Best laid plans
“I know someone who likes yoooou,” Pinkie cried across the lunch table. I nearly fell off my chair. It was not normal to simply announce something like that in the full company but, then again, this was Pinkie.
“You do? In what sense?” I asked as casually as I could. The notion of having a secret admirer had been a dream of mine since I was a child. Perhaps it was just a fantasy but I was still heavily intrigued.
“They like-like you.” Pinkie winked, and I could feel the others shift closer. Such information was coveted by all of us. I was just as enthusiastic but feared it would lead to a letdown.
“Oh, my heavens, a suitor? For me? You must inform me, darling, that way I can act accordingly,” I tried to appeal to her sense of decorum and appropriate social graces.
“Someone likes Rarity?” gasped Rainbow Dash, a bit too hard in my opinion. “You have to tell us who!”
“Oh come now, darling, it’s not all that surprising. I am only the top fashionista in the school.” Though I had never seen an actual romantic interest arise for me, I felt that I was more than capable of causing feelings to stir in someone else.
“Yeah, but so far no one’s said they like-like you.” The speedster was rude to point out. “I mean most of us had to turn down a few people but I don’t remember you having to.”
“It’s probably my cultured mannerisms. They can be quite intimidating. I’m sure the poor boy is scared to death to approach, right Pinkie?” I glanced at my informant but she was squeezing copious amounts of butter onto a bacon and peanut butter sandwich. I didn’t even pretend to be subtle about my distaste for it.
“Oh, uh, maybe. And who said it was a boy?” She grinned at me with an unsettling I-know-more-than-you look.
“A girl?” There was almost a squeak of surprise in my voice, though luckily my normal composure returned quickly.
“Yeah, you said you were bi right?” Pinkie poked at her sandwich with an unnaturally long fork.
“Pinkamena Pie,” I hissed in a harsh whisper. “I told you that in confidence. I don’t want that to spread around the school.”
“You didn’t?” Pinkie looked uncharacteristically uncomfortable. She stared at her strange food and seemed to have difficulty swallowing.
“It’s not a big deal, Rar,” Applejack said with a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “Most of us are bi. I don’t reckon that any of us ain’t bi.”
“I am aware. It is yet another bond that we as a group share. But are you certain that’s what you want to be whispered down the hallways as we pass, darling?” It sounded like a public relations nightmare. Seven bisexual friends that hang out together. Why I wouldn’t be surprised if they told stories about us engaging in explicit acts outside of school. Or worse, inside.
“I think the cat’s out of the bag on that one, sugarcube,” guffawed the brazen cowgirl. “The whole school knows about us.”
“Really?!” I felt a strong urge to hide in the girls' bathroom. Surely they were much too flippant about their sexuality but I had thought I kept such things close to the chest.
“No one thinks less of any of us for it. Or Ah’ll set them straight.” She lifted that club-like fist of hers and slammed the table with it.
“I see your point. I suppose allowing others to know of… that has brought me a suitor it seems. So Pinkie, who is it?” I turned my attention to the sticky, buttery mess of a friend. I nearly screamed at the ghastly sight.
“Not telling! You have to guess.” She began the unfaltering task of cleaning herself.
“Guess?”
“Yeah, bet you’ll never get it though.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of.” I could picture the exhaustive process of naming every girl in the school. “Perhaps if you would just tell me…”
“Aww, come on, Rarity. You have to at least try.” Pinkie finished her self-cleaning only to pull out a bag of cheese-dust-coated corn snacks. Her fingers were orange in seconds.
“Very well, but you must tell me eventually. Hmmm… people that would tell you but not myself. So it would be a more nervous uncertain person.” My keen detective novel reading skills were paying off. At least it would narrow down the vast majority.
“Oh, they didn’t tell me. I overheard it.” Pinkie’s cheesy fingers absently threw crumbs across the table.
“Well, that could be anyone…” I sighed. “And I’m not sure I’m comfortable knowing information you eavesdropped on.”
“Fine... I won’t tell you.” She made a defiant face.
“I probably shouldn’t know anyway.” I looked away from her, showing my distaste for gossip. But the thought of some girl out there, wanting to date me, possibly in love, and waiting around each corner to be noticed was too much of a burden to bear. “Argh! Tell me Pinkie! I must find out the truth!”
“Not until you guess…” Pinkie shook her cheesy finger at me.
“Fine fine, just keep your cheese dust to yourself.” I looked to the others, wondering if they would assist. I knew a lot of people but I wouldn’t say all of them. “Is iiiit… Photo Finish?”
I had worked on several projects with her. She was strange but brilliant. She had the true mind of an artist and captured dresses perfectly.
“Nope. Strike one.” She stuck her index finger out like a tombstone.
“Is it… Vinyl Scratch?” The girl knew her fashion even if she couldn’t hear a thing. I tried on numerous occasions to compliment her ensemble but she marched on unphased.
“Noper doo! Strike two!”
“This is getting tedious, uhh Muffins?” It was the first name that popped into my head but I dreaded Pinkie telling me I was right. It’s not as though the girl wasn’t sweet, she just... was extraordinarily messy.
“Nope, nope, nope. Strike three!”
I waited as did the rest of the table, as Pinkie cleaned the orange dust from her hands. She calmly finished and looked up at me. Then quickly glanced at the impatient faces.
“What?” She asked, looking genuinely confused.
“Strike three is the last strike, Pinkie.” Rainbow sighed. “Normally you’re supposed to tell us the answer now.”
“That was three strikes for Rarity. The rest of you have no strikes at all.” She looked at the eager group.
“You can’t do that to all of us!”
