Author's Note

With nothing to do on Veterans Day, I wrote. I wrote a lot, actually, so this is quite a bit longer than the last two. "For better or for worse?" you're probably asking. "For worse," you're probably guessing.

I guess you'll find out.

I'm still experimenting with my prose (those "inner turmoil" sections were unusual but interesting to write), so as always, I humbly ask for feedback on how to improve.

Enjoy. I have midterms I should be studying for.

Comparison

"There you are!"

Pushing the door open, Sunset gave a wave, grinning. However, Mr. Whooves and I remained unaware, deep into our game. With a huff, the click of her boots grew louder and louder. Seeing our game, though, the fiery-haired girl fell silent, enamored by our stalemate. My fingers flew across the controller, rotating and dropping pills at lightning speed. Next to me, Mr. Whooves quickly wiped the sweat on his brow, returning to setting up stacks almost instantly.

Unfortunately, I was not as graceful, bringing the back of my wrist up to my forehead, and having foolishly obscured my own vision, I dropped a pill one spot too far left, groaning in realization. Understanding my imminent loss, I turned to my opponent, giving him a defeated nod before putting the controller down onto the desk. The man beside me smiled, turning the console off.

"You're getting better," he noted encouragingly.

I rolled my eyes. "I suppose."

"You and me both." He turned to our spectator. "What do you think, Sunset?"

"Huh?" The girl recoiled in surprise, readjusting her scarf nervously. "I mean, yeah, he did good."

Smiling cheekily, he nudged me with an elbow. "Don't worry, son. She's just jealous that you're doing waaay better than her."

"What? No, I'm not jealous." Her hands came up defensively. "Besides, I could've sworn I've gotten closer to beating you than him!"

"Want to prove it?" Mr. Whooves held out the second controller, but when Sunset backed away, he gave a triumphant nod. "Told you so."

"Whatever. I'm outta here." Sunset turned to me. "Coming?"

Did you ask Sandalwood that?

"Yeah." Grabbing my bag, I turned to Mr. Whooves. "Rematch tomorrow? I already ahead on grading the quizzes."

"Of course."

Pushing the door, Sunset and I filed into the hall, navigating to the exit and listening to the patter of our footsteps.

"You're awfully quiet," she said softly, pulling on her coat. "The past few days I've only been able to talk to you for a total of, what, ten minutes?"

According to Rainbow Dyke, it's more "normal."

I shrugged dismissively. "Been busy, I guess."

"Oh, c'mon, I was talking with Lyra today. She said you're fine in fourth period, but once lunch starts, you just spend the whole time walking around the halls all gloomy. It's worrying me."

You worry me, that's why.

"Low energy, maybe?"

A pause.

"No one's been harassing you about...?"

I shook my head.

"Are you sure?" She huffed in frustration. "I thought I already told everyone that you didn't-"

"I'm fine! Nothing like that happened. Hasn't happened for forever." I bit my tongue, regretting the frustration that leaked into my response.

"So you admit something did happen."

I sighed in defeat. Damn, she's good.

"Just got a lot on my mind, y'know? Gets exhausting after a while."

"Wanna talk about it?"

Would you ever tell me about what happened with Spitfire and Sandalwood?

"Don't really know what to talk about. I just feel tired; that's all."

"Then let's get you a pick-me-up!" She tapped her chin. "Got anything in mind?"

Weed.

I tried to shake the sarcasm, but my mind ran wild. Arriving at the parking lot, we stopped.

"Wanna grab coffee?" I shrugged quizzically. Based on how her face lit up, though, I knew her answer.

"Yes!" She punched my arm in jest before practically skipping over to her car.

Smile creeping onto my face, I made my way to my own car, peeling out of my parking spot and following her off school grounds. I cranked up the heater, embracing the unusual smell as a warmth filled the whole car. Now alone, I let my mind wander as I drove.

Where are we going? The Sweet Shoppe?

Maybe a drug deal.

God, why are you still so worked up about that day? People smoke all the time at school.

Not Sunset.

Nothing to your knowledge.

