Where Is Your Dude Tonight?by Captain WhateverChaptersI Hope He Is a GentlemanMaybe He Won't Find Out What I KnowYou Were The Last Good Thing...I Hope He Is a GentlemanFluttershy walked around the animal shelter, carrying different kinds of animal feeds on her shoulder. Being an animal caretaker, no matter how rewarding, was still difficult. Namely, the strain on her shoulder, the caring of the sick animals, cleaning the cages, and then...there was that one rabbit that was always cranky and demanding. She arrived at this particular rabbit's cage, and as she bent down to open the tiny gate, the rabbit seemed to have an angry face. "I'm sorry, Angel, but you know that the sick animals come first." The rabbit just kept staring, keeping absolutely silent, as rabbits usually do. Fluttershy sighed as she pulled out Angel's food dish, filled it with the respective feed, and placed it back in its spot. As she stood back up, she glanced out the window. However, she did not expect to see a boy staring back at her. When she saw the boy, he ran off, leaving her curious as to what the boy wanted. She shook her head, and resumed work. These animals weren't going to take care of themselves. The next day at school, she was going about business as usual. Nothing out of the ordinary, just another day at school. Go to classes, eat lunch, spend time with friends, notice boy from the window...Fluttershy lost her train of thought. Boy from window? She glanced at where she had just seen him, but alas, the boy was nowhere to be seen. Internally, she sighed. As the last bell of the day rang, Fluttershy, planning to sit under the statue with her friends, grabbed her stuff and walked through the school until she reached the main foyer. However, she was tripped, and as such, she fell forward, landing on her stuff. "Holy crap, I'm so sorry, miss. Ya need any help?" That voice was unfamiliar to her. Involuntarily, she said yes, and she was lifted off the ground. She turned around. "Thank yo—" She was now face to face with him. "Sorry for tripping ya. Didn't keep my eyes forward." The boy seemed on edge. He had milk-white skin, lemon-yellow hair, indigo eyes, a black beanie, a grey shirt, and a hole in his blue denim shorts. He also stood a centimeter or two higher than her, and was slightly bony. "U-um, no w-worries. I'm f-f-fine." Fluttershy was unable to compose herself, and felt ashamed, thinking she left a bad impression on him. "I'm Alex Spotlight. You?" "I'm...Fluttershy." The boy contorted his face in confusion. "Sorry. Didn't catch that. Whatcha say?" "My name's...Fluttershy." Alex just shook his head. "Whatever. Nice meeting ya, and now I'm running late for practice." He walked off. Fluttershy called after him, and he promptly turned around. "Yeah?" "Practice?" She was curious about him, and wanted to know him better. "My buds and I form a rock and roll band, and since we have no record label, we just cover other songs. Why, ya wanna watch us practice?" He looked at her with timidity present in his facial features. She nodded. Although... "Can I invite my friends?" He chuckled. "Absolutely. The more, the merrier, eh? Meet in the music room." She smiled. As she walked through the front door, her friends caught notice of her. "Hey, Flutters, wassup?" "Howdy, sugarcube. Where y'all been?" "Salutations, darling." "Hey there, Fluttershy. How are you?" "Hello there. Where were you? We have a lot to talk about, and we couldn't since you weren't here, but now that you're here, we can talk." Fluttershy blushed. It was nice to have such great friends. "Um, girls, I wanna tell you something, but promise you won't get all crazy about it." The girls all directed their attention to Fluttershy, eager to find out just what the cream colored girl had to say. "Go on, deary, we're listening." She suddenly lost the ability to speak. She hated when this happened. She always did this whenever she wanted to say something she felt was important. "C'mon, spit it out already." Fluttershy glared at Rainbow Dash, then proceeded to speak. "I met this boy, and he—" Fluttershy was cut off by Rarity. "A boy, hm? I see where this is going." Fluttershy blushed profusely. "No, no, it isn't like that." However, she saw the fashionista wink at her. "Relax, I'm only teasing, darling." Oh, Rarity, you and your teasing. "Anyway, he and his friends all practice music, and he asked if I wanted to watch him practice. And then I said yes, and then I asked if I could bring you along. He said it was perfectly fine, and so I just thought I'd let you know in case any of you wanted to come." She waited a few seconds for responses. Rarity was the first to speak up. "Why, I think that sounds like a great idea, but I'm afraid I have to decline. I actually have to go to work at the Carousel Boutique in a few minutes. However, do tell this boy and his friends I said hello." Everyone else said their own version of the same thing to her. Soccer practice, party planning, and student council, as well as a hello to the boy and his friends. As she went back inside, she headed towards the music room. As she approached the doors, she ran into Alex again. They fell to the ground, both away from each other. "Sweet Potato Pie, I'm so sorry, Miss Fluttershy." He said as they both got back up. She blushed at the use of "Miss." "Oh, please don't call me 'miss.' Just Fluttershy is fine." He shrugged. "If you insist, 'Just Fluttershy.'" Fluttershy chuckled at this, and as she reached for the doorknob, her hand was covered by his. The two blushed, and the two removed their hands. Alex placed his hand back on the doorknob, opened the door, and stood aside, motioning for her to go on in. "Ladies first." She giggled, and walked inside, where she saw four more boys. There was a drummer, a bassist, and two guitarists. Alex pointed to each person he introduced. "This here is Johnny Starcaster. He's a self-centered playboy, so be careful around him." Johnny promptly stuck his tongue at him. "This here with the snapback and hoodie is Mike Drumstick. He's kind of shy and introverted, so he won't say much, but he knows how to party hard." Fluttershy looked in his direction, and he tried in futility to hide his face. "This here with the sweater and scowl is Connor Sqiuer. He hates other people and can be...'gothic' at times, so he's a force to be reckoned with." Connor left the impression that an axe murderer would leave on her, leaving Fluttershy shuddering from his stare alone. "Lastly, this here with the leather jacket and mop top is Jake Gretsch. He came from a rough life and has a heart of gold, so he's purely amazing." The mentioned boy stuck out his hand. "Pleased to meet you. We are The New Wavers. Who might you be?" Fluttershy saw a smile on his face that reminded her of one of the dogs at the animal shelter after it had gotten fed. She reached out and shook his hand, introducing herself to him and the rest of the band, who all greeted her in their own way. She decided to approach Johnny first. "Hey there, hot stuff. You, me, Wentz Tavern, 8:30, tonight. Whaddya say?" She shook her head. As she walked over to Mike, she noticed he was cowering more and more. "...hello..." Fluttershy couldn't help but sympathize with him. As she walked over to Connor, she contemplated whether or not it was a good idea. "Bottom line, don't come within half a meter of me without a good reason, or you'll regret it. Clear?" His voice carried a faint-but-still-there English accent, and Fluttershy still found him unnerving. Alex clapped his hands. "Okay then. You've officially met the gang. We're all happy, except Connor, obviously, and now we can play. Ready to have your mind blown, Fluttershy?" Alex gestured with his hands his mind blowing up. "I guess I am. But what do you do, Alex?" He shrugged. "I just sing." "Oh." Alex walked over to where there was a microphone and tapped it, releasing awful feedback into the air and prompting everyone except Alex to cover their ears. *screech* "Whoops." Alex straightened himself out, and prepared to sing. Johnny strummed his strings, Jake riffed his guitar, Connor plucked his bass, Mike beat his drums, Alex sang his heart out, and Fluttershy watched it all go down, nodding her head to the beat after the first chorus. Once the song ended, Alex looked over at Fluttershy, who, surprisingly to herself, hadn't cowered in fear once, except at the beginning where all instruments came on loud. Alex smirked. "So whatcha think? Ya like or not?" Fluttershy spoke her mind instantly. "That was amazing. I don't normally listen to that kind of music because it's loud, but I definitely liked this performance." Alex nodded. "Glad to hear that. Most people don't visit because of part-time work, or clubs, or not liking our music for whatever reason. It feels good to know someone appreciates us." Fluttershy blushed upon hearing. As Alex prepared to put his microphone away, he tripped over the cord, and face planted into the linoleum flooring. *smack* "Omygosh, are you alright?" Fluttershy rushed over to him. Contrary to what had just happened, Alex just got up and shook it of. "Relax, I'm fine. I'm much more used to falling down the stairs in the morning." Fluttershy grimaced at the image he had planted in her head. "Don't worry, I'm tough, I can handle it." As he and the other band members were putting their stuff away, she began looking at them and thinking private thoughts. Mike, the introverted drummer...Johnny, the perverted guitarist...Jake, the kindhearted guitarist...Connor, the grumpy bassist...and Alex, the...singer. And they're all friends? She came back to reality when a hand waved in front of his face. "Yoohoo, world to Fluttershy, anybody home?" She hiccuped, and realized they were all staring at her. "Sorry. Just thinking about stuff." She giggled, hoping she didn't embarrass herself. Alex merely shrugged his shoulders. "Happens to me all the time. No one's perfect." She looked at the clock hanging nearby, and noticed that her shift at the animal shelter was about to begin. "Oh my, I better get going. Those poor animals need me." She bid them adieu, and practically ran to the animal shelter. When she got there, her supervisor stood behind the counter, smiling as he always did. "Welcome back, Fluttershy. Did you run all the way here?" "Sorry, *gasp* Sandal *gasp* Wood. *gasp* I was *gasp* delayed a *gasp* bit. *gasp*" He merely chuckled. "Relax, Fluttershy. You always volunteer here, willingly I might add, so I don't mind excusing you for being late every now and then. Take a breather, and then you can get started." Fluttershy silently thanked him, then went to sit in a chair placed against the wall. As she sat down, she began letting her mind wander. Alex...charming...beautiful voice...definitely kind...a little clumsy...never seen him around before, except the one time...get to work, please...wait what? "Fluttershy...Fluttershy...Fluttershy!" The shy girl almost fell out of her chair, startled by her supervisor. "You doing alright? You seemed kind of spaced out there." The boy showed genuine concern for her. "My bad, SandalWood. It won't happen again." She felt her cheeks warm up. Once again, Mr. Wood chuckled. "Is something troubling you? Because I am also sort of a therapist, as well as a friend of yours, and we go to the same school." She sighed. "It's not important. I'll just get to work now." She walked behind the counter, towards all the cages. "Alright," he called over to her. "Just remember, I'm here to help." As she approached