“That would take forever!”
“Just spit it out already.”
My friends were far less patient with Pinkie’s antics than I was. Pinkie had to dodge some items from the crowd, which she did with ease. Her reflexes were amazing. Almost supernatural, like she knew where they would be.
“Ok, ok, ok, ok, ooooook,” Pinkie said, putting her arms up in defeat. She took an exaggerated breath in then whispered in the faintest voice possible. Even Fluttershy could scarcely hear her. “It’s Lyra.”
The group gasped in unison but it was the normal reaction to news such as this. It’s not like any of them were truly surprised. We hardly knew who Lyra was.
“Who?” I finally asked.
“Lyra. Lyra Heartstrings?” Pinkie said a little louder like repeating the name gave me any more indication of who that was. “She’s in our grade, the green girl with the light green hair that plays the piano.”
I looked around at the musician's table. Surprisingly, the tables were still coordinated after all the work we did to integrate them. I saw a few green girls but the one with the mint colored hair drew my eye the most. Probably because she was looking back at me.
There was a strange moment when our eyes met. Something passed between us that almost felt like an understanding had been reached. But she reddened and looked away. She shifted uncomfortably as she took sideways glances to check if I was still watching.
“Rarity, don’t leer at the poor girl.” Applejack tapped my shoulder and brought me back to the group. “She’s redder than Big Mac gets when he sees that baker student. Sugar Belle, she’s been stopping by to get the best apples for her college project or something. Don’t know why she needs so many…”
I tuned the rambling country girl out. It was obvious this Sugar Belle was buying apples to see her brother. But the red face of Ms. Heartstrings told me that Pinkie’s ears hadn’t deceived her. It seemed she did have a crush on me.
“So what are you going to do about it?”
“What?” For a moment, my mind was thrown. The question came at the exact moment I thought of it myself but it had a different voice.
Fluttershy leaned in a little closer. It was always uncomfortable when she did so. She had such nice supple-looking breasts and the cleavage was inescapable. At least for me anyway.
“What are you going to do about it?” The busty shy girl asked.
“For the moment…. Nothing,” I declared triumphantly.
“Oh, umm is that ok? I mean she looks like she likes you, shouldn’t you say hi or something?” She trailed off as usual.
“I barely know her, darling, I can’t give her any sort of sign of interest. I don’t want to startle her or entice her at this point. I have to find out more about her first.”
It was time to go undercover.
“Ah don’t think this gonna work,” Applejack said with a look of disdain at my attire.
“Oh pish posh. This is the perfect disguise. No one would ever suspect I was Rarity, fashionista of Canterlot High, in this.” It was a mish-mosh of neon colors chiefly yellow. I even put on a backward cap to cover my well-kept hair. “My Plainity disguise has got me out of many a jam before. Now it will get me the information I need without arousing suspicion.”
“Ya mean the information ya could simply ask her for? If she fancies ya, she’d be overjoyed to give it.” Applejack was simply jealous that I had a true suitor on my hands. She had always joked that we were destined to be together. I didn’t see how a lady such as myself and a farm girl could truly work, but then she would laugh, fooling me with her talk once more. It became a little worn out as of late.
“I told you, if I ask her directly she’ll think I’m interested and get the wrong idea. No. This is foolproof.” I adjusted the garish-looking cap in the mirror once more so it downplayed my facial features. I was ready now, I had to keep a close watch on her and try to discern her personality and interests. I left the bathroom on my mission.
It took me a while to find her but soon I came across the musicians from the school band hanging out by a tree outside. I swaggered over in a very unladylike fashion, so that no one would recognize me, and hid behind a tree. I couldn’t see them all that well but I could hear them clearly.
“So what’s up with you today, Lyra?” A voice I didn’t know asked. “You practically skipped away from lunch and now you look like you missed a note in the fourth concerto of Pat Buchanan’s Waltz in D minor? You didn't, did you?”
“Yeah, I had… Well, a good feeling this afternoon. Like something was going well. But now I’m thinking about it too much and it doesn’t seem likely.” My target sighed a despondent sigh. I wasn’t sure if this was her common temperament or if this was the result of whatever had ailed her.
“Rarity.” A few voices chimed in together. I nearly jumped from my spot assuming I had been discovered. But I seemed to go unnoticed.
“Yeah…” Lyra said, sounding ever so forlorn. “I guess it was a stupid dream or something. There was a time at lunch when I thought for sure she was staring at me. It nearly melted my snaky sleeves covering up my face. But when I looked back she was talking to Pinkie again. I was hoping she was going to come over and say something, but then I started thinking about how scary that would be. Man, this sucks.”
Snaky sleeves? But the poor girl did sound lovesick. I’m surprised my keen observation skills didn’t detect it sooner. I wasn’t sure it was enough to begin to date her though.
“Look, Lyra, you can’t keep doing this to yourself. You have to ask her out already or drop it. You’re not your normal perky self,” the voice from before consoled her.
“What about Rarity do you like her so much anyway? You really don’t know her that well.”
“I know she’s freaking hot!” The lovesick girl cried at once. “And man what I wouldn’t give to just lay my head on her chest. Those boobs look like they would be so soft.”
“You’re so bad, Lyra,” giggled a friend,“if I didn’t know any better I would say you were a guy. You have a one-track mind.”
“Hey! I know what I like. And those D cups are definitely on that list.” She was raving about my breasts! To her friends! I was a little disheartening to hear. Was she only interested in my body?
“D cups? Those have to be C cups at best” The other protested.
