Chapters "So, Sunset, ready for the new school year?"
Sunset Shimmer looked to see Pinkie skipping alongside her as they walked to school, the pink-haired girl's hands occupied by a tray of coffee cups for the Rainbooms.
"Yeah, should be a heck of a lot better after everyone's had a chance to cool down from... well, you know," she trailed off, rubbing the back of her neck.
"You mean when those three girls showed up and turned out to be Sirens and we had to go against them at the music festival and almost lost while everyone listening was having their minds collectively controlled?"
"Um... yeah, that," Sunset answered.
"Yeah, that was a time and a half, huh?"
"You could say that."
"At least no one's going to call you out for being a demon since you saved them all from three more!" Pinkie said.
"Let's hope," Sunset murmured.
"Sunset, listen, you're gonna be alright, and from here on out, everything's fine."
"Right, but I'm just worried tha-"
"Sunset, it's fiiiiiiiiiiiiine ," Pinkie insisted. "Everything's going to be A-okay!"
\\\//////
"And you're certain that this student won't cause any trouble?" Principal Celestia asked as she sat back down.
Across her desk were files of a new transfer, one named "Trevor Bowick," showing a teenage boy in what looked like a prison outfit, with massive metallic cuffs over his entire forearms. The student's medical papers and transfer documents were piled up out of the way with a piece of red paper sitting in the center of the desk.
Sitting before Celestia's desk was a man with a dark-brown skin tone, running a hand over his bald head. He nodded as Celestia sat down, returning a pen to his blue suit jacket's pocket.
"We're sure of it," he answered in a medium baritone. "He's had no record of violent outbreaks his entire time, and is more reserved than any others from the facility."
"But to be there for so many years," Celestia said, leaning on her chair, "what has Augustine done to this poor child?"
"Gave him shelter, food, a warm cell, something resembling a family in the loosest possible definition, but she kept him safe and taught him restraint. After searching through the private files on her personal device, we found out that he was part of a secondary initiative for the militarization of Conduits. He was part of a group that would have been deployed to contain other Conduits and handle public intervention."
"She wanted him to be an Anti-Conduit?" Celestia asked.
Charles nodded.
"Essentially."
"And what makes you think he'd fit in here?"
Charles pulled out his state-issued smart-phone before scrolling through several pictures. He flipped the screen to Celestia to show images of the school's front destroyed, a student with wings and massive projections of Sirens over the school's property.
"We've seen you handle worse, Celestia. We know that whatever's keeping this place in one piece will either keep him in check or be a good influence on him."
Celestia hummed in thought before sighing.
"Very well. I'll tell my sister and the Custodian to keep an eye on him, just in case."
"Thank you, Celestia."
"And what about Homeland Security and the FBI? Won't they be wondering where one of Augustine's most powerful Conduits went?"
"We've kept them informed and they want to keep a watch on the school for the first six weeks. If there's any sign of trouble, they'll pull us out and wipe the records. There'll be enough black ink to dye every paper in the entire city thrice over if he so much as sneezes in a way they don't like, but they'll give him a chance."
"Very well, then. When does he start?"
"Today, if you'll allow it."
\\\//////
Sunset and Pinkie walked past the Wondercolt statue in front of the school, watching as other students were walking towards the doors. Looking around, Sunset saw that there weren't any stares or glares directed at her, and there wasn't a single thing thrown towards her yet. So far, it's been a good day.
"Sure are a lot of big cars in the parking lot today," Pinkie said.
Sunset turned to see at least eight large vehicles, all painted black with tinted windows. Large men wearing suits of varying dark shades with earpieces were walking about between them, a few pulling out radios and talking into them as they went in and out of the cars.
"You think they're here because of the Siren incident?" Sunset asked.
"If they are, they're a teensy bit late," Pinkie said. "I think it might something to do with all the Conduits popping up."
Sunset nodded, remembering the footage of one from Seattle that was plastered all over the news for months on end. It almost made their struggle against the Sirens look like child's play, but she'd rather face those three down again if given a choice between them and a Conduit.
