Monday was when school was back in session since the ice on the roads have been melted now, so the basic city commutes were thankfully back in smooth operation.

All of the friends, except Rainbow Dash, were happy to get back to their academics. The only class that Rainbow ever liked however was gym, since she preferred to move around, instead of sitting still at a desk. The current class she was in now was her least favorite, Social Studies with Ms. Harshwhinny.

Luckily, Sunset was in the same class, and was seated right next to her so she could help Rainbow with notes or projects.

While Miss. Harshwhinny was preoccupied giving a lecture, Rainbow leaned her head over a bit toward Sunset’s direction and spoke as softly as she could.

“Psst, Sunset.”

“Hm?” Sunset replied, not taking her eyes off her subject notebook as she continuously jotted down important facts and details.

“Is it okay if I ask you a question real quick?”

“Sure, but make it short. I’m kind of busy taking notes here as you can see.”

“Alright,” Rainbow started before taking a momentary breath. “Have you planned out your move on Flash Sentry yet?”

Sunset’s writing hand immediately froze up as she slowly turned her head to face Rainbow. Her brow was raised while her mouth wore a neutral frown, and the look in her eyes expressed that she was taken aback by Rainbow’s out-of-the-blue question.

“What are you talking about?”

“Duh. Getting back together with your ex-boyfriend so you can have a date for the Winter Formal, of course,” Rainbow replied without thinking about her words. “Remember? We all discussed it last night at my house.”

“I don’t recall making a promise that I would consider going along with it,” Sunset stated. “Plus, I don’t see why it seems so crucial that I do.”

“It just seems like it’s the best thing for you. You might even feel a lot better about yourself if you’re successful.”

“Which only proves that I will feel even more horrible if I fail,” Sunset countered bemusedly.

“You should at least still try,” Rainbow insisted, but she just happened to raise her whisper just right about the time that Ms. Harshwhinny was done with her lecture.

“Ms. Dash. Have you already forgotten the rules in my classroom about talking to friends during lessons?” Harshwhinny asked with a solid firm and official tone; a deep and expectant scowl painted on her face.

“Sorry, ma’am,” Rainbow grumbled. “I must’ve let it slip my mind.”

Harshwhinny just gave a disapproving sigh.

“Well if it seems that you wish to talk, why don’t you tell me and the class what event sparked the Parisian June Rebellion of 1832?”

“Uhh,” Rainbow uttered while struggling to find her answer. She always hated this kind of discipline that Harshwhinny gave her whenever she did something wrong; and since her grades were the lowest in that class, Rainbow was pretty much Harshwhinny’s main target.

The answer to Harshwhinny’s question was discussed before earlier in the year, but Rainbow just happened to end up getting herself a broken arm due to a basketball accident at that time, so she missed the entire topic on the French Revolution.

“We're still waiting, Ms. Dash,” Harshwhinny pressed while tapping a foot impatiently on the floor.

“Um....didn’t it have something to do with that little guy who always had his hand in his jacket. Nappy I think was his name.”

The entire class burst out laughing while Harshwhinny just massaged her temple to prevent a possible stress-induced migraine.

“That would be, Napoleon,” Harshwhinny corrected matter-of-factly, “And no that’s not the correct answer--but close; just as you are to failing my class.”

Rainbow gave a nervous gulp because she knew if her grades became an ‘F’ in any of her classes, she would be forced to be kicked out of all her sports activities, and that she would have to take Summer School which would feel like a prison to Rainbow. She knew she would lose her sanity exactly on the first day of that horrible place!

“Anyone here wish to fill Rainbow in on the correct answer?” Harshwhinny asked while looking around the room. No one had their hand raised except Sunset.

“Go ahead, Ms. Shimmer,” Harshwhinny nodded.

“The death of General Jean Maximilien Lamarque, ma’am,” Sunset stated without expression.

“Very good,” Harshwhinny said with a rare and small smile. It quickly reverted back to a frown when she glanced back at Rainbow. “Just because you're a friend of Sunset doesn’t mean I’m going to let you off the hook for her answering the question for you. Is that clear, Ms. Dash?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Rainbow sighed and glanced back over to Sunset who was back to diligently writing her notes as she previously did before, paying no attention to Rainbow or anyone else.