“I thought she was more of a B myself,” another voice chimed in. Was this normal? Are girls talking about other girls’ breast sizes so casually? Though I was reminded of a similar conversation with Pinkie over Fluttershy’s bosom. I suppose it’s not all that unusual.
“Well, I’m a C,” my target declared,” and Rarity is definitely bigger than me.”
Suddenly I realized my interest in my friend’s chest was the same as Lyra’s in mine. A mixture of guilt and appreciation flooded me. Attraction is indeed a balance of physical attraction and interest in the other’s personality. What I needed to find out was Lyra’s personality. But it seemed my knowledge of her changed her personality today. I suppose I should return tomorrow.
“Hey dude! Watch out for that ball!”
I spun as a voice called out to me. Had he just mistaken me for a man? I know my outfit wasn’t as glamorous as I was accustomed to but a man. Surely my size D cups would be clear enough—
There was a thunk as something hard struck my head. Things got very blurry and the world slid back and forth. I tried to walk back but my swagger was not aiding me this time. I stumbled blindly into something hard and wooden and I—
“Rarity?”
“Mmm? Hello? Who is speaking?” Where was I? What happened? Who was this green face staring down at me?
“Lyra Heartstrings… uh, are you ok? You look kind of pale.”
“Oh... I’m sorry.. has my foundation run off? Should I be more of a redder complexion like yourself?” The face was very red. It didn’t work at all with the green that surrounded it. She should use a darker base… I think.
“Your what? No! I think that ball really hit you hard. Then you stumbled back and fell into the middle of our picnic table.” Lyra sounded concerned. It must have been serious. “What are you doing here?”
“What was I doing, oh yes there was this girl I heard liked me and I was trying to see what she was like.” It was an innocent sentence but my companion seemed to brighten at the comment.
“By hiding behind a tree?” It was a strange question but I had no problem answering it.
“Well if I was too obvious she might get the wrong idea and I didn’t want to approach her until I was sure which way I wanted to go. It’s not that creepy, darling, is it?”
“I get it.” My companion giggled. “I totally get that. But I think you got hit in the head really hard. I should probably take you to the nurse.”
“The nurse? Are you certain?” It seemed like an awful lot of trouble for someone I just met. Or had I known her before? My head was too swimmy to determine.
“Oh, I insist on helping you. And you can’t refuse, ok?” Lyra smiled a bright warming smile.
“Very well, I think I can make it there but it’s good to have a friend help, just in case.” I slowly sat up and found the world still spinning.
I suddenly felt her arm wrap around my shoulders and hold on to my side. She seemed uncomfortable with the grip because she seemed to have reddened a lot. Or wasI that heavy that she was already flushed?
“So uh… did you find out about this girl? Did you like what she was like?” The world was shaking as she said it. Or perhaps she was. Or maybe I was. It was all so confusing at that point.
“I sadly didn’t find out. Apparently, I looked at her and it excited her but then she became depressed for some reason. It didn’t sound at all what she was really like from what her friends said.” I was a bit gruff. I had to leave my mission and I got no information at all.
“Oh, yeah I guess that’s disappointing. So you didn’t get any impression of her at all?” My friend seemed oddly let down.
“Well, I think she began to talk about my breasts. It was incredibly awkward until I realized I had had such conversations about my friend Fluttershy.” That seemed to stop the assistant altogether.
“Do you have a thing for Fluttershy?” It sounded loud and sad at the same time.
“Good heavens no. We are friends, darling, that’s all. I do wish those rumors about us all would stop. But I can not deny she has such beautiful breasts. It's hard not to be fascinated with them.”
“So you like big boobs?” It was a strange question to ask someone you had just met and even more so for someone who was helping me to a nurse’s office. I squinted at her trying to figure out why it was so important now.
“If you really must know, it’s not so much the size as it is the shape and movement of them. But I don’t know why you want to know.” I was doing my best to answer all these questions and my head was beginning to throb.
“Oh, yeah, right! I’ll get you to the nurse. Sorry, I just know that some girls and guys really like big boobs and we smaller-sized girls get passed over for them.” There was a familiarity with the way this conversation was going. Almost as if I heard this voice talk about breasts before.
“It’s not something I would worry about, darling, breasts don’t make the girl. A lot of the relationship has to do with personality and how they get along. Or so I’ve read.” The slow walk to the nurse's office finally continued. I was grateful because I really wanted to lie down.
“Yeah. That’s right. I mean it doesn’t matter if I only have Cs.”
“What?” That touched a memory in my mind hard. Something about this girl was far too familiar.
“Oh, I’m just a C cup. But like you said; it’s the size of the personality, not the boobs,” she triumphantly declared. Wait—C cup was the size of the girl that—
“Gah!” I cried and nearly fell over.
“Did I step on your foot?” Lyra looked down to see what I tripped on.
“It’s you! You’re her! You’re you! I’ve been discovered!” The world turned on its side as I tried to extract myself with my legs, before crumpling to the ground.
“Rarity! Are you ok?” She was on me instantly, her face glowing and grabbing me instantly. It unsettled me at the time, but it was around the waist…
“I uhh…”
“Rarity I appreciate you trying to see how you feel by spying on me to spare my feelings. But I want to get to know you too. We can do that just by hanging out. I won’t get the wrong idea ok?” Lyra smiled that bright smile that she had before. It was gorgeous.
“So you want to know me and not just my breasts?” The world swayed slightly behind her.
“I totally would love to know them. But I think I would rather do that after I know you first.” She winked as we entered the nurse’s office. I blanched. She was so direct I wasn’t sure what to think. “Sorry, but I’m not going to hide my interest in you, including that. It’s just how I am.”
“Well honesty is appreciated, I suppose.” I was placed in bed and Nurse Redheart checked me out.