"You think it's necessary, Pinkie?"
"I'd like to think that it's not, but there are people that are responsible for the D.U.P. being created in the first place, after all. Maybe some are just really grumpy that they can't have a normal life so they don't know what to do. I mean, what if we couldn't turn off our ponying-up? Rainbow Dash wouldn't be able to join any sports team because she'd have wings, and that's SUPER cheating! Or what if Rarity couldn't make any more clothes 'cause they wouldn't fit any of us and so she'd have to make them all weird and no one would buy them!"
"Sometimes I really don't get it. It's a lot like how Earth Ponies reacted to Unicorns back in Equestria, but..."
"A lot more violent?" Pinkie asked in a hushed tone.
"Yeah. I mean, I would have just let them do whatever they're good at with their powers and let it be."
"But someone's going to try something bad with it," Pinkie said solemnly. "I've seen it happen a lot, Sunset. Good people could have something awful happen and they can only lash out."
Sunset shook her head sadly.
"Just like me."
\\\//////
"Sunset Shimmer, please report to the principal's office, Sunset Shimmer, please report to the principal's office," the speakers blared.
"Guess I'll catch up with you later, Pinkie," Sunset said as she departed from their walk.
Sunset turned the nearest corner and followed the hall to Principal Celestia's office. Upon entering, she saw the Principal looking over several documents, a student sitting in front of her desk. From what she could see, he was wearing a black cap over curly blonde hair and had on a black jacket where he hid his hands, bluejeans and grey tennis shoes covering the rest of him. Celestia looked up and smiled.
"Ah, Ms. Shimmer, good to see you."
"Mrs. Celestia, how can I help you?" Sunset said as she walked in.
The boy in the seat turned around, lightning blue eyes striking a line of sight right at Sunset's own. He flinched away from her look, turning to stare at a random corner behind Celestia.
"We have a new student joining CHS today, Mr. Trevor Bowick. He's from far out of town and needs someone to show him around the school."
"Okay, sounds good," Sunset said happily.
A new student meant someone that hasn't heard about the Fall Formal (hopefully) and another chance at making a friend.
"Trevor, Sunset here will show you around the school's facilities and help you find your scheduled classes as well. I hope you treat her with as much respect as she gives, and that you find comfort here at our school."
Trevor nodded swiftly, before standing up. Now able to get a better look at him, Sunset could see that Trevor was about half a foot taller than her, but was very thin, almost frail. He moved the tip of his hat down to cover his eyes from her before grabbing a navy-blue messenger bag that sat by his seat.
"I-I'm ready to go," he whispered.
"Where should we start first, Principal Celestia?"
"Wherever you think would be best, Sunset. Remember, class starts at 10:30 today, so lunch period is moved to 2 o'clock."
"Thank you, Principal Celestia."
With that, the two exited the office and walked into the hall.
"So, welcome to Canterlot High," Sunset greeted. "I'm Sunset Shimmer," she said, holding her hand out to him.
Trevor turned away from her hand, looking down the hall as if to avoid looking at her.
"Thanks, I'll find my own way, now," he said.
Sunset slowly retracted her hand, a little hurt by his action but she quickly deduced that he must be a bit shy.
"It's alright, but I need to show you around first. So, if you'd follow me, I can get you started."
Sunset took a few steps towards the main hall, but stopped when she noticed that he wasn't following. She saw that he was still standing there, unmoved entirely.
"Um... are you coming, or...?"
"You don't want me to follow you, I'll be a burden."
"What?"
"You don't need to make sure I get anywhere. Thanks. I can handle this," he said before walking down the opposite way.
"Whoa whoa whoa, hold on!" Sunset said, rushing over to stop him.
Sunset grabbed his jacket's arm, pulling him back.
"You can't just leave and wander around! There's a system in place here and I have to follow it. Besides, if the teachers see that I'm not helping you, they'll tell Celestia and I'll get in trouble for not doing what I'm supposed to."
