Beats per minute

by TheBigJ

Welcome to Canterlot High

The sun shined magnificent on a sky without clouds. The birds singing, and the sound of the wind against the trees made all of this a truly picturesque scene. This condition could be applied almost everywhere, except in Vinyl's room, where the girl moved like a tornado searching for everything she would need that day. To comprehend this behavior, we should go back a few hours. Vinyl, full of energy and inspiration, spent the entire night working on new songs, both lyrics and music, stopping only when she needed a drink or a quick visit to the bathroom. She fell asleep somewhere between dawn and morning, with her headphones on and music playing through them, reason why she couldn't hear the phone's alarm clock or her mother calling from downstairs. A good thirty minutes after her original wake up hour, Vinyl finally woke up thanks to her mother, who invaded the room like a cannon ball causing the girl to fall from her seat scared and confused.

Upon realizing her delay, which was about a couple of minutes after waking up, Vinyl went overdrive to make up for lost time. She started with her personal hygiene, brushing her teeth at the same time as she was taking a bath to save some time. Undoubtedly, that shower was on her list of the five fastest of her life, followed by the choice of her wardrobe, which for her was quite easy. Choosing jeans, a white T-shirt adorned with an electric blue Eight-bar note and a light blue jacket as her outfit for the day, she rushed through her room, looking out for anything she would need, including her backpack, books, cell phone, headphones, shades, a portable video game, her lyric's book... She even decided to leave a few scholary books to make enough space for the rest of things, after all, the first day is easy and chill, right?

Several minutes later Vinyl finally went downstairs, joining her family with breakfast. As the last one to start, she would have to hurry up eating, chewing up a spoon after spoon full of cereal and milk, because no one is old for cereal and milk. Gulping down the last spoon of food, she said goodbye to her mother and ran to join her father and brother, who were already inside his car.

"Hey! You could at least wait for me at the table, you know?" Vinyl said between long breaths, trying to recover from the run and the fact that she just ate a bowl full cereal in mere seconds. Both her father and brother failed to contain a laugh. "I almost choke out out there! Just imagine it: Dead by cereal. That's not cool dad."

"I told you to be ready early, is not my fault if you didn't wake up on time." Vinyl's father said calmly, starting the engine of the vehicle. Vinyl huffed, admitting defeat by scratching her head. The man drove silently, but not serious, deciding to listen to listen to the radio. "What about Lyra? Is she ready?"

"Yeah, she just texted me." Vinyl said checking her phone. "She says that she is waiting on the sidewalk, cold, lonely, like a homeless girl. She literally said that..."

"Same old Lyra..."

"Same old Lyra..." Vinyl nodded to her father. He drove for a few more minutes until they arrived to their first destination, where they could see Lyra waiting, in fact, sitting on the sidewalk with her legs crossed and her arms clenching firmly onto her backpack. The car stopped in front of her, who jumped up quickly, opening the back door and sliding into the vehicle.

"Hey, what happened to you? You didn't answer me when I wrote to you earlier, did you fall asleep?" Lyra asked, extending a hand to ruffle Vinyl's hair, causing her to turn around in a failed attempt to take revenge. "How is everything Mr. Mix? How's the restaurant going?"

"Glad to see you, Lyra. The restaurant is going pretty well as always!" Vinyl's father gave a cheerful laugh. "Thanks for asking. How are your parents?"

"Well, I can't complain, Dad is still traveling, and Mom is quite busy between her work and the house..."

"That must be lonely..." Bass Line intervened to everyone's surprise.

Usually, although he got along well with Vinyl's friends, he preferred not to get into the conflicts and conversations they and his sister had.

"Hey! What's up buddy? I almost forgot you were there!" Lyra greeted the boy with a complex shake of hands, which with incredible skill, both executed perfectly. "Today you start high school, right?" Base Line nodded. "Well... Welcome to Canterlot High, I tell you that you're going to get bored in class, I warn you in advance!"

"Oh, come on Lyra! Not all classes are boring..." Vinyl intervened turning to see her friend, who shrugs casually. "The music class is pretty good."

"The music class doesn't count, it doesn't even have tests!"

"Ok, but compared to the others, it's pretty good."

"Oh, come on!" Lyra said almost screaming. "Even P.E. Is good compared to the other classes."

"P.E. Is horrible and you know it." Vinyl lets out a long sigh, resting his head on the back of the seat. "I'd rather spend a whole day watching classes with Miss Zecora than spending an hour with Bulk 'Steroids' and his screams..."

"Well girls, what do you think if you continue your conversation outside, we're here." The car stopped in front of the high school gardens. Vinyl, Lyra and Bass got out of the vehicle, and Vinyl's father under his window to say goodbye to everyone.

After seeing how the car disappeared in the distance, the group turned around, deciding to move towards the huge building. The facilities were, without a doubt, quite elegant and extravagant, especially because of the huge statue of a steed that served as a symbol of the school, which stood majestically over the surrounding gardens.