Exactly!

No, not "exactly." Do you really think she'd tell you everything? You really are a zit on her ass.

Wouldn't that be disingenuous to hide that from me?

"Disingenuous;" that's cute. What if it's just that you have a stick so far up your ass you don't want to admit that you're obsessed with her?

Then what about Sandalwood? Is blowing guys for weed part of Sunset's nature, too?

You don't even know if that actually happened? Who's to say Spitfire didn't just bite the bullet and do it herself? You might've been able to answer that, but you wussed out! Accept it: you're a goddamn pussy obsessed over some "perfect girl" fantasy you've projected onto Sunset!

It's not obsession! It's just feelings. Yeah, I like her; so what?

Do you like her, or do you like the girl you think you know?

What if they're the same?

What if they aren't?

A buzz in my pocket brought me back to my senses. My focus returned to the road, and after a couple more minutes of driving, I noticed Sunset's hand waving out the window as she pulled into a parking lot. I entered behind her, parking in one of the few open spots.

Briefly, I whipped my phone out, checking the notification.

"hey number neighbor!!!!! what's up??"

I put my phone away.

From the other side of the lot, I saw Sunset's car door open, so I stepped out of mine. Taking in my surroundings, I felt unusually unfamiliar with the area. I checked the horizon, spotting the observatory atop its hill. It appeared way closer than usual, meaning we had travelled up northeast for quite a ways - well past the usual strip of cafes and diners.

"Hey, Sunset, where are we?"

Approaching me, she gave a dismissive shrug. "Uh, Canterlot?"

"Very funny," I grumbled. "No, seriously, where are we?"

"Uh, 'no, seriously,' Canterlot."

"Ha. Ha." I spotted Sunset's eyes looking away. As her body turned away, I snatched her hand. "Sundown Scintillation. Our location." She cocked an eyebrow, but I glared through her. Closing her eyes, she sighed.

"Do you trust me?"

I reeled back, looking into those big teal eyes. "Uh... yeah."

"Then prove it." Once again facing the sidewalk, she pulled me along as she led me to our mysterious destination. It soon became apparent that our hands were still connected, though I wasn't compelled to protest. Instead, I caught up to her, smiling. Sunset reciprocated, and I felt her fingers move, the digits intertwining with mine. In that brief moment, I allowed any suspicions to fly out the window, and I embraced the warm feeling in my chest from being with her. With a slight swing of our arms, we strolled down further down the street, taking the crosswalk to our left and then stopping on the opposite end of the block.

There, at the corner of a building, a small shopfront advertised seasonal drinks and pastries: pumpkin flavored... well, everything. On the other side of the large windows were several leather booths lining the outer border of the dining space alongside a handful of simple table and chair sets. Upon further inspection, I noted how empty the place looked. For a coffee shop in the middle of the cold autumn breeze, it was surprising to see only a couple patrons. Still, Sunset met my skepticism with a warm smile, so I approached the door, holding it open for her. She thanked me, but I was more upset at losing the warmth of her hand.

A bell jingled loudly to announce our entrance, and at the back of the room, a lady behind the counter, seemingly in her 30's or 40's, looked towards us. Her pink face was lined with wrinkled, and as she smiled, deep crow's feet formed at her eyes. She donned a dark grey apron and, underneath it, a short-sleeved white dress shirt and black slacks. Her golden yellow hair was tied up in a neat bun.

"Good afternoon!" The older woman gave a friendly wave. "Welcome to The Coffee Shop!"

I raised an eyebrow. "'The Coffee Shop?'"

A nervous smile. "The real name's a work in progress."

Her sincerity was indescribably infectious and I felt the corners of my mouth pull up. "Fair enough."

"Well, what can I get you two?"

I glanced at Sunset, who gave me an blank stare.

"Well...," I scanned the lady's uniform for a nametag, "Cherry, what do you recommend?"

A nervous laugh this time. "As the owner, I'm obligated to say everything." We all chuckled. "Well, I'm good at making white mochas." Another laugh. "Fine. Espresso macchiato with a chocolate croissant. There isn't too much chocolate, so the sweetness doesn't overpower the drink."

