Encyclopediaby HoundDogChaptersEncyclopediaSleepoverThe Following DayEncyclopediaEncyclopedia or better known as Pedaia [pronounced as Pe-daya] walked the halls of her school, alone as always. She said hi to her classmates and left it at that. Pedaia preferred the solace of her school's library and solitude. Her classmates were always worrying about her, amongst themselves - Encyclopedia would be the one hurting and the signs would be missed. The students had decided that it was time to notify their teachers. "Miss Diamond Tiara, I'd like to ask a favor of you." "Go ahead Sunflower" Diamond Tiara looked at the young girl before her. "It's Encyclopedia ma'am, we don't know how to reach her." "Well, a friend of mine had an older sister who had a friend who was like that...I'd giver her a call and see what I can do. I the mean time just try to talk to Encyclopedia." Sunflower nodded and went on her way. Diamond Tiara "Hey Twilight...your majesty, I need help." "With what Diamond Tiara?" "I've got a student that is very much like you back in the day and Silverspoon and I don't know what to do and the other teachers have tried everything. This student is named Encyclopedia or Pedaia as we call her, she's smart and knows you lessons by heart but struggles to apply them." "Well, my friends and I will swing by to observe and maybe pick the three best suited to adapt to Pedaia and let them try to help your student out of her shell." Diamond Tiara chatted a bit longer than hung up. Meanwhile Pedaia sat in the library and noticed three of her classmates, she saw Sunflower an adorable earth-pony, Cherry Blossom who was a pegasus and then there was Phoenix who was a gryphon with a touch of sass. "Come on Phoenix we got to find a fourth person for our team! the Trivia Olympics are coming up and we're pitted against Las Pegasus!" "I know dammit! Just everyone else either is taken or don't want to participate." All at once the three girls noticed Pedaia surrounded by books and taking notes. "Guys, what if the answer has been in front of us the whole time? Trivia is so her thing! I saw her playing trivia games on her phone during lunch." The three of them walked up and tapped the table. "Oh hi you guys, I'm just doing some research for a crossword puzzle I found." "Could you help us with something?" Phoenix asked. "If it's your homework, simply put no. However, I hear the Trivia Olympics are coming up and the best team gets pitted against Las Pegasus high-school....my old school." "You know already our school is doomed right now, our best students average at a GPA of 3.0 to a 3.5 and our team is at three people and you're actually our highest GPA student. I know that you love trivia and could you help us?" "I'd love to help, however, I promised my old classmates that I wouldn't compete against them in the Trivia Olympics." "The hell! You promised that!" "Phoenix, we're in a library so tone it down. Most of our classmates don't realize that I'd be an asset to them because I know who they'll probably be up against and I've seen the scores for the school overall performance because I help with the grading after mid-terms and end of the semesters. To hell with my promise, I'll help you out." Phoenix and Sunflower squeaked in excitement and Cherry Blossom shouted, " Sleepover and study time at my place! " The high pitched squeaks and Cherry Blossom screaming in a high pitched voice hurt Pedaia's ears. When the trio got kicked out for being too loud Pedaia called her mother. "Hi mom, I was invited by Cherry Blossom to spend the night with her, Phoenix and Sunflower. Could I spend the night with them?" "Of course dear, I'll let your father know and I'll bring a few things over there for you." When Pedaia hung up, her mother began to sob, her daughter finally was making some friends. For Pedaia, being considered for being part of a team for being just her was encouraging; furthermore, whilst at her old school everyone just wanted to befriend her just for her knowledge and getting her do their homework for them. When the small group left the school after classes Phoenix wanted to know more about their new friend. "So Pedaia what hobbies do you enjoy?" "I enjoy trivia games and crosswords, most people never asked about my hobbies before but I also enjoy swimming, jogging and I suck at bowling and tennis. I guess I enjoy the vintage old school arcades." "Pedaia," Sunflower began, "at your old school, did people you know, just used you for what they could get from you?" "Sunflower, I am surprised you're that good at guessing about people's lives." "I just noticed that earlier when we asked you to join our trivia team you defaulted to assuming we wanted help with homework." "I see now, I was always befriended and asked by my classmates to help with their homework. Coming here I vowed to never get used like that again." Cherry Blossom spoke up, "Have you done keroke before?" "Nope, I'm a hell of terrible singer." "You can't be worse than Phoenix who has like two pitches." Phoenix laughed. "I was just coming off a cold that