Just after Alfredo said that, Sunshine looked at the clock.

“Oh! I didn’t realize it was so late! I need to head home!”

She didn’t know the rules of the Flame palace, but thanks to Alfredo she learned one.

“Guests must join the family for dinner, and then they may leave afterwards.”

She looked at me as if I could do something about it, but rules are rules, and they always were, are and will be the same.

“You’re not hungry? Because I’m super mega hungry!”

“Well, if I don’t have any choice, I guess I could eat.”

She left the room. I followed her out and guided her towards the dining room. I knew that Dad is there so prepared myself to introduce him to Sunshine.

We walked into the dining room. Sunshine started looking around, AGAIN! However, she stopped when the colorful dinner table caught her eyes and stunned her in place as if she never saw such anything like it in her life, or at least for a long time. Seeing the grilled chicken, soup, and the fish alongside other dishes and stews on the table, I knew that our staff put extra effort into dinner.

As I expected, Dad was at the head of the table and his mother, Grandma Rose, was right beside him. Grandma Butter, my maternal grandmother, wasn’t around; she probably decided to cook her butterscotch pie when she heard we have guests. Come to think of it, it’s been a while since someone new came to Flame Palace. Grandpa Star, Grandma Butter’s husband, was also on the side of the table sitting next to my seat.

I stepped forward to say hi to Dad because he was not around when I got home with Sunshine. And I greeted Grandma Rose, though I kept a little distance because she always puts on way too much makeup and then tries to kiss me.

“Hello Flaming Star, I heard we have guests!” Dad said.

“Yes, but it isn’t a social call. We were working on a project for History class; we’re almost done!”

“That’s good to hear. Now why don’t you introduce us to him?”

“Yeah, but, uh, he’s a HER, actually.”

“HER?!” He finally looked at Sunshine and looked back at me. He gave me a look that shouted: “Your new friend is a girl!”

I was so glad Grandma Butter was busy in the kitchen. I know the first words out of her mouth would have been “It’s about time!”

“Yes. Dad, Grandma, this is Sunshi- I mean Sunset; Sunset, Dad and Grandma Scarlet Rose.”

“Hi, uh, nice to meet you!” she said though she sounded nervous. I don’t blame her; Dad and Grandma Rose had narrowed their eyes and were looking at her like she had done something.

“Have I seen you before, Ms ...?”

“Shimmer, and I don’t know, sir. Maybe.”

Dad tightened his eyes more, but after a few seconds opened them and smiled.

“Anyhow, please take a seat and serve yourself.”

We both took our seats. I sat next to Grandpa Star so I could help him in eating his food. Sunmshine sat right next to where Grandma Butter would sit. And if there was something I knew about my father it was this: sitting at the dinner table was like sitting behind an interrogation table.

“I would like to know what you two are working on. If that’s not a problem.” Dad looked at Sunshine.

“Well, we decided to choose Music history for our topic and it seems we might have a really great presentation.”

“I see, and I assume that your teacher paired you two, right?”

“Yes, he did.” At that moment Grandma Butter entered the dining room.

“Oh dear, sorry that I made you all wait, did I miss…….. oh my!” she came in so carelessly that she didn’t notice Sunshine until she reached her seat. “You must be Flame’s new friend. Didn’t expect to see a girl. I guess it was ab-“

“Miss Butter, the dinner is getting cold.” Dad interrupted Grandma Butter before she could say what I was thinking about.

“Oh, yes, yes, of course.” She sat down next to Sunshine, afterwards dad filled his dish with a few of the foods that were on the table, and everyone started to do the same. Sunshine got it quick and followed our example. I picked chicken for myself and fish for Grandpa Star. We were busy eating when dad started to ask more questions.

“You said that your teacher paired you two? Why do you think he did that?”

“I’ve thought about it, and I guess he wanted to keep some students from working with the same partners on everything. It … it kind of makes sense when you’re studying history. The nature of countries change, societies change. I kind of think this is his way of forcing us to think of change as something that happens to us as well as to nations.”

I was actually kind of proud of Sunshine for coming up with that. It hadn’t occurred to me at all. And it occurred to me that it was the kind of thing Mr. Skull Mustache would work into his lessons.

“So, tell me about your family a little, Miss Shimmer, if that does not bother you.”

