A young girl walked into her bedroom with headphones wrapped around her neck, her long green and yellow hair falling over her pink shoulders. She wore a wide, shining smile as she dropped her backpack onto the floor and fell backwards onto her bed without a care in the world. Her attention was glued to her phone as her thumbs went to work.

“I know! Have you heard that Countess Coloratura is coming to town?” she read aloud as she typed her message.

She hugged her phone and swayed her shoulders from side to side as she waited. Moments later the phone vibrated and a new message was displayed. ‘Like, duh! Dude, we have to go together.’

“We totally do, but that’s still a couple months from now,” she quietly read aloud, typing away. “I don’t want to wait that long to hang out again. Wanna meet up this weekend?”

Lemon Zest bit her tongue and clutched onto her phone while she waited for a reply. The seconds felt like minutes while she watched her black screen, then her eyes lit up with it. ‘Sounds awesome. I’ll pick you up after school tomorrow.’

Lemon dropped her phone and threw her fist into the air. “Yes!” she shouted.  

She then walked to her dresser and pulled open a drawer, tossing a colorful array of clothing over her shoulders onto the floor behind her. With half her wardrobe strewn across her bedroom, she finally found what she was looking for. She unfolded her Countess Coloratura band-tee that she had purchased the last time she saw her live show.

“Rad,” she said with a chuckle as she tossed it crumbled up on top of her dresser. Lemon took a deep breath and lifted her backpack off the floor from beneath a layer of clothing. From within she pulled out a thick binder and a textbook, then took a seat on the edge of her bed and opened them up.

“Homework,” she muttered beneath her breath with a groan. She flipped through her textbook, skimming over the information as her mind continued to wander. As she tried to focus, thoughts of a certain girl stole her attention. Bright blue hair and a sparkling white smile were all she could see.

***

As the bell rang, Lemon Zest walked out of the classroom with her hand on her forehead. She took a deep breath and stifled a yawn as she headed down the hallway, walking next to her friend.

Sunny Flare gently punched Lemon’s shoulder and lifted her chin. “What’s up with you today?”

“Just tired, you know,” Lemon said with her raspy voice. “I couldn’t sleep last night.”

“Oh?” Sunny tilted her head and shifted her weight as she came to a stop. Lemon glanced back and scratched her head.

“Yeah. It’s… nothing. I’m fine, really.” Lemon cleared her throat and kicked at the floor.

“Seriously? Something’s going on and you don’t want to tell me about it?” Sunny said with with her hands on her hips. “No, yeah. That’s cool. Whatever.”

Lemon let her arms fall limp and she rolled her eyes. “Dude! Don’t get mad at me, come on. I’m going out with someone tonight and I’m kinda nervous about it. Okay?”

Sunny grabbed her elbow as she chewed on her fingertip. She stayed quiet as she looked into Lemon’s eyes, then finally spoke up. “I’m not mad,” she said with a crooked smirk. “So, who’s this mystery date of yours?”

“Date?” Lemon blushed and quickly shook it off. “I don’t think we’re that far yet.”

“Yet,” Sunny repeated. “So you want to take it that far? Seriously, who is it?”

“You don’t know her; she’s from another school,” Lemon said. “And maybe I do want to take it that far. So what?”

Sunny broke a smile and grabbed onto Lemon’s shoulders. “You’re hopeless, sweetheart. How long have we been friends now? Five, no, six years? Six years, yes. So really there’s no reason not to be straightforward with me, because you already know I’m going to find out everything anyway,” she said as she ran her finger under Lemon’s chin. “You just can’t resist pouring your heart out to me.”

“Yeah you’re right. Man, I’m sorry.” Lemon shrugged and shook her head.

“That’s alright. You know when something’s bothering you I’m always happy to listen.” Sunny nodded and crossed her arms with a grin. “So tell me then, what has my Zesty Lemon so freaked out? That’s not really like you.”

Lemon took a deep breath and untied her bow-tie. “I already told you, Sunny. I’m just tired and nervous about this date.”

