Are you an angel?

“Here ya go, Anon! Say ‘aaaah'!”

How did this end up happening? What cruel trick by God, Celestia or whatever deity rules over this place arranged this exact chain of events? Oh, yeah. After you left school and got to the park where you normally pick up your sister everyday, her friend mentioned a little detail that basically fried your brain.

“You know what? I don’t live that far away from you guys, so why don’t I walk home with the both of you!”

Plus--oh, and this is the best part--like five minutes into your walk, Cozy Glow managed to find an ice cream stand on the opposite side of the street! At first you tried telling her that you didn’t have the money to pay for three people, but then her friend Silver Spoon offered to pay for you! You couldn’t just let a nine year old pay for your food! You had no choice but to wind up in this situation… right?

Still, though, when the three of you got completely different flavors (mostly because Cozy Glow got this gross mint kind and Silver Spoon got a flavor you legitimately couldn’t afford), you didn’t realize that something like this would happen. Now, your cheeks are blushing a bright red, your eyes are wide again, and your jaw is slowly dropping as Silver Spoon smiles that gentle grin that you’ve come to adore.

Then, as you weakly give into your cravings, your eyes begin to close and your mouth opens just a little bit wider. Finally, you feel the cold touch of a plastic spoon hitting the top of your tongue, and as you gently bring your lips around it while Silver Spoon gradually pulls it out of your mouth, you finally experience the sweet, decadent taste of butter pecan against your tastebuds. You pull a strand of hair behind your ear, your neck shivering as your brain freezes in more ways than one. It’s the most satisfying, most mind-numbing sensation on the planet, but you can’t help the feeling of guilt in your chest.

“Sis, what are you making that face for? I don’t wanna sound rude, but you’re kinda creeping me out right now.”

Suddenly, your eyes shoot wide open, nearly causing you to choke on the ice cream in your throat. You then instinctively cover your mouth and turn towards Silver Spoon to see her reaction, but she’s just covering her mouth while she giggles loudly at your expense. How can a human girl have such a beautiful laugh…?

“So I’m guessing you enjoyed it?” Silver Spoon asks once you finally stop coughing.

“Y-yeah!” you reply, trying to sound natural despite your obvious overenthusiasm. Seriously, why do you suck so bad at acting normal?! “I know! Why don’t you try some too, Cozy Glow!”

Your blue-haired sister looks up and down the utensil in Silver Spoon’s hand before grimacing in disgust. “Ew. Gross. Not when your mouth has already been on it.”

You tilt an eyebrow. Why would something like that matter when the two of you are sisters? Besides, it’s not like Silver Spoon minds--

Before you can even complete your thought, though, your eyes widen and your neck slowly turns towards the girl in the glasses. Then, your heart thumps violently in your chest as you see Silver Spoon pull her ponytail behind her shoulder and leisurely slide the utensil into her mouth, pulling it back out with a wink that makes your head just about pop. Is she doing this on purpose?! No way. She’s just teasing you, right? But, does that mean she knows?! She can’t, right?!

There’s no way she could know… that you’ve secretly fallen in love with her.

Then, breaking you away from your thoughts, Cozy Glow pushes herself off of the bench where the three of you are sitting and throws her paper cup and spoon away. As you look down at your own cup, though, you see that you’ve barely made a dent in your ice cream, which is now beginning to drip onto your skirt.

“Bwaahh!”

“Finished yet, Silver Spoon? I don’t mean to rush you, but it looks like I gotta get Anon home so we can wash her up.”

“No, you’re good! Let me just have one more bite.”

You then see Silver Spoon scooping up one last bite of ice cream, popping it into her mouth and sighing happily while kicking her legs back and forth in joy. Once you see her look back up at you, though, seeing her glasses falling halfway down her nose, your mouth goes dry and your chest tightens up. Literally everything about this situation is totally normal, but for some reason, it’s making your entire body heat up.

“You ready, Anon?”

Snap back to reality!

“Oh! Yeah!” You then pull yourself up to your feet so fast that your blood barely manages to keep up with gravity. Even with your circulation still trying to make it up to your head, though, your face has managed to remain a deep crimson, burning so hot that it’s probably the real cause behind your melting ice cream.

“Oh, by the way,” Silver Spoon says once the three of you begin walking towards your homes again. “Didn’t you say that you had something you were planning on doing later today, Anon?”

“Hmm? Oh! Yeah, I’m meeting up with Vignette Valencia and her new boyfriend today because she’s too afraid to spend any time alone with him quite yet.”

