Chapter 3: Friendship in the Apocalypse

I ate alone at mess. My thoughts were too heavy for casual conversation.

People walked by, their faces questioning. Word had gotten around that something had happened out there. I ate my potatoes and vegetables in silence, never looking up.

"Sitting by yourself. As usual."

I felt my heart miss a beat as Sweetie plopped down on the metal bench next to me. Out of the corner of my eye I could see her shoulder-length pink and purple hair. I turned to meet her bright green eyes.

"Sweetie! What are you up to?"

"Just hanging out, I guess," she said, with a smile. "Eating some food, as much as I want to. You?"

"Much the same."

As I took another bite, I felt her staring at me.

"So..." she asked. "How was it?"

I swallowed. "What do you mean?"

"Don't play coy with me, Spike Dragul. I know you came across a dead body."

"Right to the point, huh?"

"I'm a busy girl. So what happened?"

"Well, he wasn't quite dead, actually. He's in the medical bay with my dad. Three stab wounds." I ate another mouthful of food, and swallowed. "It was pretty bad."

"Yeah, I know all that, but you're my inside source."

"Don't you mean 'outside source'?"

She smiled at my lame joke. "Who is he? Where did he come from?"

"I don't know. If anyone does, it's Lightning or Shining, or..." I paused. "What's with all these questions, anyway?"

She smiled. "You know me. I'm curious."

"I'm sorry," I said. "If you've been asking around, you probably know more than me, actually."

She laughed. "Yeah. Right. Well, if you're not saying anything, you must be hiding something."

I couldn't help widening my eyes a little.

"Hit the nail on the head, huh?"

"Yeah, maybe a little."

"Well, what happened? Spill the beans."

"Nothing happened. We went out, found the body, and called for some help. Now we're here. Eating these crappy beans."

I looked at her and smiled, but she seemed unconvinced.

"Funny," she said. "I'm not letting you off that easy. Spike, how long have we know each other?"

"I don't know... since we were kids?"

"Yeah. Our whole lives. And who would you say your best friend is?"

I looked away and puffed out my chest, "I don't have to answer that..."

"I want to hear it, anyway."

I gave in, "you, of course."

"Okay," she said. "Something's bugging you, and I'm going to pry it out of you if it's the last thing I do. You saw something. And you're going to tell me what it was."

I thought of the woman I had seen. I didn't answer Sweetie for a while, and not because I distrusted her. I knew she'd keep a secret. But what I had seen weighed on me, and it didn't seem fair to lay it on her. What if she got in trouble?

"Still not talking, huh? Whatever happened, you can't pen it up inside. You need someone to talk with. I'm here."

"You're persistent, aren't you?"

She shrugged. "I know you, Spike. You're too quiet. It's okay to let your feelings out. Really, it would do you good."

I was about to protest the 'feelings" bit, but decided it wasn't worth it. In the end, I decided that she was right. But this was not the place for telling her.

"Alright, but you have to promise not to tell. And I can't tell you here."

"That serious, then?"

I nodded, not saying anything else. All around us, people chattered, silverware clanked on trays, chair legs squeaked against the linoleum.

"Fine," Sweetie said. "The chapel, at twenty hundred?"

The chapel would work. No one went there anymore, so we wouldn't be discovered.

"Alright," I said.

I was really doing this. I was going to tell Sweetie something I had intended on taking to my grave. Maybe it wasn't that serious, but it definitely seemed like it. if anyone found out besides Sweetie, I would be in some serious trouble. Telling a secret, even to someone you trusted, always carries risks. Even with the best of intentions, people had a way of becoming their own worst enemy.

Sweetie wasn't thinking about any of that, though.

"Finally, I get some time with you. Now that you're reconnoitering and everything, I guess you're too cool for me."

"Sweetie, you know that's not true."

"Hey," Sweetie said, touching my arm. "It'll be fine, whatever it is. Just trust me."

I looked at her for a second, trying not to focus on how good her hand felt on my arm. I stopped trying to figure her out years ago. There were feelings there, at least on my part - but for some reason, nothing had ever materialized. She always seemed to be with some other loser.

Ever since that incident with Button Mash, I had always kind of judged her after that. As I recalled in my head what had happened.

Okay, maybe that was a bit harsh. All the same, I always found myself playing the part as the friend, and that was the biggest reason for our distance. It hurt to be around her.

"Alright," I said. "I'll meet you there."

Sweetie smiled. "Good." She jumped up, and half turned from me. "Twenty hundred, the chapel. That's almost two hours away, so be ready."

Sweetie went back to her table, and I returned to my food. I didn't know if I had made the right choice. But I knew Sweetie - if she knew something was bothering me, she wouldn't let up until I told her. Besides, she was right - seeing her would be good for me. Maybe this would lead to something more than just secret-swapping. Maybe, we could finally...

I didn't let that thought form. I didn't want to hope too much. Hope was dangerous. If you let it grow, it only became more painful when t was crushed like a bug.

Alright - that was dark, even for me.

Well, hopefully... telling Sweetie would get this off my chest. Maybe it would make me feel better.

Maybe.

Author's Note

Alrighty.. chapter 3 guyz sorry for delay and short chapter I've been looking around for some helpful advice on the internets and telling my friends on my social medias who are bronies to come check this out... so shoutout to them that checked it out... do not worry to those that want longer chapters the next few is where the story will start to pickup and the chapters will be getting longer so yea... see ya
*BroHoof*