Sunset held her head in her hands. The events of Saturday night had left her sore and spent; despite it now being Monday, the marks Adagio had left on her skin were still prevalent, no matter how much concealer she tried to apply to the bruised skin.

She didn’t want to risk the girls— or anyone else for that matter— finding out about her little sleepover, and so, she did what any other rational person would’ve done.

“Sunset, darling? Why on earth are you wearing a turtleneck in 90° weather?” Rarity piqued a brow as she approached the lunch table, tray in hand.

“Yeah, Sugar Cube,” Applejack blinked. “Don’cha know it’s almost June?”

The fashionista took a seat across from the red-head, who avoided eye contact with the pair, before settling her elbows on the table to rest her chin on her intertwined fingers. “I must admit, though. The new look suits you.”

“Ah. Uh, thanks.” Sunset laughed meekly, “I was…. just trying out something new. I think I’ll just stick to my leather jacket, though. I’m literally melting.”

“Who’s ice cream’s melting?!” Pinkie Pie bounced over, Twilight not far behind.

Rarity dismissed her with a wave. “No, no, dear. Sunset Shimmer is trying out a new look and is realizing how entirely impractical a turtle neck is in summer.” She gave Sunset’s shoulder a reassuring pat, “Don’t worry darling, we’ve all made that mistake.”

Applejack narrowed her eyes a bit. “Uh… have we?”

“A-anyway,” Sunset sputtered, eager to change the subject, “how’s everyone’s classes today? Mr. Crankydoodle sprung a pop quiz on us in history. I’m pretty sure I failed it.”

Twilight gave the taller girl a teasing smirk as she took the seat beside her. “It isn’t really springing something when he let us know on Friday we had a quiz coming up. I spent the whole weekend studying just in case.” She smiled, “what did you girls get up to?”

Shit.

“Oh! Applejack and I went to that new popup boutique at the mall. They have an entire section dedicated solely to body butter and moisturizers. Honestly, darlings, I couldn’t decide which one to buy.”

“No kiddin’,” The farm girl tipped her hat, “She ended up buyin’ five.”

“Ugh!” Rarity guffawed in exasperation, “don’t pretend that two of those weren’t for you. You should have seen her, practically drooling over the chocolate-scented body scrubs.”

Applejack blushed and tapped her forefingers together, guilty. “What, er- what about you, Fluttershy? You’ve been awful quiet.”

The pink-haired girl flinched with a start, eyes finally focusing on the rest of the group. “Oh! Sorry,” she spoke timidly, curling a lock of hair behind her ear, smoothing it into the rest. “I’ve been a little distracted lately.”

“Is everything alright?” Sunset arched a brow, genuinely curious, and not just because she was grateful no one was prying into her own personal life.

“Mhm,” the other girl nodded with a small smile. “Just busy with work. The animal shelter’s having a fundraiser soon. They want to buy new veterinary equipment, I’ve been trying my best to think of ways to help.”

“That’s so exciting!” Pinkie Pie lurched forward, gripping Fluttershy’s hands with vigor, much to the other teen's dismay. “I’d totally be down to help if you or the shelter need it!”

Fluttershy smiled. “Thank you. It would really mean a lot. We need all the help we can get at the moment,” she slipped her hands-free once Pinkie had relented enough, to pull a sheet of paper from her backpack. “I’ll be handing out fliers for it soon. We’re just finalizing designs.”

Rarity took the flier and inspected it closely, Applejack leaning in at her side. She then passed it around the table for everyone to see. “Well that’s wonderful, Fluttershy,” she smiled. “Put my name down for volunteering as well.”

Applejack nodded, “Me too.”

The rest of the table then turned their attention to Sunset, who did her best not to shrink under their eyes. “U-uh,” she offered a shaky thumbs up, “me, too! Obviously. It’s not like I have anything else I’d rather be doing.”

As the rest of the group fell back into their usual chatter: chores, annoying customers at work, and tests, Sunset resigned to fork at her lunch, unable to stomach anything else.

“Rarity was right.”

