You answer the door, expecting your girlfriend to be on the other side. You've been waiting all day for this. "Anon... I'm ready for our date now... if that's okay with you." In a black dress partially exposing one of her hips and curly hair, Fluttershy waits outside.
"Woah, Flutters."
"I-I'm sorry, is this too much?" She certainly did outclass you for tonight, all you have on is a pair of black jeans, a long sleeve shirt and black sneakers.
"No, you're stunning."
Fluttershy's soft blush starts to grow around her cheeks. "Thanks. I had some trouble getting this dress on since..." She clears her throat. "A-anyway, what are we doing for the night?"
You worryingly rub the back of your neck, trying to excuse yourself from missing the true point of tonight's main purpose. "I honestly don't know."
"Hmm. We could just drive around and think about it on the way."
"That sounds like a good idea."
"Anon! Who's at the door?" Your father asks from the other room.
"Just my girlfriend. We'll be heading out." You nearly shout.
"Are you sure you don't want to introduce us to her?" He asks once more. This wasn't a great time to bring her up, especially on how they usually are.
"I don't think now would be the best time to do so."
Fluttershy taps your shoulder. "Anon, I wouldn't mind meeting your parents."
"Yeah, but it's something else."
"I knew I overdid it with this dress." She pouts out.
"Trust me, you did a great job. It's just that my parents are--"
"Anon?" Your dad asks when standing from the hallway. He is still wearing office clothes: a pale blue shirt and black pants. The loose tie is hanging around his neck, along with no more than three undone buttons at the top. "I presume that she must be your girlfriend."
You tap the tip of your right foot on the ground, wondering if it's too late on just leaving when this conversation ends. "Yes, her name is Fluttershy."
"It's nice to meet you, sir."
"Honey, what's going on?" Your mom asks from afar.
"I think we might have a guest for dinner. How about it?"
"I really don't think we should." You try to speak for both you and her.
"I would be delighted to dine with all of you." Fluttershy speaks up when walking inside, only to stop right beside you.
"Wonderful!" Your dad goes back in the hallway. "Put Anon's plate back on, and add another."
You give a scorn look at Fluttershy, while she seems jittery at the situation. "What? They seem nice, aren't they?"
"They are."
"Then what's the problem?"
"You'll just have to see for yourself." You close the door and grab her hand, leading her into the hallway, silently thinking that this night could have been better if you just thought ahead.
Once you enter the kitchen, your mom - in a white sweater and blue jeans, covered by an apron - is preparing the table. "Hi, you must be Fluttershy."
"Yes, that's me." She speaks in a low tone.
"Please, have a seat. I'll get the casserole out very soon."
"You should try it; certainly is something." Your dad sounds as if he's advertising.
"It's just a simple recipe that anyone can pick up, it's nothing."
"Not the way you do it." Your father kisses her on the cheek.
Your desire to sigh is held back when pulling up a chair for Fluttershy. "Gentlemen like, Anon?" In a silent motion, you mouth the words 'don't do this' to your mother. "I really would wish you could keep the attitude here at home." You grit your teeth when sitting right beside Fluttershy, giggling at your mom's comment. At least the casserole is coming out. Maybe if you rush on eating it, that would be a step closer on to leaving. But that would cut the "gentlemen" act that your mom made, making you look bad and possibly calling you a pig. Looks like you'll just have to go along the pace and expect a relatively small piece for the two of you.
You hand over your plate to your mom. "I notice on how you're not eating enough lately, Anon. I do expect for you to eat the extra bits that I left out." She says when handing it back. Half of your plate is filled with her chicken casserole, the rest will be filled with the usual; steaming green beans, carrot slices and other vegetables. This might take a while to get through, even with the usual pace that you want to eat at. As long that they don't talk to Fluttershy, the both of you should be out of here in fifteen or so minutes. "So, Fluttershy." Your mom starts. There goes that expectation. "What do you usually do?"
She shuffles in her seat, obviously unnerved by the immediate interest of your parents. "Um, I help the little ones. You know, those that couldn't take care of themselves."
"That's very nice of you to help those that are in need." Your mother replies. Both of them smile and nod at each other. You expected a different reaction, but this might go out well.
"I'm sorry to rush this, but--"
"We have all of tonight to get the chance to know each other a bit more. But do continue." Your mother interrupts when putting a plate filled with food in front of Fluttershy.
