Applejack: Day Two

Strange images pulsate through your mind. Snippets of memory mixed with portraits of places that can never be. Ideas dance in synchronous motion, slowly fading into nothingness. You slowly open your eyes. The light of dawn trickles through the shades of your room. It's been a long time since you've woken up to your own circadian rhythm. It sounds strange, but somewhere inside you almost miss the garish ringing of your alarm clock. You sit up, and realize something- you're not in your room. Your stomach turns in on itself, and your brain goes into panic mode. You look around for some clue as to where you are. The panic starts to build, until you notice a picture on a nightstand. It is of three figures. A large, muscular man, laughing boisterously; a thin, beautiful woman, smiling gently; and a tomboyish little girl with rainbow hair, jumping around playfully. You recognize them as Rainbow Dash and her parents, and it all comes flooding back to you.

"Guess it wasn't a dream then."

You reach under your bed, and pull out your suitcase. You open it, and go through your stuff. It's not folded- your mom would kill you if she found out how haphazardly you tossed everything together. You lazily sort your clothes, pull out something to wear for today, and walk out of your room. The cottage seems somehow bigger on the inside then it does on the outside. It's almost like a mansion- hallways stretch and crisscross, like some sort of wooden maze. You gently begin opening doors, hoping to find some sort of shower. It takes a few tries, but you finally find a bathroom. You set your clothes down, and run the shower. You strip, and look at yourself in the mirror. You give a playful little flex, but the results are so pitiful you sigh and shake your head. You gingerly step in- the water has gotten hot pretty fast, considering you're in a cabin- and you let the water flow over you. For some reason, the shower always makes you think. Maybe it's the monotonous pounding of the water on the tiles, or the mindless set of tasks your body has learned to preform almost autonomously. For whatever reason, your mind drifts...

"What are you, a fucking lesbian?"

They push the girl around, laughing as they do so. You've always wondered how people could be so cruel to each other. The girl- who just transferred in from a school in the south- looks like she's reaching her wits end.

"Look y'all, I aint tryin' to start no fights on my first day o' school. But if ya don't leave me alone, I'll be forced to get violent."

The other girls chuckle at this. There are the popular clique- just because they look better then everyone else, they think they have free reign of the school. They are led by the ethereally beautiful Diamond Tiara. You don't think you've seen her go one day without tormenting some poor freshman, or some weirdo kid who's just trying to get along with life. It seems today she's decided to go with an old standby- picking on the new kid. But you have a feeling this time she may have picked the wrong girl. This one has fire in her heart- her eyes burn with passion, and her teeth grit with fury. She reminds you of a bull ready to charge- and her getup only adds to that. She's wearing a dress, but you can tell it's a hand me down. It's been sewn so may times it's hard to make out where the new stitching begins and the old stitching ends. Her long blond hair is done up in a ponytail, although it's been frayed from being tossed around. She has rather large muscles for a girl, and wears no makeup- probably the source of the accusations being thrown at her.

Diamond Tiara smiles, and flips her hair.

"You know what girls, I think maybe we should leave her alone. It is a little early to get in a fight- I just put on my makeup. And besides..."

She gives a grin that would send shivers down the devils spine.

"I think she might enjoy it."

She walks away, and the other girls follow her, throwing evil looks back at the new girl. The new girl breathes heavily, her body pumping with anger. She balls her hand into a fist, and swings it at the nearest locker.

"Bitches!"

Her hand slams into the locker, and your shocked to see that she's dented the metal. Her breathing slows, and she calms down. She turns to look at you. You see tears welling up in her eyes, and you're shocked. A girl this strong... hurt this bad...

"What're you lookin' at?"

She brushes the tears out of her eyes, and walks away. You stand in the hallway for a few more seconds. You're not sure how to feel. You've never met a girl like that. She scares you a little, but she's a little... a little... exciting. You wish you could have helped her somehow- could have stepped in. But you'll never talk to her. She'll be just like the other girls. Well, except Dash. You can't wait for next period, when you'll finally be able to see Dash. After all that excitement, you really need to see a kind face.