“Oh, so it is a date then,” Sunny chirped, squeezing her shoulders together and puckering her lips. “Just relax. It’s not like you’ve never been on a date before.”

Lemon rubbed her temples and closed her eyes. “It’s not really a date, at least as far as I know. I just said date ‘cause you said date, now all I can think about is it being a date… Bleh!”

Sunny took a step back and lifted her hands. “Whoa. You’re really all twisted up over this,” she said as she rubbed her chin. “Okay I got it. When is your date?”

“It’s not a--” Lemon sighed and smacked her forehead. “She’s picking me up after school.”

“Aright. That leaves us a little time then.” Sunny looked up to the ceiling as she thought. “Come.”

Lemon sighed as Sunny took her hand and led her down the hallway. They walked into the cafeteria and right past the students waiting in line, then took a seat at an empty table in the corner.

“We’re skipping lunch today,” Sunny said as she flung her backpack onto the table.

Lemon took a deep breath through her nostrils as her stomach rumbled. “I’m hungry, though.”

“Hush! There’s no time. I’ll buy you a snack or something before our next class, alright?” She rolled her eyes as she dug through her bag. She then straddled the bench seat and turned Lemon towards her so that their knees were touching. “Hold still.”

Lemon blinked several times as Sunny leaned in close, a mascara brush in her hand. She forced herself to remain steady as the brush was gently pressed against her eyelashes. The urge to blink was strong, but she resisted, clenching her fist.

Sunny smiled and leaned back. “Now let’s get some eyeliner on you.”

Lemon took a deep breath, knowing resistance was futile. “Okay.”

Sunny bit her tongue as her steady, practiced hand drew a perfect line against Lemon’s bottom eyelid, then she replicated the line on the other eye. “I’m proud of you. You didn’t argue at all this time.”

“What’s the point?” Lemon asked. “I don’t feel like fighting with you right now.”

“Psh… you’re welcome.” Sunny huffed and crossed her arms. “I’m just trying to help, you know.”

“Yeah but I don’t like makeup.” Lemon raised an eyebrow. “Are you done?”

Sunny felt her eye twitch as the urge to lash out boiled in her chest, but she took a deep, calming breath and lowered her shoulders. “Lemon, I know you’re tired, but if you don’t settle down I’m gonna get pissed.”

Lemon lowered her eyes and sighed.

“Sheesh! Want me to wipe it off or something?” Sunny asked, her voice sharp. “I’m sick of you moping already.”

Lemon looked up and shook her head. “I get that you’re trying to help… I’m sorry, Sunny. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

“Nothing is wrong with you, dammit.” Sunny placed a hand on Lemon’s knee and looked into her eyes. “I know you don’t like makeup, and I’m not trying to go all out on you or anything. I just wanted to bring your eyes out, because you know… you have really pretty eyes. That’s all.”

Lemon smiled and brushed her bangs out of her face. “Thanks.”

“I think a little confidence will help you get over this nervousness. Check it out,” Sunny said as she flipped open her compact mirror and pointed it at Lemon, who fluttered her lashes and looked into her own sparkling golden eyes.

Lemon grabbed Sunny’s hand and nodded. “You can be really mean sometimes,” she said, then smiled as Sunny bit her lip and looked away. “But you’re still the best friend I could ever ask for.”

A wide smile instantly returned to Sunny, who wiggled her shoulders and giggled. “I’m not too mean, am I?”

“Nah, you’re cool.” Lemon beamed and nodded. “So, wanna see a picture of this girl?”

“Pshyeah,” Sunny answered with a quick nod.

Lemon pulled out her cell phone and flipped through her saved images. She then chuckled and held her phone out to Sunny, who snatched it away.

“Oh wow,” Sunny said as she looked over the blue-haired girl in the photo who had her tongue sticking out between two fingers. “She seems… exciting.”

Lemon took her phone back and swiped through more saved photos. “Maybe this isn’t the best one. Hold up and I’ll show you some more.”

“How long have you guys been talking?” Sunny asked.