Rainbow wanted to chew out Sunset for not coming to her defense like a true friend would do, but then it came across her that she might have struck a nerve when she mentioned or forced Sunset to try and reconnect with Flash.

The only thing Rainbow could do now was to remain silent until class was over, and to be with the four other friends. Rainbow knew now that she would only run into problems if she tackled Sunset’s problem alone like she did just now. It would require all five of them.

Later that day during a free period hour; Rainbow, Pinkie, Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy met up in the CHS Library to have one of their routine discussions which mostly was on the topic of helping Sunset feel more comfortable with the ways of friendship.

Since Sunset still had classes at this time, it was a convenient way for the friends to come up with ideas of tutoring their Equestrian friend. Surely it seemed wrong to go behind Sunset’s back like this, but the friends couldn’t come up with any kind of alternate solution.

They held their private meeting in the upper portion of the library where no students or faculty seem to go, so they could freely let their voices speak at their normal volume.

Rainbow was the first one to share her experience back in Ms. Harshwhinny’s class, which only triggered the understanding of the origin of Sunset’s distant mood in their own classes with her. The friends could only glance at Rainbow with either disgust or disappointment.

“You should have never been so straight on with her, Rainbow,” Rarity tsked.

“Well excuse me for not knowing anything about how her love life with Flash was like,” Rainbow retorted while crossing her arms in offense.

“It was nothin’ but a stunt,” Applejack reminded. “Y’all heard her during one of our rehearsals in the Band Room. She was takin’ advantage of him jus’ to earn more respect an’ attention. Now that her soul is clean thanks to us and Princess Twilight, Ah reckon that Sunset wants to have a real connection with Flash, but is afraid of those feelin’s about love an’ what not. She seemed really out of herself when we continued our aloud reading of Romeo and Juliet today in Language Arts.”

“How so?” Rarity asked.

“Well. When it was mah turn ta read a line of Juliet, Sunset didn't even bother ta correct me like she normally does when mah drawl slips out by accident on certain words or phrases. She known perfectly darn well that mah grades in that class are average due to mah little impediment, but it seems as if she didn’t give a hoot at all about the shame and embarrassment Ah was dealin’ with. Y’all could imagine the reactions Ah got from mah classmates when Ah made Juliet sound like someone who would live down back in mah old hometown of Appleloosa. The look Ah got from Mr. Doodle definitely showed that mah grade has dropped by who knows how much. Ah could be already at a D-minus for messin’ up one of the worlds most famous literary pieces--even if the written words themselves don’t make one hint of sense.”

The friends took a moment of silence to process the situation which seemed quite grim. Fluttershy just happened to be the one to say it aloud.

“Do any you think Sunset doesn’t want to be friends with us anymore?”

The friends were quite taken aback by this statement, but each of them expressed their doubts.

“I don’t see what would make her want to think that,” Rarity said, shaking her head. “We do everything we can for her to make her feel more comfortable around us, and the rest of the entire student body. I just think that forcing her to get back with her Flash, who was the one who did break her heart, might've just put her into a state of minor depression.”

“She could just be on her period,” Rainbow shrugged. “I mean, we all get a bit bitchy when those cramps start happening, right?”

“Ah’m pretty sure that’s not the case, Rainbow,” Applejack deadpanned. “She showed no signs of havin’ lower-body discomfort, and she didn’t ask Mr. Doodle to be excused to the restroom. It was thanks to the pressure ya gave her that put her in a bad mood.”

“So you’re saying that this is all my fault then?” Rainbow huffed.

There was a moment of hesitance as answers were formulated. No one wished to pin full blame one person, but it was the logical thing to do.

“We don’t want to say it in that kind of way, darling; but Applejack is correct,” Rarity affirmed. “The best thing now is to owe Sunset an apology for your invasive behavior.”

“Is that all then?” Rainbow asked with furrowed brows. “Sounds a bit too easy if you ask me.”

“No, Rainbow,” Rarity replied, shaking her head in disapproval. “You have to be clearly sincere with Sunset to show that you’re meaning what you say.”