It's been a long time since you've thought of the first time you met Applejack. Hell, it's been a long time since you've thought of high school. It wasn't a very good experience, and you try to keep it out of your memory. But now that it seems you'll be spending a whole day with her, you can't help but go back. She was pretty then- really pretty. She didn't need makeup, really- her face was captivating on its own. Dark, tanned from working out in the sun. The expressions shone so clearly on it- it was impossible for her to ever hide how she felt.

"She must be pretty terrible at poker."

You smile, and continue to let the water run over you. The steam fills the room, fills your lungs- you feel cleansed. You turn off the tap, and step out of the shower. You wrap yourself with a towel, dry off, and put on your clothes. You have to admit that you're a little impressed with yourself. Normally you wear beat up jeans and a T-shirt, but for this week you've actually packed decent clothes. You look handsome in that sort of geeky way- not rugged, but at least you're trying. You go back to your room, throw your dirty clothes on the floor, and set about exploring the house. It's still pretty early- none of the girls are probably up yet. You walk through the hallways, exploring some of the open rooms. Many of them are empty, but a few of them have some pretty interesting stuff. In fact, there is an entire room filled with animal heads- you know Dash's dad enjoyed hunting, but this was pretty insane. You don't even recognize some of the more exotic creatures. You're about to enter another room when something catches your attention. It's a smell- a really good one at that. Something's cooking. You bolt down the stairs towards the source of the smell, skidding on the wooden floor with your socks. You finally find the kitchen, and you're greeted by a familiar face. Applejack is cooking pancakes, and frying up some bacon. You sit down, and she gives you a smile.

"Mornin' handsome."

You look around, before you realize she's talking to you.

"Oh! Good morning Applejack. What's, uh... what's cooking?"

God you are so lame.

"A little of this, a little of that. I didn't know whatcha liked, so I just made everythin'."

"Thanks Applejack. You didn't have to do all that- I would've just settled for some toast."

"No way Jose. This is my special day with you, and I ain't lettin ya eat somethin' as simple as toast. I didn't think you'd be up this early, to be honest. I was gonna give ya breakfast in bed."

"Well, I just woke up with the sun, I guess."

"That's the best way to get up. Back on the farm, that's how I'd get up every day- as soon as the sun peeked its head above the fields, it was time to go to work."

She puts everything on a plate, and places it in front of you. It's a really mesmerizing amount of food- pancakes, bacon, hash brown, eggs- even scrapple.

"Wow, thanks. I don't know what to say."

"Yer welcome."

She sits next to you, and begins digging into a plate of eggs. You two eat in silence for a little bit, before you finally think of something to say.

"I was thinking of you in the shower."

"What's that now?"

"Oops! Umm, not like that! I meant, I was thinking back to when we first met."

"Oh yeah, that's right. In Ms. Cherilee's class."

That's not exactly what you were thinking of, but you don't want to bring up painful memories.

"Yeah, right, Ms. Cherilee. She was a really good teacher."

"Yeah, she was pretty cool. But she wasn't my favorite."

"Really? Who was?"

"You really have to ask? You, of course."

You wander into class, and sit in the back next to Dash. You turn to say hi, but she's already nodding off. Figures- the first bell hasn't even rung yet, and Dash has already checked out. You give her a tap on the shoulder, and she jolts up.

"Whaddya mean I'm a pony?"

She wipes the sleep out of her eyes, and stretches.

"Oh hey dude. I was just having the weirdest friggin' dream. Class started yet?"

"Not quite, but the bell should ring any minute-"

She walks in, and sits down. She buries her head in her arms, and tries to seem inconspicuous. It's the girl you saw outside- the girl who punched the locker.

"... now."

Dash gives you a funny look, and then follows your eyes.

"Oh, a new girl. Not bad lookin' either, huh buddy boy?"

She elbows you in the ribs playfully.

"Yeah, she's, uh... something."