I nodded. "Works for me."

"Me, too," came from beside me.

I reached behind for my wallet, but a hand lightly slapped it away.

"I got it."

"No, c'mon, I can pay for my drink."

"I picked the place."

"I suggested coffee."

"I would've taken us here even if you didn't." Sunset put her hands on her hips, frowning at me and tapping her foot impatiently.

From the other side of the counter, Cherry giggled, clearly enjoying our dispute.

With a defeated groan, I threw my hands up. "Yeah, yeah, figures."

Reaching into her coat, Sunset withdrew a small pouch, sorting through the bills inside before producing the exact amount and handing them to the owner.

"Thank you, sweetie. I'll let you know when everything's ready." Retreating to the machines, she began to work on our drinks.

Meanwhile, Sunset scanned the selection of seats, and given the lack of people, there definitely was a large selection. She pointed towards the corner booth adjacent to the back wall, looking at me and tilting her head quizzically. Nodding in agreement, I walked over, Sunset trailing behind. I slid onto the bench, listening to the old material groan under my weight. From my spot, I could see the entire coffee shop, including out the front windows across the room. Sunset, on the other hand, sat in the seat opposite from me, bringing her hands atop the table and tapping percussive patterns against the surface in boredom.

How does she know about this place?

Sandalwood.

Funny. I think he'd rather be in a dispensary than here.

Doesn't sounds like as good of a date spot.

Who said anything about dates?

Sandalwood and Sunset, probably.

Ha. Ha.

Sucks to suck, what with being the second guy she's taken here. Oh, how about this: a double date! You take Spitfire, and Sandalwood takes Sunset. Though, let's be honest, they'll both be going home with him by the end!

"Cute shop, right?" she asked.

I hummed in concurrence. "It's no Sweet Shoppe, but honestly, I prefer it." I scanned the room, reminded of its emptiness. Whatever few patrons that had been here when we walked in were already gone. "Let's hope this place can stay afloat."

"I know, tell me about it."

Looking towards the voice, we were greeted by Cherry, carrying a tray of drinks and pastries. Curiously, though, there was a third cup and croissant.

"I hope you two don't mind me joining you for a bit. There probably won't be anyone coming by anytime soon anyway."

Seeing both of our nods, the shop owner sighed, grabbing a chair from one of the nearby tables and bringing it over to our table. Sitting down, she gestured towards our drinks, which we took graciously. I palmed the glass cup, staring into the frothy milk center as its outer rim slowly integrated into the dark espresso surrounding it. The drink looked undeniably impressive, and I felt somewhat sad to disrupt it. However, from the edges of my vision, the other ladies drank from their cups, so I did the same, feeling a strong heat settling in my stomach and spreading throughout my body. I hummed in satisfaction.

"Cherry, this is really good."

"Aw, thank you! I doubt it's as good as the Cakes' stuff from down the road, but I try."

"I don't know." I took another sip. "I beg to differ."

"You're too kind." She bit into her pastry. "If you don't mind me asking, what brings you two here?"

Sunset chimed in. "Just recovering after a day of classes."

"You're students at Canterlot High, right? You aren't wearing the Crystal Prep uniforms."

"That's right." Sunset stared into her cup, deep in thought, before looking back up at the older woman. "If you don't mind me asking, what led you to opening this place? Like you said, you're kinda in the same niche as the Sweet Shoppe on the other side of town."

"I like coffee." Seeing our blank stares, Cherry shrugged. "It's always been a dream of mine to open one, and this space was up for sale. Even if it doesn't work out in the long run, it still happened." Gazing at both of us, she smiled sweetly. "If even just a couple people enjoy their time here, it's a successful venture."

Satisfied with her answer, Sunset and I returned to our drinks.

"Actually, you two remind me of my high school years. Back then, I also worked at a coffee shop - a pop-up shop like this. One time, this guy named Caramel walks in - quiet, but a real cutie, that one." Reminiscing, Cherry giggled. "Anyway, we get to talking, and he orders a drink, but I'm so distracted ogling at him that by the time I grabbed an empty cup, I had already forgotten his order!" Another laugh, wrinkles deepening.

