“Music? Check.”

“Cheese puffs? Check.”

“Parents?”

She cupped her hand around her ear, smiling with a grin that could only be described as devilish.

“…Not check. Just the way I like it!”

Rainbow launched herself across her bed, landing back first and her head on the pillow. “Ah…” she sighed, slipping her hands under her head. “Weekends are nice…”

If the girl were asked what could be better than chillaxing at home with no parents to nag at her, she’d have no answer. Well, other than the Wonderbolts. Nothing is better than the Wonderbolts.

As she rocked her head to the beat, Rainbow reclined deeper into her pillow, only to jump as her phone decided now would be the perfect time to ring. “Ugh, what?” she said as she pulled it to her face. “…Oh, right. Twilight wants everyone to get together. Sweet.” She rattled off a descriptive “k” before shuffling back into her playlist.

Yeah, we haven’t gotten together as much now that school’s out, huh? No more studying… Rainbow thought, chuckling at the memories of their sessions together. She paused for a moment, drawing a thoughtful expression across her face. She glanced around for a moment, as if expecting someone, before reaching to the hem of her shirt, fingering it between her thumb and pointer.

The girl let out a blend of a sigh and a giggle. For someone who’d been terrified of exposing herself almost all her life, the fact that she enjoyed the freedom of losing her clothes came to her as a surprise more than anyone else—not that many people knew. Rainbow rolled her eyes at the thought.

Well, what’s the chance that they’d come home early? Rainbow thought, already pulling the shirt collar over her head. Tossing it to the floor, she set off for her pajama bottoms which soon met the same wrinkled fate. The girl glanced down at herself, halfway to buck naked, but she just smirked in a way that could only say, “Yeah, I know I look good.” Reaching behind to grasp for her bra, she—

“Dashie?”

Rainbow’s eyes shot open. “Fu—” she swore, before slapping a hand over her mouth. Seriously?! They did come home early? If she had been timing herself, Rainbow would’ve set a personal best for how fast she could move. Clothes on and adjusted in seconds, she called back the usual “hey!” to her parents. Then she crumpled across the bed, face meeting palm.

“Ugh…” she moaned. “I swear. Every. Single. Time!” She threw her arms out, helpless as one landed on her pillow and the other dangled off the bedside. Whining in her best Rarity impression, she cried, “I can’t help having urges to strip naked!”

“Did you say something dear?” her mother called from across the house.

“Nothing!”

Ugh, how is it that someone else’s house is the only place that’s safe? My own home is out of the question. She grumbled. It’s not like there’s anywhere else I can… can… Her face went blank, staring at an idea, before a creeping smile played its way onto her lip. “I wonder…” she said, snatching up her phone.

In a few minutes, her smile had evolved into a mad grin and her idea had blossomed into a plan. Pulling up Twilight in her contacts list, her fingers blurred as she shot off a text.

“I wonder if Twilight likes beaches…”

---

“And there she is…” she said, watching the bus pull into the side of the street beside her. As a familiar egghead stepped off, Rainbow called out to her. “Hey, Twilight!”

Twilight beamed back at her. “Hello, Rainbow! Wow, it’s been a while.”

“I know! Good seeing you again. I know we haven’t seen each other as much ever since school got out,” Rainbow said. “Hey, cool of you to come out by the way. I didn’t know if you’d be okay with—”

“Hel-lo sunrays!” a voice chirped from the bus. Out strode a purple-haired girl dressed in a cover-up that just so barely kept her decent. “I do love the beach!” Rarity sing-songed. “The sound of the waves are so relaxing. Oh, nothing’s better than reading a book while catching a tan. I daresay I could use some time in the sun.”

“Tan?” a second, country-tinged voice said before stepping out. Applejack rolled her eyes. “Rares, you’re as pale as a marshmallow.”

“Pale?” She scoffed, turning her head away with a flick of her hair. “I’m not pale, I’m fair-skinned. Pale implies I don’t go out in the sun.”

Applejack shrugged. “Whatever you say.”

“Hmph. Now, could you hand me my bag? I need my sunscreen lest I get a nasty burn.”

"Mmhm," she replied, stepping clear as the bus drove away.

Twilight giggled at the banter between her friends. “Yup, it’s definitely been too long. Now what were you saying, Rain… bow?”

Rainbow didn’t answer, instead busy staring into her friends’ souls with the intensity only a mortified teenage girl could achieve.

Twilight cocked her head. “You okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost. And as pale as Rarity is, she’s not a ghost.”

A squeak popped out of the athlete’s mouth.

“Uh, really. You okay? You might want to close your mouth before a fly—”

Rainbow slapped herself. Blinking into a focus, she locked onto her friend. “Twilight! What have you done?!”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

“Why did you invite Rarity and AJ?!”

“Well, Pinkie was busy with work, and Fluttershy says she doesn’t like beaches.”

“What?!”

“I know! Poor Flutters has always been uncomfortable with them, huh? ‘Too many people that could be staring at you in your swim wear.’ Remember when we had that swimming unit in P.E.?”

Rainbow’s eye twitched.

“…You don’t remember? Well, as soon as we stepped out of that locker room—mmph!” she said before a hand clamped over her mouth. Leaning down to eye level until their faces were only inches apart, Rainbow slowly shook her head, never breaking eye contact. “Twilight. That’s not what I meant.”

“Mmphm?”

“No, it’s not. I wanted to know why the hay you invited them! This was supposed to be just us!”

She pushed Rainbow’s hand away. “What do you mean just us? Weren’t we texting about all of us getting together?”

“I… Oh.”

“Uh-huh. Then you sent some address and said, ‘Let’s hit this beach harder than it’s ever been hit before!’ What was I supposed to think?”

Rainbow sighed. “Ugh, I don’t know. I just… Wait, did you say ‘some address?’”

“Uh, yes?”

“Don’t you know where we are?”

“A beach?”

“Yes, but it’s not just any beach! This is a nud—”

“OH DEAR GODDESSES!”

The two girls froze, eyes darting to the sight of Rarity halfway to the shore, just as frozen as they were. Applejack stood behind her, head darting back and forth as if she was watching a tennis game.

“…Rainbow?”

“Yeah, Twi?”

“What kind of beach is this?”

“A nudist beach.”

Twilight gulped. “Dear goddesses.”

“I know.”

The two glanced at each other. “Now I see why this was supposed to be just the two of us.”

Rainbow's face met her palm. Oh no, she thought. She couldn’t help but wonder…Would today take the record for the most awkward day of her life?

“RAINBOW! WHERE THE HAY HAVE YOU TAKEN US?” Rarity shrieked as she sprinted back to them, righteous fury burning in her eyes.

Oh no…