Dash chuckles, and leans back in her seat. The bell rings, and class starts. Ms. Cherilee- dressed in a bright pink flower print dress, as always- zips through the lesson. You don't know how she manages to make a subject like math seem exciting, but she does, and before you know it class is over. Dash is sleeping, of course, but you actually think you've learned something. You nudge Dash awake, and as you two go to leave, Ms. Cherilee calls you back. You feel a little anticipation- Ms. Cherilee has never asked you to stay behind before. You don't think you've done anything wrong- in fact you're sure of it- so maybe you failed a test. But you thought you were doing so good!

You slowly amble up to the front, like a convict at a sentencing hearing. As you approach her desk, you see that another student is following you- the new girl. She stands beside you, and you can't help but feel a little tense- you know it's incredibly childish, but girls don't stand next to you very often. Ms. Cherilee sets down her papers, and addresses the two of you.

"Applejack, I want you to meet the most accomplished student in my class."

You smile at the compliment, and Applejack nods at you.

"Pleased to meet yer acquaintance."

Her tone of voice is flat, and her face seems just as expressionless. You can't tell whether she's really stoic, or just trying to hiding something.

"As you know, Applejack is a new student. And, well, math isn't exactly her strong point."

"I don't get numbers. I don't see why ya need to be able to do more then add and subtract."

She seems genuinely irritated for a second, before her face reverts back to its stoic glare.

"Well miss Applejack, you're going to need to learn more then addition and subtraction if you're going to pass my class. And that's where you come in."

Ms. Cherilee turns to you, and gives you a serious look.

"I'd like you to tutor Applejack. I'd give you extra credit, of course- not that you need it. You're just my best student, and I figured rather then keep her after school, which would be an inconvenience for her family, it might be better for a classmate to help her."

"Well, I'd be fine with that. I've never tutored anyone before, but it can't be that hard."

"Well Applejack? Does this sound acceptable."

Applejack frowns, but nods.

"I guess that's alright."

"Great! You two work out some times to meet up. I'm sure you'll be caught up in no time."

The two of you walk out of class, and you turn to her. You open your mouth to speak, but she cuts you off.

"Look, I'm sorry for yellin' at ya before class. I was a little upset... I don't take kindly to people picking on me."

"Oh, that's okay. I understand."

You two shuffle around in awkward silence.

"So, um, when do you want to meet up?"

"How about on the weekends? I don't have to work as much then. I mean, unless you're busy."

"No, not really. The weekends are fine."

"Great. Just give me a phone call before you come over. Here's my address."

She takes your hand, pulls out a pen, and writes down her street and phone number.

"I'll see ya around, I guess."

She walks away. You feel something tug at your heartstrings. You're just a tutor, that's it. Not even a friend... just a tutor. You're wrapped up in your thoughts when the wind is crushed out of your chest, and a fist rams itself into your head.

"Get some playa! I knew you could do it!"

"No, I'm just her tutor Dash. It doesn't mean anything."

"Yet. Doesn't mean anything-yet. But I'm sure you'll get her, you dirty dog you."

She punches you a few times, and the two of you walk to class. Maybe she's right... maybe this time...

She wraps her arm around yours, and guides you. In her other hand she balances two fishing poles- and a box of bait and tackle. You've never been fishing before- well, unless you count getting seasick and nearly going overboard off of your dads old canoe. You walk out of the house- the first thing that hits you is the silence. In a world of noise, this kind of serenity is almost alien. The only thing you can hear are the birds, the soft footsteps of yourself and Applejack, and the reedy sound of the wind through the trees. Applejack leads you into the forest, onto a path.

"Dash told me about this place. She said her Dad would take her down here all the time- that they would spend hours just sittin' and fishin' together."

"I can't believe how quiet it is. I mean, I've read about this kind of stuff in books before, but..."

"Yeah, you city folk are a bunch of noisy rascals. Y'all forget about what really counts- nature. We wouldn't have anything without it, ya know? Everythin' we eat- heck, everythin' we breath- comes from nature. But everyone forgets."

"I don't think I'm ever going to forget this."

Applejack smiles and pulls you in a little closer.

"I hope not."

"This can't be the right place."

