Got your hoof

-A year later-

“I finally found out why your watch got suddenly popular.”

My business partner said as he put a cup of coffee on my table.

I wasn’t paying attention. I was still looking at the calendar, remembering the incredible night exactly one year ago, the night which I drill a hole on the side of the hotel. It was almost like a nightmare to me, and luckily I had not been caught yet.

The week after that night I had been living like some kind of cave animal. Finally after I was sure I really got away with it, I went back to work. Half a year later, our company was doing quite well, so we decided to market the 2nd generation of the watches I designed. At first it wasn’t popular at all like the first ones, but months later we saw a HUGE increase in the sale.

“Hey dude, you listening?”

He stood in front of me and blocked the calendar from my view.

“Well it’s because I am talented, right?”

I said and he was surprised.

“Have you even seen that movie?”

“What movie?”

I asked. He told me about this new movie that just came out. It was the one that was shot at this town a year ago.

“The one where the… the main character had a weird name?”

“DUDE, Octavia is NOT a weird name!”

He confessed that he had watched every show that Octavia was in. I don’t watch TV, so I had no idea.

“Oh yeah, she will be meeting some fans in a few days. I will take you there. You will get to shake hooves with her!”

“Na I’ll pass.”

“You old fashioned piece of… here, I got some of her CD’s. Just give it a try.”

Despite my refusal, he pulled out a CD and popped it into the stereo. Octavia was not only an actress, but also a singer. That surprised. And the fact that my friend had actually BOUGHT her CD’s surprised me more. But what does this have to do with anything? Weren’t we just talking about the sales of the watches a second ago?

My thoughts were cut off by the singing.

“How’s it?”

He looked at me, smiling. Soon his smile turned into surprise. Why? Well, maybe because I suddenly stood up, knocked over the chair and froze.

I remembered the night exactly a year ago.

I got home and felt like a huge part of me had been lost. I ate some food, but I could not even taste it. I unplugged all my stuff, so that if I get caught and sent to jail, at least my electric bill will be less depressing.

I didn’t sleep all night. I was waiting for the police to come bust my door open any second. The day came, and then suddenly my phone rang. It was my aunt.

“Can you come to the hotel?”

It’s finally the time, I thought.

I went to the hotel. Aunt was waiting for me, sitting on a chair. I looked around, but I didn’t see my cousin.

“You are here.” She said, “My daughter will be back soon, so just hold on.”

“… I know why you wanted me to come.”

“Oh, really?”

“I am not going to resist. I am ready to take the punishment.”

“Punishment? What’s wrong with you? I just wanted to get lunch, and I was wondering if you knew any restaurant nearby with decent food.”

The door opened behind me, and my cousin walked in. She nodded at me and said hi.

Her voice sounded kind of strange to me.

She walked pass me and opened the little cabinet on the side of the wall.

I almost screamed. There should have been two holes on the side, the ones that I dug open last night! But inside the cabinet, the wooden board was fine.

“What’s wrong?”

My cousin asked. Then I realized what’s wrong. Although she was also a gray pony with black hair, her hair was much shorter than the pony who I met in the hall ways. And what’s more important was her voice. She was wearing a short sleeved shirt, and I could see her left hoof, smooth and WITHOUT a bit mark.

I moved to the window and looked outside. The rock disappeared.

“Hey, I remember there was a huge rock here. Where did it go?”

“Rock? Oh the prop?”

“The… WHAT?”

Aunt told me that there were a lot of staff members of the film shot living there, so the hotel let them put some prop in the garden. They left in the morning and took all the stuff with them.

I leaned out of the window and looked at the side. There was two holes, but on the wall of the room next to us. I thought the rock was real, but it was probably light enough for any pony to move around.

Then, who the hell did I rob?

I made up an excuse and left the hotel immediately. The mare who I robbed could still be in the hotel, and she would recognize my voice if she hear me. I have to leave as soon as possible.

