Shy

Chapters

Inauspicious Beginnings
In Good Company.
A Night Out, Part 1
A Night Out, Part 2
Of Rabbits
For Friendship
Dresses and Riddles
A Gala Affair, Part 1

Inauspicious Beginnings

The first time you see her, it doesn’t even seem like it’s anything special.

You’re heading home from campus, into the parking lot to find the threadbare car that is any student’s trusty steed, and she’s there by the bus stop.

She’s wearing a dull yellow sweater, ridiculously oversized for her, so that it covers her down to mid-thigh, with jeans under that. The sweater seems to hide almost everything about her, aside from the most striking bright blue eyes, only a hint of which can be seen behind a wealth of shining brown hair.

She looks a bit confused, and that’s the only reason you stop to talk.

‘Is everything alright?’ You ask, and she looks a bit startled, turning around to make sure you aren’t talking to anyone else. Had there been anyone else around, you’re reasonably sure that she would never respond, but since you could only be talking to her, she hesitates for a moment, and then speaks.

‘Er.. yes, I’m just not familiar with this area.’ She only barely looks up as she says it, and you catch a glimpse of those bright eyes before they fall back to her feet. That’s all, for a moment.

‘I’m... not really comfortable in new places.’ She finishes.

You smile at her, and she smiles back, a bit uncertainly.

‘It’s just the campus, there’s nothing scary here, I promise, at least during the day.’ For a moment she looks frightened, but when you laugh, she catches on, and smiles again. More certainly now.

‘If it helps, you can always use the security call buttons around everywhere.’ You point to one of the bright yellow poles with a light on top. ‘They set off the light and security will come right up to help.’

‘Oh!’ This is the first bit of excitement she shows, ‘Thank you.’ You’d swear that anyone else would be mocking you, but the amount of sincerity in her voice immediately rules it out.

‘I’m just waiting for my boyfriend.’ She says, ‘He told me to wait here for when he’d finished classes, and then he would come pick me up in the car, but it’s already been twenty minutes, and he hasn’t shown. I’m starting to get worried. I don’t really know how to get home from here, and everyone is new and it’s a bit frightening.’

The words spill out quickly. You get the sense she isn’t entirely used to engaging with people, but she sounds so genuine that it’s hard not to empathize with her. You smile again.

‘Would you like some company for a bit?’ You offer, ‘No pressure, but I’m in no hurry, and I could probably stand for a good deed today.’ It’s a genuine offer, no ulterior motives. You know some guys might use the circumstances to their advantage, but you’ve always found that a bit pathetic.

‘Um, ok. I guess that would be alright.’ She pauses, and then actually volunteers a smile, no hesitancy now. ‘You don’t seem so scary.’

‘I’m on vacation.’ You quip. She laughs this time.

She might have initially seemed apprehensive, but now that you’ve made clear you’re no harm, she turns out to be a good conversationalist. She’s definitely a bit shy, but she genuinely seems interested in everything you have to say, even though it’s just stories to keep her entertained. She doesn't volunteer much, but given the fact that you’re a stranger, that’s not surprising, and you never press.

After a few minutes, she looks around and something catches her eye.

‘Oh! That’s his car.’ She points to a bright red, older model sports car. The exact kind of vehicle someone who wanted to look rich would drive, you think, but don’t say. You've never met the guy, no sense in judging him.

‘Alright, I’ll see you around some time.’ You say, and wave to her.

‘I hope so!’ again, completely genuine, and she waves back, ‘Thanks for the company!’

You turn and walk away. Maybe you’d never see the girl again, but even so, her genuine enthusiasm and positivity seem to have improved your day. You dig in your pocket for your car keys and head to where you parked, enjoying a fine sunny day with a good deed done, as the red car pulls up to the curb and a door opens.

‘Who’s he?’ You hear the abrasive voice call out, and for a second, you hope that it isn’t the guy in the red car, but somehow, you already know it is. You can’t hear her response, but you can tell he isn’t too pleased with it.

He’d have to be the jealous type.

You sigh. You’d like to point out that you’re no one, just being friendly, but it’s not like stepping back into that conversation would have any positive effect. Best to just stay out of it.

‘You just go around chatting up random guys as soon as my back is turned?’ A pause ‘What do you mean you ‘don’t know him’ you were just talking to him!’

You grit your teeth. Staying out is the best course, but definitely not the most pleasant one. You get to your car and open the door, preparing to step in when you hear the unmistakable sound of a loud slap. You turn around.

The guy is standing outside of his red car with the door open, and he’s holding one of her arms with an iron grip, but she’s turned away, staring at the ground. He raises his hand again.

‘Now who is this guy, huh? You tell me the truth now!’

You still can’t hear anything she’s said, but you’re moving back towards them. The pace is set, determined. He slaps her again just before you reach them, and she falls to the ground.

You’re not, by nature, a violent person, but you came from the country and your mama taught you what was right, and this ain’t it.

You only hit him the once, but once was probably enough, with the way your fist catches him just under the chin and splays him out on the ground, unconscious. A lesser man in that kind of anger might have hit him again, but you reign your temper back in. You hear someone calling in security on the emergency poles, but don’t pay any attention as you look back to her.
She’s got tears in her eyes, and a bright red mark on one side of her face. The giant yellow sweater is torn open, and you can see bruises on her upper arms, not fresh, but older. You can feel the muscles in your jaw work, but you’re not trying to grind your teeth. You let out a controlled breath and look to her.

‘Are you ok?’ You ask, but before she answers, you can’t help but follow, ‘I’m really sorry about this, I just… don’t take well to that sort of behaviour.’

‘I’m ok. I think. I guess.’ She says, a bit shocked. ‘But it’s ok.’ She doesn’t hesitate with the last part. She curls up in a ball after that, her arms around her knees, holding the sweater to her, and pointedly not looking at him. You lean against the car and let out another breath. So much for a good day, you concede – not that you’d want to have done anything differently, except maybe getting there earlier.

Security doesn’t take long to arrive. Fortunately, the now-unconscious man’s statements had been audible to everyone around, well outside the car park, and there are more than a few people that are willing to back up what you did.
They talk to her a bit longer, and she explains exactly what took place. The bruises on her arms seem to affect the security guards as much as they do you. That, and the fact that everyone else supported the story seems to mollify them. They still note you up for an assault, but one of them pats you on the shoulder anyway, and says that you’ve got a textbook case of self-defense in favour of another, and that they’ll attest to it.

An ambulance arrives and takes the unconscious man away, security finishes their questions, and shortly everything returns back to a semblance of normalcy.

Except she’s still standing there, but now in a torn sweater with her face hidden entirely behind her hair. She turned down a ride to the hospital, saying she was fine, and the paramedics gave her the ok. It seemed pretty obvious that she didn’t want to go anywhere with that guy.

You walk up to her again.

‘Um. Do you want me to call you a cab? I know you said you don’t really know where you are, but you can give them your address, and they’ll know where to go.’

She shakes her head, bright blue eyes rimmed in red now.

‘I really don’t want to have to deal with new people right now. I’m… um, not good with them at the best of times, and this... isn’t exactly… the best of times.’ She sniffs. ‘Could I… would it be too much trouble if you gave me a ride?’

You’re a bit surprised, given the bout of violence just before, but you certainly couldn’t turn her down like this, so you nod your assent and direct her to your car, opening the door for her.

‘You’ll have to excuse the mess.’ You joke and she smiles weakly, but really, it’s not that bad, just books and old clothes. A clean sweater sits folded in the back, and you see her staring at it, holding the tatters of her own sweater together with still slightly shaking hands.

‘Take it, I never wear it anyway.’ That’s a minor lie, but she probably needs it more than you do right now. Besides, it’s fall, you’ll be fine.

The drive isn’t so bad. She directs you on a main road out and relaxes more and more as you move away from the city. By the time you hit farmland, she start to take on a certain serenity. There still isn’t much conversation, but she loses some of the tension and discomfort.

She’s clearly not a city girl, you think, and that’s only solidified when she directs you down a long gravel driveway, which leads up to an old house with a dozen pens and a small barn behind it. The sign says that it’s a shelter for animals, and judging from the pens, this is not limited to standard domestic fare, but when she gets out of the car and just pats an animal –is that a wolf?!- on the head, you realize this is more where she belongs. You see her to the door, just out of old-fashioned courtesy, but it doesn’t bother her.

‘Listen,’ you say, ‘I’m not trying to be forward here, but here’s my number, if you need anything, or have any kind of… trouble.’ You don’t have to mention the guy in the red car, but you can tell she understands. She accepts the number as well, and you can tell that she knows you’re not trying to hit on her. Something in those eyes just tells you she’d know.

‘Thank you so much.’ She says, ‘I’ll call you if I need anything, I promise.’

And you know she will, she’s not the kind to use empty words.

‘Oh, you must think I’m so rude, I haven’t introduced myself after all of that.’

You’re not quite sure where she’d get that opinion, given the way the day has gone so far, but she says it with such sincerity, you find you can’t interject.

‘My name is Cheyenne, but everyone just calls me Shy.’

In Good Company.

She does call. Just like she said she would.

It’s not just a courtesy on her part either. You’re not quite sure how she managed with all those animals before, but after the first call, you find yourself hauling bags of feed down once or twice a week. It’s not really a big trouble for you anyway, the cost of gas is high, but the company is pleasant, and it’s definitely a good thing to get out of the city once in a while.

Out at her shelter, everything just seems more pleasant. That serenity just seems to exude from her as she goes around to the animals. Everyone one of them has a name, too, you learn, and she talks to them all as she goes, never condescending, and not baby-talk, but genuine discussions, if a bit one-sided.

Despite that, it really seems to work. All the animals are docile as can be when she comes around, and she handles the wolf –yes, it was an actual wolf- in the front pen with the same love as the red-tailed hawk with a broken wing. They’re not pets, she says, they’re wild, delivered to her by concerned people who found them, but with the way that wolf wags its tail when she comes near, you find it a bit hard to believe.

That’s not to say she doesn’t have pets, of course; there are cats, rats, dogs, frogs, birds, turtles and a particularly mischievous rabbit living inside the main structure of the house with her.

It’s not even really a house, just a bedroom, a bathroom and a kitchen, all surrounding one large room that is dominated by her adoring pets.

It’s pretty easy to see why she wasn’t comfortable in the city. Why would she have any need to go there when she’s got all the attention she could possibly need here?

That’s not to say that she ignores you, either. She insists on coming with you to get the food (‘it’s not that I don’t trust you,’ she says, her heart in her eyes, ‘but if something went wrong and one of them got sick, I’d just die!’) and comes out of the front door as you’re coming down the driveway, wearing another one of those over-sized faded yellow sweaters. She pays for the gas, and she’s always asking about how your week has been going.