“Any nausea or vomiting?” she asked as a small beam of light blinded one of my eyes.
“No, just feeling dizzy and a little… off.”
“Well, you might have had a mild concussion. Keep an eye out for any blurry vision, vomiting, or any feeling like you’re going to pass out.” She wrote something down on a notepad. “I’ll call your parents to pick you up. You’re her friend right?”
“Yeah, sure,” Lyra answered hesitantly.
“Keep an eye on her until I get back. She can sleep when she gets home but right now just keep her awake. Just in case.” The nurse walked to the desk while I stared at the ceiling. It’s amazing how many patterns appear in the small dots that line most ceilings. They change depending on how one looks at them.
“I know a way to keep you awake…” the randy girl said with a smirk. She was so brash, so presumptuous, so… cute in her excitement. I couldn’t help but start laughing.
“What? Is it that corny?” The redness came back.
“Of course it is. Ha ha ha. You’re adorable. Ha ha. I believe your friends were correct with their one-track mind comment.”
“You find that adorable?” There was a small ray of hope in her voice.
“Well, it is different. I do have friends that say inappropriate things at the worst times but nothing quite so… forward and sexually bent.” Was this a trait I could get used to or would it embarrass me constantly? Sigh. If I asked her to tone that down would she listen or would I be trying to change her? I suppose I should just ask.
“Well, if you think it’s cute I have a lot more to say.” She looked more determined than ever. Unless it was just my eyes finally clearing from my injury.
“I’m sure you do. However, if I asked, would you keep such comments to yourself around my friends and associates? I don’t mind your brutal honesty, darling, but I don’t want to be publicly cat-called all the time.”
She nodded enthusiastically and breathed a sigh of relief.“Yeah yeah! I can keep it under wraps outside of us. “ She paused slightly after she said ‘us.’ I wondered if there was an us, to begin with.
I remained silent in thought. After all, dating was the way to check compatibility. If I waited until I had known her fully what would be the difference? If we were going to work it would, if not, no amount of research would change that.
Lyra looked at the ground. I could tell there was a lot on her mind but she didn’t know where to begin. There were many times I was stuck in that situation. I should offer her a hand.
“So, I hear you’re a musician. What do you play?” I asked. I watched the discomfort wash away and change into the excitement that only passion can bring.
“I play the piano! I’ve played for many years with Bon Bon, my best friend in the whole wide world. But I can play it on my own too. Did you want me to play for you sometime?” Lyra was standing in anticipation. I felt like if I gave the word, she would drag me to the music room right then to watch her play.
“Well, that is a coincidence, I too play the piano, but more precisely a keyboard. They are somewhat similar but have their differences too.”
“I know! I saw you play in the Spring Fling! That’s kind of what attracted me to you in the first place. I never saw anyone play a keytar. Looks rad. Can you do tricks with it?” The girl was practically on top of me with enthusiasm.
“You mean guitar-type tricks? I haven’t tried, to be honest. I focus more on a commanding presence on stage rather than flashy acts. That’s Rainbow’s expertise.” I slowly sat up, testing my bearings. The room remained more or less stable in my vision.
“Are you feeling better now?” She looked worried, it was an odd feeling having someone worry about me for a change.
“Much better, darling. I’m sure I’ll bounce back this evening. I don’t think I’ll be playing baseball anytime soon, however. Not that I was playing in the first place.” I gingerly touched the top of my head and felt a sharp pain. “Hopefully this doesn’t swell and mess my hair up.”
“That’s not possible. Your hair is always perfect.” She wasn’t as nervous with her compliments, I noticed.
“It is nice to meet someone that appreciates the time I spend to get it right.”
“Can I touch it?” she asked, moving a little closer.
“I-I suppose. Just don’t disturb the strands too much or touch the sore spot on my head.” And then her hand gently rode the wave in my hair like a surfer on a surfboard. I almost thought I heard her whisper ‘Cowabunga’. She giggled then slowed her hand down, separating the strands with her fingers. It was a loving sensation, and I felt a strange chill in my back and spine.
“Sorry, is this weird?” she sheepishly asked in a whisper.
“Not at all. It feels nice actually. My friends aren’t the type to feel each other’s hair. We comb it but run our fingers through it… well, it might be a little too intimate.” I shivered again as she traced around my ear. It was a pleasant feeling, borderline sensual but nothing too inappropriate.
“And you don’t think this is?” She was much closer. Her face inches from mine. I must have been too enraptured with the feeling to notice.
“It’s not as intimate to me. I generally take charge of the group’s hair care. So adjusting another’s look is just part of that. Although, it’s not normally done to me in this manner.”
I could feel the look those yellow eyes were giving me. The nervous tension in the lips and the deeper desire scarcely hidden in her hand’s movements. It was tantalizing, to say the least. My arms tingled with goosebumps and my body slightly tensed. She was about to make a move and I wasn’t sure if I should let her. I wasn’t sure if I wanted her to stop either. In that simple act, a strong connection formed, and I felt closer to her than any other person.
“Rarity?” the nurse asked as she returned. We were awfully close. Lyra nearly leaped into my lap in fright.
“Oh, uh… thank you Lyra for adjusting my hair to cover the bump,” I said hoping she would understand.
“I was? Oh right, it looks much better now. Heh heh.” Lyra pulled back and clasped hands behind her back as my mother approached.
“Oh, you’re always going on about your hair. We keep telling you it’s not that big a deal,” scoffed my clueless parent. “Seriously, Rarity you should put more effort into… you know normal things. Like going to the mall or having friends over. We never see your little group you talk so much about.”