“Alright, alright. I get it,” Rainbow said while raising both hands up. “No need to get prissy. I’ll be sure to do what I can to make it up to her.”

“Mmhm,” Rarity uttered, unconvinced.

“I wonder if Sunset will even think about going with us to the party I’m planning for all the singles at CHS?” Pinkie asked out of the blue.

“Come again?” Rarity asked, taken aback.

“Duh. The Still Single and Ready to Jingle banquet that’s taking place in the gymnasium today after school,” Pinkie explained, gleefully. “Principal Celestia agreed that it would be a perfect way for our peers who still don’t have a date to find one. It will benefit us all as well!”

“I think the word you’re looking for is, mingle, darling,” Rarity corrected.

“Hey, potato, tamato as I always say,” Pinkie shrugged.

“Ya know, this party of yours, Pinkie might be jus’ the thing we need tah help Sunset,” Applejack pointed out.

“Really?” Pinkie squeed, but then she looked dumbfounded. “But how exactly?”

“I think I understand,” Rarity said. “Since we all know Flash still hasn’t hooked up with anyone else since his split, this might be the perfect opportunity for both him and Sunset to begin talking to each other again, and hopefully work out another chance to have a real and meaningful relationship. Of course they can still just be normal friends, if that’s any consolation.”

“Uh...Ah was jus’ gonna say that Sunset perhaps could find other potential guys to go out with,” Applejack stated, looking a bit perturbed by Rarity’s interruption. “We can’t be sure if she’s only into the rock star types.”

“Oh please, AJ,” Rainbow cut in. “She may have softened up on the inside, but she’s still a badass looking chick on the outside. I would totally do her myself if I had the chance.”

Rainbow knew she caught herself too late as the friends just stared at her with wide eyes. Pinkie however was stifling giggles.

“I..uh..w-what I meant to say was; if I was in Flash’s shoes, I would definitely give her a second chance,” Rainbow said in hopes of getting herself out of her current awkward situation. The friends however continued to gawk at her.

The five minute warning bell that signaled the ending of free period chimed over the intercom, snapping everyone out of their apparent trances.

“I think it’s best if we talk to Sunset about the banquet during lunch,” Rarity suggested, acting as if Rainbow didn’t give her embarrassing statement. “Of course you still have to give your apology first, Rainbow. We want to reassure her that we are still friends with her.”

“Got it,” Rainbow nodded, relieved that she didn’t have to give an explanation for her odd statement.

The girls then got up and put on their backpacks before they left the library to attend their upcoming classes before lunch started.

Lunch period began normally as it did everyday. Today was Walking Taco Wednesday, which of course was a follow up to Taco Tuesday, but instead, the ingredients that you would normally find inside a basic taco shell is stuffed into a plastic bag, along with the pieces of the shell as well.

Only four of the friends so far we’re seated at their usual table, while both Rainbow and Sunset were still missing for the moment. It was assumed that Rainbow decided to confront Sunset  before they decided to step into the cafeteria.

It had been at least five minutes since the four friends retrieved their portions and seated themselves. All except Rarity had began eat their meals as soon as they got them, which the prim fashionista didn’t look kindly towards.

“I’ll have you all know it’s rude to begin eating a meal without everyone present,” she scolded.

“Ya do realize that we ain’t at yer place, Rare,” Applejack stated while rolling her eyes in annoyance.

“Well of course I do, but me and my parents believe that such good mannerisms should be performed anywhere,” Rarity retorted with a lift of her nose.

Fortunately, before anymore arguments could be made between Rarity and Applejack, Pinkie spotted Rainbow and Sunset together in the lunch line.

“There they are!” she announced. “And it looks like they’re getting along okay.”

The friends turned towards the direction that Pinkie indicated to, and sure enough, they all saw that Sunset and Rainbow were chatting with each other in an unheard conversation with smiles on their faces.

When Rainbow and Sunset seated themselves down with the others, their positive attitudes didn’t change one bit.

“Hey, guys. Sorry we’re late,” Rainbow said. “You can imagine how hard it was for me to reach Sunset with all the student traffic going to and from their classes. It even took a bit more time before Sunset was willing to talk with me.”