The silver-haired girl gasps, placing her fingers over her mouth in astonishment. “You mean she’s dating Feather Bangs? Already?!”

“Well, they’re not dating just yet, but she’s fallen for him pretty hard.”

“Oh, I get it. You’re just there to be the extra push he needs to fall head over heels for her?”

“Weeeell, more like just for moral support. You know how Vignette can be sometimes.”

Cozy Glow then tilts her head, looking up at you with suspicion all over her face. “Huh? She does? How does Silver Spoon know so much about your personal life? You barely even talk to me about it.”

Your jaw drops as a lightning bolt strikes in your mind, along with the sound of plates shattering and literally every other catastrophic event that could possibly occur. By the time you finally manage to turn your face towards your sister, her suspicious expression has only solidified, making your teeth chatter anxiously. Should you tell her that you and Silver Spoon have been texting each other after school? Maybe you could play it off like a coincidence! Vignette was with you the day you met, after all!

“Silver Spoon knows about Vignette because--”

“Because me and Anon talk about her over the phone.”

‘Gaaaaaaahhhh! Silver Spoon! What are you doing?!’

Cozy Glow, though, folds her arms with her cheek puffed out. “Really? You two talk over the phone? Come on, Silver Spoon! You really think I’m silly enough to fall for a trick like that? Actually, now that I think about it, Anon probably just thinks you actually listen to her boring friendship stories. No offense, sis.”

Your mouth gapes in anger, but as the three of you walk, Silver Spoon slows down just enough to give you a smug shrug that Cozy Glow won’t be able to notice. Actually, now that you think about it, maybe she made the right choice after all. If your sister winds up finding out about the two of you later, at least you can legitimately tell her that you’ve tried being honest with her already.

Even if Cozy Glow does find out about you and Silver Spoon, though, it’s not like you’re doing anything wrong in the first place. Would it really be that weird if the two of you just so happened to share a mutual friend?

“Besides,” she continues, “don’t you think it would be super weird if you and my sister were friends?”

...You’re so happy you decided to keep everything a secret from her now.

Silver Spoon, though, chuckles and shakes her head, swishing her ponytail from shoulder to shoulder. “I don’t think so. You’re friends with lots of people, after all, so why would it be weird if your sister was friends with lots of people too?”

“Well, that may be true…” As the three of you continue walking, Cozy Glow puts her thumb to her lip, thinking pensively. “I guess it’s just weird for me to imagine Anon being anything other than a social outcast.”

“I’m right here, Cozy Glow! I can hear everything you’re saying!”

“Am I wrong, though?”

“...Did you not hear the part where I mentioned that I’m hanging out with two of the most popular kids at school after this?!”

Your sister doesn’t even seem to hear your rebuttal, instead turning toward her friend and ignoring you completely. “I guess you may have a point, Silver Spoon. If you do decide to be friends with Anon, I’m just happy knowing that she’ll be taken care of.”

You grit your teeth in annoyance, but Silver Spoon giggles, subtly turning her glance in your direction. “Don’t worry. I promise I’ll take good care of her.”

*badump!*

Before you can even respond, however, you walk face-first into a light pole, immediately grabbing onto your nose, which is probably bleeding at this point. Then, pulling your hand away to see the damage while holding back tears, you see that the only thing damaged is your pride, allowing you to sigh a breath of relief.

“Jeez, sis. Watch where you’re going.”

“Maybe I should stop distracting her,” Silver Spoon says, obviously trying not to laugh at your pain. “My house is this way anyway. I’ll see you two tomorrow, right?”

“Yup! Don’t forget, you still have to introduce me to Emerald Green tomorrow!”

“Don’t worry, I will. Bye, Cozy Glow! Bye, Anon!”

The three of you wave goodbye, and in the next moment, she’s already turned the corner, making you somehow feel both relief and a twinge of emptiness. Even though your heart was pounding anxiously the entire time she was there, you couldn’t stop smiling, which gradually got harder to hide the more time you spent together. In fact, even now, you feel yourself grinning like a lunatic despite your nose probably being bent at a weird angle, but when you look down at Cozy Glow, you see her staring at the ground, the smile she was wearing just a second ago having disappeared completely.

Before you can ask her what’s wrong, though, she slowly reaches for your hand and begins walking down the sidewalk again, tugging you along with her. “I’m sorry I said all those mean things,” she says quietly. “I guess I just want to sound more popular than I really am.”

You raise an eyebrow. “Huh? How come?”