one time!" Encyclopedia laughed with the others and she wondered if she truly could make some friends. Meanwhile... Spike and Smolder were joined by Ember to observe the young feline. "Diamond Tiara might have jumped the gun, she seems to be getting along fine." Ember nodded and Smolder chimed in. "Our little Pedaia might make it on her own, I'm glad she got transferred here to Ponyville, Las Pegasus was killing her. Glad that Featherweight reached out when he did. He did mention that Encyclopedia's science column is being missed. I guess for now we just observe." "At least she has Twilight's journal memorized by heart so she knows what it'll take to have a friend and to be a good friend." SleepoverPedaia and her classmates arrived at Cherry Blossom's home and Encyclopedia saw her mother's car in the driveway. Once the small party entered and left their shoes at the door, Cherry Blossom was greeted by her younger brother. "Welcome home sis, and I see you've brought home a new friend." "Thanks Sequoia, and this is Encyclopedia or we call her Pedaia for short. How'd you do on your test this morning?" "I got a 'B-minus' on it....I studied really hard." "That's a good grade and your best yet! Just earlier this year you sturggled to maintain a C grade. Don't be so hard on yourself." The others also had gotten hugged by the young teenager known as Sequoia. Pedaia noticed that in comparison, her old school she saw the girls treat their younger brothers like second rate citizens or ignored them all together; however, Pedaia saw that Cherry Blossom truly cared for her brother and could tell that she had helped him with his homework. Sequoia looked at her and offered her a hand of greeting. "Nice to meet you Encyclopedia. Make yourself at home." "Thank you for your hospitality." Pedaia could tell that this thirteen year old lad developed his first possible crush ever." Pedaia's mother left Pedaia's duffle in the entry way and made her exit and said her good byes. Cherry Blossom teased her brother gently. "Come on Sequoia, you'll have all night to gawk." Sequoia blushed and apologized for staring. "I know bro, she's really cute, and she's super smart. I know you've got your friends camping in the backyard tonight so have them on their best behavior." "How embarrassing....that you'd stoop to my level." Sequoia said as he pretended to straighten some suit coat and tie. Pedaia loved how these siblings bantered. Phoenix and Sunflower poked their fun as well. Pedaia tried not to smirk, as Cherry Blossom's mother gently prodded the siblings from the entry way to the den. The young feline eyes popped as she saw that Cherry Blossom had her favorite book series. "Pedaia, I see that you're oogling my collection of mystery books." "The Mare Do-Well series is amazing, I love how it adapted from the super hero to the super sleuth plot line. I once cosplayed the character - and I still have the costume." Throughout the day going into the evening Pedaia noticed that Sequoia would occasionally pop in and check on them and asked if they needed anything. Cherry Blossom's parents had gone out on a date for the evening. "So....does Sequoia do this every sleepover you have or is there contract between the two of you? The girls at my old school had younger brothers and they had contracts or blackmail on each other for favors." "He's done this since he turned thirteen this year, and ever since he was eight. I've asked him and he always told me it was his duty to make sure my events went smoothly. I say it is his reading material. He reads books about men and boys being chivalrous. I'm not going to stop him, I suppose in his own way....he's creating his own memories." Sequoia and his friends currently in the backyard swinging swords at each and having a mock battle. "My older brother calls occasionally, and he's the one who taught that research and study helps give you an edge on life. His motto was similar the phrase 'knowledge is power'. He always told me that I needed some true friends. Before going to college in Canterlot he bought me a copy of Twilight Sparkle's journal and he dared me to memorize it." Pedaia explained to everyone their weakest points and studied up on those topics and Pedaia's weakest point was oddly enough was chemistry. Phoenix had to ask, "So, did he memorize it as well, as a challenge for sibling supreme?" Everyone laughed and Pedaia choked on the sip of soda she had just taken. The girls also talked about the young men in their classes and discussed their crushes and the typical girl conversation topics one might expect to make an appearance. Meanwhile "Sequoia, we see your sister got a new friend. What's her name?" "Well Cedar, that's Encyclopedia or Pedaia by some." Cedar nodded and the two others who lived on farms were named Kernel because his folks were corn farmers; the other was Gourdon because the obvious was his family raised vegetables that were gourds. The lads looked and each one had a favorite girl as their crush. Gourdon smirked a little then asked his comrade the question that was in