“Hm?” She glanced up to look at Twilight, who offered her a gentle smile.

“The turtleneck— it looks nice on you.”

“Oh–” Sunset’s cheeks felt warm as she rubbed at the back of her neck, “it’s not new or anything. I just don’t really wear it that often. You uh… you really like it?”

The bookworm nodded and plucked an apple slice from the red-heads lunch tray. “You should wear it more often.”

“Yeah?” She stole a grape from Twilight’s tray and popped it into her mouth. “I think I might.”

“So you took my advice?” Rainbow Dash quirked a brow as Sunset tried her best to keep pace with her; running and talking were never her strongest subjects.

The red-head panted and nodded sheepishly.

“I can’t believe you lost your virginity at the weekend and didn’t call me immediately. It’s true what they say, you’re a real firecracker, Sunset Shimmer.”

Sunset growled with a frown. “No one says that,” a pause, “and can you please keep your voice down? I don’t need everyone gossiping about me.”

Dash raised her hands defensively. “I won’t tell a soul.” She remained quiet for a second, before turning around to face the other teen as she ran backward. “So, tell me, who’d you bang?”

The former equestrian’s voice caught in her throat as she let out a strangled yelp, tripping over her own feet and crashing into the red AstroTurf of CHS’ running track. Rainbow Dash stopped and jogged back over to where the girl lay in a mess of limbs.

“Sorry. Did I catch you off guard?”

“Ugh—” Sunset frowned and pulled herself back onto her feet with the other girl’s help. She dusted herself off and winced down at her grazed knees, waving a hand toward the teacher, before giving a thumbs up and hobbling off to the side to sit at the edge of the grass. The rainbow-haired girl offered Sunset a bottle of water, to which she accepted and poured over her injury with a quiet gasp of pain.

“Least now you can say you got those bruises on your neck from track, I guess.”

“Dash?”

“Yeah?”

“Shut up.”

The other girl rolled her eyes with a huff. “I’m sorry! I’m just curious. The most eventful thing that's happened recently was when Twilight singed her eyebrows off in chemistry class.”

“That was months ago?”

“Exactly, Shimmer! I need drama.” She was indignant, “Or literally anything to distract from the fact finals are coming up soon.”

“I think you’ve been spending too much time with Rarity,” she mumbled, raising the bottle of water to her lips and taking a swig. Honestly, the idea of finals and graduation had slipped her mind as of late. Not that she would ever openly admit that, given how the other girls would no doubt grill her for it, asking how that could even be a possibility. Her mind had just been elsewhere; dancing between anxiety and euphoria.

With a breath of relief, Sunset held the bottle between her thighs, grateful for the condensation that chilled her skin as she reached up to untie and then re-tie her ponytail, high on her head. “I’m not telling you who it was with. That’s private. It doesn’t matter to you anyway.”

“Do I know them at least?”

Sunset paused and debated whether to play this little game of hot and cold. “Sort of.”

Rainbow Dash perked up and drummed her palms against the tops of her thighs in excitement. “Girl or guy?”

Another pause and Sunset lifted the bottle to her lips, hesitating, before taking another tentative sip. “Girl.”

“A gir—!? Oh my god. What was it like?”

The redhead narrowed her eyes, searching for any hint of mischief in Rainbow Dash’s curious expression. When she found none, she furrowed her brows upward before looking down at her hand. She ran her thumb over her palm and, with a light blush, she shrugged. “I dunno. Like— I mean— it was nice, I guess?”

“Nice? Sunset, oh my god—”

She squirmed under the other girl’s stare. “What? I don’t know what you want me to say.”

“Did you top?”

“I—” she let out a huff, “no, I didn’t.”

Rainbow Dash beamed, clearly wildly amused by all of this. “This is amazing.”

“And how’s that?”

“Well, because,” Dash spread her arms out wide, “think about it. It’s kinda hilarious.”

“Elaborate?” Sunset narrowed her eyes, suddenly irritated.

“You used to be, like, the queen bee. Now you’re sat with me, on the bleachers in P.E, talking about how some chick topped you.”