You've been driving for almost an hour, desperately trying to locate Applejacks house. You didn't realize it was out in the boondocks. You've only been out here once or twice- when you were a kid, you went on a few field trips to the farms. And here you are again- at a farm. Sweet Apple Acres, to be exact. You've actually heard of these guys before- you've seen their apples and jams in a few health food stores. The farm isn't actually that big, compared to some other ones. They have a lot of apple trees- more then you'd care to count- and a pen with some sheep in it. Other then that there isn't much to it. You double check the address you were given on the mailbox, and it matches. You start to feel a little queasy. Maybe she gave you a fake address. It wouldn't be the first time. You sigh, pick up your books and paper out of the car, and start the trek down the farm. You pass through the apple trees, picking a low hanging apple as you do so. Just as you're about to take a bite, you hear a gasp.

"What in the hell do ya think yer doin'?!"

A hand snatches the apple from you. It's Applejack, and she looks pretty livid.

"This is our livelihood! Picking one of these is like stealing from us!"

Your mouth hangs agape. You can't think of a response- all you wanted to do was eat an apple. Applejack sighs, rolls her eyes, and puts the apple back in your hand.

"Well, you already picked it. Ya might as well eat it."

"That's okay, I'm not hungry anymore."

Applejack frowns guiltily.

"Sorry, I have a little bit of a temper. It's just we've been struggling a little bit, and well..."

"We? You mean your family owns this place?"

"Yup. We've had Sweet Apple Acres since my great-grandparents opened it up over fifty years ago. But now we only got two people who can really do the work. What with Mom and Dad gone, Granny Smith bein' so old, and Apple Bloom bein' so young... ah, whatever. You don' care about that. Let's just get this tutorin' stuff over with."

She puts her hands in her pockets, and walks down the dirt road. She kicks at it occasionally, stirring up a little tornado of dust. You still don't know what to make of her- it seems like half the time she's at your throat. But the other half of the time, you see something in her. Something nice. Something vulnerable.

You reach the house, and she lets you in. You walk through the living room, where a little girl with a large red bow in her hair sit playing jacks. She looks up at you inquisitively.

"Hey Applejack, who's that?"

"This is my friend. He's, uh... he's helping me learn math."

"What do ya need to learn math for?"

"You know Applebloom, I honestly do not know."

"Huh. Weird."

She goes back to her jacks.

"Come on, my room is upstairs."

As you approach the stairway, you're startled by a massive man. He's well over six feet, and has muscles that would make some weightlifters jealous. He has long, uncombed blond hair, and his skin is tanned almost red from being out in the sun. His arms are crossed, and he glares at you suspiciously.

"Don't worry Big Mac, we'll leave the door open."

"Yup."

You stare at him for a few more seconds, before Applejacks tugs at your shirt.

"Come on, whaddaya need, a written invitation?"

"Sorry."

You walk up the wooden stairs, and into her room. It is adorned very simply- a few trophies for cattle wrestling and lasso tying, and some pictures of two people you can only assume are her parents. She sits down on her bed, and pulls out a chair from an extremely dusty wooden desk. You sit down, and mingle in awkward silence for a few seconds.

"Well, what are ya waitin' for? Start tutoring."

"What do you mean?"

"Isn't that why you came over here? To tutor me?"

"Well yeah, but... what areas do you need help in?"

"All of 'em, I guess."

You gulp. This might be a little more difficult then you anticipated.

Applejack is on the ground, shaking with laughter. She's tried three times now to show you how to cast out, and every single time you mess it up. This time you've somehow managed to get the line all over you, while the fishing rod hangs lackadaisically around your waist. Applejack finally calms herself, and wipes some tears from her eyes. She helps you untangle yourself.

"I think maybe I better cast yer line for ya."

"Not a bad idea."

She fixes the line back in place, and casts it out into the stream with a simple flick of her wrist. She sits down, and tends to her own rod. You follow suit. The two of you sit there in silence, absorbed in your work. You notice her gently scooting over to you, inching herself closer and closer. She gets up close to you- nearly touching- and leans herself on you. You feel your pulse start to pound out of control. Your breath quickens, and you start nervously tapping your foot. You can't take it- it's just too much. You jump up, and dust yourself off.

"I'll be right back, I gotta, um... go to the bathroom."