A few seconds pass before she speaks again, her gaze still trapped on the concrete a few feet in front of her. “You know, I don’t really care all that much about meeting Emerald Green. If I can be friends with her friends, though, then that means that me and Silver Spoon’ll be even better friends, right?”

You tilt your head in curiosity. “Yeah? I guess so. Where’s this coming from all of a sudden?”

Again, she waits to answer the question, but when she does, she finally looks into your eyes. “I think I finally understand what friendship is.”

Her statement makes the corners of your lips turn towards your cheeks. You still have no idea what she’s talking about, but this is the first time you’ve ever heard her talk about friends as anything other than a tool! “That’s great, Cozy Glow! But, uh… just so we’re on the same page… you wanna tell me what that is, exactly?”

“Yeah... All this time, I’ve always thought that everyone thought the same as me, like everything was one big game where you’re trying to be the one on top all the time and you’re just using everyone else to get there. I just thought I was better at it than everyone else.”

“That does make sense…” A little twisted, but it still makes sense, especially in a school setting where popularity is practically everything that matters. As weird as it is, though, you can see why she’d think that pretty much everyone would have the same thought process as her. “B-but just so we’re clear, you don’t think that anymore, right?”

“Maybe… After meeting Silver Spoon, and seeing how nice she is to you, even though there’s no way she could get anything from you, it made me wonder if I was in the wrong this whole time! She’s super pretty, she has lots of friends, and she’s got basically everything she could ever ask for, but she still goes out of her way to spend time with you and me! I’m gonna be honest with you, sis. I was actually lying when I said I was reformed.”

“...You don’t say…”

“But you know what? I’ve actually had a lot of fun spending time with the three of us after school! Don’t quote me on this; I could still end up changing my mind later, but maybe I’m just now starting to put things together. Maybe I can still be happy just living a normal life like everyone else, even if that means I’m not the most important person in all of Canterlot.”

And you thought you had self-esteem issues? Still, though, it sounds like your sister’s finally getting a grasp on how to function in society like a normal person, which would bring a smile to any big sister’s face. Not only that, but now that she’s starting to see Silver Spoon as a friend rather than a tool, maybe that means that days like this where the three of you can hang out together will happen more often.

You then give Cozy Glow the biggest grin you can, squeezing onto her hand to transmit some of your joy into her, but still, she continues to frown, looking down at her shoes as she walks. “I just hope that I don’t change too much and end up losing everybody.”

Suddenly, your smirk disappears.

“Hey, Cozy?” You stop walking out of nowhere, leaving your sister with an eyebrow raised as she turns in your direction. Once she sees your face, though, you’re already eye level, squatting down wearing another big smile. “You remember when you were younger and I used to give you piggyback rides everywhere?”

“Yeeeeeaaaahhhh? Why?”

“Well, we aren’t too far from home. Why don’t you hop on and I’ll take you the rest of the way there?”

The blue-haired girl looks like she’s about to decline your offer, but she knows as well as you do that you’re not always going to be this nice to her. Then, rolling her eyes, she says, “Fiiine. Just warn me if you’re about to drop me.”

As she gets onto your back, wrapping her arms around your collar, you immediately regret the decision, realizing how heavy she’s gotten relative to how little you’ve grown. Still, though, once the initial pain is over and you’ve pulled yourself back up to your feet, everything else seems to disappear other than the sound of her laughter. How long has it been since you’ve made Cozy Glow laugh like that? After all the time you’ve spent worrying or complaining about her, how much time have you spent actually trying to make her happy?

Then, you take your first step back towards your home, and all the weight on your shoulders disappears in the sound of your sister’s joy.

‘Don’t worry, Cozy Glow. From now on, I’m gonna be the best big sister ever. I promise.’

“Oh, crap! Oh, crap! Oh, crap! Oh, craaaap!! I’m the worst best friend ever!”

By the time you make it into Sugarcube Corner, you’re sweating profusely, heaving in deep, heavy breaths while you lean your hand against a neighboring wall. You barely manage to see Vignette’s annoyed-yet-concerned expression through the corner of your eye with your face and entire upper body parallel to the floor below. Luckily Feather Bangs isn’t here yet, but that’s actually pretty surprising considering the fact that you arrived no less than thirty minutes late.

“So… sorry… came… fast… could…”

“Calm down, girl,” she responds, carrying you by the armpits and lowering you onto a nearby stool. “You know me, always thinking five steps ahead. I had a feeling something like this would happen, which is why I made sure to give us one hour before Feather Bangs got here, just to take care of any last minute deets.”

You immediately raise your head with your eyebrows furrowed. “What?! So he’s not even gonna show up for another half hour?”