Angel's cage, her mind began wandering again. Alex Spotlight...why does that name seem vaguely familiar? Hmm... Before she could finish her thoughts, she walked right into a wall. *smack* "Ouch. Gotta stop letting my mind wander." She searched around her, and saw Angel staring at her, confusion plastered onto his face. She grabbed the bag of feed off of the top of his cage, only to find it empty. "Oh no. Not again. Not today. How did you run out of food so fast?" As she walked toward the counter, she saw that Sandalwood was attending to the cat cages, so she changed her direction of travel. "Sandalwood?" The boy turned to answer her. "What's up, Fluttershy?" "We're out of rabbit food." He facepalmed. "That's right. My bad. I'll pick some up later today. Thanks for reminding me." She smiled. "Anytime." Suddenly, they heard the jingle of the front door opening. Fluttershy instinctively walked toward the front of the shelter. "I'll go see who it is," she said. As she got to the front, she paled. It was him. "Oh, hey Fluttershy. How ya doin'?" She was at a loss for words. Sandalwood looked at her, noticing her inability to speak, as well as her stiff, unmoving body. He then looked at the boy behind the counter, and right there he put two and two together. He walked over to the counter. "Hello there, mister. How can I help you?" The boy shrugged his shoulders. "I was wondering if you guys sell pets here. See, I need a pet to keep me company, seeing as how I live on my own." Sandalwood nodded. "We do indeed sell pets here. What kind of pet would you like? We have cats, dogs, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and the one rabbit that pretty much hates everyone." As the boy thought it over, Sandalwood looked over at Fluttershy, who was still in the same position as before. So this is what's on her mind. Gotta say, this is interesting. Never thought she'd get flustered about a boy. "I think I'd like a cat. What kind of cats do you have?" Sandalwood invited him behind the counter. The boy promptly followed, and he was amazed by how many animals there were. "We have this orange cat right here. He doesn't really do much. Just eats and sleeps." Alex shook his head. "How about this white one? He's pretty energetic, but he does have a tendency to wander off into civilization when outside." Alex nodded. "Alright then. Lemme just..." Sandalwood reached into his pocket and produced a set of keys, one of which he used to unlock the cage of the white cat, which was labeled "Casanova." As the two made their way back to the counter, they noticed Fluttershy was still standing stock still. "What's with her?" asked the boy. Sandalwood just shrugged, albeit secretly knowing the truth. "So one white cat. Is that all?" "Do you perchance have any cat food? I'd like to not go to the market for that. I mean, I practically live on the other side of town from it." Sandalwood chuckled. "Sure. Lemme just grab a bag." As he went to the back of the shelter, he began thinking. How does Fluttershy know him? Did they meet at school? After school club? Brother of one of her friends? I'll have to ask about that. He reached the cabinet where the cat food was, and as he reached for his pocket, he looked back at Fluttershy, who was now moving around. Well, actually, she was talking to the boy. They seemed to be carrying on a conversation really well. As he grabbed the cat food and walked back, he spoke again. "One cat, one bag of cat food. Will that be all?" The boy nodded. "Very well. That'll be $30, please." The boy reached into his pocket and produced a twenty and a ten, which he handed over to Sandalwood. "Thank you, and have a great day. And do consider volunteering here." The boy walked out the front door, and Sandalwood turned to Fluttershy. "So who was he, Fluttershy?" Fluttershy was caught off guard. Had he witnessed the whole thing? "U-uh, what? What did you say?" Sandalwood repeated his question. Fluttershy was unable to answer, out of sheer embarrassment. Sandalwood, as patient as he usually was, had become eagerly curious. "So that boy is what's troubling you. Might I ask his name?" Fluttershy tried to say it, but then her mind went blank. "I'm sorry, Sandalwood, I can't seem to remember." He sighed. "Fluttershy, do you like him?" Immediately, her cream colored cheeks turned bright red. "What? No, not at all. I only met him earlier this afternoon. I barely even know him." Sandalwood was unconvinced. "If you like him, I won't judge you. Besides, it could just be a teenage crush thing. You'll probably get over it someday." Fluttershy was at a loss for words. Should she just tell him yes, and avoid trouble, or should she say no, and further continue the conversation? "I don't know at all. He seems nice, but I've never really seen him before. For the most part, he's just another face at school." "So why did you tense up at the sight of him?" Fluttershy knew he had her there. She had practically disconnected from reality, no doubt about it. She hung her head. Sandalwood almost instantly regretted starting the whole conversation as he saw tears run down Fluttershy's face. "Please stop. It hurts enough to talk about it. I don't know anything about him," she said through sobs. The boy wrapped his arms around the crying girl in an attempt to hug her. "I'm sorry, Fluttershy. I went overboard again." She sniffled a little, then returned the hug. "Don't worry, Sandal. Nobody's perfect." A few hours later, Fluttershy's shift ended and she went home. On her way, she bumped into Mike, who instantly freaked out. "Eep! I'm sorry, please forgive me, I didn't mean it, please don't hurt me." Compared to how Fluttershy was just a few hours ago, Mike was like a Chihuahua in front of a Rottweiler. Fluttershy couldn't help but feel pity for him. He seemed more than timid. From her point of view, he was downright paranoid. "Don't worry, it's okay. It was just a small brush, no big deal." Mike still seemed paranoid, and he was even shivering. Suddenly, Fluttershy had an idea. "Come to my house, Mike. We can talk about your problem." Mike was hesitant at first. "But I don't wanna intrude on your property. I don't wanna invade your personal space. I don't wan—" Fluttershy put her finger on Mike's mouth. "Please. I insist. I mean, if that's okay with you." Reluctantly, Mike agreed, and they walked towards her house. Maybe He Won't Find Out What I KnowAs Fluttershy opened the door to her house, Mike was really tense. He'd never really been outside his house, let alone at a girl's house, nor had he ever been invited by a girl to go anywhere, much less been spoken to by a girl. He was paranoid enough being with his good friends, but there was a girl less than a foot away from him. And she was inviting him to her house. As they went inside the house and towards her room, Mike's thought were centered around his "impending torture." Dear god, I left a bad impression on her. Now she's gonna paddle me until I'm dead. Or maybe she has an electric chair. Or maybe she has a whip. Or mayb— His thoughts were interrupted by a door. It was half open and Mike walked right into the line part, causing to snap back to reality. "Oh my goodness, are you alright?" Fluttershy appeared with her hand on the doorknob. "I don't wanna talk about it." Fluttershy sighed, then walked into the room, which was evidently her bedroom. Mike shuddered as he stepped inside. Fluttershy noticed his unease. "Relax, I wouldn't dream of hurting you or anyone else." While Mike still shuddered, he was more comfortable knowing he was not in danger. "So tell me, why are you so paranoid?" And there it was. The real reason he was here. In a stranger's house, a girl's house, no less. Why he wasn't at home with his pet goldfish, Angus, instead. "Uh, um, er, ah, uh..." "Please tell me, Mike. I wanna help you." Fluttershy was slightly stern. Mike was on the verge of tears. However, he knew he needed to get the truth out. "Fine. It all started when I was pretty young..." Mike was a young boy, no older than three years old, when his luck had taken a turn for the worst. His older brother, about eighteen years old, had gone to the college downtown, or so he claimed. His older brother, Bookish Shamrock, was a very educated young man, and had gotten straight As for all twelve years of his public education. In fact, there were many colleges that had sent him letters before he had finished the sixth grade. Lately, however, his parents had noticed some odd behavior in him. He began to stay up late and do things other than studying, reading, or solving complex equations. He began to read comic books instead of "The Crystal Castle," or "Of Mice and Mares." He began listening to My Nuclear Romance instead of Haythoven. However, his image was still retained. He combed his hair, he dressed in sweater vests, and he wore the same monocle every day except...that day. He claimed to be going to the local college, but instead, he had decided to go drag racing. While no one really knows what happened, it affected Mike immensely. Basically, the only known thing was that Hefty had perished, and his parents didn't take it well. They both started drinking heavily. His mother, Glory Thistle, was a lightweight, so the alcohol had killed her. His father, Mighty Shamrock, was always drinking anyway, though barely any. After the deaths of his wife and eldest son, he drank at least ten bottles if beer a week, and as such, took his drunk stupor out on his only other son. Mike had endured his father's bruising and beating him, and one time, he had woken up with more bruises than skin. However, once Mighty broke one of Mike's arms, Mike snapped. Any initial bravery had vanished without a trace, his self-esteem went out the window, and his positivity had waned away to nothingness. He began hiding in his room, crying himself to sleep at night, and making plans to escape, cursing himself for being half Irish and half Scottish. One day, after his thirteenth birthday, as he was trying to balance a sort of budget with false money, the front door rattled with a knocking, and he left his room to answer it. He noticed his father passed out on the carpet, and shuddered. He opened the door, and just about wet himself when he saw who had knocked. There was a tall, bony, upper class man. "Greetings, young man. Is your name Micheal Shamrock?" He nodded quickly and nervously. "I work for the government, and I've been getting complaints from your neighbors that your father had been drinking and beating you. Is any of this correct?" Mike nodded again, close to tears. "Well, your troubles are over. I will be taking you somewhere else, somewhere better. Have you ever heard of the United States of America?" Mike's morose appearance suddenly changed to overexcited. His mouth formed into a wide smile and his eyes grew wide and glowed really bright. The man chuckled. "I've gotten the same reaction from many other kids. My wife's cousin lives there, and she always writes to us about how wonderful it is. And now we'll be taking you there." Mike ran right up to the man and hugged him. The man was caught off guard, but returned the hug. "For ten years, my father had been grieving over the death of my brother and mother. And, well, you can see how that turned out. I've been trying to leave this house for years. I even got a job so I could afford plane tickets to the next continent over." Mike raved on and on about his life. Eventually, he was back to the present. "Say, where in America are we going, anyway, just