“A couple months. I met her at Canterlot High during the… the games…” she said as she trailed off, her pink cheeks turning red while she stared at her phone.

“Friendship Games,” Sunny corrected. “I don’t remember her.”

Lemon looked past her phone and giggled. “I’m deciding if I should show you this picture or not.”

“What?! Show me!” Sunny reached for the phone as Lemon locked the screen and held it over her head.

“No! I haven’t decided yet!” Lemon shouted as she leaned backwards and Sunny climbed over her on the lunchroom bench seat.

Sunny’s fingertips reached the palm of Lemon’s hand. “You shouldn’t have said anything then. I have to see this. Is she naked or something?”

Lemon laughed as her friend fell overtop of her and finally reached the phone. “Fine, but don’t tell anyone. Okay?”

Sunny bit her tongue as she typed in the unlock-code to gain access to Lemon’s phone, then plopped back down on her seat. The picture was the last thing on the screen before it was locked and the first to appear when it was unlocked. Sunny’s grin became a straight line as she gulped and examined the image. The girl-in-question was standing in front of a door mirror with her pants halfway down and the bottom of her shirt clasped between her teeth, revealing not her lacy black bra, but also a tattoo of two eighth-notes beamed together on her hip.

“Okay, I’ll admit that that’s pretty hot, Lemon. What’s her name?” Sunny asked.

“Vinyl Scratch. And yeah I know she’s freakin’ hot. Now you get why I’m so damn nervous? I really don’t wanna blow it with this girl.” Lemon placed her hand to her forehead and cringed. “I’ve hung out with her a few times before and… and well, there’s this other girl who makes me feel like… Bah it’s stupid. Never mind.”

Sunny crossed her arms and frowned. “Come on now, Lemon. You really oughta learn to think about what you’re saying before you say it. Do you really think I’m gonna let you drop it? No. Now tell me about this other girl.”

“Jeez,” Lemon said with a groan as she threw her arms into the air. “Cut me some slack, man. This kind of stuff is hard for me, alright?”

“Yeah sure, no problem. I’m totally just going to be able to forget that there’s some drama brewing in your life while you disappear all night and ignore my texts like you always do when you’re out. That’ll happen.” Sunny spoke with a straight face as she stared into Lemon’s eyes. “Not. Stop whining and just tell me already.”

“I don’t ignore your texts.” Lemon squinted and tucked her phone into her pocket. “Alright, whatever. Last time I hung out with Vinyl was a couple weeks ago, and there’s this other girl. It’s her ex. Her name is Pixel Pizzaz, and she seems like she could be pretty cool, but she’s also really weird. Like, she’s super stylish, but there’s a hint of crazy there, too.”

Sunny rubbed her chin. “What do you mean by, ‘hint of crazy?’”

