“You know why you’re here, right?”

“Not exactly, ma’am – “

“You’ve GOT to be kidding me – you broke your little agreement you negotiated with us.”

“I don’t remember signing any goddamn…”

Before her could say anything else, a black student that was sitting beside Mrs. Nyman produced two sheets, with Julio’s signature and all. “You were saying?”

Julio picked the thing up. Skimming the text, he could pick up hits of contractual bind. “When was this?”

Ms. Jackson, an eyeliner-black haired twenty-something added, “Freshman year… you tucked that girl after prom? Remember?”

Julio said nothing, wrapping a dome of shame around his head with his arms.

“Hello? Are you there?” Rainbow Dash tried peeking in. Julio doubled to the floor obviously not wanting contact.

“Don’t worry, big guy, we’re just here to help,” she soothed. He pulled himself together and sat back in the chair.

“Now to get down to business,” Mrs. Gosling, an older lady who basically embodied the ‘crazy cat lady’ persona, started before directing everyone’s attention to the papers on the table. “This agreement, entered into by Julio Marcus Estevez, lays out the framework for an official decision to practice abstinence, as shown by the title.

“In the bulleted list here, he further acknowledges the risks and consequences that come with engaging in sexual activity, including unplanned pregnancy, STD’s, emotional trauma, social impacts, hindrance of plans for the future, and so on. He also understands the benefits of abstinence.

“Under the bold text With my full understanding of the above, I promise the following:” she pointed out, “in which he affirms, ‘I, Julio Estevez, pledge to abstain from sexual activity until marriage, for this is the only proven way to protect myself from unplanned pregnancy and STDs. I understand that violating the agreement will nullify it, as well as revoke privileges.’ Are you with me so far?”

Everyone in the room nodded ‘yes’.

“Continuing from there, he also agreed: ‘abstinence from alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use, as this will also result in negative consequences, including revocation of privileges.’

“Julio, the principals, some students, as well as his doctor, licensed counselor, and a notary, to make sure everything was true and correct, signed the document.”

He did a nervous double-take, his punishment soon to be executed, he thought. Then suddenly, another student came up from his position on the wall to address the small crowd. “But yesterday afternoon, however, this agreement was disregarded when, by one Pinkie ‘Diane’ Pie’s account, ‘Julio was laying on top of Rainbow Dash. He was tired and appeared to be taking a nap by the time I got there… I heard noises coming from that clearing’, among other details. Two other Equestrians inspected the site and found evidence of your little, uh, shall we say, ‘encounter’, and by that very fact, you, my friend, just violated your abstinence agreement.”

“That’s a lie… that’s a goddamn lie,” Julio mildly retorted. “Pinkie just assumed a couple things and then ‘boom’, you’ve got the lit match in the tinderbox.

“But it’s true,” the black student said. “One of the witnesses said that she smelled something very odd that was lingering around where you two were foolin’ around – “

“That could’ve been a guy spitting snuff in there…”

“There wasn’t no goddamn snuff within a mile of that place!”

“Stoners?” Julio attempted another excuse.

“I don’t think so.”

Rainbow tried calming him down. “How about you just say you’re sorry for screwing up and we can get to class, huh?”

“Not until he either signs a new contract or re-negotiates the old one,” Mrs. Gosling stated.

“Dammit.” Julio hung his head in shame once again.

“This young man over here,” Ms. Jackson pointed at another student who was standing just beyond the doorway, “has something to say.”

He began: “I happen to live right downstairs from where Julio and Ms. Dash are, and last night, I could have sworn hearin’ then going at it, there was shakin’ and moanin’ and groanin’ and everythin’.”

Mrs. Nyman stared Julio right in the face. “Is this true?”

“I used a condom, too, so there ain’t no chance we’re diseased or anything.”

The other white student gave his two bits. “But a condom isn’t as effective as you liberal folks like to think it is, it’s just a flimsy piece of rubber. And if I can make a suggestion here, can you stop being horny?”

“Stop ostracizing me!” Julio screamed. The neighbor of Julio’s continued as if nothing happened.

“…Because I know for a FACT that abstinence makes the heart grow fonder! And on a related note, how can she know you truly love her unless you abstain?”

Julio looked like he was about to strangle him. “Now THAT is the most retarded fuckin’ thing I have ever heard in my goddamn life!” he shouted. “You’re making me look like a complete idiot!”

“Why did you break your agreement like a complete idiot, then?”

“You know what? I’m not even going to say it, because I know you’ll just call me a man-whore and everything else,” Julio said, standing his ground. “Anything else?”

