Please Say Yes (unfinished - Sunset/Anon)

  You sit on the steps in front of Canterlot High and let your backpack slide off of you as you sit down. It had been a long day--even longer now that you'd missed the bus. You pull your phone out and text three of your friends to ask if they were still around and could pick you up, but two of them shoot you down right off the bat. The Fall wind is already nipping at you as the sun disappears across the city's buildings, making you wish you'd brought a coat today while you wait for your last friend to get back to you.

    You let out a long sigh as the minutes march on with no answer. It's looking more and more like you're going to have to end up walking home. It would give you more time to think about how much you hate having to push through high school, at least. After another fifteen minutes of staring at your phone and looking out across the grass, you decide you might as well just hoof it home--it was only a couple of miles, after all.

    Just as you get up and start down the walkway, the sound of quick footsteps resounds behind you. You turn towards the source, expecting one of your friends, but the person you find just puts a scowl on your face instead.

    "Hey! Mind if I walk with you?" Sunset Shimmer asks with a bright, innocent smile on her face.

    "Yeah, I do," you say, looking away from her and towards the sidewalk again. The smile on her face immediately dies at your curt tone.

    "O-oh... well, I just wanted to talk to you about something really quick, if you have a--"

    "No. Go away," you tell her, making her wince at your harsh tone. You spare a glance and almost feel remorseful for the sudden hurt on her face, but you know better. You know what she really is.

    Sunset looks down at the sidewalk and fiddles with her hair, still not giving in to your command. "Look, I know you don't like me, but please just let me--"

    "Let you what?" you say, stopping and turning towards her. "Manipulate me into thinking you're not a complete bitch anymore? That you're not looking to worm your way back in now that everyone isn't afraid of you anymore? No, Sunset; I'm not falling for it. Now leave me alone."

    Sunset's still looking down at the sidewalk, stumbling over her words as she tries to figure out something to say to you. You roll your eyes and walk away from her, but she just jogs to catch up with you again.

    "Please, I know I hurt you in the past. I hurt a lot of people... I just want to try and make up for it," she says in an almost genuine tone.

    "And I'm really an undercover cop looking to bust the Canterlot High drug scene. For the last time, fuck off, Sunset."

    Sunset winces again as your words hit her like a baseball bat to the gut, but after a quick pause she catches up to you again.

    "What can I do to make it up to you? To show you I'm not like that anymore?" she says, trying to give you a smile despite her desperate tone.

    "You can never talk to me again," you say and just keep walking.

    Sunset grabs your arm to try and make you look at her, but you just yank it out of her grasp. "I really want to make it up to you. If there's anything I can do--"

    "For the last time, you can leave me alone. I'm not falling for your sudden goody-two-shoes act, so stop trying."

    Sunset runs in front of you slightly, trying to show you her hopeful smile. "I'll treat you to some ice cream. I'm sure if we could just talk for a little bit you'd see--"

    "No."

    "Take you out to dinner?"

    "No."

    "Help you with your homework?"

    "No."

    "Drive you home from school everyday?"

    You pauce for a moment, since having your own chauffeur would be a lot better than riding that old bus every day, but once you realize who you'd have to do it with, the prospect isn't quite as appealing. "No," you tell her again.

    Sunset lets out an almost inaudible frustrated grunt as you shoot down her advances. Her friendly smile has been whittled down by each rejection until she finally just stops walking next to you. You keep walking, hoping this will finally be the end of it.

    "Will you please go to the Sadie Hawkins dance with me?" she finally asks from behind you, making you stop in place.

    "What?" you say as you turn around. Once you look her in the eye, Sunset's eyes pull away from you.

    "I'd like it if we could, you know, go to the Sadie Hawkins dance together and... get to know each other?" she says, looking back up to you with a sheepish smile.

    You actually let out a quick chuckle at her. "You can't be serious."

    Sunset winces at your laugh again, but takes a deep breath and stands up a little taller to face you. "I am serious. I know no one else has asked you yet..."

    Your amused grin quickly turns to a frown. She was right, but her being the one to say it just made you resent her a little more. All those dances were stupid anyway, so you tell yourself you don't want to go. "So?"

    "So I'm asking you. Would you please go with me?"

    Part of you is flattered that a girl finally asked you, but the rest of you knows that girl is Sunset Shimmer. "After terrorizing me and all of my friends for the past few years? Not on your life."

    Sunset's mouth hangs open for a moment as your words sink in. You roll your eyes and turn back around to walk away. You get a few steps down the pavement before Sunset runs up to you yet again and grabs your arm. You yank it away from her again. "I thought I told you to..."

    Your heart sinks when you turn to look at her. She looks absolutely crushed, like a girl who just got told her husband died in one of those hospital dramas. Deep down, you know she's just trying to manipulate you, but seeing those tears run down her cheek makes your breath catch in your throat as you feel yourself become empathetic for her.

    "Please... at least... at least let me take you home," she says, trying to keep her voice from cracking and failing pretty miserably.

    "Y-yeah, sure," you find yourself saying, almost automatically. You know you'll regret it, but you can't help it when she looks up at you like she's a puppy you just kicked.

