Prologue: Aria. - Locker room shenanigans.
Band Geeks.
— ƒ —
Friday afternoon at Canterlot High was about as eventful as any other. The first four periods of the day would often fly by, as teens tapped their feet under tables and drummed their fingers against desks in anticipation for the weekend. Unfortunately, however, that usually left the last three periods to drag in; torturous and mocking as tired eyes did their best to strain against the stagnant hands of the clock.
“God you’re such a virgin,” huffed Sonata Dusk from her current position atop Aria Blaze’s thighs.
Fortunately enough for the two teens, the school’s plethora of locker rooms were always vacant on Friday afternoons; they just had to be smart.
“Will you shut up?” Aria bit back, using her hand to pull the bluenette’s mouth against her own once more.
This afternoon in particular, however, it was widely-known that the school’s female netball team would be away, out of town, visiting one of their rival schools to take them on in this year's qualifiers.
Sonata pulled back to run her hand through Aria’s hair and guide her mouth to the smaller girl’s neck. “Maybe if you stopped acting like a pussy and actually got me off, I would consider it.”
Of course, this meant that the school’s PE department would be significantly short-staffed, due to the missing sports co-ordinator and the requirement of faculty supervision for the team. It meant that the majority of classes had been given those periods off instead. For Sonata and Aria it meant having the locker rooms all to themselves. The purple haired girl growled and sunk her teeth into Sonata’s skin, eliciting a satisfied hum from the girl above her. Sonata’s white tennis shoes squealed against the vinyl flooring as she adjusted herself on Aria’s lap.
“You’re the worst.”
“No, you are,” she squeezed down on Aria's shoulder as the older girl pressed a kiss to the base of her ear. Okay. Maybe sometimes Aria knew what she was doing.
Aria reached up from where she had perched her hand at the crook of Sonata’s neck to slip into her hair, pulling it free from it's high ponytail and slipping the uniform, red scrunchie, around her wrist. Sonata invited Aria’s tongue into her mouth, teasing the other girl’s bottom lip between her teeth as she pulled away before crashing against them once again. And again. And again.
Aria huffed, her chest heaving, and she cupped Sonata’s face. She relished the feeling of gentle lashes fluttering against her cheeks. She breathed the other girl in and held her there, wrapping her arms tightly around Sonata’s waist, trying her best not to wrinkle the fabric of her cheer uniform. She smelled of peach and Aria wasn’t sure if it was from her perfume or her shampoo, she just knew she loved it. She loved the heat. She loved Sonata— not that she would ever admit that aloud, of course. But she knew she didn’t have to.
Sonata clung to her with desperate hands that soon travelled up towards Aria’s neck, and stroked along the other girl's jawline with her thumbs. Aria let out a content sigh and allowed the other girl to press her into the wall at her back. After last time, they’d made the educated decision to choose a bench against the side of the room, lest they… repeat their mistakes from before. The ground really didn’t look that hard and cold. Looks can be deceiving, Aria had discovered.
The heat radiating from Sonata’s body forced itself into every crevice of Aria’s being until she could feel a familiar burning bubbling inside her chest. Her breath hitched as the smaller girl moved to press her lips against the base of her ear. As Sonata shifted, leaving open-mouthed kisses across her skin, Aria jolted. The familiar, ear-piercing cry of the end-of-day bell resonated throughout the locker room, startling both girls enough to pull away from each other and press a calming hand against the center of their own chests.
“Oh, fuck off.” Aria groaned, irritated and flustered.
Sonata clasped her hands behind Aria’s neck and smiled. “I can keep going if you want?”
“Mhhhh…” She hesitated in contemplation but resigned to shake her head. “No. I can’t, anyway,” she moved to stand and Sonata climbed off of her legs to allow her to adjust her clothing. “I have band practice today and they need me to teach the new members dynamics.”
Sonata rolled her eyes and crossed one leg over the other, pulling her hair over her shoulder and pushing the bangs from her face. “Oh, that’s right, I almost forgot.” Aria paced back over to the other girl after collecting their bags from where they had been thoughtlessly discarded by the door, setting Sonata’s small, white backpack on the bench beside her. “Here,” she slipped Sonata’s scrunchie from her wrist and held it out for her.
She eyed it curiously, tilting her head with an arched brow. “What? Do I look ugly with my hair down?”
“That isn’t what I said, idiot,” Aria scowled. “I can’t have people asking me where I got it. It would be embarrassing if people found out about our little... meetings.”