Sunset slugged her in the shoulder, face flushed red. “I said keep your voice down, bonehead!”

“Ouch!” Dash whined, rubbing at her arm with a frown. “Alright, alright, jeez. Calm down. I’ll be quiet.”

The red-head twirled the strand of hair at the side of her head before pushing her bangs from her face with a sigh. “I’m just—… I don’t want anyone to know. You can’t even tell the girls about this. Is that clear?”

“Not even Fluttersh—”

“Especially Fluttershy! Are you an idiot? No, wait, don’t answer that.”

“Wh—?” Dash glowered, “I’m not stupid! It’s just that Fluttershy and I tell each other everything. I just wanted to double-check.”

“Well, I’m making myself clear. Don’t speak about this to anyone. You’re the only one I can talk to about this without blowing it out of proportion. I’m trusting you, Dash. Don’t make me regret it.”

“Okay, okay,” she raised her hands once more, defensively, “I get it. Jeeze.”

They watched from afar as the rest of the class hunched over on the other side of the field, huffing and blowing hot air. May was coming to a close and June was soon to be in full bloom, the blue, cloudless sky above only made its arrival more evident. Sunset raised a hand to shield her eyes from the sun. “We missed you at lunch today.”

Rainbow Dash lay back against the grass, crossing her arms behind her head and closing her eyes. “I’ve got a secret too, Shimmer.”

Sunset quirked a brow, watching her curiously and waiting for her to elaborate.

Rainbow Dash peeked an eye open to make sure her audience was captivated. “Extra credit.”

“Don’t you already have all the extra credit you need? You’re in, like, every sports team ever.”

“Yeah, but if I want to actually graduate I need to make up marks in a couple of my other classes.” She sat forward again, “I pretty much have a full ride to any sports college I want. But I want to actually be proud of my grades, too.” Dash pulled out some of the grass at her side and toyed with it, before tossing it against the wind. “Don’t tell anyone though. I don’t want them to think I actually, like. Care.”

“Oh, of course not,” Sunset rolled her eyes, offering the bottle of water as a peace offering. “Wouldn’t want people to know you’re actually an egghead.”

“Obviously.”

“Obviously,” Sunset repeated.

The breeze carried over distant instructions from the far end of the field, where the rest of the class continued doing stretches and partnered drills. Sunset watched in quiet appreciation, grateful for the beat of silent bliss. She sat on her hands.

Pinching her lips into a line, she glanced at the other girl, who tipped her head back and swallowed down a mouthful of water. “...Do you think it’s weird?”

“Huh?” Rainbow Dash arched a brow. “Is what weird?”

Sunset shrugged and stared down at her feet. Her lace was coming undone. “I don’t know. That I slept with someone, I guess? That it was my first time?” She hesitated, “That it was a girl?” Her teeth nibbled at the inside of her lip anxiously, her forehead wrinkling just the same.

Rainbow Dash didn't answer immediately, instead watching the group of students stumble over themselves and help each other back up. “Nah. I mean, I know I was teasing you and asking you a hundred questions, but I don’t really think it’s that big of a deal.” She gave the red-head a nudge with her shoulder, “get out of your head, Shim.”

Sunset smiled and nudged her back, curling a strand of hair away and out of her face. “Sorry,” she chuckled, “you know me.”

“Yeah. And you know me– and the girls. I get that you want to keep things private, and I’ll never push you to talk about things that you don’t want to. But I know none of them would judge you for it. I mean,” Rainbow Dash snorted, “if they can get over what happened at the fall formal, I’m sure they won't care that you’ve got some girl in your bed.”

She flushed, giving Rainbow Dash another playful punch in the arm. “Thanks, Dash.”

“No problem, casanova.” She smirked.

Sunset buried her face in her hands with an exasperated groan. Rainbow Dash held an arm across her stomach, trying to contain her laughter.

Author's Note

Thank you so much for all of the comments and views on the previous chapter, I really appreciate knowing what people do and don't enjoy from reading whatever I write.
Looking forward to hearing what you all think of the rest of this story.