Romance For Once: Once More

Original : http://pastebin.com/HMcqbiGt

>It has been a few weeks since the incident at Sour Sweet's party, though, that hasn't stopped you from thinking about it constantly
>Mostly, you were thinking about how much of a betrayal of the girls' trust it was that you had gone there at all
>You'd never intended to try and find anything more than a friend in Anon, but...
>The whiplash from the kiss to the moments right after, those feelings keep resurfacing
>And you know you shouldn't, since you're almost an adult now, but you still cry over it at night
>At the very least, Anon had briefly apologized to you a few days ago when he really didn't have to
>'Sorry about the thing at the party,' he'd said in passing
>It made that day a little better
>For now, though, you were spending another weekend working for the girls
>Finishing up Sugar Coat's essay on the structure of the government, checks and balances, and so on
>It was tedious work, but you did it, holed up in your small, cramped room
>Working at night was tough; with no more sun pouring into the room, all you had was a bulb hanging by a wire from the ceiling
>Sometimes, you liked to run your fingers across the cracks in the wall when you were too bored to read and didn't have any work to do
>How lucky you were, your parents always told you, that you had ended up at Crystal Prep on a full-ride
>'It almost made up for the fact that you didn't have a normal childhood', they would joke
>You didn't like disappointing your parents, but 'just go outside and make friends like other kids your age!' was a pep talk that never really helped
>After a few more hours, you put the finishing touches on the girls' homework and head off to bed
>Maybe they'll forgive you for your transgressions soon...

>Once the morning comes, you get ready for the day
>That means showering, dressing, eating
>Like every day, you make sure to avoid seeing yourself in the mirror
>Almost like you're a groundhog, and instead of your shadow, it's your reflection
>And instead of extra weeks of winter, it's just the immediate sting of disgust
>Your Crystal Prep uniform hangs oddly on your body
>They had paid for the uniform, but it hadn't come out very well
>A new uniform was out of the cards
>Too expensive
>That was okay, though
>Money was tight at home, and you wouldn't think of making things harder
>For the same reason you no longer asked for anything on your birthday or the holidays
>Just easier that way, and you didn't even want much anyways
>You were fine with life as it was; little trinkets wouldn't do anything for you
>Plus, you'd already moved over to e-books, so there was no need to have your parents buy books for you, either!
>Maybe it was morally dubious, but... Things can be found for free on the internet if you look hard enough, you've found
>You waved goodbye to your parents, who gave you stilted smiles back
>Today was off to a good start
>They didn't even give you the talk about how they wanted you to try and join a club or come to their church group or anything!
>You bounced off to school
>It was a bit of a walk; your home wasn't near any of the bus routes, since it was on the opposite side of town from most Crystal Preppers
>Still, you'd gotten used to it
>All the run down houses didn't make it 'scenic', exactly, but their was a calming familiarity to your neighborhood
>The change to the more posh, cleaned up part of town cam so suddenly, with the crossing of a street
>Being here made you feel more anxious
>You remember, the first day you'd gone to Crystal Prep, seeing all the students... You'd almost run away out of fear
>Things were a lot different now
>Walking around the halls and seeing all the people didn't make you too scared anymore, just a little

>Eventually, you come up to the entrance of the school
>It's gated, guards at the door checking student IDs
>Crystal Prep Academy was a grandiose sort of place, ivy growing across the front, shimmering pseudo-crystal lining the rooftop and the towers, juxtaposed against the decades old brick
>Something about the 'joining of the new and the old' in terms of the architecture and their 'school mission'
>It always looked a bit weird to you, but hey, what do you know about modern art architecture?
>A lot!
>But still, you're not one to think poorly of other people's stylistic choices
>This building made someone happy
>Personally, you liked the courtyard
>Not just because none of the other kids cared to use it much, so you were typically alone, but also because you liked grass and trees
>Don't really see much of that where you live, since your yard is mostly dirt and brown patchy stuff...
>As usual, you're a bit earlier than most kids
>You like being prepped and ready for the school day early
>AND you like being the first one in the classroom
>Sometimes, if you're later and you peek your head inside, people sitting in different spots can screw you up and you start thinking you have the wrong room
>You've ended up missing entire classes because you're too scared to embarrass yourself, and just wait for the next class
>So, being early was key!
>Also, the girls would be mad if you weren't there to give them everything they needed
>Hefting your sizable backpack into the school and through the halls, you make your way to your first class
>You always wonder how the halls stay so pristine
>The kids tend to litter and scribble on the walls and stuff like that
>Janitors here have a tough job, but you appreciate the work they do
>Multi-Variable Calculus
>As hoped, you were the first one there; school wouldn't start for another twenty or so minutes
>So, you wait for Sugar Coat and the rest, sighing with relief as you drop your backpack to the floor next to your desk

>After a few minutes, Sugar and the rest of the girls file into the room
>Their faces sour the moment they spot you
>More than they used to, at least
>Twilight, you really messed up at that party...
>At least Sugar Coat and the girls still talk to you after what you did to them
>They stop to your side, some chuckling, some looking snide, Sugar with her arms crossed
>"Did you finish it all, or were you busy trying to suck one of our boyfriend's dicks?" she asks, to the snickers of the rest
"I-I-I f-finished it. A-All of it! I-I'm s-sorry a-about the p-party..."
>Sugar taps her foot on the floor
>"Well?"
"S-Sorry..."
>You hunch over and open your backpack, rummaging through the large folders inside
>The folders for Sugar Coat, Lemon Zest, Sour Sweet, Indigo Zap, Sunny Flare...
>They each take their finished work and stuff it into their backpacks
>You smile at them, hoping that this will be the work that puts you back on their good side
>When you first started, you'd almost gotten them in trouble by not writing everything in their handwriting
>But you learned!
>Now, their work always looked like they'd done it, and—as they've told you—they really would do it if they weren't so busy
>Friends help friends, right?
"Th-Th-That's all of i-it!"
>Sugar Coat raises an eyebrow
>"Are you sure? I think I'm missing something, Twilight."
"W-What? N-N-No, th-that's all of it!"
>"Are you talking back to her?" Indigo Zap asks with a scowl?
>You shake your head
>The only work left in your backpack is yours, you would never hide anything from them
>Sugar Coat bends down and looks into your backpack
>"Can I just check quick?"
"O-O-Of c-course!"
>She picks your backpack up and flips it upside down, all your books and papers spilling onto the floor
>Sugar throws your emptied bag onto the ground and rubs at her chin
>"Guess you were telling the truth! Sorry, Twilight."
"I-I-It's o-okay..."
>Sugar smiles, and the rest of the girls burst into laughter

>You hurriedly try and stuff everything back into your bag
>Everything's out of order, all the paper from your folders has fallen out, some of your books have ripped pages
>"Oh, sorry, let me help!"
>Sugar bends down and tries to pick up your papers for you, but does a better job of stomping on them, leaving black marks
>"Sorry, I'm a little clumsy!" she says cutely
"I-It's..."
>Don't cry in front of them, Twilight...
>Even if they treat you badly sometimes, at least they're your friends
"I-It's o-ok-kay..."
>Sugar sighs and frowns, backing away from you
>"You're so boring, Twilight."
"I-I-I know..."
>"Usually, when they bring in the poor kids, they're from some exotic foreign place. I was looking forward to that, but we got you and that other girl instead."
>You nod
>Crystal Prep Academy did pride itself on giving scholarships to the brightest of developing nations, but for your freshman class they'd decided to do an 'Outreach at Home' project
>Really, you were so truly blessed to have the opportunity to come here, luck beyond luck
>Though, you understand, as the girls tell you, that you basically stole your education from someone less fortunate
>That always made you feel guilty
"I-I'm s-s-sorry."
>Sugar Frown's face tightens in a grimace
>"Okay, this is boring me now. Remember to meet us after school for your assignments."
>You nod
>The girls leave, and Lemon Zest flips you the bird as they exit the classroom
>Once they're gone, the tension in the room dissipates as well, and with it the walls keeping your tears back go as well
>There's still over ten minutes until the next kid is going to come through the door
>Plenty of time to get this shameful act over with
>You wipe the tears as they come, and try to get all your things in order
>Reorganizing everything takes longer than you'd hoped, but you're done before class begins
>It's hard to pay attention to the teacher, but that's okay
>You know multi-variable Calculus through and through

>Throughout class, you try to hide your reddened eyes
>The teacher is going on about finding the volume of the cross-section of a rotation of parabola along with another function
>"So, how would we solve this?" the teacher asks, turning around
>No one is really paying attention, either on their phones or talking amongst themselves
>You always wonder why no one would ever answer simple questions, or why they would focus on things other than school when they're IN school
>It used to be that teachers would call on you, or you might even have the courage to raise your hand, but...
>Kids would just make fun of your stutter
>So, you had a bit of an unspoken bond between you and your teachers
>They wouldn't mark you down on participation; they knew you really wanted to discuss things in class
>Bullying wasn't something that got taken care of at Crystal Prep
>Which was okay, you deserved most of it,
>That's just what happens when you talk, which meant not talking really was the best option
>Like Sugar Coat said to you on day one, 'you should consider not speaking in public'
>The teacher sighs as a minute passes without any answer
>He turns back around and begins writing more on the board, going on with the lecture
>After another half hour or so, the bell rings, kids dashing out of the room in a cacophonous haze
>Your teacher collapses down into his chair with a sigh as you walk up to his desk
"Th-Th-Thanks f-for the l-lecture today, Mr. V-Vector..."
>He half-smiles
>"Thank you, Twilight."
>Your teacher squints, looking at your eyes
>You shirk away
>"Is something wrong?"
"N-N-No... I-I have to g-go t-to m-my next c-class... B-Bye..."
>"Twilight, if—"
>Mr. Vector sighs as you hurry out of his room
>He means well, but you don't want to be a burden on anyone
>You hate forcing yourself on others, which is all you do just by existing
>It's why you're so glad the girls care to deal with you at all despite how bad you are

>After the next few classes, it's time for lunch!
>You no longer make the same mistake you used to
>Mistake being, you used to actually go to the cafeteria for lunch
>Once, you even tried sitting with the girls
>That ended with Sunny Flare 'tripping' and splattering you with chili
>The girls, after all, have a reputation to uphold, so someone like you shouldn't even enter the cafeteria
>It's always embarrassing, since you have to bring out a card to give you a free meal, and that always causes kids to laugh at you in line
>Your mom is worried about your weight, but you tell her that you ARE eating at school, even if that's a lie
>Breakfast and dinner is enough for you
>So, while it's lunch, you're off to the library
>This way, you can finish up all the work from your first half of classes
>Pretty clever, huh?
>Definitely a good use of time, and the library is almost always a fun place for you
>Quiet, the smell of old musty books, and they have SUCH a big library here!
>Sometimes, you like to just walk around until a book catches your eye
>Every once in a while, the girls will come in and give you a hard time, but...
>They already did this morning, so...
>Chances are good it won't happen again today!
>Once you're in the library, you take a nice, deep breath
>The librarian waves at you, and you wave back
>Hour long lunches... This place has some perks, for sure, because that means you get a whole hour HERE almost every day!
>After picking out some cool looking history books on great empires of the past, you take a seat at one of the many tables
>There are some kids chatting in whispers at the other tables, though, across from you is another girl by her self
>Reading... Early Modern Period philosophy, by the look of it
>Always a fan of the Dualists, though, not a huge proponent of their ideas
>Fun, though!