You’re quite honestly sure you’ve never met anyone so excited in making sure everyone around them is happy, but honestly, who doesn’t need more of that in their life?

Once the food has been obtained from a particular old man who greets her with a delighted hug and you with suspicious eye, and after she’s thanked him profusely again and again, you pile back into the car and make the trip back.

At first, you just saw her home and went back to the city, (after she’d thanked you profusely again and again) but after a few visits, you decided to see the animals too, and she was glad to show each and every one of them to you, each with a formal introduction, and the occasional admonishment for them to be nice to you, with an aside on your part that they’re just not used to strangers.

Compared to the complexity of school and life in the city, it’s not hard to see why you find yourself looking forward to the visits more and more. Life is busy, and often difficult, but at the shelter, things are always positive, even when things aren’t going well.

Shy is, of course, not bothered by you spending more time there. She’s just as happy to have human company, on her terms, as she is for another animal to join the group.

You know this because she tells you that herself, and when she looks at you with those big blue eyes, you’re somehow sure that she’d never mislead you. So, you come down more. You even start to get to know the animals, although she still insists on coming down to get the food.

Eventually you meet some of her other friends as well.

First is Danni, who roars up the driveway on a bright blue motorcycle, and only becomes slightly quieter once off. She’s a short girl, though densely packed with muscles, and an attitude that screams before she even opens her mouth; she has a Mohawk and wears a leather jacket that looks at least as old as she is, with jeans worn through in places. The only thing that seems new and clean is the bike.

Then, when she does talk, it’s hard to believe that she and Shy are even friends. Where Shy is quiet and unassuming, Danni’s always shouting and laughing loudly. She greets Shy with a crushing hug at the door and ditches her helmet onto a nearby chair, sending a couple cats fleeing.

You’d think that there was nothing the two girls had in common, but Danni engages each of the pets with the same enthusiasm as she’s shown everything else, even getting into a wrestling match with a rambunctious St. Bernard. Shy watches with an indulgent smile; clearly this is not anything out of the ordinary.

Finally, Danni greets an old tortoise with a fond pat, noting to you, ‘This one’s mine, but the landlord won’t let him stay with me.’

You take that as a greeting. You’re not really sure how else you could take it.

It’s only then, once she sits down on one of the kitchen stools and puts her feet up on the table (despite the tight-lipped grunt of disapproval from Shy, met with an irreverent grin) that she chooses to consider you as anything of interest.
Despite the fact that you’d stand head and shoulders above her, she looks you up and down with an obvious challenge.
‘So you’re another one of Shy’s strays, huh?’

Shy steps in, blushing and tries to apologise for her, but you’re already in on it. Danni’s expression makes it clear that Shy’s reaction is the only reason she said anything in the first place, so you just laugh.

‘Don’t worry, Shy, it’ll take more than that to hurt my feelings.’ You tell her, and she relaxes, slightly.

‘I grew up with Danni,’ she explains, but you’d already put that together, there aren’t too many other ways a girl with Shy’s habits could meet someone like this. ‘We were in the same elementary schools, the same summer camps, everything.’

‘Someone had to make sure Shy left the house,’ Danni cuts in, ‘and to make sure that she didn’t come home with every wild animal she met.’

‘I didn’t try to take home every wild animal.’ Shy objects, ‘just the ones that needed a little help.’

‘Suuuuuuuure,’ Danni says, sarcasm heavy in her voice, and Shy grumbles under her breath again. This seems to be a long-standing game between the two.

‘Honestly, though, Shy helped a lot more than just the animals growing up, you know? I figure I owe her at least a few visits every month to make sure she still talks to people sometimes.’ That much, at least, seems to be serious.

‘Now, if I can only convince her to come to town a little more often. I never liked that guy you were with, but at least he managed to get you out of here every once in a while.’

Danni seems to note that the guy hasn’t been around much, but is astute enough to tell from the looks on both your faces that it’s not a point worth discussing.

‘Hmph. All I’m saying is that I’ll go and team up with Rae to get you out again if I have to. I’m dead serious.’

Rae is the other girl Shy sees on a semi-regular basis, if only because she’s a neighbour. Although, she owns a fashion shop in town, she does most of her actual design work at home, and breaks for creative re-energizing frequently find their way to Shy’s kitchen, fluffy white cat in tow.

She’s the complete opposite of Danni in appearance and demeanour, however. Where Danni is short, rough and crude, Rae is a tall, refined woman of dark skin, but with a slightly British accent. Her clothing, even while working, is almost a work of art, and her hair, so dark and shining it seems almost purple in the light, is made up artfully.

Despite what would seem her likely distaste for the filth of the animals – and Danni, when they met – she seems to enjoy Shy’s home and company, and though she might come across as unapproachable, she’s anything but.

The first time you meet her, she takes one look at you, measuring in her mind (whether as part of her employment, or just as a person, you can’t tell) and then, having apparently made a decision, sets about in her most charming attitude.

In a few minutes, she’s sharing stories as if you’d known her your whole life.

‘And so Shy is there, being pushed around by this horrible big-city photographer, feeling about as miserable as she could but doing it anyway, just for me, and I have the audacity to resent her for the fame.’ Shy’s eyes are on the floor, a rosy blush on her cheeks, but Rae puts a hand on her arm reassuringly.

‘I felt so dreadful at the end of it. I can’t believe I was so short-sighted.

Frankly, you’re a little surprised at the idea of Shy wearing high fashion. This from the girl who wears enormous sweaters as if it was a religious commandment?

‘Rae wanted a model, and I’m always right next door. It certainly wasn’t a bother to me.’ Shy explains, cheeks still red.

‘Oh nonsense, dear,’ Rae interrupts, ‘She’s always willing to do anything for anyone that asks. She can’t seem to say no. It’s more than that though, isn’t it?’ She gives Shy a penetrating stare, which Shy can only meet for a moment, but Rae just throws her hands in the air.

‘I’m trying to get her to just admit that she’s just about the most wonderful creature I’ve ever seen, but she won’t!’ She declares to you. Wisely, you keep silent. Shy’s face burns.

‘Oh, I’m sorry, dear, I’ll stop in front of the company, but really, I’ve never seen anyone so… so… graceful, so stunning’
Shy’s face now resembles a tomato, and Rae laughs a charming slivery laugh, and then goes back to fetch more tea, directing the conversation elsewhere.

It’s only after you’ve left that you realize you barely had the chance to say anything in the whole conversation.

Mostly though, it’s just Shy and the animals around the shelter, and with the quiet, sincere girl comes a serenity that you just don’t think you’ve ever felt before.

She doesn’t call much anymore, but she really doesn’t need to, you’re usually already there.

A Night Out, Part 1

Danni is as good as her word.

It isn’t too much longer before she and Rae are both trying to convince her for a night out. Shy might be able to resist the demands of one of them, maybe, but both? Not a chance.

‘Come on, darling, you’ve been up here for weeks, you need a little more human contact, some socializing, just for a bit.’ Rae’s tone is wheedling, but firm.

‘Yeah, I’ve already convinced my roommate to join us, you’ll like her, she’s about as much of a shut-in as you are.’ Danni provides, somewhat unhelpfully.

Shy looks to you for support, and you open your mouth before both of the other two shoot you a look. You know that sort of look; it’s the one your mother gave when you were on dangerously thin ice with her. You close your mouth and give Shy an expression of apology.

Shy’s shoulders slump, Danni grins.

‘Fine.’ she agrees, and Danni cheers.

‘Night out, woo!’ You hide a smile, but Danni will have none of that, ‘Don’t think you’re getting out of this one, buddy. If I can force her to get out, you’ll be no trouble.’

Again you open your mouth, but this time it’s Shy who gives you a look. This one is more similar to the one she gives to misbehaving animals around the shelter. It is not a look that can be argued with.

‘I immediately concede in the face of overwhelming tactical superiority.’ You say quickly, throwing your hands up in surrender. Shy smiles reassuringly.

‘Whatever makes you happy, dear.’ Rae chimes in.

You’ve been out before, and certainly with worse company. It won’t be that bad.

After heading back to your apartment, and with a brief thought as to the last time you spent any considerable period of time there, you grab some slightly better clothes and head back up to Shy’s house to pick her up. Rae’s there as well.

‘I could certainly take my own car, but every time we go out, Danni insists on trying to make me keep up with her, and even though it never works, I generally feel that I probably shouldn’t drive myself home. I do hope that’s not too much trouble, given that you’ll already be here to drop Shy off, yes?’

In other words, she’s keeping an eye on you, and you’re not to be doing anything remotely inappropriate. Not that you really had plans for anything like that, but Rae definitely seems like the type to make sure that everything is within her control.
She then disappears inside for those ‘finishing touches’ that women inevitably seem to feel necessary for going out, although privately you suspect much of it is bullying Shy into not wearing one of her sweaters.

You’re proven correct when Shy is pushed out the front door in a pastel yellow sundress, with a classically denim jacket over it. Her face, of course, is embarrassed, but that’s probably for the better, because you’d really rather not be caught staring.
Sure, you knew that she was pretty; you’d seen that the first time you’d met her on campus, and when you helped out around the farm, it was hard not to notice the natural grace she had when she moved, but she’d always had it hidden behind those giant sweaters. Evidently that was the point. Seeing her now, like this, she wasn’t merely pretty, she was stunning, beautiful. Everything Rae had said when you’d first met was definitely true; maybe it didn’t even fully express the point.
Then Rae final convinced her to get out the door and down to the driveway, where the car was parked.

Flashing a smile at Shy, you open the door with a bow, she smiles back and gets in, that same grace now so obvious.
‘A proper gentleman, well I never.’ Rae exclaims in mock surprise when you repeat the treatment for her, and then get in the front.

‘It looks like I’ll be chauffeuring you around tonight.’ You say to the two as you back out. ‘I’m afraid my limo is in the shop, so we’re a bit short on snacks and entertainment. Also, my radio and air conditioning are broken. Best I can do, really, is point out that I did clean the car, and also that the windows work.’

‘It’s very nice, thank you.’ Shy says.

‘Well I can’t say I wouldn’t prefer the limo,’ Rae interjects, ‘but under the circumstances, we couldn’t ask for better.’

Driving down the road isn’t too bad. It’s fall now, so the sun sets a pretty colour to the farmlands, and with the windows open just a crack, the air smells faintly of hay and wet leaves. A better time of year there never was.

Moving into the city, things are still pleasant, but Danni’s directions leave much to be desired. Not oly is the map unclear as to which way is north, her hand-writing is nearly incomprehensible. Fortunately, by the time you get within a few streets, Rae points out her familiarity (and distaste) with the particular bar that Danni’s chosen, and manages to point you to a nearby parking lot.

