mac’s arm. Vinyl tried to stifle a laugh. Unsuccessfully. “Is something funny in the peanut gallery?” Caramel inquired with a smile.

Vinyl grew a small smile. “Is Mac always like this?”

Caramel nodded. “Oh yeah, ever sense grade school.” He put on a mockingly grandiose tone. “Big Macintosh, hero to the weak! Protector of the small! Loved by his friends and feared by his enemies!”

Mac pouted. “Ah don’t have enemies...”

Caramel laughed. “Yeah, sure. Except for half the guys in school.”

“Aww, I think it sweet ” teased Vinyl. “You’re just a big teddy bear, aren’t ya?”

Mac stood up. “I’ll gonna grab some food” he sighed.

The group chuckled as Mac sulked to the food line. Though he tried to appear as mature as possible at all times, it was clearly not the case. “So, what’s this about enemies? I can’t image Mac being outright mean to anyone.”

“Oh, he wouldn’t be” Caramel said in a sing-song voice.

“So what’s the dealie-o?” Vinyl asked, taking a swig of apple juice that came with her meal.

“Well, boys tend to get angry when their girlfriend shout out some other guy’s name in bed. And from what I hear, Mac’s name is near the top of the list.”

Caramel watched with glee as the juice Vinyl had drank was distributed on the table, via her nose. Caramel and Cheerilee joined Vinyl in laughing, the latter nearly falling out of her chair.

“Dayyyum!” she said. “He gets around, huh?” Vinyl spoke, still tittering lightly.

Caramel shook his head. “Please, Mac...gettin’ around?”

Cheerilee stepped in, clearing up Vinyl’s confusion. “Mac’s...not a big talker, if you hadn’t noticed. He only really speaks up with people he likes. I doubt he’s had more than one girlfriend.”

“Well, I should consider myself lucky then, huh?” Vinyl grinned.

Cheerilee smiled. “And Caramel, you’re such a gossip today!”

Caramel shrugged. “What can I say, it’s a gift.”

RRRRRRIIIIINNNNNGGGGGG!

The 3 o’clock bell called, allowing the school’s inhabitants their much garnered freedom. The exit doors flung open, and a large flow of people erupted from them. Vinyl left near the tail end of the group, plopping down on the top stair. Nothing to do but go home, she thought. She could start walking right now, but she was mentally exhausted from the tutoring she received.

“Ow...brain” Vinyl groaned. “Y U NO DO MATH!” She propped her knee up to rest her arm on, throwing a pair of black headphones on. They were very nice, with large ear pads for comfort’s sake. Blue inlays rode the rims, and the speakers were customs built to support massive bass boosts.

Bobbing her head to the beat, she let the music flow through her. The song started slow. A single repeating beat. Adding a few sweeps, and deep bass rhythm, the song started to build up. Ohh yeahhh. That’s the stuff.

Vinyl could here another noise to her left. It was a deep pounding, but not like the bass in her ear. It was seismic in texture, and had no distinct rhythm. Curious, she stood up and began to follow the sound. She could hear it through her headphones, letting her know that it was close. Vinyl slid off her headphones, and listen close to the noise. Is that..stomping?

She followed the sound behind the school to find a large group of men running in formation. They wore an off-color red, with gold spandex-like pants. Their shoulders were artificially broad; Vinyl realized this was from the pads they wore underneath. Football team?

She walked over to a set of old, slightly rusted bleachers adjacent to a practice field. A good amount of the team was running laps. They looked tired, almost unbearably so. Sweat poured from the runners, their backs visibly drenched from the exertion. If this is practice, then Mac should be... Vinyl searched the group, trying to pick Mac out of the crowd. It wouldn’t be hard; even with this selection of burly men, Mac would be imposing to lose among them.

Where is he? she thought. She knew Mac made the team, but he wasn’t with the runners. Resting her elbows on her knees, Vinyl scanned the field, hoping her friend was out there. She knew she didn’t fit in here; it was made pretty clear by the snickering from a passing gang of footballers. Her left eye twitched a little. Screw them!

Still looking for Mac, Vinyl saw a large group of girls gathered about 30 yards away from her, near the sideline. They too wore matching outfits, thought theirs were much more...revealing. With tight tops and quite short skirts, Vinyl picked them out as cheerleaders immediately. She groaned audibly. Oh God, why? Aren’t there enough bimbos in this school?

The girls started to practice their routine, spreading out into three rows. Clapping and shouting, they moved in tune with one girl who stood in front of them. Her green-blue hair was tied in a ponytail, and her outfit was more tailored and elaborate than the others. She recognized this girl as Flitter, the one who gave her that slight verbal jab the first day of class. Well, one of many, but hers had passion behind it. Though Vinyl had little contact with her, she always felt a strange, angry vibe from Flitter. She must be the leader of those airheads.