his mind. "So dude, can the three of us assume you've developed a crush on Encyclopedia?" "I guess I have, I promised my sister to help make sure this night ran smoothly and to be on my best behavior." "We've noticed that you occasionally check on them and stuff. You do realize that your sister is a prankster and if Pedaia falls asleep first then she'll be the target for the sleepover prank." "Gourdon....I doubt she'll be too extreme since this is Pedaia's first ever legit sleepover with friends." The lads agreed and Cedar commented while he chewed on a cheese stick. "Don't forget that when Phoenix first slept over here, Cherry Blossom tied that gryphon to the mailbox with a note saying, 'return to sender' when Phoenix' mother picked her up." The girls "So what happens to the first one to fall asleep?" The other girls just smiled and innocently said nothing really: all the while Phoenix was smirking, "One time we tied Sunflower to a tree with the hammock out back." "So we prank them?" "We'll be nice to you since it's your first sleepover." Pedaia chuckled, she knew that the group were hoping she'd fall asleep first. "I've still got my nine lives and I usually stay up until about two o'clock in the morning star gazing." Pedaia was going to try to bluff her way out of being pranked hoping to join in on the prank end and not the receiving end. Two O'clock rolled around and Pedaia was sound asleep and leaning up against Phoenix who snickered as she gently placed an ice cube down the t-shirt of a certain sleeping feline. Pedaia's eyes popped open and she let out a high pitched squeek of shock. Phoenix realized they her ice wasn't that cold. "Wait a moment...." Phoenix realized that she got played as an ice cube went down her back. Sequoia and his crew were watching from the window and were laughing. Pedaia figured she might fall asleep so she paid Sequoia and his friends to put some fake ice in the ice maker in the freezer as a safety precaution. Cherry Blossom was laughing hysterically as she was catching on. "You win Pedaia as best prankster of the group tonight! That was impressive planning - Phoenix you've been pranked two sleepovers in a row and we can't wait to see what number three had in store for you!" Cherry Blossom shouted and still trying to keep her volume down. "Yeah, game on you guys! This school year is a prank war!" Pedaia sat on the couch watching her new friends and the studying she did with them earlier and the conversations she had as well and she finally knew these crazy people were her friends. The Following DayPedaia woke up early to go on her morning run, quietly as to not wake the others she got dressed in her running shorts and a t-shirt and the outfit was completed by her running shoes and earbuds. Encyclopedia always stretched and warmed up, at her old school, she had been a track and cross country star. She had just finished stretching when she saw Sequoia beside her trying not to just stare at her. "Morning Sequoia l, what's up?" "Can I join you on your run? I do track at my school and normally my runs alone." "Sure you can join me, just to warn you my usual distance is six miles both ways...twelve mile round trip." "I'll do my best to keep up." The pair were just about to head out when Cherry Blossom and the others made an appearance and dressed for a run. Pedaia smirked as Phoenix looked unenthusiastic about running before the sun was up. As the group began to jog, Cherry Blossom couldn't help but laugh as the group of eight took off. Her brother was near the front front with Pedaia and Cedar was up by Phoenix, Gourdon was beside Sunflower and beside her she had a lad named Tungsten who's family were metal workers and had arrived around dinner time the night before. "So Cherry Blossom, how does it feel to know that your brother's first crush happens to be a friend of yours?" "Tungsten, I must say it feels a little odd, but at least I know that he has a taste for girls of quality and not just any random girl. He's always been particular when I've discussed it with him. As you probably know being a friend of his, Sequoia is athletic and stuff, but he wants a girl who's smart and doesn't, you know act like a complete ditzy chick just to get him to help her with stuff." "So basically you bringing Pedaia into your friend mix inadvertently brought his type of girl into the mix." "Basically, what's fun is that she's only a year older than he is." Tungsten laughed quietly. "Ya know age sometimes doesn't matter to a boy at this stage. Look at my friends as examples." Cherry Blossom nodded and as the group topped a hill and paused Pedaia stopped and sat and with an eager look in her eyes looked toward the east. Everyone looked as well and as the sky went from black with small diamonds in it, fading away to hues of red and blue and a hint of violet. The sunrise was gorgeous and the smell of the dew coming off the grass made it more amazing. The group all had seated themselves to watch. Cherry Blossom saw the purest joy in Pedaia's eyes and she had to contain her laughter as