“Oh, you know them, they’re so busy with sports, parties, animals, and the farm.” I wouldn’t invite any of them to my home. The domicile was simply cluttered with strange collections of things my father thought were interesting. And my mother may have a heart of gold but it would have been hidden under layers of dust with the way she tidied. Normally I had to clean the whole home daily and I always seemed to find more when I turned back to look.
“What about this one?” my mother asked, pointing at Lyra. “She doesn’t seem that busy.”
“Oh, I’m sure she has her own things to—”
“You’re right, I’m not busy.” My suitor declared plunging me into a world of embarrassment. This was not the impression I wanted Lyra to have of me.
“Great! What to come over? I’ll make you a drink.” Did my mother just suggest— “Of lemonade?” She laughed.
“Hahaha, you got me good.” The musician had such a pure laugh. It wasn’t forced or overtly loud, but full of life and true enjoyment. It reminded me of Pinkie’s laugh.
“What do you say?” my mother asked, looking very needy indeed. Her eyes burned me with guilt. I suppose as a girlfriend Lyra would have eventually been invited over. It seemed backward at this point.
“Sure, if Rarity wants me to, that is.” She looked at me and I knew I couldn’t say no. My mother would never stand for it, and I would hear how I chased another friend away from my house forever.
“Why of course you can, darling. I was just going to invite you.” I put on my best performance for my mother but Lyra’s eyes lit up like Roman candles.
“You were?! Already?! Does this mean…” She blushed a deep crimson that I feared my mother couldn’t miss. It wasn’t a topic I had ever brought up before at home and with a potential girlfriend that was not the time to do it.
“It means I’m inviting you over. We’ll talk about the rest there.” I patted her hand reassuringly. It seemed I would have to decide after this visit or the poor girl would pop in anticipation alone. Not the most ideal conditions but I could work with it.
“That’s great! Call your folks, and let them know. We’ll have meatloaf for dinner.” My mother turned prattling on in her zeal. Lyra called home on her cellphone. I caught bits that suggested I was known there. Perhaps they were the type of family that shared everything. It was so foreign a concept I could barely conceive it. I would never dream of telling my folks who my latest crush was.
We made our way out of the school and I felt a slight tug from the earth, but Lyra was quick to catch me before I meandered too far. My mother led us to the running station wagon that belched smoke over the campus lawn.
I glanced around at the gathered students as they stared in awe. Most hadn’t seen my parents and I had hoped to keep it that way. Or they were staring because Lyra was holding me as we walked. It didn’t matter what happened later. She would become my girlfriend in the rumors that ran through this school like wildfire.
One of Lyra’s friends ran up to her, Muffins. She hugged us both saying “congratulations” as she tripped forward pulling us on top of her. We were quick to get up.
“You didn’t hit your head again did you Rarity?” gasped my escort. She started playing through my hair again, looking for wounds.
“No, I’m fine, darling,” I said standing up straighter.
“Darling?” echoed the fallen Muffins. “So you two are going out! I knew you would! That’s why I said congratulations. It’s what you're supposed to say when a friend gets a girlfriend. Bon Bon told me.”
“Oh my goodness,” my mother cried as she walked over. “Is she alright? Her eyes are—”
“Oh that’s how Muffins normally is, Rarity’s mom,” Lyra answered, lifting her friend off the ground while holding me steady somehow. “It’s a condition she has, but she’s still a great person.”
“Well of course she is,” my mother agreed. “Having a condition like that doesn’t make her bad, just different.”
“My mom says the same thing, Mrs. Rarity’s mom,” Muffins said with a grin as she brushed herself off. “Well, congratulations again. See you two tomorrow.”
We both waved as I felt my world quickly unravel. I hoped my mother was far enough away to miss Muffin’s comment. I didn’t know what she would say. I didn’t know what I would say to clear things up.
We followed her to the grumbling car. It squealed in ear-splitting tones that shook my head as I opened the front passenger door.
“Oh, Rarity, why don’t you sit in the back with your friend. I wouldn’t want to separate you two. Just… keep things civil alright?” She opened the back door and excitedly watched us climb in. My mind still felt a little foggy, civil? What on earth could she mean?
The beginning of the ride home was dead silent except for the noises of the car. They didn’t help the pain that was starting to build in my head. I felt a little woozy. Lyra was nice enough to offer her shoulder to lay on and I took it without thought.
“So how did you two meet?” My mother asked casually, her eyes glinting happily in the rearview mirror.
“Well, Rarity was hiding behind—”
“In school.” I quickly jumped in. “We have the same classes, and Lyra and I both play the same instrument.”
“Aww, you could play a song together on your keyboard later,” my mother sighed. “So why didn’t you tell me and your dad?”
“That I played the keyboard? I assumed you knew.” The fog was returning. It was getting hard to concentrate. I leaned a little more on Lyra’s shoulder, thankful for the support.
“No, that you…liked girls like that…” There were a few times where my mother stumbled on her words and this was one of them. Normally she said whatever came to mind even if she shouldn’t. It was unnerving. The fog cleared for a second to finally give meaning to her thoughts and I gasped.
“It, uh, never came up,” I answered as honestly as I could.
“Oh, well you know you can tell me or your father anything. We’re very progressive. We might not know first hand but love is love and that doesn’t change. We’ll support you and your girlfriend no matter what.” She smiled through the rearview mirror.
“Oh… uh thank you…” I said, at this point it felt silly to continue this charade. I looked up at Lyra’s embarrassed face. She was utterly flabbergasted and I couldn’t blame her.
“So when did you girls get together?”