"O-okay. What do you do?"
"I'm an architect while my husband teaches students."
"Ohh, sounds interesting."
"It's a bunch of lines and numbers. Sort of a pain to get that exact detail for them to do. Precision is a matter of importance."
"I see." Fluttershy jabs her fork in the green beans sitting on the side. "Mr, Mous, I've never seen you around Canterlot High."
"That's because I teach at Crystal Prep Academy."
"O-oh. Why there?"
"He usually says that the pay is much better and the students are 'well behaved' when it's compared to our school." You speak out.
"And yet you still don't want to go there, Anon?" Your father asks the same lousy question ever since you moved here.
"No, nothing has changed. I wouldn't go last year, and certainly not this year." Your mother and Fluttershy idly watch you 'discussing' this with your father.
"Why? What does Canterlot High have that we don't?"
"We don't have strict dress codes, the students are a little more friendly, and they certainly don't have anyone like Fluttershy there." That might have been a corny thing to say in the end, but it did work. Fluttershy has a smile with a red tint around her cheeks.
"Hmph." Your father goes back to munching on his slice of the casserole.
"So how is it at the orphanage you aid?" Your mother questions Fluttershy. Wait, did she just assume that Fluttershy works at...
"Um, orphanage?"
"Yes, what else did you mean by 'helping out the little ones'?"
"What I actually do is help out in the local animal shelter."
"Oh." Your mom plainly says.
"I must ask; why help them?" You knew that your father's curiosity just got the better of him.
"These little animals that don't have a home just need some care and love. When I was little, I couldn't bare seeing all the stray dogs and cats left out on the streets; fighting each other for a scrap of food or wandering around in the rain because they don't have anywhere else to go. It just bruised my heart, and still sort of does today. I wanted to start doing this a long time ago, but it would just lead to an argument with my parents. I'm still happy that I've been doing this ever since I started high school, and never wanted to do anything else."
Your parents look at each other once more, each of them raising an eyebrow. "So basically, your dream is to help filthy animals from the streets?" Your dad highlights the main point.
"W-well, yes." Fluttershy wavering the answer.
"I find it nice of her to help them." You comment on her choice.
"Anon, you know how much of a bother those things are." Your father says, making Fluttershy uncomfortable. "Cats lazily roll around the couch or shred the drapes, whereas dogs just shit wherever they want. And birds are no better. Honey, remember when you had one when you were a child?"
"Yes, I still do. Gosh, what a nightmare he was, always chirping or flapping his wings when I would enter the room. The only time that I ever liked it was when I opened the cage and watched him flew out of the house."
"D-did he come back?"
Your mother laughs. "Thank goodness no. However, I did feel guilty when my sister cried for a few days, but the sweet sound of silence was worth it."
Fluttershy clearly looks agitated in her seat after hearing your mother's experience with a pet bird. "What's worse than a house pet is one that you never expected to have. Remember the raccoon infestation we had earlier this year?"
"Dad, let's not talk about that. Can we just eat?"
"It'll be fast, Anon. For weeks, we had a nest of them living in our attic. Can you believe that we were housing an entire family of them? Anyway, we couldn't take up on the scratching and noises that they made, so we hired an exterminator to fumigate the house and removing them afterwards." Clearly knowing on their stance about animals, Fluttershy undoubtedly looks perturbed. "I would have let my son take care of them, if only I realized on what he did on summer of this year."
"It's nothing, really."
"What did Anon do?" Fluttershy sounds genuinely interested.
"One day, when me and Anon went into the forest to--"
"Dad, DON'T!"
"What? I just wanted to tell her on how you shot a deer."
http://vocaroo.com/i/s0fWmgwtA2we
Fluttershy's eyes widen as she starts to tear up. "Y... you." She mumbles when looking directly at you.
"Yup, my own son shot a dear right in the head. A natural hunter, just like his old man and his very own father." Her tears start to flow when sobbing.
"Fluttershy, what's--?" She pushes herself away from the table and runs away, leaving your mother's question unanswered.
You get up and chase her into the living room. "Fluttershy, it's not what you think."
"You KILLED a deer! Why?! Is that the reason you decided to help me when the school year came back, so you could try to make things right?!"
"No! I wanted to get to know you better."
"I wish I did the same to you." She turns around and opens the door, running off into the night.
"Fluttershy!" She ignores your plea and keeps on running down the street.