Sequoia either inadvertently or intentionally sat right next to Pedaia and half way had his arm around her. Everyone noticed and didn't say anything. "I never thought I'd watch a sunrise with friends like you, most of the 'friends' I had would say this was lame. I truly believe that the simple things bring the most joy. However, that one dark, and small cloud reminds me of Phoenix." Phoenix wasn't glaring, " I'm not that bad! I'm better than my mother Gilda!" Pedaia laughed and wiped a tear from her eye. "Sorry, I couldn't help myself, it's the stark difference between you and Cherry Blossom, or even Sunflower. They're so cheerful, and you seem to be sulking and it's hard to tell when your enjoying yourself." "You got me there, this was pretty, but wait till summer camp! The sunrise on the mountains will make your eyes gleam more than they did this morning." Everyone turned their heads as a meal gong could be heard over the quiet Saturday morning in the small neighborhood. "Race you guys! No wings allowed!" Encyclopedia screamed as she tore down the hill. As the group ran toward the waiting breakfast Sequoia asked his sister a question. "Hey sis, do you think she noticed? Do you think I over stepped a boundary?" "We all noticed, I've got no idea if she noticed, you did keep your hands to yourself. I'm not going to say anything, your friends won't rat you out either. If Pedaia says anything to me about it later I'll handle it. You're only a year younger and it's not line you two were alone or anything. Pedaia won't think twice about it, I mean, it was a chilly morning and it kinda looked like you wanted to warm her up but stopped half way." "Thanks sis, your truly are the best sister I have." "Bruh! I'm the only sister you have. Well the only one allowed to walk free. We didn't want to tell you about the one we keep in the attic." Sequoia looked at his sister thinking that she finally lost her mind. "I think that your mind is gone sister." The siblings caught up to everyone and they all began to realize that Pedaia was used to running much further than the two plus miles they just ran. Their clue about Pedaia's physical condition was that she wasn't even breathing that hard. As the family and friends ate, they all asked Pedaia questions about her hobbies in detail. Phoenix who was feeling a tad retaliatory about Pedaia's joke earlier asked a question in jest. "So, do you have a boyfriend? Or did you just out run him?" Pedaia looked at her plate and answered, "I once had a guy ask me to a school dance....then he went with another girl instead, since then I hadn't been to another school dance or anything. That's why nowadays, most everyone I've known has always seen me in the library or volunteering to hell grade papers or help with filing. I guess, in my own way I became my own version of Moondancer." "Sorry, I didn't mean to pry like that." "You're fine Phoenix, what you meant as jest, kinda helped me deal with a past issue. Up until now I haven't spoken to anyone about it, not really. I do hope as we become better friends I don't start dumping my emotional baggage on you." "Eh, we can put it in the overhead bin until you're ready to access it." Phoenix quiped trying to lighten the mood. "I think that the baggage will have to be checked for this flight." Cherry Blossom and Sunflower groaned. "Please stop with the airline puns, they're terrible." Sequoia and his friends laughed at the girls and their poor sense of Humor. Sequoia's friends had to leave that morning to get home to help with the chores, so Sequoia went to the shed to work on restoring an old game console. "Hey son, Sweetie Belle drove by here this morning and told us that you had your arm around Pedaia this morning." "I....thought about it but stopped half way and didn't want to move because if I had she might have noticed. Cherry Blossom and I talked about this morning on the way back. Cherry Blossom said they if it got brought up that she'd handle it. I guess since it's been brought up now I'll handle it. I wasn't trying to be pervy or anything, it kinda just happened! Why did my sister have to bring home someone that adorable." "Well, son, to be honest, your sister told me this morning while everyone was getting cleaned up from the run. You're at that age where girls are becoming attractive to you." Father and son had that talk that most parents should have and Sequoia understood that he needed to be more careful because rumors could fly and people could get the wrong message. Sequoia and his farther had 'The Talk' and Sequoia wished that he could remove what they had talked about. Meanwhile "Pedaia! Quit eating the currency!" "Can't help it! I love Skittles! I can taste the rainbow!" "Ask Rainbow Dash where the colors for the rainbow come from." Pedaia gave the scientific answer and the poker game for candy ended when Phoenix wiped the house with a royal flush and had everyone going all in and losing their candy. The girls shared the candy and Pedaia felt such joy in having friends that she didn't hear her mother coming in and snapping a few photos with her phone.