>About fifteen minutes of skimming through this tome, you realize that there's an awful lot dedicated to corn over, well, much of anything else
>Maybe they had to sell it as a history of men to get people into the history of corn...
>It was actually pretty interesting, now that you think about it a little more
>Lots of the info—
>"Twilight! What a surprise."
>Your eyes peek up from your books
>Sugar Coat and her troupe
>You notice that they have some drinks in their hands, though, that shouldn't be allowed in this part of the library...
"Sh-Shouldn't y-you guys b-b-be e-eating?"
>"Are you supposed to be telling me what I should and shouldn't do?"
"M-Maybe y-you c-could b-be... A little m-more q-quiet?"
>They cross their arms, Sugar's face a look of disdain hiding laughter
>"Quiet?!"
>You huddle down into your chair
>The girls talk amongst themselves as Sugar shakes her head at you, being way too loud for the library
>"Girls, you must be quiet in the library, please," the librarian says, coming around the corner
>"I'm being perfectly quiet. Would the daughter of the man who this library's named after break the rules? Though, Twilight here was the one who started making chit-chat with us when we were just passing by!"
>The librarian frowns and looks at you, clearly looking defeated
>As you made note of earlier, bullying doesn't really get taken care of at Crystal Prep
>You can temporarily punish a student, but usually at the permanent cost of your job
>Looking over to the librarian, you smile
"I-It's okay," you whisper
>Don't want to get her in trouble or anything
>As per usual, the librarian sulks off
>No one should get fired over you
>Sugar and the girls dump a load of papers onto your table
>"We asked for all the extra credit we could from our classes, so you can have some extra work!"
"Th-Thanks..."
>The girls smile
>"No problem, Twilight!"
>Indigo Zap trips, splashing you with soda, deftly missing anything else
>"Sorry, dude!"
"I-It's f-f-f-fine..."

>You stand up, trying to clean yourself up as the girls chuckle
>Most of the people at the other tables laugh lowly as well
>Just smile, don't cry, be grateful that you're even able to come here...
>"Can you guys fuck off?"
>The girls stop laughing, turning around to face whoever had interrupted their fun just now
>"Excuse me?"
>"She's just trying to study. Leave her alone."
>Peering through the gaps between the girls, you spot the girl who was sitting across from you
>Like you, her uniform is ill-fitting, and she glasses taped in the middle from years of wear and tear, no doubt
>Or people breaking them
>You know how that goes...
>Sugar Coat taps a finger against her lips
>"Moondancer... Shouldn't you be busy doing our homework?"
>"I told you, I'm done doing your stupid fucking work!" she yells in a whisper
>Whoever this Moondancer is, despite her potty-mouth, she at least respects the sanctity of the library
>"Are you done going to this 'stupid fucking school', then? My dad's on the board, and I'm sure if he knew one of the scholarship students was trying to sell drugs to other students—"
>"What are you talking about?!"
>"Just all those times you've accosted my friends and I! Though... If you do what you're supposed to, maybe I'd just be remembering it wrong."
>Moondancer lowers her head, only to be splashed by another tripping girl, Lemon Zest this time
>"So sorry."
>"Yeah..."
>Sugar Coat sighs
>"Of all the kids they could have picked to bring in, they really went for the ugliest of the bunch... Eh, I'm getting hungry, let's go."
>She, and the rest of girls, walks off, leaving you and Moondancer soaked with soda
>Moondancer sticks up her middle fingers as the girls get out of sight, then turns to you and sighs
>"So... They make you do their shit for them, too?"
"Y-Y-Yeah... I-I th-thought I d-did a-all of i-it, th-though..."
>Moondancer approaches your table
>"Is it okay if I sit here?"
>You freeze up with anxiety
>"Or..."
"N-N-No... I-It's okay.."

>Moondancer takes a seat at your table, right across from you
>She smiles meekly from behind her thick-rimmed glasses and bushy eyebrows
>"Moondancer."
"Uh... I-I'm T-T-Twilight S-Sparkle..."
>You look away from her, waiting for the insult or laughter aimed at your stutter
>After a few moments, you turn back to her, confused
"Y-You're n-n-not going to m-make f-fun of me?"
>Moondancer furrows her brow
>"Why would I?"
"M-My s-stutter... M-My c-clothes..."
>She shakes her head
>"Anyone that those stuck-up bitches pick on can't be that bad. God, the alpha-bitch even had me work on this fucking ten page paper on the system of government and shit... Ruining my fucking life."
"Th-The g-government p-paper? B-B-But I-I w-wrote that for S-Sugar Coat th-this w-weekend..."
>Moondancer squints, then leans back in her chair before shaking her head in anger
>She leans back into the table
>"So they're just fucking with the both of us! FUCK, I—"
>You put a finger up to your lips
>Moondancer nods
>Talking in here, you feel bad enough
>No yelling
>She begins to whisper
>"They make me do homework for five people every night, and it sounds like they do that to you too!"
>You nod
>"We can't let them do this shit to us!"
"W-Well, i-it's o-okay... I-I'm j-just lucky t-to be h-here, a-and th-they're m-my friends..."
>Moondancer scoffs
>"Friends?!"
>The others in the library shush Moondancer down
"Th-They're th-the only ones wh-who t-talk to m-me..."
>"They're the only ones who talk to me too. Doesn't make them my friends. They're fucking cunts."
>You recoil at Moondancer's language
"They're n-not th-that b-bad... I d-don't d-deserve any b-better..."
>"Who told you that? Sugar Coat?"
>You nod; Moondancer shakes her head
>"I used to think like that, but you know what? Not anymore. Look, we're in the same boat. We could help each other out!"
>You... Do you really need 'help'?
>The girls don't physically beat you, like what used to happen up until the end of middle school
"M-Maybe..."

>"Awesome!" Moondancer shouts, only to be immediately shushed by the other students in the library
>"Awesome," she repeats, lowly
>Moondancer leans forward, smiling
>"We should totally hang out after school!"
>You look down at the load of papers in front of you
>Sugar Coat and the rest of your friends are relying on you to get all this extra credit done for them
>And...
>No one's ever invited you out before
>Moondancer's invitation honestly scares you, and you can feel sweat becoming to form on your forehead
"U-Um... S-S-Sugar Coat w-wants m-m-me to d-do her homework f-f-f-f-for her. A-And I d-don't h-have t-time to do anything a-after school b-but w-w-work for her..."
>"Oh, fuck Sugar Coat! I've been slaving away for her, and so have you, and you know what? We should stop. You should stop. All this shit here? Screw it. Screw them. They don't own us. Together, we can stand up to them!"
"I-I-I-I d-don't know..."
>"I'm going to take that as a yes."
>That wasn't really a yes...
>Moondancer smiles, looking over the books you've collected on the table
>"History, huh?"
"U-Um, yeah... I like r-r-reading about h-history and s-science. Th-This one w-wasn't quite w-what I expected," you say, holding the corn-centric Roman history text
>She nods
>"I'm big into science and philosophy. You know, how integrated they used to be a few hundred years ago. People don't have varied mastery of anything anymore. People don't even think anymore," she says, with an intense frown
>Moondancer begins to rant at you about how the French ruined science, philosophy, and art in the late 1700s, and how post-modernism exists as a result
>Something about how she appreciated the intentions, but idiots ran away with the critique of the time and 'any ideology founded upon the critique of another is inherently dubious'
>During all this, Moondancer is very animated, whispering as loudly as she can as she spills her ideas all over you
>Patiently, you sit back and listen

>Minutes pass by, and Moondancer shows now signs of slowing down
>You're basically getting a primer on the evolution of philosophy—as Moondancer sees it
>Apparently she's a big fan of the Nihilists, but hates everyone who's a fan of the Nihilists
>She also makes sure to pepper in comments about how Sugar Coat and the rest of your friends epitomize 'everything wrong with society'
>Moondancer might be a bit abrasive, but, she does seem pretty knowledgeable and passionate about the stuff she likes!
>At one point, many minutes in, she stops and laughs to herself
>"I'm sorry... I'm probably annoying you. I'm not good at knowing when to stop talking."
>She mutters something under her breath to herself
"N-N-No... I-It's okay..."
>"So, what about you? What do you think?"
"A-About w-w-what?"
>Moondancer shrugs
>"I don't know. Life?"
"Th-Th-Th-That's a b-broad topic... A-And I d-d-don't l-like t-talking m-much..."
>"Why?"
>Plenty of reasons, you think
>The stutter being a huge part of it
>But mostly...
"S-Sugar C-C-Coat d-doesn't l-like it when I t-t-talk..."
>"Like I said, fuck Sugar Coat. She doesn't like it when I talk either... Most people don't, but, you know, that's why we should hang out! I'll try and shut up more so you can talk too."
>The bell rings
>You begin to gather up the girls' papers, but Moondancer puts her hand down on top of them
>"Leave them."
"B-B-B-B-But... Th-They'll be m-mad if I m-meet them a-after school a-and don't have th-th-their papers..."
>"We're not doing their homework anymore."
>You frown
>Doing their homework was one of the few things that gave you purpose; they were your friends, after all
>"I'll meet you after school," Moondancer says, hiking off with her oversized backpack, waving
"O-Okay..."
>You wave back
>Moondancer...
>You understand why everyone hates you, but what's wrong with her?
>People must not like talking with someone who can talk about how much they hate stuff for twenty minutes straight for some reason