You can hear two sets of footsteps approaching right behind you. "A very strange one, wouldn't you agree?" Your father asks. You ball your hand into a fist.
"You're not wrong. It was just a deer, what else--"
"It's more than that!" You shout when turning around. "It was the ENTIRE MEAL! Your insensitive view on animals is what drove her away!"
"Don't you worry about her, there will be other girls out there." Your father says in a relaxed manner.
"Don't feed me that bullshit, dad!"
"Anon!" Your mother says in shock.
"I love you guys- I really do, but what happened tonight is unforgivable." You grab the car keys sitting on the shelf right beside you and run to the driveway. "There might be other girls out there, but none of them are Fluttershy."
"Anon, don't you dare walk out that door." In a split moment, you did hesitate when your dad said that. But if you don't leave, you may as well lose her for good. You run outside and enter your car. With no time to waste, you lock the doors and start the engine. When you look over your shoulder when leaving the driveway, you see your parents standing in the doorway. Your mom is in pure shock, whereas your father has his arms crossed with a fearsome look on his face. You drive off, knowing that they're going to do something drastic when you come back.
You've been driving around for five minutes and no sign of her or where she has gone to. She couldn't have gone home just yet, it would take twenty minutes for her to walk to your house. Your mind starts to wonder off, horrid ideas to what may have happened to her. When you turn on the next intersection, you see a familiar pink blur down the street. As you drive up, you stop right beside to what you hoped to expect is in fact Fluttershy sitting on a bench. She is still crying as she covers her face, refusing to look at the car parked right in front of her.
You roll down the window, now able to hear her faint weeping. "Fluttershy?"
She stops and sits still when she hears your voice. She keeps her head down when moving her hands away from her face. "Why?"
"I'm here or the deer thing?"
"Both."
You park the car. "The deer incident will take a while to explain, but the reason on why I'm here is a bit obvious; I don't want to lose you."
Fluttershy turns her head to the side, shivering from the cold night. "What about the deer?"
You turn off the engine and sigh when getting out of your car. Clearly she doesn't look like moving anytime soon, so you'll have to make the move. You sit beside her on the bench, she reacts to it by sliding away. "It wasn't intentional."
"Like hell it wasn't!" She screams when turning around and throwing her hands at you. "How can you expect for me to believe that when you went into a forest in the first place!?"
"I wanted to make my father proud!" You shout out, trying to move her hands away from slapping your face. Fluttershy stops the swatting. In case if she does it again, you grab them. They feel ice cold in your warm hands. "Can you let me explain the whole story, please?"
She looks at you before slipping her hands away. "Fine."
You start to shiver from how cold it is out here. "Can't we do this somewhere warm, maybe inside my car?"
"I'm not moving unless you t-tell me on what's going on." She shivers out.
"Okay. Me and my father, we have a distance to one-another. I might be his only son, but that doesn't guarantee his appreciation. I had to earn it, just so that I could feel that something is right between us. It was hard with trying to find a common interest, so what came close was impressing him. When I found out that grades wasn't enough, I needed to try something else."
She seems to be interested to what you're saying. "What did you do?"
"I tried some sports over the years. Soccer, baseball, football, all ended with be dragging the team down or I was just not suited for it. My mom still appreciated that I kept on trying, but my dad wasn't impressed."
Fluttershy scoots closer to you. "Did you try anything else?"
"Actually, yes. There was this one thing back in my old high school, but that's something I'm better off leaving tucked away."
"Come on, it can't be that bad."
"I joined the theater department and went into a musical." She smirks when you mention the musical. "What?
"I'm sorry but, that's funny." She admits.
"It was. Although the performance went well, my father was unamused. As time went on and my parents learned about this city, we decided to move here. When we settled in, I still wanted to impress him."
"Was there anything else?"
"No, the only thing that came to mind was the gun locker he owned hidden under his bed. When I asked him when we can go shooting, he was surprised."
"That his own son wanted to become a potential psychopath?"
"I didn't know that he would take me into a forest!" You clear your throat. "I expect something practical like a shooting range, not a deer."
"Then why didn't you say anything?" Fluttershy questions.
"I silently wished that we wouldn't come across one. For the first few hours, not a single deer came close, not until when the sun started to set and we decided to head back to the truck." You blow into your hands. "Everything seemed fine, until my dad spotted a deer looking around in the distance. He whispered to me that this might be our only chance, so he handed me the rifle."