"O-oh... I'm sorry," he said before turning towards the main hall. "I'll try not to cause too much trouble."
Sunset smirked as she lead the way.
"Believe me, there's nothing you could do to cause more trouble than we've had at this school just last year."
Rainbow strummed at the electric guitar's cords lazily, her eyes glued to the clock as she and the Rainbooms waited for Sunset to arrive for practice.
"What's taking so long?" she said, leaning back.
"She probably got called up to show a new student around," Rarity speculated. "She did sign up for that program, remember?"
"Or it might have somethin' to do with all those Humvees outside," Applejack said, looking through the window.
"Do you think it has something to do with the Sirens?" Fluttershy wondered.
"Hopefully it won't have anything to do with the Fall Formal," Applejack said.
"Please, it's been months since those things happened. Who'd wanna investigate now ?"
"Maybe those hunks from Supernatural?" Pinkie said as she hung upside-down from one of the room's vents.
"Pinkie, be careful up there, there's hundreds of thousands of dust specks waiting to rain down all over us if you break something," Rarity said.
"Please don't hurt yourself," Fluttershy said.
They heard a series of knocks on the door before a familiar figure walked in.
"Hey girls," Flash Sentry greeted. "How are things going?"
"Hey Flash," Pinkie greeted as she back-flipped off of the vent, landing perfectly on her feet. "We're good! Just waiting for Sunset!"
"Oh, yeah, I heard that on the intercom earlier. What do you think she got called for?"
"Don't know, but we'll just ask her later," Rainbow said. "Wanna help us practice since you're here? We need a second guitar for this one song we're practicing."
"Sure, what cord?"
\\\//////
"And this is the school's library," Sunset said as she and Trevor walked by the entrance. "You can check out about five books at a time, but only for a school week, so you have to have them in by Friday if you check any out. There's also a computer lab and a printer if you need to work on something online, but it's about ten cents per paper you print out after the first ten of any week."
Trevor nodded as he looked at the door's number, keeping his eyes away from her.
His behavior was somewhat odd to Sunset, though not unfamiliar. She could recall when she first met Fluttershy in such a way, with scenarios reversed, and how she would avoid eye contact. However, his refusal to speak most of the time was a tad bit perplexing at the time. He wouldn't answer any of her questions and wouldn't ask any either.
Still, she was determined to make a good first impression, so she didn't try to bother him that much. Maybe he was just really introverted.
"So, anywhere else you'd like to see?"
He wordlessly pulled out a sheet and handed it to Sunset. She cocked an eyebrow before taking it, and examined it quickly.
"Oh, you want to know where your classes are?"
Trevor nodded.
"Well, let's see... oh, that's a heck of a coincidence! We've got the same schedule, period for period!" Sunset said.
Trevor nodded again before taking the paper.
"So when it's time for class, just follow me, alright?"
He nodded again.
"Say, by chance, do you walk here or does someone drop you off?"
"Walk," he answered.
Good, a vocal response.
"Which way do you walk from, North or South?"
"S-South."
"Great! I walk here up South with a friend! We could all walk together in the mo-"
"No, I'll be fine. I can walk on my own," he interrupted.
Sunset blinked in surprise from his sudden response and deflated a bit.
"Oh... alright, sorry."
The two walked on in silence for the next few minutes, Sunset glancing back to the new student to try and gauge anything about him. Soon, the two came across the Arts & Music section of the school, Sunset smiling as she walked up to Room 1313.
"This is where my friends and I practice in the morning," she said. "We have a band called the 'Rainbooms', and we're always open to anyone who wants to listen."
Trevor just nodded.
"Wanna come inside and listen for a bit?"
Trevor shook his head.
"Oh... okay, um... do you wanna wait out here until class starts?"
Trevor nodded.
"A-alright then," Sunset said as she walked in.
"Hi Sunset!" the five girls greeted at once.
"Hey girls, how's everyone doing?" she asked.
"We're just practicing with Flash right now," Pinkie said. "He's helping Dashie with synchronizing cords."
"How's that going?"