    Sunset blinks a few times, almost confused that you actually said yes to her. "Oh... my car is in the school parking lot. Just follow me, I guess," she says.

    Sunset reluctantly turns around waiting to make sure you're actually walking next to her before she takes the first step. Thankfully, it isn't that far from the school parking lot, so you don't have to walk with her awkwardly for too long. By the time she unlocks her car for you, she's already sniffling again, simultaneously striking you with pangs of guilt and irritation. You know she's just trying to use you, but a more primal side of you doesn't really care.

    You get into her car, a decade old used import she probably got for pretty cheap. To Sunset's credit, the sleek, black paintjob didn't make it look as old as it was, and she kept the fabric interior pretty clean. Not like you really expected her to be a slob, though. You don't get to be the bitch queen of the school by being sloppy.

    As you get used to the stock pine freshener smell and slip your backpack off into the floor, Sunset runs the sleeve of her leather jacket across her face and takes a deep breath. "So, where to?" she says, trying to keep an upbeat tone.

    You tell her your address pretty flatly. Not like she doesn't know it already, since she stuffed some pretty embarrassing photos of you in your mailbox to try to keep you under control a year ago. Sunset pulls out of the parking lot, her eyes flicking towards you every now and then. She opens her mouth to try and say something, but all that really comes out is a meager mumble before she thinks better of it.

    You lean against her window, rolling your eyes every time you heard her sniffle or she tried to say something to you. After getting about halfway there, you got tired of it.

    "Would you stop crying, Sunset?" you ask in a much harsher tone than you wanted.

    "I wasn't..." Sunset pauses for a moment to take another deep breath. "Sorry, I just..."

    "Want to prove to me you're not like that anymore. Yeah, I get it. Still not falling for it."

    Sunset opens her mouth to say something else, but nothing comes out. You guess you've exhausted her list of emotional manipulation tricks already, but more likely she's just trying to think of something more effective.

    "So, you don't like riding the bus?" she asks you.

    You raise an eyebrow. Smalltalk is a new one for her. Against your better judgement, you decide it probably isn't going to turn into something too bad.

    "Have you ever ridden on that bus? It's full of freshmen, loud, they never clean it, and they haven't fixed the suspension on it since I started going to school here. Yeah, I don't like riding the bus."

    "I could drive you to school," Sunset says, giving you a gentle smile.

    So much for good intentions. "Really?"

    Sunset's eyes catch the address number on your mailbox, forcing her to a stop in front of your house. You let out a sigh of relief and grab your backpack off of the floor and get out of her car, not even bothering to thank her for the ride.

    You walk up your driveway, thinking you could finally stop worrying about Sunset, but she gets out of her car and chases you down anyway.

    "Wait," she says, putting a hand on your shoulder.

    "What is it this time, Sunset?"

    You can see a little anger and determination fill up inside her. "You have to at least give me a chance."

    "I don't have to do anything."

    "What have I done to you since the Fall Formal?"

    "Nothing yet, but absence of evidence isn't evidence of absence, Sunset. Just because everyone else is falling for your stupid goody two-shoes act now doesn't mean I'm dumb enough too."

    Sunset furrows her brow at you. "Don't you dare call my friends dumb. You have no idea what we've--"

    You roll your eyes. "Can it, Sunset. Leave before I call the cops," you say, turning around to go back into your house.

    Sunset grabs you by the shoulder once again to turn you around. "Stop walking away from me!" she says, the irritation growing pretty apparent.

    "You don't get your way, so now you're going to throw a temper tantrum?"

    Sunset closes her eyes and takes another deep breath. "No... I'm sorry." Sunset looks around the grass in front of your house, searching for something to say. Just as you're about to leave her yet again, she speaks up. "Let's make a deal."

    You raise an eyebrow at her. "For what?"

    "You never want to talk to me again, right?"

    You chuckle at her. "You catch on quick," you say sarcastically.

    "The Sadie Hawkins dance is in two weeks. Give me a chance to be a good friend to you until then. If I can't prove to you I've changed, I promise I'll stay out of your life for good."

    You look her over for a moment. This girl could do a lot of damage in two days, let alone two weeks. Sunset's hands fidget as you let silence hang in the air, but she tries her best to keep a stern expression towards you.

    "I'll drive you back and forth to school everyday," she blurts out.

    "And after that you'll never bother me again?"

    She gives you a quick nod, her hands still fidgeting in front of her.

    You roll your eyes. "Fine. If it'll get you off of my back and get me free rides."

    Her face brightens up and she lunges at you for a quick hug. "Thank you thank you thank you thank you! You won't regret this, I promise."

    Sunset pulls away, a bright, eager smile on her face. "I'll pick you up tomorrow morning at seven."

    "Whatever, just don't get your hopes up."

    Sunset stares at you for a moment with that big, goofy smile. "Uh, you can go now," you tell her.

    "Oh, right." Sunset clears her throat, then walks back to her car, still keeping her eyes on you. "Thank you for giving me a chance," she says before getting into her car. You don't even answer her.

    As you walk into your house, you can't help but feel like you've just made a huge mistake.