Shutter
A pale purple filly sat with blonde mane fading into a hot pink ombre on the bottom, Lilac was sitting at the lunch table with her friend, Duke. They both sat around eating their lunches. Lilac recently had a fight with dorm mate, Scarlett. Duke moved his golden brown mane out of his blue eyes with a gray coat.
About her "borrowing’ without permission Lilac's belongings. The fight escalated very quickly and a teacher had to break it up before a brawl broke out. Leaving both girls with a warning from the headmaster and one last chance or there will be consequences.
Lilac was catching Duke up with the news. Duke laughed his head off. Lilac rolled her eyes at him because of how loud he was. But really who cares? They weren’t bothering anyone.
“I’m so glad that I never had a fight with my r-roommate like that”. Duke remarked with his stammer. Thought he was getting better at controlling it but still has the occasional slip: ”She sounds crazy”.
“Oh, she’s insane, I hate her”. Lilac agreed. “My little sister wouldn't even do that and she’s ten”.
“What was the fight about anyway?”
“It was so stupid, I went to the bathroom for maybe fifteen minutes and when I got back I saw her going through my jewelry box where I keep my nose rings. Her nose isn’t even pierced. I then asked her nicely to stop and let’s say it got really ugly really fast. The next thing I knew I was in the headmaster’s office with her. He said if I get in another fight I'm getting expelled.” Lilac said,
“Seriously?” Duke said in doubt. “Well don’t in any more fights, the school would suck without you”.
“Thanks, Duke”. Lilac said, blushing a bit.
“Aw how cute, the cripple has a filly-friend” A familiar voice said. Referring to Duke’s prosthetic front leg resting on the table. A rosy red colored filly with light creamy mane, it was Scarlet of course with her friend, Rose that laughed at the slur.
Duke removed his fake leg to hide it. Lilac stared at Scarlett in disbelief. That was just low, even for her. Ever since they both been roommates at the beginning of the year, Scarlett had been treating her like dirt and she’s getting fed up with her.
“Excuse me, I wasn’t talking to you” Lilac defended her friend. “And I think you owe Duke an apology.” Lilac remind herself to remain calm and to hold back not to her temper in the cafeteria. She had wanted to punch Scarlet in the face with all her might and break her nose since day one.
“Sad. How Duke needs his filly-friend to stand up for him’. Scarlett insulted.
“S-shut up”. Duke said, not having any control of his stutter. Scarlet and her friend, Rose burst out laughing at that.
“L-learn t-to t-talk, r-retard”. Rose mocked. She did a hot pink hair flip with a pale green coat.
Duke gave to no response as he got up from the table. He had no witty comeback like he normally would. This was completely unlike him.
“Duke, where are you going?” Lilac called after him.
Duke had no answer as walked pass Scarlett and Rose. Due to Duke’s prosthetic leg, he sometimes had trouble keeping balance. He tends to fall a lot. Scarlett put out her hoof when he passes by her. Duke didn’t see her and tripped right over and took a hard fall.
Brutal laughter filled the two fillies. Lilac watched the two in total shock, she never witness such cruelty before. She didn’t move from her seat, she had to process the scene for a minute. What really disturbed her more was no one tried to stop it. Not even the lunchroom supervisor. That was his one job, to put an end to it and all he was doing reading a newspaper. Lilac really hoped he’d lose his job.
However Lilac couldn’t wait for the moron any longer. She just couldn’t sit and look pretty any longer. She got up to help and made a beeline for Duke. She pulled back on his feet.
“Duke, let’s go”. Lilac whispered to him. Duke nodded.
“Oh cute, the motherless freak is going to make out with the c-crippled”. Scarlett teased, getting a little louder. That did it; something in Lilac finally snapped and lost her composition and went up to Scarlett. Her anger never been this intense before and losing her control, she took right hoof and decked her in the nose. Scarlett fell over from the force with a bloody nose.
“The hell is wrong with you’? Rose yelled.
“Screw off”. Lilac said. “You crazy bitch”,
The bell rang ended the lunch hour. Duke and Lilac both left to head to English class. She had better things to do than deal then Scarlett’s drama. Thank goodness Rose or Scarlett won’t in their class. She might lose her mind even more if she sees them again.
***
In English class Lilac was listening the teacher discuss a boring book about something to do with couple drinking a poisonous drink and killing of both. She honestly didn’t care. These two sound completely stupid to her to be truthful. All sudden there was an announcement over the PA system.
