Two Burning Stars Chasing The Day

by FoolAmongTheStars

4. nothing to lose, but losing anyways

Starlight flinched as she shifted the backpack on her shoulders, leaning against the wall next to the front door. Some students gave her funny looks as they walked past, but she really couldn’t care less. It’s not like anything they could do to her was worse than what she already experienced. She focused on breathing instead, even if it hurt to do so.

She waited for Sunburst to catch up to her, his bag bouncing against his hip as he walked. He greeted her with a smile that she returned. It was for the best that he didn’t know how much pain she was in.

“Morning, Starlight,” Sunburst greeted, his orange hair as messy as always, the sun hitting the top and making it glow golden.

“Morning,” she said, gesturing with her head to get inside. It was better if he walked in first so that he wouldn’t notice the slight limp in her step. She’d done this before, but making sure Sunburst didn’t notice her odd behavior was always a chore. They didn’t have class together today, something that she took as a small blessing, so they stopped at her classroom first to chat, which was a few doors down from Sunburst’s class.

“See you at lunch?” He asked gently, tilting his head at the question.

And for the life of her, Starlight never understood why he always asked. It wasn’t like she would say no, as if she had anywhere else to be. What would she do without him? Still, she nodded and told him to save her a seat, before they parted ways with the sound of the final ring of the bell.

Her ribs hurt, and she wondered if one of them was cracked. She prayed to whoever cared for that to not be the case, so far, she had been able to hide it and bear with the pain.

If she made it through the day without fainting, it would be a miracle.

---

Sunburst’s least favorite subjects were algebra and science because neither of them made sense to him. These were his first two classes for the day, and the fact that he had them so early in the morning made them feel never-ending. Today especially felt like the teachers had decided to make each slide twice as boring and twice as long, and as the teachers' drone on about their subjects, Sunburst found himself staring out the window in a daydream.

Yesterday had been amazing. Fluttershy took a shine to Starlight, he could tell. The old woman was kind, but very few people gave her credit for being smart as well. She cared for people and took in any stray animal that came through her door, such kindness was what his best friend needed, if only because she was a little lost too.

But there was still something that Starlight was hiding. Sunburst could never put his finger on it, all he knew was that it was there and Starlight refused to tell him for some reason. He saw it only when Starlight was at her most unguarded, her most vulnerable, when she would fall asleep in his bed and Sunburst woke her with a gentle murmur that she had to leave before his mother showed up, or when she walked up to school before she saw him, her face would be withdrawn, pained. Sunburst never asked, never comment on it, she just…needed to get through whatever was bothering her.

He believed that if it was truly important, Starlight would tell him.

Class finally ended and Sunburst gathered his things before he headed for the hall. He left in a hurry, so the hallways weren’t as crowded as they could be, but there were a few students running towards something around the corner, the noise growing louder as he drew closer…

His stomach turned; his heart stopped before it restarted with double the speed, something in him knew before he even saw it.

Sunburst ran towards the growing, rowdy crowd.

---

It was things like these that pissed off Starlight to no end.

She was known as the bad girl, the girl that plagued the quaint town of Sire’s Hollow. People avoided her out of principal, and if they talked about her, it was always behind her back. So what? They can say and believe whatever they wanted because she wouldn’t be here for much longer. She only had a few months left until she was free, until her eighteen birthday and graduation when she was finally old enough to live on her own.

But this was different, something that Starlight couldn’t run away from or ignore.

She ducked her head as a fist whizzed past her and smashed into the locker behind her. Starlight whirled, elbowing another attacker in the stomach hard enough to make the girl fall to her knees, and stepped back towards the edge of the circle of bystanders.

Adagio Dazzle, the biggest bitch the school had ever seen, swore and shook her hand, ignoring the moan of pain coming from Gilda still kneeling on the floor and clutching her stomach. She shot Starlight a look of pure hatred. “What, are you going to run away now?”

For a moment, Starlight wondered if she could. Even with her busted ribs, she could push past the crowd and escape, but the last time she tried, the principal sternly reprimanded her for supposedly attacking other students. It didn’t matter what she did—fighting bystanders to break free or beat on Adagio until she was black and blue—she was screwed, especially when the blame of the fight would be placed on her shoulders no matter what she said.

“And miss the opportunity to rip off those fake-ass extensions from your head? Not a chance.” Starlight shot back.

This was ridiculous, the history between her and Adagio was so convoluted that Starlight had given up trying to make sense of it. All that mattered was that Adagio hated her guts and picked on her on a regular basis, she was the only one that dared to do so, she was the only one with a group of friends stupid enough to do whatever she said.

Adagio screamed and lunged at her. Her hands gripped Starlight’s throat and she used the momentum to throw her to the floor. The breath was knocked out of her, the pain in her ribs almost making her blackout, but still, she struggled against Adagio’s hold. Going against her instinct to cradle her aching ribs, she twisted and managed to toss Adagio to the side, standing up as quickly as she could. The pain nearly made her puke, but she ignored it and backed up against the lockers, waiting.