Spotting Danni’s powder blue motorcycle, you pull in besides it, and then help the ladies out.

Rae immediately heads for the doors, setting her shoulders like a woman going to war, but Shy hesitates to exit the vehicle and then just stands there.

‘You ok?’ You ask.

‘I don’t really do well with new people.’ She says, holding the jacket around her and looking down. The same thing she’d said the first time you met. You nod.

‘I know, but they’re right, it is good to get out every so often. New people is the only way to make new friends, right?’
She nods, but doesn’t move.

‘Don’t worry, I drove you in here, so if we stay a bit and you really can’t do it, I’ll take you home, no matter what Danni says, ok?’

‘You will?’ It sounds like she’d never even considered the possibility, and her heart goes to her eyes.

‘Of course I will, it’s nothing but a little time and gas. I can come back and get Rae after, or just leave her money for a cab, no big deal.’

‘Danni’ll get mad.’ Shy warns. You grin.

‘Don’t worry, I think I can take her. Maybe.’

Shy laughs at that, and you can see she’s relaxed. You continue the act of the classic gentleman and offer her your arm, which she takes as you head in.

The bar itself is not exactly the best around. It’s got a very old-fashioned design, with a low roof, wooden beams exposed, and worn wooden flooring. Still, it doesn’t smell terrible, and everyone inside seems to be having a good time, so it passes muster with you. Shy shrinks beside you, but Danni sees you at the door and ushers the two of you over. With a reassuring smile, you go in.

The tables are high-set, with tall chairs beside them. Danni’s already got a beer and something that looks fried, cheesy and appalling, while Rae is inspecting a beverage that Danni apparently ordered for her, but won’t inform her of its contents.
The third member at the table is a bespectacled girl with long, dark hair with a stripe of pink. She appears to be of East Asian descent, and is wearing a blouse and knee length skirt. She, too, is inspecting a drink that Danni procured with some suspicion, but turns to the two of you as you sit.

‘Hi, Danni told me that there’d be some strangers tonight.’ She speaks with the sense of someone who’s practiced these words, and you get the sense she’s the kind that deliberates carefully on everything. Still, her smile and offer to shake hands are sincere enough, so you take the proffered hand and introduce yourself. Shy mumbles her name also, but it’s almost lost in the din of the crowded bar, and you can tell the girl didn’t catch it.

‘That’s Shy,’ Danni announces, following it with a load belch and then looking very pleased with the look on Rae’s face.
The new girl nods in recognition, appearing to commit the names to memory.

‘I’m Tara,’ she says, ‘It’s very nice to meet both of you.’

‘But that’s not your real name, is it?’ Danny interjects, clearly having waited some time for this. Tara gives her a dirty look, but Rae looks confused, so Tara sighs again.

‘It’s the name I chose to use here, because people have a lot of trouble with the name my parents gave me. They’re both quite traditional.’

Rae seems pleased with that, and takes a tentative sip of the drink, but Danni will not be deterred.

‘And precisely what is that name?’ she asks Tara intently.

Tara looks down now, and Shy, of all people, breaks in.

‘Maybe you shouldn’t push her so much, Danni, it’s her name, not yours.’ But the look from Danni silences her again.

‘Come on, tell ‘em what your name is.’

Tara sighs again, and repeats a string of syllables, poetic, but incomprehensible to you.

Danni can barely contain herself now, but you, Rae and Shy just look confused.

‘And what does that mean in English?’ Danni pushes, ready for the punch-line.

Tara gives one final sigh of resignation, and rolls her eyes.

‘Twilight Sparkle. She wants me to tell you my name is Twilight Sparkle.’

This is too much for Danni, and she bursts into laughter, loud even in the crowded bar, and almost falls out of her chair. Rae gives her a look of distaste, and you smile your forgiveness to Tara, but Shy just stares at her, eyes wide.

‘That’s beautiful!’ She exclaims, this time at an audible level. That brings Danni up short.

‘Oh come on, no one is laughed? No one is laughing at Twilight here?’ She sighs, loudly, ‘you’re all squares, you know that?’
‘Well, maybe some of us have better taste,’ Rae says with a disdainful sniff, ‘Which brings me to that abomination that you’ve brought to the table.’

‘It’s the fries supreme,’ Danni grins, ‘You sure you don’t want any?’ She waves the cheesy food in Rae’s face while the taller girl suppresses a gag.

‘You sure you can handle that thing, Danni?’ You step in, deciding it might be time to try your luck. ‘That things gotta have at least a couple thousand calories. That’s a lot of time at the gym to make it up.’

Danni’s façade seems to shift for just a second. Vanity is an odd weakness, but one we all have. Might as well start there. You think might have made a point, but then she’s back to laughing again.

‘It’s a cheat day, might as well go whole hog, eh?’ This time offering you some, but still looking surprised when you take it. Not quite a total victory, but some surprise is good.

Meanwhile, Shy and Tara have become engrossed in a discussion of the naming habits of her family. Tara explaining as though she might give an exam at the end, and Shy following with absolute interest.

‘Well, my brother’s name is ‘Glorious warrior in Shining Armour,’ but he hasn’t been in the area for a long time, and then my cousin lives with me and Danni. His name is ‘Little Dragon,’ but everyone calls him-‘

‘You talking about Spike?’ Danni cuts in, and Tara takes another deep breath.

‘As I was saying, everyone calls him Spike, despite what his real name is.’ She gives a small glare to Danni.

‘Spike’s a good kid, knows how to have a laugh. It’s you who needs to lighten up, Twilight.’ Danni flags down the waitress, and orders something.

You can see Tara grit her teeth, but Shy’s already got this well in hand.

‘Don’t worry about Danni, it’s just her way of showing how she likes people. She’s very afraid to just admit it. I can already tell she likes you a lot.’

‘Really?’ Tara asks, ‘ Because all she normally does is harass me.’

‘Mhm,’ Shy nods with a smile. ‘That’s why I can tell she likes you a lot. Just watch, she has a way of showing it all her own.’
With that, the waitress returns and sets down two more drinks, besides the untouched concoctions in front of Rae and Tara. This appears to be no mean feat, given that the pretty blond with the drinks has eyes that go off in two directions, but with a charming smile, she turns and head back to the kitchen, no incident at all.

‘Aha, time for me to show my special power, I think.’ Danni announces with some drama. She then points, one by one.

‘Rae, cosmopolitan to start.’

‘Twilight Sparkle, gin and tonic, though you’d never let anyone know.’

‘Shy, long island iced tea, but only because I won’t let you out here with a Shirley temple.’

Finally, she points to you.

‘Root beer, because you’re the DD, otherwise, jack and coke.’

She smiles and sits back, admiring her handiwork.

‘Well?’ she asks. No one says anything for a moment, they just take the drinks. Danni’s dead on.

‘See,’ Shy says to Tara, ‘I told you she has a way of showing it.’

A Night Out, Part 2

The evening moves on as most of these nights do. You get to know Tara a little bit, though it’s Shy who gives the new girl her complete attention. You get the feeling Tara doesn’t mind lecturing anyway, and Shy’s absolutely enthralled. It’s a good match.

You turn back to Rae and Danni.

True to her word, Danni’s already sneaking other drinks in for Rae, who, for some reason, absolutely refuses to back down. Then again, the way she throws back scotch speaks of sterner things than just a socialite butterfly.

You look to the bar. It seems better than it had when you came in. The place is rowdy, but no one seems to be in a bad mood. It’s all younger people, out to have a good time. Some of them keep patting the waitress a bit fondly, but other than that, there’s nothing to complain about.

Eventually, Danni orders for everyone again, and you get the suspicion that this is some kind of test of friendship for Danni. Even though she’s muscular, Danni looks like she’s got to be the smallest of the four girls, but she clearly knows how to handle her liquor. You’re suddenly very glad you’re the designated driver. Then again, the look in her eye says that it’s just a matter of time. Oh well, your apartment’s not too far away.

Shy’s already looking a bit done in. You asked if she was still having fun earlier, and she responded overwhelmingly in the positive, but now, she’s red-faced and almost glowing.

‘I have to say,’ She announces, a bit blearily, ‘ I appreciate that you made me come out tonight, Danni. And also Rae.’ She smiles a bit dimly. ‘And Tara. I’m glad to meet you. It’s such a shame that I won’t be able to see you much anymore.’
The last part dims the mood slightly.

‘Whatever do you mean, darling?’ Rae asks, her own words only slurring slightly. She’s putting up the fight Danni’s looking for.

‘Well, the shelter’s almost out of money, I’m going to have to sell it soon, and then move… well, somewhere else, I guess.’
She stops suddenly, as if only now realizing what she’s saying.

‘I wasn’t supposed to say that.’ She announces out loud, looking suddenly terrified. Everyone stares at her. ‘Please forget I said that.’

‘Why would we forget it?’ Danni asks, incredulous, ‘You can’t just drop that on us and expect us to forget it.’

‘I just don’t want to be any trouble, I know we were all having such a good time and I don’t want to stop it, and I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to ruin everyone’s night.’ All of this comes out of Shy’s mouth in a quick stream of syllables, and she pulls the jacket closer to her, as if trying to disappear.

‘What? No, darling, no. We’re not upset about that. If anything we’re upset about the news.’ Rae consoles, her hand on Shy’s arm.

‘Well, I’m sorry for that too. I think I would like to go home, please.’ She looks to you now.
‘I can’t believe I let you pay for gas!’ You exclaim, ‘Shy, I can afford these trips just fine by myself, why didn’t you say something?’

‘I just… didn’t want to be any trouble. I’m really sorry everyone. I’m so sorry, can I please go?’ She looks as though she wishes she could just disappear.

‘Well, how much do you need?’ Tara asks, ‘maybe if we can figure that out, we can find a solution to the problem?’
‘Oh no, I couldn’t ask that of you.’

‘You couldn’t ask, but I’ll make you tell if you try and sneak out of here without telling us.’ Danni’s forceful, but she sounds more worried than anything. She said Shy’d really helped her out earlier, but apparently that was an understatement.
‘Well, I need a few thousand dollars a month, but I could get by on less. I’ll start eating cheaper, I have a garden, and I could sell off some of my things, I have jewellery, and I never wear it.’

‘Nonsense you will.’ Rae announces, ‘I’ll help pay for your food myself. I’d offer more, but I think we need a more permanent solution.’

‘I’ll help however I can too,’ you agree, ‘I don’t have a lot of money, but I can help get food and I’ll still make the pickups for feed for the animals.’