“Lilac Dash and Duke Ride, please come to the office immediately, thank you”.
The whole class burst in a ”Ooo” as Lilac and Duke headed for the door.
***
Once the two entered the office. The school’s receptionist told them to the headmaster’s office. Scarlett held a bloody tissue to her nose and very noticeable black eye with her friend, Rose sitting next to her. Lilac smiled to herself, she got what she deserved. Making fun of a disabled
pony is the lowest of the low.
“Duke and Lilac, take a seat”, Mr. Arthur, the headmaster said, gesturing to the empty chairs beside Scarlett. A young looking headmaster, maybe in his mid-twenties. Once they took had their seats, he continued. “I understand that there was a disturbance in the cafeteria. Ending in violence. Would you mind filling me in?”
The four reminded silent,
“I see” Mr. Arthur said, pushing up his glasses. “Well no one is leaving until I get answers. I hope you all don’t have any plans tonight”.
After the threat suddenly everyone had a lot to talk about.
“Lilac punched me in the face”. Scarlett whined.
“Well started it when you tripped Duke and called me a motherless freak”. Lilac barked.
“So that makes it okay to punch her in the face”? Rose argued.
“W-well maybe if, t-his w-wouldn’t h-h-have happen if you two would j-just left u-us alone in the first p-place- ” Duke pointed out.
“ENOUGH!” Mr. Arthur interrupted the bickering teenagers. “One pony will talk at a time.” He turned his attention to Scarlett. “Scarlett, why were you and Rose hassling Duke and Lilac?”
“I don’t know”. Scarlett replied, giving the headmaster a bit of attitude. “Because I felt like it I guess”
“So your telling me that you pestered a disabled student by calling him offensive names and tripping him because you felt like it”? Mr. Arthur questioned. “I don’t buy that”.
Scarlett rolled her eyes at him. “Whatever”.
“I’ll deal you later”. Mr. Arthur flatly said. “Could everyone please wait outside the office for a bit? I would like to chat with Lilac for a moment alone”.
As Duke got up, he mouthed “good luck” as he left. Scarlett whispered something in Rose’s ear and the two burst out in laughter. Then they exited the room and closing the door them. Mr. Arthur sighed.
“Lilac, this is the second fight you had today. After we gave you a warning about it and if it’s continues you’ll be expelled”. We suspended you for a week and sent you home as punishment when you had another fight with Scarlett. He paused for a moment. “And I’m afraid I have to follow through with what we told you.
“What do you mean?’ Lilac said, being a bit slow to catch on.
“You are expelled from Ecole De Pilotage. You’re leaving by Sunday”.
“What?” How come I'm getting expelled and Scarlet and Rose are getting off Scott-free?’ Lilac ranted,
“Those two I’ll deal with later but that’s not the point, the violence showed today is unaccepted and I won’t tolerate it in the school. You go back to class now”. Mr. Arthur lacked sympathy in his voice.
“Okay.” Lilac nodded “I understand”. She held back emotion as she exited the office.
“Oh can you send the others back in”. Mr. Arthur called out. Lilac gave another nod.
“Mr. Arthur wants you two back in there.” Lilac kept her head low. “Duke, I’ll see you around”.
“A-are y-you al-right”. Duke asked, when he saw that something was up.
“N-no… I mean tell you later”. Lilac said. Not to wanting to tell him when Scarlett and Rose were nearby. Also she felt like she wanted to cry and she wasn’t about to do that right now. “I got class now”.
“Umm, okay”. Duke said. “See you around then”.
***
Instead of class, Lilac later broke out in the girl’s washroom. No one was going to be there because everyone was in class. She hated it when others see her upset. Even when her mother died, she rather dealt it with herself. She needed to get it out of her system first. She knew messed up big time and she was paying a price for it.
However whenever she sees Duke being picking on, she can’t help but to intervene. Not just by Scarlet or Rose bullies him, he terrorized pretty much everyday by some other colts. It sickens her to stand by and watch. Now he's basically on his own.
Duke did tell her once after the school year ends he won’t be coming back here. Who can blame him? Most ponies that go to this school are huge jerks. She would probably do the same too if she was him.
Calming down finally Lilac was ready to go to class. Maybe that would take her mind off things.
