All You Need is Some Confidence

High Score headed back to his house thinking about Rainbow Dash. Her cyan coat, her rainbow mane and tail. She made the world seem to move in slow motion. He couldn't believe how beautiful she had looked. She seemed so tough on the outside, but High Score saw past that thick outer shell, past her eyes and into her soul. He saw something he had never seen before. What was it? It was on the tip of his tongue but High Score couldn't think of the word. Just meeting her had sent his heart soaring. It was a sensation of love he had never felt before. It was like High Score had found his soul mate, the one, his "special somepony". High Score almost ran into his own door just thinking about Rainbow Dash. High Score opened his door and sat down on his bed.

"She is somethin'" High Score knew this was true. No doubt in his mind. "I can't believe it. She is AMAZING!" High Score shouted.

High Score didn't know what to do, so video games seemed like a great idea. High Score headed to the living room. He turned the TV on, as well as the console. High Score inserted a sports game, closed the tray, turned on his controller, and plopped down on the couch, like his body was a sack of potatoes. High Score tried his best to concentrate on playing game, but he couldn't. Rainbow Dash was all in his head. Every character in the game was Rainbow Dash. He felt like she was right next to him, playing the game with him. Too bad thinking about Rainbow Dash caused him to lose. That didn't really matter. Rainbow Dash mattered, not the game. High Score turned the TV and system off and just lay on the couch staring up at the ceiling. All he still couldn't believe that Rainbow Dash could be "The One." High Score eventually dozed off, comfortable in his warm sweatshirt, thinking of Rainbow Dash.

High Score awoke the next morning, still laying on the couch. When his eyes opened, all he could see was blurriness, seeing no real definite shape of objects. Rubbing his eyes with his hooves helped bring the colors together into shapes, and those shapes made objects. His TV, console, controllers, his couch, the ceiling. High Score suddenly felt extremely hungry, seeing that he hardly eaten the day before. High Score slowly picked himself up off the couch, rotated so he could get off the couch, and landed on all fours. High Score waltzed over to the kitchen, and opened his refrigerator. Eggs, cheese, apples, some bread, milk, and orange juice were the only available items that High Score could eat for breakfast. After staring blankly into the refrigerator for a couple of minutes, High Score decided (well, his stomach did) that a quick apple would help him get over his hunger. Lifting the apple up and out of the fridge with his magic, and lead the apple into his mouth. High Score took a huge bite out of the apple, leaving 6/10 of an apple. High Score allowed the apple's sweet flavor roll over his tongue, like waves crashing onto shore. High Score swallowed the bit of apple, enjoying his fruity treat. The thoughts of Rainbow Dash suddenly bombarded High Score mind, like his brain had a dam holding water which had just been broken through. High Score's eyes suddenly lit up, like the sun at noon, causing him to become fully awake, knocking the sleepiness right off of him. High Score rushed to the bathroom and stared back at himself with a mirror's aid. His mane was a mess. Bits of hair going in many different directions, causing tangles that seemed unbreakable. High Score ripped open one of the drawer in the bathroom sink, rummaging through everything to find his comb. Finding the comb didn't take too long, only because the the color of the comb didn't match the background of the drawer. The comb was a slick silver color, which did a very good job of reflecting light. High Score picked up the comb and proceeded to start combing his hair and it was painful. The comb pulled at the tangles, while the tangles tried not to budge. It was like trying to push a boulder over rough ground. High Score pulled on the comb with such a force, he untangled the knot, but also taking out some hair, which caused his eyes to water a bit.

"I gotta look good for Rainbow Dash. Gotta make a good impression." High Score mumbled to himself, reassuring what he had to do before days end.

After wrestling with his mane for a good 45 seconds, High Score looked into the mirror and smile. It just the way he liked it. Straight and clean, with no hair crossing over into another part of his mane. His short tail seemed to be in order as well as his cutie mark. High Score changed his sweatshirt and marched out the door, head held high. The air was fresh and cool, with a slight breeze. High Score decided that he would go to where he had met the others. High Score walked along and had noticed that everypony wasn't ignoring him, but smiled at him. High Score had a feeling AJ or one of the others had told everypony about him.

"Hey, High Score! Wait up, man!" a voice said from behind him.

High Score stopped walking and turned around. He saw that Rainbow Dash was flying towards him. Rainbow Dash seemed to move in slow motion, as if she had some magical powers to slow down time, allowing High Score to stare at her longer.