>The rest of the day goes by with you wracking your nerves more and more
>Moondancer is going to meet you after classes...
>You hope she'll at least let you get Sugar Coat's homework before you hang out
>'Hang out'
>Something you've never done
>Oh, this is going to go so badly
>For some unknown reason, Moondancer hasn't made fun of you yet
>Most people make fun of you the second you open your mouth
>In the class you had right after lunch, you were still so shaken from how the girls had treated you, and all the Moondancer stuff...
>You accidentally raised your hand and got called on, and you couldn't get a single word out
>Just the same stuttered syllable over and over, and it didn't take long for the kids to start laughing
>This time, you didn't even cry that much, since it's to be expected, really
>But with Moondancer, well, she talked to you for a whole lunch period (talked at you, sure) without making fun of you
>Once she sees how pathetic and disgusting you are, she'll drop you
>Maybe this is one of Sugar Coat's pranks again...
>The bell for your final class rings, and you head out into the hallways, making your way to your locker
>Lockers are assigned in alphabetical order, so you're assuming that's how Moondancer plans to meet you
>Unless she forgets your name
>You'd understand that
>As you prepare your things, you feel a tap on your shoulder
>Knowing how these things go, you turn to your opposite shoulder to find a smiling Moondancer
>"Ready to hang out?"
"C-Can w-we see S-S-Sugar Coat f-first?"
>As you'd feared, she frowns
>Sugar Coat is going to be so mad at you if you don't do her homework...
>What if she and the girls stop being your friends?!
>"We've been slaves to the aristocracy for too long. No, let's just hang out! I've never had a friend over before. This is going to be so cool!"
"I-I've n-never hung out b-b-before either..."
>"Then we can be each other's first times!"
>That sounds a little weird, you think to yourself

>Moondancer drags you along out the back entrance of the school
>Oh man, Sugar Coat is going to be SO mad at you
"M-Maybe... M-Maybe we should visit th-th-the g-girls and g-get their homework! W-W-We can d-d-d-do their homework f-for fun w-w-while we hang out!"
>"We're done with them!" Moondancer says, holding onto you tightly as you try to run off to the other end of the school
>She's not letting go!
>You're too weak to free yourself from her grip, and so you give up
>At least... At least it seems like Moondancer actually wants to hang out with you
>Maybe this will all go okay
>And one day of not doing their homework...
>The girls can handle that, can't they?
>You'll do anything to get back in their good graces
>Anything you have to
>They'll be okay with that, right?!
>Moondancer walks and you follow, going in the direction of the part of town you live in
>The 'bad' part of town
>Makes sense, seeing as you're both scholarship winners
>As you walk, Moondancer talks at length about physics, something you know much more about
>"—scientists in the 60s had so many weird names for things. 'Gluinos', and 'photinos', and stuff."
>Without thinking, you speak up, wanting to bring up how the 'top' and 'bottom' quarks used to be 'truth' and 'beauty', and how fun you thought that was
"Y-Yeah, I—"
>You stop yourself
"S-Sorry..."
>"Sorry?"
"I t-talked when y-y-you were t-t-talking..."
>Moondancer gives you a concerned pout
>"Twilight, you can say whatever you want, whenever you want. I'm not going to treat you like Sugar Coat and her platoon of sluts."
>All her insults to your friends still makes you recoil
>Someone being okay with you talking to them?
>That's even more stinging, for whatever reason
"I-It's okay... I c-can t-t-talk l-later... W-What are w-w-we going to d-do at your h-h-house?"
>"I don't know. I've never done this before. You probably don't want to watch me go on the computer... Do you like fireworks?"

>Exploding things?
>Never been one for anything like that, especially being around them or holding them
>As a kid, you remember crying when your mom had you hold a sparkler at a party
>Still something you think about every once in a while, since you're never going to live it down
>You shake your head
"F-F-Fireworks scare m-me... I-I'm s-sorry..."
>"It's okay, we can just find something else to do," Moondancer says
>"Something else," she whispers under her breath
>This is the third or so time you've noticed her do this
>It strikes you as odd, but you don't bring it up
>The two of you walk down a heavily cracked and uneven sidewalk, litter everywhere...
>Nothing like the part of Canterlot Crystal Prep is in
>Everything there is so shiny and proper
>Here, not so much
>Still, you kind of like it this way
>It's comfortable, and being around nice things only makes you stand out even more
>Moondancer approaches a small, one-story home and you follow after her
>The once-white paint is yellowed and chipped, while the lawn is an overgrown mess of weeds
>Reminds you of your place, in fact, you don't live very far from here—just a few blocks
>However, this all looks a lot more rundown
>Moondancer cheerily beckons you into her home, holding the door open for you
>Hesitantly, very hesitantly, you make your way inside
>It feels wrong to be in someone else's home
>The last time you went somewhere... Nothing good happened
>"Moony," a wrinkled, middle aged woman says, "who's this?"
>"A friend!"
>She takes a sip of Bud and eyes you with confusion
>"Since when do you got friends? Eh, whatever. Y'all kids have yer fun, just don't be hollerin' much."
>You bow your head to the home's matriarch, rather than stutter out anything
>Best to be quiet as much as possible
>Moondancer mutters to herself, bringing you down a short hallway and into her room
>"Sorry about my mom... She's dumb as rocks."
"Th-That's m-mean..."
>"It's true. I don't even know how I'm her kid! But whatever."

>Looking around, Moondancer's room is pretty cramped and messy
>A lot smaller than your room, if such a thing is possible
>Socks and shirts and underwear and bras strewn about
>You're sort of happy you don't have to deal with bras, but they seem like a requirement with Moondancer...
>Looking around more, you see her bed is a total mess, the sheets and the covers bundled up leaving a good deal of the mattress exposed
>There's a small CRT TV on top of a drawer, with a Gamecube next to it, with a few discs on top
>Oh, this is really making you... Cringe, internally
>This place needs to be cleaned up
>Discs put back in their boxes
>Moondancer puts an arm around you
>"So! What do you want to do?"
"U-U-Um... C-Can I c-clean your r-r-room?"
>"What?"
"I-I-If w-we're going to be f-friends..."
>That's what's happening, right?
>A new friend?
>The thought is crazy, but, maybe Moondancer really does want to be your friend
"...th-th-th-then i-it's m-my duty to d-do th-th-things for you... Th-That's how friends w-w-work. I can c-clean your room f-f-for you."
>Moondancer, you're not sure why, doesn't seem to want to take you up on your offer
>"Friends aren't work horses. You don't have to clean my room for me, Twilight. We can do anything! Well, not anything. I don't have a lot of stuff, but still."
"P-P-Please... I r-really w-w-want to be useful t-to you..."
>Your heart sinks when she frowns
>Does she not really like you after all?
>There's not much you have to offer her aside from your service
>You're a 'pathetic waste of space'
>Something you already had a pretty firm grasp of in your mind before Crystal Prep, but was now solidified
>"Hanging out isn't about you being 'useful'. I don't think."
"S-S-Sugar Coat—"
>"Fuck her!"
>You flinch, Moondancer's voice startling you
>"Sorry... But really, aren't you tired of being shit on by her all this time? Of all those assholes just... Just teasing you, and beating you, and..."
>She stares at her feet, frowning intensely

>"You... You have radical freedom! You can do whatever you want! Clean my room? We've been doing shit for other people for too long."
>You notice as Moondancer whispers under her breath again, 'too long'
>Now you're staring down at your shoes, too, neither of you looking at the other
"I-I-I d-don't l-l-like the w-way S-Sugar C-Coat and m-m-my friends t-treat me... But i-i-it's okay. I-I d-d-deserve it. I-I'm a b-bad friend, a-and I'm u-ugly, a-and I s-s-stutter. I-I-If it w-wasn't f-for them, I-I'd be c-c-completely a-alone... Y-You must h-hate m-me too, r-right? L-L-Listening t-t-to me t-talk. T-T-Takes s-so l-long f-f-f-for me to s-say a-a-a-a-a-any..."
>Your chest tightens as you hang on the final word, barely pushing through it
"a-anything."
>Talking is so hard, a chore, really
>The more you talk, the higher the chance you can't even finish what you're saying
>"No, I don't hate you because you stutter. Only fuckholes would hate you because of that. Or make fun of you for something you can't control. I... I know what that's like, and it sucks. No, you know, the stuttering is just part of who you are, and I like it. You can't let people make you feel bad about yourself. Living like that, it sucks..."
>"It sucks," she says again
>She 'likes' your stutter?
>That... Doesn't even make sense
>You didn't always have it, and when it started getting worse, you remember how much pain it caused your parents, that they lost another one of the few things that made you normal
>Moondancer moves over to her bed and sits down
>"Do you think I should feel bad about myself?"
>She mutters 'about myself' under breath
"N-No! I-I-It's d-different. Y-You're okay... I-I'm n-not. Th-That's j-just how th-things a-a-a-are."
>"I let people poison my mind with their shit for my whole life... Not anymore. You shouldn't either. Twilight, we're the only one's at Crystal Prep who aren't total human garbage. We can't walk all over ourselves when so many people will do it for us..."