“Oh, do I have some words of advice for him,” the black student started up, inching towards Julio. He pauses where he is before roaring: “What the current situation requires is a bit of shutting your trap and a whole lot more of you KEEPING YOUR DICK IN YOUR PANTS, YA GUMBY MOTHAFUCKA!”

Julio was shocked. He honestly did not know what to say about this. The thoughts that coursed through his head: He’s probably gonna yell at Rainbow “put an aspirin between your legs and don’t let it drop!” or some bullshit like that… It was then that he regained a bit of his willpower and responded with:

“Excuse me, but did you just call me ‘gumby’?”

“Oh, pardon me for asking, but how am I possibly offending you when YOUR fat ass offended ME and all the other niggas at this school?”

“What are you talking about? I didn’t offend anybody!”

“I sit up here for eight hours a day LEARNING, and what the hell are you doing… sneaking out in the middle of the day to screw around with horses!”

“Okay, number one, they’re called ponies, and two, this ain’t none of your fucking business.”

There was an uncomfortable silence in the room. Mrs. Nyman started up again. “You promised us that you would abstain. And going by Pinkie’s observations as well as the physical evidence there, we believe Rainbow Dash was the one that broke you.”

“Oh, whoawhoawhoawhoawhoa… STOP,” Rainbow Dash interrupted. “I loved Julio, and I still do. As far as the ‘violation’ thing goes, I really couldn’t help it, I was in heat… I didn’t know about this contract - or the affair with Kelly for that matter… I just wanted somebody to comfort me… cool me down, if you will…” The mare was getting visibly flustered.

“I’ve heard some things about mares in heat,” the black student blurted out. “Some sick things.”

“And just what in God’s name do you have to say THIS time!?” Julio roared back.

“These mares, when they’re in heat, they want nothin’ but a dick in ‘em, and they’ll do whatever it takes to get that dick. And once they get ya, until they’re satisfied, all hell breaks loose. You’ll just be a vessel… to be used for self-gratification.”

“That’s sexual exploitation… sexual abuse,” Mrs. Nyman added.

“And add the fact that Ms. Dash is a pony, for heaven’s sake, and you have a recipe for emotional emptiness,” she concluded.

Ms. Jackson got up, stopped and then stood in front of Julio’s chair and said:

“Julio Marcus Estevez, for reasons of protecting health, safety, and well-being, you are hereby prohibited from having a romantic relationship with Rainbow Dash as well as pursuing this sort of relationship with any mares.”

He was shocked to the core. His heart was broken. It felt like, as Lewis Grizzard once said, they “tore my heart out and stomped that sucker flat”. Tears began to roll down his cheeks in little rivulets to the floor. Then, in a feat of Herculean strength, he pulled himself together in order to respond to the ban, which went something like this:

“Mrs. Nyman… Mrs. Gosling… Ms. Jackson… you three motherfuckers right over there, listen up. I have been restricted by the same extremist, close-minded, and downright evil indoctrination that I have lived by since I was in 6th grade. After all I’ve done for you, after all the shit I’ve been through over the course my life has taken… this. I get fed so much bullshit to the point where I can’t see straight, I’m ostracized by the same people I used to call my friends… Next, you let that black fucker right there address me using an ethnic slur like ‘gumby’, call me an ‘idiot’, a ‘dolt’, a ‘pest’, and shit like that… And now you want to control and regulate my love life… Let me just tell you right now…

“I AM DONE. I am fucking done!” I’ve dealt with you motherfuckers for four years… four years… I am done. And until you put your heads on, screw your heads on… don’t you even think about laying even one goddamn finger on me!”

“But it’s for your safety,” the black student tried to reason with him.

“But SHUT THE FUCK UP, you fuckin’ Negro son-of-a-bitch. I’m doing the talking here.”

“Excuse me, you were talking about people calling you bad words, and here you are doing the same thing?” Mrs. Gosling yelled before everybody else (with the exception of Rainbow Dash) started to shout at the top of their lungs.

“EVERYONE SHUT YOUR MOTHAFUCKIN’ ASS UP!”

The room was eerily silent for a few seconds once the initial shockwave passed. Before anyone could catch their breaths, however, Julio was already out of the counselor’s offices and down the hall towards the front offices.

Author's Note

Thankfully, I didn't have to work today (I will have to - tomorrow!), so I had time to update OaR for you, even though it was a smidgen short. I honestly don't like to keep my fans waiting three-four weeks to a month for a chapter, so I went ahead and got this up. I'm planning on starting ch3pt3 (which I may or may not amalgamate with this one into one big chapter) this weekend!

But in the meantime, enjoy! :)

~Sparkle Fire~