I Will Break The Silence

Vinyl awoke with the usual aches and pains that accompanied a night sleeping on her old mattress. Most every morning began like this and today was no different. Stretching and cracking her knuckles, neck and back she pushed the door of her closet open with her foot and crawled out across her bed into the main room of the apartment. Her mother was still asleep on her old couch snoring softly so she treaded carefully towards the kitchen area.

After checking what remained of the provisions she opted to skip breakfast for her mothers sake. There was only enough cereal to make even a meager breakfast for one person let alone splitting it in two. So with an empty stomach and a sore body Vinyl made her way to the door put on her shoes and slung her backpack across her back before walking out the front to go to school early. The nearly empty box of cereal remained atop the table as she had left it.

/l---)O(---/l\

Water dripped off of Vinyl's bangs as she trudged forward through the rain. She had been walking for a full three minutes before the first drop of water landed on her nose and was soon followed by it's companions in quick succession. Now every other step was in a puddle and every step that wasn't in a puddle was made with the squish of a soggy shoe and sock. She was nearing the Crystal Apartments and was hoping to bump into Octavia this morning. If she was lucky they could talk for a bit before Octy had to go on the bus and she had to continue in the rain.

When the Crystal Apartments bus stop came into view Vinyl was warmed by a most welcome sight. Octavia sat at the bus bench with her cello and an umbrella and there was no Amethyst Star in sight. Picking up her pace with a slight spring in her step she walked over to the Raven haired Cellist and was greeted with a friendly smile.

"Oh why hello- Oh my, Vinyl your soaked to the bone!"

The DJ shrugged before sitting down on the bench next to Octavia.

"What are you doing walking in weather like this! You should at least be wearing a rain coat, you'll catch your death in this weather!"

Grabbing her phone from inside a protected pocket in her pack Vinyl gave a reply.

"It's fine I've lived through worse."

"No dear it's not fine, your not even dressed warm! Your hands are shaking for goodness sake!"

Sure enough Vinyl's hands were pruney and cold, even paler than usual as well. Octavia reached into a pocket on her cello case and pulled out a purple scarf and a pair of black gloves handing them out to the freezing girl beside her.

"Put these on this instant I insist."

Vinyl tried to object by holding up her hands but to her surprise Octavia used it against her and slipped both gloves on faster than she could pull away. Seconds later the scarf was tied in a comfortable knot around her neck.

"There that's a bit better now you can be warm until the bus arrives."

Vinyl shook her head, pointing at herself then the sidewalk making walking motions with her pointer and middle finger.

"No Vinyl your not going to walk to school in this weather I won't allow it!"

Her fingers now covered in gloves, couldn't type well on her phones text message screen so instead she reached into her pack again and produced a fortunately still dry pad of paper and a pencil holding them in the safety of the bus stop roof and Octavia's umbrella.

"I can't ride the bus, I don't have any tokens."

"Dear they accept money too, it's only a dollar a day."

Vinyl sighed reluctantly before scribbling an honest reply down opting for truth rather than a lie. She hated lying and only did it if desperate.

"Mom doesn't really have any money to spare for that sort of thing and she won't let me get a job because I'm in school."

"Oh? Oh...I see..."

Suddenly things made more sense to Octavia. She thought back to yesterday and Vinyl's sandwich binge. Until now she simply assumed that she had a large appetite but now she saw that the girl probably didn't get enough to eat. As if on cue Vinyl's stomach growled somehow louder than yesterday.

"Please tell me you've had breakfast."

She gave an unconvincing nod followed by an even louder growl causing her to clench her stomach from the empty ache. That was all Octavia needed to know to make her next decision. Standing up she lifted her cello with her spare hand while holding the umbrella above her and her new friend with the other.

"We're going to Sugar Cube corner and you are going to pick out anything you want and eat it along with a nice coffee or tea."

Vinyl shook her head then pointed to herself with her thumb before making a don't worry I'm fine foreword wave.

"I'm not asking dear I'm telling you to get your rear off that bench and come with me to get some food."

With a quiet sigh and a shrug she did as she was told but unwilling to be a burden she reached out and took Octavia's cello case from her before pointing down the road as a signal to lead the way.

"Fine you can carry it if you promise to eat your fill and not what you think would be polite." Said Octy sternly.

/l---)O(---/l\

When they arrived Octavia handed Vinyl a ten dollar bill and said she wouldn't take a penny back and it was hers to do as she would. When the DJ returned with her purchases she had a large coffee, a scone, a muffin, a small bowl of fruit and a plastic wrapped cluster of three cookies. Once again she ate hungrily but this time with a bit more restraint so as not to embarrass herself in front of her crush.

Octavia sat across from her sipping a cup of tea quietly thinking and feeling a bit guilty about her privilege compared to Vinyl. She had never had to worry about her next meal and anytime she wanted new shoes or a CD or anything of that nature all she had to do was ask. Vinyl had none of these privileges and yet still she took Amethyst Star's bullying without any resistance and would help others at the drop of a hat. She found herself feeling upset that life had been so unfair to this sweet person cross from her eating cookies like they were bite sized.

Here was a person she didn't know much about but still felt drawn to help out of...pity? No that wasn't it she was actually enjoying just sitting quietly with this friendly individual. Vinyl was just sort of likeable. She had made a good first impression when she offered to carry her Cello home yesterday but that still wasn't it either. Frustrated at being faced with a perplexing question she didn't know the answer too Octavia blurted out the next one that came to mind.

"Why we're you so kind to me yesterday Vinyl?"

The DJ coughed on a bit of cookie caught off guard by the question and not sure how to respond. It wasn't like she could just say "Oh I've had a crush on you for the passed several months so I was thrilled when I had an excuse to talk to you." Instead she took a sip of her coffee to hide her blush and despite her poor skills and hatred of lying gave the best fib she could think of on short notice.

"Because you stood up for me in front of Amethyst yesterday."

Vinyl gave her best smile as she ate another cookie, while Octavia continued to think. Looking out the window she saw that the rain had stopped and while the sun wasn't shining the weather was improving slowly. It was then that the blue haired woman across from her felt her phone buzz in her pocket. pulling it out she read the message, seeing it was from Neon. Her irresponsible brother figure had sent her an invite to something that peeked her interest and in a moment of bravery she scribbled a question to Octavia.

"Hey Octy, what would you rather do? Go to school today or go on an adventure with yours truly?"

The Cellist was Silent for a moment but for some reason, despite every fiber of her upbringing screaming the opposite she felt both intrigued and energized by the Idea of doing something bad and skipping school. She was having a good time with Vinyl too and she wanted to hang out more so why shouldn't she? It would be rude to refuse an invitation from a friend wouldn't it? Against her better judgement she gave the reply she felt like giving rather than the one her parents would approve of.

"An adventure? What did you have in mind?"