Adagio was so predictable that she would have laughed if she could, instead, Starlight ducked just in time to avoid a punch to the face, throwing her fist to uppercut Adagio in the jaw. The blonde stumbled, dazed, and Starlight slammed into her and pushed her against the lockers on the opposite wall.

The resounding sound of crashing metal drowned out the jeers of the crowd and Sunburst’s screams for her to stop.

---

“Stop! Break it up! Stop this now!”

Sunburst watched as Starlight let go of Adagio immediately. The girl’s face was contorted in what looked like pain. He didn’t see any blood or bruises, but Sunburst hadn’t been there for the whole fight.

“What are you fighting about this time?” Mrs. Mi Amore Cadenza said, standing in the middle as she looked between Adagio and Starlight, the two girls eerily quiet now. “Well? I’m waiting.”

“As if you would believe me,” Starlight muttered, leaning against the wall and glaring at Adagio. Sunburst pushed through the crowd, trying to get to her. Her breathing was ragged, chest rising in and out in staccato bursts, her face pale and sweating despite the fight. She was really hurt. “She and Gilda walked out of class the same time I did and attacked me.”

“She’s lying Mrs. Mi Amore,” Adagio spat back, cradling her head. “I don’t give a shit about her, she punched me first!”

Sunburst felt his anger bubble up because this happened every time. With one final shove, he pushed through the barrier of students and got to Starlight, standing by her side and glaring. “This is not the first time you ganged up on her,” he said firmly, ignoring the judging eyes of his classmates and Starlight’s surprised expression.

He had seen it before, last month actually, Adagio and her posey attacked Starlight right in front of his eyes. Luckily, he had been there to get her out before things escalated, but who knew how many times they cornered her and assaulted her with no one stepping in to help her.

Adagio rolled her eyes. “Oh goody, your boyfriend has come to save you.”

“He’s not my—!"

“Enough,” Mrs. Mi Amore said, glowering at the two girls. “Adagio, take Gilda to the nurse’s office, Starlight, come with me.”

“What?” Sunburst yelled, stomping his foot as he slid in front of her. He was stupid to think that he could protect her, but he’d be damned if the teacher blamed his best friend for something she didn’t do. “That’s not fair—!"

“You too, Sunburst,” the teacher said, giving them both stern looks before glaring at the crowd. No one had to be told twice and soon the students dispersed, with Starlight and Sunburst following her to the principal’s office.

“What the hell were you thinking?” Starlight hissed. “Now you’re going to get in trouble and your mom—”

“Will understand.” Sunburst interrupted, even though he knew that the opposite was true. His mother never seemed to be reasonable when Starlight was concerned—the only point of contention between them that Sunburst couldn’t mend.

---

Starlight scoffed. Stellar Flare would be just as understanding as the previous times, which hadn’t ended well. She turned her attention from her friend to the teacher walking only a few steps ahead.

Mrs. Mi Amore Cadenza was a new teacher, having only started earlier this year. Starlight had her for English class, though she had said no more than five words to her during all this time. She was one of the younger teachers, a bit more fresh-faced and easier to deal with than the others. However, she was more than familiar with the scuffles between her and Adagio so there was no getting away from this.

When the teacher turned towards an empty classroom, flicking the lights on and halting the journey to the principal’s office, Starlight frowned and stopped, forcing Sunburst to do the same. Mrs. Mi Amore looked at them expectantly, light purple eyes matching her pale features perfectly. “Come on in, the principal’s office is always busy at this hour, so let's talk first.”

“We didn’t do anything,” Sunburst mumbled, protesting even as he entered the room. He was too much of a goody-two-shoes to disobey orders from an authority figure, even with Starlight at his side. She was glad about it all the same.

“Starlight,” the teacher warned, and with great reluctance Starlight stepped inside, closing the door behind her. Mrs. Mi Amore took a seat in one of the student’s chairs, avoiding the teacher’s desk entirely, gesturing with her hand to take a seat as well. “This will go by a lot faster if you just listen.”

Starlight clenched her jaw but did as she was told, afraid that if she caused more trouble, Sunburst would be blamed as well. Usually, the young teacher only witnessed the fights, letting the other teachers handle the mess that Starlight made as they dragged her to the principal’s office. Never had she taken such a direct approach, and Starlight was wary, unsure of what the teacher had planned. Her priority now was to make sure that Sunburst got out of this scot-free. Not that he would let her.

“Want to tell me what happened back there?” Mrs. Mi Amore said, staring directly at Starlight.

Starlight scowled. “As if you didn’t hear me the first time.”

“Tell me again.”

If Starlight clenched her jaw any harder, she was sure that her teeth would shatter. She felt Sunburst nudge her gently, his big blue eyes giving her a worried look. Sunburst rarely worried about himself, the thought made her head hurt a little, so she opened her mouth to say the only thing that would let Sunburst get out of here.

“Fine. I punched Adagio first and then Gilda retaliated, is that what you want to hear? Then yes, I started it, but Sunburst had nothing to do with it.”

The words tasted sour in her mouth but she would say them if she had to, if it let Sunburst free of the hook. Mrs. Mi Amore had no right to drag him into this mess just because he stood up for her. She’d make sure that he was spared of any punishment she’d got.

She wouldn’t take any chances. Sunburst was too important.