“Which means we’re going to have way less time to work on our makeup than I thought. Here, let me take care of your eyeliner. Look up at me real quick.”

Admittedly, you’re happy that you can get your makeup done here rather than doing it before you left just to have it all running down your face with sweat by the time you arrived. Even better, though, is the fact Vignette Valencia isn’t totally upset with you for showing up late, even though she did mislead you on the actual start time.

“So what were you up to that got you so distracted, girl?” she continues. “Was it that boy I’ve heard so much about? I bet it was.”

“Actually…” The real story is that after that piggyback ride you gave Cozy Glow, you were so tired that you immediately fell asleep the moment you walked inside, but she probably doesn’t need to know all the details. “...I was just really tired. It wasn’t until you called that I actually realized what time it was.”

“Ahhhh, I see. You did sound like you just woke up when I spoke with you earlier. Look this way for me.”

You then turn your head so that Vignette can do your makeup from another angle. You’re still a little peeved that you’re going to have to spend the next thirty minutes doing each other’s makeup, but the important part is that everything turned out OK.

“So… Feather Bangs, huh?”

“Oh. Em. Gee! You have no idea. It feels like everything that happened yesterday was a total dream! I’m going to sound silly saying this, but I’m gonna say it anyway. When I woke up this morning, I had to check my texts just to make sure that it actually happened, and the messages were still there! I mean, yes, he’s so hot that I want to eat my morning breakfast off of his lips, only without the morning breakfast, but he actually gets me! We actually have things in common!”

“Yeah,” you respond, looking down despite Vignette still working on your eyes. “I’m sorry that I don’t really share much of the same interests as you.”

Vignette then pulls her pencil away and puts her hands to her hips. “Anon, you know I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Yeah, I know, but still…”

It doesn’t change the fact that you don’t really provide much to the friendship, other than right now, but if she and Feather Bangs hit it off, what does that mean for your friendship then?

“I think we’re basically done with your eyeliner anyway. Your mascara’s already looking good, so why don’t we just do your eyebrows real quick?” You again adjust your face into a proper position while Vignette pulls out another utensil and begins sculpting her canvas. “Besides, you’ve got your own boy toy you’re playing with already, don’t you? I still haven’t heard a single thing about him yet! Girl, can I at least get his name or something?”

You’re about to shake your head as vehemently as humanly possible, but thankfully, once she asks the question, your whole body freezes up. At least you can rest easy knowing that Feather Bangs isn’t going to walk in and see you with a fake unibrow. On your forehead.

Oh! Speaking of which!

“He--He’s here! Already?! I--Oh--You--Maybe--G-get down! Before he sees us!”

Vignette suddenly pulls her utensil away and pushes your head below the back of a nearby booth, scouting over the chair like she’s on a reconnaissance mission. You hope you don’t have unmatched eyebrows, but more importantly, you’re kind of surprised that she’s acting this way when she was the one who invited him in the first place.

“What are you waiting for?” you whisper loudly. “Go talk to him!”

“He’s twenty minutes early! I thought I’d planned for everything, but I didn’t think he was this much of a gentleman!”

“...That’s good, though, right?”

“Not in this specific situation! Ohhh, I still haven’t prepped my feminine voice for when I laugh at all of his jokes yet! Ha-haaaah. Hahaaa? How did that one sound?”

“Get out there, will you?!”

You then push Vignette Valencia out of the booth that the two of you are hiding in, leaving her staring straight at Feather Bangs’s delicious hair with a question mark hanging over her head. Immediately, her face turns a shade of red as bright as the noonday sun, still frozen in place while Feather Bangs waves as if oblivious to the awkwardness of the situation. Once the initial shock wears off, though, she pushes a strand of hair behind her ear, trying desperately to make eye contact, but only managing to bring her eyes up to her right shoulder.

“Hey, girl. I’m lovin’ that makeup today. Really brings out those… rosy cheeks of yours. Ha ha.”

You can see her trying to pull her mouth up into a grin, possibly even trying to laugh along with him, but instead her lips shake uncontrollably until she completely buries her face into her hands. “Nevermind. I can’t do this!”

Holy crap! You’ve never seen her so self-conscious before! You then rush out of your booth, reaching your arm around Vignette’s shoulders while she nearly breaks into tears in her hands. Feather Bangs, meanwhile, has his head tilted in confusion--which you probably expected at this point--at least until you see him grin as if the girl he’s on a date with isn’t practically sobbing from embarrassment.

“Hey, Anon!” he says cheerfully. “I didn’t know you’d be here too.”