Sunset leaned onto the table, resting head on hand as she became increasingly engrossed in the story.

"By then, he had already left to grab a seat, so I was wracking my brain trying to figure out what to do. When the owner came up to me, I told him what happened, and he gave me a choice. He said, 'If he complains about the order being wrong, both your drink and his real one comes out of your paycheck. If he doesn't get pissed, I'll make him his real drink on the house.'"

"So how'd it turn out?" Sunset was even closer Cherry, almost standing up out of her seat.

"Let's just say I pulled out the ol' 'Cherry Charm!'" She winked at us, and I rolled my eyes. "I made two white mochas and brought them over. I asked to sit with him, and we just talked for quite a while. It was mostly small talk, but I found out that he was quite lonely. Didn't really have any friends, didn't really want any either. Still, we bonded a bit until I eventually realized how long our conversation had been. As I got ready to leave, I asked him about his drink. Turned out he had asked for a white mocha the whole time! Liked it so much he started showing up regularly, and of course, I always snuck away from the owner to hang out with him. We talked about..." her words trailed off, but the sparkle in her eyes still shone brightly. "Well, we talked about anything."

"Wow..." Sunset's eyes were wide with wonder. "Sounds like you two grew really close."

"Oh, yeah. We even went out on a few dates- Oh!" Cherry put a hand to her mouth, blushing.

Sunset giggled beside her. "Awww, how cute!"

The older woman groaned. "I've said too much..." Glancing at us, then at our drinks, she gestured towards the cups. "Hurry up and finish your drinks before they get too cold."

Mumbling apologies, we grabbed our cups, and the three of us silently enjoyed our drinks. Cherry was right; my macchiato was growing cold, and the slimy feeling as the liquid slid down my throat became increasingly apparent. Peeking over at Cherry, I noticed that she was staring blankly into her cup, and her eyes were dulled over. Afraid she noticed my discomfort with the taste, I downed the rest of my drink. Eventually, though, Cherry cleared her throat.

"Whatever, I guess there's no hiding it; yeah, I grew infatuated with him." She smile softly, but her eyes had since lost their glimmer. "Things didn't work out though."

Sunset opened her mouth, as if to ask her to continue, but she decided against it. Still, the shop owner went on.

"One day, he brought a girl to the place. I thought nothing of it at first. If anything, I should've been happy that he was making more friends, right? Anyway, I tried joining them at the table like I usually did with just Caramel, but... God, the way they looked at each other when I sat down... They looked so happy together - at least, they were until I showed up." For a split second, I noticed the quickest flash of anger, a flicker of pain so unnaturally taking over, though only for the briefest of brief moments. Regardless, she instantaneously suppressed that emotion, sighing quietly. "I stopped talking to him - even got my hours shifted to end just before he usually showed up. What a mistake that was. Turned out that girl treated Caramel like her servant, and once she got bored of ordering him around, she dumped him. He got his heart broken, and without anyone to turn to, he just... disappeared." She dipped her head, and as her gaze returned to us, we could only respond with sympathetic looks ourselves. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to darken the mood; it's just..."

She turned to Sunset. "When you asked about the place, I wasn't being completely honest. Caramel lived here. When we'd go on our little dates, we'd stop by the Sweet Shoppe. He'd always complain about how their white mochas weren't as good, and I'd always brag that I'd open a place where he could buy as many white mochas as he'd want." A sigh. "A part of me is still hopeful - hopeful that one day I can give Caramel all the drinks I owe him." Looking back down again, Cherry shook her head in sadness.

Wiping away a tear, Sunset reached over the table to hold her hand.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that Cherry. I can't imagine what how hard it's been shouldering all this guilt." She squeezed Cherry's hand. "I know we're just a couple of high school students, but I'd bet my life that Caramel's still out there, and one of these days, he'll walk right through those doors," she pointed at the front door, a confident smile painted on her face, "and when he shows up, I know you'll make it up to him."