"Pretty good so far," Rainbow said. "So what kept ya?"
"Just showing a new student around CHS. Turns out we've got the same class schedule, so he's waiting outside until it's time for class."
"Waiting outside?" Pinkie said. "Why let him stay out there? He should come in here and hang out with us! He can have a snack from my pack!"
"I tried to get him in, but he didn't want to. He's really nervous and shy."
"Kind of shy or 'Fluttershy' shy?" Rarity asked.
"Around 'Fluttershy' shy. No offense."
Fluttershy nodded.
"He didn't even want me to walk him around school at first, but I convinced him. Didn't ask a question the entire time and didn't even look at me."
"That seems rather rude of him," Rarity said. "Are you sure he's just nervous and not being antisocial?"
"You know, I'm not so sure," Sunset remarked.
\\\//////
Trevor took in a deep breath before reaching into his messenger bag, his back against the wall as he stood outside the door to 1313. He pulled out a large book with an image of electrons on the cover, the words smudged and worn off the front. Flipping to a marked page, he began to read through the text, flipping the page a second later.
He flipped through several more pages in succession, seemingly glancing at the book rather than reading it. As he did, a group of students approached from the gym doors, coated in sweat and laughing at a story that one of them was sharing.
"So then I said to her, 'Probably needs a hot beef injection,' and just laid the plate down right there!" the leading one said.
The jocks laughed at the apparent punchline, Trevor unable to hear any of them outside of his studying. As they began to walk past him, one of the jocks walked closer to the wall and, not aware of his surroundings, brushed up against the scrawny blonde. A surge of electricity ran through the jock's wet skin, a small crack snapping at he jumped back.
"GAH!" he screamed as he clutched his right arm. "Agh, shit!"
Trevor fumbled with his book as he backed away from the group of athletes, closing the book and taking a few steps back.
"Dude, you alright?" one jock with a head of messy brown hair asked as he approached the one that had gotten shocked.
"Shit, that stung!" he hissed, clutching a bicep. "Dude, what was that?" he asked, turning to Trevor.
Their eyes all fell on him, and Trevor began to panic internally. He hadn't been paying attention to his surroundings and let his guard drop for only a second. He injured someone. For all he knew, they would lynch him before his first day of school would begin.
"Hey man, you alright?" one of the jocks asked Trevor.
Trevor flinched from the question and turned around completely, running away from the group. As he did, the shocked jock ceased rubbing his arm before flexing it a bit.
"The Hell was that guy's problem?"
"I don't know. Probably a new student. He's hanging outside here ," one said, motioning to the sign for 1313.
"Ah, so he's waiting for Shimmer."
"Why'd he run, though?"
"Probably thought we'd try something. Can't blame him, I mean, look at you, Bulk."
"Now I feel bad for scaring the new kid."
"Wonder where he ran off to, though."
\\\//////
Trevor began to hyperventilate as he shut the door behind him, the restroom door locking as he jogged to the mirrors. He looked into them for a moment before slapping himself across the face.
"Stupid idiot!" he shouted at his reflection. "Are you trying to fuck this up!? Keep your shit under control! Don't hurt anyone, don't cause a scene! That's all you had to do, damn it! If not, they'll send you back!"
He felt the sting of tears as he trembled, leaning against the sink. A choked sob escaped his throat before he clasped a hand over his mouth. A deep inhale cut through his nostrils as he closed his eyes. He let the breath out slowly as he adjusted his hat.
"It's alright, it's alright. Just go out there and let them punch you a bit. Just don't let anything out until you're at the Site. Everything's going to work out fine, as long as I hold it in. I've just... just gotta make it through today... it's in the past... hoooo..."
Trevor walked up to the door and unlocked it, opening it to find the biggest jock waiting outside.
"Hey, there you are," he said.
Trevor felt his throat clench as his eyes widened.
"Just wanted to let you know that Blitz doesn't want to hurt you, alright? It was just a static shock thing, so it's just an accident."
Trevor blinked in confusion before he realized something.
No one here knew about him as much as he thought.