>You didn't agree with everything Moondancer said
>'Human garbage' felt like a pretty apt term for yourself
>But... Some of what she said felt like it wiggled its way inside your chest
>Whether or not she was right, though, her room was still a mess and it was causing the hairs on the back of your neck to stand up
"I-Is it okay i-if I c-clean your r-room j-just b-because I w-want to?"
>Moondancer scratches at the back of her head, eyeing her Gamecube
>She turns back to you
>You must look so awkward, standing, hunched over in your submissive gait by the door
>"You really don't have to do that... We could play F-Zero GX. It's one of my favorites!"
>She hops up and holds the small, blue-black disc in her hand, presenting it to you
>You've never really been one for video games—it seemed like an expensive hobby, and reading already preoccupied what little free time you had
>Still, you didn't want to offend her
>But you also really had to do something about this room
"U-Um... H-How about I-I w-watch you play, a-and c-clean y-your r-r-room?"
>A small pout crosses Moondancer's face
>"You really want to clean my room, huh?"
>She whispers under her breath again, head turned slightly downwards
>You're starting to notice it less, though
"I-I'm k-kinda OCD a-about t-tidiness..."
>"Fine," Moondancer says, plopping the game into the silver console. "I guess that can work... But you have to play after, okay?"
>You nod and hurriedly begin plucking articles of clothing off the ground and folding them
>Moondancer's small Samsung flares to grainy life, a fun techno beat playing over the start screen
>Pressing 'start' on her Wavebird, Moondancer begins to tell you about her various personal records in the game
>She swears she holds near-world record times on some courses
>As you start unburying her room, it's hard to even tell what's going on, on-screen—not just because of the high speed 'snaking', but also because of the low quality of her television

>Time passes by, you stowing clothes away into drawers, and Moondancer educating you on video games
>According to her, everything sucks right now since there's a bunch of 'SJWs' trying to 'destroy everything fun' or something
>She has a strong opinion about a lot of things, you find
>After about a half hour, this room is starting to look like a place you could actually be comfortable in
>And it also apparently has a heavily-stained carpet, which you couldn't originally see under all the sweaters, and socks, and skinny jeans, and just...
>How people don't get the heebie-jeebies from messy rooms, you'll never know
>Even made Moondancer's bed for her!
>Doing something for someone without having them force you to do it in the first place... It was a nice feeling
>"Wow... It's been years since my room has been this clean. You didn't have to do that..."
"N-No, I-I w-wanted to. I-It's okay."
>Moondancer smiles
>"But now we have to play! You promised."
>She pats the spot on the bed next to her
>Obligingly, you plunk down next to her, the harsh spring-mattress making you regret doing that with such aplomb
>"Here," she says, handing you her control
>You take it, the grey plastic is slightly warm in your hands
"I-Isn't th-this y-yours?"
>"It's fine. I can use this," she says, pulling a strange looking, translucent-orange Mad Catz controller off from her desk
>Moondancer wiggles in her seat with seeming elation at being able to play with you, or someone at all
>It takes her a while to teach you the basics, but you think you get it after not too long
>She promises not to use 'snaking' or any other pro stuff on you
>Regardless, she still whoops your butt every game
>But you still have fun, anyways!
>Losing doesn't matter to you
>What matters is... She seems to be so happy, just doing this with you...
>Almost like she's having more fun now than when she was playing by herself!
>A warm sensation cross over you
>Is this what... Having a friend is supposed to feel like?

>The two of you go through a few more games after F-Zero
>Timesplitters 2, Mario Kart Double Dash, Super Smash Bros. Melee...
>You weren't really familiar with any of these, but you got the hang of them pretty quick
>The controller you had felt really nice in your hands, ergonomic, while it seemed like Moondancer's couldn't always do everything
>It stung a little, to have someone sacrifice something for you—even with something as little as using a hokey-looking controller
>For example, the shoulder buttons sucked, so 'dodge rolling' was very hit or miss for her
>Which led to you narrowly beating out her Bowser with your Peach with the hard smack of a tennis racket
>That wasn't fair
"I-I-I'm s-s—"
>Moondancer giggles, her player character clapping for yours on the results screen
>"Twilight, that was so cool! You're getting really good."
"R-Really?"
>"Yeah! Let's keep playing."
>You nod
>Sugar Coat thinks video games are 'for faggots', so she'd never play one with you, but you know that if you'd beaten her in one, it wouldn't be compliments you'd be receiving
>Moondancer is so... Different from everyone else at Crystal Prep
>You guess the two of you probably get along since you're both scholarship winners, both get picked on by the same people, and both have off-putting quirks
>Though, you haven't really noticed hers anymore
>And the times she'd go off about something were always enjoyable to you
>You're not sure how many matches have gone by when a knock comes at the door
>It opens, a portly, middle-aged man in a splotchy wife-beater standing in the doorway
>He reeks of alcohol, but has a jolly smile on his face
>Moondancer sits stoically beside you
>"Well I'll be, Moony really did bring a friend over after all! What's your name?"
"T-T-Twilight S-Sparkle."
>"Nice to meet'cha, Twilight."
>His eyes turn to the small window against the wall, and your heart jumps once you see that it's dark outside

>"I don't want'cha to feel like I'm kicking you out, but both of you have school tomorrow. You can stay a few more minutes, but it's almost Moony's bed time."
"O-Okay. Th-Thanks f-for h-h-having m-me in your h-house."
>He bellows, one hand against the doorway
>"It's no problem, Twilight. I'm just glad Moony's got a friend is all. Do you need a ride home or anythin'?"
"N-No, I-I l-live really c-c-close."
>"Oh, that's nice. Feel free to come over whenever, really. Moony needs the friends. Anywho, I'll be headin' off to bed. Got to be on site early. Night to the both of you!"
"G-Goodnight," you say, waving
>Well, he seems nicer than Moondancer's mother
>But you're sure she's a nice person, too
>It's just hard to always be presentable when money is tight—you know that from your parents
>You turn back to 'Moony' with a slight smile
"D-Do you w-w-want to play o-one m-more?"
>"Sure."
>After one more round, it's Twilight: 1, Moondancer: A lot + One more
>Moondancer stands up and powers down her Gamecube and TV, and turns back to you, arms extended outward
>What is she doing?
>"Not a hugger?"
"O-Oh, i-is th-that what th-th-that w-was?"
>You stand up, hesitant to bring your arms up and reciprocate
>Hugging is something you only really do with your parents, and you definitely haven't gotten any hugs from Sugar Coat or your other friends
>Moondancer throws her arms around you
>You wince and your chest feels like it's trying to collapse on itself, and Moondancer pulls away
>"Did I do something?"
>She repeats this in a hushed tone
"N-No, I j-j-j-just... I-I d-d-don't l-like p-people t-touching me... S-Sorry."
>Moondancer nods, looking off past you
>"I get that. I do."
>Instead of hugging, she holds up her hand by her head
>Now, she's waving to you, but you don't know that until after you high five her
>You're so bad at this...
"S-Sorry."
>"Twilight, it's fine. I had a lot of fun today! We should hang out more often. This beats doing homework for Sugar Cunt, right?"

>Again, you're not gung-ho about her uncouth language—especially about your friends—but she was right
>This was a lot better than doing homework until three or four am
"D-Do y-y-you w-want to h-hang out a-again t-tomorrow?"
>Moondancer hops on the spot
>"Yeah! I'll meet you at your locker, like we did this time."
>You say your goodbyes, and wave each other off
>It doesn't take long for you to get home, and it only took two turns to get there!
>Who knew that someone who'd actually spend time with you was living so nearby?
>You're still not entirely confident she could actually like you, but this was definitely something brand new to you
>"Twilight, where have you been?" your father asks from the plaid couch, watching some reality TV show with your mom
"A f-friend's h-house..."
>Your dad's eyebrows shoot up, and he leans over the arm of the couch at you
>"A friend's?"
"Y-Yup!"
>He smiles warmly
>"It's about fucking time," your mother said, her eyes still glued to the overly-tanned 'housewives' screeching at each other on the TV. "Better late than never, so, good job."
"Th-Thanks, Mom!"
>"Want to watch with the family?" she asks
"N-No th-thanks, I sh-should sleep."
>You give your parents a curtsy and hurry off to your room as your mother shrugs
>Shutting your door behind you, you lay yourself down on your bed, running a finger along the cracks low on the wall
>Having your mattress directly on the floor allowed you to do this—plus it was cheaper than having a box for it, and you never had to worry about rolling off!
>Today went so well, and you barely received any homework
>You can probably just do it all in the morning
>And then hang out with Moondancer again after school
>You just hope Sugar Coat wouldn't be too mad at you
>Brushing her off... It was mean, but you didn't want to do her homework forever
>Sugar Coat is a nice person; she'll understand
>With that, it's off to sleep

>The next morning, you're breezing through your homework at the kitchen table
>Your mother slams a stack of pancakes in front of you and you jump in your seat
>"Are you gonna eat, or did you just want to look at the pancakes?"
"Y-Yeah, a-after I f-f-finish m-my h-homework."
>Mom rolls her eyes, tapping her fingers on the table
>Her long, lavender painted nails clack loudly against the laminated wood
>"Why do you ask me to cook for you if you're going to wait for it to get cold?"
>You lower your head, staring at the grain of the table
"I-I'll b-be f-fast. J-Just a f-f-few m-minutes."
>"Why didn't you just do it yesterday?", she asks, her arms crossed, her finger now tapping away at her forearm
"W-W-W-Well, l-l-like I s-said, I-I-I w-was a-at a f-f-friend's, a-a-and I knew I-I c-c-c-could f-finish m-my h-homework i-in the m-m-m-m-mor..."
>Your mother's face falls and her finger stops its tapping as you struggle to get out your final word
>It's doesn't want to come out, but you force it up anyways
"M-Morning..." you say
>Your mother exhales deeply, one corner of her mouth curling downwards
>"Just eat the goddamn pancakes, Twilight. Please. You complain when they get cold."
"O-Okay..."
>Pushing aside your books and assignment sheets, you chow down on the pancakes
>"How are they?"
"G-G-Good! Th-Thanks."
>"That's good..."
>Your mom walks over to the stove, picking up the pan and putting it in the sink
>Washing something right after you used it was something your mom had told you was for the best
>Otherwise you might end up with a stack of dishes that could take forever to clean up
>You think you got some of your OCD tendencies from her
>After finishing the pancakes, you take a few more minutes to finish off your papers and notes before heading off to school
>All you had to do was apologize to Sugar Coat, and everything would be fine

>Stepping outside your house, backpack much lighter than usual, you head down to Crystal Prep Academy
>As usual, it's pretty much a ghost town because of how early you get here
>When you enter the building, you start heading towards your math class
>However, when you turn the final corner, the door is blocked by Sugar Coat and the rest of your friends
>You flinch slightly as you spot Anon with them, remembering back to the party
>"Hello, Twilight," Sugar Coat said, a hand on her hip
"H-H-Hi... S-S-Sorry for n-not d-doing y-your h-h-homework... I m-meant it."
>Sugar Coat smiled at you
>Taking slow steps, she approached you and patted you on the shoulder
>"I understand."
"R-R-Really?"
>"Really really."
>Gently, you raised your head to face her, beaming
"Th-Thanks! I-I f-felt so b-b-bad about i-it... I-I was w-worried you w-were g-g-going to h-hate me..."
>Sugar Coat, one hand still on your shoulder, takes a quick glance at the girls behind her
>"Well, you did kind of throw all your work onto us, but... We're friends, right? The girls and I just want to talk this over after class."
"S-Sure! A-Anything. I-I'm s-s-so g-glad you're not a-angry."
>Sugar Coat pats you on the shoulder again, offering a well-constructed grin
>"Let's just talk after school."
>Sugar Coat motions her head away from your classroom door, and the girls disperse
>The girls come together in a group behind Sugar Coat and leave, Anon straggling behind
>He stands in front of you, hands in his pockets
>"Hey, Twilight?"
>You turn away from him
"Y-Yeah?"
>"I just wanted to apologize. Again. It was just a prank, but... I guess it was kind of a shitty one."
>You stared at the amply polished tile floor, averting your gaze even from his reflection
"I-It's okay..."
>"Awesome. See you around!"
>He runs off to catch up with the girls, his footsteps echoing through the halls