Sonata knitted her brows, glaring up at the other girl incredulously. “Excuse me? I’m vice-captain of the cheerleading team. What the hell do you have to be embarrassed about?”
“Uhm,” Aria looked askance for a moment before narrowing her eyes. “You’re joking, right?” Sonata folded her arms and swapped legs. “Well, to be blunt, you’re an idiot.”
Sonata gawked, eyes wide, sputtering out nonsensical defenses and half-babbled insults. “Just because I’m bad at some subjects doesn’t make me an idiot. I’m just not good under pressure.”
“Right. That’s why you have the GPA of a grade-schooler whose best class is lunch. Let’s face it Sonata; you’re just… too stupid. If people knew we were hooking up—”
“—dating.”
“—dating, what would they think of me?”
“Hmph!” Sonata stood and slipped her arms through the straps of her backpack, snatching the scrunchie from the other girl and walking past her to tie her hair up in one of the locker room mirrors. “I might not be able to do Pythagoras, but with my credentials, I'm pretty much guaranteed a full ride to college.” She tightened her ponytail against her head and tossed her hair before turning her head from side to side to inspect her work. Once she was satisfied, she turned back to glare at her girlfriend and jabbed a finger into her chest, “So stuff that in your trombone, and blow me.”
Aria stood dumbfounded for a moment and desperately followed behind the other girl as she left the room. It didn’t take a lot to catch up, but Aria did allow herself to hang back just a bit to appreciate the smaller girl from behind. Aria chewed on her lip.
“So practice ends at 6 but I can probably get away early. Is your mom still away on that spa-retreat thing?”
Sonata nodded and slipped her fingers into Aria’s, the taller girl giving her hand a little squeeze. “Yeah. She left this morning, so I have the house to myself for the weekend.”
The invitation hung in the air and Aria sheepishly scratched at her cheek. It didn’t take very long to get from the gymnasium to the auditorium, and once they had arrived at the band room, Aria toed at the ground with her shoe. “So I’ll see you at 5?”
Breathing out a teasing huff, Sonata leaned up to press a kiss to Aria’s cheek. She pulled back with a small smile and clasped her hands behind her back, teetering on her heels a bit as she turned to leave. With a wave, she blew the other girl a kiss goodbye. “See you at 5.”
Author's Note
sonaria nation rise up
also, yes, I'm aware that the Canterlot High colors are blue, white and gold but those would look ugly on a cheer uniform so i made them red yellow and gold instead :9
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Prologue: Twilight. - Change starts at home base.
Band Geeks.
— ☽ —
The sky above was an impossible blue; not a cloud to be seen, only the Sun and her ravaging heat. The baseball field turned to blistering rock under her scorching rays, with cracks snarling underfoot as players tore across the stretch between bases. Sunset Shimmer took position at home plate, adjusting her hat to keep the sun from her eyes. She squinted out at the field, running her tongue over her chapped lips in contemplation. It was the bottom of the sixth. All bases full; two batters out; and they were four points behind.
Sunset clutched the bat in her hands tighter, letting the material of her gloves squeak against the rubber handle. This was it; the last run. It all depended on her now.
She let out a deep breath as she readied herself, raising up her bat and keeping her feet shoulder-width apart. Her dad had told her that was best for maintaining her balance. She didn’t need to scan the stands for her family; she’d already spent most of the game staring in that direction anyway, whenever she was sat on the bench. She shot them a quick glance and grinned, flashing her signature wink.
The pitcher took their stance, pulled back their arm, and pushed their whole body into their throw. The ball tore its way to home plate, a deafening crack punctuating the air once it collided with Sunset’s bat, stealing all breath from the stadium. Sunset dropped the tip of her bat to the ground, raising her hand up to shield her eyes as she squinted against the harsh light of the sun. The space was silent as the opposing team scrambled desperately in the outfield.
And then, as the ball soared high over the back fence, the crowd erupted. Sunset let out a relieved breath as her team rushed her from all over, cheering her name and tackling her in wild bouts of excitement. She laughed, and cheered, and screamed, even as her team hoisted her into the air.
She’d done it. She’d taken home the championship!
Sunset Shimmer gulped down a hearty portion of her water, wiping the excess from her mouth with the back of her hand. She let out a whistle and crouched lower to the ground, offering up her bottle to the smaller girl who lay sprawled out against the grass. “Want some?”