"O-oh, okay it... y-yeah, okay then."
"Jeez, you must have been terrified if you ran away from us like that. Sorry man."
"N-no, it's fine, I should have gotten out of the way."
"Oh, come on, don't say that. I feel like I owe you something after scaring you like that."
"Don't. I-I'm alright, just leave me alone, please."
The jock sighed in defeat before moving out of the doorway.
"Okay, okay, sure. But hey, if you ever need a favor, just ask ol' Bulk Biceps, that's my name, for it, and I'll help ya, alright?"
Trevor cautiously nodded.
"Alright, take care, kid," Bulk said before walking off.
Trevor released a breath as he panted, wiping away sweat from his brow as he recoiled from the fear.
'This is going to be tougher than I thought.'
"Well, it's been a blast, girls, but we need to head to class in a few minutes," Sunset said as she packed up the guitar.
The girls began to put away their instruments as well, Flash Sentry checking the door before going to Sunset.
"Hey, you said the new guy was right outside the class, right?" he asked.
"He's not there, is he?" Sunset deadpanned.
"No."
Sunset set the case down before running out of the door, looking down the hallway. Sighing, she went back into 1313 and grabbed her bag.
"I gotta go find Trevor," she said, "I'll see you girls at lunch!"
As the group said their goodbyes to Sunset, she rushed out of the room and ran through the halls, looking around for Trevor.
"Where did he go?"
Sunset stopped when she saw the student in question walking out of the bathroom. She gave a sigh of relief as she walked up to him.
"There you are," she said. "Got me worried for a second."
He ducked his head and looked away.
"Sorry, I just-"
"It's fine," Sunset said, holding up a hand. "I understand. Let's get to class, alright?"
\\\//////
First period ended up being English with Ms. Cheerilee, alongside Rainbow Dash. She caught up to the two and waved to the new student.
"Hey, what's up new guy? Name's Rainbow Dash!" she said.
Trevor just gave her a glance before looking away. Rainbow didn't take offense to this, instead smiling as she shook her head.
"Yeah, he's pretty shy. No prob, I've seen worse. So, new guy, you hang around the band hall and hear us practice? Whatcha think?"
Trevor gave no response to her, simply opting to walk.
"Yeah, I bet I'd be stunned silent if I heard myself play live," Rainbow said.
\\\//////
When the three made it to class, they found a row of free seats in the back of the class. Trevor took the seat farthest to the left of the class, near the window, while Sunset took the seat next to him with Rainbow on her right. Ms. Cheerilee began to take roll after everyone settled down, listing out the names as students proclaimed their presence.
"Trevor Bowick," Ms. Cheerilee called out.
The new student slowly raised his hand.
"H-Here," he said.
"Trevor Bowick, please remove the hat while in class, thank you."
"Uh, actually... c-can I keep it on?"
"Mr. Bowick, I'll have you sent to the Principal's office if you don't remove the hat."
"I have a scar, and-"
"Alright then, but I'll need a note from either a parent, a guardian or someone with a medical background to allow you to wear it after today."
Trevor nodded as he slouched back into his seat, removing a notebook and mechanical pencil from his bag.
Sunset hummed in thought as she looked at his black cap.
\\\//////
"... And that, class, is why you never put a lighter in the dryer," Mr. Sombra said.
The class shared a chuckle at the geology teacher's story, Sunset grinning as she thought of something familiar happening to her when she first used a dryer.
Sunset looked to the back of the lab to see Trevor wasn't sharing a laugh with the class, instead sitting isolated at his own table as he read out of a large textbook.
She gave a sigh as she shook her head just as the bell rang above the doorway to the lab.
"Remember class, you go to lunch after this period and then straight to the last class on your schedule," Mr. Sombra explained. "Third and Fourth periods will have proper introductions for all of you tomorrow."
As the class packed up their belongings and moved to relocate to the cafeteria, Sunset walked to the back of the class to meet Trevor.
"Hey, Trevor," she greeted.
Trevor almost looked up at her entirely, but quickly looked to the side to avoid her face.