curious." The man smiled. "New York State. Beaches, burgers, and Broadway. Better pack your bags, kiddo. We leave in just a few days." Days later, Mike, having departed with the man at the Scottish Airlines, arrived in New York, New York. The man, who was named Legal Transfer, had given him $250, despite Mike having said he raised plenty of money, to start off. As he exited the airport, he noticed a sign with his name being held by a boy about his age, and he walked up to it. Once he approached, the boy pulled out his phone. "Hello. How are you?" he said in drawn out syllables. The phone translated and spoke in his native language. "Actually, I'm fluent in English." The boy put his phone in his pocket. "Sorry, but I was just required to do that. Company policy, y'know?" Mike just shrugged his shoulders. They went to grab his bags and haul them, but then he stopped. "Sorry, where are my manners? My name is Johnny Starcaster. How do you do?" He stuck out his hand, which Mike promptly shook. "My name is...well, you know. Is there any way I can change it, though? It reminds me too much of my troubling past, and I want to forget the past. Y'know?" Jake chuckled. "Sure. We just gotta get you registered first. You are officially moving to the USA, right?" Mike promptly nodded. "Alrighty, then we gotta register you. Otherwise, you'll be sent back to wherever you came from." Mike shuddered at the thought of going back. He quickly agreed to get registered, and the two were off. "...and after that, he quit his job and we moved here, to Canterlot, where he got a job as an musician for a band similar to Green Nights. Pretty soon, he broke off with them, something about his religion. But anyway, after my father broke my arm was when I developed a severe paranoia." Fluttershy was stunned. Her jaw hung low, her eyes were wide with disbelief, and her hands were trembling. She stuttered for a few seconds before hugging him. Her new-found tears flowed like a burst dam. "I'm so sorry, Mike. I had no idea you had to go through that. I'm sorry," she said through sobs. Mike returned the hug. "Relax, miss. You did nothing wrong at all. Hell, I never even knew you existed until earlier this afternoon. You have nothing to worry about." They hugged for a few minutes before they separated. Mike then got to surprise her. "So do you like Alex?" Fluttershy blushed profusely. "What makes you say that?" Mike chuckled. "Being paranoid has its perks sometimes. For example, you blushed when I said 'Alex.' That there is a telltale sign of, in this case, strong feelings. Second, I was walking by the animal shelter earlier, before you bumped into me, and I saw you there, standing stiff as a board, right in front of guess-who himself. Third, during our performance, I noticed you were mouthing the words Alex was singing during the chorus. Speaking of our performance, fourth, you're the only one that went out of their way to watch it, and afterwards, you said you would be late for your shift at the animal shelter. You look like the kind of person who just loves animals with a passion, so for you to be late for something you practically live for is kind of odd. Face it, you have feelings for him." Fluttershy was astonished. Not only because Mike had sorta been spying on her, but also because of the fact that he had pretty much just solved her problem. The thing was, how would she go about telling him? "Don't worry, if you want me to tell him, I can certainly do that." "NO!" Upon her shouting that, Mike just about fell off the bed, throwing his hands over his head. "PLEASE DON'T HURT ME!!!" Fluttershy immediately regretted having shouted so loud. "Oh my, I am so sorry. It's just, if anyone tells him, it has to be me." Mike slowly lowered his hands. "A-are you s-sure? B-because I-I c-c-can t-tell him i-if y-you want. Please don't hurt me." "I don't know, I'll have to think about it." Mike nodded in understanding. Fluttershy glanced at her alarm clock. "Oh my, it's almost nine o'clock. You should probably get home." "I should, shouldn't I? Very well then. Great talking with you. Tally ho." He disappeared, only to return a few seconds later, soaking wet. "There's a storm brewing, and I got caught in the worst part. I'm afraid I'll have to spend the night here." Fluttershy sighed. "Well, I don't have a guest room, but there is a couch in the living room." Mike immediately left, saying "thanks" before he did. Fluttershy, meanwhile, slipped off her clothes, and slipped into her pajamas, before drifting off into a deep slumber. The next day, Fluttershy was standing in the music room. Alex told her he had a surprise, and so here she was. Suddenly, he appeared, wearing a tuxedo and carrying a bouquet of flowers in one hand, a box of chocolates in the other, and on his shoulder, a dove. "Fluttershy, oh sweet, kind, and glorious Fluttershy. While I've only known you for a day, less than twenty-four hours, I've developed strong feelings that cannot be ignored. I know I'm probably no Romeo, or Prince Charming, or your knight in shining armor, but I love you so very much. I want to be with you forever, throughout all of eternity, all the way until my death. Just answer me this: do you feel the same?" Fluttershy ran up to him, and planted a big, sloppy, wet kiss on his face. The two were like this for quite some time. "Hey, Fluttershy?" "What is it?" "Please wake up." "Oh good, you're awake." Fluttershy opened her eyes. Mike was right on top of her, and her arms were around him. In fact, the scene was starting to look a little kinky. "Gah!" Fluttershy threw Mike off of her, albeit lazily. Mike landed with a thud on the floor. "Oh my, are you alright?" She looked over at him, but instead of a face showing pain, much to her surprise, he had a goofy smile. "Ordinarily, I'm no pervert like Johnny, but that was one awesome smooch. You're skilled, and I'm surprised you're still single." Fluttershy blushed, giggling a little. "So, what do you need, Mike?" Mike got off the ground and stood up, brushing himself off. "Well, it took a little figuring out, what with this place being unfamiliar and all, but I came up to tell you I made breakfast, and your alarm clock is either broken, or your a heavy sleeper." Fluttershy sighed, as she got out of her bed and made her way to the dining room. She saw before her plates of hot, steaming food. "I made us a traditional Scottish breakfast with the best Canterlot substitutes I could find. We have here eggs over easy, turkey bacon, italian sausage, buttered rye toast, baked beans, and I also brewed some Earl Grey tea. Care to join me?" He stood there, smiling nervously. Fluttershy smiled. "Sure. This looks delicious." As she grabbed a fork and tried the sausage, she noticed she enjoyed the flavor and texture. "Ig gaste dewishu oo." She swallowed, and blushed for having spoken with her mouth full. Mike just grinned. "Glad to hear it. I've had to learn to cook for myself, after...y'know." Fluttershy nodded, hoping to avoid bringing it back up. As she ate her breakfast, she began to think of how she would approach Alex. Pretty soon, her plate was empty, and as she rinsed it, Mike walked to the front door and looked out of it. The rain was still coming down, but not as bad as it had been last night. He continued to stare out the window, comparing the rainfall to his last few years in Scotland. He thought about how his father was doing, seeing as how Mike had pretty much kept his disappearance under cover. Fluttershy appeared right behind him, fully clothed, holding her bag, and eager to start the school day. Mike frowned at her. "I'm afraid that the storm has only calmed down a wee bit. You'll need this." He immediately took off his hoodie, revealing a white undershirt and an old scar on his arm. Fluttershy gratefully accepted the article of clothing, but asked if he needed it more. "Nah, I've got plenty more at home. You go ahead and keep it." And so they walked to school together, stopping at Mike's house so he could grab his school stuff (and another hoodie). They began talking more about Alex, and when they got to the school, Fluttershy went to her locker, Alex still fresh in her mind. Oh, my goodness, I think I am in love with Alex. He's sweet, kind, charming...*mental sigh*...I wish I could be his girlfriend. "Hey, Fluttershy." "EEK!" She jumped a foot in the air. After she landed, she turned around, and was face to face with him again. "How ya doin'?" She blushed. "Just fine, thank you. *giggle*." "Listen, my buds are thinking of another practice session. We thought you and your friends might wanna watch us again. Well, technically, it would be you getting to watch us again, and your friends, well, just getting to see us. Sound cool?" She nodded. "Why, hello there, darling." Fluttershy turned around, and saw Rarity standing there. "Oh, hello there, Rarity. Have you met Alex?" She pointed to the boy behind her. "I haven't, but he looks broken. Is there something wrong with him?" Fluttershy turned back to Alex, who did indeed look dysfunctional. His face was mixed between entranced and surprised. "Well, hello there, milady. To whom might I be speaking with, and might I ask thy name?" Rarity giggled. "Oh, you charmer." Rarity walked away, and Alex promptly followed, leaving behind a teary and heartbroken Fluttershy. But...but...why? Why not me? What did I do to deserve this? Throughout the whole day, Fluttershy sat through her classes, staying absolutely quiet and shedding private tears, all the while trying to figure out what went wrong. Was she just not good enough? Was she too obvious? Was she having a nightmare? Was she—wait. Nightmare? Maybe that was it. She pinched herself. Fluttershy sprang forward, wide awake. She rubbed her arm, for it was in pain, and sighed, for it had indeed been a nightmare. She looked at her clock. 