Cure for Pain

Part 3: Black Mud

“Walker, what are you doing here?” Coleton said to me at the library early the next morning. I simply gave a nervous laugh. “Well… I know this is where Dash and your parents agreed to meet in approximately 27 minutes, so I just wanted to help her, if she needed it.”

Coleton looked at me, straight-faced. “She won’t need any help. She’s pretty calm and collected about it.” I gave him a frustrated look. “Well, don’t you think it may be… awkward… to have the ONLY pony you’ve shagged in a room with your parents, who HAVEN’T been ponies for the past two months?”

Coleton sighed. “I don’t know, man, but she’ll be alright. Don’t worry.” I heaved a depressed sigh. “Well, let me in anyway, I have a book to check out.” Coleton gave me an incredulous look. “What book?”

“A book on how to repair a freaking drum set, dude.” I lied through my teeth. “Just let me in. This is a public place.” Coleton looked mad and annoyed, but he moved aside and let me in.

“Thanks.” I said, sitting down on the couch. Coleton’s face turned red, and he stuttered, hardly forming coherent sentences. “You-you- YOU SAID YOU WERE LOOKING FOR A BOOK, ASSHOLE!”

“Yeah…. About that.” I said, reclining on the couch. “I lied. But I won’t be a nuisance. I’ll just sit here, reading magazines and such. You won’t even know I’m here.”

Coleton looked like he was about to explode, but simply sighed, his face returning to its normal color. “Fine. But not a word, got it?”

“Of course, dude.” I said, picking up a CD and looking at the cover. Coleton gave a weak smile. “Thanks. So, any tips on what to do with this ‘interview’ of sorts?”

I put the CD down. “Look, Coleton.” I said. “My only advice is that assuming your parents are knowledgeable of what being married means, things will get awkward very quickly if you let them. If you don’t let it get awkward, then it won’t GET awkward.”

He looked as if he was about to say something, but then Dash walked in, a very transparent look of confidence hiding a nervous demeanor. “Hey, Dash.” Coleton said, walking up to her and giving her a hug and a quick peck. “You ready?”

Dash gave a nervous laugh. “Of course I am, I’m ready for anything!” she said. I gave her an unconvinced look, and noticed her sweating profusely.

“Listen…” I said, not moving from my comfortable place on the couch. “Don’t worry. Coleton’s parents are VERY understanding. If Coleton likes you, which he does, they’ll understand, no matter how bad you seem to be.”

I could see from her face that that probably wasn’t the most reassuring choice of words. “Just…” I sputtered, trying to rearrange my words in a more understanding fashion. “Don’t worry about screwing up.”

With that, Dash and Coleton sat down opposite me on another couch, an awkward silence enveloping the room. As I opened my mouth, trying to initiate a conversation, we heard the front door open, two familiar faces entering the library. “Hey, Dad!” Coleton yelled. “Hey, Mom!”

After the appropriate introductions, Tammie gave me a confused look. “Walker? What are you doing here? Coleton told me you worked at a music store, so aren’t you supposed to be working?”

Oh shit. I suddenly remembered that I had a job, and that I was three hours late for it. “Uhhh…” I said, not giving myself the time to answer before running out of the library.

“Hey, look who’s finally here!” John said as I ran behind the counter. “What took you so long?” I looked at him, fire in my eyes and a pain in my side. “That’s neither here nor there. How much do I owe you for working the last three hours?”

“I dunno what your wages are, but twenty bits will do.” he said, putting his hoof out. “Alright, you greedy bastard.” I said, laughing and handing him the money. “Thanks anyway. For keeping me from getting fired.”

He laughed. “I don’t think you understand how valuable percussionists are around Ponyville, but they wouldn’t fire you or me for anything.”

“Ha, I’m glad.” I said. “But I haven’t had access to a drum set all my own for about two weeks.” John looked at me, curious. “Why?”

I opened my mouth to tell him, but realized how stupid the story would sound. “Uh… it’s a long story.” He leaned back, drumming on his hind legs. “I have time.”

“Okay, but it sounds really stupid.” I said. “Basically, human girlfriend from home comes to Ponyville, but she’s not my girlfriend, she’s a changeling who took the form of my girlfriend. She comes in my room and trashes the place, slashes up my drum set beyond all repair. Then I figure out that the Changelings are getting revenge for what my friends did at some royal wedding, and I need to go fight against them in some war-like situation with my best friend.

“Does that answer your question?” I said, not looking up from the drums I was assembling. I didn’t get a response. “I guess that means yes.”

“See you later!” I said later that night as John was locking up. I picked up my phone and tried to dial Coleton’s number, but it went straight to voicemail.

“Hey, you’ve reached the number of Coleton Howard! I’m sorry, but I’m on my honeymoon at the moment, and I’d prefer not to be interrupted. But if you leave a message, I’ll get back to you when I can. Later!”

I hung up the phone. I was kind of offended that he didn’t tell me that he was going with Dash on a honeymoon before actually leaving, but it was quickly shoved out of my mind when I saw two large, familiar packages in my apartment’s mail room, marked with my name.

“Thank you, Celestia!” I said as I dragged the boxes up the stairs to my room. As I tumbled the contents out of their boxes, I was pleased to see that my expectations were true; it was another drum set.

“Well… there goes my night.” I said, picking up the parts and starting the long, tedious process of setting them up.