>You take your seat in class, and heft your bag onto the floor
>It feels odd, not having six students' worth of homework in one bag
>Like you could have floated away at any time
>Even the strength you used to get it off your back was too much, causing it to be a much clumsier affair than it should have been
>This big, dumb, purple pack was almost like a friend to you, with how long you've had it and how much it's been with you
>You stare at the various posters on the walls, particularly the one with Einstein on it, bearing a rather unmotivational quotation
>'Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former'
>That sounds like something Moondancer might say, you think to yourself chuckling
>People start filing in, and you make sure to straighten up and start paying attention
>You felt at ease right now
>New friend, who actually liked you
>And your old friends weren't angry at you
>As class was waiting to start, you tapped your toes and silently hummed to yourself
>The first half of the day went by smoothly
>At lunch, you went to the library, and found Moondancer there, too, already sitting at your table
>It looked like she was reading more philosophy books, this time 'The Stranger'
>"Twilight!" she whispered, standing from her seat
>Moondancer opened her arms to you before letting them fall back to her sides
>"Sorry."
"I-It's f-fine."
>A small pit forms in your chest as you watch her deflate slightly—not liking physical contact very much wasn't something you wanted to make someone else sad over
>You exchange smiles and small waves and sit down next to each other at the table
>"Have you read this book?"
>'this book', she repeats
"N-No," you say
>Moondancer smiles
>"Okay, so, it starts out with this guy learning about his mother's death..."

>You listen intently as she tells you about the basic plot, and the main character
>Judging by what you know of Nihilism, the guy sounds pretty Nihilistic
>Maybe even 'edgy' would be the right term
>Never relaying his emotions, being completely indifferent to everyone in an indifferent universe...
>The guy even kills someone else and doesn't have much to say about it, and feels no remorse
>And then he gets executed, because he didn't cry at his mother's funeral or something?
>It's hard to follow the story, since Moondancer's talking so fast and with such animation
>Every once in a while, she'll reference another philosopher or book and go off on small tangents
>In the end, despite Moondancer looking so joyed at talking about this, you're left feeling rather glum
>She cocks her head at you
>"Am I boring you?"
"N-Not at all! I-I j-just... I-It's all s-s-so d-dreary... N-Nihilism i-isn't really m-m-my cup of t-tea."
>Moondancer snorts
>"'The Stranger' is Absurdism, which is a lot less dreary than Nihilism."
>Oh
>It was still very dreary to you
"S-So... W-Why are you r-reading it i-if y-you already, y-you know, know e-everything a-about it?"
>"You don't read books over again?"
>Moondancer whispers to herself
"N-Not r-really... I l-like r-reading s-s-something new e-every time, I g-guess..."
>She nods
>"That makes sense. So... What do you believe? About, like, the world or whatever?"
>Last time she asked you a question like this, you didn't have an answer
>You still don't
>It seems difficult to have a concrete outlook on anything
>What concerns you is doing well in school, and being less of a burden on everyone
>Moondancer frowns when you shrug
"I have books at home that you should probably read. You'd like them! Have you read Fight Club?"
"I-I a-already know th-the twist, b-but no..."
>Over the rest of lunch, you and Moondancer talk about philosophy, science, history...
>And you find yourself smiling up until the moment the bell rings

>You both stand up and trade goodbyes
>"I'll see you after classes, right?"
"U-Umm... Y-Yeah, b-but I h-have to s-see Sugar C-C-Coat f-first. I-It'll be q-quick."
>Moondancer frowns
>"Don't you think it would be best to stay away from that cunt?"
>There's that language again, causing your next breath to be sharp
"Sh-She's n-n-not a... Y-You-know-wh-what... S-Sugar C-Coat j-just w-wants to talk t-to me a-after school."
>Plucking her bag off the ground, with the same overexertion that you had with your own underweight backpack, Moondancer shrugs
>"Okay. I'll wait for you at my locker," she says, repeating 'at my locker'
>You nod with a bright smile
"S-See y-you there!"
>Not wanting to be late, you jog off, waving to Moondancer
>The next few classes you have go as smoothly as the first did
>You were really looking forward to spending time with Moondancer again
>Playing video games was fun, and being able to make someone happy just by doing something with them was a great feeling
>Plus, trading notes on what books to read would be fun, too
>And she hasn't made fun of your stutter once!
>Though, you wouldn't mind if she did—your stutter was very bad, and even your mom sometimes makes fun of it when she's really drunk
>Like with your mom, though, you got the feeling that Moondancer didn't hate you
>Which made you feel a little guilty, since you were so worthy of the feeling
>And then there was Sugar Coat, who you knew hated you, but that was okay
>It even seemed like she was warming up to you, now, with how nice she was this morning
>As the final bell rings, you giddily make your way to Sugar Coat's locker, wanting to waste no time in making your apologies to each and every one of your friends
>Like Sugar Coat said, you threw all your work onto them, and that made you feel terrible
>Bumping around between the harsh shoves of the sea of students, you finally made it through the winding school complex, you finally saw a smiling Sugar Coat and Co.
>"Twilight!"

"H-Hey, girls!"
>Sugar steps forward, smiling
>"Right on time, Twilight."
>Scanning the group, you see that all the girls are there, plus Anon
>You notice that there's a blue girl you haven't seen before with them
>She was hunched over, like you often were, looking at your shoes
>Sugar Coat peeks behind her, noticing your attention isn't on her
>"That's Trixie. She's going to watch."
"W-Watch wh-wh-what?"
>A hand reaches around your body, landing firmly on your upper back
>You wince, and unlike Moondancer, Sugar's hand stays put
>"Let's head to the bathroom to talk, shall we?"
>You don't get to respond, pushed along by Sugar Coat, the low laughter of the other girls making you feel on edge
>Girls go to the bathroom with each other all the time, you hear
>It's not something you've ever done, but, you assume it's just a place to talk or something
>As you approach the glossy door to the girls' bathroom, Sugar stops and turns to Anon
>"Don't let anyone in."
>His eyebrows crease slightly
>"Okay?"
>"I mean it."
>Anon rolls his eyes
>"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, Babe."
>Sugar Coat opens the door and pushes you inside forcefully
"H-Hey!"
>She drags you by the front of your shirt, bending down slightly to look under the stalls
>"Nobody here. That's good."
>The rest of the girls filter in, shoving Trixie around
>"S-Stop! Y-You're hurting Trixie..." she whimpers
>Sour Sweet restrains Trixie, gripping her tightly by the arms as the rest laugh
>"Who talks in the third person? Seriously, that's so lame," Indigo Zap says, chuckling
"Y-You sh-shouldn't hurt h-her..."
>Sugar Coat laughs, echoing through the room
>"We're not going to hurt her, Twilight. We just want her to see what happens when our friends don't do what we want."
>She rips your glasses from your face and throws them to the ground, and the world becomes a blur
>You hear them crunch as a boot hits the floor
"S-Stop!"

>Crouching down, you let your fingers scour the grimy tile, trying to retrieve the rims of your glasses at the very least
>Your parents couldn't afford getting you new ones
>Laughter filled your ears, and you started to shake
>"Geez, how fucking blind are you?" Lemon Zest says, nearly doubling over as she watches you on your hands and knees
>A very slight relief comes over you as your finger brushes against what seems to be your glasses
>The next moment, you scream out in pain as a boot comes down on your fingers
>And then another
>Your jaw hangs open as you croak out another scream, falling to your elbows
>"Did you know how long it took me to do that stupid fucking English assignment last night?!" Sugar Coat yells, stepping on your hands yet again. "Two and a half hours! Two and a half hours of my life down the drain!"
"I-I'm s-s-s-s—"
>Something hits you in the gut, and you nearly vomit on the spot, a great heave going through your entire body
>"S-Stop! You're hurting her! T-Trixie will do what you want! Stop! Pl—"
>You don't see what happens, but you hear a soft smack that shuts Trixie up
>More blows come down on you, mostly boots, but someone in there—Lemon Zest, probably—is wearing high heels
>Falling to your side, you try to curl up, only to have your arms and legs pulled apart as the others wail on you
>You can't even scream, wracked in too much pain, every kick in the gut eliciting small sobs and coughs
>Indigo Zap lets out a 'Woo!' as she gives you a nasty kick to the chest
>"GOAL!"
>The girls erupt into cacophonous laughter, though a small sob breaks through, and it's not yours
>You can't move a single muscle in your body, not even to sob
>The girls look like colorful blobs, huddled together as they finally stop hitting you
>Your shallow, wheezed breaths echo through the bathroom
>The blobs push a blue blob out in front of you, and you feel hands grabbing you by the head, pulling you up
>"On your knees, please," Sugar Coat says

>With force, she tries to get you to your knees as she struggles with your limp body
>"Twilight, stop being such a fucking hassle!"
"I-I... I..."
>You don't have the energy to speak, let alone keep yourself upright
>Tears streak down your face, yet you can't feel them over the stinging
>Every part of you aches
>Sugar Coat finally gets you into an upright position, but you fall right over
>"TWILIGHT!"
>She stomps your calf
>Pain shoots through your body, and you squirm on the floor
>It smells like urine down here
>The clean freak in you can't do anything about that
>Once again, you're hoisted up
>"Don't be fucking lazy again, or it's going to be a long day."
>On your knees, you wobble, but steady yourself
>Once more, the blue blob is pushed towards you
>"Spit on her," you hear Sugar Coat say
>"N-No! T-Trixie will do no such thing!"
>Another smack rings out through the room, and you see the blue blob being tossed around by the others
>"S-Stop!"
>"Then do it!"
>There's a whimper, and shortly after you feel something wet splat against your face
>Laughter
>"So, you know what you have to do now, right?"
>"T-Trixie will... Trixie will do anything Sugar Coat or her friends ask..."
>"Great!" Sugat Coat says with pep. "We already gave you all our stuff. Don't disappoint. Let's go, girls."
>The girls file out, their shoes clacking on the floor, and one makes a quick run over to you and kicks you in the side, and you double over
>Indigo Zap chuckles and rushes out, telling you she'll 'smell you later'
>"Where the fuck is Anon! He was supposed to be making sure no one came in..."
>On the floor of the girls bathroom, you sob in silence, spitting out onto the ground every once in a while as saliva pools in your mouth
>The pain you felt was mind numbing, you could hardly do anything but try and cry out, though even that was impossible
>You had just lost nearly all of your friends, and by your own doing