“Oh, quite recently,” I said, still reading Lyra’s expression. I waited hoping I didn’t have to spell it out for her. She stared back, those golden orbs shifted back and forth then she brightly lit up the back of the car with her smile. Her other arm snaked around me and pulled me closer and I allowed myself to bask in the glow of a real possible relationship.
“Awww, now there’s the Rarity we rarely get to see. Bright and glowing like the outfits she makes. I’m so happy for you both.” My mother brushed her lower eyelid with a finger. Was she crying? Oh, good heavens no! Not in front of my fri—girlfriend. That would take some getting used to. This is why I don’t invite my friends over, they get so meddlesome sometimes and rarely restrain themselves.
“Lyra, right?” My mother’s tone changed to a faux stern command. “Take care of my daughter, she’s her father and my precious jewel so don’t break her heart.”
“Oh, I won’t!” Lyra sounded like she had just been given a full access pass to the Canterlot Runway Fall collection. I felt my shoulder try to enter my ear as she squeezed me tighter.
“Well, here we are girls, home sweet home. I'll tell your father the good news so give me a bit to fix up the place.” I could feel myself tremble as we pulled into the stone gravel driveway. The trailer looked as it normally did, sun faded and well used.
I tried not to shrink too much into Lyra’s body. It was so embarrassing. I hoped she would be discreet about my living situation. Most of my friends didn’t know.
“Lyra, darling…” Her shoulder twitched at my words and I slumped off into her lap. She hastily lifted me out.
“You know it’s supposed to be three dates right? I mean at least. And I don’t think your mom’s car is a good place to mess around. Well, not right now anyway.” She looked away but the corners of her mouth twitched in a blissful look.
“No, not that. I just want to be clear, this house is not a reflection of me. It’s my parents. I would appreciate it if you didn’t tell anyone else about this.” I waited. Once her composure returned she looked at me and nodded.
“Can I be clear about something too?” She asked, looking around as if she was about to be attacked.
“But of course.”
“Are we really going out now? Or was that just for your mom?” Lyra put her hands on her hips and tried to look as blazé as possible. I knew it was just an act. My heart hurt at the thought of her suffering.
“I wouldn’t lie to my mother about that. So yes, we are together… if that’s alright.” I barely got the words out before I was nearly knocked over by a green blur.
“Of course it’s alright! It’s better than alright! It’s, like, amazing!” She was on top of me looking down. I felt my ribs squeak and pop as she held me as tight as she could. I struggled against her to breathe.
“Oh! Sorry,” she finally said with an excited squeak. She loosened her grip but didn’t let go. My breath returned and I gasped for air.
I tentatively placed my arms around her thin frame. She was so light, and warm. I never held another woman in this manner and I felt the heat rise to my face immediately. I have given plenty of hugs before but not to someone I called my girlfriend; this was different.
Lyra wasted no time and snuggled into my chest. It was like holding a cuddly puppy. One that made sure they rested their head on my breasts. I sighed. One track mind indeed.
“Girls? The house is clean, you can come in now,” my mother shouted from the front door.
“Please,” I sighed to the nuzzling female on me, “don’t judge my home too harshly. There wasn’t much time to prepare and—”
“It’s fine, Rarity, I just can't believe I’m over at your house! This is like a dream come true!” She was fangirling. It was unusual to see from a friend. At that moment I felt like a celebrity. I idly wondered how many other admirers I had that would act this way.
I led the star-eyed girl into my dusty, dinghy home. No matter how much you cleaned the lights always seemed dim and the place always felt small. I was surprised to find it had indeed been cleaned. Or at least one of the surfaces seemed free of dust. The clutter remained, however, and I could only stand in front of it, smiling warmly, for so long. It hurt my face.
“Rarity,” my father called from in front of the television. The game was on. “Come here and bring this new girlfriend of yours. I want to—oh come on! The guy was right there! You should have ran it!”
Lyra tentatively followed me to the mustached man shouting at the little men on the television. She placed her hands in a knot by her waist and I watched her shoulders try to plug her ears.
“Oh! You are cute, Lyra, right? Thanks for dating my daughter, I know she can be a bit of an—ugh, you’re blind, ref, blind! That was a complete pass! Both feet were in bounds!” I slowly moved the stunned girl away from the barking fanatic.
“Perhaps you’ll get to know him when the game ends, darling. Until then perhaps we should go to my room.” I was relatively certain my room was immaculate. I had cleaned all the mess I made from last night’s inspiration.
At least until someone threw all my clothes all over the floor. Including my unmentionables!
“Sweetie Belle?! What on earth were you looking for?!” The thin walls of the trailer were easy to shout through. She didn’t even need to appear.
“I just wanted to borrow a scarf,” the higher-pitched squeak answered.
“You didn’t need to find one in my underwear drawer! No one keeps them in there!” I began picking up and noticed the redness on Lyra’s face as she helped. And by help, I meant that she grabbed one of my bras and inspected it.
“D! I knew it!” she cried.
“Y-yes, that was accurate but I believe I can put most of these items away on my own. No offense, of course. You are my guest. It would be rude to let you continue.” I didn’t want her rummaging through my delicates.
She stopped then sat on my bed looking around with bright eyes. I focused on the mess and quickly threw what I could in my dresser for now. I would organize it later.
I turned and found her laying on my bed. Not that was much of a problem but a strange uncomfortable feeling washed over my body. Another girl, lying in my bed. My girlfriend no less. It suggested a tone I was fairly certain neither of us was ready for.
“Well,” I said, my voice quivering slightly. “What shall we do now? Perhaps design some attire you might like or—”
“That piano thing!” she exclaimed, popping up from my pillow. Had she been sniffing it? “I think playing together will see how well we mesh.”