EncyclopediaEncyclopedia or better known as Pedaia [pronounced as Pe-daya] walked the halls of her school, alone as always. She said hi to her classmates and left it at that. Pedaia preferred the solace of her school's library and solitude. Her classmates were always worrying about her, amongst themselves - Encyclopedia would be the one hurting and the signs would be missed. The students had decided that it was time to notify their teachers. "Miss Diamond Tiara, I'd like to ask a favor of you." "Go ahead Sunflower" Diamond Tiara looked at the young girl before her. "It's Encyclopedia ma'am, we don't know how to reach her." "Well, a friend of mine had an older sister who had a friend who was like that...I'd giver her a call and see what I can do. I the mean time just try to talk to Encyclopedia." Sunflower nodded and went on her way. Diamond Tiara "Hey Twilight...your majesty, I need help." "With what Diamond Tiara?" "I've got a student that is very much like you back in the day and Silverspoon and I don't know what to do and the other teachers have tried everything. This student is named Encyclopedia or Pedaia as we call her, she's smart and knows you lessons by heart but struggles to apply them." "Well, my friends and I will swing by to observe and maybe pick the three best suited to adapt to Pedaia and let them try to help your student out of her shell." Diamond Tiara chatted a bit longer than hung up. Meanwhile Pedaia sat in the library and noticed three of her classmates, she saw Sunflower an adorable earth-pony, Cherry Blossom who was a pegasus and then there was Phoenix who was a gryphon with a touch of sass. "Come on Phoenix we got to find a fourth person for our team! the Trivia Olympics are coming up and we're pitted against Las Pegasus!" "I know dammit! Just everyone else either is taken or don't want to participate." All at once the three girls noticed Pedaia surrounded by books and taking notes. "Guys, what if the answer has been in front of us the whole time? Trivia is so her thing! I saw her playing trivia games on her phone during lunch." The three of them walked up and tapped the table. "Oh hi you guys, I'm just doing some research for a crossword puzzle I found." "Could you help us with something?" Phoenix asked. "If it's your homework, simply put no. However, I hear the Trivia Olympics are coming up and the best team gets pitted against Las Pegasus high-school....my old school." "You know already our school is doomed right now, our best students average at a GPA of 3.0 to a 3.5 and our team is at three people and you're actually our highest GPA student. I know that you love trivia and could you help us?" "I'd love to help, however, I promised my old classmates that I wouldn't compete against them in the Trivia Olympics." "The hell! You promised that!" "Phoenix, we're in a library so tone it down. Most of our classmates don't realize that I'd be an asset to them because I know who they'll probably be up against and I've seen the scores for the school overall performance because I help with the grading after mid-terms and end of the semesters. To hell with my promise, I'll help you out." Phoenix and Sunflower squeaked in excitement and Cherry Blossom shouted, " Sleepover and study time at my place! " The high pitched squeaks and Cherry Blossom screaming in a high pitched voice hurt Pedaia's ears. When the trio got kicked out for being too loud Pedaia called her mother. "Hi mom, I was invited by Cherry Blossom to spend the night with her, Phoenix and Sunflower. Could I spend the night with them?" "Of course dear, I'll let your father know and I'll bring a few things over there for you." When Pedaia hung up, her mother began to sob, her daughter finally was making some friends. For Pedaia, being considered for being part of a team for being just her was encouraging; furthermore, whilst at her old school everyone just wanted to befriend her just for her knowledge and getting her do their homework for them. When the small group left the school after classes Phoenix wanted to know more about their new friend. "So Pedaia what hobbies do you enjoy?" "I enjoy trivia games and crosswords, most people never asked about my hobbies before but I also enjoy swimming, jogging and I suck at bowling and tennis. I guess I enjoy the vintage old school arcades." "Pedaia," Sunflower began, "at your old school, did people you know, just used you for what they could get from you?" "Sunflower, I am surprised you're that good at guessing about people's lives." "I just noticed that earlier when we asked you to join our trivia team you defaulted to assuming we wanted help with homework." "I see now, I was always befriended and asked by my classmates to help with their homework. Coming here I vowed to never get used like that again." Cherry Blossom spoke up, "Have you done keroke before?" "Nope, I'm a hell of terrible singer." "You can't be worse than Phoenix who has like two pitches." Phoenix laughed. "I was just coming off a cold that one time!" Encyclopedia laughed with the others and she wondered if she truly could make some friends. Meanwhile... Spike and Smolder were joined by Ember to observe the young feline. "Diamond Tiara might have jumped the gun, she seems to be getting along fine." Ember nodded and Smolder chimed in. "Our little Pedaia might make it on her own, I'm glad she got transferred here to Ponyville, Las Pegasus was killing her. Glad that Featherweight reached out when he did. He did mention that Encyclopedia's science column is being missed. I guess for now we just observe." "At least she has Twilight's journal memorized by heart so she knows what it'll take to have a friend and to be a good friend."