“Honestly, I was expecting to duck out after a little bit, but it looks like I might be here for a while.”

Finally, Vignette pulls her face out of her palms, and the moment her eyes meet the boy in front of her, he immediately closes the gap between them, taking her hands into his own as he looks down at her with a gentle smile. “Hey, now, girl. Let’s get you settled into one of these booths here. You can tell me all about what’s goin’ on, and then we can replace those hands with my shoulder. Ha ha.”

Feather Bangs then motions towards the booth where the two of you were just hiding, which is where you steadily lead your friend again as she gradually gets ahold of her emotions again. You’re pretty sure she mumbles, “Marry me,” at one point, but thankfully it’s just barely quiet enough for Feather Bangs not to notice. Or, if he does notice, at least he’s enough of a gentleman not to bring it up in front of her.

Once the three of you get seated, though, Mr. Cake turns the corner and greets you with a notepad in his hand, but once he sees how uncollected Vignette is, his smile immediately turns into a grimace. “Is uh… Is this a bad time?”

“No!” Vignette exclaims. “Now is the perfect time! I’d like a caramel macchiato frappuccino with extra whipped cream! P-please.”

Mr. Cake then turns towards you and motions with his eyes whether or not he should take the order, but you just shrug, leaving him with a cringe on his face as he jots down her request. “You betcha! One caramel macchiato frappuccino with extra whipped cream. Er… Decaf, I’m guessing?”

“No, extra caffeine.”

“...Oh, boy.” Mr. Cake bites into his bottom lip anxiously as he writes down the rest. Then he turns his head up and looks back up at you, trying his best to smile despite knowing how badly Vignette is going to end up making her anxiety even worse after a double shot of espresso. “And for you, miss?”

“Oh, I don’t care. A chocolate milkshake?”

He probably doesn’t mean for you to notice, but you can see him quickly wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead, like somehow you just saved him from a giant headache that he’d end up having to deal with later. “A crowd favorite! And for you, sir?”

“I’ll have what she’s having.”

Mr. Cake smiles, bringing his pencil down to his notepad, but just as he’s about to start writing, he quickly looks back up to exchange looks between you and Vignette Valencia, his eyebrows raised in confusion. “Er… Could you clarify which ‘she’ for me, sir?”

Feather Bangs’s smile disappears. When you look over Vignette’s shoulder to see what the hold up is, you see him wincing in confusion, like his confidence has all of a sudden disappeared out of nowhere. “The chocolate milkshake,” he finally responds. “Sorry, boss, but coffee ain’t really my thing.”

You can see Mr. Cake discreetly looking in Vignette’s direction as she shrinks in her chair from the corner of your eyes, but regardless, he writes down the order and flips over the top of the notepad, beaming happily at the three of you. “Perfect! I’ll have those right out!” Then, he departs, and once again, you’re sitting next to Vignette Valencia as she stares down at her lap, her face still red from everything that’s happened so far this afternoon.

“So!” you quickly say before anything awkward can come from this situation. “I didn’t really get the chance to learn a whole lot about you yesterday, Feather. Why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself?”

Feather Bangs tilts an eyebrow, motioning towards your friend (who’s still staring at her lap with her cheeks sizzling), but you send him a look so serious that he literally flinches from the impact. There’s no way you’re about to let him make this any more awkward than it already is!

“Me?” he says confidently, flipping his hair. “I mean, besides the fact that I can juggle, I’m just a regular guy.”

“Hahaaaah!” You and Feather Bangs suddenly turn your attention towards Vignette, who shrinks into her shoulders again. “Sorry. Carry on, love.”

“Uhhh... *Ahem* So, right now, I’m just trying to get through school with all the stuff I’ve got goin’ on on the side. I started writin’ poetry a while back, and before I knew it, I was startin’ to tour across Equestria as a pop singer! It came outta nowhere! Then while that was goin’ on, I picked up SnapGab to connect with my fans, and all of a sudden, my following was so big that I got on the cover of Canterlot Beat! It still feels like a dream.”

You can see Vignette starting to perk up a little bit, her eyes leaving her lap and her nervous frown loosening up to a more natural, relaxed position. Perfect! Keep this up, Feather Bangs!

“Wow!” you exclaim. “How do you manage to do all that? I barely have enough time to tie my shoes in the morning.”

“Naw, girl. It ain’t like that. You’ve got a sister you take care of, right?” Vignette suddenly gives you a suspicious eyebrow, making your own face turn bright red as you look down at your lap. “I’m an only child, so I don’t really have anything to do when I finally get home. I guess I just picked up all this other stuff because sometimes, when you’re by yourself all the time, you just get a little… lonely.”