2:37. She got up out of bed, and went to her living room, where she went to sit on her couch. "OOF! Top o' the morning to you, lassie. What can I do you for?" Mike, although not speaking to Fluttershy, but as a way of signalling he was now awake, woke up, having been awoken by the sudden weight pressing down on him. "Oh my goodness, I'm sorry." Fluttershy immediately got up, and stood right in front of Mike, who, in a failed attempt to fully get up, slumped and fell to the ground. "Goodness, are you alright, Mike?" "Man, I am never eating corned beef before bed again. Dreams of talking horses and all that friendship jibber jabber." He stood up, and came into contact with Fluttershy. Literally. *clunk* "Ow," they both said mutually. They rubbed their heads, surprised at their bumping into, so to speak. "Ugh, what time is it?" Fluttershy responded with the time her clock had shown. "Wha...that early in the mornin'? On a school night, no less? Dare I ask why you got me up this early?" Fluttershy sighed. "I can't sleep." "*sigh* I was afraid of that. Need to talk about Alex?" She meekly nodded. "I wanna know he's like. Is he smart, is he passionate, is he good with animals? You know that kinda stuff." Mike nodded. "Well, Alex loves to do stupid things. Connor was able to confirm that he damaged one of his frontal lobes as a kid, so he may be somewhat loopy. He cares about other people so much, you'd think he was a saint in a past life. He's one of those guys that can't have a whole lot of sugar, or the next thing you know, he'll be the first kid on the moon. He's allergic to nuts, so he'll scream at the sight or mention of them. Also—" Fluttershy placed her hand on his mouth. "Please slow down. I can't understand a word you're saying." She let go, and Mike sighed. "Sorry. Never talked to a girl this long before. Anyway, Alex is usually calm, but when he gets upset about something, he shuts out the rest of the world and really changes. Trust me, you don't want to get on his bad side." Fluttershy shivered upon hearing Mike say "bad side." "So, seeing as how we're awake at about 2:30 or 2:40 in the morning, what would you like to do? We've got a few hours before we have to leave for school. I mean, nothing too serious." Fluttershy shrugged her shoulders. Just then, there was lightning and thunder outside. Upon hearing it, the two jumped and grabbed each other. A few seconds later, they let go, realizing the awkward scene they were making. "So...thunder." Mike said nervously. "Yup." Fluttershy replied. "Wanna watch TV?" Fluttershy nodded, grabbing the remote seemingly out of nowhere. "Say, where are your parents?" "They're visiting my aunt in Hamburg, and they should be back tomorrow." The TV turned on, and the news was on. "The famous singer from the metal group My Final Fire has mysteriously disappeared. He may have any of the following aliases: Neil Footprint, Fred Shadow, or Alex Spotlight." That last part had caught the attention of both Mike and Fluttershy. The TV then showed a picture of Alex, only with dark hair and gothic makeup and clothes. The only recognizable feature was his face. "Wow. Alex was Goth?" Mike thought aloud. Fluttershy, however, rushed to her room, where her phone was charging. She grabbed it, and rushed back to the TV, where she rewound the broadcast. Once she got back to where she started, she recorded the entire report about the "missing singer." Author's Note So, this chapter might seem a little terrible, but I've been trying to work hard on it. Please tell me if it's okay or not, because I can rewrite it. BTW, in case you didn't already know (my apologies), this fic is set in an alternate universe where CHS and CPA are part of the United States. You Were The Last Good Thing...The next day after school, Fluttershy walked toward the music room, phone in hand, with a determined, yet nervous look on her face. Once the door was open, she opened the door. *SMACK* *CRACK* "S***!" Alex collapsed on the ground. When Fluttershy walked in, she was horrified to discover that Alex now had a big gash in his forehead. "Omygosh, are you alright Alex?" Fluttershy asked, worry in her tone of voice. "Honey, those mosquitoes went to Chattanooga and jumped through the slime buckets." Alex said before passing out, leaving Fluttershy confused beyond measure. The only other person in the room, Rainbow Dash, looked rather shocked, and immediately rushed over. She recoiled upon seeing the gash. "Ugh. I'm no doctor, but that should probably get checked out. Say, what are you even doing here, Fluttershy? What about the animal shelter?" Fluttershy was caught off guard, but quickly recomposed herself. "I found out some very interesting news about Alex that you might wanna see." She opened up her bag, and pulled out her phone. She played the last thing she had recorded, which was the news article. Rainbow Dash's eyes slowly got wider and wider. «"The last place he was seen was in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. His current whereabouts are unknown."» After the video finished, Rainbow Dash was speechless. Fluttershy looked at her concern. "You see, Rainbow? He used to be a big celebrity, and he left it all for some reason we don't know. Doesn't this intrigue you in the slightest?" Rainbow Dash, however, was focused elsewhere. "He played METAL?!" Rainbow exclaimed as Fluttershy facepalmed. "That's not the point. He just left everything behind. Even I know that just doesn't happen for no reason. We gotta get to the bottom of this. Er, I mean, if that's okay with you." Rainbow Dash just chuckled. "Fluttershy, all you have to do is wait until he wakes up, and then we can just ask him." Fluttershy, glaring at Rainbow Dash, pointed to the gash still present on his forehead. "Oh yeah." Fluttershy facepalmed again. "If this gash is as serious as it looks, he could be out for days, maybe weeks." "Oooooh." Just then, Rarity walked in. "Hello—goodness gracious, what happened to him?!" Fluttershy blushed in embarrassment. "I accidentally opened the door too hard. What are you doing here?" Rarity chuckled. "I met this charming young boy, red hair, dark personality, but handsome as...well, as handsome can get. Anyway, he said he can play the piano so gracefully, and offered to play a little for me. He had to take a quick detour, but he'll be here soon. In the meantime, we best take a look at this poor boy. Do either of you know him?" Fluttershy looked at Rainbow Dash. "That reminds me, what exactly were you doing here, Rainbow Dash?" She shrugged. "I was coming here to play some guitar, because I wanted to. Blondie just happened to be here before me." The trio heard moaning, and looked at Alex, who was stirring. He opened his eyes, and Fluttershy looked surprised. "Ugh, is it me, or are the lights extra bright in here?" Fluttershy stuttered a bit before responding. "But...but...you should be—" Fluttershy was silenced with a finger to her mouth. "Please stop. My head hurts enough without your voice. *groan*" Fluttershy certainly was confused. However, she still had a job to do. She held out her camera. "Hey, Alex, I got something to show you." She showed him her phone. She showed him the video, and the whole time, Alex's face never changed. After the video finished, Alex wore a puzzled expression. "Why did you just show me video of my dead brother?" Fluttershy was shocked. "I know, he looks just like me. We were identical twins. Allen Showboat, the god of Goth. Poor guy got into bad stuff, and that was that and all. Never really did appreciate him or his emo band. We were both born in Vancouver, and he died in our home. When he left us, I learned he tried using my name as an alias, and I decided to skip town and head to New York. I met the other guys there at a music convention. The rest is history." The three girls were stared with open mouths. Alex pushed his finger on Fluttershy's chin and lifted upward. "Close your mouth, kiddo,you'll get flies." Fluttershy grumbled. Alex looked around the room, and noticed the other girl in the room. "Oh, how long have you been here? My name's Alex." He promptly stuck out his hand, which Rarity shook. "I'm Rarity. Pleasure to meet you, darling." Alex blushed. "So, Rarity, what are you doing here, at this particular moment?" Rarity blushed. "Oh, I'm here because—" she was interrupted by an English accent. "Apologies for taking so bloody long, some bonehead tried to throw a paper airplane at me." Connor shook his head, and walked over to the piano in the corner. "—of him." Rarity pointed to the boy. "Hey, Connor, how's it going?" Alex got up, seemingly unharmed, and walked over to Connor. "Hey Alex. Other than the paper airplane, I'm doing good. You?" "Been worse. Whatcha doin' here?" Connor waved his hand in front of the piano. "Cool, whatcha gonna play?" Connor shrugged. "Probably 'that song.' Why?" Alex shrugged. "Curious." Connor turned away, and his fingers immediately hit the ivory keys in an effort to produce music. Connor heard clapping once he was done. He turned, and the fashionista was applauding him. "That was absolutely amazing. The lyrics could use some work, but still amazing." Connor blushed. "Thanks, but that wasn't my own song. It was copyrighted by a different person, so the lyrics are what they are. I do appreciate the applause, though." Alex and the three girls watched as he got up and walked towards the door and left the music room. Alex sighed. "Every time, I swear. Once he finishes a performance, he just exits the room. I just don't understand. Seriously." Alex watched in disgust as the door closed behind his red-headed friend. "Hey, what's up?" The four students looked towards the door, and there stood Johnny. "Hey, Johnny. Not much. You?" Johnny shrugged. "Jake's lecture on skipping classes and hitting on girls got boring, so I ditched him halfway through and ended up here. What're you girls doing with Alex? Any of you wanna hang with me?" He gave a wink. "Sorry, darling, but I already have a boyfriend." Rarity scoffed. "Sorry, buddy, I'm a lesbian." Rainbow Dash snickered. Johnny threw up his hands. "That's it, I'm outta here." As he left, Fluttershy noticed he had sort of a scowl on his face. Alex noticed her confusion. "Oh, don't worry about him. Despite being a player, he's very homophobic." Rainbow Dash just shrugged. "Well, I need to get going. The animal shelter is open, and Sandalwood is sick, so I gotta run the place while he's out." And with that, Fluttershy left the room, and then the school. At the animal shelter, Fluttershy was able to handle things fine. All the animals were fed, the customers were satisfied, and Sandalwood had called to let her know that he would be unable to show up for the rest of the week. Unfortunately, Alex showed up again, and she was unprepared. "Hey, Fluttershy, what's up?" Alex walked right up to her, until he reached the counter. Fluttershy immediately lost all of her senses as she began daydreaming. Alex sweeping her of her feet and carrying her to an ivory horse. Alex clad in Spanish-style dance clothing and doing the tango with her. Alex straight-up kissing her. Alex— "*snap snap* Hello? Bonjour? Hola? Guten tag? Konichiwa? C'mon, this is important." Fluttershy snapped out of her trance, and, to her disappointment, saw Alex in his regular outfit, not preparing to take her away. "Listen, this is important. I've heard from the grapevine that you have been staring at me. I heard others say you were staring at me from behind your locker door, in class, at the lunch table, and even during practice, I noticed you staring right at me. Care to elaborate?" Fluttershy sweated nervously. She had not seen this coming, and the only response she could think of was: "I like you." "Huh? Speak up, please." "I like you." "Sorry. Can't hear you. Could yo—" "I LIKE YOU!" She immediately covered her mouth. Meanwhile, Alex looked as if to say that she had two heads. "..." "..." "Oh...I see." He began to walk away. "Wait! Come back. Lemme exp—" Alex held up his hand, silencing her. "Hate to be the one to tell you this, but I'm afraid I'm not into clingy girls." And with that, he stepped out, leaving Fluttershy on the verge of tears. Later, she ran straight home, to her room, and began crying into her pillow. Why me? Why did it have to be me? Stupid high school crushes. Meanwhile, Alex walked toward the gas station, going behind the building, and seeing a cat and a box labeled "personal property." He sat right next the former, reaching out his hand to pet the cat, who gracefully accepted. "Well, Casanova, it would seem that I've officially had a bad day. I didn't even know it was possible to bring me down at all. Oh well, there's a first for everything. I know you can't understand a word I'm saying, but I just need someone to talk to right now. Johnny's not one for this kinda thing, Mike's going through his own stuff, Connor refuses to talk to anyone, and Jake...his positivity is a little creepy." Casanova indeed could not understand Alex at all, but that didn't matter to either of them. As night settled, Alex pulled a tattered quilt from his box and covered himself and the cat in it. Very soon, the two were asleep. Author's Note Sorry for taking so long. Life got in the way. Also sorry for the short chapter.