"What's up HS? Um, HS!"

"Ah! Oh, heh. H-Hey Rainbow Dash, how's it going?"

"Awesome! Hey, want to head over to the lake for a swim?"

"Uh, s-sure. L-Let's go!" High Score's voice trembled.

Rainbow Dash noticed High Score's trembling voice as well. "You OK? You seem a little, different than you were yesterday."

High Score blushed, feeling embarrassed that Rainbow Dash had noticed his trembling voice. Where did all the confidence go? High Score didn't know. It just left him.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I'm fine. Let's head over to the lake."

The two started walking to the lake, same pace, step for step. High Score couldn't believe that it was just him and Rainbow Dash. It seemed like an impossible scenario at the time. The two were silently walking along, allowing High Score's head to throw thoughts of him and Rainbow Dash around. What was she like? Did she seem competitive to impress him? Did she have "something" for High Score? Was Rainbow Dash sweet on the inside? Why were they heading to the lake? It's a little chilly out. The questions never seemed to end, like a loop, no beginning and no end. The sun warmed the land, which felt nice against High Score's sweatshirt. The two eventually reached the lake, which was as blue as the sky. High Score stared down at the water. He saw himself, staring back. High Score also saw that Rainbow Dash was standing right next to him.

"So, you gunna swim in the water or just stare at it?" Rainbow Dash said sarcastically.

"I'll swim, but, it's freezing out. How is this going to be warm?"

"It IS warm. Trust me, the water's fine!" Rainbow Dash shouted while in the middle of jumping into the lake.

High Score again looked down at the water, puzzled. How could the lake water be warm? It had to no more than 40 degrees out. High Score decided to drip his hoof into the water. High Score shivered. No surprise the water was cold. He had a feeling that Rainbow Dash was messing with him.

"You sure Rainbow Dash? Water's cold."

"Oh come on! Stop being a baby." Rainbow Dash said jokingly.

High Score didn't seem to have a choice. He proceeded to take his sweatshirt off and place it neatly on the ground. High Score's white coat shined in the midday sunlight, warming him. High Score walked over to the end that Rainbow Dash had jumped from, staring at the water occasionally. The breeze had, thankfully, died down. High Score reached the side that Rainbow Dash had jumped from, and looked out. He saw Rainbow Dash swimming happily, enjoying herself.

"HS, LET'S GO! JUMP ALREADY!" Rainbow Dash shouted, egging High Score on from the middle of the lake.

High Score looked down at the water one more time. He took in a deep breath, walked back a bit, and took a running start towards the lake. The grass sped by in a blur, the lake coming closer to him at a speedy pace. High Score took one final step and jumped into the air. High Score let his body take a natural path, not doing a cannonball or diving. High Score hit the water with a thunderous SPLASH! High Score seemed surprised that the water was warm, not cold. He resurfaced to see Rainbow Dash grinning from ear to ear, her eyes lit up. High Score was proven wrong about the water's temperature. High Score looked at Rainbow Dash and chuckled while Rainbow Dash snickered.

"Was I right? Or was I right?" Rainbow Dash boasted.

"Yeah, yeah. You were right. But, how is the water this warm?" High Score didn't know what was involved in the water being warm.

"Oh, it's just something I whipped up a little while ago. You like it?" Rainbow Dash really wanted High Score to be happy with the water temperature.

"Love it. I'm impressed." High Score saying this all while swimming on his back, hooves behind his head, eyes closed and smiling. The sun warmed his body.

High Score and Rainbow Dash continued to swim for another 5 minutes. High Score suddenly had this feeling inside him that needed to get out of his heart. High Score looked over at Rainbow Dash, who was laying on her back, eyes closed, soaking up the rays of the sun. High Score felt a little nervous.

"Um, Rainbow Dash? Can, uh, I tell you something?

"Sure High Score. What's up?

"When I first met you, you captured my eyes and kept them. You seem so tough on the outside, but I saw past that. I saw somepony who I had met before." High Score hoped he wouldn't freakout Rainbow Dash.

"Go on." Rainbow Dash said, wanting to hear what else High Score had to say.

"Well, um, I think you are the most beautiful pony I have ever met and, um, how do I put this?"

"And, what?"

"I, um."

"Just tell me." Rainbow Dash wanted High Score to end his sentence.

High Score took a deep breath, gently grabbed Rainbow Dash's hoof, and stared deeply into her beautiful magenta eyes.

"I think I love you, Rainbow Dash."