SleepoverPedaia and her classmates arrived at Cherry Blossom's home and Encyclopedia saw her mother's car in the driveway. Once the small party entered and left their shoes at the door, Cherry Blossom was greeted by her younger brother. "Welcome home sis, and I see you've brought home a new friend." "Thanks Sequoia, and this is Encyclopedia or we call her Pedaia for short. How'd you do on your test this morning?" "I got a 'B-minus' on it....I studied really hard." "That's a good grade and your best yet! Just earlier this year you sturggled to maintain a C grade. Don't be so hard on yourself." The others also had gotten hugged by the young teenager known as Sequoia. Pedaia noticed that in comparison, her old school she saw the girls treat their younger brothers like second rate citizens or ignored them all together; however, Pedaia saw that Cherry Blossom truly cared for her brother and could tell that she had helped him with his homework. Sequoia looked at her and offered her a hand of greeting. "Nice to meet you Encyclopedia. Make yourself at home." "Thank you for your hospitality." Pedaia could tell that this thirteen year old lad developed his first possible crush ever." Pedaia's mother left Pedaia's duffle in the entry way and made her exit and said her good byes. Cherry Blossom teased her brother gently. "Come on Sequoia, you'll have all night to gawk." Sequoia blushed and apologized for staring. "I know bro, she's really cute, and she's super smart. I know you've got your friends camping in the backyard tonight so have them on their best behavior." "How embarrassing....that you'd stoop to my level." Sequoia said as he pretended to straighten some suit coat and tie. Pedaia loved how these siblings bantered. Phoenix and Sunflower poked their fun as well. Pedaia tried not to smirk, as Cherry Blossom's mother gently prodded the siblings from the entry way to the den. The young feline eyes popped as she saw that Cherry Blossom had her favorite book series. "Pedaia, I see that you're oogling my collection of mystery books." "The Mare Do-Well series is amazing, I love how it adapted from the super hero to the super sleuth plot line. I once cosplayed the character - and I still have the costume." Throughout the day going into the evening Pedaia noticed that Sequoia would occasionally pop in and check on them and asked if they needed anything. Cherry Blossom's parents had gone out on a date for the evening. "So....does Sequoia do this every sleepover you have or is there contract between the two of you? The girls at my old school had younger brothers and they had contracts or blackmail on each other for favors." "He's done this since he turned thirteen this year, and ever since he was eight. I've asked him and he always told me it was his duty to make sure my events went smoothly. I say it is his reading material. He reads books about men and boys being chivalrous. I'm not going to stop him, I suppose in his own way....he's creating his own memories." Sequoia and his friends currently in the backyard swinging swords at each and having a mock battle. "My older brother calls occasionally, and he's the one who taught that research and study helps give you an edge on life. His motto was similar the phrase 'knowledge is power'. He always told me that I needed some true friends. Before going to college in Canterlot he bought me a copy of Twilight Sparkle's journal and he dared me to memorize it." Pedaia explained to everyone their weakest points and studied up on those topics and Pedaia's weakest point was oddly enough was chemistry. Phoenix had to ask, "So, did he memorize it as well, as a challenge for sibling supreme?" Everyone laughed and Pedaia choked on the sip of soda she had just taken. The girls also talked about the young men in their classes and discussed their crushes and the typical girl conversation topics one might expect to make an appearance. Meanwhile "Sequoia, we see your sister got a new friend. What's her name?" "Well Cedar, that's Encyclopedia or Pedaia by some." Cedar nodded and the two others who lived on farms were named Kernel because his folks were corn farmers; the other was Gourdon because the obvious was his family raised vegetables that were gourds. The lads looked and each one had a favorite girl as their crush. Gourdon smirked a little then asked his comrade the question that was in his mind. "So dude, can the three of