"H-Hello, Sunset," he said.
"I wanted to make sure you know your way to the cafeteria, so I thought I'd just walk with you. That alright?"
Trevor nodded slowly as he packed away the textbook. Sunset stole a glance at the cover and smiled.
"Studying on electrical engineering?"
Trevor froze as he slid the book into his bag.
"I-I-I just think electricity's a... c-cool thing to study."
"I'm not trying to discredit your opinion, I'm just saying that I can't really wrap my head around this kind of stuff, you know?" Sunset pulled out her smart-phone and turned it to him. "I can't even begin to understand how a bunch of electricity makes this thing able to take pictures and make long-distance calls without someone thinking it's magic."
Trevor stood up and, for the second time that day, locked eyes with Sunset. Now she was able to see his face in its near entirety, the pale skin and blonde hair coupled with electric blue irises, his lips pursed up in tension as he moved about.
"Y-Yeah, it's amazing how so much works with just electricity, huh?" he said.
Sunset smiled as she finally found a way to get Trevor to open up.
"So do you want to be an engineer when you graduate? Go for some high-paying job and run numbers all day?"
Sunset began to walk out of the class, Trevor following behind after a second's hesitation.
"Actually, I think I might just... settle somewhere quiet. Make a nice place out... away from the city," Trevor admitted.
"Not a fan of big cities?"
"N-No, not a fan of... well, being in a crowd, for one."
"How come?"
Trevor looked away, his face growing dark as he pulled the cap down.
"I... I'm just afraid of... p-people. You probably think that sounds stupid, and that I'm some kind of freak for thinking that, and-"
"Hey, I understand. I'm not the biggest people-person around either, but sometimes you just need someone to help you find your footing."
Trevor adjusted the strap over his shoulder as he spoke.
"I don't think I should... in any way, honestly."
Sunset frowned.
"Why?"
Trevor ducked his head down as he looked in the opposite direction.
"I... I-I don't want to talk, anymore, Sunset. I-I'm sorry, but... i-it hurts to think about."
Sunset nodded as she reached out to pat his shoulder.
"It's alright, I thi-"
zap
"OW!" Sunset shouted as her hand recoiled.
"Sunset!" Trevor said as he stopped in his tracks. "A-Are you alright!?"
Sunset blew air over the palm of her hand before shaking it a bit, hissing as she felt her skin sting.
"Yeah, just... ah, crap! What kind of static was that?"
As she looked back at Trevor, she saw that his face was contorted into one of pure fear. His hands were trembling as he seemingly reached out to her, only to take a step back.
"O-Oh God, I'm so sorry! I-I'm so sorry, Sunset!" he said before running off.
"Trevor, wait! You didn't do anything wrong!"
Sunset slowly stood up, the feeling of the shock fading away almost instantly, causing her to eye her hand curiously.
"What the Hell?"
"Hey kid, you alright?"
Sunset turned around to see a middle-aged man in a custodian outfit approach. His hair was shaven down to his head, several tattoos adorning his neck and forearms.
"Yeah, I'm alright, sir. Just a bit of static shock, and it was more surprising than painful."
"Well you best get on down to the cafeteria. Granny Smith's servin' up mozzarella sticks today."
"I will, thanks."
\\\//////
Sunset set her tray down on the table next to Rarity, the girls all waiting for her word before they dug in.
"So, how was the newbie?" Dash finally asked.
"Yeah, did he have a good time learning everything about the school?" Pinkie asked.
"Turns out he's a bit more nervous than I thought," Sunset admitted, her gaze trailing off as she frowned.
The girls at the table exchanged a few looks before pressing further.
"Whatever do you mean, darling?" Rarity asked.
"Well... I ended up coaxing him out of his shell somewhat while on the way here, but when I tried to comfort him, I got a little static shock, a-"
"Oh, I used to LOVE that show!" Pinkie said.
"... Riiiiiight," Sunset said. "Anyways, I got a little shock from patting his shoulder, and he just freaked out like it was his fault. He looked like he thought he punched me, and then just ran off."
