Life Is A Rollercoaster: An Anon-A-Miss Story

"I'm sorry for not returning your calls," Sunset said to Twinkle. Sunset decided to invite Twinkle to her apartment for an apology dinner of pasta and fruit salad, his favorite foods. "You didn't do anything to me, but I pushed you away."

"There's nothing to be sorry about," the red-skinned teenager assured her with a smile, "you needed time to yourself. Everybody needs to be alone sometimes."

Sunset frowned. "Yeah, but you were worried about me, and I should've at least told you where I was."

Twinkle waved his hand dismissively. "Water under the bridge." He dug into his pasta, remembering his table manners.

"There's another reason I invited you over here." Sunset put down her food, too anxious to be hungry. "I wanted your opinion about something."

"What?"

Sunset told Twinkle what Gilda told her-minus her near suicide attempt. About how people weren't perfect, about how since people forgave her, so she needed to do the forgiving. Twinkle listened to her while eating his pasta.

"I think Gilda makes a pretty good point," Twinkle said as he finished the last of his pasta. "I am mad at Rainbow and the others, but I think you hear them out before you cut them off completely."

"Gilda is right," Sunset said. She frowned ominously. "But-but-,"

"But what?"

"Even though I want to do it," Sunset said, "I'm scared they're gonna accuse me again in the future." She looked up at the athlete with pleading eyes. "Is that selfish of me to feel that way?"

"No, it isn't selfish of you to feel that way," Twinkle said with a smile. "What makes you selfish or not is what you do with those feelings, or if you let those feelings control you."

"What do you mean?" Sunset asked with a serious look.

"What I mean is this: everyone had every right to be mad at you, but it was wrong of us to hit back the way we did."

"I don't blame-," Twinkle raised his hand, signaling to Sunset to stop her guilt-laden ramblings.

"It was wrong," Twinkle said with a serious look. "It was wrong of Quick to act the way he did, wrong of us to throw those balloons at you, it was wrong of everyone to bully you." Twinkle frowned a bit. "And while I understand why you're not talking to them, maybe it is wrong to not give them one chance."

"I know," Sunset said, "but this isn't like me costing Gilda a summer. This isn't me ruining your fundraiser. This is them calling me family and then them ditching me. It is the fact that deep down, they've still been afraid of me. Not that I blame them, but what if they do this again?"

"Well OK then," Twinkle said with a confident smile, "we know what your worried about. So I have a solution."

"What?"

"Well think about it." Twinkle leaned his head forward to look Sunset in the eye. "Why did Applejack give you a chance?"

"When I payed her back and worked on her farm."

"Why did your other friends give you a chance?"

"I did favors for them, and I accepted everyone's punishment."

"Why did Sprint and I forgive you?"

"I paid you back."

"And?" Twinkle asked with emphasis.

"I don't know?"

"You let yourself get dunked," Twinkle said with a smile. "The old Sunset was too egotistical to accept criticism, but you were willing to let everyone vent at you in a controlled way. The punishments and chores you did were mainly to see if you were still an arrogant bi-," Twinkle paused.

"Don't mince words," Sunset said with a sheepish smile. "I was a bitch. You don't need to coddle me."

"And after the accident I caused with my uncle's car," Twinkle said, "my uncle made me work as a plumber to prove I could be responsible and trustworthy. He, mom, and dad wanted to see if I was the same irresponsible idiot who would put other people in danger."

"Well that failed," Sunset said facetiously. Twinkle gave Sunset a teasing smile.

"You're afraid of them ditching you," Twinkle concluded, "so give them an assignment that proves that they won't."

Sunset smiled radiantly for the first time in days. "Yeah, that could work. Thanks Twinkle. That helps a lot."

"No problem," Twinkle said. "If there is ever a problem, let me know. You don't have to hide-" Twinkle felt something on his hand, and saw that Sunset was holding his. Sunset was also giving Twinkle a look that was both romantic and sad.

"I can't believe I ever hurt someone like you," Sunset said in a regretful tone./

"Well, like I said, we all make mistakes," Twinkle said, "all we have to do-," Twinkle felt himself being yanked across the table into a big, wet kiss. Twinkle and Sunset felt their tongues pushing up against one another. They got up from their seats and held one another. For a while, the world and its pained seemed to vanish. All they had was one another. All they needed was one another. The kiss ended.

"Want to spend the night," Sunset offered. Twinkle was taken aback and his eyes widened.

"Sunset," Twinkle said with a blush, "I think we're too-,"

"I want to do it," Sunset offered in a husky, sensual voice, "and I know you do?"

Twinkle stood still for a few moments. "I do want to do this. I really do." Sunset took off her leather jacket and started pulling off her dress.

"But not like this," Twinkle said in a deep, empathetic voice.

"But-,"

"Your offering me this because you're afraid of being alone," Twinkle said in a soft voice. "You're afraid if I don't, I won't stick around. If we do it, I want to do it because you want to, not because you feel you have too." Twinkle pulled Sunset into a hug, putting his forehead against hers. "I like you the way you are. And I wouldn't trade you for anyone else."

Sunset felt her breath shorten. Then she felt her lips quiver, her eyes water. Then she began crying. She didn't know why she was crying. Maybe she was scared, maybe because she still hurt. But maybe it was because her fears that Twinkle only wanted what was between her legs died away.

This was reinforced when Twinkle patted her on the shoulder, telling her to let it out. She realized that he was right. Tonight wasn't the night. But the fact that he showed so much concern about her that he refused a chance to score when she was vulnerable just made her want him more.

"Why don't we go out to your favorite movie instead?" Twinkle said with a smile.

"OK, but I'm buying," Sunset replied with stern eyes.

A mischievous grin appeared on his face. "See, we're a very progressive couple. Can you pay for my gas too from now on?"

"You're a dork," Sunset uttered in a tone that was both teasing and loving. "A dork with abs, but still a dork."