“Mh,” Twilight groaned.
Sunset chuckled and leaned over to dribble some into the other girl’s open mouth.
Twilight swallowed and let her slowly dribble more in, grateful for Sunset’s generosity and patience. “Gah,” she huffed, finally finding the strength to open her eyes, “you’re a saint.”
“And you’ve been slacking.” Sunset set her hand on her hip and she stood up again, smirking down at the other girl who gave her a pout in return. “C’mon,” she offered out her hand, “lets go get a slushie or something. The sun’s melting today.”
Twilight let Sunset pull her to her feet with another agonised grunt and watched as the other girl fetched their bags from beside the running track. Usually, the bookworm would have sat out on Sunset’s weekly track workout, but once summer had ended the other girl had been adamant on Twilight getting in her own exercise. It was almost as if Sunset knew that most of her time was spent cooped up in the library, or tucked away reading sheet music in the band room. It would have been infuriating if Sunset wasn’t so endearing.
“You ready to hit the showers?” Sunset asked, tossing Twilight her backpack.
Twilight fumbled but caught it. “W- huh?” she blinked, finally coming back to reality.
Sunset arched a brow, once again setting her hand on her hip as she gave a lopsided smirk. “The showers, Twilight,” she jabbed her thumb back towards the school building, “are you ready?”
Twilight’s brow creased as she pinched her lips, drumming the tips of her fingers together as Sunset led the way towards the school’s back entrance. “I don’t- do we have to?”
“Mmmh,” Sunset pursed her lips and tapped at her chin. She glanced over her shoulder at Twilight, “Yeah. Unless you want your clothes to stink. I mean, I don’t judge, but if people ask me I’ll say I don’t know you.”
“Whuh- hey!” Twilight frowned and jogged to catch up, finally falling into place beside the other girl. Sunset had longer legs than her, so she had to make double the effort to keep her stride. “Are we even allowed after school hours?”
“Yeah! I use ‘em all the time. The school doesn’t really lock up ‘till the after school clubs are all over anyway, so just don’t take too long.”
Twilight huffed and adjusted her glasses before folding her arms over her chest. “I won’t.” Sunset smirked again and tried to suppress a snort. “What? What’s so funny?”
“Twi, I’ve known you since 7th grade. You always take forever in the shower.”
“Wh-” Twilight blushed, “no I don’t!”
“There was that one summer we went swimming with Pinkie and couldn’t get ice cream afterwards because you took too long-”
“-I wanted to make sure I washed all the chlorine out of my hair!”
“The fact you have to shower before you go to bed at night because otherwise you’ll be late for school-”
“That happened one time-”
“You never shower after gym class because you know you’ll be late for your next period-”
Twilight’s face flushed as she sputtered. “Wh- I- that isn’t-!”
Sunset gave a wide, knowing smirk and flashed the other girl a wink. “It’s okay Sparkles. You like being squeaky clean. It suits you.”
Twilight puffed out her chest as they finally made it inside, but let all the hot air out through her nose as the AC blasted her from above. She just needed to cool off; figuratively as well as literally. She knew she couldn’t out-wit Sunset when she was riled up.
Sunset gave her a playful jab on the arm and laughed at how flustered the other girl had become, Twilight dipping her head and rolling her eyes. As they turned into the P.E corridor both girls brought themselves to a sudden stop, so as not to bump into the blue haired girl that had just ducked out of the locker room in front of them.
Both girls knew her to be Sonata Dusk, vice captain of the cheer leading squad. Sunset kept her lips pressed together.
Sonata jumped, startled, and whipped around to press her back flush against the door. “Oh! Uhm- hey there,” she chuckled, “did you need to, uhm-”
Twilight and Sunset both shared a look before the smaller girl shrugged her off. “We just needed to use the showers. Is the cheer squad done with practice?”
“Oh! Y-yeah!” Sonata curled a section of her ponytail around her finger and nodded, a little too eagerly for Sunset’s taste. “The changing room’s packed. You should find another one.”
The tallest of the three looked the other girl up and down, inspecting her dishevelled uniform but choosing to say nothing. “Sure,” Sunset forced a polite smile and tugged on Twilight’s shirt to get her to follow after her as she continued down the hallway. “Go Wondercolts!”
“Y-yeah! Go Wondercolts!”