"How long did it take for you to shoot it?"
"I didn't wanted to, I truly didn't. But the though about how impressed in the end and his slight nudge on doing so...." You rub your arms together. "I closed my eyes right before I pulled the trigger, hoping that I missed. But the pat on my back and the laugh that my father made proved otherwise. When I opened my eyes, the deer laid there." Fluttershy just sits there, she seems emotionless to your story. "A part of me was happy, but it was consumed by a bitter void later when we dragged it out of the forest. The one thing that I'll never forget was seeing a doe and her young looking at me before running off." When you look at her again, woeful by how the deer that you killed had a family of his own. You start to have that same pit in your stomach, the same feeling from that very day. "Later that night, my dad said we can go whenever I want. I never did take up on that offer, and thank goodness he never brought it up after that."
"I... I'm sorry that you had to go though all of that, Anon. I never knew it would be this powerful to you."
"There was a reason to keep it hidden. Not just for you, but for the both of us." You rest on the bench. "But, I guess it would eventually come up."
She puts a hand on your shoulder. "I'm glad that you never went back into the forest, and had the courage to find me."
"Yeah, but my parents will take most of the things that matter to me away, now that I disobeyed them."
"But not me." She cuddles right beside you.
"No hard feelings, right? You didn't know, and I kept it hidden away?"
"Yes, Anon. Everything is fine." A luxurious sedan pulls up and stops behind your car.
"Sorry that it took so long, I tried to find something that would..." Rarity comes out, holding a jacket and a skirt. "Um, did I miss something here?"
"Why are you here, Rarity?"
She crosses her arms. "I should be asking you the same thing."
"I asked first."
"I called her." Fluttershy says.
"Why?"
"She needed a ride home and a new set of clothes." Rarity answers.
"New clothes?"
"It's none of your business. Let's go, Fluttershy."
"Rarity, wait; everything is fine. I'm not mad at Anon anymore."
She appears to be frustrated when Fluttershy tells her. "After what Anon did, you forgive him? How?"
"Anon, should you tell her?"
"I'm not feeling so hot after saying it, can you?"
"I'll try."
"How could you, Fluttershy? Whatever it is, it better be persuading." After some time, Fluttershy tells Rarity the whole story. Fluttershy almost looks like how you felt when you told her it; queasy and uncomfortable. Rarity was on her way, but for now, she seems to be expressionless. "I suppose this would be possible, but how are you certain that he didn't make it up?"
"The way on how he told me wasn't like any other. What is sure that his pain is real, and I can see how he reacts to it."
Rarity looks to the way you're keeping your anguish in control, by holding your own hands and an upsetting appearance.
"Alright. It is somewhat genuine, And you're certain that there is no hostility between the two of you?"
Fluttershy hugs you. "We're fine." You hug her back, just to complete it and to rub it in Rarity's face.
"What is irrefutable is that you need a new set of clothes." Rarity proclaims.
"What's wrong with the way she is? I like her dress."
"Thank you for complementing my work, but I'm afraid Fluttershy has been experiencing issues with it for the night."
"What kind of issues?"
"As I said before, it's none of your concern. Here, Fluttershy." She hands over the jacket and skirt to her. "We'll be out here, you can change in the car for some privacy."
"Um, t-thanks." She walks over to the back and opens the door. "And Rarity, you can go ahead and tell him, it might even us out." She enters the car and closes the door.
"Hmm, I suppose I could."
"Seriously, what's the issue?"
"Apparently, the dress Fluttershy wore for tonight has a problem; it's one size too small. To make matters worse is that there was an imperfection around her... anyway, it started to appear and grew over time."
"When did she notice this?"
"It was before tonight's incident, so right when she was on her way to meet you."
"That explains it. But what's the problem with this imperfection?"
"Fluttershy didn't notice it until she stopped running away, so it grew when she left your house."
"Huh, what will you do with the dress?"
"I will have to examine the damage and learn from it. After writing it down in my journal, I'll fix it right up and hold onto it for later."
Fluttershy comes out of the car with the clothes Rarity advise her to wear. "Much better. Thank you, Rarity."
"Anytime, Fluttershy. I should go, my family will panic if I stay out any longer." They exchange a goodbye hug, along with a waive when she starts to enter her car.