>Sometime later—you're not sure how much longer—you hear the bathroom door open
>"Jesus Christ!"
>Anon?
>It takes everything you have just to crane your neck, watching as a green blur rushes over to you
>"What the fuck... What the fuck! What the fuck, what the fuck, what the fuck!"
>He just mutters that over and over
>You try to talk, but only a shaky exhalation leaves your mouth
>"Fuck, are... Are you okay? Sugar Coat told me what they... Fucking Christ,this is way worse than what she said she was going to do..."
>Arms scoop you up, and you feel the pull of gravity on your limbs and head as you're lifted off the ground
>If you could have, you would have winced at the touch
>But as it was, you didn't have the energy to do that
>As you were carried out the bathroom, you stared at the ceiling, evenly spaced luminescent blurs moving across your field of vision
>"Fuck... Is the Nurse's Office even still open right now?"
>The Nurse's Office...
>The nurse might as questions
>Might get Sugar Coat in trouble...
>And then they'd probably come after you again and—
"P-Please... D-Don't..."
>A fuzzy green face turns down at you
>"Don't?"
>You shake your head with what little ability you have
"N-No."
>Your arms swayed as Anon came to a stop
>"Then... Then what?"
>His voice quiets out into a muffle
>Can't answer...
>Too tired...
>Another voice, a girl's, calls out your name in terror and concern as you fall into a haze
>The next thing you know, you're in a bed
>Two figures are sitting over you, and you can... See them, somewhat
>You notice you have glasses on your face
>"T-Twilight?" Moondancer says
"W-Where am I?"

>"You're at my house," a boy says
>That must be Anon
>Through the glasses, you can somewhat make out the room you're in
>Seems to be pretty sizable, maybe more space than yours and Moondancer's rooms combined
>Posters everywhere, though you can't really read anything on them
>Moondancer's vision must not be as bad as yours
>That's good
>Moondancer pounces you with a hug, and you scream out
>"Fuck, s-sorry."
"I-It's o-okay..."
>Your whole body aches in this constant swell, coming at you like waves breaking on the shore, in and out
>"A-Are you sure you don't need to go to the hospital or anything? Anon said you didn't even want to go to the nurse..."
>When Moondancer whispers to herself, Anon gives out a slight chuckle which he tries to stifle a few moments later
"N-Nothing is b-b-broken. I-I would kn-know... I-It's o-o-okay, a-and I d-d-don't want to g-get Sugar C-Coat in t-trouble..."
>Moondancer stands and begins to pace in Anon's room
>"Don't want to get her in trouble?! Maybe you can't see yourself right now, but... What they did to you is unforgivable! Sugar Cunt—"
>"Hey!" Anon interjects, turning to Moondancer. "That's my girlfriend you're talking about."
>"Your girlfriend just had Twilight beaten until she fucking blacked out!"
>Anon puts his arms up in front of him as Moondancer takes a swing at him
>"Would you fucking stop?! I'm trying to help, geez. This is my fucking house. Sugar Coat... She..."
>"Yeah? You can't defend that bitch. Fuck you."
>'Fuck you,' she whispers
>You try to sit up in the bed, moaning out in pain as you rest against the headboard
"P-Please d-don't fight... I-I don't want a-anybody e-else to g-get hurt..."
>Moondancer shrugs and crosses her arms
>"Fine..."
>Anon puts a hand on your calf, and you don't have the energy to pull away
>His touch, especially after the party, scares you
>"Are you okay?"
"F-Fine..."

>Though fuzzy, you see the corner of Anon's mouth curl into a slight frown
>"I'm sorry about what I did to you. Still. And I'm sorry what Sugar Coat did to you. I... I don't know why she's like this, sometimes, but I'm telling you, she's not that bad when you get on her good side."
>Moondancer laughs indignantly and puts a few fingers against her forehead
>"Well, being on her bad side, she's pretty fucking bad, you fuck."
>"Look, I don't know what you have against me. I don't even know you."
>"You're dating the girl who's been torturing Twilight and I ever since we started at Crystal Prep!"
>You try to huddle into yourself as Moondancer and Anon start shouting at one another
>Over Sugar Coat, over what 'really' constitutes bullying, over who is or isn't 'so bad'
>The yelling digs its way into your chest, and you close your eyes
>Just pretend it's not happening and don't say anything
>That always helps...
>"—then why don't you just go somewhere else?!"
>"Somewhere else?! So I have to fucking choose between my education or getting bullied by your cunt of a girlfriend at school? Fuck, if I tried to go somewhere else, she'd probably do some shit to get at me somehow!"
>When Moondancer starts talking to herself under hushed tones again, Anon laughs
>"Do you have to do that since no one else talks to you? God, you—No, no, I should be... We shouldn't be fighting. We should be making sure Twilight's okay."
>"Oh, yeah, just fucking get the insult in and THEN do the 'bigger man' shtick. Fucking—"
"P-PLEASE!"
>It was at that point you realized you were crying
"P-Please d-don't... I d-don't like l-listening to people f-fight..."
>Both Moondancer and Anon seem to deflate
>"I'm sorry, Twilight... I just get... Worked up sometimes."
>'Sometimes...'
>"We'll stop," Anon says
>Anon shimmies up the bed to sit himself beside you, pulling his knees up to his chest—like you're doing—looking concerned
>"As long as you're in my house, I want to take care of you, okay?"

>You nod, the bed shifting slightly as Moondancer takes a seat by your feet, one leg crossed over the other
>"Maybe you could've taken care of her by not letting Sugar Coat beat her half to death..."
>"Look, I had no idea what Sugar Coat was planning to do. Usually, she just tries to fuck with people's heads or something. Nothing that bad."
>"Nothing that bad?!" Moondancer snarls
>Hands pre-emptively raised in case of any attacks, Anon says, "Okay, bad. But nothing like beating someone up! She's never done anything like that before. I knew she wanted to hurt Twilight, but I thought that it was just going to be some teasing or something. This... This isn't anything like her."
"B-But..."
>The girls had never beaten you before—not like that, at least
>It had always been little things, like Indigo Zap punching you really hard in the shoulder as a joke, or the pillow fight at the party...
>Things that were just supposed to be fun, but you were too weird to be okay with
>But nothing like her?
"A-Anon... Th-This is a lot like h-her, i-isn't it? I-It's not e-even the w-worst thing she e-ever did t-to me."
>Moondancer shudders
>"What the fuck did she do to you that could possibly be worse?!"
>Head down, you turn to Anon, looking up into his face through disheveled, purple hair
>You don't say anything, but Anon sighs and turns away from you
>Moondancer's eyes dart between you and Anon
>"What the fuck did he do to you?"
>Anon blows some air between his lips and shrugs his shoulders
>"I maybe tricked Twilight into thinking I, you know, liked her, and kissed her, or something, as part of a prank with Sugar Coat."
>You try not to let tears well in your eyes as you think back
>"You WHAT?!"
>Moondancer's eyes fill with violent animus, and she nearly charges across the bed at Anon, but you move yourself between them
"M-Moondancer..."
>She snarls, still staring at Anon
>"Look, I'm sorry about that. I've been saying that ever since. I'm sorry. It was a dick move."

>"A 'dick move'? You're fucking priceless, you know that?"
>'You know that?' she whispers
>Anon rises to reply, but stops himself
>You breath a sigh of relief
>If they're not fighting...
>That's all you really want
>Every insult they've slung at each other has stung
"I-I'm not mad at A-Anon... I-I'm not m-mad at S-Sugar C-C-Coat. I-I d-don't l-like being m-mad. I-It's not g-good for y-you..."
>Moondancer shrugs
>"Twilight, you should be mad... I'll be mad for you, then."
>You frown
>There's a momentary silence before Anon turns to you, seemingly hesitant to speak
>"So... The kiss thing. THAT'S the worst? Worse than this?" he says, hold a hand out to your body. "It wasn't, even, sort of funny?"
>"Are you fucking retarded?"
>'He's retarded..." she mumbles
>Anon turns away from you, seemingly lost in thought
"I-It w-wasn't funny... B-But l-like I s-said. I-I'm not m-mad."
>He nods to himself
>"Okay."
>"Okay? Not mad?!"
>Moondancer shakes her head, looking distraught
>"What the fuck is going on?!"
>"Just simmer down."
>She growls, but steps down when your lips start quavering
>You let out a sigh
"W-What time i-is it?"
>Anon points to the wall
>"I have a clock, you know."
"I..."
>"Those aren't her fucking glasses, you fucking cock."
>Again, you feel a slight sting from Moondancer's insult, even if it was for Anon
>Why can't people just get along?
>"Whatever. It's a little past nine."
>"Oh wait, what?! Shit, I have to get home. My dad is gonna... He's not going to be happy..."
"M-Me too... I-I need t-to g-get home."
>Anon nods
>"I can drive you guys."
>Now both you and Moondancer nod
>Moondancer hops off the bed and reaches a hand out for you
>You take it, and she pulls you up
>Once on your feet, though, you collapse onto the ground
>"I can carry you," Anon says, scooping you up
>Moondancer's face turns to a snarl once more

>Anon carries you in his arms, and you feel somewhat embarrassed to be a literal, physical burden on someone
>He carries you through his house, Moondancer in tow
>It's a spacious, upper-middle class sort of home
>Probably has multiple bathrooms and lots of bedrooms
>There are large vases with a Grecian theme at the foot of the stairs
>Once in the garage, you spot Anon's car
>It's a red Porsche, a four door one
>You're not really a big car person, but even you know that Porsches are expensive
>How expensive, you don't know, but expensive!
>Having money must be pretty nice
>"Okay, uh... I guess we can just have you lay in the back, again."
>Moondancer opens the door to the back and slides across to the car's back-right seat
>She helps pull you in, Anon sliding you across the backseat
>Your head finally comes to a rest on Moondancer's lap
>Anon shuts the door and gets into the driver's seat, starting the car with a low rumble
>"Do you guys know which one of you lives closer to here?"
>"Twilight doesn't even know where here IS, you idiot. But, I think my house is closer."
>"Whatever."
>Moondancer guides Anon to her home
>Along the way, she places a hand on your shoulder
>You try not to flinch—you don't want to hurt her feelings again
>"D-Do you think we can hang out tomorrow, Twilight?"
"O-Of c-c-course! I r-really l-liked h-hanging out w-with y-y-you..."
>Moondancer smiles warmly
>"Awesome."
>'Awesome,' she repeats
>"There's so much we can do next time! We could—"
>The car comes to an abrupt stop, nearly shaking you onto the floor
>Anon could use some driving lessons...
>"The half painted house with the paint chipping off, right? That's what you said?"
>"Oh, yeah, that's me. I'll see you later, Twilight!"
>Moondancer opens the door and slides out from under you, gently laying your head down onto the warm, leather seat
>She waves and closes the door
>"Okay, and now for you. You live nearby?"
"Y-Yeah... I-It's v-very close..."