Twilight raised a curious brow and flashed a small smile of her own, nodding politely before she tried catching up to Sunset again. She waited until they were a few paces away and had turned the corner before she leaned up into Sunset’s ear. “What was-?”
Sunset couldn’t keep the smirk out of her eyes, even if she did manage to keep a levelled expression. “I guess cheer practice is more fun than I thought. Remind me to ask Pinkie Pie what those girls get up to.”
Twilight gaped and flushed, giving a solid punch to Sunset’s shoulder.
“Ow!”
“Don’t be mean.”
It didn’t take them long to find a free locker room; Twilight slipped her backpack off carefully and set it atop the bench closest to the showers, whereas Sunset merely tossed hers against the wall. The shorter girl slipped off her glasses with a harrumph.
She dipped her head and undid the buttons of her polo-shirt. “Nice to see you take care of your bag, as usual.”
Sunset slipped her vest up over her head and tossed her hair with a cheeky grin. “It’s not like there’s anything important inside.”
Twilight’s eye twitched. She shot a look Sunset’s way and sighed once the other girl stepped out of her sweatpants, stretching her arms above her head and leaning from side to side to pop the stiffness in her back and shoulders. “You’re so boorish.”
“Aw, thanks Twi.” Sunset shot her a finger gun and stepped into the shower, pulling the curtain closed before she tossed her underwear over the railing.
Twilight puckered her cheek with a frown, a faint blush dusting her skin. The water was already running before Twilight had even stripped herself down and stepped into her own shower, and she shivered at the cold air that wafted over from Sunset’s cubicle.
She clenched her jaw to stop her teeth from chattering. She knew Sunset would only tease her if they did. Twilight kept her limbs close to her body as she turned on her own shower, and stayed like that until she was warm enough to step under the water.
“You’re getting better by the way!”
“Hm?” Twilight raised a brow that Sunset couldn’t see, rubbing at her arms and skin. “What do you mean?”
“Your stamina! You didn’t pass out this time! Usually after about fifteen minutes you ask to sit down because you’re feeling light-headed.”
Sunset gave a hearty laugh and Twilight’s chest clenched. She knew the other girl was absolutely beaming, Twilight had memorised her expressions perfectly by now. It would be cheeky and lopsided, with a faint quirk to her brow. She’d probably have her hands on her hips. God, she was so cute when she—
Twilight shook her head. She thumped the thumb side of her fist against her forehead as she clenched her eyes shut. That was enough of that.
“Ugh… this sucks. I wanna run my head under the water, but it’ll suck even more if I catch a cold.” Sunset mumbled, complaining out loud. “I’m just gonna have another shower when I get home.”
Twilight hummed. “You’re going home tonight?”
“Heh, unless I can stay at yours?”
Twilight looked down as if unable to meet the other girl’s eyes, guilt settling in her stomach. “Sunset I-... You know you’re always welcome, but—”
She heard Sunset sigh, and she could already tell the other girl was straining a smile. “I know, I know, you’ve got plans with Timber,” she let out a light chuckle and turned off her water, “I didn’t forget, I was just teasing. I think it’s time I finally talk to my mom anyway.” Sunset let out a sigh and Twilight heard her pull her underwear down from the shower wrack.
“How are you guys anyway? Thats been, what… three months now?” Sunset fished out her clean clothes from her discarded bag and sat on the bench to pull on her socks. “You guys must be getting pretty serious.” Twilight could hear the goading in her tone.
Still, she bit her tongue. “Uh, yeah. He wants to come over tonight to watch a movie.”
“Is that allll the two of you are gonna do?” Sunset giggled and pulled on her shirt, eyeing up Twilight’s curtain with a fiendish smirk.
Twilight cleared her throat. “We’ll probably, like, make out. And stuff.”
Sunset snorted and clutched her stomach in laughter, wiping a tear from her eye before she finally wiggled into her clean shirt and pulled on her shoes. Twilight felt the lump in her stomach churn.
“You know, Twi, if we want to go get slushies, you’re gonna have to pick up the pace.”
“I know, I know! Just—... wait.” Twilight paused and thumped her head against her palm. “I don’t have clean clothes. I didn’t think-...” she sighed, “I didn’t have gym today.”
Sunset rose to her feet and smiled, not that Twilight could see it though. “That’s okay, I have a fresh polo shirt in my locker you can borrow. Just wait here and I can run and grab it for you?”
“T-thanks.”