“I’m not sure that’s how it works, dear. There are a lot more factors like interests and dislikes…”
“Yeah, all that’s kind of fluff. We’ll like this one day and that the other. But music is like your soul singing. If we can get it to sing in harmony together, then there is a real shot.” She was moving towards the keyboard with purpose.
“I see. You can play that and I’ll play my keytar—”
“I think playing this together would work best. You don’t want to sit next to me? I thought we could get a little cuddly.” She pouted slightly and I felt a pang of guilt.
“Of course, darling, I just didn’t want to interfere with your playing.” I sat next to her and straightened my posture. Lyra favored a little more relaxed position, which included slightly leaning on me. She was most certainly a cuddler.
“What song do you wanna play?” She asked her face inches from mine.
“Perhaps something contemporary? Do you know any of the songs the Rainbooms play?” I debated shifting to give her a little more space but I think the contact was what she wanted.
“Yeah, ‘Awesome as I Want to Be’ is one of my favorites!” Without further prompting, she began to play both my parts and the chorus over it. Then, to my utter surprise, she began to sing.
Her voice wasn’t the same stunning power as others; it was simple but pure. She had such a playfulness to her that it was difficult not to get caught up. I added my voice to hers and helped push the harmony along a bit more. Lyra looked at me with such admiration that I nearly choked on the next verse. Then motioned for me to play.
It was different, but soon I got into the rhythm. We played around each other, each of us taking different parts. Lyra began to up the ante, adding some melody that complemented the main one. It was wonderful as we passed it back and forth. She would start in one octave and I would end it in another.
And before we knew it the song had evolved under her hands and I was enraptured by her command. I could still play fragments of where we began and they fit easily where she was going. It was alive. The song became a breathing piece of tension and relaxation. By the end, we were both breathing heavily in its wake.
Something had changed at that moment. She wasn’t just a playful fan girl. She was a passionate colleague that threw herself into my musical arms and danced with me until the night had left us breathlessly heaving. It was all the romance of a fairytale night out played on my simple keyboard in my room.
The song ended and all I could see were those topaz eyes staring into mine. There was no hesitation or deterrence in them. She knew exactly what she wanted and it was me.
Most people who know me know that I am not easily intimidated. If the gods of fashion themselves mess up a look I wouldn’t hesitate to point out some tips. But in those blazing golden eyes was such a passion I felt myself shrink a little. The eyes closed and the face leaned towards mine.
I closed my eyes as well and struck my lips out. I wasn’t certain how a first kiss should feel though I had read about them extensively. Trashy romance novels didn’t quite cover them. The moment those soft, trembling lips touched mine I felt a tinge run from mine into the tips of my ears. My face came alive and the world shifted so forcefully that I knew I wouldn’t be the same afterward and so subtly I doubt anyone else noticed.
We slowly pulled away with my ears still tingling like a build-up of static electricity remained. It made my head buzz and left a soft glow around everything when I finally opened my eyes. In the hazy halo of vision sat Lyra’s sparkling eyes.
“Yeah…” she said with a drawn-out breath. “I think we have something here.”
“It-it could be…” I said with a nervous giggle. It was taken up by my girlfriend and the room filled with the light laughter of two girls finding a strong connection.
“Eewwww!” my insolent little sister cried,” Mom! I saw Rarity and that other girl kissing in her room!”
“Sweetie Belle!” I hissed.
“Now now, Sweetie Belle, mind your manners. As long as it’s just kissing there’s nothing wrong with that.” My mother placed a wad of unknown meat on my plate with a pair of green tongs. “They’re a couple. It’s natural for them to kiss. Especially in private.”
“It’s gross! All that heavy breathing and tongue-wagging? That’s not how they do it in the movies!” Sweetie Belle stuck out her tongue and wiggled it in a grotesque mockery of what had occurred.
“You haven’t watched those types of movies yet,” I pointed out. “Or at least shouldn’t be.”
“Those movies are gross too! I like princess movies better, with magic and talking unicorns.” Sweetie Belle loved unicorns and things like that. I was reminded that a few of my friends were unicorns from a different world. I wondered if she and I were in that place.
“Awww, never grow up, sweetie,” my father said, placing a large chunk of meat into his mouth.
“Don’t worry you’ll get older and want to suck faces too,” my mother said with a giggle.
“Bleeck! No way!” My sister placed her finger in her mouth and gagged.
“I do wish you wouldn’t refer to it as ‘sucking faces,’” I said with a sigh. “It seems… uncouth.”
“Sorry, Rarebear, we’ll be more couth.” My father grinned, a glint of pearl underneath his untamed brown facial hair.
“Rarebear, I like it,” Lyra said, looking very calm for meeting one’s parents so quickly.
“Sorry, Lyra, can’t use it for your cutesy girlfriend name. You don’t want her thinking of me when you two…” His eyes glanced at me. “Smooch. Is that couther?”
“I was just going to tease her with it,” my girlfriend said with a slight pout on her face.
“Oh, that’s fine then.” My father grinned even wider. “That’s what I made it for.”
“You both seem so cavalier about this.” I eyed my parents with suspicion.
“Well, to tell you the truth, Rarity,” my mother began, finally sitting at the table. “We’re been prepared for this for a long time. When you were in middle school we expected you to go boy-crazy, or girl crazy. It’s not important which. But you focused so much on your clothing and stuff we were worried you’d miss out. High school is the time for this stuff. It gets a lot harder later on. But you had your friends and your clothes and your band. We didn’t know if you were looking at all. Not that you have to. Well... I guess we just wanted you to have the kind of experiences we had.”