“Well,” Lemon gulped and lowered her voice. “I went to this cafe with Vinyl a few weeks ago and she bought me a drink, and her ex was there…”

~~~

Lemon sipped on her sweet coffee as she followed Vinyl to a table in the corner of the cafe.

“Nice to see you in something other than that sexy schoolgirl getup,” Vinyl said with a wide grin.

Lemon spread her arms and performed a quick spin in her tight black tee-shirt and faded jeans, her hair flowing with the motion. “Yeah. I try not to wear it on the weekends,” she said with a wink as she sat down at the table.

“Scooch over.” Vinyl took a seat on the same side of the booth, and Lemon scooted up against the wall. “Man, I’d hate it if I had to wear a uniform everyday. How do you deal with that?”

Lemon shrugged and propped her elbow onto the window sill next to her. “I don’t really care. I’m probably just used to it since I’ve been wearing pretty much the same uniform since the first grade.”

“The same one?” Vinyl asked with a chuckle.

Lemon narrowed her eyes and grinned. “Yeah dude. This thing was huge on me when I was seven years old.”

Vinyl laughed and shook her head. “Seriously though, you look hot in that uniform. I’d never wear it, but damn.”

Lemon sheepishly giggled and fought the back the blush appearing on her cheeks. “You should try my uniform on one day. You might like it,” she teased.

“Ha! Not happening.” Vinyl crossed her arms, then noticed Lemon subtly bobbing her head, the wire to an earbud dangling from her ear. “What’cha listening to?” she asked, studio headphones around her neck as she reached for Lemon’s one free earbud.

“Uhm…” Lemon shook her head and quickly pulled the headphone’s jack from her phone, stopping the music. “Nothing,” she said with a nervous chuckle, the sudden silence allowing her to hear the faint music coming from Vinyl’s headphones. “What are you listening to?”

Vinyl frowned and lifted her shimmery purple sunglasses, revealing her deep magenta eyes. “Hey dude, you don’t need to be embarrassed about whatever you listen to. Trust me, I listen to some pretty weird stuff sometimes.”

Lemon twirled the cord around her finger and bit her lip, then plugged the jack back into her phone. She dangled the earbud in front of Vinyl, who took it with a smile. With a deep breath, Lemon pressed the ‘play’ button on her phone.

“Countess Coloratura?” Vinyl said with a laugh.

Lemon hesitantly chuckled and shrugged. “See why I was embarrassed? It’s pretty lame, I know.”

“Yeah it’s lame… but, it’s good, right?” Vinyl lowered her sunglasses and glanced over her shoulder, then carefully browsed the pictures on her phone, which she held beneath the table.

Lemon tilted her head and waited, the pop diva still singing in each girl's’ ear.

“Check it,” Vinyl said, subtly angling her phone towards Lemon. On the screen was a picture of Countess Coloratura performing on stage. The photo was taken from only a few rows back.

“No. Way.” Lemon’s jaw hung open as she shook her head back into reality. “That is so awesome!”

“It is, but keep it between us. It’s so not my style to listen to this mainstream stuff, you know?” Vinyl lowered her sunglasses and put her phone away.

“Oh, I know.” Lemon chuckled and tapped her earbud.

“Right…” Vinyl grinned and bobbed her head to the beat. “It’s so good though, am I right? How is she so good? It shouldn’t be this good.”

“I know,” Lemon agreed. “It’s like why? How? I don’t get it either. I hated her at first, but then the more I listened, I was like, yes! This!”

“Yeah same here, dude. I used to make fun of her fans and stuff because I just assumed she was another terrible pop star. She’s something special, though.” Vinyl nodded and crossed her arms. “You got good taste.”

“I like to think so,” Lemon said with a laugh. “I can’t believe you like her too. I have a band-tee from the last time I saw her live. It was like sixty-bucks. So worth it.”

“Dang, man. You gotta wear it under a hoodie or something next time we hang out. I wanna see it.” Vinyl raised her eyebrows and glanced down at Lemon’s chest.

“I could just send a picture when I get home,” Lemon said as she crossed her arms over her breasts.

“Yeah sure, but I mean, like…” Vinyl cleared her throat and adjusted her glasses. “I wanna see it on you.”

“It says, ‘Razzle Dazzle’ on it. Not that cool,” Lemon said as she shrugged and shook her head. “I’ll wear it though. I don’t really care who else knows I like CC, I just didn’t want to embarrass myself in front of you too early, ya know?”

“Dude, come on,’The Spectacle’ is really old, but it’s still awesome,” Vinyl said, removing the earbud as the much more recent song they were listening to came to an end. “Razzle Dazzle,” she sang.