"How was it with Rarity?" Fluttershy asks while the sedan starts up.
"It went well, Where was that imperfection she kept on mentioning about?" The silver sedan backs away from your car, getting enough room to go around and driving away.
"I kind of thought she explained it to you."
"She didn't. Rarity basically did the same thing just now."
"Okay, the tear was right beside my hip and started to show my..." She clears her throught. "Y-you know."
"Oh. Ohhh."
"Yeah. Can we go now?" Fluttershy suggests.
"Sure, you want to grab some food?"
"That's a good idea."
Dining at the restaurant went great. For an hour, the two of you talked before and after the meal. Although what annoyed you the most is how will you explain to your parents that you'll still go out with Fluttershy, even though they don't enjoy her. That will come later when you get back home, for the rest of the meal, you savored it. "I had a great time. Even though we had a fight, it was nice." Both of you sit in the car.
"Yeah, I'll drop you off and head home." You turn the key in the ignition, but stop when Fluttershy puts a hand on it.
"You don't have to go in alone."
"I must, I don't want them to hurt you."
"This is about me. I need to be there, to show them that you're not going to take it, and neither should I." She seems persistent, willing to come along.
"If you're sure about this, then let's do it." You start the engine and drive out of the parking lot.
Fluttershy is holding your left hand, while your right hand is on the doorknob. "Ready?"
She only nods with a small smile. "I'm scared, but ready." You open the door, expecting the worst. Your mom and dad are sitting on the couch, watching a cop drama on the TV. When it turns off the lamp sitting right beside them goes on.
"Anon, can we have a word with you?"
"Here it goes..." You whisper to Fluttershy. As you enter, they keep looking at the blank flat screen. You see how upset they are, right before they are overwhelmed by Fluttershy's presence.
"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Mous."
"So, you brought her back." Your father says.
"Yes, and we are going to keep on going out, no matter on how much you guys don't appreciate Fluttershy like I do."
Your father runs his thumb on the remote. "We can't deny that you love this girl, but what you did tonight was something that I cannot leave behind." He stands up, your mother sits by. "And all I have to say is this; I'm proud of you, son." He gives you a quick hug.
"What?"
"What?" Fluttershy and your mother join along.
"You finally stand up for yourself. Not just to anyone, but to your own father, and for your own girl. THAT is the kind of son I wanted; one who would stick up for what he truly cares about."
"But, what about the deer? Weren't you proud of me back then?"
"I was, for a short time. I slowly realized on how you acted that day, including you never asked me to go back."
"You're ashamed of me, aren't you?"
"No, I'm not. I'm ashamed at how I let you do something you didn't wanted to do, but you pushed that away and still did it for your own father." He puts a hand on your shoulder. "Son, I know you tried to impress me over the years, but I'm a busy man to appreciate every little thing that you've done. If it makes it any better, I always loved you."
"What about the sports that I failed in, and the musical?"
"You tried, you really did, but it was something that you didn't enjoy. The musical is another story. If you had fun doing it, I won't stop you from continuing. Although you did a great job on it, even though the cowboy setup did feel a bit off for me, but what do I know about the arts?" He slaps your shoulder before sitting back down. "But as I said, you do whatever's right, just as long that there isn't too much trouble involved, understand?"
"Yes, sir. I understand."
"Thank you so much!" Fluttershy hugs the ever living crap out of you.
"BUT," Your mom jumps in. "There is the matter of your punishment." So close. "A few days without your PlayBox seems adequate for your actions, wouldn't you agree?"
"Oh yes. Sorry Anon, but you're still our son. It was brave of you to defy us, but you do not swear and go against your parents." Your father agrees with your mother.
"I get it. Can I at least drop Fluttershy off?" They look at each other before nodding. You take Fluttershy outside and enter your car.
"I can't believe it!" Fluttershy exclaims.
"Yeah, what a night."
"I'm more than relieved with everything. Are your parents fine with you coming home this late?"
"Don't worry about it, they will in town until morning. Do you... want to stay around for a little longer?"
You shrug your shoulders before starting the car. "I don't see why not."
And so, you drive off and stick around with Fluttershy for a few more hours. However, you ended up watching something on TV and cuddled together, evidently sleeping on the couch until her parents arrived and kicked you out. You drive home and get a slight extension to your grounding, but it was worth it. You still went out with her the next day and continued on doing so for the rest of high school.
