Well, This Is Unexpected

"You did what?"

I winced slightly at Rarity shouting at me through the phone and I faintly made out her pacing.

"I had her and Spitfire talk, so what?" I asked dismissively and flopped back on my bed, listening to it squeak under me. "Spitfire is good at being encouraging and Sunset certainly needs some."

"And having Spitfire insult her is encouraging how?" Applejack asked and I rolled my eyes, forgetting everyone in the group call couldn't see it. "Ain't that just pouring salt on the wound?"

"Why would you ever want to do that?" Pinkie chimed in and I stifled a groan. "That sounds painful. I prefer to just put bandaids on my wounds."

"It's a phrase, Pinkie," I rubbed the bridge of my nose. "Anyway, it went well. Sunset was in a way perkier mood than when we first came in."

"Well, that's good at least," Applejack commented and I listened to the sound of her opening her fridge and the sound of glass. "That girl is going through it."

Talk about an understatement of the century. Trying to get Sunset to open up was the most impossible thing I've ever imagined. And I had thought getting Applejack to talk about her feelings about well, anything was hard. Sunset and Applejack are pretty similar. The two keep everything close to their chest.

"She will be fine. She is currently going to work apparently. Did you guys know she works at a mechanic shop?" I asked curiously and I listened to the silence. "Yeah, me neither."

"That's surprising," Fluttershy commented. "I never thought about how she made money. I always thought that's why she was shaking down Micro Chips for his lunch money."

"Probably one of the reasons. She didn't outright say it, but she did hint that she has money issues," I answered and laid down in bed, crossing my legs as I kicked my boots off. "Or I could be misreading it. Not sure."

"Hard ta say. She ain't fond of talking much. From what ah've heard, girl goes go school, work and home. Ah'll talk to her, see what she says," Applejack tapped her hand against something.

"What the hell is that tapping sound?"

"Oh sorry. Ah do that when ah'm thinking. And it was me tapping the end table. Ah gotta hit the hay, ah'll see yall tomorrow."

We all each quickly exchanged goodbyes before I hung up, stretching out on my bed before tossing my shirt aside. Personally, if any of us was going to talk to Sunset, it was probably Applejack or Fluttershy. Pinkie was a bit too chaotic and Rarity might just annoy Sunset. I love that girl to death, she's my friend after all, but I'd be lying if I said Rarity didn't frustrate me some days.

I rested my head on my hands desk, idly watching the clock hands keep moving. First hour was always the worst. It took forever to start.

"Rainbow Dash?" Miss Cheerilee called out as she glanced at her computer.

"Here," I waved a hand lazily in the air and I watched her nod out of the corner of my eye.

"Sunset Shimmer?" Miss Cheerilee called out and there was no answer as we all looked around. "Sunset? Anyone see Sunset at all today?"

"Nah," Tennis Match called out as I looked at Sunset's empty seat a few rows behind me and to the left. "I didn't see her at breakfast either. Don't know where she is."

"She wasn't in the library either," Soarin added and I frowned slightly. Sunset was always either in the library or in the lunch room getting breakfast.

"I'll text her and see what's up," I offered and Cheerilee nodded.

"Please do. Sunset is never absent, so this is concerning," Cheerilee muttered and I had a feeling we weren't supposed to hear that last part as she picked up her phone.

I pulled out my phone as I do everything else: fast and started typing quickly before hitting send.

"Alright, I'll let you know if she responds," I told Miss Cheerilee and she gave a grateful nod as she continued her conversation on the phone, presumably with either Miss Inkwell, Principal Celestia or worse, Vice Principal Luna.

VP Luna was scary. But I'd never say that out loud to anyone, ever. I do have a reputation around here, after all.

"What do you think she's up to?" Flash asked and I shrugged.

"Sunset is a hard girl to read. She'd be great at poker. I can never tell with her, when she's being honest or when she's hiding how she really feels. We all saw what happened at the Fall Formal and what she became. According to the Princess, she claimed it probably hurt her more than just physically. I'm a soccer player, I know how fragile the human brain is. Enough concussions and you can die. She obviously doesn't have one, but being depressed can fuck with your mind just as bad, if not worse," I sighed and spun my pen around on my desk. "Wish I knew where the girl lived. You dated her, what's her address?"

"Don't know," Flash confessed and I shot him an confused look. "Don't look at me like that, Dash. I never went to her place. She was always at mine or we were at the mall. I guess now it makes sense why she was always so blown away by it. I never understood why she got so excited about a simple pretzel stand."

Who in the right mind gets excited about a mall? Only Rarity, the fashion weirdos and Sweetie Belle did. The only thing I liked in the mall was the sport shops, the theater and that laser tag place I went with Scootaloo once.

I frowned slightly at my phone, idly reading my past messages with Sunset. Or well, the very few I had with her. She only talked when spoken to in the group chat, preferring to watch instead of talk.

I gave a tired sigh as Cheerilee started class.

Damn this girl being so confusing.