“Glitz and Glam,” Lemon instinctively joined in.

“Turn it all up,” Vinyl continued.

“It’s a spectacle,” they both sang in unison.

Lemon laughed. “Thought you didn’t want people to know you liked this stuff.”

Vinyl shrugged and brushed it off. “Screw it. No one's really paying attention to us anyway.”

“Don’t be so sure about that,” a startling voice said from behind them.

Vinyl and Lemon each flinched and turned to face the the girl who leaned over the back of their booth.

“I couldn’t help but hear you singing that ghastly top-forty song you were obsessed with for an entire year. What a pleasure, as always, Vinyl.” Pixel Pizzaz rested on her elbows as she peered down at the two girls from behind their seat, her long blue and violet pigtails falling over her shoulders.

“Oh, hi, Pixie,” Vinyl said, rolling her eyes behind her glimmering sunglasses. “Didn’t see ya there.”

Lemon scratched the back of her head and smiled.

“Well then. Is this the new one?” Pixel asked. “I hope she has a personality, because she looks a mess.”

Lemon furrowed her brow and frowned.

“I think she looks good,” Vinyl said as she clenched her fist. “Why are you even talking to us?”

A snarky grin slithered across Pixel’s cheeks as she raised her eyebrows. “What? Am I not allowed? Isn’t that a little contrary to the whole I-don’t-care vibe you’re going for?”

“Shut it! Let’s get outta here, Lemon.” Vinyl stood up and pulled Lemon to her feet, leading her towards the exit as she reached back forlornly towards her unfinished coffee.

“Maybe swing by a clothing store for your friend there. I mean really? Ill-fitting jeans and a tee-shirt? It looks like she stole her older brother’s clothes! Get a hairbrush while you’re at it!” Pixel yelled while the two walked away. “Nailed it,” she muttered as she sat back down with the two snazzy girls at her table.

Lemon gulped and flattened her clothes, then tugged at her hair as she walked. “Who is she?” she asked.

Vinyl pulled the car keys from her pocket and unlocked the doors with the click of a button. “My annoying ex.”

Lemon cleared her throat as a pit of jealousy grew in her chest. “Ha, she seems pretty crazy,” she said, forcing a smile.

“You ain’t gotta tell me. I know first hand.” Vinyl climbed into her car and started the engine, then pulled the top down. She then cranked her music up, blasting a song that may as well have been two technologically superior robots having an all out clash. She lifted her sunglasses onto her forehead and made sharp eye contact with Pixel through the cafe window, who provokingly smiled and waved.

Lemon tapped her foot and bobbed her head to the obnoxiously loud music as Vinyl shifted into reverse and drove onto the road. “You okay?” she asked, raising her voice above the music.

Vinyl scoffed and shook her head, tightly squeezing the steering wheel with fingerless gloves. “I don’t get mad too easy, you know. That girl really knows how to push my buttons. She crossed the line when she tried talking shit to you.”

“Don't sweat it. I’m a big girl and I can take it.” Lemon smiled widely and smacked her chest. “I know I’m a mess anyway. It’s true.”

Vinyl grinned and glanced over to Lemon, whose long green hair flowed in the wind as they sped down the street. “I like that about you. Your style rocks.”

“Thanks!” Lemon’s eyes widened and sparkled in the sunlight. “You’re pretty snazzy yourself.”

Vinyl flicked her wrist towards her body and laughed. “Damn straight,” she replied, acknowledging her white jacket and hot pink capris.

As Vinyl rolled up to a stop sign, she spotted two girls standing on the sidewalk and shamelessly expressing their affection in public. She beeped her horn twice and held her thumb up with a wide, sparkling smile.

“Right on!” Lemon shouted, standing up pumping her fist.

“Hey that’s Sunset Shimmer. Isn’t the other girl from your school?” Vinyl asked as they drove off.

“Yeah I know her. It’s Twilight Sparkle. She sat with me on the bus ride over to CHS.” Lemon nodded and recalled the day. “Yeah! She listened to like six of my favorite metal songs.”

“That's rad. None of the girls at my school would stand for that. I mean, there’s this one girl who’s pretty good at guitar I guess, but their band only plays, like, soft and poppy alternative rock.”

“Sounds like a real snooze factory.” Lemon stuck her tongue out and feigned a gag.

“They’re alright. So, wanna plug in?” Vinyl deactivated the bluetooth on her car stereo and held up an auxiliary cord. “Show me what you really like.”

“Think you can handle it?” Lemon asked as she scrolled through her music library.

“Try me.”