The fan meeting took place inside a hotel. All the chairs and couches had been moved to leave room for the fans, even though the place was PACKED with ponies of all kinds.

Even though Octavia hadn’t showed up yet, the place was already crowded like a China bus.

She was still using the name “Octavia”. I could see the word almost everywhere. There were numerous posters on the wall. I had never been to any place like this. I had no idea how popular a famous celebrity could be.

I felt like I don’t belong here, so I asked my friend, “Hey, can I just go outside and take a smoke? I’ll be back when it’s my time.”

Everypony turned to me as I spoke, and they all looked upset.

“You are going to shake her hoof with your dirty hooves after smoking???” My friend said. Even though I knew the fact that Octavia hated the smell of smoke from my friend, I still think they are over reacting a little, like she would die if she inhaled a slice of the smell.

Then I heard cheering from the front of the stage. I looked and saw a gray pony with long, straight black hair walking on stage. She was just as beautiful and amazing as the posters and cover of the CD’s. She seemed confident. Her stance was perfect, and it amazed me. I realized why she got so popular. She was like an angel.

Her voice echoed through the mic, greeting everypony who came. Everypony became extremely quiet. I found her voice extremely familiar. Back then when my friend played me the CD, I thought I have heard the voice somewhere before as well. I thought the reason was because she was popular, so I must have heard her voice somewhere else before.

After the song was over, my friend took the CD out and said,

“About the raise in sales, it was because in the film she made, she was wearing an exact same hoof watch as the one you designed.”

After the movie came out, numerous filly followed her and bought the watch I designed. They said the watch was unique and the design was excellent, and they were all quite satisfied. But in fact, I knew it was all because Octavia wore it.

“I saw the movie. That watch was really close, but it can’t be yours, right? You were still showing off with the only one you had back then.”

Then my friend started talking to me about Octavia’s life. How she followed her mother’s will and became an actress, her name choice… pretty much everything she did, her mother was involved.

And there were also rumors that one year ago, she ran away during the film shot and caused quite a lot of trouble.

“What you doing bro? GET IN THE LINE.” My friend pulled me towards him and said. I looked around. Her speech was over, and ponies had formed a line to wait for the chance to talk and hoof shake with her. Everypony would walk up the stairs, do their business, and walk down the other stairs straight to the exit.

I moved along in the line. Since I was already there, why not.

I saw her from far away. My vision froze on her left hoof and I felt everything else leaving me.

She was still wearing that watch that I left at the hotel. She didn’t give it to the police, and she even filmed with it on. Does she like my design? If that’s really the case, then I would be so flattened. I thank her for saving my career and dreams, but how would I show her my appreciation?

The line moved and I moved closer and closer to the stage. I felt really, really nervous.

Soon it was my friend’s turn. I watched him as he walked on stage. They shook hooves. He was so nervous that I was afraid I might have to catch him if he faint and fall.

But I understand why. From such a short distance, Octavia looked … breathtaking. She was like some strange creature, alternating the space around her. Being close her was like moving to another completely different dimension.

My friend finally let go and walked down the stage. He had the look on his face as if he would be happy if he died right there.

I moved up and held out my right hoof. She held out her right hoof as well and we hoof shook.

She was right in front of me, the mare who was stuck in the walls that night.

I thought I should say something about how much of a fan I was, because that was what everypony else was doing. However suddenly, the smile faded from her face.

Like a cat that had just woke up from a nap, her eyes widened. When she was holding onto my right hoof, she moved her left hoof and grabbed onto my right hoof tightly as well.

I held my breath.

She stayed there for about 20 seconds. It looked like she was thinking about something. It was way too long for a hoofshake, even the security guards turned to the side and looked curiously.

Soon she let go and the line started moving again.

I walked down the stairs and looked back. She was looking at me as well, with a victorious smile.

Everypony else, including my friend, was staring at me as if I was some kind of creature from outer space.

I panicked and ran out of the room. Because her smile, as a famous celebrity to me, was just a bit too special.