‘Well, now that we’ve defined the problem, we need a solution. Something to bring in donations, maybe?’ Tara suggests, ‘this could count as a charity deduction for tax purposes, so that helps.’

‘Wait, this is a charity?’ Danni looks surprised, clearly she never considered that. ‘I know what to do,’ she declares, grinning. ‘There’s a huge motorcycle race held every year, and all the proceeds from tickets and entry go to the charity of the winner’s choice. It’s been hundreds of thousands of dollars before.’

‘Oh no, you couldn’t give me that, there are people who deserve it so much more. I’ll find someth-‘

‘You need it now.’ Danni says, ‘And that’s final. If you get the money just once, you could keep going for years!’
She frowns. ‘But the race isn’t for six months, and entry is a thousand dollars. I don’t have that kind of money.’

‘I do,’ Rae declares, and pulls out her chequebook. She scribbles out a cheque quickly, and hands it to Danni, then stops for a moment, and write a second.

‘I’ll enter the race myself as well. I’ve got a motorcycle from my parents that I haven’t ridden in a few years, but I might as well make an attempt as well.’

Danni looks like she wants to make a joke, but, with some effort, she swallows it. Shy looks like she’s about to cry, whether from happiness, all the attention, or just the half dozen long island iced teas she’s had, you can’t tell.

‘Thank you, thank you so much.’ Is all she manages to get out, ‘but I’m not sure I can wait that long.’

‘Ah,’ You say, scratching your chin, ‘I think I have an idea. There’s a girl around campus who’s supposed to be a bit of a fiend when it comes to parties. I’ve met her a few times, and this sounds like exactly her idea of a worthy cause.’

‘It does?’ Shy asks.

'I know who you're talking about, and it definitely does’ Tara agrees, ‘this, a birthday, not a birthday. Di throws a party for every event she can think of.’ She purses her lips, ‘That said, I’ve never heard anyone turn one of those fête’s down, and she’ll do it just for the fun. It’s probably a good idea.’

‘Tara and I’ll hunt Di down this week, and see what we can do. If what I’ve heard about her is true, she can have a whole soirée set up in a few days, with a lot of attendees. We can get the money from that to keep you going for a bit.’

This time, Shy does cry, at first just a little, but then more.

‘I’m so glad you dragged me out tonight.’ She says, going around the table to clutch Danni in a desperate hug. Danni pats her on the shoulder, looking a bit awkward.

‘It’s what any of us would do for a friend.’ She says.

The night gets back underway after that. Danni covers for her embarrassment by another round of drinks, which Tara tries, unsuccessfully, to beg off (‘I have sooo much studying to do in the morning!’), and Shy goes quiet for a while, probably exhausted from the brief bout of audible speech.

You go back to watching the bar. It’s getting late, and people are starting to get rambunctious. It’s the inevitable transition of a good night out for college types. First comes the laughter, then the singing and if they’re drinking enough, inevitably someone starts a fight.

You can see they’re getting ready for it. The mischievous, if inappropriate taps on the waitress are getting worse, and before long there’s a few guys who’ve got her cornered, breathing stinking beer breath in her face as she tries to find an appropriate way to let them down.

‘Get lost, ya losers.’ Danni announces, stepping right into the midst of it, ‘DeDe’s gotta take orders, and you’ve got no chance anyway.’

You try to get there earlier and pull Danni out, but it’s no use, she’s right in the middle. She’s had a lot to drink, but she still looks steady on her feet, though belligerent.

Oh boy, this is not going to go well, you think.

‘Why, is this one your girlfriend, Daniel?’ One of them says with a sneer.

Danni’s already winding up a fist when a voice cuts out over top in a deep southern drawl.

‘Y’all better clear out before I clear you out, one at a time.’ The girl steps in. She’s wearing a black shirt with the bar’s name across the front, under a long-sleeved button up shirt tied around the waist, and an honest to god leather Stetson cowboy hat. If she was chewing on a piece of long-grass, you wouldn’t find it any harder to believe.

She’s tall, and looks about as well built as anyone, and the look on her face goes to match, despite the straw-blonde hair and freckles. Her threat does not come across as empty.

‘Like I said,’ she repeats in that slow drawl, ‘Y’all better settle this peacefully, before I settle it quickly.’
Danni looks at the bouncer and throws her hands up.

‘You got no problem with me, AJ, I’m just here to keep ‘em honest.’

AJ grunts, and then looks at the boys. None of them can hold that glare for long, and slowly, they each turn and shuffle on. The waitress, DeDe, shoots a graceful look to Danni, (well, with one eye), and then gets back to work.

Danni shuffles back to the table, and AJ follows.

‘You just can’t stay outta trouble, can you?’ The blonde says, smiling now.

‘Wouldn’t know what to do if I was,’ Danni shoots back, and then points her out to the table.

‘Everyone, this is Allison Jean Apple, she’s the bouncer here.’

‘Just AJ, please.’ She says, tipping her hat.

‘Oh!’ Rae looks a bit surprised, but again, it could be the amount of alcohol. ‘I already know you, I should think. You own the farm adjacent to me and Shy here, and your sister is friends with mine, Belle?’

‘Oh, that’d make you Rae, then, yeah.’ She says, shaking hands, ‘I gotta say, you don’t look anything like the priss Abby says you are.’

‘Well I never!’ Rae announces, but Danni laughs. It’s clear why she and the blonde are friends.

AJ apologises with a quick laugh, but gives the table a serious look.

‘I don’t want to be too demandin’, but I think it’s high time you take your leave. Those fellas are looking for a fight tonight, and they already know Danni’ll give em one, but I don’t think the rest of your party is right set up for it.’ She blinks, ‘Actually, it looks like half you are already KO’d.’

It’s true. You didn’t notice, but at some point, but Tara’s in her arms in the table, and Shy’s leaning against you gently. You barely even noticed the weight.

You nod. ‘You’re probably right, Danni and I are already gonna have to carry one each. Better not make it more.’

You sling Shy’s arm over one shoulder, and Danni does the same for Tara, and make your way to the door. AJ offers an arm to Rae, who sniffs and looks away, and then purposefully walks to the door, stumbling only slightly.

AJ opens the door for the group and you all head to the parking lot where the car was.

You’re opening the door when you hear them.

It’s the same three that were harassing the waitress. They all look a bit bleary-eyed, and they all have a miserable grin on their faces. Time for fun, it says.

Perfect, you think, and it was all going so well. At least AJ’s still there, maybe she can talk some sense into them.
You close the car door, putting Shy in the front seat, and turn around.

‘Come on, Danny, no threats now? Where’s your big mouth?’

Danni shouts back a curse, and Rae, leaning against the trunk, covers her mouth in shock. The drunk looks taken aback, and even you wince. Danni’s got quite the command of the language.

The drunk takes a swing at Danni, who dodges and gets ready to throw a punch before AJ pulls her back.
Rae steps up to the goon.

‘Get out of here, you filthy brutes. You’ve ruined quite enough of our evening.’ She says it with all the authority she can muster, but the drunkard just stares at her.

‘Well, hey, why don’t spend a little more time with us, pretty girl.’ He leers at her, ‘or is Daniel here more your type?’

Rae looks the man full in the face, and then slaps him solidly.

‘I should think she might have to be, if you’re the best there is to offer around here.’ And then she turns to stalk back to the car.

He’s about to follow her, and you start to think there’s going to be a general brawl from the way AJ has to hold Danni back, and then another figure appears.

This one is enormous, a mountain of a man, standing head and shoulders above everyone, muscles obvious beneath his own shirt. For a second you’re worried, but then the street light catches his face.

Straw-blond hair, freckles, and a resemblance that couldn’t just be coincidental.

‘Oh, hey Mac.’ AJ says with a deliberately easy tone.

Mac. You’ve heard that name before. He’s the hero of campus, a dozen different awards in his name for sports. Normally people make a joke about being named Mac Apple, but that quickly faded to being known as the ‘Mack Truck,’ on the football team.

Seeing him now, the name seems appropriate.

The drunks turn around and see Mack bearing down on them, and despite the easy smile on his face, all the fight goes out of them.

‘We were just… uh… uh…’ One of them stammers.

‘Leavin’?’ AJ supplies.

‘Yeah, we’ll go. Sorry AJ, sorry Mac.’

They scatter. You let out a breath, and take a look at Shy. She’s still asleep in the front seat. You’re glad for that, the violence when you first met really seemed to take its toll on her. In the back seat, Rae and Tara are also completely out now.
You walk over to Mac and AJ, who’s now holding Danni up from falling asleep herself. The blond siblings both give you the same relaxed grin.

‘Hey, thanks AJ, and you too, Mac. I’ve heard of you, and I have to say, you live up to the name.’

‘Yup.’ He smiles, and offers a hand. You shake.

‘I think it’s high time this night comes to an end though.’ You say, scratching your chin. ‘It’s been a lot of excitement for the bunch of us, and frankly, I don’t know how much more I can take.’

‘Gonna have to get used to that with this bunch, I think.’ AJ drawls. You nod; that opinion seems almost prophetic.
‘I’ll show you were to drop Danni and Tara off, if you give me a quick ride back, ok?’ AJ says, ‘I’ll meet you back here in a bit, ok Mac. It’s closin’ time anyway.’

Mac just nods his ok and saunters back in, bending over a bit in the doorframe.

‘They make them big where you come from, eh AJ?’

She gives another grin to that.

The car is packed as you drive. It’s meant to seat five, tops, but since Danni’s pretty small, it’s just barely possible to fit AJ in there.

When you arrive at the address, she slaps Danni awake and they haul Tara up the stairs of the apartment.
‘Great night, eh?’ Danni slurs with a grin and a thumbs up. She’s probably serious. You hope she has a horrible hangover tomorrow.

The trip back to the bar is easier with Shy in the front and only Rae and AJ in the back. You drop the southern girl off and she pats you on the shoulder.

‘You be good now with them now, ok hun? I’d had to have to come bust your teeth.’ She looks dead serious. You doubt it’s an idle threat.

‘Don’t worry, it was their plan. I’ll be good.’

‘Be sure you are.' Then she smiles, 'come back soon!’ She tips the Stetson and heads back.

Once you’re on the back roads, you finally relax. With the windows open in the cool night air, and no sound but the wind and the car, there’s a lot more peace.

You could stand for some peace after a night like that. Danni’s fight wasn’t really that bad, and meeting AJ makes it almost worthwhile, but Shy’s announcement has you worried.

She’s never said anything before, but looking back, you can see the signs of stress. If only she’d have just asked earlier, her friends would have done something earlier. You know why though, it’s the same thing it was the first time you met her, she just doesn’t want to cause trouble for anyone else at all. Maybe she doesn’t feel she’s important enough.