~~~

“...and her ex was there. So yeah, after we got our drinks, we went and sat down. Then this girl pops up out of nowhere and starts trying to talk smack. I was like, ‘oh hell no,’ and she was all like, ‘Myehh blah blah blah. You’re ugly and messy.’ What a bitch, right?” Lemon said as she grunted and shrugged it off.

“So that’s it? Her ex just shows up and starts messing with you?” Sunny cracked her knuckles. “Ooh she’s so lucky I wasn’t there. What did Vinyl do?”

“Nothing really. We just left, and she was super mad about it,” Lemon explained. “But it’s like, whatever, you know? She said she’ll talk to Pixel so that she’ll leave us alone, but I don’t know. I just really hope I don’t have to see her again.”

Sunny huffed and balled her fists. “Promise me something, okay?”

“What?” Lemon asked.

“If that girl tries to mess with you again, stick up for yourself. I’ve seen people make fun of you before, and you just take it like you don’t care, but I know you do care. Nothing in the world pisses me off more.” Sunny shook her head and lowered her eyes. “You’re not a pushover or anything like that… You’re just too friendly for your own good sometimes.”

Lemon smiled and placed a hand on Sunny’s shoulder. “Hey well that’s why I have you, right? You’re pretty good at putting anyone who messes with me in their place. Look, I’ll be fine. I can handle some girl I don’t know trash talking me. I just don’t want to see Vinyl get upset again.”

“Just promise me, please?” Sunny raised an eyebrow and pursed her lips.

“Fine, I promise I’ll stick up for myself. Cool?” Lemon asked as she shook her head.

“Very cool.” Sunny stood up and took Lemon’s hand, pulling her to her feet. “Lunch time’s over. I’ve got a couple protein bars in my locker you can have if you’re still hungry.”

“Well yeah I’m hungry. I didn’t eat anything.” Lemon stumbled forward as she slung her backpack over her shoulder and followed her friend into the hallway.

“By the way, why is your backpack so stuffed?” Sunny asked. “Did you pack clothes? Oh my… Don’t tell me…”

Lemon tilted her head and shrugged. “It’s nothing. Don’t tell you what?”

“It’s nothing, huh? Nothing. Yeah right! You packed clothes! I can tell. You’re planning to stay the night there, aren’t you?” Sunny asked as she quickly raised her eyebrows up and down. “So much for it not being a date, you sneaky little snake.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. No.” Lemon held her hands up and blushed. “I just packed some jeans to change into and an extra uniform that I’m going to try and convince Vinyl to try on. That’s all. I’ll be home by, like, eleven o’clock at the latest.”

Sunny glanced upward and pondered. “That’s a lot of time, Lemon. A lot of time for a lot to happen,” she said as she pulled her snacks out of her locker, then slammed it shut before leading the way into a classroom.

Lemon followed her friend into the empty classroom and took a seat at a desk in the back. “Look, Sunny, I know a lot can happen. That’s why I’m nervous, remember?” she said as she plopped her head onto the desk.

Sunny leaned against her desk and gently massaged the back of Lemon’s head. “Are you actually going to try and make a move?”

“I don’t know what I’m gonna do. I planned to just play it by ear,” Lemon explained, her voice muffled as she spoke against her desk.

“You need to go into this with intentions,” Sunny said, stroking Lemon’s hair. “If you don’t, then you’ll miss some opportunities to move in on her because you’ll hesitate. Ask yourself: What do you want to come of this?”

Lemon leaned up and looked into the eyes of the girl standing next to her. “Honestly? I want to make her my girlfriend.”

“There you go. Now you have a plan, and I’m sure you can pull it off.” Sunny turned around to take a seat at the desk adjacent to Lemon and spotted another girl already sitting there. “Yeah I don’t think so, hun. Skedaddle.”

Lemon smiled and rested her cheek on her hand as she watched the girl scurry away with her books. “Thanks, Sunny. I feel better now.”

“Someone has to straighten you out when you get all twisted up, may as well be me.” Sunny fixed her hair and sat upright in her seat as other students filled the room. “So, do you want some advice?”