>You tell him the two turns it takes to get to your house
"I-It'll o-only be a f-few minutes t-to get th-there..."
>After taking the first turn, a bit recklessly as you slide slightly in the backseat, Anon talks
>"Twilight, I know I've said this a lot already. But I'm sorry."
"I-It's okay. I-It r-really is."
>He sighs hard between his lips, letting them flap about in the air
>"Twilight... When we were at the party, I really did enjoy talking to you."
>Your breath sharpens
"R-Really?"
>"Yeah... Everything I said was... Kind of true. I... Sugar Coat has just... I don't want to think she's changed, but she has. You know, she used to be a lot like you. In that she liked science, and liked talking about shit. I guess that's the only real similarity, but..."
>Anon grunts, rounding another corner
>"I guess what I'm trying to say, is, that that was the first time in a long time that I really enjoyed a conversation with someone."
"O-Oh... Th-Then w-why d-did y-you..."
>Your voice cracks and you whimper
>There's a crackling sound as the Porsche parks in your home's gravel driveway
>"I don't know, man. It was just a prank. I didn't think it'd actually hurt you, but, like you said, you weren't mad, right?"
"Y-Yeah."
>"Well, that's good. I'd hate it if anything Sugar did, or might do, upset you a lot.
>It's not that you weren't upset...
>Just not mad
>"Do you think you can walk now?"
"I-I can t-t-try."
>It's a struggle, but you use the car door as an aid to upright yourself
"I-I think I'll n-need y-you to h-help m-me walk..."
>"Sure."
>Anon steps out of the driver's side and walks around to you
>He opens the door, and pulls you out
>Every point of contact between the two of you hurts—almost burns
>You're going to be sore for days...
"I-I think I c-can walk if y-you h-help."
>Leaning into Anon, you limp up to your front door, before finally realizing you're missing something
"W-Where's m-my backpack!"
>"Fuck. It must still be at school. Sorry, Twilight."

>That was fine
"C-Could you r-ring the d-doorbell?"
>Anon nods and presses his finger against the doorbell
>That telltale 'ding-dong' goes off, loud enough for you to hear it outside
>Then, you hear your mother shouting
>'Are you gonna get the fucking door or what?!'
>'Velvet, I'm watching the fucking game.'
>'I'M WATCHING TOO YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT!'
>'I provide for the fucking family. Maybe you can answer the fucking door?'
>'GET THE DOOR!'
>You let your eyes drop to the floor, and you can almost feel the tension dripping off of Anon
"I-I'm s-sorry..."
>"I-It's fine."
>The door opens into the house, revealing your father behind the screen door
>He rubs a hand down his face as he spots you
>"Jesus... What happened?"
>"She got beat up at school."
>Your dad sighs, nodding, and opens the door
>"Thanks for bringing... Thanks for bringing Twilight home."
>Anon steps through, one arm around your body, helping you up into your home
"S-Sorry, D-Dad..."
>Your father takes a seat at the table next to the door, shaking his head
>"Getting back to basics, huh? Been a while since you've gotten yourself beaten up," your mother says, still on the couch
>Anon pulls on his collar with his free hand
>"That your 'boyfriend' or something?"
>Your mom is leaning over the arm of the couch, sipping beer from a can
>"Just a friend... Or just a guy, I don't know."
>"Don't know if you're a guy or not?"
>"What? No, I'm just."
>Anon shakes his head
>You didn't think your mom would tease or bully random school kids, but...
>"I was just trying to bring your daughter home. After getting beat up?"
>"Whatever," your mother says, turning away from you and back to the television, cursing as the opposing team scores
>"Can you just bring Twilight to... The room is down there. I'm sorry about my wife."
>"S-Sure..."
>You limp against Anon, down to your room
>It's not very far
>Your home is pretty small
>Opening your door, Anon stands still as your room hits his eyes
>"God damn, Twilight..."

"W-What?"
>Your room is pretty organized and clean
>Mattress pressed snugly into one corner, sheets and pillow in proper order
>The card table you use as a desk is pressed into another corner, stool neatly tucked underneath
>Your e-reader is placed neatly in the center
>And the rug in the middle, with its purple and pink star design, that sort of brings the room together
>It might be kind of sparse, but it's not a dump
>Even if the wood floor is scuffed beyond heck, but, you didn't do that!
>Despite all this, Anon shakes his head, a conflicted look on his face as he flips your light on
>"Do you... Want me to lay you on the bed... Mattress, or something?"
"P-Please, i-if you c-could."
>Anon lays you down onto your bed, a hard and worn spring mattress
>He grunts as he takes a seat on the floor next to you, leaning on one arm
>"So..."
"I-I'm s-s-sorry a-about my p-parents... I-I'm s-sorry f-for being a b-burden."
>"C'mon man, don't say that."
>Anon scans your room and mutters a 'fuck' to himself
>You simply watch as you lay on your side
>He turns back to you, but doesn't say a word
"Um... Th-Thanks f-for... B-Bringing me h-home."
>"I guess," he says, gloomily
"Y-You c-can g-go home if y-you w-w-want."
>Anon turns to the door, staring at it for a while
>"Maybe I should go... I..."
>He looks to you
>"I guess I'm just thinking about what Sugar Coat would want versus what I would want..."
"W-What do y-you want?"
>"Fuck if I know."
>Well, you sort of want to tell him to do whatever it is Sugar Coat wants him to do
>After all... Crossing her isn't good
"I... Do w-what Sugar C-Coat w-would want."
>"Do you mean that?"
>Anon leans back and grunts
>"I don't know..."
"I-It's fine. I-I-I d-don't w-want Sugar C-Coat to be m-mad at you f-for t-talking to me o-or something."
>You remember when Lemon Zest tried to actually talk to you once
>Something about her parents divorcing, and the other girls not caring
>Zest learned not to talk with you
>"Fuck it. Why don't we talk?"

>You protest, but Anon seems to be set on this
>The two of you talk about the sorts of things you'd talked about at that party
>For example, whole story about how Schrodinger's Cat was originally thought up as a way to make fun of quantum mechanics as a theory wasn't something you'd known
>Even in the sciences, people can't always be nice to one another...
>At some point, after a few minutes of talking, you find it in yourself to sit up
>As you talk, you start to feel that same fluttery feeling as before, and it kills you inside
>Feeling this way about Sugar Coat's boyfriend...
>Smiling, laughing about how Maxwell's Equations threw a wrench into the understanding of light...
>You were a terrible person, weren't you?
>And Anon seemed to be a bit on edge as you talked, gulping at strange times, biting his lips
>You're afraid that it might be you, something that you're doing, something that's making him feel uncomfortable
>While he's talking, you're so caught up in your worries that you don't notice that he's stopped speaking
>"Twilight?"
"O-Oh, s-s-sorry... I w-was just th-thinking..."
>"Thinking what?"
>You twiddle your thumbs
"A-Am I m-making you unc-comfortable?"
>Anon places a hand on yours
>You turn away, trying to hide your blush
>"Twilight, no, it's not that... I'm thinking too, I guess. About... Fuck, you, Sugar Coat, the pranks, the kiss... Man, it's fucked up that your first kiss was part of a joke."
"I... S-Sort of, I-I guess..."
>Anon had the same kind of propensity for vulgarity as Moondancer—maybe a little less
>You're almost... Shivering, right now, and you're sure Anon can tell
>"Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm just going to try and undo a wrong quick."
"W-What's th—"
>Anon places a hand on your chin and gives you a quick peck on the lips, leaving you quivering
>After that, he stands up
>"We... Probably shouldn't talk about this. Or talk at all... I-I'm sorry."
"W-Wait, b-but—"
>Anon shows you his back and exits your room

>You collapse, letting your head thud against your pillow, and sob
>Anon...
>Why would he kiss you and then just leave?
>And tell you not to talk to him?
>It's probably Sugar Coat
>This is the third time you've betrayed her in such a short span of time
>And Anon... He's left you feeling confused and worthless again
>Maybe this was all Sugar Coat again
>Send Anon out to hurt you because it worked so well the last time...
>Like Anon said, she usually tries to mess with your head, right?
>Can't you just get it through your skull that no one would ever like you?
>That no one SHOULD like you?
>That you shouldn't have even been born?
>You pull your covers above your face, pressing your teary cheeks into the fabric as you shut your eyes tight
>The light is still on, but you can pretend you're in darkness right now
>Your high-pitched coughs and sobs sputter into your desolate room
>When the door opens, you hold your breath and freeze
"A-Anon?"
>"Twilight?"
>It was your mother's voice
"M-Mom... I-I'm sorry for c-crying."
>Pulling the blanket from off your head, you watched as your mother pulled your stool from under your table and sat on it
>She frowned as she looked down at you through bedraggled locks, a beer can in one hand
>Your mother takes a deep breath
>"Well, the two of you were in here for a while... Did he—"
"N-No! I-It w-wasn't th-th-that..."
>Twilight Velvet sighs, taking a swig of Bud
>"Whatever it is, don't cry about it. What good has crying ever done anyone?"
>You sniff and wipe at your eyes
>"Maybe if you just tried to be normal, then this wouldn't happen. I don't like seeing my own kid come home, beat up, when they're in fucking high school. I don't... I don't want you to get hurt, you know that, right?"
>She groans and takes another sip
>"Buck up and stop crying."
"Y-Yes, Ma'am."
>Your mother's face contorts into a small snarl as she peers over you, punctuated with a grunt
>"Night," she mutters, leaving the room with a flick of the light switch

