With his father busy at work and his mother taking his brother to a dentist appointment, Tomato Sandwich decided it was high time to take a group of his friends for a little party at his home. It felt so bad, and yet so good to be disobeying his mother’s orders to not invite any friends over. It was his first time being home alone, and he figured he should celebrate this step in growing up.
It was great to be throwing a party at his place instead of Squirt’s, or Jinx’s, or even Carpet Burn’s. It was a little disappointing that he didn’t have the things he needed to make a party pizza, or that his brother wasn’t around to play an upbeat polka. Then again, he was worried that Jumbo Thumbo would empty the fridge, and if Cheese was around, he’d lock himself in their room again.
For once, he was glad that they had pretty much nothing but vegetables. Especially the dreaded sauerkraut. Jumbo refused to touch those, and left the food alone.
However, Jumbo was not afraid to point out the report cards from the past few years attached to the icebox, which were all Tommy’s, and all A’s. Even though Jumbo was a heavyset colt and Tommy was a runt, the latter was not afraid to smack the former for calling him a “nerd.” Despite his good grades and the need for glasses that had manifested the year before, he was not willing to let himself be called that.
He proudly led them to the room that he and his brother shared. There, they created a city out of building blocks, and then destroyed it like a giant monster, roaring the whole time. They bounced a ball around the room, playing a dodging game where if the ball hit a pony, they died. They played with the jacks, jumped on both of the beds, and played tug-of-war with tied up bed sheets.
Tommy himself leapt between his brother’s bed and his own, laughing along with the other colts. Under those laughs, however, he felt that something was missing. On the one hoof, he had brought all the friends that were available, and so far, hardly anything had happened, besides the close call with the ball and the lamp. On the other hoof, this party just didn’t feel complete without Cheese.
He stopped his bouncing when he landed on said brother’s bed and scooted back to the wall so he wouldn’t get jumped on by one of the others. He had promised his friends that one day he’d show them just how cool Cheese was. After all, Cheese could sing, play a musical instrument, and devise ways to save Tommy’s flank from any kind of danger. There was nopony who could compare!
And yet, Cheese was unwilling to share that. It was incredibly frustrating for Tommy that everypony would not believe that the meek orange colt that always hid was secretly that amazing, and Cheese’s attitude didn’t help matters.
He noticed that all his friends had stopped the bouncing and were focused on pulling something out from under Cheese’s bed. Tommy crawled to the edge, and discovered that they were pulling out a big, black box that was clasped shut. He watched them throw it open, and all of them beheld the instrument that was inside.
“…what is that?” Squirt asked.
Tommy blew on his curled forelock. “That’s my brother’s accordion.”
“Oh, so you weren’t lying ‘bout that!” Jumbo exclaimed.
“Of course not! Why would I lie about him?”
“Well,” Carpet Burn said. “We were worried that his lameness was rubbing off on you.”
“We were beginning to think you hit your head! We never see him do anything… no, we never even see him at all!” Jinx laughed.
Tommy snorted. How could they say that when he’s invited each of them over at least once and pointed him out sometimes at school? Sure, Cheese always seemed to be hiding somewhere, but Tommy managed to see him several times. However, upon trying to wave him over, it seemed as if Cheese didn’t see him. And an attempt to outright drag him over would result in the older brother either panicking or getting annoyed.
Squirt attempted to lift the accordion. “Are you sure he’s the coolest brother ever?”
Tommy leapt to his hooves. “Of course he is! He just… I dunno, he’s been kinda grumpy for a while now… and when he isn’t grumpy, he’s sad. And when he’s neither… he’s asleep.” He sighed and kicked one of the sheets. “I haven’t seen him smile in forever! He’s not even happy to see me anymore!”
“Maybe he’s sick?”
“With what?”
“Uh…”
“Cooties!” Jinx interjected.
Tommy put a hoof on his face. “Cooties? That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.”
“Yeah, everypony knows that only fillies have it,” Carpet Burn deadpanned.
“Hey, can one of you ding dongs help me lift this thing? I wanna see if I can play it!” Squirt’s voice was strained and his face was turning red as he tried to pick up the accordion. The three other colts on the floor immediately helped him lift it out of the case.
Tommy frowned. “Squirt, put it back.”
“Why?”
“Cheese wouldn’t like it. He even made me promise not to touch it.”
“Come on, really? And here you were saying he was cool. Maybe you need your glasses checked, Tommy; a cool pony would let us try this thing out for ourselves!”
The four colts had lifted the accordion out, and Squirt balanced himself on his back hooves as he held the instrument between his front hooves. He eagerly began to pump it, playing shaky and shrill notes with a distinctive lack of melody. Tommy nearly jumped out of his skin at the first note, and was getting increasingly uncomfortable as Squirt kept playing.
“Okay, I think that’s—”
“I want a turn, Squirt!” Jumbo hollered, grabbing the accordion.
“No no no!” Jinx growled, grabbing it as well. “It’s my turn!”
Carpet Burn grabbed it as well. “You boneheads! I call it next!”
“Back off! I’m not done yet!”
Tommy’s blood ran cold as he watched the four of them fight over the accordion and pull it in different directions. If Cheese were to see this, there was no telling how he would react. Tommy had seen him grumpy and he had seen him annoyed—rage was not one emotion that he wanted to see. He had heard that other colts had big brothers who would not hesitate to beat them up should they break something of theirs, and if Cheese stooped that low…
“Guys! Stop! Put it back!” Tommy yelled.
They didn’t listen and continued to fight. Tommy jumped off the bed, and tried to pull the accordion away from the other colts, shouting for them to let go and put it back in the case. His cries were drowned out by the others’, and the instrument was pulled back and forth, left and right, and in circles.