"Ran off?" Rarity asked.
"Yeah, looked terrified for some reason."
"Oh, he probably thought that it really hurt you," Fluttershy said.
"Well... okay, I guess I may have overreacted a bit when it happened," Sunset said rubbing, her neck. "I mean, it didn't even hurt for that long, just a few seconds and then I was fine."
"So ya just need to tell him ya overreacted, then," Applejack said. "Easy 'nough. All ya need to do is find him."
"Is that him over there?" Pinkie asked, pointing behind Sunset.
She turned around and examined the rows of tables behind them and, lo and behold, there he sat in the far end of the cafeteria, sitting alone while reading his textbook, his tray sitting next to the book.
"Hey, why don't we all go sit with him to show him he doesn't have to sit by himself?" Pinkie suggested.
"Good idea, Pinkie, let's go," Rarity said as she grabbed her tray.
The six all stood up and walked over to the mostly empty table, their eyes focused on the new student. He looked up from his book and blanched when he saw Sunset approach with her friends. He quickly slammed the book shut and shoved it in his bag before grabbing his tray.
"Whoa, where do you think you're going, buddy?" Rainbow said as she approached faster.
Trevor did not respond to her, instead removing himself from the seat and walking towards the exit.
"Hey, dude! We just wanted to sit with you!" Rainbow shouted over the noise of the busy lunchroom.
Either unable to hear her or refusing to respond, he pushed the doors open and walked out as several other students turned to watch the sudden interruption to their meals.
Rarity huffed as she furrowed her brow.
"Well, that was rather rude."
Trevor panted as he slouched against the wall opposite of the Principal's office door, his eyes shaking as he tried to calm his nerves. Taking a short breath, he stood up and forced himself to open the door.
"Principal Cele-" Trevor's voice caught in his throat when he saw who was in the room.
Director Charles was sitting in front of the desk, Celestia holding a stoic look while a familiar man in a custodian uniform looked to him.
"H-Hank?" Trevor said.
The Smoke Conduit gave a stern look to Trevor before slowly walking up to him.
"Hey there, kid," Hank greeted, "just stoppin' on by to make sure there's no confusion."
"What are you doing here?" Trevor asked.
Hank held his hands in front of him in a calm motion.
"Whoa there, don't mean no harm to anybody, alright? I've gone straight since Seattle."
"Then why are-"
"He's part of the Program," Director Charles said from his seat.
"What?"
"He's here to monitor your behavior and intervene if deemed necessary at any point, should you start to act out. He just informed us of something that happened not too long ago."
Trevor went pale at the thought of having the truth exposed already.
"I-I'm so sorry, I-"
"It's alright, Mr. Bowick," Celestia said. "Mr. Daughtry was just explaining how it was a simple slip on contact, nothing more than just some static. Ms. Shimmer hasn't been injured in any major way and it's clear that it wasn't intentional. You will not be expelled or reported for a small accident like that, but I would advise learning to control your power a bit better."
"I can assure you, Principal Celestia," Charles said, "we've been monitoring his fluctuations and have determined that it's a mental trigger, not a physical one. He sometimes begins to emit a small charge when learning about electrical behaviors or anything related to the science of electricity. He starts to think about how it applies to himself and channels his powers without noticing. It's happened quite a few times, but it's relatively easy for him to control. Right, Trevor?"
Trevor nodded at the Director's words.
"Very well then," Celestia said. "So there is no need to worry about the incident, just make sure that you keep these moments from happening, if you would."
"O-Of course, ma'am. Principal."
"Good. Now, I believe that it's almost time for fifth period."
Trevor nodded and walked out of the office.
\\\//////
"I can't believe that we've all got Art together!" Pinkie said as she sat down at the large table.
"Yeah, kinda lucky, huh?" Rainbow said.
"You alright Sunset?" Fluttershy asked.
Sunset kept a watch on the door to the class, her schedule in hand as she tapped her foot.
"The new guy, Trevor, has this class too," she said.