“To be … honest, it does bother me a little bit. I’ve been out on my own for a while now, and we didn’t really part on good terms. I know I’ll probably go home once I graduate from Canterlot High, but I’m really not looking forward to it.”

“And why not?”

“Mostly, I know I’m going to miss my friends.”

That scared me because Dad might want to know if I was one of her friends. But he didn’t pick up on it.

“Interesting. In that case, are you living alone?”

“Well, there’s Ray.”

“And what does this Ray do?”

Sunshine smiled. “Mostly he eats bugs.”

“Is that what this is?” Grandpa Star asked.

“No, Grandpa, it’s fish.”

“And you don’t think that behavior is … odd?”

“It’s perfectly appropriate behavior if you’re a leopard gecko and you’re hungry.”

“You never said you had a pet.”

“I only told you his name; you assumed everything else.”

Dad can be very formidable during his “interrogations.” But this is the first time I’ve ever seen anyone hold their own against him.

“Let’s be honest, miss. Why are you wearing gloves in my house?”

I shook my head very slightly, hoping to send the message “PLEASE don’t be honest!”

Sunshine’s smile faded. “I wear these gloves as a favor to your son. He didn’t want me to tell you that I’m psychic.”

She’s being honest. We’re dead!

“I can read people’s minds and understand their thoughts and feelings through skin-to-skin contact. I’m doing you a favor by keeping these gloves on because it keeps your secrets safe. But it’s your house and your rules, so if you want me to give you a demonstration …” She let the sentence go unfinished as she grabbed one glove as if to take it off.

And then she smiled at him.

The awkward silence was broken by a sound I hadn’t heard in a long time: Dad’s laughter.

“Well played, young lady, well played. You can keep your gloves on.”

“Hey!” Grandpa Star said, “did you sit here to help me or to get a nice angle on her, huh?”

“C’mon, Grandpa Star, don’t be grumpy now.” I helped him by cutting his fish into smaller portions.

Grandma Butter saved me. “OH I think my pie is ready!” She went back to the kitchen, which at least changed the subject.

“Your palace is quite enormous, I guess it was inherited!” Sunshine wiped the whole lecturing thing away with that question, though she didn’t know what she just asked for.

“Yes, in fact it was inherited from our ancestors all the way down to us, it was built on the blah blah, that stuff this stuff, yada yada yada” I’ve heard that about a thousand times in my life and I’m totally not gonna write it down!

“This place could swallow up my whole place!”

“How small is your place?”

“It’s a pretty good size for just me and Ray. There’s a loft arrangement that … that gives me more space.” NOW she chooses her words!

“How did you find it?”

“It started out as a house-sitting arrangement and it got long-term.”

After a while, Grandma Butter arrived with her butterscotch pie. Everyone except Grandpa Star got a piece and Grandma Butter seemed to be getting on well with Sunshine. That wasn’t a surprise to be honest. Because I knew Dad wouldn’t miss Grandma Butter’s pie to keep asking questions, I decided to relax and enjoy it too.

After dinner, Sunshine packed up and Alfredo escorted her outside. We agreed to work our presentation in front of her friends, and I was OK with that. Still, I had to clear the air.

“WHAT were you thinking?”

“Look, I didn’t know what I was going to say and I thought I could bluff my way through, but …”

“But what?”

“But then, all I could think of was Applejack! It was so strong I knew I had to be honest. And it worked.”

“It just about made me a nervous wreck! But you stood up to my Dad; only one person have managed to do that. Just please don’t do that anymore, OK?”

“OK.”

She seemed happy and at peace as she left. But as I feared, Dad started in on me when I got back in the house!

“Next time, be more clear about your friends’ gender … and species … and don’t even think about getting too close with her!”

“What’s the problem? It’s not like she is my girlfriend or anything!”

“It’s not about her being your girlfriend, it’s about YOU wanting her to BE your girlfriend!”

“No way, I ain’t gonna go on a date with her and buy her flowers to impress her.” Just after I said that, I remembered I’ve already done that!

“Keep it that way, at least for now till you’re old enough!”

I get it that he was shocked by seeing a girl with me, but I think I need to work on him getting used to that stuff since, love it or hate it, I’m seeing what she got and I’m starting to like it. And I don’t want to wait until as I’m as old as Grandfather to do anything about it!

Author's Note

Special thanks to my editor Daniel Drazen.

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