Lemon perked up and nodded. “Uh, yeah. I don’t think I’ll be able to make a move on my own, but she’s the type of girl who’ll probably make the move for me.”

Sunny frowned and picked at her fingertips with her thumbnail. “You aren’t exactly shy. Why wouldn’t make the first move? It’ll make you seem confident--you know, like you know what you want. Girls like that.”

“Ehhhh…” Lemon shrugged. “She’s kind of intimidating.”

“Intimidating?” Sunny scoffed. “I'm intimidating.”

“Yeah but you’re the mean kind of intimidating,” Lemon said with a wink. “But with her, it’s like… it’s like I gotta be perfect and awesome at all times, otherwise she might be too cool for me to hang out with.”

Sunny rolled her eyes and smiled. “That’s crazy, Lemon. No one is too cool for you to hang out with. You’re the coolest girl I know. Like, so hardcore.”

Lemon felt a surge of confidence wash over her as she smiled. “Yeah, you’re right.”

“There ya go, Zesty.” Sunny winked and held up a finger. “But… don’t get too cocky. Make sure to wait until the right moment to make your move, otherwise you might seem like a jerk who’s only interested in one thing.”

Lemon shook her head. “Don’t worry about that. If anyone’s making the move, it’ll be her. I already know there’s no way I’m doing it.”

“That might actually be a good idea as long as you can pull it off right. You have to make damn sure she knows you want her to make a move without making it too obvious. You don’t wanna look desperate, either.” Sunny scratched her chin and looked up in thought. “Have you thought any of this out at all?”

Lemon shook her head and chuckled. “Nope. That isn’t really how I roll.”

“If you’re serious about landing this girl, then you better start trying to think ahead for once in your life. Not everything works out if you just try to live in the moment,” Sunny explained, then huffed and rubbed her temples. “Come on, Lemon. Just trust me this once.”

“I do trust you. It’s just that I don’t really think things are gonna play out the way you think they will. That’s why I don’t plan ahead so much, because when you do plan ahead, everything goes off the rails. If there’re no rails to derail from, then nothing can go wrong,” Lemon said, confident she had made her point. “It’ll just be what it is, and that’ll be that.”

“No. That’s ridiculous, but whatever. If you don’t want to take my advice then all I can say is good luck, Lemon. Don’t come crying to me when everything falls apart tonight because you can’t take it seriously.” Sunny faced forward and smugly raised her eyebrows as she flipped open her textbook.

Lemon placed her thumb and finger on her forehead. “I am taking it seriously. I’ll… think of something, alright?”

“That’s just it, though. You won’t. I can tell from the way you’ve been acting all day that when the moment comes, you’re just gonna clam up and get uncharacteristically shy around this girl.” Sunny shook her head and stared at her fingernails. “If you can at least anticipate that happening, then maybe you have a chance to do something about it, but you have to be prepared.”

Lemon furrowed her brow and chewed on her tongue as she considered what her friend was telling her. She swallowed the lump in her throat and giggled, then laughed.

Sunny blushed and lowered herself in her seat as all the students in the classroom glanced over to Lemon, who stared at Sunny with googly eyes while giggling. “Will you cut it out?” Sunny hissed.

Lemon wiped a tear and stifled her laughter.

“What the hell is so funny?” Sunny asked. “You’re embarrassing yourself.”

“That’s alright,” Lemon said as she finally quieted herself. “I embarrass myself all the time. I’ve never cared before, so why start now? It’s who I am, and I think Vinyl likes me for who I am.”

Sunny narrowed her eyes and tilted her head. “What?! Where’s this coming from?”

“You were right, Sunny. I’ve been acting weird all day because I was nervous about tonight, but that isn’t who I am. I’m never nervous about anything.” Lemon puffed her chest out. “I’ll be fine. You’ll see.”