Why does she hate me so much? Vinyl thought. I haven’t even said two words to her. Vinyl looked back at the field. Other than the roving group of jeerers, a small amount of guys stretched in the end zone. They were smaller than most of the other players. Vinyl didn’t know much about football, but she could understand the basic rules and mechanics. She figured those were the special teams members. The runners were making their way around them, and strangely enough, it looked like their numbers had risen.

The only other players were huddled in a circle near the center of the field. The bleachers were not far from the actual field, so Vinyl could see two figures in the center of the circle. One was a bulky, thick man with long brown hair that stuck out from under his helmet. The other was just as muscular, but much taller. The brown-haired man stood ready for an assault, and the tall man obliged him. He dashed forward, crunching into the other player. They moved in unison, one traveling ahead and the other toppling upon himself. The crowd around them whooped and hollered, jumping up and down in excitement.

The player who fell climbed to his feet, disappointed. He headed towards the group of joggers, joining them in their exercise. Wow, that middle guy must be really strong. She watched the man retreat to his starting position, challenging another who tried, and failed. Vinyl was never attracted to jocks, seeing as they tended to be the ringleaders of her torment as well as others. How some people could find bullies attractive just didn't make sense to her. But she had to admit, the large, powerful body of the middle guy was very easy on the eyes.

A very loud, high whistle snapped her out of her daydreaming, and the team started to disperse. A lot of players surrounded their tall teammate, creating a whirlwind of excitement around him.

“Dude, that was amazing!”

“I can’t believe you never played before...”

“You’re definitely gonna start this season!”

Vinyl smirked as the player removed his helmet, shaking free his long vermillion hair. The man had green shimmering eyes above a few small freckles. He rested his helmet in the crook of his arm, dismissing the compliments with a smile and laugh. He approached the bleachers as many of the players made of the locker room.

“Didn’t expect to see ya’ll here” said Macintosh, leaning against the edge of the seats. He was sweaty from practice, but Mac’s breathing was normal.

“Yeah, just got out of tutoring and I heard you guys over here. Just hangin’ til I start walking home.” She leaned back, resting her elbows on the row behind her. “What was all that about?”

“Blocking drills” he laughed. “Someone challenged me to try an‘ git past ‘em. After Ah won, couple other’s did the same, bettin’ laps if they lost.”

“So that whole group...”

Mac smiled. “Eeyup. Bunch a losers.” He stood up, shaking his shoulders out and cracking his neck. “If ya’ll be willin‘ to wait a bit, Ah could give you a ride home.”

Vinyl nodded. “Sure, I got nothin‘ better to do.” She watched Mac walk back to the players and follow them into the clubhouse, along with the cheerleaders, who entered a separate nearby building.

Uggh, what’s taking Mac so long... Vinyl tapped her foot impatiently. It hadn’t been that long, only about twenty minutes, but with nothing to watch Vinyl got bored quickly. I can’t believe I was checking out Mac again. What is that, like, third time with week? It wasn’t even intentional this time. Vinyl always found flirting with Mac funny. She would start to look over his body, throw in a lewd comment, and Mac’s cheeks would glare reddened than a ripe tomato. She thought it cute, and surprising since the bashful attitude came from a person who could probably rip a tree out of the ground. Vinyl shrugged. Looking isn’t so bad. Just don’t do anything stupid. She turned her gaze towards the end of the field. Finally, she sighed as Macintosh appeared from inside the team clubhouse. He was dressed in his normal garb; a red collared shirt with jeans and work boots. Mac strolled along the field towards Vinyl.

But Mac wasn’t alone. A girl was standing at his side. Very close to his side. A little too close for Vinyl’s taste. Glaring over, she knew exactly who it was. That girl was now way too close for Vinyl’s liking. The hell is Flitter doing?, she growled mentally. Flitter was clinging to Mac’s arm, blushing faintly. She was tip-toeing towards his face. Vinyl’s nose crunched up in disapproval. Vinyl was audibly growling as she watched Flitter hang off her friend. She stood up, but not before Flitter kissed Mac on the cheek and whispered something in his ear. Mac froze, standing with a tight posture as Flitter walked away. Vinyl stomped her way over to Macintosh, who was staring blankly forward, his head tilted ever so slightly to the left.

“SO...is that what took you so long?” Vinyl asked, eyebrow raised.

Mac didn’t answer immediately. He continued to stare for a few seconds, until Vinyl snapped her fingers.

“Yo, earth to Macintosh!”

“Wha-? Oh, um, sorry ‘bout that...Ah think Flitter jus’ asked me out.”

“What did you say?” Vinyl crossed her arm expectantly.

“Um...Ah said yes, Ah think...”

“What? Why!?”

“Well, it sounded like fun, an’ Ah hafta admit...she is pretty.”