You run off, leaving Applejack looking hurt and confused. You find a secluded area, unzip your pants, and relieve yourself. Damn, this is always how it goes, isn't it? Anytime a girl gets a little close to you, you start freaking out. You have to calm yourself down... calm...

You return, and Applejack does not acknowledge you. You pick your rod back up, and pull on it a little. You don't think there's a fish on there, but you can't tell for sure.

"Hey Applejack, can you see if I have a bite? I can't tell-"

"What's wrong with me?"

You're shocked to see her face quivering with emotion. You don't know what to say.

"Am I... am I not pretty enough? I know I don' wear makeup, or dress fancy, but I always though I was..."

"What? No, Applejack, you're beautiful."

"Oh shut up, you don' mean that. Every time I try to get close to ya, you run away like I'm comin' atcha with a brand or somethin'."

"That's not your fault! It's... it's mine. I'm just shy. I've never really been close to a girl before, and I just have no idea what to do. Every time you get close to me I feel like I'm having a heart attack. I just don't know how to handle it."

Applejacks face slowly changes from sadness to confusion.

"Ya mean... you've never been with a girl before?"

The question makes you blush furiously. You've always been uncomfortable talking about stuff like this- it just seems so foreign.

"Well, I guess not in the strictest sense... I mean, I've hung out with girls, but I've never um... you know..."

A slow grin spreads over Applejacks face.

"Well tarnation. Here I was thinkin' that there was somethin' wrong with me, but this whole time you've just been nervous. Damn, I wish you'da told me earlier. I spent more hours then I care to think wonderin' why I wasn't good enough for ya."

"Really? You cared that much?"

"Well, normally I don't care what guys think of me. I live for myself, nobody else. But you were different. You ain't like other guys. You had a lot of opportunities- and I mean a lot- to hit on me, but you never did. At first I thought maybe you weren't inta girls-"

"What!?"

"Sorry, I'm jus' bein' honest. But the way ya always hung around Dash, I realized that couldn't be it. So I just kept thinkin' about it, and the only thing I could think of was that... it was me... but now that I think about it, you bein' shy does make sense. I jus' never pegged you as a guy that would have trouble with girls."

"Really? I always thought it was pretty obvious."

"No, it wasn't. I mean, you were always hangin' around girls at school. A lot of people thought you was some kinda playboy."

Your mouth drops open? A playboy? No way...

"Well, I'm anything but a playboy. I mean, I haven't even..."

You shut up. You don't really want to tell her this. But again she scoots over to you, this time getting even closer. She puts her hand on your face, and turns it towards her.

"Haven't even what?"

"I haven't even... kissed a girl."

She smiles, and brings you to her. Your lips touch, and you can't believe it. You're sure it's a terrible kiss- you're eyes are open, your mouth hangs slack-jawed- but you don't even care. She pulls away from you, and starts giggling uncontrollably.

"That bad huh?"

"No, no... it's just... yer face! I've never seen someone look sp surprised!"

Her giggles turn into laughter, and she hugs you close to her. You feel her body pulse up against yours as she laughs, and you don't think you've felt anything better in your life. But then her laughter slows, and she lets you go. Again she takes your head into her hands, and brings your lips to her. This time though, you go with it. You're wrong- this is better. A lot better.

"I don' get it!"

Applejack is furious. She paces back and forth, punching the air at random intervals.

"I studied with you, I did the work, and I... and I..."

"Applejack, you got an A!"

"I know, it's driving me crazy!"

Earlier that day, Ms. Cherilee gave back midterms. You'd been working with Applejack for more then a month now. Applebloom, Granny Smith, and even Big Mac had come to regard you as a family friend. After all, you'd been putting your heart and soul into tutoring her. She was right- she did need a lot of help. She didn't know much beyond basic addition, subtraction, and multiplication. To be frank, it was stunning that she had managed to get this far in her schooling without being held back. But despite all that, you pushed through, and it had paid off.

Or so it seemed.

"An A! In math! I never thought it could happen! It can't happen! It shouldn'ta happened! I... I must've cheated somehow! Or got lucky!"