Cherry squeezed back, smiling. "Thank you, sweetie. That means a lot to me." Wiping a tear of her own, she glanced at the watch on her wrist. "I'm sorry. I've taken so much of your time. I should probably get back to the counter." She gestured towards our empty cups, and we placed them back on the tray. With a small bow, Cherry carried the tray back to the counter to clean them.

"She's a good woman, isn't she?" Sunset turned to me. "It's a shame she's gone through all that, and she even blames herself for what happened to Caramel." Her eyes flickered between Cherry and me. "Considering you just drank an espresso, you were pretty quiet the whole time."

"What, did you want me to pull out the popcorn?"

She rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean."

"It's not like I wasn't paying attention." I looked away. "It resonated with me. Puts things into perspective, y'know?"

Sunset nodded slowly, but as the words processed in her head, I saw a sneer forming.

"Drawing comparisons?"

I gulped, heat forming at my cheeks. "Wha- what do you mean by that?"

"Oh, c'mon. You and me? Caramel and Cherry?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know what I mean."

"I don't."

"Whatever you say." She giggled, sliding out of the booth. "C'mon, let's go."

Sighing, I scooted off the bench, following Sunset to the front door. As we passed the counter, Cherry waved at us.

"Thank you two for coming by! Have a good day!"

I waved back. "Thanks! We'll definitely be back sometime soon." My head turned back towards the exit just as the door flew open, bells ringing loudly. The person walking in bumped into me, so I stepped back, taking in the offender's appearance. She wore black jeans and a white tank top. Frowning at me, she put her sunglasses on top of her spiky blue hair. Tracing the black lenses, I noticed the glint of piercings hanging off her ears, but I more immediately became aware of the rose-colored eyes between said ears glaring at me.

"Watch it, bub!"

"Sorry."

The girl faced Sunset, who gave her a wave. Scowl still present, the girl rolled her eyes, wordlessly approaching the desk as we made our way outside. Behind us, though, Cherry chimed in.

"Good afternoon, sweetie!"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm here for the job."

"Oh! You must be Vinyl Scratch, right?"

"The one and only."

Their conversation disappeared once the door shut closed, and once we had rounded the corner, the words slipped out of my mouth.

"What's with the stick up her ass?"

Sunset gave me a shrug, "Dunno. Vinyl's not usually like that. Maybe I'll talk to her tomorrow at school."

"Let me know if she actually talks to you this time."

She exhaled sharply. "Will do."

"Y'know, I don't think I've ever mentioned it, but... I still think it's crazy that you talk with pretty much everyone at school."

A cheeky grin formed once more. "What, jealous?"

"Of talking to everyone? No." I returned her smile. "Of talking to you? Absolutely."

A giggle. "I'm flattered. But seriously, it wasn't easy. I had to bend over backwards for some people."

Subconsciously, my grin disappeared, and in its stead, a frown formed on my face. "You know you don't have to do that, right? It kinda defeats the purpose of being friends when you're just kissing up to them."

Sunset's smile also subsided. "It's not 'kissing up,' though. I'm just trying to make up with everyone, and however they want me to do it, I'll do it."

"Seems a bit easy to take advantage, isn't it?"

Having reached the lot, we stopped in front of the entrance.

"I was a she-demon. I doubt anyone could stoop to the level, so I'm fine."

"Emphasis on 'was.' You've become so much more than that, so I don't understand why you're willing to essentially degrade yourself if it means convincing one single person that can't accept the fact that you've reinvented yourself."

"Well, of course you wouldn't understand."

Whatever rebuttal I had been preparing got caught in my throat. "Huh?"

"You remember what happened, right?"

Wincing, I turned away. "That's in the past."

"So? Criminals don't get immediately forgiven for their crimes. They serve time. They repent." The air grew tense, and her voice gradually rose. "That's what I'm doing: I'm serving my sentence by befriending and helping everyone. It doesn't matter what it is. If it means repenting for what I tried at the Fall Formal, I'll do it." She sighed in frustration.