I Hope He Is a GentlemanFluttershy walked around the animal shelter, carrying different kinds of animal feeds on her shoulder. Being an animal caretaker, no matter how rewarding, was still difficult. Namely, the strain on her shoulder, the caring of the sick animals, cleaning the cages, and then...there was that one rabbit that was always cranky and demanding. She arrived at this particular rabbit's cage, and as she bent down to open the tiny gate, the rabbit seemed to have an angry face. "I'm sorry, Angel, but you know that the sick animals come first." The rabbit just kept staring, keeping absolutely silent, as rabbits usually do. Fluttershy sighed as she pulled out Angel's food dish, filled it with the respective feed, and placed it back in its spot. As she stood back up, she glanced out the window. However, she did not expect to see a boy staring back at her. When she saw the boy, he ran off, leaving her curious as to what the boy wanted. She shook her head, and resumed work. These animals weren't going to take care of themselves. The next day at school, she was going about business as usual. Nothing out of the ordinary, just another day at school. Go to classes, eat lunch, spend time with friends, notice boy from the window...Fluttershy lost her train of thought. Boy from window? She glanced at where she had just seen him, but alas, the boy was nowhere to be seen. Internally, she sighed. As the last bell of the day rang, Fluttershy, planning to sit under the statue with her friends, grabbed her stuff and walked through the school until she reached the main foyer. However, she was tripped, and as such, she fell forward, landing on her stuff. "Holy crap, I'm so sorry, miss. Ya need any help?" That voice was unfamiliar to her. Involuntarily, she said yes, and she was lifted off the ground. She turned around. "Thank yo—" She was now face to face with him. "Sorry for tripping ya. Didn't keep my eyes forward." The boy seemed on edge. He had milk-white skin, lemon-yellow hair, indigo eyes, a black beanie, a grey shirt, and a hole in his blue denim shorts. He also stood a centimeter or two higher than her, and was slightly bony. "U-um, no w-worries. I'm f-f-fine." Fluttershy was unable to compose herself, and felt ashamed, thinking she left a bad impression on him. "I'm Alex Spotlight. You?" "I'm...Fluttershy." The boy contorted his face in confusion. "Sorry. Didn't catch that. Whatcha say?" "My name's...Fluttershy." Alex just shook his head. "Whatever. Nice meeting ya, and now I'm running late for practice." He walked off. Fluttershy called after him, and he promptly turned around. "Yeah?" "Practice?" She was curious about him, and wanted to know him better. "My buds and I form a rock and roll band, and since we have no record label, we just cover other songs. Why, ya wanna watch us practice?" He looked at her with timidity present in his facial features. She nodded. Although... "Can I invite my friends?" He chuckled. "Absolutely. The more, the merrier, eh? Meet in the music room." She smiled. As she walked through the front door, her friends caught notice of her. "Hey, Flutters, wassup?" "Howdy, sugarcube. Where y'all been?" "Salutations, darling." "Hey there, Fluttershy. How are you?" "Hello there. Where were you? We have a lot to talk about, and we couldn't since you weren't here, but now that you're here, we can talk." Fluttershy blushed. It was nice to have such great friends. "Um, girls, I wanna tell you something, but promise you won't get all crazy about it." The girls all directed their attention to Fluttershy, eager to find out just what the cream colored girl had to say. "Go on, deary, we're listening." She suddenly lost the ability to speak. She hated when this happened. She always did this whenever she wanted to say something she felt was important. "C'mon, spit it out already." Fluttershy glared at Rainbow Dash, then proceeded to speak. "I met this boy, and he—" Fluttershy was cut off by Rarity. "A boy, hm? I see where this is going." Fluttershy blushed profusely. "No, no, it isn't like that." However, she saw the fashionista wink at her. "Relax, I'm only teasing, darling." Oh, Rarity, you and your teasing. "Anyway, he and his friends all practice music, and he asked if I wanted to watch him practice. And then I said yes, and then I asked if I could bring you along. He said it was perfectly fine, and so I just thought I'd let you know in case any of you wanted to come." She waited a few seconds for responses. Rarity was the first to speak up. "Why, I think that sounds like a great idea, but I'm afraid I have to decline. I actually have to go to work at the Carousel Boutique in a few minutes. However, do tell this boy and his friends I said hello." Everyone else said their own version of the same thing to her. Soccer practice, party planning, and student council, as well as a hello to the boy and his friends. As she went back inside, she headed towards the music room. As she approached the doors, she ran into Alex again. They fell to the ground, both away from each other. "Sweet Potato Pie, I'm so sorry, Miss Fluttershy." He said as they both got back up. She blushed at the use of "Miss." "Oh, please don't call me 'miss.' Just Fluttershy is fine." He shrugged. "If you insist, 'Just Fluttershy.'" Fluttershy chuckled at this, and as she reached for the doorknob, her hand was covered by his. The two blushed, and the two removed their hands. Alex placed his hand back on the doorknob, opened the door, and stood aside, motioning for her to go on in. "Ladies first." She giggled, and walked inside, where she saw four more boys. There was a drummer, a bassist, and two guitarists. Alex pointed to each person he introduced. "This here is Johnny Starcaster. He's a self-centered playboy, so be careful around him." Johnny promptly stuck his tongue at him. "This here with the snapback and hoodie is Mike Drumstick. He's kind of shy and introverted, so he won't say much, but he knows how to party hard." Fluttershy looked in his direction, and he tried in futility to hide his face. "This here with the sweater and scowl is Connor Sqiuer. He hates other people and can be...'gothic' at times, so he's a force to be reckoned with." Connor left the impression that an axe murderer would leave on her, leaving Fluttershy shuddering from his stare alone. "Lastly, this here with the leather jacket and mop top is Jake Gretsch. He came from a rough life and has a heart of gold, so he's purely amazing." The mentioned boy stuck out his hand. "Pleased to meet you. We are The New Wavers. Who might you be?" Fluttershy saw a smile on his face that reminded her of one of the dogs at the animal shelter after it had gotten fed. She reached out and shook his hand, introducing herself to him and the rest of the band, who all greeted her in their own way. She decided to approach Johnny first. "Hey there, hot stuff. You, me, Wentz Tavern, 8:30, tonight. Whaddya say?" She shook her head. As she walked over to Mike, she noticed he was cowering more and more. "...hello..." Fluttershy couldn't help but sympathize with him. As she walked over to Connor, she contemplated whether or not it was a good idea. "Bottom line, don't come within half a meter of me without a good reason, or you'll regret it. Clear?" His voice carried a faint-but-still-there English accent, and Fluttershy still found him unnerving. Alex clapped his hands. "Okay then. You've officially met the gang. We're all happy, except Connor, obviously, and now we can play. Ready to have your mind blown, Fluttershy?" Alex gestured with his hands his mind blowing up. "I guess I am. But what do you do, Alex?" He shrugged. "I just sing." "Oh." Alex walked over to where there was a microphone and tapped it, releasing awful feedback into the air and prompting everyone except Alex to cover their ears. *screech* "Whoops." Alex straightened himself out, and prepared to sing. Johnny strummed his strings, Jake riffed his guitar, Connor plucked his bass, Mike beat his drums, Alex sang his heart out, and Fluttershy watched it all go down, nodding her head to the beat after the first chorus. Once the song ended, Alex looked over at Fluttershy, who, surprisingly to herself, hadn't cowered in fear once, except at the beginning where all instruments came on loud. Alex smirked. "So whatcha think? Ya like or not?" Fluttershy spoke her mind instantly. "That was amazing. I don't normally listen to that kind of music because it's loud, but I definitely liked this performance." Alex nodded. "Glad to hear that. Most people don't visit because of part-time work, or clubs, or not liking our music for whatever reason. It feels good to know someone appreciates us." Fluttershy blushed upon hearing. As Alex prepared to put his microphone away, he tripped over the cord, and face planted into the linoleum flooring. *smack* "Omygosh, are you alright?" Fluttershy rushed over to him. Contrary to what had just happened, Alex just got up and shook it of. "Relax, I'm fine. I'm much more used to falling down the stairs in the morning." Fluttershy grimaced at the image he had planted in her head. "Don't worry, I'm tough, I can handle it." As he and the other band members were putting their stuff away, she began looking at them and thinking private thoughts. Mike, the introverted drummer...Johnny, the perverted guitarist...Jake, the kindhearted guitarist...Connor, the grumpy bassist...and Alex, the...singer. And they're all friends? She came back to reality when a hand waved in front of his face. "Yoohoo, world to Fluttershy, anybody home?" She hiccuped, and realized they were all staring at her. "Sorry. Just thinking about stuff." She giggled, hoping she didn't embarrass herself. Alex merely shrugged his shoulders. "Happens to me all the time. No one's perfect." She looked at the clock hanging nearby, and noticed that her shift at the animal shelter was about to begin. "Oh my, I better get going. Those poor animals need me." She bid them adieu, and practically ran to the animal shelter. When she got there, her supervisor stood behind the counter, smiling as he always did. "Welcome back, Fluttershy. Did you run all the way here?" "Sorry, *gasp* Sandal *gasp* Wood. *gasp* I was *gasp* delayed a *gasp* bit. *gasp*" He merely chuckled. "Relax, Fluttershy. You always volunteer here, willingly I might add, so I don't mind excusing you for being late every now and then. Take a breather, and then you can get started." Fluttershy silently thanked him, then went to sit in a chair placed against the wall. As she sat down, she began letting her mind wander. Alex...charming...beautiful voice...definitely kind...a little clumsy...never seen him around before, except the one time...get to work, please...wait what? "Fluttershy...Fluttershy...Fluttershy!" The shy girl almost fell out of her chair, startled by her supervisor. "You doing alright? You seemed kind of spaced out there." The boy showed genuine concern for her. "My bad, SandalWood. It won't happen again." She felt her cheeks warm up. Once again, Mr. Wood chuckled. "Is something troubling you? Because I am also sort of a therapist, as well as a friend of yours, and we go to the same school." She sighed. "It's not important. I'll just get to work now." She walked behind the counter, towards all the cages. "Alright," he called over to her. "Just remember, I'm here to help." As she approached Angel's cage, her mind began wandering again. Alex Spotlight...why does