"That's not true, and you know it. We spent hours and hours studying together. You're one of the fastest learners I've ever met Applejack. You picked everything up so quickly- and you retained it. You put so much work into this. Why are you trying to discredit yourself?"

"Because... because..."

She stops pacing, and punching the air. Her entire mood changes. Her shoulders slump, and her face melts into a frown.

"Because I'm stupid."

She sits on her bed.

"It's really that simple. I ain't never been good at learnin'."

"What? Who told you that?"

"Everybody I ever met. I mean, face it. The way I talk, the way I dress. I work on a damn farm! I ain't no scholar! I'm just... I'm just stupid!"

You sit next to her on the bed.

"I'm sorry Applejack, but you're wrong."

You put your arm around her shoulders. All the normal apprehension you feel when you talk to women is gone. You can see how badly she's been hurt- and you have to help her."

"Just because you work on a farm, or don't where makeup, or dress differently doesn't mean you're any smarter or dumber then anyone else. I think you're very smart Applejack."

Her face contorts in anger, and she pushes you away.

"What do you know! You don't know anythin' about me!"

You walk up to her.

"I know that I see a girl who is in a lot of pain. A girl who has been lied to, and torn down, just because she is different from everybody else. And I know that she doesn't deserve that. No one does."

She looks back at you. Again the anger melts away, but this time something else does to. That tough exterior... it melts away into nothingness. For the first time you see what she really looks like- and it's mesmerizing. Tears stream from her face, and she hugs you close. You hold each other, and in that moment, you realize you've helped her more then you could ever realize. For the first time in your life, you feel truly fulfilled.

A few weeks later, you meet back up with her at school. Ever since that day, she's been hanging around you more often. She seems like she's always waiting for something- anticipating something from you. You have no idea what she could be waiting for- she's already excelling in math, so it can't be for tutoring. You decide to ask Dash about it.

"Well duh! She wants you to ask her out!"

But you know that's not true. You're grateful that Dash is trying to make you feel better, but you know how it goes. And, as time passes, you see each other less and less. She seems to grow more and more distant from you, and that aura of anticipation begins to sour into an aura of disappointment. You feel bad, and wish you could fix it, but you just don't know how.

"Ever since that day, I kept waitin' fer ya to do somethin'. But it jus' never came."

"I'm so sorry. I just couldn't imagine a girl like you would want-"

"An awesome guy like you? What's a matter with you fella? Ain'tcha got any common sense?"

You shrug.

"I think I see the problem. You ain't got no self esteem. Well let me tell ya somethin.' You are a great guy. And I'm not just sayin' that. I mean for real. I've had many a gentlemen canter into my life- but you're the only one that got stuck in my craw."

She kisses you again. You don't know how you could have lived without this for so long. It's beyond thought, beyond senses. You pull away, and smile.

"Thanks Applejack. I... I think I needed this. It's been a while since anybody has said that I was important."

"Well ya are sugar cube. And don't let anyone else tell ya any different."

The kisses come again, but this time they are different. They are deeper, slower, softer.

"Do you wanna... be with me?"

You don't know what to say. All this time, you've waited... wondering what it was like... how it would be...

But you have to be honest with her. You owe her that much.

"Applejack, you have given me more today then I ever could have hoped for. But... I can't."

"Why?"

"Because I made a promise to myself... I promise I intend to keep."

"A promise? What promise?"

You lean close to her, and whisper in her ear. She looks at you, and nods.

"That makes sense. I thought you might be that type of guy."

"Thanks for understanding."

The sun begins to dip beneath the horizon, it's final lights burning blue and red in the sky. The moon begin its decent up the celestial ladder, and night slowly befalls the tranquil forest. You two sit together for a little while longer, before Applejack stands up. She reaches out to you, and pulls you up. She packs up the gear, slings it over her shoulders, and takes your hand. You two walk back to the cabin, and stand by the door.

"Well, if any other day is as half as good as this one was, this'll be a hell of a week."

"You gonna give this little cowgirl a kiss goodnight?"

You lean in, and give her one final kiss. In it you can taste the sweetness of the day, the bittersweetness of the past, mingled with hope and tinged with regret.