***
School ended for the day, Lilac headed to the dormitory, she had to start packing up. He still had no clue what happened. Entered the dorm, she’s alone, Tears rolled her face as she laid down on her bottom bunk bed. She hated her life right now and the stress of today wasn’t helping.
There was no holding back now. Allowed the sobs to come. What did she ever do make Scarlet to hate her so much? All she ever wanted to be her friend but instead constant agreements happen among them, the fights whether verbal or physical puts a total on her. Her dad is never going to forgive her for this. She might as well…
“Knock, knock”.
“Who is it?”
“It’s D-duke. Are you o-okay? I-I d-didn’t see you at d-dinner”. Duke said, through the door. “I-I s-sneaked out some food for you”.
“I’m fine”. Lilac lied, wiping her tears away. “You can come in, Scarlet isn’t here”. Duke asked Lilac to tell him if Scarlett in the dorm because she’ll harass him to no end. Which is why he doesn’t come over that often.
Duke came in the room. “I-I g-got-t you some b-breed”. Duke stammered. He placed the breed wrapped in a napkin on Lilac’s desk. The school doesn’t allow food to be taken out of the cafeteria. But no one follows the rule.
“Thanks Duke, that’s really sweet”. Lilac faked a smile. She completely forgets about her appetite today. “I wasn’t that hungry, I guess”.
“Is every-th-thing al-right?” Duke asked again. Taking a seat next to Lilac in the chair near her bed.
“I got expelled”. Lilac blurted out. She had to tell him eventually, might as well get it over with.
“W-what?” Duke said in disbelief and confusion.
“I’m leaving on Sunday”. Lilac said as she looked on the floor.
“A-are you s-serious?” Duke said. Lilac nodded.
The two stayed quiet. Letting the facts sink in and it would be a long time before they would see each other again. Because Duke lives in Pony Ville and Lilac is in Clouds Dale also there is quite some distance between the towns.
Finally Duke broke the silence. “L-lilac, I-I-l-like y-you”. He nervously confessed.
“Come again”? Lilac blinked. Thinking she must have misheard him. As adorable as his stutter was, it did make him hard to understand occasionally.
“E-ever since you been my friend. You had my back and defended me. Before you, I w-was a-al-ways picked on and d-didn’t’ haven’t that many friends before you c-came along”. Lilac
went silent again. She never thought that Duke would have feelings for her.
“I don’t know what to say”. Lilac hesitated to show her true feelings “I do think you’re a sweetheart and you were there for me when my mom died but-”.
“I understand, you just see me as a friend”. Duke signed. “I-I should go, I have-“… in
mid-sentence Lilac thought fast as she got off the bed moved to the chair and pressed her lips against his.
“I feel the same way”. Lilac smirked and she meant it what she said. Perhaps, it’s the reason why she felt so overprotective of him. It did explain a lot.
“R-really”? Lilac nodded.
‘Yes’. Lilac asked, now she broke the kiss and was sitting on his lap. “How long have you had a crush on me anyway?”
“Awhile now, probably when you first deafened me. ” Duke said. Not sure how to process this, his fantasies were coming true.
“How cute”. Lilac giggled. “Lets move to the bed”. As she gently pulled him out of the chair to her bed, Duke willingly followed her.
Once on the bed, a realization hit her. Was she putting too much pressure on him? Duke was a year older than her but never been in a relationship before unlike her. She had one colt-friend however it was a short lived one. It lasted for four months until he cut things off.
Questions were going through her mind. Should she be doing this with her best friend? Would this wreck their close friendship? Was she going too fast with him? What if she’s taking advantage of him or his disability? She needed to hear a piece of mind to calm her nerves.
“Duke”. Lilac said. Duke had his hoof around her.
“Y-yeah”. He said.
“Are you sure, you want to this?”. Lilac asked. “If you wanna stop that’s…”
Duke pulled her in romantic kiss, locking lips yet again. “D-does that a-answer your-r question”?
“But won’t ruin our friendship?” Lilac said, feeling unsure.
“If w-we won’t know until we try anything”. Duke assured.
Lilac took a deep breath to help relax her before she went any farther, she could be over-thinking this. Maybe having someone that she trusted was better than a one-night stand at party.
“Okay, I guess we could see where things go between us”. Lilac agreed. Duke pushed her carefully on the bed and kissed her again. Lilac wrapped her hooves tightly around his neck. Pulled him in closer, deepening the kiss. She pushed her tongue through their lips. He fought for dominance, as he his tongue went down her throat.
