Friends in Pairs

"Hi, Lyra!" Lyra looked up from her paddle ball to see her BFF and roommate, Bon Bon, standing on the front porch. "Playing with that paddle ball again?"

"Yeah!" Lyra replied. "You really should try these things more often, Bon Bon!" Bon Bon rolled her eyes and smiled.

"Maybe," she answered. "Anyway, I'm off to my shop. See you later."

"Wait! Can I come along?" Lyra asked. Bon Bon looked surprised.

"I didn't think you were one for working in a shop," she commented.

"Hey, I like your chocolate!" Lyra defended herself. "It's good! I'm not going just to watch you work in a shop all day!"

"Alright." Bon Bon waved her hoof. "Sure, you can come along."

"Yay!" Lyra followed Bon Bon out of the yard.

"So, you just sit at the bit register all day?" Bon Bon rolled her eyes.

"No, Lyra. Do you understand work at all?" Lyra shook her head.

"Well," Bon Bon continued, "I clean the stood, restock shelves, help customers when they need it, actually make the chocolate, and yes, I sit at the bit register."

"What can I do to help?" Lyra asked. "Make a sign? Put on a chocolate themed puppet show?" Bon Bon shot her an Are you joking look.

"You can organize shelves," Bon Bon decided.

"But I don't want to organize shelves!" Lyra pouted. "I want to do something fun!"

"Are you saying running a store isn't fun?" Bon Bon asked, stopping in her tracks. "At least it earns bits, unlike your useless paddle ball! And every other toy you play with!" Lyra's ears flattened.

"Is that what you think?" She asked. "You know what I think of your store? It's boring! You're stuck inside all day, even when there's hours without customers!"

"That's what you think?" Bon Bon snapped.

"Yeah!" Lyra retorted. The two friends glared at each other. Finally, Bon Bon sighed.

"You know what, Lyra? This is all highly irrational. We shouldn't be fighting like this."

"I guess you're right," Lyra admitted. "I'm sorry, Bon Bon. I know you like working in your store. It's fun for you."

"I'm sorry, too," Bon Bon replied. "You're not a pony that likes to stay put."

"From now on, we'll respect each other's likes and dislikes," Lyra declared. Bon Bon nodded.

"Exactly!" The two of them hugged.

"Excuse me? Is your store open, Bon Bon?" The two looked up to see Time Turner standing there. "I need to get some caramels, please."

"Oh, right," Bon Bon ran to unlock the door. "Come in."

~

"This is really challenging, Lyra," Bon Bon commented that afternoon as she jerked her hoof and the wooden toy in it. "Why didn't you show me this earlier?"

"You didn't want to, earlier," Lyra replied, tossing her own nameless toy, and expertly landing the ball in the cup. "Isn't it fun?"

"Yeah," Bon Bon agreed. "Do you have any other games like this?" Lyra rolled her eyes.

"Duh, Bon Bon!"

"Hey, after you show me them, I want to show you my latest voice! I was practicing it last night!"

"For somepony who used to not like playing, you sure enjoy playing around with your voice," Lyra commented. Bon Bon giggled.

"Oh, Lyra! I didn't hate playing!"

"Sure you didn't," Lyra responded. "Show me the voice right now!"

"Alright! So, I modeled it after Pinkie Pie." Bon Bon began to talk in a girly, high pitched voice. When she was finished, Lyra clapped.

"You use that more often, Bon Bon!"

"Thanks, Lyra!" Bon Bon replied in the voice. "Now, can you get me another game? How about paddle ball?"