Once Twilight was sure Sunset had left the locker room, listening for the click of the door behind her, the book worm let out a heavy breath. Her cheeks were flushed and she nibbled at her lip, gazing up at the shower head above her. She reached out and flicked the water to a colder temperature and let it run over her face, careful not to soak her hair. Sunset wouldn’t let her hear the end of it if she did.
After a few minutes, and she was certain the cooler temperature had mellowed out the red in her cheeks, Twilight switched the shower off and rested her forehead against the cool, dampened tiles. She knew it wouldn’t be long, but she was grateful for the reprieve from her best friend, tugging at her heart strings.
Water dripped from both shower heads and Twilight listened to the water as it drained away. She had to stay calm. Had to keep herself in check. She had to smile, and face the other girl as best she could without…
Twilight swallowed.
She turned and fetched her own underwear before she sat on the bench beside Sunset’s bag, waiting for the other girl to return. She puckered one cheek, then the other, twiddling her thumbs and dropping her head with an agitated huff. Twilight pulled her head up to stare at the locker room lights, squinting at the way they buzzed. She drummed her fingers against the bench and turned her feet inward, shivering once the cold of the room finally settled on her still-wet skin. Sunset had better hurry up, she groaned.
Twilight eyed the other girl’s bag, still open from when Sunset had fetched her own clothes. She peered inside and smiled, pulling the other girl’s varsity jacket out and around her shoulders to keep herself warm.
“Awe. That’s cute,” Sunset smirked at her from the doorway.
Twilight puckered her lips with an annoyed scowl. “Now you come back.”
Sunset chuckled and passed her her shirt. “Sorry I took so long. I ran into Flash out in the hall. He asked me if I wanted to come over and play video games later. I might just crash at his place tonight.”
Twilight felt her throat tighten as she slipped off Sunset’s jacket to pull on her top. “O-oh?”
Sunset took her seat on the bench again and waited for Twilight to finish getting dressed. She inspected her nails and crossed one leg over the other. “Yeah. His dad’s usually super chill with me staying over, so it should be fine. If not I’ll give you the play by play of my show down with my mom,” Sunset snickered.
She slipped her bag strap over her shoulder and eyed her jacket for a moment, where Twilight had set it down on the bench. Sunset’s eyes then rested on the back of Twilight’s head as the other girl re-adjusted her ponytail. Sunset smiled. “You can wear my jacket if you want. I know you get cold easily.”
Twilight spared her a glance over her shoulder. “Huh? Are you sure? Don’t you need it for volleyball?”
Sunset looked at her, brows wrinkling as she once again gave her dopey, lop-sided smirk. “Only when I’m playing an away game. The coach won’t kill me if I let you borrow it for a day,” she chuckled. Twilight watched Sunset’s back as she walked over to hold the door open. She plucked the jacket from the bench and slipped her arms through the sleeves before the slung one bag strap over her shoulder, ducking her head low as she passed by Sunset on her way out.
Despite the prominent stench of perspiration that seeped it’s way into the threads of Sunset’s jacket— more so from the overuse than anything else— Twilight tugged the material closer. There was a comfort to it. It mingled with the lingering smell of the older girl’s strawberry scented shampoo and, even though she knew Sunset hated it, there was a faint smell of cigarette smoke embedded deep within, no matter how much the other girl tried her best to get rid of it.
She let Sunset lead the way to the gas station down the road, only piping up to order her drink and thank the cashier. Then, she followed Sunset over to the baseball field across the street, where she took her place in the stands.
“And there you have it folks!” Sunset cupped her hands around her mouth, putting on an announcer voice as she yelled over the field, “Sunset Shimmer has single-handedly saved the Canterlot Junior High Unicorns from the jaws of defeat! The crowd is going wild out here tonight, ladies and gentlemen!”
Twilight scoffed and slurped down her slushie, watching the other girl as she stretched her arms out and ran in circles.
“It just does not get any better than this!”
As Sunset went on, Twilight couldn’t fight off her own smile, recounting that summer day so many years ago. She’d been there; watching her. Watching the way she took in steadying breaths as she readied up to the plate. Seeing the way her eyes tightened— focused— on the future ahead. Sunset Shimmer had been a marvel then, and Sunset Shimmer was a marvel now; even if she had given up the bat and mitt in exchange for a pair of knee-pads and a glossy, wooden volleyball court instead. The girl excelled in anything she put her mind to. Twilight hoped the crushed ice in her cup would help her reddening face.