>It is now pitch black in your room—though, the headlights of passing cars peer through your shades at times, the light striking against your barren walls
>You turn to the fetal position in your bed
>An agonizing ordeal, but it's hard for you to sleep on your back all night
>The tear tracks on your face burn deep, but you clench your jaw in an attempt to prevent them from deepening
>Your face went flat—none of that scrunched up, woeful visage
>'Don't cry', you repeat to yourself in your head
>All it would do is make you uglier and more of an embarrassment
>You've gotten better at stifling your tears in front of other people, but that just seemed to make them come more easily when you were alone
>And that's what you were now
>Alone
>Sugar Coat, Indigo Zap, Lemon Zest... All of them have left you
>And even after getting what was coming to you for betraying their trust, you still kissed Sugar Coat's boyfriend
>Then there was that Trixie girl...
>Sugar Coat and her friends wouldn't treat her well
>You didn't know Trixie, but you couldn't imagine that she'd deserve that sort of treatment
>There's only one person you know repulsive enough to earn that
>And Moondancer...
>If Sugar Coat came after you, there's no doubt in your mind Moondancer is in trouble, too
>Would she even want to be your friend anymore after you were such a burden to her
>That she had to take care of you, that she saw how pathetic you were...
>It had been so long since you'd been beaten like that
>Your stomach twists just thinking about it
>Why couldn't you just be like the other kids?
>Last night, after hanging out with Moondancer, was the first night in a long time that you didn't go to bed thinking about killing yourself...
>Maybe that was just a one off
>Maybe it should just be a one off
>Moondancer would want to hang out tomorrow, and you wouldn't go if not for the fact that she'd be sad
>Someone like you doesn't deserve any comfort
>After a while lost in thought, sleep takes you

>In the morning, your whole body is throbbing
>It's a dull but constant ache, especially in your gut which feels like it's trying to twist so hard it rips you in half
>Not to mention, your cheekbones feel like they're on fire
>Your quiet gasps enter the stale morning air of your room
>Missing school wasn't an option, though
>It was only when you broke bones that a beating would keep you away
>Didn't want to ruin your standing at Crystal Prep—if you fell behind, you could lose your scholarship, and every day built upon the next
>With great exertion and strain, you sat yourself up, letting your bare feet hit the floor
>Here goes nothing...
>Standing straight up wasn't going to work, so you got yourself on all fours and tried to use the wall as leverage to get yourself upright
>It hurt, but you could handle that
>You were still in your uniform—the only set you had—but you could at least change your underwear and socks
>Grabbing some undergarments, you headed to the bathroom to shower
>The shower was a chipped, rusted tub with no curtain
>You let out soft grunts as you undressed, all that bending and moving around wearing on your sore body
>Out of the corner of your eye, you spotted yourself
>There was a deep-purple bruise on one of your cheeks, and a few of your pimples must have broken during the encounter with Sugar Coat because there were a number of scabs on your face now
>Your body was lithe and bony, though not quite skeletal—a thin rectangle, a body you've picked over time and again
>A grimace passed over your face as you held hands up to your chest, cupping imaginary breasts
>Moondancer entered your mind
>It's not good to be jealous of other people, but she had such a feminine figure compared to you
>You shut your eyes tight as you feel the familiar prick of disgust in your breast
>Just pretend you don't exist until you get some clothes back on
>That tended to work okay

>The water was ice cold, but you were used to it by now
>When your parents couldn't afford the bill for heating the water, it was almost torture to shower
>But your need for cleanliness pushed you on through
>Plus, it was never the worst part of your day
>After a quick shower, you get into your uniform and put your hair in a bun
>After that, it was make-up
>Something you couldn't afford much of—mostly just foundation to try and cover up your acne
>And this time, to also try and cover up your bruises
>You were lucky that your shade of purple wasn't too hard to find
>How did you look?
>As bad as usual, but at least people wouldn't be asking you questions about 'what happened to you?' or anything
>You hoped
>The scent of pancakes found its way into the bathroom
>Didn't want to keep your mom waiting
>You headed for the kitchen and took your seat at the table just as she finished
>"Twilight?" your father asked, dressed in his hardware store's manager uniform
"Y-Yeah, D-Dad?"
>"Our church group is meeting this weekend, and... I think it would be good for you."
>You didn't look at him as your ate your breakfast
"U-Um... I-I d-don't really l-l-like g-going... Y-You know I-I d-don't b-believe, s-s-so I d-don't really f-feel welcome th-there..."
>Your father frowns and exhales
>"Well, have a... Good day at school and..."
>He turns to your mother, who is cracking open a can of beer
>"You're going to call the landlord tonight, right? I'm not going to be back until—"
>"Of fucking course I'm going to. What do you think of me?" your mother spits
>"Fuck you, too."
>Your dad exits the house groaning
>Finishing up your meal, you head outside and begin the walk to Crystal Prep
>There didn't seem to be much to look forward to, but...
>Not going would be worse than going

>Once at school, you follow your usual routine and head for your first class
>And for the first time since you started going here, you're left alone until the bell rings
>No homework delivery
>No teasing
>Nothing
>It's... An odd feeling
>Part of you feels liberated
>Never having to do Sugar Coat's homework again?
>Never having to be bullied, day in and day out?
>Sure, some kids might still whisper things about you, or tease or shove you in the halls, but you've gotten used to that
>But you'd also gotten used to Sugar Coat
>Part of you is feeling antsy, your fingers shaking on your desk
>Like a part of your life...
>Like the entirety of your life has been pulled away from you
>Doing things for the girls made them happy
>You were doing something that gave you purpose, and the company of the girls was something you'd grown accustomed to
>What was the point of you now?
>Just getting good grades for yourself wasn't enough
>It was hard to focus on class as you floundered internally
>Once the lunch bell rang, you headed for the library
>You decided to walk around and find a good book to read
>Not having much homework on your plate, you were freer to pursue your love for reading, so... That was one positive
>That dusty, stale aroma of old books was heavenly, putting a smile on your face as you walked between the high bookshelves of Petticoat Library
>Your heels clacked lightly on the hardwood flooring as you walk around the perimeter
>Then, you spot that small, blue girl from the bathroom, working hurriedly on a pile of papers
"T-T-Trixie?"
>She looks up and squeaks, staring at you with eyes full of remorse
>"Twilight, yes?"
>You nod
>"Trixie is so sorry..." she said, turning to face the table. "Trixie... She should have done something."
"I-It's o-okay. Y-You couldn't h-h-have d-done a-anything... I-It's n-not your f-f-fault."
>Maybe... Maybe you could be like Moondancer, and try to make friends with her
>Trixie shrunk into herself more and more as you neared

"U-Um, I-I w-was w-w-wondering if y-you m-might want t-to... H-Hang out? I—"
>"No!" Trixie shouts, almost flinching at your presence
"O-Oh..."
>Can't say that can't of reaction totally surprises you
>Who'd want to hang out with you?
>Aside from Moondancer for some reason
>"T-Trixie is sorry, but Sugar Coat... She doesn't want Trixie to talk to you..."
"Oh... I-It's o-okay. I-I-I unders-stand."
>"Trixie... Trixie has to do all of their work..."
"M-Maybe I c-c-can h-help?"
>Trixie doesn't react
>It's clear that she's ignoring you now
>Out of fear it seems by the shaking, as she pores over math sheets and history textbooks
>You wish you could help her somehow, but...
>Helping her probably just means letting Sugar Coat do what she wants
>If you tried to step in... Sugar Coat would probably just beat the both of you
>You left Trixie behind you as your continued around the library, feeling dismayed
>When it was you in her position... That was okay
>Seeing someone else there?
>It... Hurt
>But Sugar Coat gets what Sugar Coat wants, and doing anything couldn't be anything but bad for everyone involved
>After a few minutes of roaming, you find yourself in the Class 100 section, with the Philosophy & Psychology books
>Despite heavy dust laying on top most of the tomes, there are enough gaps between books to see that someone's been plucking books from here
>Probably Moondancer!
>Rummaging around, you pull out Beyond Good and Evil by Nietzche
>Sounds like something Moondancer would read, and she's been trying to get you into this stuff...
>Though, it doesn't really seem like you
>You head on over to your usual spot, Moondancer bobbing her head from side to side as she reads, a pile of books next to her
"H-H-Hey, M-Moondancer."
>"Twilight!" she shouts in a whisper. "Are you okay?"
>You smile as she whispers that final phrase to herself and nod
"Th-Thanks t-to you a-a-and Anon."
>When you mention his name, you deflate somewhat, but try not to focus to heavily on that

>"I'm glad you're okay... Sugar Cunt and her bitches, ugh..."
>Moondancer sneers
>"What they did to you... We'll get back at them. I don't know how, but..."
"I-I th-th-think it w-would b-be best if w-we just l-l-left th-them alone."
>"Maybe. Anyways, take a seat!"
>You pull out a chair and sit down, placing your copy of Nietzche out in front of you
>"Ooh! That's a good one. You should read The Gay Science after that, and then Thus Spake Zarathustra. It's kind of hard to understand that last one without a firm grasp of Nietzche."
>Moondancer beamed at you as she described what you'd be in for
>As always, she seemed to be very knowledgeable and passionate about it all
>How she could be so cheery over something that seemed so pessimistic amazed you
>Apparently it wasn't as bleak as you thought, once you 'got it'
>Supposedly it was emancipating to embrace the sorts of things Moondancer believed
>She was... Worried about the way you talked about yourself, and thought it could help
>You tried to smile in response, tugging nervously at your tie
>"Did I say something?"
"N-No... I-I j-j-just think th-there are p-plenty of g-good r-reasons for m-me to f-feel the way I d-do a-about m-m-mys-self."
>Moondancer's lips droop
>"I don't believe that. That's just the masses enforcing its boorish ideals on you. People like Sugar Coat... Th-They just want to poison your head. Make you feel alone and weak..."
>You watched as she glowered, staring past you
>Moondancer's way of thinking just wasn't for you
>The more she knew about you, the less she'd think you were worth something
>After a short lull in conversation, Moondancer brings up the prospect of hanging out
>You accept, and Moondancer does a little dance in her chair
>"I have something fun set up for the two of us when you come over!"
"Y-Yeah?"
>"But it's a surprise."
>'Surprise'
>Another whisper to herself as she giggles
>It was starting to warm up on you
>If she liked your stutter, you liked... Whatever it was she did