Despite her conviction, I also felt the heat of exasperation growing.

"I don't think you're a criminal, Sunset."

"Yeah? Well, no one else cares what you think." Reflexively, her eyes shot open, hand reached out in a futile attempt to catch her words before they came out.

Matching her surprise, my eyes widened, and my stomach did a backflip before tying itself into a knot. Once the shock dissipated, I clenched a fist, locking gazes with Sunset.

There really is no way to convince her. Why the hell does this redemption tour matter so much to her anyway?

Why the hell does this redemption tour matter so much to you?

Because I'm her friend.

Because you're selfish. Remember what Rainbow Dash said?

She's just mad that I'm spending time with Sunset and she isn't. She doesn't know what she's talking about.

Then what about Flash? Or how about Rarity? Applejack? Fluttershy? Pinkie? You don't see them hounding her every minute of the day. You're obsessed, and she's going to find out if you keep this up.

I just don't want her getting hurt! What about Sandalwood and Spitfire?

What about them? As far as you know, she just smoked a bit of weed. Big deal. Maybe if you actually grew a pair and confronted them, you wouldn't be in this position!

I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath.

You're right.

Damn ri- huh?

I didn't have the balls to step in back then. If she wants to help other people, then I owe it to her to help her back. I won't let her turn into Caramel.

We'll see.

Inhaling deeply, I relaxed my hand and opened my eyes. Blinking away the pain that had blurred my vision, I met Sunset's gaze.

"I- I'm sorry! I didn't mean it like that!" Sunset retreated, pulling her arm back and hugging herself. She looked as if she just shot me, eyes beginning to glisten. "I didn't mean to snap at you like that! Oh, Celestia, I'm so sorry!"

Approaching her, I grabbed her hand, eliciting a gasp in response.

"It's fine. I know you didn't mean it."

"It- it doesn't make it any better. I've been trying so hard, but I still let my emotions get the better-" She yelped as I tugged on her hand, pulling her into an embrace. Releasing her hands, I wrapped my arms around her, resting one against her back and the other against her head. Instantly, the familiar scent of lavender flooded my senses.

Overwhelmed with emotion, Sunset let out choked sobs into my chest, and I rubbed her back until her shaking stopped. Once I felt that she had calmed down, I continued.

"You're my friend, Sunset. Nothing will change that, and don't ever forget that."

Seeing the tangled mass of red and yellow bob slightly, I assumed she was nodding.

"Also, I'm sorry, too. You're right. Just because you've helped restore my reputation doesn't mean everyone will forgive you as easily, and true, I don't know what you're going through, and I'll never know... unless I decide on becoming a demon as a senior prank."

Beneath me, Sunset giggled, sniffing her tears away.

"I'm not in a position to judge you, and instead, I should be supporting you."

Looking down, I saw her eyes flicker up to meet mine.

"I'll be honest: I'm afraid of you getting hurt. I don't wanna see you force yourself to do God knows what just to please some people." With a blink, her eyes turned elsewhere. By now, her eyes, while still puffy and red, were no longer wrought with tears.

"I'll be fine," she whispered.

I sighed. "I know you will... 'cause I'll be there to support you every step of the way." I felt pressure against my chest as the girl beneath me gasped lightly. "You were right at The Coffee Shop. Cherry's story resonated with me because I was afraid you'd end up hurt like Caramel. But I never considered how different you are from him. You have the girls. You have me and Flash. You have friends that'll support you, and I'm sorry I didn't see it beforehand."

"I swear on my life, I'll make sure someone will always be there for you - if not me, then somebody else."

Gasping again, Sunset shuddered with emotion before tightening her embrace around me. I pulled her closer to me, pondering the vow I had declared so confidently. I no longer thought of Sandalwood and Spitfire, of Caramel and Cherry.

There was only the girl in my arms.

Sunset Shimmer was special to me, and whether or not she reciprocated those feelings, I'd ensure that there'd always be someone there to support her. She'd never have to feel alone ever again.