“You had met father in high school as I recall,” I narrowed my eyes. “Did you seriously want me to find my special someone that early? What about my dreams? What about my career?”
“You can have those too. It’s just...” my mother looked around at some stray thought I couldn’t see. “Focusing on your career and dreams is great. We just don’t want you to get to the top and find yourself all alone. I mean we’ll be here to share it but we want you to be happy and successful.”
“You think I can't have success and be content with that alone?” It sounded so... archaic. Only a soulmate brings you happiness, there are many more things in life than that. Not that I didn’t want love too, of course.
“I see a lot of rich and successful people who are unhappy,” my father chimed in. “They act like the more stuff they have and the fancier things they can afford are going to eventually make them happy. But it never ends, and they keep building more and more housing projects.”
“We might not have the fanciest stuff but we have all the happiness we want. We have each other and you girls. No amount of cars will make much difference there.” Mother placed a fork of food in her mouth. I looked over at Lyra, seeing her slowly nibble at her food while watching me.
“Sorry, that seemed like I was arguing against you. I was just trying to make a point.” I said with an assuring smile.
“I get it. But for some of us, our dreams are love. I’m not sure I’ll ever be a famous pianist but that doesn’t mean I won’t keep playing. But to miss out on love. No way. I would have asked you out… eventually…” she said
“Well, it hardly matters now. It seemed fate helped us both.” I smiled and Lyra nodded with a face that brightened the room with excitement.
The dinner continued then concluded with Sweetie Belle declaring herself done and rushing to the safety of her room. Lyra and I helped with dishes while my father floated around the kitchen trying to look helpful but not actually doing anything. The evening ended with the long drive to Lyra’s house.
“I hope you had a good time, Lyra,” my mother asked, peering at us through the rearview mirror.
“Oh yeah, thanks for inviting me over!” Lyra was grinning from ear to ear. I suppose it wasn’t a complete catastrophe. I found myself smiling just as wide. Her enthusiasm was infectious.
“How are you feeling?” She turned to me with genuine concern. She lightly touched my head. The pain had subsided to a dull ache.
“A little dizzy but I’ll pull through, darling.” I placed my hand on her leg reassuringly.
“Me too... just for a different reason.” She bit her lip and kissed my cheek. The coloring was also contagious.
“Awwww, you two are so cute.” My mother’s voice cut through the moment like a knife. Awkwardness flooded my body and I hastily removed my hand from Lyra altogether. Lyra also pulled herself a little further.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to ruin it. Anyway, is that your home?” The car pulled up to a lavish driveway with its own gate. The house could have fit five of mine inside and the fencing around the yard was made of reddish-brown stone.
“This is your home?!” I gasped in amazement.
“Yeah, it’s not as roomy as yours. But it’s still home.” She slowly got out of the car, her hand tracing my shoulders as she left.
Two adults came out to greet her, from their dress I assumed them to be her parents. I would have thought a place such as this had a butler or maid service at least. Then I noticed the staff watching from afar. There was a celebratory mood about them.
“Dad!” Lyra cried as the couple got closer to their daughter. “I did it! I finally did it!”
“I know! Why did you leave her in the car, Lyra? We can’t wait to meet her.” The father looked towards me and waved me out.
“Oh, yeah, duh! Rarity, I know it’s still early but these are my parents.” Lyra bounced up and down as I exited the car. “Parents, this is Rarity, my first girlfriend!”
“The great Rarity, well, you are as gorgeous as she said,” her mother gasped. I felt the blood rush to my cheeks.
“Gorgeous… well,” I chuckled nervously, “I don’t know about that, but I do try to look my best.”
“Do you mind if we get a picture of you two? Lyra’s been talking about you for months, and we’ve been trying to encourage her to ask you out. I can see why she was intimidated.” Her mother held up the camera as Lyra quickly rushed to my side. I quickly readjusted my hair and put on my best smile.
“Well, we won’t keep you, Rarity. Thanks for humoring us,” the parents began backing away, leaving Lyra and me on her stoop.
“They seem very supportive,” I said as they returned inside, giving Lyra a thumbs up.
“They’re the best. But your family is pretty supportive too. I had fun today. I’ll see you tomorrow, ok?” My girlfriend placed her hands on mine.
“Of course darling. But be prepared to be bombarded with questions from my friends.” I felt it best to warn her.
“No problem. Eee! I can’t believe this is actually happening! Rarity is my girlfriend!” She looked so cute as she got excited again. I couldn’t resist. I pulled her close and found her lips with mine once more. I tried not to think of all the people that were currently staring at us. It was just in our world until a flash from somewhere nearly blinded me.
“Oh, sorry,” Lyra said, pulling away. She put her cell phone back in her pocket. “I wanted to remember this moment for as long as I can.”
“It’s fine, send me that picture too. I can place it as my wallpaper.” It was a cute shot and my hair looked stunning. Lyra was glowing and looked the best I had ever seen her look.
“Well, I’d better go… bye, Rarebear,” she called out as she backed towards the door.
“That name is taken!”
The dive back was filled with a strange wonder and comforting silence. My mother smiled the whole way.
“So, she was nice and she didn’t explode when she walked in. So maybe having friends over isn’t that bad?” She nudged my waist with an elbow.
“Perhaps… the others are indeed busy but I’m sure Lyra will be over again.”
I thought of tomorrow and dealing with all the excitement of my friends. Then I thought of Lyra’s response, and a small smile spread on my lips. It would be nice to be so welcomed. No matter where this relationship goes, I guess it will be an interesting one…