that name seem vaguely familiar? Hmm... Before she could finish her thoughts, she walked right into a wall. *smack* "Ouch. Gotta stop letting my mind wander." She searched around her, and saw Angel staring at her, confusion plastered onto his face. She grabbed the bag of feed off of the top of his cage, only to find it empty. "Oh no. Not again. Not today. How did you run out of food so fast?" As she walked toward the counter, she saw that Sandalwood was attending to the cat cages, so she changed her direction of travel. "Sandalwood?" The boy turned to answer her. "What's up, Fluttershy?" "We're out of rabbit food." He facepalmed. "That's right. My bad. I'll pick some up later today. Thanks for reminding me." She smiled. "Anytime." Suddenly, they heard the jingle of the front door opening. Fluttershy instinctively walked toward the front of the shelter. "I'll go see who it is," she said. As she got to the front, she paled. It was him. "Oh, hey Fluttershy. How ya doin'?" She was at a loss for words. Sandalwood looked at her, noticing her inability to speak, as well as her stiff, unmoving body. He then looked at the boy behind the counter, and right there he put two and two together. He walked over to the counter. "Hello there, mister. How can I help you?" The boy shrugged his shoulders. "I was wondering if you guys sell pets here. See, I need a pet to keep me company, seeing as how I live on my own." Sandalwood nodded. "We do indeed sell pets here. What kind of pet would you like? We have cats, dogs, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and the one rabbit that pretty much hates everyone." As the boy thought it over, Sandalwood looked over at Fluttershy, who was still in the same position as before. So this is what's on her mind. Gotta say, this is interesting. Never thought she'd get flustered about a boy. "I think I'd like a cat. What kind of cats do you have?" Sandalwood invited him behind the counter. The boy promptly followed, and he was amazed by how many animals there were. "We have this orange cat right here. He doesn't really do much. Just eats and sleeps." Alex shook his head. "How about this white one? He's pretty energetic, but he does have a tendency to wander off into civilization when outside." Alex nodded. "Alright then. Lemme just..." Sandalwood reached into his pocket and produced a set of keys, one of which he used to unlock the cage of the white cat, which was labeled "Casanova." As the two made their way back to the counter, they noticed Fluttershy was still standing stock still. "What's with her?" asked the boy. Sandalwood just shrugged, albeit secretly knowing the truth. "So one white cat. Is that all?" "Do you perchance have any cat food? I'd like to not go to the market for that. I mean, I practically live on the other side of town from it." Sandalwood chuckled. "Sure. Lemme just grab a bag." As he went to the back of the shelter, he began thinking. How does Fluttershy know him? Did they meet at school? After school club? Brother of one of her friends? I'll have to ask about that. He reached the cabinet where the cat food was, and as he reached for his pocket, he looked back at Fluttershy, who was now moving around. Well, actually, she was talking to the boy. They seemed to be carrying on a conversation really well. As he grabbed the cat food and walked back, he spoke again. "One cat, one bag of cat food. Will that be all?" The boy nodded. "Very well. That'll be $30, please." The boy reached into his pocket and produced a twenty and a ten, which he handed over to Sandalwood. "Thank you, and have a great day. And do consider volunteering here." The boy walked out the front door, and Sandalwood turned to Fluttershy. "So who was he, Fluttershy?" Fluttershy was caught off guard. Had he witnessed the whole thing? "U-uh, what? What did you say?" Sandalwood repeated his question. Fluttershy was unable to answer, out of sheer embarrassment. Sandalwood, as patient as he usually was, had become eagerly curious. "So that boy is what's troubling you. Might I ask his name?" Fluttershy tried to say it, but then her mind went blank. "I'm sorry, Sandalwood, I can't seem to remember." He sighed. "Fluttershy, do you like him?" Immediately, her cream colored cheeks turned bright red. "What? No, not at all. I only met him earlier this afternoon. I barely even know him." Sandalwood was unconvinced. "If you like him, I won't judge you. Besides, it could just be a teenage crush thing. You'll probably get over it someday." Fluttershy was at a loss for words. Should she just tell him yes, and avoid trouble, or should she say no, and further continue the conversation? "I don't know at all. He seems nice, but I've never really seen him before. For the most part, he's just another face at school." "So why did you tense up at the sight of him?" Fluttershy knew he had her there. She had practically disconnected from reality, no doubt about it. She hung her head. Sandalwood almost instantly regretted starting the whole conversation as he saw tears run down Fluttershy's face. "Please stop. It hurts enough to talk about it. I don't know anything about him," she said through sobs. The boy wrapped his arms around the crying girl in an attempt to hug her. "I'm sorry, Fluttershy. I went overboard again." She sniffled a little, then returned the hug. "Don't worry, Sandal. Nobody's perfect." A few hours later, Fluttershy's shift ended and she went home. On her way, she bumped into Mike, who instantly freaked out. "Eep! I'm sorry, please forgive me, I didn't mean it, please don't hurt me." Compared to how Fluttershy was just a few hours ago, Mike was like a Chihuahua in front of a Rottweiler. Fluttershy couldn't help but feel pity for him. He seemed more than timid. From her point of view, he was downright paranoid. "Don't worry, it's okay. It was just a small brush, no big deal." Mike still seemed paranoid, and he was even shivering. Suddenly, Fluttershy had an idea. "Come to my house, Mike. We can talk about your problem." Mike was hesitant at first. "But I don't wanna intrude on your property. I don't wanna invade your personal space. I don't wan—" Fluttershy put her finger on Mike's mouth. "Please. I insist. I mean, if that's okay with you." Reluctantly, Mike agreed, and they walked towards her house.
Maybe He Won't Find Out What I KnowAs Fluttershy opened the door to her house, Mike was really tense. He'd never really been outside his house, let alone at a girl's house, nor had he ever been invited by a girl to go anywhere, much less been spoken to by a girl. He was paranoid enough being with his good friends, but there was a girl less than a foot away from him. And she was inviting him to her house. As they went inside the house and towards her room, Mike's thought were centered around his "impending torture." Dear god, I left a bad impression on her. Now she's gonna paddle me until I'm dead. Or maybe she has an electric chair. Or maybe she has a whip. Or mayb— His thoughts were interrupted by a door. It was half open and Mike walked right into the line part, causing to snap back to reality. "Oh my goodness, are you alright?" Fluttershy appeared with her hand on the doorknob. "I don't wanna talk about it." Fluttershy sighed, then walked into the room, which was evidently her bedroom. Mike shuddered as he stepped inside. Fluttershy noticed his unease. "Relax, I wouldn't dream of hurting you or anyone else." While Mike still shuddered, he was more comfortable knowing he was not in danger. "So tell me, why are you so paranoid?" And there it was. The real reason he was here. In a stranger's house, a girl's house, no less. Why he wasn't at home with his pet goldfish, Angus, instead. "Uh, um, er, ah, uh..." "Please tell me, Mike. I wanna help you." Fluttershy was slightly stern. Mike was on the verge of tears. However, he knew he needed to get the truth out. "Fine. It all started when I was pretty young..." Mike was a young boy, no older than three years old, when his luck had taken a turn for the worst. His older brother, about eighteen years old, had gone to the college downtown, or so he claimed. His older brother, Bookish Shamrock, was a very educated young man, and had gotten straight As for all twelve years of his public education. In fact, there were many colleges that had sent him letters before he had finished the sixth grade. Lately, however, his parents had noticed some odd behavior in him. He began to stay up late and do things other than studying, reading, or solving complex equations. He began to read comic books instead of "The Crystal Castle," or "Of Mice and Mares." He began listening to My Nuclear Romance instead of Haythoven. However, his image was still retained. He combed his hair, he dressed in sweater vests, and he wore the same monocle every day except...that day. He claimed to be going to the local college, but instead, he had decided to go drag racing. While no one really knows what happened, it affected Mike immensely. Basically, the only known thing was that Hefty had perished, and his parents didn't take it well. They both started drinking heavily. His mother, Glory Thistle, was a lightweight, so the alcohol had killed her. His father, Mighty Shamrock, was always drinking anyway, though barely any. After the deaths of his wife and eldest son, he drank at least ten bottles if beer a week, and as such, took his drunk stupor out on his only other son. Mike had endured his father's bruising and beating him, and one time, he had woken up with more bruises than skin. However, once Mighty broke one of Mike's arms, Mike snapped. Any initial bravery had vanished without a trace, his self-esteem went out the window, and his positivity had waned away to nothingness. He began hiding in his room, crying himself to sleep at night, and making plans to escape, cursing himself for being half Irish and half Scottish. One day, after his thirteenth birthday, as he was trying to balance a sort of budget with false money, the front door rattled with a knocking, and he left his room to answer it. He noticed his father passed out on the carpet, and shuddered. He opened the door, and just about wet himself when he saw who had knocked. There was a tall, bony, upper class man. "Greetings, young man. Is your name Micheal Shamrock?" He nodded quickly and nervously. "I work for the government, and I've been getting complaints from your neighbors that your father had been drinking and beating you. Is any of this correct?" Mike nodded again, close to tears. "Well, your troubles are over. I will be taking you somewhere else, somewhere better. Have you ever heard of the United States of America?" Mike's morose appearance suddenly changed to overexcited. His mouth formed into a wide smile and his eyes grew wide and glowed really bright. The man chuckled. "I've gotten the same reaction from many other kids. My wife's cousin lives there, and she always writes to us about how wonderful it is. And now we'll be taking you there." Mike ran right up to the man and hugged him. The man was caught off guard, but returned the hug. "For ten years, my father had been grieving over the death of my brother and mother. And, well, you can see how that turned out. I've been trying to leave this house for years. I even got a job so I could afford plane tickets to the next continent over." Mike raved on and on about his life. Eventually, he was back to the present. "Say, where in America are we going, anyway, just curious." The man smiled. "New York State. Beaches, burgers, and Broadway. Better