She’s been nothing but a friend to you, or anyone else you’ve seen her interact with. You’ve never met anyone so genuinely interested in other people, and yet she’s so quick to dismiss herself.

Well, maybe it’s time you and her other friends did something about that.

Shy mumbles in her sleep and you turn to look at her. The moonlight falls over her, and you can’t help but notice she’s beautiful.

You pass Shy’s house and turn down the lane to where Rae’s house is. All the lights are on.

‘Rae,’ you call back, ‘hey. We’re here.’

She mumbles briefly, and opens her eyes.

‘Oh for the love of- I told those three to be asleep at a reasonable hour, and here it is, halfway into the morning.’ She throws her hands up. ‘I can see that Abby girl must get it from her sister, but really, from Belle?’

You’re not really all that clear what she’s talking about, a fact she seems to catch onto when she stops and looks at you.
‘Oh, yes. I suppose I should be getting home.’

You open the door for her again. Might as well continue to be the gentleman, you suppose, and she gets out a bit unsteadily, but makes her way off without issue.

‘Thank you ever so much for the ride this evening. I should hope that we weren’t all too much a chore.’
‘Of course not,’ you smile, ‘I had more fun than I’ve had in years.’

‘Good. We shall have to do it again then. Soon I hope. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have three young ladies to give a scolding to.’

She heads inside, and you make your way back to the car, and back to Shy’s. The headlights pull over the wolf in the front yard and you see his eyes reflected in the light, with the motion of his tail behind, as if he knew she was coming.

‘Shy’ you tap her shoulder, ‘Shy, we’re here, you have to get out.’

She doesn’t move, just mumbles a bit and turns back. You push her, and she just mumbles more.

Oh great. She’s a heavy sleeper.

You sigh and turn off the car. It could be worse, you suppose. At least Shy’s small.

You head to the passenger door and lift her out, and she curls into your arms, never waking for a moment.

It’s a good thing the front door is unlocked, or you really wouldn’t know what to do, but you do drop your keys in the front area. You make your way into the bedroom, somewhere Shy’s normally pretty insistent on not letting people in. Out of respect, you decide to just set her down and leave.

You get her shoes off, and cover her with a blanket, and she smiles, the expression relaxed and pretty on her sleeping face.
You head back out to your car and get to the door without remembering you dropped your keys, but when you go back to the house, you look in the moonlight, and can’t see anything.

Oh come on. You can’t believe this. It’s three-thirty in the morning, you do not have time to be messing about looking for keys in the dark. You turn on the lights, but still, there’s nothing. This is unbelievable.

Half an hour later, your head’s starting to get bleary, and there’s still no sign of the keys. You’re going to have to call a locksmith, but you can’t do that until the next morning. You sigh, and look at the old couch in the main area of Shy’s house, where a couple of cats and a dog are already sitting.

‘Any room for one more?’ You ask them, lying down on the old cushions. They make a small space, and then just sit on you when you’ve stopped moving.

In a few minutes, your breathing settles too.

Hopefully Shy isn’t too mad in the morning.

Of Rabbits

Shy, of course, is not mad.

It’s morning when you wake up, and the sun is streaming in through the windows behind you.

For a moment, there is a sense of confusion and alarm. Waking up on someone’s couch after a night out the bar is always a bit bizarre, made no less so by the fact that there was no alcohol involved.

The facts return to you, the late night drive home and the strangely missing keys, resulting in a desperate decision to just sleep wherever.

Given the fact that you went to sleep at somewhere around four in the morning, and also that there are half a dozen cats, one small dog and a rabbit currently sitting on top of you, you decide it’s probably worth it to just stay there for a little longer, and doze a bit.

The sound of humming is what catches your attention. It scatters some of the animals as well, who move towards the short hallway to Shy’s bedroom, and begin to beg for food as she emerges.

She looks disturbingly bright for the morning. Bright eyed and bushy-tailed, as the expression goes. Her hair is dishevelled, of course, but it looks almost fetching on her, a fact enhanced by the fact that she appears to be wearing no more than a sweater at the moment, long, pale legs stretching from underneath the enormous piece of fabric, even though the hem still reaches just above her knees. It wouldn’t be polite to stare, but perhaps you can be forgiven for the lack of sleep.

Smiling and humming, she makes her way into the kitchen, petting some animals, and picking up others as she makes her way to a cupboard and pulls food out. She calls every one by name as they line up in front of a small bowl for each. In an ordinary house, you’d expect bedlam, but Shy’s special connection with the animals means each waits patient as she sets food out for it.

You’re left wondering what exactly the best means of introducing yourself into the situation would be, deciding that a small cough might not be overwhelming, and give her a chance to adjust to your presence.

You’re wrong, of course, and the noise causes Shy to let out a small shriek, with pets scattering everywhere as she searches for the origin of the noise.

As soon as she spots you, however, her expression turns to concern.

‘Oh no, are you alright? Were you hurt? Do you need to go somewhere? I should have made up the spare bed for you, you could have woken me up, I’m so sorry!’

You wave her down with a slight smile. Only Shy would take this unexpected appearance with more concern as to how she’d treated you.

‘I’m fine,’ you reassure her, ‘and I doubt I could have woken you at all, I had to carry you inside from the car because I couldn’t wake you at all. I dropped my keys at some point and when I went looking or them, they were just gone. I don’t know what happened.’

Shy looks confused for a moment, but then clarity dawns on her, and her face takes on a strange expression for her; cold determination. She raises her head, and in a loud, clear voice, actually shouts.

‘Angel! You come out here right now!’

Angel, the mischievous little rabbit. Come to think of it, he’d been sitting on you, but took off the other direction when Shy entered the room. She didn’t seriously think that the rabbit would have-

The little white monster hops into the room, and Shy accosts him with a stern look on her face.

‘You. You little monster. We are going over to your hutch, and you are going to return the nice man’s keys.’

It’s hard to gauge exactly how serious Shy is about this, but when she opens a little hut that you’d mistaken for an ottoman and pulls out your keys, you think it might be time to reconsider.

Shy deposits the keys in your hand, and turns back to the rabbit, talking in a firm tone.

‘You are getting no carrots for some time, you hear me? It’s nothing but lettuce and pellets until you learn to behave.’

She turns to you.

‘I’m so sorry, Angel can be quite the little trickster sometimes. You must be so upset.’

You don’t laugh. You get the feeling that it wouldn’t help, but the situation is so bizarre that it almost demands it. Instead, with no small amount of self-control, you manage to speak calmly.

‘No, don’t worry, must happen all the time.’

She smiles back, bright and warm.

‘Hey,’ you wonder, ‘How come you don’t seem any the worse for wear after last night? Danni must have snuck a few of those iced teas to you.’

Shy smiles again, this time looking almost sly.

‘This isn’t the first time I’ve gone out with Danni. I had the waitress start bringing me water as soon as she managed to convince Rae to drink whiskey. She never notices.’

You’re impressed, that’s good planning.

‘Wait, then how come you fell asleep?’

This time she blushes and looks away.

‘Oh, well, that’s just… um… it was past my bedtime.’

You laugh, ‘Well, that’s fair enough, it was definitely a late night.’

‘You’re not going to make fun of me?’ She actually looks startled, ‘Danni always makes fun of me for it.’

‘I’m not Danni, and frankly, I think it was a bit past my bedtime too. If I had a complaint, it would have been that you apparently sleep like a log, cause I couldn’t wake you up to get you inside.’

‘Oh, I’m so sorry, I should have warned you, or thought of something or done something. I always sort of… well… sleep heavily.’

You laugh again, ‘It’s no big deal, Shy, I slept on the couch just fine, and I had lots of friends to keep me warm.’

One of the cats, having finished eating, has come back and is demanding attention. You reach down and scratch under the chin, and are rewarded with a soft purr.

‘Next time, I’ll just remember to keep a better hand on my keys, and watch out for Angel there.’ You say, pointing to the rabbit, sitting just at the border of the room, almost looking ashamed. Almost.

You sit up on the couch and stretch. After a good stretch and in the light of the sunshine, a Saturday suddenly seems like a very pleasant occasion.

‘Oh, um, I should probably thank you.’ Shy says.

‘It was nothing, Shy. It was a good night.’

‘No, I insist, you were very nice. I know you didn’t have to come at all, but you did, and you offered to take me back, and then you even carried me inside here. You didn’t have to do any of that.’

‘It was the right thing to do,’ You respond. You’re not really sure what else there is to say.

‘Lots of people wouldn’t have done any of it. Thank you, I really appreciate all of it.’

She hugs you, wrapping her arms around your midsection with a firm grip. Sometimes, people hug just for the sake of propriety, with no feeling, but Shy is not that sort of person; for her, even something as simple as a hug is done with sincerity, and communicates her gratefulness. You reciprocate, putting your arms around her shoulders, squeezing lightly. Her hair fills your vision, smelling lightly of vanilla.

There is a knock at the door, and you turn, seeing faces pressed against the fogged glass. Shy walks over to the door and looks through the peephole.

‘Oh, it’s those three.’ She says, and prepares to open the door.

‘Uh, Shy,’ You interject, ‘you’re um, well, not wearing pants.’

The speed at which her face turns bright red is astonishing.

‘Oh my god, I’m so sorry, I must have been – I mean I’m – I didn’t want you to- but you’d never – and- um. Oh’ She stutters out about half a dozen partial sentences, then just stops, before suddenly bolting for the bedroom.

When she returns, she still looks a bit red, but she’s wearing a pair of pyjama pants.

The faces are still staring through the fogged glass, cupped hands around the shadows of eyes and noses, when Shy opens the door and catches three young girls, looking perhaps just old enough to be in high school, all looking somewhat abashed at being caught looking.

‘Good morning, Miss Cheyenne,’ they declare in unison.

Two of them make immediately clear their identities, just from appearance. The first is a girl with reddish-blonde hair, freckled skin with a tan and a southern drawl that seem far too familiar to be coincidence, and the second has skin the colour of caramel, and a clipped, slightly British tone. Besides that, the former is dressed in faded denim and a flannel shirt, even though her hair is tied in a large pink bow, and the latter has elaborate curls and make up.

These, then, could only be the sisters that Rae and AJ referred to last night, Abby and Belle, if you remember correctly.
The third girl is unfamiliar, though. She’s a little shorter, wearing street casual clothing and carrying a scooter under one arm.

‘Oh, hello girls, what can I do for you?’ Shy asks.

‘Miss Rae says she’s hungover and there’s no way she can make food, so we thought maybe you could make us pancakes? Please?’ the blonde, Abby, says, in a wheedling tone.

The three then unleash a combined effort at puppy dog eyes that Shy stands no chance against. Not that there was really any question anyway.