us assume you've developed a crush on Encyclopedia?" "I guess I have, I promised my sister to help make sure this night ran smoothly and to be on my best behavior." "We've noticed that you occasionally check on them and stuff. You do realize that your sister is a prankster and if Pedaia falls asleep first then she'll be the target for the sleepover prank." "Gourdon....I doubt she'll be too extreme since this is Pedaia's first ever legit sleepover with friends." The lads agreed and Cedar commented while he chewed on a cheese stick. "Don't forget that when Phoenix first slept over here, Cherry Blossom tied that gryphon to the mailbox with a note saying, 'return to sender' when Phoenix' mother picked her up." The girls "So what happens to the first one to fall asleep?" The other girls just smiled and innocently said nothing really: all the while Phoenix was smirking, "One time we tied Sunflower to a tree with the hammock out back." "So we prank them?" "We'll be nice to you since it's your first sleepover." Pedaia chuckled, she knew that the group were hoping she'd fall asleep first. "I've still got my nine lives and I usually stay up until about two o'clock in the morning star gazing." Pedaia was going to try to bluff her way out of being pranked hoping to join in on the prank end and not the receiving end. Two O'clock rolled around and Pedaia was sound asleep and leaning up against Phoenix who snickered as she gently placed an ice cube down the t-shirt of a certain sleeping feline. Pedaia's eyes popped open and she let out a high pitched squeek of shock. Phoenix realized they her ice wasn't that cold. "Wait a moment...." Phoenix realized that she got played as an ice cube went down her back. Sequoia and his crew were watching from the window and were laughing. Pedaia figured she might fall asleep so she paid Sequoia and his friends to put some fake ice in the ice maker in the freezer as a safety precaution. Cherry Blossom was laughing hysterically as she was catching on. "You win Pedaia as best prankster of the group tonight! That was impressive planning - Phoenix you've been pranked two sleepovers in a row and we can't wait to see what number three had in store for you!" Cherry Blossom shouted and still trying to keep her volume down. "Yeah, game on you guys! This school year is a prank war!" Pedaia sat on the couch watching her new friends and the studying she did with them earlier and the conversations she had as well and she finally knew these crazy people were her friends.
The Following DayPedaia woke up early to go on her morning run, quietly as to not wake the others she got dressed in her running shorts and a t-shirt and the outfit was completed by her running shoes and earbuds. Encyclopedia always stretched and warmed up, at her old school, she had been a track and cross country star. She had just finished stretching when she saw Sequoia beside her trying not to just stare at her. "Morning Sequoia l, what's up?" "Can I join you on your run? I do track at my school and normally my runs alone." "Sure you can join me, just to warn you my usual distance is six miles both ways...twelve mile round trip." "I'll do my best to keep up." The pair were just about to head out when Cherry Blossom and the others made an appearance and dressed for a run. Pedaia smirked as Phoenix looked unenthusiastic about running before the sun was up. As the group began to jog, Cherry Blossom couldn't help but laugh as the group of eight took off. Her brother was near the front front with Pedaia and Cedar was up by Phoenix, Gourdon was beside Sunflower and beside her she had a lad named Tungsten who's family were metal workers and had arrived around dinner time the night before. "So Cherry Blossom, how does it feel to know that your brother's first crush happens to be a friend of yours?" "Tungsten, I must say it feels a little odd, but at least I know that he has a taste for girls of quality and not just any random girl. He's always been particular when I've discussed it with him. As you probably know being a friend of his, Sequoia is athletic and stuff, but he wants a girl who's smart and doesn't, you know act like a complete ditzy chick just to get him to help her with stuff." "So basically you bringing Pedaia into your friend mix inadvertently brought his type of girl into the mix." "Basically, what's fun is that she's only a year older than he is." Tungsten laughed quietly. "Ya know age sometimes doesn't matter to a boy at this stage. Look at my friends as examples." Cherry Blossom nodded and as the group topped a hill and paused Pedaia stopped and sat and with an eager look in her eyes looked toward the east. Everyone looked as well and as the sky went from black with small diamonds in it, fading away to hues of red and blue and a hint of violet. The sunrise was gorgeous and the smell of the dew coming off the grass made it more amazing. The group all had seated themselves to watch. Cherry Blossom saw the purest joy in Pedaia's eyes and she had to contain her laughter as Sequoia either inadvertently or