Vinyl huffed. Pretty evil. Hope she’s nicer to him than she is to me. “Well Mac, good luck” she said sarcastically.

“You know sumthin‘ Ah don’t? Macintosh began to walk towards the parking lot next to the school, with Vinyl Scratch in tow.

“Well, it’s just...” Vinyl sighed, trying to think of a way to explain her situation. This... might be hard to explain. She ran through countless plans to explain her distaste for the cheerleader, each one ending in disaster. While they were friends, she didn’t know Mac that well, and she certainly didn’t want to come off as jealous. Since I’m not, Vinyl rationalized. Not jealous. Nope.

“...I’m happy for you” she sputtered.

“Umm, well okay!” Mac smiled. They arrived at the blacktop. Very few people were still here, so it was easy to find Mac’s vehicle. Although, his transport would always be easy to find.

“So Mac, what’re you driving? Pick up? Van? Tractor?” Her mouth curled into a devious smile at the last one.

Macintosh chuckled. “What...Ya’ll think just cause Ah’m a farmer, Ah’m gonna drive some old tin can?”

“Yup” replied Vinyl, punching him in the arm.

“Ow!” Mac rubbed his right bicep, scowling mockingly. "Ah need that!"

“Tough it out.”

The two walked together until Mac stopped at a sleek black bike. Mac looked around it, occasionally rubbing off small scratches he found. He pulled out his keys, inserting them into the ignition. Vinyl stared at him, wide-eyed. “Damn, dude! Nice bike...” she muttered, scratching her neck. “That’s definitely not a tractor.”

Laughing, Mac kickstarted the bike. “Ya gonna stand there, or are ya gonna get on?” He let the bike idle, revving it softly to egg Vinyl on.

“A-Alright” she said nervously. “Um, I’ve never...actually been on one of these.” She scooted onto the back of the bike, resting against the back seat. “Where should I hold on?”

“Well, first put one o‘ these on...” Mac opened the left saddlebag, and Vinyl strapped a helmet on.

“What about you?” she asked.

“Ah jus‘ wore a helmet fer an hour” Mac grumbled. “Now, ya got two options fer holdin‘ on. One, ya’ll can grab the handles at yer sides.”

“Okay” Vinyl spoke.

“Or...” Mac threw the bike into gear, taking off suddenly. Vinyl instinctively reached forward, wrapping her arms around Mac’s midsection. Mac chuckled, exiting the parking lot and heading into town.

“Mac, you dick!” Vinyl giggled. He responded with more laughter. Enjoying the wind in her face, Vinyl hadn’t realized she was still grasping Mac’s stomach. She quickly moved her hands down the handles at her sides. She didn’t particularly want to not hold him, and that was part kind of worried her.

Riding through town on the back of a bike was a very different experience for Vinyl. She never realized how fast the small stalls passed by, and knowing an engine was directly under her legs had a certain thrill to it. With the wind in her hair and the smells and sounds of late fall around her, she felt a certain calm fall over her, even with the inherit danger.

“I gotta say...this is really cool” said Vinyl.

“WHAT?” Mac shouted, keeping his eyes on the road.

“I SAID....THIS IS REALLY COOL!”

“YOU LOST YER SHOE?”  “NO, I....” Vinyl spotted her house peeking out around the bend of the road. “YO! RIGHT THERE!” She stuck her arm out, pointing. Mac veered right, coming to a stop in front of the building. Vinyl jumped off, removed her helmet and placed it back in the saddlebag. “Hey, thanks for the ride” she said.

“O’ course” Mac smiled.

“Um, ya wanna come in? We could hang out, or something?” Vinyl shifted uncomfortably. Why the hell am I nervous?, she thought.

“Sure, Ah got a little free time. “ Mac turned the bike off, setting the kickstand out. Vinyl led him inside, where vinyl’s mother was preparing for her second shift.

“Hey, Vinyl. Sorry I have to run, but there some food in the...” she stopped as Vinyl led Mac into the house. He ducked slightly, so as to not smash his head on the entrance. “Hey, Vinyl. Is this one of your new friends?” she asked. There was a hint of amusement in her voice that worried Vinyl.

Mac took a step forward, his hand outstretched. “Howdy, Mrs. Scratch. Mah name’s Macintosh Apple. It’s a pleasure to make yer acquaintance. Ah hafta say, ya'll have a beautiful home.”

“Such a gentleman, too” Vinyl’s mother giggled. “I’m sorry I’m being so rude; leaving without a chance to get to know you, but I have to make another shift at Ponyville Post.”

“Ah understand, of course. Tell Ditzy Doo hello if’n ya’ll see her.”

Mrs. Scratch nodded. “Absolutely. You two have fun.” As she walked out the door, she pulled Vinyl aside. “Do you mind if we talk outside?”