pack your bags, kiddo. We leave in just a few days." Days later, Mike, having departed with the man at the Scottish Airlines, arrived in New York, New York. The man, who was named Legal Transfer, had given him $250, despite Mike having said he raised plenty of money, to start off. As he exited the airport, he noticed a sign with his name being held by a boy about his age, and he walked up to it. Once he approached, the boy pulled out his phone. "Hello. How are you?" he said in drawn out syllables. The phone translated and spoke in his native language. "Actually, I'm fluent in English." The boy put his phone in his pocket. "Sorry, but I was just required to do that. Company policy, y'know?" Mike just shrugged his shoulders. They went to grab his bags and haul them, but then he stopped. "Sorry, where are my manners? My name is Johnny Starcaster. How do you do?" He stuck out his hand, which Mike promptly shook. "My name is...well, you know. Is there any way I can change it, though? It reminds me too much of my troubling past, and I want to forget the past. Y'know?" Jake chuckled. "Sure. We just gotta get you registered first. You are officially moving to the USA, right?" Mike promptly nodded. "Alrighty, then we gotta register you. Otherwise, you'll be sent back to wherever you came from." Mike shuddered at the thought of going back. He quickly agreed to get registered, and the two were off. "...and after that, he quit his job and we moved here, to Canterlot, where he got a job as an musician for a band similar to Green Nights. Pretty soon, he broke off with them, something about his religion. But anyway, after my father broke my arm was when I developed a severe paranoia." Fluttershy was stunned. Her jaw hung low, her eyes were wide with disbelief, and her hands were trembling. She stuttered for a few seconds before hugging him. Her new-found tears flowed like a burst dam. "I'm so sorry, Mike. I had no idea you had to go through that. I'm sorry," she said through sobs. Mike returned the hug. "Relax, miss. You did nothing wrong at all. Hell, I never even knew you existed until earlier this afternoon. You have nothing to worry about." They hugged for a few minutes before they separated. Mike then got to surprise her. "So do you like Alex?" Fluttershy blushed profusely. "What makes you say that?" Mike chuckled. "Being paranoid has its perks sometimes. For example, you blushed when I said 'Alex.' That there is a telltale sign of, in this case, strong feelings. Second, I was walking by the animal shelter earlier, before you bumped into me, and I saw you there, standing stiff as a board, right in front of guess-who himself. Third, during our performance, I noticed you were mouthing the words Alex was singing during the chorus. Speaking of our performance, fourth, you're the only one that went out of their way to watch it, and afterwards, you said you would be late for your shift at the animal shelter. You look like the kind of person who just loves animals with a passion, so for you to be late for something you practically live for is kind of odd. Face it, you have feelings for him." Fluttershy was astonished. Not only because Mike had sorta been spying on her, but also because of the fact that he had pretty much just solved her problem. The thing was, how would she go about telling him? "Don't worry, if you want me to tell him, I can certainly do that." "NO!" Upon her shouting that, Mike just about fell off the bed, throwing his hands over his head. "PLEASE DON'T HURT ME!!!" Fluttershy immediately regretted having shouted so loud. "Oh my, I am so sorry. It's just, if anyone tells him, it has to be me." Mike slowly lowered his hands. "A-are you s-sure? B-because I-I c-c-can t-tell him i-if y-you want. Please don't hurt me." "I don't know, I'll have to think about it." Mike nodded in understanding. Fluttershy glanced at her alarm clock. "Oh my, it's almost nine o'clock. You should probably get home." "I should, shouldn't I? Very well then. Great talking with you. Tally ho." He disappeared, only to return a few seconds later, soaking wet. "There's a storm brewing, and I got caught in the worst part. I'm afraid I'll have to spend the night here." Fluttershy sighed. "Well, I don't have a guest room, but there is a couch in the living room." Mike immediately left, saying "thanks" before he did. Fluttershy, meanwhile, slipped off her clothes, and slipped into her pajamas, before drifting off into a deep slumber. The next day, Fluttershy was standing in the music room. Alex told her he had a surprise, and so here she was. Suddenly, he appeared, wearing a tuxedo and carrying a bouquet of flowers in one hand, a box of chocolates in the other, and on his shoulder, a dove. "Fluttershy, oh sweet, kind, and glorious Fluttershy. While I've only known you for a day, less than twenty-four hours, I've developed strong feelings that cannot be ignored. I know I'm probably no Romeo, or Prince Charming, or your knight in shining armor, but I love you so very much. I want to be with you forever, throughout all of eternity, all the way until my death. Just answer me this: do you feel the same?" Fluttershy ran up to him, and planted a big, sloppy, wet kiss on his face. The two were like this for quite some time. "Hey, Fluttershy?" "What is it?" "Please wake up." "Oh good, you're awake." Fluttershy opened her eyes. Mike was right on top of her, and her arms were around him. In fact, the scene was starting to look a little kinky. "Gah!" Fluttershy threw Mike off of her, albeit lazily. Mike landed with a thud on the floor. "Oh my, are you alright?" She looked over at him, but instead of a face showing pain, much to her surprise, he had a goofy smile. "Ordinarily, I'm no pervert like Johnny, but that was one awesome smooch. You're skilled, and I'm surprised you're still single." Fluttershy blushed, giggling a little. "So, what do you need, Mike?" Mike got off the ground and stood up, brushing himself off. "Well, it took a little figuring out, what with this place being unfamiliar and all, but I came up to tell you I made breakfast, and your alarm clock is either broken, or your a heavy sleeper." Fluttershy sighed, as she got out of her bed and made her way to the dining room. She saw before her plates of hot, steaming food. "I made us a traditional Scottish breakfast with the best Canterlot substitutes I could find. We have here eggs over easy, turkey bacon, italian sausage, buttered rye toast, baked beans, and I also brewed some Earl Grey tea. Care to join me?" He stood there, smiling nervously. Fluttershy smiled. "Sure. This looks delicious." As she grabbed a fork and tried the sausage, she noticed she enjoyed the flavor and texture. "Ig gaste dewishu oo." She swallowed, and blushed for having spoken with her mouth full. Mike just grinned. "Glad to hear it. I've had to learn to cook for myself, after...y'know." Fluttershy nodded, hoping to avoid bringing it back up. As she ate her breakfast, she began to think of how she would approach Alex. Pretty soon, her plate was empty, and as she rinsed it, Mike walked to the front door and looked out of it. The rain was still coming down, but not as bad as it had been last night. He continued to stare out the window, comparing the rainfall to his last few years in Scotland. He thought about how his father was doing, seeing as how Mike had pretty much kept his disappearance under cover. Fluttershy appeared right behind him, fully clothed, holding her bag, and eager to start the school day. Mike frowned at her. "I'm afraid that the storm has only calmed down a wee bit. You'll need this." He immediately took off his hoodie, revealing a white undershirt and an old scar on his arm. Fluttershy gratefully accepted the article of clothing, but asked if he needed it more. "Nah, I've got plenty more at home. You go ahead and keep it." And so they walked to school together, stopping at Mike's house so he could grab his school stuff (and another hoodie). They began talking more about Alex, and when they got to the school, Fluttershy went to her locker, Alex still fresh in her mind. Oh, my goodness, I think I am in love with Alex. He's sweet, kind, charming...*mental sigh*...I wish I could be his girlfriend. "Hey, Fluttershy." "EEK!" She jumped a foot in the air. After she landed, she turned around, and was face to face with him again. "How ya doin'?" She blushed. "Just fine, thank you. *giggle*." "Listen, my buds are thinking of another practice session. We thought you and your friends might wanna watch us again. Well, technically, it would be you getting to watch us again, and your friends, well, just getting to see us. Sound cool?" She nodded. "Why, hello there, darling." Fluttershy turned around, and saw Rarity standing there. "Oh, hello there, Rarity. Have you met Alex?" She pointed to the boy behind her. "I haven't, but he looks broken. Is there something wrong with him?" Fluttershy turned back to Alex, who did indeed look dysfunctional. His face was mixed between entranced and surprised. "Well, hello there, milady. To whom might I be speaking with, and might I ask thy name?" Rarity giggled. "Oh, you charmer." Rarity walked away, and Alex promptly followed, leaving behind a teary and heartbroken Fluttershy. But...but...why? Why not me? What did I do to deserve this? Throughout the whole day, Fluttershy sat through her classes, staying absolutely quiet and shedding private tears, all the while trying to figure out what went wrong. Was she just not good enough? Was she too obvious? Was she having a nightmare? Was she—wait. Nightmare? Maybe that was it. She pinched herself. Fluttershy sprang forward, wide awake. She rubbed her arm, for it was in pain, and sighed, for it had indeed been a nightmare. She looked at her clock. 2:37. She got up out of bed, and went to her living room, where she went to sit on her couch. "OOF! Top o' the morning to you, lassie. What can I do you for?" Mike, although not speaking to Fluttershy, but as a way of signalling he was now awake, woke up, having been awoken by the sudden weight pressing down on him. "Oh my goodness, I'm sorry." Fluttershy immediately got up, and stood right in front of Mike, who, in a failed attempt to fully get up, slumped and fell to the ground. "Goodness, are you alright, Mike?" "Man, I am never eating corned beef before bed again. Dreams of talking horses and all that friendship jibber jabber." He stood up, and came into contact with Fluttershy. Literally. *clunk* "Ow," they both said mutually. They rubbed their heads, surprised at their bumping into, so to speak. "Ugh, what time is it?" Fluttershy responded with the time her clock had shown. "Wha...that early in the mornin'? On a school night, no less? Dare I ask why you got me up this early?" Fluttershy sighed. "I can't sleep." "*sigh* I was afraid of that. Need to talk about Alex?" She meekly nodded. "I wanna know he's like. Is he smart, is he passionate, is he good with animals? You know that kinda stuff." Mike nodded. "Well, Alex loves to do stupid things. Connor was able to confirm that he damaged one of his frontal lobes as a kid, so he may be somewhat loopy. He cares about other people so much, you'd think he was a saint in a past life. He's one of those guys that can't have a whole lot of sugar, or the next thing you know, he'll be the first kid on the moon. He's allergic to nuts, so he'll scream at the sight or mention of them. Also—" Fluttershy placed her hand on his mouth. "Please slow down. I can't understand a word you're saying." She