Sunset hopped back over the fence and climbed the bleachers to side with Twilight, taking a long sip of her own slushie. She pulled it away with a wince. “Oooh- ah- brain freeze!” Sunset dug her palm against her forehead and clenched her eyes shut.
Twilight let out a giggle. “That’s what happens when you drink it that fast. I’d’ve thought you would have learned that by now, seeing as how you do this literally every time.”
“Mh…” she let her smile creep back into her features, “I need to keep a consistency.”
They sat quietly, watching the clouds drift by, pointing out any that had peculiar shapes and just generally enjoying the calm shared between them. Sunset was grateful that she didn’t have to speak to know Twilight enjoyed her company. The other girl reassured her in the form of nudging Sunset’s knee with her own, or dripping chilling condensation from her cup onto Sunset’s thighs. She returned the gesture of course, and made sure to attack the other girl’s sides once they were finished with their slushies, forcing ugly laughter from Twilight as she tried to wriggle free.
Time still found a way to pass by so quickly though, and Sunset made sure to walk Twilight home before it got too dark.
“Make sure Timber knows to keep his hands above the waist,” Sunset grinned, pointing two fingers at her eyes before pointing them back to Twilight’s. “If I don’t catch him and kick his butt, you know Shining will. And Shining’ll make it look like an accident.”
Twilight rubbed her neck and forced a laugh, “Y-yeah. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure we keep things PG-13.” She waved Sunset off as she walked backwards down the street, not even bothering to stop at her own house as she left. Once Sunset was out of sight Twilight’s heart dropped, like all the weight of the world came crashing down on her all at once.
She frowned and made her way up the drive to her front door. She kicked off her shoes, waved hello to her parents, and dragged her feet as she climbed the stairs to her room. The place was spotless as usual. Her books were neatly filed away in alphabetical order, tucked into the bookcase that took up the back wall of Twilight’s room. She flopped down onto her bed, removing her glasses only after they had uncomfortably scraped up the bridge of her nose. She sat them on her bedside cabinet and paused, eyes resting upon the framed picture that sat there too.
It was from freshman year of junior high. Her chess club tournament. Sunset had been there to support her. Twilight turned her head against the mattress and reached out to hold the picture closer. She stroked over Sunset’s face with her finger, taking in a deep breath before letting it back out in a heavy sigh.
“Twilight! Timber’s here!” Her father called from down stairs.
Twilight pushed herself to sit up and set the frame back down where it had been sitting previously and she plastered on a smile.
“Coming, dad!”
Sunset had been right about one thing: she did like to keep things squeaky clean.
Author's Note
can YOU see Twilight's coping mechanism? ;9
im really sorry for how long it took me to update this ashdkfjad my minds been all over the place and I just havent had time to sit down and write for this au BUT hopefully the next chapter wont take a million years to come out !!
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Prologue: Adagio. - Smoke&Mirrors.
Band Geeks.
— 𝄞 —
Downtown Canterlot was a bustling social hub of suburbia: populated by high school sweethearts that got married right after graduation, the kids they had soon after, and any other fortunate soul that found themselves stumbling into the town's warm, loving arms.
Yes, white-picket neighbourhoods painted the outskirts of the town with doting parents, family dinners and summers spent abroad, in some whatever-wherever tropical getaway. Whatever was in season that year, of course. Cul De Sacs twisted, giving way to seedy apartment buildings, back alleys and desolate parking lots, the closer one found themselves in the direction of the city.
The cloud of smoke that lingered around the loading bay behind Canterlot Mall wasn’t a foreign sight by any means; especially on late Friday evenings such as this. Aria Blaze perched herself atop the loading dock, kicking her legs against the wall as Sonata continued to laugh at something that had happened earlier that day, at school. If Adagio had been paying more attention, she probably would have given a roll of her eyes and a click of her tongue; but instead, she smiled down at the phone in her hands, trying her best to fight the giggle that bubbled in her chest.
Aria pulled the cigarette from her mouth to blow out another steady stream of smoke, watching the older girl intently as she tapped out a message in some chat box, locked her phone, and pressed it against her folded arms as she returned herself to Sonata’s one-sided discussion about how hard it is to shove mathletes into lockers now-a-days.
“I mean, I know there’s budget cuts or whatever, but did they really need to slim down the lockers?”