You then turn your face towards his again, and his gentle, green eyes are looking right back at yours. You can feel your muscles begin to loosen, like you can really talk with him, connect with him without worrying how popular he is… but this isn’t about you right now! You can practically feel knives piercing into your neck from Vignette’s gaze, making the hair on your body stand on edge with your muscles tensing up again.

“H-hey! You know what?! Vignette is an only child too! Aren’t you, Vignette Valencia?”

“O-oh! Well, I wouldn’t really say that. I view my following like a family. D-don’t you, Feather?”

Finally, Feather Bangs smiles at her, allowing you to breathe a sigh of relief, slouching in your seat and disappearing into the background so that Vignette can continue the conversation from here. Hopefully you can just wait for your milkshake and step in if any more awkward moments pop up again, but based on how well the day before apparently went when Vignette and Feather Bangs were alone together, you doubt you’ll need to spend much time intervening in her date anymore.

“Yeah, I do, but friends are important too. I mean, I’d be nowhere without my fans or following, but without my friends, I don’t know how I’d be able to hold myself together. Hey, Anon, didn’t you say that your sister was having trouble making too many friends?”

“Hmm?” Your ears perk up, causing you to inadvertently sit back up. “Oh! That reminds me! You know how she said she was reformed and all, right?”

“Fo sho, girl. Does that mean you finally believe her now?”

“No, and I was right not to. She told me today that she was lying about being reformed in the first place. But! I think she’s finally starting to come around to the idea that maybe she can be happy just by being friends with someone without any ulterior motives!”

Feather Bangs immediately starts laughing, and before you know it, you’re laughing right along with him. You’re not sure what’s so funny, but it’s nice just being able to relax and blow off some built-up stress.

“Ha-HAAA!!”

Oh, crap. You’re ruining her date.

“B-but anyway, Feather! Uhh… What kind of filters do you like using?”

Feather Bangs raises an eyebrow, which you honestly don’t find surprising in the slightest, but at the same time, you need to find some way to bring this conversation back to something that he and Vignette have in common before you ruin the night completely! Before he can answer, though, Mr. Cake comes by at the worst possible moment, carrying a tray with all three of your drinks, setting them down on the table in front of you.

“Here you go!” he says with a smile, despite your glare that you hope communicates how terrible his timing is. “Just tell me if you three need anything else!”

“Th-thanks, Mr. Cake,” you reply, bringing the straw to your mouth and slouching in your seat again. Even though you’re not looking anywhere near Vignette, you can tell that she’s either angry or depressed, but the last thing you want to do is turn your head and find out. You just want to sit there and disappear into the background.

For the rest of the night, you don’t speak. Whenever Feather Bangs tries to speak to you, you just flat out ignore him. Fortunately, he can tell after a couple of minutes that you don’t feel like talking anymore, but by this point, the damage has already been done. Vignette never really recovers from how awkward the start of the night was, and when it eventually comes time for the three of you to go home, nobody even says goodbye to each other. No plans of meeting up again, no second chances.

You’ll have to make things right with Vignette later, but as of right now, you just wanna go to bed and forget that today even happened…

“Oh, my gosh! Is this really happening?!”

Two days have passed, and now it’s finally time! You have to slap your cheeks just to make sure you’re not dreaming, but after a week of looking forward to it, the day has finally come! You’re actually at Silver Spoon’s house on a Saturday afternoon!!

You spent practically the whole morning doing your hair and picking out the right outfit, especially since this is the first time Silver Spoon is going to see you outside of a school uniform. You actually tried telling Cozy Glow that you were going to her friend’s house to play, but the second you tried bringing it up to her, she threw a pillow at you and told you to get out of her room.

It can’t be helped, then, right? Your conscience should be totally clear to spend time with whoever you want, especially if they’re someone who you’ve already made plans with!

Even that being the case, though, you can’t seem to bring yourself to ring the freaking doorbell. While you stand there cowering on her doorstep as a neighbor stares at you awkwardly from across the street, however, you feel a cold drip of sweat begin to slowly fall down your neck. Immediately, you lift your arm and put your nose to your armpit, double-checking to make sure you put on deodorant this morning, and thankfully, to your relief, you smell the delicate scent of your daffodil deodorant.

“Ahhhhh. Perfect.”

*Creeeeeak*

‘...You have got to be freaking kidding me right now…’

“Uhh… Anon? Why are you sniffing your armpits?”