Sunset then gave a shamed sigh and said, “I should’ve been the one to apologize first of all because of the way I’ve been acting earlier today. I promise I'll do what I can to make up for it. Rainbow even told me how all of you felt because of my ignorance, and I don’t blame either of you for being mad at me.”

“We can never stay mad at you, darling; and we never were in the first place,” Rarity assured while placing her hand on top of Sunset’s. “We didn’t even feel that way at all. Confused and worried, yes, but not angry. We all know you’re a great person, and that’s what counts the most.”

The friends silently nodded in agreement to express that Rarity’s explanation was sincere.

Sunset then gave a heartfelt  smile.

“Thanks, Rarity. That really means a lot, even if I do know that already--but it’s still great to hear.”

All the girls then shared a laugh before they got down to eating their lunches.

As everyone was beginning to leave for the remainder of their classes, the girls realized that they didn’t tell Sunset about the banquet. Rarity was the first one to speak up.

“Pinkie, dear. I believe you should tell Sunset about the after school party that you have planned today.”

“Oh yeah!” Pinkie chimed. “I can’t believe I almost forgot to bring it up! Silly me.”

“Oh. What kind of party is it, Pinkie?” Sunset asked, looking and sounding very intrigued.

Rarity, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash knew that the answer might ruin Sunset’s mood again, but there was no turning back from this point on. What had to be said, needed to be said.

“It’s for all the single guys and girls who are still in need of a date for the Winter Formal,” Pinkie replied with her casual over enthusiasm. Her eyes were even closed to not yet acknowledge Sunset’s already faltering smile.

“We all thought it would be a great way for you to either get back together with Flash, or maybe to try and find a new boyfriend! Rainbow did mention after all, that you are such an awesome chick that she would even want to make love to you herself!”

Sunset’s brows shot up in surprise as her mouth hung open agape a bit at such a fact as this. Her cheeks even blushed a light shade of pink.

No one was more embarrassed than Rainbow; however, who swore her face was turning a darker shade then Sunset’s face. It was either from shame or anger, or both. She had to think of an excuse quick!

“It was only a figure of speech. I swear it was,” Rainbow managed to say, but she didn’t sound that all convincing.

“I see,” Sunset finally said after a brief pause. “Well to be honest with you, girls; I’m not sure if I really feel comfortable with this. I get that you’re trying to help me get back together with Flash, or trying for any other hook up with any other guy at the school, but I doubt that Flash or anybody else would want to go out with me. I know that they won’t ever erase the terrifying image of the horrible demon that brainwashed them from their memories. Really, I’m glad that you all are trying to help me find a date, but I think it’s best if you all go without me. I’ll be at the dance of course just to be with you guys and give my support when it’s needed.”

Sunset faced towards Rarity and said, “I’ve already voted for you for Princess of the Winter Formal, Rarity. You do deserve it, after all.”

“Well that’s very sweet of you, darling; but let’s not drift off the subject here,” Rarity stated officially.

“Oh. Alright then,” Sunset sighed. She really wished to be off the subject, truthfully.

“You know," Pinkie began, now sounding more sincere. “It isn’t mandatory to actually find a date. People can still just mingle with their friends instead of hunting down others for the perfect date. You’re right, Shimmy! Being with your friends is more important than looking desperately for love!”

“Uh...yeah. That’s what I meant to say,” Sunset fibbed with an unsure smile.

“So? Does that mean you’ll go with us?” Rainbow asked, uncertainly.

Sunset took a brief moment to think of her answer.

“Sure. I don’t see why not since I know my best friends are going to be there,” she finally said.

The girls smiled and cheered.

“Well. I guess I’ll see you all at three-o'clock then!” Pinkie said, before bursting out the cafeteria doors, and disappearing in a flash, leaving her friends in awe of how she can move so fast like that. But as usual, they could never figure Pinkie’s logic out.

What mattered now, was that hopefully everything would work out okay for Sunset, and the girls. The fear of course was,  what could go wrong?

It was a cursed question that was better left said aloud--but even of course thinking it was not a safe precaution.