Tommy didn’t know how exactly it happened, but the accordion was suddenly flung across the room, and crashed into the wall. The loud BANG echoed through the building, and everypony just froze. The colts could only stare at the wreckage. And just as plans to hide it were being conceived, the door opened.
Cheese Sandwich walked in, holding the small prize bag that the dentist had given him for being good. He spotted Tommy and the other colts standing there in horror, and tilted his head in confusion. When he turned his head to see what it was about, his eyes landed on the remains of his prized instrument. His eyes widened, and he dropped his bag as his jaw went slack.
Tommy could feel a sharp pain in his heart as Cheese stared at the broken accordion. He expected to see the brown afro deflate like a balloon, or for the orange colt to collapse in a heap, dead from shock. He hated seeing the pain shining in Cheese’s eyes, and wished he could disappear.
“I-It was Squirt! He did it!” Jumbo hollered, much to Tommy’s annoyance.
“What?! No, Jinx was the one who threw it!”
“Me? Come on, Carpet Burn pulled it too hard, so it sprung out of our hooves!”
“Maybe if Tommy hadn’t tried to stop us from playing it—”
Cheese snapped his head around to face them. Several of his curls had bristled violently with audible sproings, and he sported a glare so sharp that Tommy felt like he was bleeding. The color had drained from the other colts, and they scrambled out of the room with hurried goodbyes, leaving the two brothers alone. Even the surprised shout from their mother was left unheard.
Tommy’s heart pounded against his chest. So much was being said in Cheese’s glare, and it asked so many questions that he didn’t want to answer. He could feel so much hatred radiating from them, and his heart was filled with the most intense pain he had ever felt. Even a scolding from their mother wouldn’t hurt as much as the pair of glowering green eyes before him.
“So…” Cheese began, his voice full of venom. “Your friends are nice.”
Tommy squeaked and nodded, sensing the burning sarcasm in the sentence. Biting his lip, he stood transfixed at the palpable anger that was a first for Cheese. What was he going to do?
Cheese turned back to the accordion, sat down, and squeezed his eyes shut. “Fitting for such a little backstabber. That promise not to touch it meant nothing to you, huh?”
Tommy blinked. “Uh, Cheese, I—”
“Get out.”
“But, but—”
“I said GET OUT!”
Cheese’s raised voice startled Tommy, and the younger colt dashed out of the room. Moments after, he heard the door slam behind him. His heart had been filled with an agonizing burning, and his older brother’s words echoed in his mind. He tried to hold back tears, chanting to himself, “Big colts don’t cry, big colts don’t cry…”
Years later, as a college student going into business, it still hurt him.
The memory came back as Tomato was doing homework. One of his classmates had made the mistake of asking if he was related to the party planner that had rolled into town and spiced up the recent parade, and now he was stuck with memories of his colthood in the forefront of his mind. The accordion incident was still a clear memory, despite the both of them being stallions now, and he could still hear Cheese’s sharp voice yelling at him. However, he no longer felt sad about it.
He was angry.
Angry that Cheese hadn’t forgiven him for the accident. Angry that instead of being a big colt about the whole thing, Cheese ran away. Angry that after Cheese had left and earned his cutie mark, Tomato was suddenly considered the oldest and had high expectations placed on him, which it was assumed he’d reach if his grades were any indication. Angry that while Cheese was enjoying his freedom, Tomato felt like a caged bird. But most of all, Tomato was angry that Cheese had practically disowned him as a brother.
Such a big fuss made over a musical instrument, he thought with a snort. He couldn't blame him for being upset when it had happened; he treasured the thing. And in hindsight, there was no doubt that Cheese was already wound up when it happened. Well, sorry for trying to get the other colts to see why I looked up to you.
And then there was wrapping his head around how Cheese ended up a party pony. Tomato spat out his pencil when his mind reached that part. How did it happen? Last he remembered, Cheese didn’t exactly have the cheerful mindset required for that. In fact, on the rare occasion that Cheese did visit, he wasn’t all too thrilled about it.
And frankly, neither was Tomato. No matter how much he desired to apologize for what happened with the accordion, his bitterness overcame him, and all he could do was insult Cheese, and mock his career choice. Of course, never again shall he insult the rubber chicken. That ended in disaster.
Tomato sighed and left his desk, figuring a snack would help him calm down; he could feel his mane begin to bristle. Tamed it had been, combed and slicked back to near perfect straightness, with the exception of the single curled forelock, but it still threatened to spring back into its natural curls.
Even as he prepared his snack—a simple salad, he didn’t want to be too extravagant—he couldn’t help but mentally accuse Cheese of being a huge fake. Faking his huge grins, faking his cheer, faking his apparent niceness, faking his charm, and most definitely faking that he had no problems. He most likely didn’t fake having a screw loose, though, as the rubber chicken proved.
Taking a bite out of his salad, Tomato couldn’t help but sigh. His colthood liveliness had evaporated. He felt as if he was as boring as mud. He wished he hadn’t been so submissive to Mother’s whims after the accordion incident. He wished that he could turn back time and do things differently.
Though he had made his parents proud, he wasn’t very happy.
Author's Note
Well, well, well, congratulations. You made it through another cheesy installment of mine.
Yeah, I thought it'd be fair to deal with Tomato's point of view, since the previous one was mostly in Cheese's point of view. Don't know how this will hold up in comparison to the last one, and frankly, that kind of scares me.
And yes, Tommy's a business student. Because there's only so many ways I could manipulate a freaking tomato into a double-meaning (in other words, I oughta get cracking on showing you what Tommy looks like).