‘Well, OK, I think I can do something like that. Why don’t you girls come in?’ Shy offers, opening the door for them.
The problem with letting them in, of course, is that they immediately see you, and as soon as they do, there is a gasp from among the three newcomers, and a number of sly looks directed at Shy, who looks horrified. Evidently, this came second in her thoughts as well.

‘I told you there was someone in there with her.’ The one whose name you don’t know whispers to the others.

Oh boy, this is going to go over real well, you think. You can just imagine what you’ll get from Rae about this. Let alone AJ (Didn’t she threaten to knock your teeth in last night?).

‘Oh, um, girls, this is a friend of mine,’ She introduces you. They all smile, mirth in their eyes.

‘Uh, hi.’ You manage to get out. High school aged girls are a dangerous breed. You remember that age. The less you say, the better.

‘And he stayed the night here?’ Belle asks of Shy, eyelashes fluttering.

‘The uh, rabbit stole my keys.’ You say, and mentally kick yourself. What did you just tell yourself about not talking? Let alone telling them the stupidest possible thing.

‘Uh huh.’ The sarcasm is heavy. They all stare at you. Shy’s face grows red again.

‘Why don’t I make you girls some pancakes?’ She says, her voice suddenly slightly high-pitched.

Fortunately, hunger is a more powerful motivator for teenage girls than gossip, if only barely, and they turn back to the kitchen, where Shy is rifling through some cabinets, trying her hardest not to look at you or them.

‘Uh, I’m going to head out, ok Shy?’ You call to her, ‘I’ll probably be back tomorrow or Monday, though.’

Shy nods, her face still flaming, and you try to make your escape by way of the front door.

Unfortunately, this is not to be the case, as just outside of the door you find Rae, wearing a decidedly fashionable house coat and heavy sunglasses, almost unrecognizable with her blue-black hair tied back.

She looks at you with bleary eyes for a moment.

‘Are the girls inside? I told them I wasn’t going to be much good for cooking this morning, and only then realized that it certainly wouldn’t be fair to make Shy do it either.’

You nod, even managing to not look totally guilty, but Rae brushes past, one hand held to her forehead. You almost make it out the door when she turns back, realization dawning on her face.

‘Exactly what are you doing here this morning?’ She asks with an arch smile, clearly not actually requiring an answer.
You’re really left with no option here.

‘The, uh, rabbit stole my keys last night.’

Strangely, it doesn’t feel quite as dumb to say it the second time, but Rae doesn’t seem to buy it any more than the young girls did, and you can hear the giggling.

‘Oh really?’ Rae says. It’s not a question. You blush this time. You’re not really sure why, but this whole situation does not seem to be getting any better. Blessedly, she lets you turn away and heads into the house.

You manage to make it to the car this time, turning the keys and almost letting out a sigh of relief before another figure approaches from the light brush that leads to the orchard farm. The shadow of a Stetson hits the car window.

Oh god. You’re really not getting away from this with any dignity. You sigh and bite the bullet, rolling down the window and bracing for the worst.

AJ’s sunny (and somehow mocking) grin meets you.

‘Leavin’ so early? A gentleman usually makes her breakfast at least.’

It’s better than her being mad at least. Small victories are really all you can hope for here.

‘The rabbit stole my keys.’ You explain. It’s definitely getting easier.

AJ really just looks confused at that.

‘I don’t rightly know what you just said to me.’

‘Never mind.’ Your face is red regardless. You swear to god if Danni comes up that driveway, you’re just going to crash the car in a ditch. Poor Shy has it even worse, there’s nowhere to run.

‘Is Abby in with them? They usually come beg for food, on account of Shy being such a fine cook.’

‘Yeah, she and the other two are in there, Rae too.’

‘Prissy-pants? Oh well, guess she and I should really learn to get on, though. See ya later. Oh, and best be sure that if I find a mess in there, I’ll be comin’ for you.’

‘Yeah, I know. Can I please go before this gets worse?’

AJ laughs, and heads over to the house, leaving you to finally make an escape.

You do so.

Oddly, though, once you’ve made it out of the possibility of further embarrassment, you wonder if it was so bad. No one actually seemed that mad at you, even Shy, oddly enough, was only embarrassed at the implication.

Poor Shy having to stay there with all five of them. You feel awful having left, but you’re really not sure it would have been any better to stay and make more insinuations.

Well, you’ll be back in a few days. You’ll make it up to her then.

Author's Note

I should probably have noted this before, but these are almost entirely unedited, since I'm treating this an exercise as much as a story.
I've decided that I should really spend more time on descriptions of people, how they look at regular, and what they are wearing, which is why this might begin more here as opposed to earlier chapters.
Should I have the inclination, I might go back and edit of the earlier chapters to include these details.
As a secondary point, I think I would also elect not to use 2nd person viewpoint, as though I do feel I've given the character a certain personality, there are issues in the way it forces one to tell the story that I am not entirely fond of.
Ah well, I've made a commitment nonetheless, and I shall keep it.
Onward, shall we?

For Friendship

You made the arrangement to meet Tara on campus on Monday, and unsurprisingly, when you head down to the statue at the centre of campus after classes, she’s there at exactly 4PM.

Outside the light of the bar, you get a better look at the girl. She seems about the last person you could think of to live with Danni. Whereas Danni always appears in old, ripped clothes, Tara again appears to have dressed with the greatest of care, as if it were thirty years ago. She’s wearing a blouse with a bow tied loosely at the neck, and business pants with a crease in them. She looks more like a teacher on the campus than a student. The only thing that offsets it slightly is the stripe of purple in her straight cut hair.

She waves you over, holding a small stack of books in the other hand, and you notice that there’s a young man with her.

Despite a vague family resemblance in the face, he initially looks like almost like he belongs in one of the so-called street gangs of vandals and petty thieves, with a loose-fitting wife beater over a very, very thin frame, which makes the cargo shorts he wears look almost bizarre. He also has a spiked Mohawk, died in neon green, and sits with his hands in his pockets, looking around as if bored.

However, when you approach, his attitude changes, and he walks up and sticks his hand out.

‘Hey, I’m Spike, nice to meet you.’ He smiles.

You take the hand and shake it.

‘Nice to meet you too, Spike. Tara mentioned you the other day, but I guess I expected someone more… like her.’
Spike snickers a little at this, but Tara just sniffs.

‘I just don’t know about that hair, Spike, it looks so… uncouth’ She says to him, and then turns to you, explaining, ‘It was all Danni’s doing. I wasn’t up feeling well after that night out, and she took advantage of it.’

‘It’s just hair, Tara, if I don’t like it, I’ll just shave it all off.’ Then, to you, ‘She’s always so uptight about these things.’
Tara sighed, ‘Oh well, if it makes you happy, Spike.’ She smiles at him.

Then, more seriously, ‘Alright, we agreed to help Shy by talking to Di about a sort of promotional party, something like a charity event, so I’ve asked around and made a study of where she is most likely to be.’

In her hand, you can see a stack of pages showing that she’s not overstating this. There are charts on the pages. It seems a little excessive, but it’s probably better not to say anything.

‘Spike has graciously agreed to help us, so if we all take one of these lists of the primary locations she’s listed as attending at these times, it’s likely that we’ll find her within the hour.’

She hands out a sheet to you and Spike with several locations marked on it with correlating times.

‘Ask a few questions, see if she’s been there already or if anyone knows where she is, and then move on to the next location quickly. I’ve organized them by proximity to each other as well, so this should be the most efficient way for three people to find her. Do you have any questions?’

You’re a little overwhelmed, honestly. You were just going to ask some people for an email, but Tara apparently does not accept half-measures.

Spike raises his hand, however.

‘What does this girl look like, anyway?’

‘Oh, I’ve included a basic description on the back of the sheet.’

You turn the sheet over, and so she has. You skim it. Dyed hair; bright pink, balloon tattoos on arms, ankles and back of neck, notable piercings; eyebrows, ears, lips (snakebite), nose.

Oh yes, Tara is very efficient.

‘You did this since yesterday?’ You ask, a bit incredulous.

‘Well, no,’ Tara says, a bit abashed, ‘this was all I managed to throw together today in between classes, and the lecture from the visiting lecturer from Africa, Professor Zecora. She had an optional discussion available on intercultural clashes and the resulting misconceptions that I couldn’t afford to miss, so I’m sorry if that’s not enough.’

‘I’m sure it’ll be fine.’ You reassure her.

‘Yeah,’ Spike cuts in with a grin, ‘too bad we don’t need any of it.’

‘We don’t?’ Tara asks, puzzled.

‘Nope, she’s at the bakery over on Market Street right now, I stopped there for some snacks on the way here and bought some donuts from a girl just like that, fits the description perfectly.’

‘Oh,’ Tara’s face falls slightly, ‘I was really sure this was the most efficient system too. I wanted to see how it would work in practice.’

You share a quick look with Spike. His expression indicates this is normal behaviour for Tara. You wonder again exactly how it is that Danni and this girl were connected.

Tara’s face brightens again.

‘Oh well, a successful result is worth more here no matter how it was obtained, we should head over immediately.’

Tara’s description is, as would be expected, decidedly accurate.

She is the first thing to catch your attention when you enter the bakery, despite the delicious smell of fresh baked bread and cakes. She’s a curvy sort of woman, though quite tall, her hair is bubble gum pink, barely contained with ties, and she has tattooed balloons obviously protruding through the collar and cuffs of her uniform, with the piercings on her face small but noticeable.

What really attracts the attention, however, is the attitude; Diane is a one-woman engine of positivity. She doesn’t give a smile to every customer; it just seems to be her default expression. She laughs and jokes and bounces - literally bounces- around the back of the counter, fetching goods and taking cash as almost an afterthought.

You wait in line for a few minutes until things die down a bit, and she looks you over, then spots Spike.

‘Aha!’ She announces, pointing at him, ‘I knew you’d be back for more! Everybody comes back for more!’ She cackles.
‘Er, actually, no.’ Spike says, with a startled look at Tara.

‘Oh,’ Di stops, looking a bit crestfallen, ‘you don’t want more?’

‘Well, yes, I want more, if I could-‘ Spike starts, but Tara cuts in.

‘We were actually looking for you, Diane.’ Tara says, but Di just looks a bit startled.

‘You were? Was I hiding? Are we playing hide and seek and I didn’t know it? You must be very good at this!’ Then she laughs, loudly, and suddenly stops. ‘Does this mean it’s my turn now? You should probably get running, but I can’t leave the counter until eight!’

Tara looks… well, dumbfounded and Spike seems distracted by the doughnuts that Di has gathered and set on the counter for him, so you step in.