The group decided to stand on the stairs at the entrance, continuing the previous conversation about the teachers and subjects that Bass Line should avoid. Without realizing it, a bell rang indicating the near start of activities. Bass Line decided to move forward quickly, leaving the girls behind, who climbed the stairs without much trouble. Just upon reaching the last step, Vinyl heard the sound of an engine behind her. She looked back without stopping, spotting an elegant black car that parked near the entrance.

"Who the hell will it be?" Vinyl said softly, drawing the attention of Lyra, who was holding the door open for Vinyl.

"I don't know, I guess some new guy from C.P.A. ... Come on, we'll be late, and I don't want to be in the principal's office on the first day."
Vinyl shrugged, following her friend inside the building. "So what is the first class?" The blue-haired girl decided to check the schedule on her phone, finding the right class and instantly regretting having found it. She closed her eyes tightly as she threw her head back and let out a growl.

"Math..." Vinyl said in an agonizing tone. Lyra accompanied her in her suffering, covering her face with her hands. Resigned to two hours of boredom, the girls used the time it took them to reach the corresponding classroom to prepare psychologically.

The girls entered the classroom, choosing their desks at the back of the room, sitting side by side so that they could talk smoothly during class. Neither were very applied in the subjects, and less in those where numbers and accounts were the main subject; Vinyl in particular had a certain preference for classes where reading and writing was important, the other assignments were nothing but a nuisance to her. She was not interested at all, partly because in her opinion they were not fun, and on the other hand, she always had many problems for calculations and problem solving, causing her many disagreements with the teachers.

"Hey, you are here!" A girl with curly navy blue and pink hair beamed to them across the room, approaching in a fast motion. Her name was Bon-Bon, and she has been a long time friend of Vinyl and Lyra, they met years back in one class and hung together ever since. Both girls hugged Bon-Bon tightly, letting the girl sit in one of the desk near them. "How have you been? I missed you girls so much!" Lyra's smile grows wider, blushing a little.

"Miss ya' too Bonnie, how was your summer?"

"Well, my family and I had a trip to the countryside, it was nice, the fresh air, the landscapes and so... I can't complain, but I wish I spent more time with you two." Bon-Bon smiled softly just before shaking her head. "Anyway, how about your summer? You two had fun?"

"Nothing too special. I spent most of the time trying to teach this dumbass a thing or two about how to play the guitar." Vinyl joked, receiving a soft punch in the shoulder.

The sound of the door opening made all the students to be quiet and sit on their respective desk. A short, fat man with messy gray hair and a full beard of the same color entered the classroom, adjusting his glasses with a hand, while the other carried books of many sizes. The man placed the books over his desk, and stood in the middle of the room so everyone could see him, and after stroking his beard, he cleared his throat obtaining the attention of the class.

"Good morning everyone, my name is Epsilon, though I would have to ask you to call me Professor Epsilon." Vinyl lost all interest in what the professor was saying; she already knew what was all about: He would be the math professor, he was excited for this course and he expected for everyone to effort themselves, so everyone could be great professionals someday... Same old speech. Vinyl turned to face the window, trying to find something more interesting to see outside, barely listening to the man. "... And if you do that, someday you would become great professionals just like myself!"

Outside the room, Octavia waited patiently in the hall, listening to the speech of Epsilon. The corner of her mouth lifted, recognizing the same lines said by many teachers and professor she met. So far, Octavia was pleased with the institution, the principal was nice and had funny, wavy hair, and Epsilon was very optimistic and interesting, or at least that is what she could say after talking to him earlier. Minutes passed by, and she could hear the different students, introducing themselves out loud to the rest of the class; she became rather nervous, being new in a school was something that still caused anxiety to her, and knowing that soon she would be introduced to everyone didn't help her.

"Alright class, now that everyone has introduced themselves, before beginning with the real stuff, I have to make an announcement." Octavia gulped as the professor opened the door so she could enter into the room. She hesitated for an instant, but soon advanced till the middle of the room, revealing herself to the entire classroom. "As you can already tell, we have a new student with us. Would you be so kind to introduce yourself to everyone?" Epsilon asked in his characteristic optimistic voice, and Octavia nodded gracefully, already obtaining the attention of the class, especially the boys, who were watching at her very closely, making Octavia feel more than uncomfortable.

"Good morning everyone, my name is Octavia, pleased to meet you." Octavia said with confidence, adding a soft smile at the end. She was about to look out for a desk when she was held by the professor.

"Oh, come on Octavia, tell us more about you! I can see everyone wants to know more about you!" Octavia closed her eyes in frustration, but quickly nodded and returned to her later attitude.

"Very well, I was born here in Canterlot, but due to my father's job, I have lived in many places around the country. I am seventeen years old, I am a single child, and I have been studying music since I was three years old..." Vinyl, who was immersed in the world outside the classroom, was brought back by the mention of music. She turned to see Octavia standing straight, full of grace and beauty, her black hair reaching till her lower back, and holding a pose that transmitted discipline and solemnity. "In fact, I am skilled in many string instruments, but my main preference is the cello.". Vinyl made a mental note to talk this girl later. Octavia ended, and Epsilon let her go with a nod.