---

Sunburst couldn’t believe what he just heard. He nudged her even harder, wanting to grab her shoulders and shake her as hard as possible. She always made things harder for herself, he knew that, but this was an entirely new level and he refused to let her sink that low for something so trivial.

“Are you stupid?! You did no such thing! I know you didn’t!” He turned towards the teacher. “Adagio does this all the time, she’s done this ever since the ninth grade, it’s not Starlight’s fault, she—"

Mrs. Mi Amore put her hand up, cutting Sunburst off with a wave. “I know she didn’t start it,” she said, purple eyes fixed on Starlight’s face.

Sunburst watched the exchange quietly, all of the sudden wondering what the teacher was seeing. Not many people paid attention to Starlight, so this was…different. He wanted to say something, to break the tense silence that had taken over the classroom, so when the teacher spoke up, he listened, trying to understand something that was just out of his reach.

“I know you’re lying Starlight, and it’s not the wisest choice,” the teacher commented lightly, clasping her hands together. “I’d rather hear the actual truth, but if it helps, you and Sunburst aren’t in trouble, per se.”

Starlight scowled. “Per se? Want to add any more fancy words to twist everything around? Look, let Sunburst go and I’ll tell you what you want to know. I don’t give a shit anymore.”

“I’m not leaving,” Sunburst blurted out, gripping the bottom of his chair tightly as if they would pull him out at any moment. “Starlight, don’t make this any harder—”

“Harder?” Starlight snapped, her blue eyes blazing and focused on him. He has never seen her so upset, so closed in on herself, something must have happened with Adagio earlier, or had this been going on since earlier this morning? He noticed that she seemed a little off today, but he never suspected that it was this bad. She must have seen the shock and worry in his face since her voice softened as she spoke. “I just don’t want you to get in trouble.”

Mrs. Mi Amore sighed. “Neither of you are getting into any trouble if you would just let me explain,” she stated, a little exasperated. “If Miss Dazzle is really such an issue in this school, I’d like to see that something is done about it.”

Sunburst stopped, turning to the teacher. “Then why did you bring me here instead of Adagio?”

The teacher smiled, looking far too young for her age. “You think that anything would get done if I did?”

She had a point. He turned to Starlight, watching the anger simmer in those blue orbs. He desperately wanted to know what she was thinking, what was going on inside her head, but her mask was on, he could tell by the way her face was smoothed out of any emotion. Though he wondered if she was surprised by this turn of events—people didn’t do things for her just because, didn’t go out of their way to help her, she was probably wary of the teacher’s intentions.

“No,” Starlight said with finality. “There’s nothing you can do, Adagio is pissed about something that happened years ago, something that’s no one’s fault. She’s just being a bitch; I can deal with it.”

Mrs. Mi Amore’s smile fell considerably, changing into a questioning frown that did little to hide her confusion. The two stared at each other, bright purple against stormy blue, until the teacher finally stood up. “Go to the nurse’s station, Starlight.”

“I don’t—”

“And I’ll come with you to make sure that you do,” her tone left little room for argument, and Sunburst wondered what this teacher saw in Starlight that the others didn’t. Sunburst knew that there was more to Starlight than what met the eye, but no one bothered to look closer.

Mrs. Mi Amore felt otherwise, apparently.

“But it’s lunchtime,” Starlight tried to argue, looking at Sunburst with a desperation he couldn’t understand. “I’ll go after school is over.”

“I’m sure Sunburst can handle himself for the rest of the day,” the teacher said gently, turning sympathetic eyes to them. “Please, stop fighting me on this, or I’ll have to take this meeting to the principal’s office.”

Sunburst could see that she was telling the truth, even if it kind of sounded like blackmail. He lightly touched the back of Starlight’s hand, getting the girl’s attention. “I’ll see you after school, alright?” he assured her, trying to get Starlight to cooperate with the teacher. Starlight might not trust her, but Sunburst could tell that she was on his side—their side. It would be for her benefit if Starlight didn’t turn down every person that tried to help her.

“…Fine,” Starlight mumbled with a roll of her eyes. “I’ll see you later.”

She reached out and touched his hand, just lightly, the touch barely noticeable, but Sunburst felt the light warmth of her skin anyway, felt the hesitation. It looked like she wanted to say more, to do something, but couldn’t.

“Later,” he whispered. Mrs. Mi Amore was there, and though she was not openly staring, he could tell that the exchange didn’t go unnoticed.

Starlight sighed and walked out of the classroom with the teacher escorting her. Sunburst stood alone in the empty room, taking a moment to breathe deeply in and out, reeling in his anxiety and the adrenaline still coursing through his veins. He had a feeling that if he moved right now, he would run after Starlight and do something stupid.

Once he had control of his senses again, he turned off the lights and left the classroom. He only had a few more minutes before class resumed.

Comments

[Shiny Kelp]

10935064
Yeah it's definitely that one haha. I'm still positive that I've seen the trope used somewhere else, and memory may or may not have wrongly attributed it to you so... Oops.
Irregardless, I'll give your other works a chance at some point (and I really do mean at some point, my list of read-it-laters is a triple digit number, no joke).