With a crackle of static, the radio came to life. “Good morning! It's looking to be a fine day in L.A. again. Just a bit of clouds in the forecast, but that won't keep the tunes from coming!” As the morning countdown began, a hand fumbled blindly for the off button. The clock radio tumbled to the floor and became silent. Good enough for Derpy, who decided she should get ready for work.
Kicking off her blankets, the young woman rolled out of bed and dragged herself to her feet. A glance out the window told her what the radio already said. The skies were clear save for a few clouds dotting the horizon. However, Derpy didn't mind. Finding shapes in the clouds was her favourite game during shooting breaks.
Derpy threw on her robe and plodded down the hall, still blinking the sleep from her eyes. Eventually, she found the bathroom and turned on the lights. The glare from the tiles hurt her eyes for a moment, making her pause in the doorway. When Derpy could see again, she stepped inside and turned on the shower.
The hot water didn't do much to wake the girl, it's warmth lulling her back to thoughts of sleep. But she had a cure for this. Popping open her shampoo, Derpy took a deep sniff of the cinnamon scent. Now she was awake with thoughts of the breakfast ahead of her. Applying a bit of the wash to her blond locks, Derpy worked it into a lather and finished her shower.
Stepping up to the steamed mirror, Derpy set about making herself look like she hadn't just rolled out of bed. She wiped some steam from the glass, revealing her crooked eyes. Then she drew a big smile below and chuckled to herself. As she started to brush her teeth, there was a knocking at the door.
“Derpy!” a voice cried. “Is that you in there?” Ditzy was outside. She was never up this early.
“I'll be out in a second.” Derpy answered.
“Hurry!” Derpy was more confused. Her sister was never in a hurry.
Derpy finished with her teeth, and decided to just brush her hair on the way downstairs. As soon as she unlocked the door, Ditzy rushed in and pushed her sister out. Derpy didn't mind. She knew Ditzy was a bit immature, but she was a nice person.
Finished with her hair, Derpy set the brush on the counter and went to the bread box. A big carrot muffin sat on top of a pile she had received from a neighbour as a gift. Licking her lips, she pulled the snack out and set in on a plate. She checked the clock on the microwave. Her shower hadn't taken long, and she had some extra time this morning, so she went about adding to her breakfast.
Derpy gathered a banana from the fruit bowl, grabbed a box of Cheeril-E's, and poured herself a glass of peach juice. Then she popped her muffin in the microwave with a bit of butter on it's head. Derpy was excited; this was going to be a good meal.
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! The muffin was done. Derpy took it out and placed it on the table with the other foodstuffs. She wanted to save the muffin for last as a desert, so Derpy started with the banana, then went to work on the cereal. As she finished sipping the last of the milk in the bowl, Ditzy came downstairs, a smile spread wide across her face. Ditzy had on her favourite skirt and vest, and a plastic pearl necklace hung over her chest. She was humming a merry tune as she pulled an apple from a bowl.
“What are you doing up so early?” Derpy asked as she picked up her fork.
“I got called to go to the studio today!” Ditzy squealed.
Derpy smiled, and took a forkful of muffin into her mouth. Pinkamena had put extra spice into this batch. Derpy's smiled broadened in bliss. She was happy for her sister, who rarely got called into work unless Derpy was unable. They were identical twins, but eagle-eyed viewers of the show they worked on could tell them apart by their eyes. Derpy was cross-eyed since birth, while Ditzy's eyes worked fine.
Derpy remembered that their fans had another way to tell them apart now. She had always been a background character in the show, but for whatever reason, the fans adored her. They would always be on the lookout for her doing something silly in the background, but she had finally been given a speaking role last week. She was so happy.
Then Derpy thought of something. “Wait. Why did they call you in? I'm available.”
“What, they didn't tell you?” Ditzy was looking as confused as her sister. “We're not shooting new footage today. They just need me to redo an old scene,” she said, taking a bite of her apple.
“What scene?” Derpy asked. This was all quite unusual.
“It in the 'Last Round-Up' episode. They want me to redo the part where our character talks.”
Derpy stopped, her fork halfway in her mouth. That was her big scene. What was wrong? What did they need to re-shoot it for?
“Well, they want to wrap it up early, so I gotta head out.” Ditzy skipped to the door and grabbed her coat. As she opened the door, Ditzy paused and turned to Derpy. “Oh! This totally slipped my mind, but you were already asleep when I got home last night. They said you don't need to come in today. Guess you get to sleep in. I'll see you later!” With that, Ditzy ran out the door.
Derpy sat there in the the dim kitchen. She was hurt. Why did they need to re-shoot her scene? Why did they want Ditzy to do it instead. Derpy was still for a moment, then made her way back to her room. Her muffin was left at the table, a single bite missing from it.
It was Saturday morning. Ditzy hadn't returned from the studio from yesterday. She had left a message on the phone saying something about staying at a friends house, but Derpy had only half listened.
Her show came on. This time it was about a couple of con artists trying to run a main character out of business. Derpy had quite a few appearances in this episode, but they were pretty low key. It wrapped up, and the twist ending put a small smirk on Derpy's face. She was in need of a smile. She had been feeling quite down since yesterday morning.
She sat around for a bit, as a rerun of an older episode usually played right afterwards. To Derpy's surprise, it was the 'Last Round-Up'. Derpy sat up, all of her attention on the screen. She had to know what had happened with her scene. The opening song ended, and the show began.
A rainbow-hair woman who played one of the main characters was was setting up a banner, when a bolt of lightning flew by, sizzling the fringes of her hair. “Huh!? Ugh... Now, careful...” she said to someone off-screen. Derpy cocked her head. Some of this character's line were different. Then the camera went to a young, blond woman sitting on a low cloud, playfully drumming lighting from its dark rolls. It was Ditzy. She had taken her sister's scene!
Derpy watched in silent horror as her big moment played out before her with someone else as the star. The show continued, spreading it's messages of love and friendship, but Derpy wasn't in the mood for that. She pulled her quilt tightly around her, buried her face, and sobbed.
Derpy awoke to the calling of the doorbell. She didn't know how long she had been asleep. The shut curtains offered no sunlight to give the time, and she didn't feel like rolling over to check a clock. Yet the doorbell kept ringing.
Wrapping the quilt around her, Derpy slowly marched towards the door. As she approached, she heard murmuring on the other side.
“I hear someone! Hide!”
It sounded like a couple of kids were planning some prank. “I don't have time for this...” Derpy moaned. She pushed open the door, preparing for a bucket of water or a flaming bag on her step. But nothing happened.
Derpy looked left and right. Wherever the children had decided to hide, they were doing a good job of it. Then, the scent of blueberries filled Derpy's nose. She looked down, and saw a large basket filled with muffins and letters. Derpy was shocked. She gave another look around, and brought the basket inside.
Sitting back on the couch, Derpy picked up a chocolate muffin, and began to reading one of the letters. It was filled with kind words, and promises that the writer would always be on the lookout for Derpy's character. The other letters contained more promises of remembrance, written by hands of all ages.
Derpy smiled as tears welled in her eyes. She knew that she was Derpy, the lovable member of the background cast. She would not be forgotten, and for her fans, never replaced.
End