Sunny lifted her finger and opened her mouth, but her words escaped her. She looked at her friend, who wore a wide and sparkling smile as she opened a notebook and skimmed the notes she had taken for her class the day before. Sunny noticed the wire subtly hanging beneath Lemon’s hair and leading into her shirt as she lightly swayed her head from side to side and quietly tapped her feet beneath her desk. Sunny’s bemused frown shifted into a soft smile, and she took a deep breath. “Yeah, you’ll be fine. I’m just happy you’re finally relaxed.”  

Lemon flashed a bright smile and held her thumb up. “Thanks to you.”

Sunny stood out of her seat and stepped in front of Lemon’s desk, then leaned forward and grabbed her untied bowtie. “Don’t want you getting yelled at again,” she said as she gracefully looped it around and pulled it into a perfect bow.

“Thanks,” Lemon smiled and adjusted it before buttoning the top button of her uniform. “I owe you one.”

Sunny rolled her eyes and shook her head. “You owe me a lot more than just one by now, but that’s alright,” she said with soft eyes. “Vinyl is the lucky one here. Don’t forget that tonight.”

“Huh?” Lemon tilted her head.

Sunny returned to her desk and sat down, crossing her legs as their teacher stepped into the classroom.

“Good afternoon. Let’s get started today by turning to page one-forty-five in your textbooks and reviewing yesterday’s criteria.” The tall teacher turned around and wiped away everything written on the dry-erase board.

Lemon nodded and pulled a large textbook from her backpack, then flipped it open as their teacher instructed. “Thanks, Sunny,” she whispered, leaning over. “You’re really the best.”

Sunny cocked her chin up and grinned. “I know I am.”

Lemon giggled and closed her eyes while Sunny played with her fingernails. She imagined the night to come, and an image of herself sitting in the passenger seat of Vinyl’s car appeared in her mind. The city in the distance cast its glow on the sky while thousands of lights dotted the many tall buildings. What do I do? What do I say? she wondered as they drove into the array of city lights.

It’s not unlike music, she thought. The challenges of love and romance were often the inspiration for the songs she loved the most. She rehearsed what she might say in the moment, her favorite songs coming to mind. I know I want to but I don’t know what to do, if I get this started will you... see it through? I’m in too deep and this night has just begun, but if you pull the trigger… I’ll load the gun.

Lemon opened her eyes and shook her head, chewing on the tip of her pencil. Don’t overthink it. There’s no way she isn’t going to make a move tonight, she told herself. Make yourself open to it, but don’t look desperate.

Lemon sighed and glanced over to Sunny, who sat with a straight back as she watched their teacher writing. She looked so well composed and so confident. Nothing could shake her. Sitting directly behind Sunny was another girl with unwavering self-confidence and willpower, who had long magenta hair with a green stripe, and cheeks spotted with freckles.

Sour Sweet glanced up and made eye contact with Lemon, who was absentmindedly staring at her. She offered a soft smile, then abruptly frowned and drew a line across her neck with her thumb before forcefully throwing open her binder.

Lemon gulped and faced forward. She took a deep breath and let her worries fall away as her mind once again wandered. Her imagination enveloped her while she tapped her pencil on her desk to the beat of the music playing in her ear. She glanced to the clock, noting that she only had two more hours until school let out, then her weekend would officially begin. Two more hours until she could jump into Vinyl’s car and let her world disappear over the horizon behind her as they drove into the distance. Every bit of nervousness turned to excitement as she reached into her pocket and increased the volume of her music, her heart pounding.

Sunny glanced over and looked into Lemon’s sparkling golden eyes as she grinned and failed to hide the fact that she was once again listening to her music during class. She smiled and cleared her throat, catching Lemon’s attention. “Turn it down,” she whispered.

Lemon widened her eyes and reached back into her pocket, fidgeting around for the volume buttons on her phone.

“Good to see you back to yourself again.” Sunny winked and turned back to her notebook, copying down what was written on the blackboard.

Lemon gave a thumbs-up and looked at her teacher’s desk, spotting her previously confiscated pink studio headphones, and making a mental note to retrieve them before she left school for the weekend. One hour and fifty-five more minutes to go, she thought, watching the second-hand on the clock tick time away.

I can’t wait...