Adagio adjusted her stare, all tenderness hardening into a half-formed scowl as she queried a brow. “You… What? They didn’t-”
“No, no,” Aria waved her off, scoffing and turning her attention back to the bluenette, “I wanna hear her out on this.” She offered the cigarette to the other girl, who accepted it readily, sucking in her own mouthful of nicotine and smog.
Sonata flicked away the tapering ash as she blew smoke out through her nose. Adagio waved it away with a wince, taking a step back to keep herself free from the smothering stench. “You really shouldn’t be doing that. If the coach finds out you’ve been smoking she’ll-”
“And how will she find out?” Aria asked, leaning against her palms as she looked down at her. “Are you gonna snitch?”
“I don’t need to snitch if she comes to practice reeking of smoke, dumbass.” Adagio glowered. “You shouldn’t be smoking either. Don’t you play the tuba or something?”
“Trumpet.”
“Whatever,” Adagio waved her off. “You aren’t as attractive as you think you are. Smoking doesn’t make you cool.”
Aria snorted. “Ohhh, smoking doesn’t make you cool,” she taunted, turning to Sonata who laughed along with her. “When did you become such a square?”
The older girl held her firm glare, snapping her eyes from Aria only to throw daggers at Sonata, who faltered a bit before rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly. Aria cleared her throat and took back the cigarette to finish off the rest, dubbing it out against the loading bay beside her once she was done.
“Well, anyway. What’s the plan for tomorrow? We can hang out at my place since my parents won’t be home till late.” Sonata clasped her hands behind her back and stepped away from the wall to let Aria hop down, dusting off her jeans and tucking her shirt back into her belt.
“As entertaining as sitting aside and watching you two get drunk sounds,” Adagio checked her phone, “no can do. I already have plans.”
“What? With who?”
Adagio flicked Aria on the tip of her nose. “That’s none of your business, is it.”
“Ow!” Aria recoiled and clapped her hands over her face, eyes already stinging. “Man, screw you!”
Adagio tossed her hair over her shoulder and quirked a brow as Sonata attempted to comfort the injured girl, rubbing her back with a small frown of her own. The oldest teen rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. Grow up. I thought you were supposed to be tough?”
She unlocked her phone and smiled down at the new message on the screen, letting out a dreamy sigh before she once again typed out a response. Aria muttered under her breath, but swallowed thickly as Adagio shot her with another piercing scowl.
Adagio huffed out a breath and slipped her phone into her pocket, keeping her hands tucked away after she adjusted her bag. “Well, this really has been fun, but I have to get home.” She jabbed a thumb behind herself as she began walking backward in that direction. “Have fun playing tonsil tennis or, whatever it is you two do when I’m not there.”
Sonata and Aria both let out an indignant squeak, faces flushing red as they sputtered out defiances and curses. Adagio only smirked and shook her head, turning back to walk home.
The night seeped in through the fabric of Adagio’s cheer uniform, even as she tugged the fleecy jacket tighter around herself. She shuddered, hunched her shoulders, and swore at the stinging of the cold against her exposed legs. Maybe it was time to consider wearing tights to school? She groaned inwardly.
Adagio kept a firm grip on her phone until she was safely out of the dimly-lit backstreets of outer Canterlot, and let out a sigh of relief once she found herself back on the sidewalks of well-trimmed suburbia. She crossed garden after garden, counting off lawn gnomes until she came to the tacky, sunglasses-wearing flamingo of her neighbour’s yard. She rolled her eyes and shook her head, the headache still prevalent whenever she thought about just how the elderly couple next door had thought it a good idea to spend actual money on the thing.
Slipping her hand from her pocket to open the door, Adagio let out another sigh once the warm air engulfed her and she stepped inside. She kicked off her shoes, careful not to get any grime or muck on the carpet, and ran a hand through her wind-swept bangs. “I’m home.”
“Welcome back Deedee,” Chrysalis sneered, rounding the living room door to lean against the frame with folded arms. “You’re home late. Out with your geek friends as usual?”
Adagio made a noise in the back of her throat and kept her eyes low. “Where’s mom?”
“Work.”
She pressed her lips together and tightened her grip on the strap of her bag, trying her best to keep her breathing levelled. Adagio mumbled under her breath and moved toward the stairs, only to be cut off by the taller girl’s arm blocking her path. Adagio spared a quizzical glance upward.
Chrysalis shook her head with a breathy chuckle. “And where do you think you’re going?”
“To my room. To change out of my uniform.”