***
Afterwards, Lilac woke up to Duke’s wing wrapped around her asleep. She smiled and kissed him on the check. She looked at the alarm clock; it read “8:22”. She panicked; colts can’t be in the girl’s dorm after “7:30”.
Though she is expelled now she didn’t care that much but she didn’t want to see Duke to be in trouble because of her or have Scarlet see them together like this. Not that she’s ashamed of him or had regrets. She saw this as something that should be kept between them only.
“Duke, Duke”. Lilac said, shaking him awake. “Wake up”.
“W-what is it”. Duke said, half asleep.
“It’s almost “8:30”, you should leave before the hall monitor finds us. Or worse Scarlet”.
“Your right as I hate to admit it”. Duke sighed, unwrapping her. “B-but how do I get out? “I can’t just walk out of the room’.
He had a point there. Lilac thought for a moment, looking around the room for a easy escape. She noticed the window above the desk just big for Duke to sneak out.
“Use the window”. She pointed up.
Duke sighed again; he didn’t look that happy about this. “Y-your kidding me, right? I'm not doing that”.
“Well do want us to get busted?” Lilac said, crossing her hooves over her body.
“No I don’t”. Duke groaned. As he got on the desk Tried to unlocked the latch on the window but it was jammed. “You got to be kidding me” Duke angered
“What is it now?” Lilac said as she felt uneasy. Worried that someone was going walk through the door any moment.
“I-I think it’s stuck”. Duke said, growing more frustrated.
“Then work harder I don’t want us to get caught” Lilac said.
Duke continued to struggle with the lock. With all of his strength, the window still wouldn't move.
Lilac rolled her eyes and flew up on the desk next to Duke. “You need some muscle, boy”. Lilac joked. As she unlatched the lock and opened the window with little to no effort, then pushed the window outwards.
“Quiet you”. Duke, feeling sort of embarrassed that a filly that’s his twice the size of was stronger than him.
“I’m not the one who keeps cutting gym class all the time”. Lilac teased. Duke glared daggers at her.
“I-I don’t skip, I just don’t take it, t-there’s a difference. Well, I s-should go now”. Duke said, as he started to climb out. Part way through Lilac tapped him the shoulder.
“That’s what they all say.” Lilac smirked “And wait”.
“Yes”. Duke said now outside.
“You forgot this”. Lilac winked, as she leaned in and gave him a goodbye kiss. “Goodnight, and go hit the gym”.
He gave her another glare and sighed. “G-good-n-night”. Duke said. He walked back to the boy’s dorm.
Lilac went to her bed to lie. Hugged her pillow as she thought the events of the evening. “I just lost my virginity to my best friend”. The door opened and Scarlet came in.
“Hey freak”. She said, as she greeted Lilac. She welcomes her like that every time. She’s use to it. “Thanks for getting me expelled and Rose suspended for two weeks”.
“You and your friend did that to yourselves. I had nothing to do with it”. Lilac said.
“Whatever, just leave me alone and don’t talk to me anymore.” Scarlett replied as flew up to her top bunk.
“Fine with me, “bitch”. Lilac said that last part in her head and grabbed her Henry Trotter book from the side table to tune out her roommate.
***
Sunday morning finally came and Lilac had her bags packed. Her dad told her that he wouldn’t be there until the afternoon to pick her up. She had time say her goodbyes still. Scarlett and Rose both left with their parents already. Peace had came to the school at last.
However Lilac had one more pony to say farewell to. She walked down to the room “127” and knocked.
“Hi L-lilac”. Duke said, as he opened the door wide and let her pass him. “I-I t-thought y-you’d h-have l-left b-by now”. Over time they had gotten very close and hung out all of yesterday in Duke’s dorm while his roommate studied in the library.
“And not say bye to you that’s cold”. Lilac said. She kissed him on the check. “I'm going to miss you”.
Duke blushed; he's quite darling when he does “M-me t-too.”
Lilac leaned in to kiss him. “I can come and visit you in Pony Ville if you want”.
“I t-think I-I’d l-like that”.
“Lilac Dash, please report to the main building”. The PA system said.
“I need to go, my dad is here”. Lilac said, as she left. “Bye Duke”.
“Bye”.