‘Nope, no game.’ You say, and Di’s face falls, but you continue, ‘we were actually looking for the expertise of someone in throwing a charity ball for an animal shelter owned by a friend of hours.’

Her face lights up at this.

‘Oh boy, you were right. Parties are no game!’ She declares, ‘They are not a laughing matter! Well, unless you’re at one. Though I guess I’d be at this one if I planned it. I usually am at the parties I plan.’

She stops again, and seems to be considering, all the while handing over a free doughnut to Spike with a wink.

‘That sounds like a good reason for a party.’ She smiles very wide, ‘although so does everything else to me. I’ll do it!’ she pauses, dramatically, ‘On one condition.’

‘What’s that,’ you ask, a bit suspicious.

‘Oh, I just need to meet the person. Every party needs to be special, so I just need to know what kind of special is right for this one!’

Tara seems to have recovered, so she sticks out her hand.

‘That sounds fair, we’ll get her to come and see you, ok?’

Di bounces over, observes the hand, and then gives Tara a high five, sending up a cloud of flour.

‘Deal!’

You’re a little bit more apprehensive however. The amount of personality this girl has might just be enough to paralyze Shy in place. Then again, Shy will do anything for her animals, and she’s already proven that she’s got more mettle than it seems. Maybe it won’t be so bad.

That’s what you tell Shy when you show up at the shelter that evening, with Chinese food as an apology for leaving her on Saturday morning. Not that Shy blames you, of course, but she does love Chinese food, so it seems to work out for everyone.

‘Well, if she wants to meet me, and you think this can get the money to keep the shelter for a bit, then I’ll do it.’ She says, just like you thought. She pauses, and her eyes go a bit wide, ‘Just promise me I won’t have to give a speech or anything there.’
‘I’ll do what I can, but I get the feeling that if Di decides something, there isn’t a whole lot anyone can do to stop her. She’s a…’ you search for the word, ‘unique sort of person.’

‘Oh, um, well is she nice?’ Shy actually seems a bit worried, one small hand shaking holding the chopsticks.

‘Oh, absolutely. I don’t think Di has a mean word for anyone at all.’ You reassure her, ‘she just doesn’t entirely seem to be on the same level as everyone else. You’ll see what I mean. I’ll try and bring you up tomorrow, if that’s alright?’

Shy is free the next day, and you pick her up to take her over the coffee shop, where Di is waiting. She’s not behind the counter today, but instead sits at one of the tables. It still doesn’t take long to spot her, of course.

Shy takes one look at her, and you can feel her shrink beside you. When confronted with such a loud personality, Shy really doesn’t know what to do but pull back, but to her credit, she takes a deep breath as the two of you walk over.

You sit down across the table, and Di smiles, waiting for something. You’re all silent for a moment.

Shy coughs.

‘Um… Hi, I’m Shy.’

‘You certainly are!’ Di announces brightly, smiling, and then looking at Shy, seeming to watch her, possibly waiting. Shy looks at you, startled.

‘Uh, no, Di, that’s her name. Her name is Shy.’

‘Oh. Well, that’s convenient! I’m Diane, but that’s not a description of me at all!’ She stares for a few seconds more, then stops, and looks at you.

‘I have decided that I will do this party. Of course, it was pretty likely that I would. I love parties. I just needed to know what to do.’ She turns to Shy, ‘Don’t worry shy Shy, I know exactly what to do for your party. We’ll get lots of money for your animals. I love animals! I’ve got an alligator!’

You try to decide if she’s serious for a minute, but give up. Di is a plane of her own, but Shy relaxes to hear it.

‘Oh thank you, I was so worried that you might not be interested. My animals really need this.’

To this, Di actually takes on a slightly more serious tone, ‘Anyone who wants to help their friends automatically gets my full attention. You give me two weeks, and I’ll make this a masterpiece.’ then she smiles, not the same manic grin as before, but a genuine smile, which Shy returns. Then she turns back to you, and the grin comes back.

‘I also brought a bag of doughnuts for the little guy! He loves them!’

Author's Note

There was some business to be attended to, but now that has ended, and I return to work.
Also, on the tail of my previous note, where I had note intended to edit, I did exactly that. I am not so good at committing to those sorts of things, I will endeavour to add it to an earlier chapter at some point in the near future.

Dresses and Riddles

The planning for the party was itself a small disaster for Shy.

It’s not that there’s actually any requirement for her to do anything, as Di is arranging the entire thing, from DJ to catering (and all of it apparently without a single dollar spent), but the constant reports that Di keeps passing on to her (usually using you as a messenger) clearly set the quiet girl’s nerves on edge.

After that, Rae immediately decided that since this was to be a fancy party, they’d all need proper clothes, so Shy also frequently found herself being made to try on dress after dress in Rae’s shop.

From there, everyone else quickly fell to Rae’s particular demands. Even Danni wasn’t able to escape. On one of the small girl’s random visits up to Shy’s house, Rae took her by arm, despite all protests, and set about making notes.

Danni, perhaps as some kind of obscure revenge, dragged Tara into it (though the latter really didn’t seem to have much reason to complain), and AJ found out from her sister, which Rae apparently took as a challenge. Suddenly, Rae became a very busy woman, though she seemed to take this as more of a personal challenge than a burden.

From the look in her eye, you can tell that you’ve only managed to escape so far because she’s been preoccupied with the ladies.

Shy is, naturally, completely unprepared for the level of attention she’s suddenly receiving, and you can see that it’s starting to make her a bit frazzled. On top of that, you notice that a few amenities have suddenly disappeared from the house, and realize that Shy’s money troubles might have been a bit more pressing than she’d indicated.

You try to think of something - anything - you can do, but even though graduation approaches, you're still barely more than a starving student yourself.

When there’s about a week left, Shy looks like she’s just about ready to wither away as Di continues to update Shy on every particular facet of the event, and Rae absolutely insists that she needs to check ‘one more thing.’

Even working with the animals didn’t seem to raise her spirits the way it always does, and right about the time one of the dogs gives you a worried look (you swear), so come to a conclusion. Despite Rae’s protests that she absolutely must see Shy again, you look her in the eye and tell her that Shy’s fallen quite ill, and probably won’t be able to see anyone for a few days.

Naturally, Rae’s determination turns to concern at this, so she initially wants to go in and see if she can help Shy herself. Only when you point out that if she got sick as well, she might not be able to finish the dresses does Rae reluctantly turn back to her workshop.

You sigh. You’re not really a big fan of lying to people, especially when it comes to doing so on behalf of someone else without asking their permission, but when you turn back to the living room, you see Shy sitting on the couch looking just a bit shell-shocked, and you know it was necessary. Shy would rather have died than say no to Rae.

‘Shy,’ You say, gently, and she blinks, as if only now realizing someone else was there.

‘I hope you don’t mind, but I told Rae you were sick, and I’ll pass that on to Di as well, so you can have a little bit of peace and quiet for a bit.’

Her eyes go wide, and she starts to deny it, just as you knew she would, ‘‘Oh no, they’ll be so upset, you can’t do that.I’ll go tell them I’m fine, I-‘

You cut her off.

‘Shy, they’ll be fine. Rae’s a perfectionist, the dress is already fine, I’m sure, and half of Di’s messages are some kind of obscure riddle that I’m pretty sure is inappropriate.Trust me, she’s got everything in hand. You, however, are wearing a bit thin, if you don’t mind my saying so.’

She looks up at you with those big, azure eyes and then lets out a sigh.

‘Thank you. I was just… so worried that I’d let them down.’

You wrap your arms around her shoulders and settle your chin on her head. You can feel the tension in her small frame relax.

‘I think they’re worried about letting you down, Shy.’

‘They could never let me down, they’re so amazing. I’d love whatever they did.’

You smile, she would.

‘Well, I think that’s exactly what they’d say about you. Besides, it’s just a party, it’s not like you could ever do anything to let them down. All you have to do is show up in Rae’s dress.’

‘But what if I-‘ She starts, but you cut her off, pulling back and looking her straight in the face with a mock serious expression.

‘Don’t worry about all the what-ifs. It’s unnecessary stress, and you’re sick, after all. You need to focus on getting healthy.’

‘Ok, I can try.’ She smiles at you.

‘Alright, then I’m going to head back to my apartment. It wouldn’t do for me to get sick too.’

‘You don’t have to go yet.’ She starts, and then pauses, ‘If you go, who’ll help me when I’m sick?’

She gives you a look of contrived helplessness and you laugh.

‘I just don’t want to stress you out either, Shy. You may not be real sick, but I still think you need some real rest.’

‘You don’t cause stress,’ She says, smiling again.

You can’t fight her arguments and that smile, so you throw your hands up in mock surrender.

‘Fine, Shy, you win, I’ll hang around for a little longer at least. Just so you’re not left alone and helpless while you’re ill.’

‘Yay!’ She says. The exclamation isn’t exactly loud, but still positive.

You make a meal for her out of what you can find in the kitchen. You’re not much of a cook, especially compared to Shy, but a simple pasta stir-fry is within your capabilities, as well as healthy and delicious. Shy, of course, is happy just for the effort and declares that she absolutely loves the meal.

You do the dishes, and feed the multitude of pets that seem to have now accepted you as one of their own. Even Danni’s turtle slowly makes his way over to eat some vegetables. Angel, of course, still gets only pellets and lettuce.

Shy sits on the chair in the main room, where the rest of the pets gather for her affection. She looks a bit startled to not have to do the work, but also appreciative. You should really do more of that, you think.

Finally, you make your way over to the couch and sit down. Shy joins you a few minutes later, and many of the animals follow.

‘I’m already feeling a lot more relaxed.’ She says, ‘Thank you.’

‘It’s amazing what a good meal from someone else will do.’ You agree.

She curls up beside you, and turns on something that turns out to be an old black and white television. It only gets three or four channels, and Shy settles on an infomercial selling assertiveness training tapes, but falls asleep within a few minutes anyway.

You stay there for a bit, letting the sleeping girl be. When she’s asleep, her face always shows that natural beauty, the one that the stress of life wore away when awake. It makes you hope even more that Danni can win the race and get Shy the charity prize, just to see her like this all the time.

After a little while, the sun goes down, and Shy continues to sleep softly on your shoulder. You pick her up, just as you did after the night out a few weeks before, put her in bed and pull the covers over her. She smiles and snuggles into them.

You meet Danni on the way out, and explain the situation to her, just as you did with Rae. Danni grunts at that, then smirks at you.

‘So what are you still doing here then?’

‘Someone had to make her dinner, Rae’s too busy, AJ’s got the three troublemakers, and no one knows when you’re going to show up. Or if you can cook, for that matter.’