She just had to pick now to walk outside. The smart thing to do in this specific situation would be to put your arm down like a normal person, but as soon as Silver Spoon opens the door, your whole body freezes in shock. Rather than the dark blue sailor outfit you’re used to seeing her wear, she’s dressed in a pink skirt and silver tanktop with her hair pulled out of her braids, now dangling loosely over her shoulders. As a result, your eyes grow wide with your cheeks burning at over a bajillion degrees fahrenheit, causing the girl in front of you to giggle quietly as she opens the door even further.

“Once you’re done smelling yourself, you’re welcome to come in if you’d like.”

Immediately, you put your arms down and bow your head humbly. “Th-thank you for letting me into your home!”

Once you raise your head, though, you see her leaning against the door, smiling that same adorable smile as always. It’s got a smug attitude to it, yet it’s not cocky, like you can tell that she’s genuinely just happy to be spending time with you. Finally, you lift up your head like a normal person and walk through the front door, but when you do, you immediately take a step backwards, gaping at the house that Silver Spoon lives in.

“This… This is…”

Or rather, the mansion that Silver Spoon lives in. There’s no way to sugarcoat it; this is the house of a bourgeois!

There’s a koi pond in front of the spiraling marble staircase that leads to the second floor, or rather, in front of one of the marble staircases that leads to the second floor. In front of the other is a beautiful grand piano, right next to the hallway which leads to a giant living area, surrounded by mahogany shelves and expensive paintings. Even the scent as soon as you walk through the door smells like blooming flowers and fresh-cut grass on a refreshing spring day.

Meanwhile, Silver Spoon closes the door and twirls in front of you, placing her hands behind her back as she says, “Welcome in! Make yourself at home!”

How can you make yourself at home in a place like this, though?! Your family can barely pay the bills to keep a roof over your head, but it looks like Silver Spoon’s family has people pay them to keep their roof over their heads! Luckily, though, before you can make yourself look any more out of place than you already are, the silver-haired girl grabs you by the hand and leads you up one of the spiraling stairs.

“Come on, Anon! Let’s go to my room!”

“Eh? B-but shouldn’t I introduce myself to your parents first?”

By the time the words come out, she’s already led you halfway to the second story. “Nope!” she continues. “My parents are usually gone all day and don’t come back until dinner time. Hey! I bet they’d let you stay for dinner if you wanted!”

“I-I don’t know if that’s such a good idea!”

If you’re still there by the time her parents get home, you can just imagine the questions they’re going to have for you when they first lay eyes on you. ‘How do you know my daughter?’ ‘Do you have a criminal record?’ ‘Any last words before I call out the attack hounds?’ You’re probably just exaggerating that last one in your head a little bit, but that still doesn’t change the fact that you don’t want to find out exactly what their reaction will be when they get home!

Finally, though, you reach her bedroom, and once she opens the double doors, you’re left gawking yet again at how grandiose the layout is. She has a king-sized bed covered in pillows, her sheets are made of pure white silk, her window stretches all the way to the ceiling, covered by her fancy velvet drapes, and her walk-in closet is probably bigger than your entire room back at home! Silver Spoon, though, doesn’t seem to notice how blown away you are just to have the luxury of being in her presence as she flops backwards onto her bed with a satisfied sigh.

“S-sorry I didn’t bring Cozy Glow with me,” you say reflexively. “I tried to tell her, but…”

Silver Spoon then sits up and blinks in confusion. “That’s OK! I get to see her at school all the time, but we never get the chance to hang out just the two of us!”

“Yeah,” you say, rubbing the back of your neck with an awkward chuckle. “I guess that’s true, but still…”

“Anon, you need more self-confidence. You know what’s funny? I would think you’d be full of it after knowing as many celebrities as you do!”

Finally, you set down your purse and join Silver Spoon on her bed, taking a seat next to her as she adjusts herself into a cross-legged position. “Honestly, I think it’s because I hang out with so many important people that I get so self-conscious.” Silver Spoon continues to stare wide-eyed, leaving you with an awkward silence that you feel compelled to fill. “What I’m saying is, being around people like Vignette Valencia, Feather Bangs, and even you... Sometimes it’s just difficult knowing that I’m just not like you guys.”

The younger girl then reaches for a pillow, shoving it between her knees and chest as she leans in closer. “Do you feel uncomfortable being with me?”

“N-no! I didn’t mean it like that! It’s just…”

“Just…?”

