The gym echoed as the ball bounced repetitively on the wooden floor. Shoes squeaked as they slid against the flower while two groups of girls attempted to get the ball away from each other. One girl, whose hair had a rainbow of colors, grabbed the ball and threw it into one of the hoops. It effortlessly fell through the hoop and bounced on the floor beneath it.
“Great job, Rainbow!” One of the girls cheered. Rainbow continued to focus on the game, determined to win.
As she played, she noticed a girl standing on the sidelines at the corner of her eye. She took the ball and shot another hoop before running towards the girl. Her hair was dark-red and messy, and her eyes were magenta, just like Rainbow’s. She wore a leather jacket and black jeans. Her hands were in her pocket, so barely any skin was showing.
“Hey!” Rainbow greeted, extending a hand.
The girl stared at her hand and shrugged. “Hi,” She muttered under her breath.
“Is this your first day?” Rainbow asked. She has never seen her before.
She nodded, but she didn’t say anything.
Rainbow looked at the girls who still played basketball. Her team was so far ahead that they could easily win without her. The new girl seemed lonely. She needed a friend, and Rainbow was determined to be that friend.
She walked up to Coach Spitfire and asked, “Is it OK if I walk the new girl around school instead of play?”
Spitfire pushed her sunglasses up and replied, “I don’t know, Rainbow.”
“You know I get plenty of exercise,” Rainbow argued. “If I keep playing the PE games, then it wouldn’t be fair for the other team.”
Spitfire chuckled and said, “You’re so full of yourself.” She looked up at the ceiling as she thought. “Yeah, go ahead. Just be back five minutes before the bell rings.”
Rainbow silently cheered as she walked back to the girl. She told her that Spitfire let them both go for a walk, and the girl shrugged as she followed Rainbow.
They left the gym and walked aimlessly down the hall. For a few minutes, there was silence. Then Rainbow realized, “I never got your name!”
“Rose Thorn,” The girl said under her breath.
Rainbow figured that Rose Thorn was shy, but that wasn’t going to stop her. “Where are you from?” She asked.
As if a switch was flipped, Rose Thorn brightened up. “I’m from Manhattan!” She beamed. “My parents wanted to move after school became too stressful for me to handle, so we moved here.”
Rainbow was taken back by Rose Thorn’s sudden mood change, but she recovered quickly. “You’ll like it here!” She assured her. “The students are great, and we have so many activities you can choose from. I’m the team captain of every sport.”
Rose Thorn giggled and admitted, “I’m not into sports. Do you have a gardening club?”
“We do,” Rainbow replied. “We also have an agriculture club if you’re interested. My friend, Applejack, is in it.”
Rainbow looked up at the clock and saw that it was almost five minutes until class ended. “We should head back. Spitfire wanted us back five minutes before the bell rang. I don’t want you to get in trouble on your first day.”
“That would be terrible!” Rose thorn said as she walked quickly with Rainbow.
They made it back to the gym right on time. Rose Thorn waited as Rainbow ran into the locker room and changed back to her regular clothes. It felt like no time at all when Rainbow left the locker room and ran over to Rose Thorn.
“That was fast!” Rose thorn said, amazed.
Rainbow chuckled, “Yeah. I’m pretty fast.”
“We’re going to be great friends,” Rainbow said with assurance.
Rose Thorn chuckled and rolled her eyes, “You wouldn’t last a week being my friend.”
“Is that a challenge?” Rainbow asked, smiling confidently.
“If you want it to be,” Rose thorn answered, “but I have never had a friend last for a week. I think three days was the most.”
“I’ll be your first friend to last a week. In fact, I’ll last much longer than a week,” Rainbow told her.
“I should be used to losing friends, but I’m not,” Rose Thorn admitted with teary eyes. “I don’t want you to leave me, but I’m afraid you will.”
Rainbow placed a hand on her shoulder, “I won’t leave you. I promise.”
Rose Thorn smiled slightly. The bell suddenly rang, and the students spilled out the gym and headed for their classes. Rainbow waved “goodbye” to Rose Thorn and headed for her next class. Lunch was already on her mind.
Rainbow Dash stood in the lunch line behind Sunset Shimmer, who was too preoccupied with the food to notice her. Rainbow’s focus was also on the food. She was too hungry to talk to anyone. As she went through the line, she got a slice of pizza, an apple, a bowl of broccoli, and chocolate milk. She asked for extra broccoli, but the lunch lady didn’t let her.
She sat down next to Sunset Shimmer and noticed that Rose Thorn sat at the table behind her. She turned around and said, “Hey, Rose Thorn!”
Rose Thorn glared at her. She gripped her fork tightly and held it as if she was ready to stab Rainbow. “Leave me the fuck alone,” She said, quietly yet threateningly.”
Rainbow was taken aback. She figured out why Rose Thorn had a hard time keeping friends. She wasn’t sure what caused Rose Thorn to be angry, but it had to have happened in the last class. “Do you want my milk?” she offered.
“I DON’T WANT YOUR STUPID MILK, YOU IDIOT!” Rose Thorn shouted at the top of her lungs. Everybody stared at her, and she got up and stormed off.
“Wow!” Pinkie expressed. She had some cake on her fork which froze in front of her mouth.
The cafeteria was silent for a few moments, then Rainbow stood up and announced, “I’m going to look for her.” She ate a few pieces of broccoli before leaving the cafeteria.
She thought that her search would be long, but she heard sobbing sounds coming from the girls’ bathroom. She went in and found that the sobbing was coming from Rose Thorn, who looked at herself in the mirror.
“What are you doing here?” Rose Thorn asked. She was still crying. Tears flooded down her face. “I’m a terrible person. I’m a monster.”
“I don’t think you’re a monster,” Rainbow told her. “I think you’re stressed because it’s your first day.”
Rose Thorn shook her head and admitted, “I have borderline personality disorder.” Her tears started to slow down. She put her hands in her pockets and stared at the ground. “I never keep friends because I have mood swings, and I have unstable relationships. I say things i don’t mean.” She sighed. Tears started pouring out again. She tried to wipe them away, but they continued to fall. It was difficult for her to speak, but she managed to say, “I don’t hate you, Rainbow.”
“I know,” Rainbow took a deep breath and asked, “What happened last class?”
“A couple boys were talking during class, and I told them to stop. Then Miss Harshwhinny blamed me for not being able to focus. I said a few mean things to her and stormed out of the room,” Rose Thorn explained.
Rainbow chuckled and asked, “The two boys, was one tall and skinny and the other short and chubby?”
“Yeah,” Rose Thorn answered. “The short one had scissors on his shirt, and the tall one had a snail on the pocket of is.”
Rainbow rolled her eyes and explained, “That’s Snips and Snails. They love to cause trouble.”
Rose Thorn didn’t say anything. She looked at herself in the mirror and wiped away her last tears.
“I haven't finished eating. Let's head back,” Rainbow said, breaking the silence. Rose Thorn agreed, and the two of them headed back to the cafeteria.
The pizza was cold, but Rainbow didn’t care. She gave Rose Thorn her milk, which she accepted with only a smile. Then she ate the rest of her broccoli and the apple and put her tray away. She didn’t sit for even a minute when the bell rang releasing everyone to their next class.