intentionally sat right next to Pedaia and half way had his arm around her. Everyone noticed and didn't say anything. "I never thought I'd watch a sunrise with friends like you, most of the 'friends' I had would say this was lame. I truly believe that the simple things bring the most joy. However, that one dark, and small cloud reminds me of Phoenix." Phoenix wasn't glaring, " I'm not that bad! I'm better than my mother Gilda!" Pedaia laughed and wiped a tear from her eye. "Sorry, I couldn't help myself, it's the stark difference between you and Cherry Blossom, or even Sunflower. They're so cheerful, and you seem to be sulking and it's hard to tell when your enjoying yourself." "You got me there, this was pretty, but wait till summer camp! The sunrise on the mountains will make your eyes gleam more than they did this morning." Everyone turned their heads as a meal gong could be heard over the quiet Saturday morning in the small neighborhood. "Race you guys! No wings allowed!" Encyclopedia screamed as she tore down the hill. As the group ran toward the waiting breakfast Sequoia asked his sister a question. "Hey sis, do you think she noticed? Do you think I over stepped a boundary?" "We all noticed, I've got no idea if she noticed, you did keep your hands to yourself. I'm not going to say anything, your friends won't rat you out either. If Pedaia says anything to me about it later I'll handle it. You're only a year younger and it's not line you two were alone or anything. Pedaia won't think twice about it, I mean, it was a chilly morning and it kinda looked like you wanted to warm her up but stopped half way." "Thanks sis, your truly are the best sister I have." "Bruh! I'm the only sister you have. Well the only one allowed to walk free. We didn't want to tell you about the one we keep in the attic." Sequoia looked at his sister thinking that she finally lost her mind. "I think that your mind is gone sister." The siblings caught up to everyone and they all began to realize that Pedaia was used to running much further than the two plus miles they just ran. Their clue about Pedaia's physical condition was that she wasn't even breathing that hard. As the family and friends ate, they all asked Pedaia questions about her hobbies in detail. Phoenix who was feeling a tad retaliatory about Pedaia's joke earlier asked a question in jest. "So, do you have a boyfriend? Or did you just out run him?" Pedaia looked at her plate and answered, "I once had a guy ask me to a school dance....then he went with another girl instead, since then I hadn't been to another school dance or anything. That's why nowadays, most everyone I've known has always seen me in the library or volunteering to hell grade papers or help with filing. I guess, in my own way I became my own version of Moondancer." "Sorry, I didn't mean to pry like that." "You're fine Phoenix, what you meant as jest, kinda helped me deal with a past issue. Up until now I haven't spoken to anyone about it, not really. I do hope as we become better friends I don't start dumping my emotional baggage on you." "Eh, we can put it in the overhead bin until you're ready to access it." Phoenix quiped trying to lighten the mood. "I think that the baggage will have to be checked for this flight." Cherry Blossom and Sunflower groaned. "Please stop with the airline puns, they're terrible." Sequoia and his friends laughed at the girls and their poor sense of Humor. Sequoia's friends had to leave that morning to get home to help with the chores, so Sequoia went to the shed to work on restoring an old game console. "Hey son, Sweetie Belle drove by here this morning and told us that you had your arm around Pedaia this morning." "I....thought about it but stopped half way and didn't want to move because if I had she might have noticed. Cherry Blossom and I talked about this morning on the way back. Cherry Blossom said they if it got brought up that she'd handle it. I guess since it's been brought up now I'll handle it. I wasn't trying to be pervy or anything, it kinda just happened! Why did my sister have to bring home someone that adorable." "Well, son, to be honest, your sister told me this morning while everyone was getting cleaned up from the run. You're at that age where girls are becoming attractive to you." Father and son had that talk that most parents should have and Sequoia understood that he needed to be more careful because rumors could fly and people could get the wrong message. Sequoia and his farther had 'The Talk' and Sequoia wished that he could remove what they had talked about. Meanwhile "Pedaia! Quit eating the currency!" "Can't help it! I love Skittles! I can taste the rainbow!" "Ask Rainbow Dash where the colors for the rainbow come from." Pedaia gave the scientific answer and the poker game for candy ended when Phoenix wiped the house with a royal flush and had everyone going all in and losing their candy. The girls shared the candy and Pedaia felt such joy in having friends that she didn't hear her mother coming in and snapping a few photos with her phone.