“I’m…” You take a minute trying to come up with the right words to say, but you can’t think of anything other than what’s really on your mind. “I’m not as important as you guys! You come from a rich family, Feather Bangs is a famous pop star, Vignette Valencia is one of the biggest influencers in Canterlot…”

“Anon…” Suddenly, you find yourself flinching at the touch of Silver Spoon’s small, delicate fingers falling onto your shoulder. They’re so soft. So feminine… “You really don’t need to feel like that, especially when you’re with me! I promise that even if my parents make a whole bunch of money, that doesn’t mean I’m any better than you are.”

Then, without thinking, you place your hand on top of hers, interweaving your fingers together. Even when you start to come back to your senses, the feeling soothes your heart so much that you don’t bother letting go. You then close your eyes, gripping her hand tighter and bringing it closer to your chest, and even though you can’t see her, the way she rubs your palm with her thumb makes you believe she’s smiling back.

“Silver Spoon, how are you so grown up?”

Again, the soft feeling in your heart makes you so oblivious to what’s going on that you don’t even realize that she’s scooching herself even closer, combing her spare hand gently through your hair. “It’s just my special talent, I suppose,” she continues, leaning her head onto your shoulder. “When my father first gave me the pendant you see me wear everyday, he told me that it meant that I was supposed to be the face of this family now. I don’t have any siblings--probably just because my parents are so busy that they barely have time for the one they have already--but that just means that I’m basically the heir to two different family corporations.”

With your eyes still closed, you nuzzle your face into her hair, taking in the intoxicating scent of her cream-flavored shampoo. “It sounds like you’ve got a lot on your plate already.”

“Kinda,” she continues, now running the tips of her nails against the small of your back, sending shivers down your spine. “Most kids my age get to have slumber parties or go to the movies on weekends, but my parents always have fancy dinner parties that they make me go to. Then when I’m there, it’s always ‘Keep your head up!’ ‘Don’t slouch!’ ‘Remember that you’re a representative of our family, so you need to act like it!’ I know my parents say that all this work I’m doing right now is so that we can have a good life, but sometimes I just wish that I could be like the other kids for a change.”

“Gosh… I barely even do my homework. I can’t imagine having that much responsibility already.”

“It’s not all bad. I’ve learned how to read people really well after going to so many parties and basically just being a quiet observer. This lady is smiling really wide, which means that she’s hiding from everyone that she’s about to have a divorce. That man is laughing really loud, so he’s definitely just trying to get this other person to sign his contract. Then when it comes to the kids at school, they’re even easier to read. This girl likes this boy, but he has a crush on the teacher.”

Finally, her nails stop tracing against your back, and the two of you just hold each other around the waist with your fingers still linked together and her head still resting on your shoulder. Then, with your eyes closed and a smile on your face, you quietly say, “I guess that explains how you knew me so well when we first met.”

You can feel her laugh quietly against your arm. “Oh, you were the easiest to figure out. The only reason you were at the park in the first place was to pick up your sister, but you still had this face like you were lonely for some reason. Then, after one quick look, I saw another girl wearing your school uniform talking to a bunch of cute boys. I kinda felt sorry for you.”

Suddenly, though, you let go of her hand, pull your arm away from her waist and gently guide her head off of your shoulder, looking into her surprised eyes with an almost devastated expression. “Is… Is that the only reason you talked to me in the first place?”

Again, however, the school girl laughs softly, shaking her head as if your surprise is just one big, funny joke. Then, when she looks into your eyes again, you notice the most beautifully sincere grin you’ve ever seen, and just like that, your heart softens up again.

“No, Anon. It’s not like that. Honestly, I think you’d laugh at me if I told you the real reason.”

Silver Spoon then looks away, making you furrow your eyebrows in confusion. “What do you mean? Why did you decide to talk to me that day? Why did you give me your number? Why have you been acting so close with me?”

“I guess… Gosh, this is hard to say…” You then see her cheeks begin to blush, causing you to gulp down a lump that suddenly appears in your throat. “I guess it was just love at first sight.”

And in that moment, your heart stops beating. Your eyes go wide, but you’re no longer breathing. You want to say something, but the words won’t come out. Then all of a sudden, you stand up and shout, “H-Hold on a second! What are you saying?!”

Finally, she looks into your eyes, her face now redder than ever. “I know, I’m just a stupid little girl with a crush, but… it’s true.”

Then, she stands up in front of you, the cool breeze from outside her window blowing past her drapes and brushing through her shiny, silver hair, and with her beautiful purple eyes looking straight at you with all the confidence she can muster, she says something that makes time stand still.

“I love you.”