"You Should Consider Not Speaking In Public."
Twilight Sparkle held the book up to her face, her eyes quickly skimming the pages, hiding her face as she stood in the mass of students. She looked up as the silver bus pulled up to the stop, and was left in the dust as students rushed on. She looked up from her book, tucking it under her arm as she walked on.
The bus was already full of students. Twilight walked through the crowded bus, eyes darting around trying to find a spot to sit. Preferably, one far away from everyone else. Sunny Flare sat with her feet on the front of the seat in front of her, hands in the pockets of her leather jacket. Her best friend Lemon Zest sat next to her, looking at her concernedly. On the opposite seat, Ginger Owlseye stared out the window, looking at nothing in particular. Her brother, Peter, sat next to her, embarrassed. Behind them, Marco DaFoy and a couple of girls snickered. It seemed that every seat in the bus was already taken up.
Reluctantly, she walked to the back of the bus. She usually sat back there, but today something was different. A light-periwinkle-skinned girl with white, pigtailed hair and orange glasses sat in Twilight's normal seat. Twilight knew who it was right away: Sugarcoat, head of the math team. Twilight knew that if she sat by the girl, she was risking her status in the school as nearly invisible, and could be ridiculed by everyone. But it was a risk she'd have to take.
She made her way toward the seat, sitting down as the bus lurched forward. She looked at the girl sitting next to her and waved shyly, attempting to get the girl's attention. But Sugarcoat didn't seem to notice, so Twilight decided to speak up.
"Hi, Sugarcoat!" she smiled, looking up at the girl.
Sugarcoat looked at her, with what seemed to be distaste. "You should consider not speaking in public." she said bitterly, then turned away.
Twilight looked down, knowing that this would've been her result. But knowing that she's have to sit her for another 20 minutes or so, she decided, reluctantly, to rebut.
"Why?"
Sugarcoat looked over, surprised, although her face didn't show it. "What did you just say to me?" she scoffed, making Twilight flinch under her gaze.
"I-I said, why?" Twilight stuttered, trying in vain to put on a brave face.
"Well..." Sugarcoat looked nervous, blushing and pulling at her shirt collar. "Y'see, um- I feel bad for you, Twilight."
"WHAT?" Twilight shouted, causing a few people to jump, and Taffy Shade turned in her seat with a scowl.
"Because I feel bad for you, dimwit." Sugarcoat muttered, putting her hand over Twilight's mouth angrily.
"How-why-mph!" Twilight stammered before Sugar slapped her hand over Twi's mouth again to keep her from embarrassing her.
"Look around you, Twilight Sparkle." Sugarcoat whispered, as the bus returned to its normal chatter. "This school is like a minefield. One wrong move, and you're out." She gestured around the bus. Ginger now had her face smushed up against the window. Marco and his friends were discussing some new movie about a wizard in large gestures. Twist giggled with the other freshman. "Being as smart as I am, I've noticed that you tend to, ahem, fade into the background."
"I kinda knew that..." Twilight said nervously, not quite sure what the girl was getting at.
"If you speak out in public," Sugarcoat continued, "you could risk getting publicly humiliated."
"What does this have to do with feeling bad for me?" Twilight said, half confused and half starstruck. The smartest girl in school was talking to her, and felt bad for her! What's next, she thought, flying ponies?
"I don't want you to end up like that." Sugarcoat said bluntly. "You... You're an interesting person, Twilight."
Twilight didn't know what to say. Her? Interesting? She thought of herself as one of the least interesting person at Crystal Prep. She just sat there with her mouth open.
"Close your mouth." Sugarcoat snipped. "You look like a dork."
"Why are you being so blunt?" Twilight blurted. It's like this girl was the embodiment of honesty of something!
"I dunno." Sugarcoat shrugged, looking at Twilight nonchalantly. "It just comes to me. I say what I think."
"Well..." Twilight said nervously, reaching her hand out to Sugar. "Does this make you my friend?"
Sugarcoat looked down at the girl's hand, then shook it with confidence. "Yes. It does. Stick with me, Twilight. I'll show you the ropes here at CPA."
"Are you sure that's safe for your-" Twilight began, but Sugarcoat nodded, knowing her thought.
The two girls sat holding hands, then let go after a few seconds. Sugarcoat turned back to look at a book, and Twilight was drowning in a sea of emotions. She still was getting used to the fact that Sugarcoat, Sugarcoat of all people, wanted to be her friend.
The bus pulled up to the curb by the school, a tall, crystalline building, and students poured out as the doors opened. Twilight waited until everyone else was out, then nervously made her way toward the school.
She looked up at the large door, recounting what Sugarcoat had told her on the bus. This was only Twilight's third day at the prestigious prep school. As she mused, she felt someone grab her hand.
Twilight turned, blushing a bit, to see Sugarcoat at her side once more. "Come on, Safe Girl," she smiled, "let's go."
Twilight smiled. Maybe this school wasn't as bad as everyone said it was. Twilight had a feeling she would like it here.