"Well, try not to be too distracted by tall, blonde and terrified," Rainbow said. "Seriously, what kind of guy just runs away like that when five girls wanna sit with him?"
"An anime protagonist?" Pinkie suggested, to which Fluttershy nodded.
"Maybe he just wanted to be alone," Applejack said.
"Darling, he ran away in a panicked hurry at the sight of us approaching. That's beyond just being shy," Rarity said. "I think that he might very well be somewhat afraid of Sunset."
Sunset turned to look at Rarity.
"What? Why? I haven't done anything to him and I don't think he's heard about the Fall Formal."
"Well, you did say that you got a static shock thing from touching his shoulder, right?" Applejack asked.
Sunset nodded.
"Well, maybe he's thinking that you'd be mad about that."
"But it's just a tiny little shock, and it wasn't even his fault!" Sunset said. "He acted like he had just punched me by accident and took off."
The girls sat in silence, Pinkie balancing a box of pencils on her nose while Rainbow tapped the side to try and make it spin. The athlete backed away and chuckled as it wobbled about. The door to the class opened and the girls turned to see the new student enter. Sunset straightened up in her seat as she smiled to the boy, waving her hand for him to approach.
Trevor looked away from the group, sliding into a seat at an empty table by the opposite end of the classroom. Sunset dropped her smile and her hand as she slouched into her seat. The door opened once more as a short woman with a brown bowl-cut entered the room.
"Hello, class! Welcome to Art! I'll be your guide, Paige Turner," she greeted. "Today, I want us all to introduce ourselves to one another and- Oh! Dearie, what are you doing all the way over there?" she said, looking at Trevor.
The blonde shrunk into his seat, trying to avoid eye contact as he spoke.
"I just wanted to sit over here, it seemed comfortable," he said.
The teacher shook her head with a "Tsk, tsk" sound.
"I don't think so, young man. In this class, we're going to learn how to get out of your comfort zone with your expressiveness and I want everyone to be in groups. So why don't you sit... ah, over there, with those six girls!"
Sunset sat up when the teacher pointed to their table. Trevor seemed to freeze at the suggestion, trying to back out.
"A-Actually, I-I think I'd-"
"Upupupupup!" the teacher said, pushing him forward, "no arguing with the teacher!"
Trevor then found himself standing in front of the six girls and their table, the lot of them giving him large smiles while they shifted their chairs to form a gap between Pinkie and Sunset. The pink-haired girl pat the seat next to her while Sunset gave a reassuring look. Trevor tried to control his breathing as he sat down in the chair, his eyes darting between the six of them as he tried to hide underneath his hat. He slid his bag over the back of his chair and pulled out a notebook and pencil before trying to make himself seem as small as possible, his arms close to his sides while ducking his head.
He felt a tap on his shoulder and jumped back a bit when he saw Sunset with a small smile on her face.
"I just want you to know that I don't hold anything against you. That shock earlier was just a freak thing, something that happens to everyone all the time. I'm not gonna hate you because of a little shock, okay?"
Trevor looked at her face in detail, taking in an image of her soft voice, her smooth skin, the flowing reds and yellows of her hair, and those shimmering blue eyes. He felt his heart rate increase looking at her, and he tried to get it to stop. He nodded to her before looking back at his notebook, relaxing his posture just a bit.
"O-Okay," he said. "I'm just... really sorry about that."
"Hey, no need to apologize, alright? Let's just put it behind us, alright? It's what friends do."
Trevor perked up at the word.
"F-Friends?" he asked, looking at her. "I-Y-You think that- I mean, you want me to... be your friend?"
"Not just her friend!" Pinkie said as she gave the pencils another spin on her nose.
Trevor looked around the table to see the other girls smile and wave at him, giving their greetings as they introduced themselves.
"You hang with one of us, you end up hanging with all of us," Rainbow said.
Trevor pushed a lump in his throat down as he returned to his notes, noticeably straighter and taller in his chair after the introductions.
"Th-thanks," he said to the group.
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