let go, and Mike sighed. "Sorry. Never talked to a girl this long before. Anyway, Alex is usually calm, but when he gets upset about something, he shuts out the rest of the world and really changes. Trust me, you don't want to get on his bad side." Fluttershy shivered upon hearing Mike say "bad side." "So, seeing as how we're awake at about 2:30 or 2:40 in the morning, what would you like to do? We've got a few hours before we have to leave for school. I mean, nothing too serious." Fluttershy shrugged her shoulders. Just then, there was lightning and thunder outside. Upon hearing it, the two jumped and grabbed each other. A few seconds later, they let go, realizing the awkward scene they were making. "So...thunder." Mike said nervously. "Yup." Fluttershy replied. "Wanna watch TV?" Fluttershy nodded, grabbing the remote seemingly out of nowhere. "Say, where are your parents?" "They're visiting my aunt in Hamburg, and they should be back tomorrow." The TV turned on, and the news was on. "The famous singer from the metal group My Final Fire has mysteriously disappeared. He may have any of the following aliases: Neil Footprint, Fred Shadow, or Alex Spotlight." That last part had caught the attention of both Mike and Fluttershy. The TV then showed a picture of Alex, only with dark hair and gothic makeup and clothes. The only recognizable feature was his face. "Wow. Alex was Goth?" Mike thought aloud. Fluttershy, however, rushed to her room, where her phone was charging. She grabbed it, and rushed back to the TV, where she rewound the broadcast. Once she got back to where she started, she recorded the entire report about the "missing singer." Author's Note So, this chapter might seem a little terrible, but I've been trying to work hard on it. Please tell me if it's okay or not, because I can rewrite it. BTW, in case you didn't already know (my apologies), this fic is set in an alternate universe where CHS and CPA are part of the United States.
You Were The Last Good Thing...The next day after school, Fluttershy walked toward the music room, phone in hand, with a determined, yet nervous look on her face. Once the door was open, she opened the door. *SMACK* *CRACK* "S***!" Alex collapsed on the ground. When Fluttershy walked in, she was horrified to discover that Alex now had a big gash in his forehead. "Omygosh, are you alright Alex?" Fluttershy asked, worry in her tone of voice. "Honey, those mosquitoes went to Chattanooga and jumped through the slime buckets." Alex said before passing out, leaving Fluttershy confused beyond measure. The only other person in the room, Rainbow Dash, looked rather shocked, and immediately rushed over. She recoiled upon seeing the gash. "Ugh. I'm no doctor, but that should probably get checked out. Say, what are you even doing here, Fluttershy? What about the animal shelter?" Fluttershy was caught off guard, but quickly recomposed herself. "I found out some very interesting news about Alex that you might wanna see." She opened up her bag, and pulled out her phone. She played the last thing she had recorded, which was the news article. Rainbow Dash's eyes slowly got wider and wider. «"The last place he was seen was in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. His current whereabouts are unknown."» After the video finished, Rainbow Dash was speechless. Fluttershy looked at her concern. "You see, Rainbow? He used to be a big celebrity, and he left it all for some reason we don't know. Doesn't this intrigue you in the slightest?" Rainbow Dash, however, was focused elsewhere. "He played METAL?!" Rainbow exclaimed as Fluttershy facepalmed. "That's not the point. He just left everything behind. Even I know that just doesn't happen for no reason. We gotta get to the bottom of this. Er, I mean, if that's okay with you." Rainbow Dash just chuckled. "Fluttershy, all you have to do is wait until he wakes up, and then we can just ask him." Fluttershy, glaring at Rainbow Dash, pointed to the gash still present on his forehead. "Oh yeah." Fluttershy facepalmed again. "If this gash is as serious as it looks, he could be out for days, maybe weeks." "Oooooh." Just then, Rarity walked in. "Hello—goodness gracious, what happened to him?!" Fluttershy blushed in embarrassment. "I accidentally opened the door too hard. What are you doing here?" Rarity chuckled. "I met this charming young boy, red hair, dark personality, but handsome as...well, as handsome can get. Anyway, he said he can play the piano so gracefully, and offered to play a little for me. He had to take a quick detour, but he'll be here soon. In the meantime, we best take a look at this poor boy. Do either of you know him?" Fluttershy looked at Rainbow Dash. "That reminds me, what exactly were you doing here, Rainbow Dash?" She shrugged. "I was coming here to play some guitar, because I wanted to. Blondie just happened to be here before me." The trio heard moaning, and looked at Alex, who was stirring. He opened his eyes, and Fluttershy looked surprised. "Ugh, is it me, or are the lights extra bright in here?" Fluttershy stuttered a bit before responding. "But...but...you should be—" Fluttershy was silenced with a finger to her mouth. "Please stop. My head hurts enough without your voice. *groan*" Fluttershy certainly was confused. However, she still had a job to do. She held out her camera. "Hey, Alex, I got something to show you." She showed him her phone. She showed him the video, and the whole time, Alex's face never changed. After the video finished, Alex wore a puzzled expression. "Why did you just show me video of my dead brother?" Fluttershy was shocked. "I know, he looks just like me. We were identical twins. Allen Showboat, the god of Goth. Poor guy got into bad stuff, and that was that and all. Never really did appreciate him or his emo band. We were both born in Vancouver, and he died in our home. When he left us, I learned he tried using my name as an alias, and I decided to skip town and head to New York. I met the other guys there at a music convention. The rest is history." The three girls were stared with open mouths. Alex pushed his finger on Fluttershy's chin and lifted upward. "Close your mouth, kiddo,you'll get flies." Fluttershy grumbled. Alex looked around the room, and noticed the other girl in the room. "Oh, how long have you been here? My name's Alex." He promptly stuck out his hand, which Rarity shook. "I'm Rarity. Pleasure to meet you, darling." Alex blushed. "So, Rarity, what are you doing here, at this particular moment?" Rarity blushed. "Oh, I'm here because—" she was interrupted by an English accent. "Apologies for taking so bloody long, some bonehead tried to throw a paper airplane at me." Connor shook his head, and walked over to the piano in the corner. "—of him." Rarity pointed to the boy. "Hey, Connor, how's it going?" Alex got up, seemingly unharmed, and walked over to Connor. "Hey Alex. Other than the paper airplane, I'm doing good. You?" "Been worse. Whatcha doin' here?" Connor waved his hand in front of the piano. "Cool, whatcha gonna play?" Connor shrugged. "Probably 'that song.' Why?" Alex shrugged. "Curious." Connor turned away, and his fingers immediately hit the ivory keys in an effort to produce music. Connor heard clapping once he was done. He turned, and the fashionista was applauding him. "That was absolutely amazing. The lyrics could use some work, but still amazing." Connor blushed. "Thanks, but that wasn't my own song. It was copyrighted by a different person, so the lyrics are what they are. I do appreciate the applause, though." Alex and the three girls watched as he got up and walked towards the door and left the music room. Alex sighed. "Every time, I swear. Once he finishes a performance, he just exits the room. I just don't understand. Seriously." Alex watched in disgust as the door closed behind his red-headed friend. "Hey, what's up?" The four students looked towards the door, and there stood Johnny. "Hey, Johnny. Not much. You?" Johnny shrugged. "Jake's lecture on skipping classes and hitting on girls got boring, so I ditched him halfway through and ended up here. What're you girls doing with Alex? Any of you wanna hang with me?" He gave a wink. "Sorry, darling, but I already have a boyfriend." Rarity scoffed. "Sorry, buddy, I'm a lesbian." Rainbow Dash snickered. Johnny threw up his hands. "That's it, I'm outta here." As he left, Fluttershy noticed he had sort of a scowl on his face. Alex noticed her confusion. "Oh, don't worry about him. Despite being a player, he's very homophobic." Rainbow Dash just shrugged. "Well, I need to get going. The animal shelter is open, and Sandalwood is sick, so I gotta run the place while he's out." And with that, Fluttershy left the room, and then the school. At the animal shelter, Fluttershy was able to handle things fine. All the animals were fed, the customers were satisfied, and Sandalwood had called to let her know that he would be unable to show up for the rest of the week. Unfortunately, Alex showed up again, and she was unprepared. "Hey, Fluttershy, what's up?" Alex walked right up to her, until he reached the counter. Fluttershy immediately lost all of her senses as she began daydreaming. Alex sweeping her of her feet and carrying her to an ivory horse. Alex clad in Spanish-style dance clothing and doing the tango with her. Alex straight-up kissing her. Alex— "*snap snap* Hello? Bonjour? Hola? Guten tag? Konichiwa? C'mon, this is important." Fluttershy snapped out of her trance, and, to her disappointment, saw Alex in his regular outfit, not preparing to take her away. "Listen, this is important. I've heard from the grapevine that you have been staring at me. I heard others say you were staring at me from behind your locker door, in class, at the lunch table, and even during practice, I noticed you staring right at me. Care to elaborate?" Fluttershy sweated nervously. She had not seen this coming, and the only response she could think of was: "I like you." "Huh? Speak up, please." "I like you." "Sorry. Can't hear you. Could yo—" "I LIKE YOU!" She immediately covered her mouth. Meanwhile, Alex looked as if to say that she had two heads. "..." "..." "Oh...I see." He began to walk away. "Wait! Come back. Lemme exp—" Alex held up his hand, silencing her. "Hate to be the one to tell you this, but I'm afraid I'm not into clingy girls." And with that, he stepped out, leaving Fluttershy on the verge of tears. Later, she ran straight home, to her room, and began crying into her pillow. Why me? Why did it have to be me? Stupid high school crushes. Meanwhile, Alex walked toward the gas station, going behind the building, and seeing a cat and a box labeled "personal property." He sat right next the former, reaching out his hand to pet the cat, who gracefully accepted. "Well, Casanova, it would seem that I've officially had a bad day. I didn't even know it was possible to bring me down at all. Oh well, there's a first for everything. I know you can't understand a word I'm saying, but I just need someone to talk to right now. Johnny's not one for this kinda thing, Mike's going through his own stuff, Connor refuses to talk to anyone, and Jake...his positivity is a little creepy." Casanova indeed could not understand Alex at all, but that didn't matter to either of them. As night settled, Alex pulled a tattered quilt from his box and covered himself and the cat in it. Very soon, the two were asleep. Author's Note Sorry for taking so long. Life got in the way. Also sorry for the short chapter.
