> She Shoots...
>  by Filet Mignon
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> She Scores!
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"Wooooo!" Rainbow Dash slid on the grass, fists shooting up as she looked up at the sky. "Better luck next time, pal!"
Whipping my head behind me, I spotted the soccer ball sitting deep within the net.
"What?! How?"
In the distance, students stopped and stared at our outbursts, but upon meeting their eyes, they wrestled them away, continuing their stroll. I returned my attention to the celebrating girl in front of me, seething.
"Lucky shot."
She snorted, shrugging. "The last ten scores must be luck, then."
"Exactly," I huffed, crossing my arms.
Standing up, she mockingly patted my shoulder. "Don't worry! There's always next time... but let's be honest," she poked my face with a finger, "we already know who's winning!" She fell back onto the grass, giggling hysterically. With a sigh, I sat down next to her, patiently waiting for her fit to end. I leaned back, digging my hands into the green blades behind me as I looked around once more.
Judging from the sun setting in the distance, the school day had ended quite a while ago. Most of the remaining students were like us, taking advantage of the yard to destress. Scootaloo and her friends were sitting in the bleachers to my left, humming contentedly to music coming out of a phone. Occasionally, they were pretty mischievous, but ultimately, they were harmless. I turned over to the main building in front of us, spotting Flash Sentry and Sunset Shimmer standing by the stairs. I grinned; it was a bit unusual to see them talking again after their failed "relationship" last year, but I suppose recent events were cause for change. 
Suddenly, the door shot open, revealing Twilight Sparkle. She quickly walked past them, much to Flash's dismay. I rolled my eyes, amused by his frequent desire to talk to her lately. She'd been avoiding him - among others - but considering he couldn't accept the fact that she wasn't like her pony counterpart, I didn't blame her.
Finally, Rainbow Dash jumped up off the ground, sighing with delight. She held a hand out, and I grabbed it. As I was pulled up, I noticed one of Scootaloo's friends staring back at me. Blushing, I quickly disconnected my hand and took a step back, confusing Rainbow Dash.
"Yo, what's up?"
"Nothing."
Shrugging, she walked over to the goal and snatched the soccer ball from the net. Beside the frame, she also picked up her bag, pulling the drawstring and fetching her sneakers. I followed her lead, taking my own bag and switching from my cleats to regular shoes. Zipping my duffel bag closed, I turned to the blue girl as she finished slipping a foot into its shoe.
"Wanna head home together? I noticed you walked to school."
She tapped her chin for a second, and for a second, I spotted a hint of concern on her face. Still, she returned my question with a smirk. "Sure. Gives me more time to brag about today's wins." Groaning, I picked up my bag, following Rainbow Dash as we made our way to the back of the school. 
As we passed the bleachers, I felt the Crusaders' eyes on me, but I paid them no mind. 
Passing by the building, my rainbow-haired friend glanced over to Flash and Sunset, who were still talking by the steps. They didn't look our way, so I didn't call over to them. Instead, I nudged Rainbow Dash's arm.
"He can't get over her, huh?"
"What?" Her head whipped over to me, as if she had been interrupted from her thoughts.
"Flash. He keeps trying to talk to Twilight even when she avoids him. Kinda weird, don't you think?"
She avoided my gaze, turning away. "Yeah... I guess."
I raised an eyebrow, confused by her sudden discomfort, but I dismissed it. 
As we entered the parking lot behind the school, I scanned the remaining handful of cars. Among them, I recognized Applejack's truck, though considering she was sitting in the truck bed, it was obvious. Along with her, Rarity and Fluttershy were scooted up against her, arms wrapped around one another as they spoke quietly. Upon seeing us, though, I approached them, waving with a grin.
"Hey, girls!"
They paused for a moment, as if they were unsure of how to respond, before producing weak smiles of their own.
"Hey-a, sugarcube," the cowgirl responded. Beside her, the others waved wordlessly. "What are you up to?"
I waved dismissively. "Just wrapped up a soccer match with Rainbow Dash. I won, of course." I gestured over to the girl, but surprisingly, she didn't defend her honor, instead producing a grim smile. Looking back at the girls on the truck, I was met with shocked stares before their pained expressions were fought down. Their eyes flickered between one another before returning to me.
"Good for you," Rarity finally said. "Perhaps a little humility will help her improve her game." Her gaze never left me despite the subject of her comment being next to me. It was as if she didn't know Rainbow Dash was with us.
Again, I dismissed it. 
"Well, I got a shower waiting for me at home. Catch you girls around!" I waved again before making my way over to my car. It was an ancient sedan from my parents, but despite it disgusting appearance, it was still reliably functional, and that was enough. As I unlocked it and stepped in, I peeked over at Applejack's truck from across the lot. The girls were talking once more, but a couple of them were visibly shaking. Shrugging, I plopped down into the seat, but looking to my right, Rainbow Dash stood outside the door.
I raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you getting in?"
"It's still locked." She gave a nervous smile.
Groaning, I leaned over to the passenger door, but the lock switch was already pushed to the unlocked position. Still, I pulled the handle, releasing the door for the girl to climb inside.
"Thanks."
"No problem. I guess the door might be messed up."
Turning the key, I brought the car to life, the engine sputtering a few times before fulling roaring to a start. Reversing the car out of my parking spot, I drove out of the lot, peeling onto the main street with a left turn. There was little said as I drove over to Rainbow Dash's house; after countless days picking her up and dropping her off, I already knew the directions like the back of my hand. I did still glance over to her, but unlike what she said earlier, she was silent, watching the mountains in the distance from the window.
It was bizarre to see her so quiet, especially since she was rarely ever low-energy, but I ignored the notion.
Eventually, turning into her neighborhood, she tapped my shoulder.
"Hey, can you just drop me off here? I, uh..." she looked away. "My parents have been feeling pretty down lately, and I don't want them to feel obligated to invite you in and stuff, y'know?"
I pursed my lips, nodding. "Yeah, sure thing." Pulling over at the nearest available curb, I pressed the lock switch on my side, but Rainbow Dash struggled opening the door once more. She turned over to me with a sheepish smile, so I begrudgingly reach over, tapping the lock switch and pulling the handle again. I pushed the door open with a huff.
"Future soccer star can't even operate a car door. Sad." Her expression deflated a bit, but I gave her a playful jab. "Catch you around?"
Smile slowly forming, she returned my punch, though slightly harder. Nodding, the girl stepped out of the car, grabbing her bag from the backseat and putting it on. Stepping away, she waved.
"See you around, Spirit Chaser."