“Sure” answered Vinyl. “Mac, make yourself at home.” Vinyl followed her mom outside, stopping on the small entrance porch. “So, whadda ya wanna talk about?” She received a small smirk from the elder Scratch. “Um, no seriously, what?” The older woman’s smirk grew. “Mom, what is it? The smirk quickly evolved into a toothy grin. Vinyl stomped her foot in frustration. “Will you just spit it out already!?”

“So, this is the famous Macintosh I keep hearing about. He’s your...friend?” Vinyl’s mother said, still grinning.

“What’re you implying?”

“Implying? Who’s implying?” Her mother said. “All I know is, I know how I was when I was your age. You’re an adult now, but I expect you to be responsible.”

Vinyl groaned. “Does this have a point? I don’t want to sound mean, but you’re confusing the hell outta me.”

Vinyl’s mother sighed. “Look, I’ll be home around 9:00. Now, you know I trust you, but listen good. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do. Just...use protection, please?”

Vinyl’s mouth dropped open. “....JESUS, MOM!”

“What? Vinyl, look at him!” she winked, nudging Vinyl. “I wouldn’t blame you. Hell, if I was your age...”

“For the love of god and everything that’s sacred, stop talking mom. I may never be able to keep down food again.” Vinyl rubbed her eyes under her glasses, trying to rid the mental image her mother just painted from her mind.

“Oh, c’mon! I’m just teasing!” Vinyl’s mom laughed. “But seriously, after all you’ve said about him, he seems like a keeper. ”

“Mom! I’m not...we’re not...we’re just friends!” Vinyl blushed profusely, cursing whatever gods decided this would happen.

“Okay, okay! Just wanted to make sure.” Vinyl’s mother held her hands up in defense. “I’ll see you tonight, honey.”

“Yeah...sure” Vinyl was still recovering from the sudden assault to her sanity. She walked back inside, where Mac sat politely on the couch.

“Everything okay, Vinyl?” Mac noticed the deep blush prevalent on her face.

“Yup” squeaked Vinyl. “Let’s...head upstairs.”

“Okay, so now that you understand the differences, let’s get into artists.” Vinyl had spent the last twenty-five minutes explaining the differences between house, techno, dubstep, and a multitude of other electronica based music to her friend. Mac’s head was swimming with enough history, technology, and concepts to build a small library. He sat in a small love-seat pushed against one of the walls, across the room from Vinyl's bed.

“Alrighty...” Mac smiled. Although he didn’t quite understand the hype, he enjoyed listening to Vinyl’s enthusiastic explanations. She pulled out a case from under her bed, taking out a black album. In the center of the album cover, a white box sat with the name “Daft Punk” in it.

“This is Daft Punk’s “Human After All”. It’s one of my favorites.” Vinyl slid out the record, placing it on her player in the corner of the room. This was her recreational player; she had a dual turntable for her DJ’ing.

“This is nice” commented Mac, bobbing his head in time with the beat. “Catchy.”

“I know, right!” Vinyl beamed, lying along her bed, head against the wall. “It just flows...perfectly.”

“Eeyup.”

The two sat, allowing the music to echo around the room. The bass thumped along, keeping it’s mood and pace while also varying technique. She let the record play in the background, filling the area well, allowing for conversation.

“So...how was school?”

Mac chuckled. “I dunno, fine Ah guess.”

“Fine?” Vinyl said skeptically. “Most guys would be at least a little surprised when the head cheerleader asks them out unexpectedly.”

Mac shrugged. “Ah ain’t most guys.”

No...no you’re not. Vinyl worked her way up the bed, her back now against the wall. “You don’t sound that excited...”

“Well, Ah guess it’s cause there’s nothin‘ to be excited about yet” replied Macintosh. “Ah mean, it’s just a date. Ah been on dates before.” Mac reached upwards, cracking his shoulders as he placed his hands around his head. “We’ll see what happens. If she wants ta keep going, and Ah want to too, then that’s what’ll happen.”

“That’s one way to look at it.” Vinyl grabbed the case of records, flipping through it randomly. “Here, check this out.” Vinyl sat up, sliding off the bed and replacing the record with a different, newer one. “Try this one on for size” Vinyl grinned.

With Mac gone, Vinyl laid under her sheets, deep in thought. The night was upon Ponyville, stars lighting up the dim streets below. She stared at the ceiling, something she found herself doing a lot the past few nights. This is gonna be weird, Vinyl thought. Stupid cheerleader...she probably only had to shake her ass or... she drowned out that thought quickly. Mac wouldn’t do that, just ...go out with her because of something like that, she told herself. Maybe Flitter really isn’t so bad, despite the evidence. Mac’s really good at reading people; maybe I just need to get to know her better. Vinyl closed her eyes, hoping everything she thought about Mac's new girlfriend was untrue.