"Alright class, I hope you guys are ready... I assume you already know the process of factoritation, but so we all can be sure, let's have a small talk about it!" The entire class growled, making the start of the first hours of the new year.

---

"That class lasted forever! Professor Discord is crazy, I almost prefer Epsilon!" Lyra spoke loudly while stretching her arms over her head. She was leaving the classroom accompanied by Vinyl, who yawned after taking a short nap during class. The girls walked through the halls, heading to the cafeteria to rest and eat something before the next block. "Seriously, another hour talking about chaos theory and I jump through the window..."

"I think that theory is not even a matter of study this year..." Vinyl added, letting out a long sigh. The girls entered the cafeteria, waiting in line for their turn in the food bar. The girls did not last long choosing their meals, opting each one for a functional burger and drinks, and then sitting at a table in the back of the area.

"Do you think these burgers are made of horse meat?" Lyra said biting her meal.

"Well, Dad says he sometimes uses horse meat in the restaurant, but I don't know about here." Vinyl answered chewing down a portion of her burger. "I'm not even sure if it's meat at all..."

"It tastes good, at least... Hey, do you know where is Bon-Bon?" Vinyl shook her head, choosing to not speak with food inside her mouth. "Hope she finds us here. What about the new girl? She seems kinda odd, with her bow tie and that whole thing about the cello. What was her name? Octovia, Octava?"

"Is Octavia..."

Lyra and Vinyl almost choke hearing the voice behind them. A few seconds later, once they could breathe normally, the girls turned around to see the familiar face of Bon-Bon accompanied by the new face of Octavia. Vinyl could barely hold a laugh seeing how the color drained from Lyra's face.

"Hi girls! I invited Octavia to eat with us." The girl sat in front of Lyra, followed by Octavia, who strangely maintained an air of class and order despite her smile.

"H-Hey! Octavia, listen, you see... it's that your name... I got confused, and well..." Lyra avoided at all costs making eye contact with Octavia, causing Vinyl and Bon-Bon to laugh.

"There is no need to worry, I understand perfectly. Nice to meet you, Lyra, right?" The mint haired girl nodded as she shook Octavia's hand. "So, you must be Vinyl, pleased-" Octavia was interrupted by a strong handshake from Vinyl.

"What's up Octavia? Welcome to C.H." Vinyl offered a huge smile, an act that was answered by Octavia in the same way despite the pain in his hand. "So, how are you doing so far?" The blue-haired girl asked before taking a big bite of her hamburger.

"So far I can not complain. Everyone seems very friendly, and the classes are interesting, although I must admit that there are teachers who are somewhat ..."

"Weirds?"

"Crazy?"

"Insane?" Vinyl, Bon-Bon and Lyra talked without even stopping to eat, seeing Octavia as waiting for some kind of reaction. Octavia took a second to process and return to the subject, taking a sip of his drink.

"I was thinking more about unusual, but I think their definitions also apply." The girls laughed, making Octavia feel a little more comfortable and welcome in the group.

"You'll get used to it..." Lyra said waving a hand.

"I heard you say that you study music, and that you play the cello..." Octavia nodded to Vinyl's comment. "Do you play anything other than classic?"

"To be honest, I never tried it. I know and listen to different musical styles, but so far I only practice classical." Vinyl nodded in understanding, reclining in his chair. Lyra and Bon-Bon seemed more interested in talking about their vacations than in the conversation, so Octavia preferred to keep talking to Vinyl. "And you play some instrument?"

"Yep, it will seem mainstream, but I rock with the guitar!" Vinyl formed a smirk, scratching his nose. "I also do mixes on the computer, a bit of electronic and that stuff..."

"I see, so you dedicate yourself to rock, am I correct?

"Punk to be precise, but yes, I make that kind of music since I can remember." Octavia nodded. The girls continued talking during the rest of the lunch, with bad jokes from Vinyl, several cruel comments from Lyra about the teachers, and constant apologies from Bon-Bon for her friends. Octavia was smiling at all times. Until that moment, her first day at Canterlot High was going spectacularly.

Author's Note:

Hi y'all, how is everything? I hope you guys are doing well in your lives! Well, second chapter ready, and I must apologize to you for a couple of things.

First the delay: my intention was to publish it sooner, since I had more than half done when I published the first chapter, but I chose the worst week to start, since between several exams at the university and having to catch up with RWBY (OMG what a season...), I haven't had a long of time to write and edit.

Second, the long notes... What can I say? I like to tell you what happens although most of you are not interested, that's me!

Anyway, speaking of chapter itself, I consider that I am quite well, and I would like to say that I have an incredible reason why I chose those names for Vinyl's brother and father, but the truth is that it was the first thing that didn't ... And as for Professor Epsilon, he is inspired by a math teacher I had in high school.

Well, closing (since this note is already quite long), comment if you like the chapter and the story so far, remember that that way I can make corrections if necessary!

Without further ado, I say goodbye and hope to see you here in the next chapter!

A hug to y'all!