‘Hey!’ She says, punching you on the arm. ‘Of course I can’t cook! I just meant that it seemed like you didn’t have any trouble taking care of Shy before. I seem to recall hearing that you were here overnight the other week anyway.’

You roll your eyes. This again.

‘The rabbit stole my keys!’ You exclaim, hoping that finally it won’t sound stupid. You’re wrong, of course.
Danni just nods, though, to your surprise.

‘Yeah, the little git does that sometimes. Though it does seem to happen more when Shy’s been alone too much.’

‘Wait, what?’ you exclaim, ‘you’re telling me you can back be me up on this?’

‘Oh yeah, sure. Angel’s stolen my keys a couple times. Course, I still want to see Shy squirm, so I might just keep it to myself.’ She grins.

‘Fine, don’t help me,’ you grumble, ‘but you’ll have to wait to see Shy squirm another day, she really needs to have some R and R before this party, or she’s just going to fall apart.’

Danni nods.

‘Yeah, I thought that might happen. I haven’t seen her be the focus of so much attention since the sixth grade, I figured she’d probably need a breather. Oh well. I’ll come up next week.’

‘Probably a good plan.’ You agree, ‘Wait, what happened in the sixth grade?’

Danni’s answer is a vicious grin.

‘Puberty. Almost overnight, Shy went up to a-‘

‘That’s enough of that, I think.’ You cut her off, and she gives a mirthful laugh.

‘Yeah, you’re right, it’s less fun when Shy can’t hear me.' She puts on her motorcycle helmet. 'Let’s head back into town. You wanna race?’

Danni doesn’t listen for an answer, but rushes off to her bike. She’s off and gone before you can even get your rusty car onto the road.

Shy keeps up the charade for a few more days, and just as you said, Rae manages to get her dress done, while Di’s riddle becomes even more suggestive.

Still, to help Shy out a bit, you cook a few more times, most of which aren’t disasters, and help with the farm as a cover for Shy’s supposed invalidity.

Finally, it’s only one day until Di’s gala, and Shy looks like she’s almost back to normal, at least as long as she doesn’t think about the party.

You try and reassure her as much as possible, but her hands start to shake whenever you even mention the next day. Finally, you turn to her.

‘Shy, you remember what I promised when we went out the first time with Danni and Rae, and we met Tara? How if it was so bad, I’d take you home?’

‘Yes...’ She says in a very small voice.

‘Remember how we didn’t need to? You met Tara and AJ, and you had a good time. Everything was great. ’

She doesn’t say anything for a moment. She takes a deep breath.

‘Ok. I can do this. Everything will be ok.’ She gives you a wan smile, ‘And if it isn’t, you’ll take me back, you promise?’

‘I promise.’

A Gala Affair, Part 1

Finally, it’s the day of the party.

Rae said she’d take Shy to the even this time, so you find yourself heading up early by yourself. Part of you says that it’s just because you’ve got free time, but another part knows that it’s to make sure Di hasn’t done something that’ll put Shy in a coma.

Despite the untoward nature of her updates, this is not the case. You’re actually sort of floored at what she managed to do in a short time.

Di meets you at the door in a suit, complete with coat-tails, top hat and monocle, not looking remotely out of place, and as soon as you step inside, you understand why. The entryway is set up in wood and rich carpets (red, naturally) leading through wide doors into a ballroom where there’s a wood-paneled floor for dancing and a number of appropriately dressed musicians setting up to one side.

‘H- how did you even do this?’ You stammer out to Di. You got the memo that this was suit-and-tie, but still feel a bit under-dressed after seeing it all.

‘Oh, it was nothing, I called in a few favours and got the ballroom booked, then called some friends in catering and the school classical music club and told them that since it was a fancy-pants party, some people that might be interested in further performances might show up. Easy-peasy.’

‘Di, this is perfect, all your notes were starting to worry me for a bit.’ You say, awe inescapable in the tone.

‘Oh, yeah, I was gonna do a rave, clothes-optional, but then figured people tip better when they’re supposed to be rich. Still have the DJ booked though!’

She points to the only person barely in costume, wearing neon sunglasses and glaring at the music stands over the top of set of turntables.

‘I’m kinda hoping they’ll try some kind of fusion, but at the moment they’re not talking. It’s a party though, right? Anything can happen!’ Di’s spirit is infectious at the worst of times, and you find it hard not to smile. This is the sort of thing that might be up Rae’s alley more than Shy’s, but at least Shy will be able to function. Hell, she might even enjoy it.

‘Hey! Now that you’re here, you can help me set up!. We’ve still got an hour till showtime!’ Di’s voice is singsong, but the gaze is steely, and before long, you’re put to work moving things around until it all resembles a fine gala affair; there’s a buffet along one side, with entrees of crab and fruit and a chocolate fountain at the end, and somehow, Di’s managed to sneak in a bar through means she only mumbles through when you ask, before changing the subject.

At seven o’clock sharp, Di opens to the doors and starts letting people in with a nominal donation. At first it’s like you expect, just a few people coming through, all dressed to the nines, but after half an hour, they don’t slow down like you expect, in fact, more and more people are come through, and the ballroom, which seemed enormous, starts to fill.

You see a few familiar faces; Big Mac Apple saunters through and gives a wave, though when you ask about AJ he just shrugs, and the waitress from the bar is here too, not working and looking (in two directions) all the happier for it.

Tara and Danni come in with another girl shortly after that, and you wave them over. Tara looks ecstatic, but Danni looks… almost nervous.
It’s the first you see of Rae’s handiwork, but you immediately see why she’s so successful. Though you’ve never been much for fashion, it’s obvious that the dresses are fantastic, but it’s more than that; it’s the way they’re designed for the women who’ll wear them.

Tara’s is deep purple, somehow offsetting the pink stripe in her dark hair, and cut in a defiantly non-western style, though it still doesn’t look out of place. It doesn’t even appear to have seams, but instead appears to be drawn around and clipped at the shoulder. Danni’s is like a Greek toga, over one shoulder and flowing down simply with coliseum style shoes to match.
The girl with them has a more traditional dress, but looks very impressive in it. She’s tan and has a sharp, intense face, and like Danni is heavily muscled, though this woman looks you easily in the eyes.

‘Uh, hey,’ Danni introduces you, ‘this is Gilda, she’s an old friend of mine.’

You shake the woman’s hand and get the feeling she could crush your hand if she really wanted, and the smile on her face says that’s exactly what she wanted you to think. You’re not really surprised she and Danni are friends.

The two of them make their way off to the drinks, leaving Tara and you there.

‘Never thought I’d see Danni in a dress,’ You say conversationally, and Tara laughs.

‘She wasn’t going to until Rae challenged her to it. You could almost see the way she was goading Danni into a corner so she couldn’t get away.’

‘Yeah, Rae’s a smart cookie, I just try and keep out of her cross-hairs.’

Tara laughs at that too, a sharp, knowing little laugh.

‘I think she’s not that easily deterred, but you’ll find out.’ She stops and looks around briefly, ‘How did Di manage to put this all together? This is an exact replica of a ball from the 1940s Manhattan scene. Right down to the refreshments.’ She pauses, and looks to you, ‘I had to study them briefly for a planning project once.’ Back to the room, ‘I think even the measurements are correct for the rooms.’

You shrug, ‘She told me she called in some favours and that’s all I know.’

‘Well, you were right to think of her, that’s for sure. Oh, there’s AJ.’

‘How do, darlin’ AJ drawls as she comes up, and claps you on the shoulder. ‘It’s a fine time for a shindig, don’tcha think?’
AJ’s dress is red and simple, leaving her tanned shoulders bare, but what really stands out is that she’s not wearing the Stetson, instead, her long blond hair has been neatly tied and braided with matching ribbons and hangs down her back in a thick rope.

‘Shy her yet? I heard Prissypants say that she was making her show fashionably late to make a big entrance, but I figured she’d probably just faint instead.’

‘We haven’t seen them yet.’ Tara gives another knowing smile, and you start to feel a bit suspicious. What is she smirking about?

‘Well, let me know, I wanna say hi and thanks for the clothes.’ She does a little spin in the dress, ‘I don’t think I’d ever have another time to wear this thing, but just the once I think I like it. Prissy knows what she’s doin’. Hey, there’s Mac. Right back.’
She heads over to the giant, who’s listening contentedly to someone else speak, and you turn back to the doors.

‘Anxious?’ Tara says, smirking again.

‘Aren’t you thirsty or something?’ You say, a bit acidly. You can’t help the feeling she’s laughing at you.

‘I’ll get something in a bit, I’m just doing a bit of a study, that’s all.’

‘A study on what?’ You ask, confused.

‘Oh, you’ll see.’

‘I hate these kinds of riddles, you know that, right? I always-‘

You’re cut off. Tara’s smile gets bigger.

Rae came in first, and her own dress is fantastic in ivory and diamonds contrasting with her dark skin and blue-black hai but you barely see it, because Shy is behind her.

Just like when you first went out with them, you find yourself forgetting exactly how beautiful Shy is, and then wondering how you could forget. The dress is simple; yellow, soft, with skirts but not many because you know she fought about it. She’s breath-taking, even dumbfounding. Which is fair, because that’s exactly how you are, stopping mid-sentence with Tara and just trying to find words.

‘You see, Darling, THAT’s why it’s so important to have the right dress.’ Rae says, pointing at you.

Rae walks over to the table where you and Tara are sitting and judges you for a moment. You’re still staring, but at least you don’t have your mouth open anymore. She judges your expression critically.

‘Hm, yes, I think that would count as success.’

She turns to Tara.

‘I told you there would be quantifiable outcomes. It’s not just guesswork I do, it is a science.’

‘Well, yes, I can see that, but I still wonder about the exact measurements and how to fully…’

Tara goes on about something, but you’re not really listening anymore. You’d probably be mad at her for smirking, but you’re not really paying attention to that either. Shy’s come over to the table.

‘Does it really look good?’ She says, very quietly, her eyes luminous.

‘Shy, it…’ You pause for a moment and blink, ‘Shy, I don’t even have words. You look… wow.’

She gives a shy smile, hiding behind her hair, like she did when you first met, but you can tell she’s pleased.

‘Rae said it was a nice dress, but it was so much work, especially with everyone else’s and I just wanted it to be good enough without being too much work.’

‘It’s fine, Shy,’ you reassure her, ‘and I think she’s happy with what she’s done.’

‘Oh good,’ she smiles again, ‘I’m glad you like it.’

Author's Note

My life is a shambles, but we rebuild, ever so slowly.
This chapter could have been longer, but I figured it would be better to do it in two parts, much like the first night out, and also, it would prove that I am, indeed, still here and working.

Sort of.

Part 2 soon, hopefully.