“Hm. Good call,” the older girl looked her up and down, “aren’t you cold? It’s a bit short, is it not?” Adagio fought the warmth that crept into her cheeks, keeping her eyes forward and her jaw squared.
When Adagio moved to force her way past, Chrysalis barged the younger girl’s chest with her shoulder, causing her to stumble backward and hit her head against the wall. Adagio readjusted her bag back onto her shoulder and dropped her eyes again, pursing her lips to stop them from quivering under her sister’s scrutinous eyes. “Did I say you could go yet?”
She was quiet. “N-no…”
After a few moments, Chrysalis pulled back to let Adagio up the stairs and leaned against the wall between the living room and front door once more. “Oh, and another thing, Deedee?” Adagio paused and turned back to look at her sister expectantly, forcing all malice and contempt from her features as best she could. “Make sure that the next time your little freak friends come over that they stay out of my room. Pretty sure one of them stole something.”
“They wouldn’t do that. We don’t go anywhere near your room.”
“So you’re calling me a liar?”
Adagio’s throat tightened. She wrung her bag strap.
Chrysalis scoffed, a wicked smirk turning her features dark. “I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt since I’m so nice, and because I know you know what that would mean for you.” She held Adagio’s gaze, challenging her to look away first. “Oh, and make sure you don’t come home reeking of cigarettes next time you wanna come stumbling in at all hours of the night. You’re just lucky it was me here and not mom. It would be a real shame if she found out, right?”
Adagio swallowed.
“Right?” Chrysalis repeated.
Adagio dropped her eyes, flinching. “R-right.”
The older girl snorted. “You can go now. I just hope you have something in your wardrobe that doesn't make you look like a little tramp.”
Adagio scurried up the rest of the stairs and threw her bag against her drawers as she slammed her bedroom door behind her. She leaned back against it, letting herself drop to the floor and hugged her knees to her chest. Adagio ground her teeth, wiping furiously at the hot tears that stained her already flushed cheeks. She let out a frustrated growl and kicked the leg of her bed frame, gripping at her hair as she screwed her eyes shut.
“One. Two. Three. Four-” She swallowed and breathed, pressing her palms firmly against the sides of her head, as if that would work to contain her bubbling anger. “F-five. Six-”
A buzzing in her pocket interrupted her and her breath caught in her throat before she fished the small device out frantically, ready to chew out whoever dared to speak to her right now.
“Hey! Did you make it home safe yet?<3” It was Sugar Belle. Her heart swelled.
She typed out a response, then paused, deleted it, and typed out another. Adagio bounced her leg anxiously, eyes darting from where she had thrown her bag, to the bottles of moisturiser and perfume she had knocked off of her drawers, and back to her phone. “Come on,” she muttered, wrinkling her brows.
After a few more seconds without a response, she tossed her phone through the bars of her bed frame, sucking in a breath at the way it clanged against the metal. It just made her more angry.
How stupid could she be? What if she had broken it? She couldn’t afford to replace it. Neither could her mother. Her mother. Her mother always told her to be more careful with things. To take more care of them. She growled once more and kicked her bed again.
Adagio gripped at the sleeves of her hoodie, kneading the fabric until she wore her fingers tired. She bit her lip, stopping only short of drawing blood. She paced until it was all her mind could focus on. The back and forth. Left and right. In and out.
Her phone buzzed again and she glared at it before taking a deep breath, closing her eyes, and circling her bed to look at whatever Sugar Belle had replied.
“I’m so sorry:( Do you want me to call you? I don’t know if it’ll help but I’m here to listen. You can yell and curse all you want. You don’t need to hold yourself back from me.”
Adagio sniffed and hit the call button.
Author's Note
prologues: done 😎
So here's a little look into what Adagio's home life is like!
If there's any confusion about why Sugar Belle is here, please read the prequel to this story if you haven't already: Adagio Undefeated.
With the prologues done we can finally move onto the real story, but I wanted to give you all a feel for each character and their dynamics within their own segments of the story!
I really appreciate all the support this AU has received on here, as well as on my tumblr and twitter (which will be linked below)-- and if you want more segments of content, make sure to check those out! I've been making little art pieces as additional content too.
I also wanna give a thank you to sunsetslight and phoenixflamiing for proofreading and helping with some edits for this chapter!
As always, comments and thumbs up are appreciated!
If you would like to support me and my writing, please consider donating to my ko-fi! Or, get in touch about a commission!
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