The sun was bright and warm, everything seemed to be in full on summer mode, business at the Carousel Boutique was normal.  Rarity was drawing up a sketch for a dress when she heard a knocking on her door. Rarity listened to the knocking on her door as she said, "Nope." After another few seconds the knocking resumed as she whispered to herself again, "No means No... Go away." Rarity waited another few seconds before the knocking on her door happened again, as Rarity went to check throughout the peephole she accidentally nitrated the doorknob. Knowing that they now knew she was home she began to think of a way out of socializing. She slowly opened the door as she said in a French accent, "Bonjour?"

On the other side of the door her best friend's voice could be heard as she said, "Rarity. It's Twilight."

Rarity knew that her plan was ruined and accepted the fact she would have to socialize with her as she said, "Oh hello."

The Twilight quickly replied, "You busy tonight? Me and the girls were wondering if you would like to hang out at Sugarcube corner."

Rarity sighed as she looked over her dresses as she said, "Oh dear. That's a shame I have a lot of things planned tonight."

After a couple minutes of silence, Twilight replied with a bit of confusion in her tone, "Oh... Like what?"

Rarity looked around her room as she picked up one of her dress designs as she said, "Oh just stuff. Important stuff really specific things."

It didn't take long for Twilight to reply, "You mean specific things like pace around the room of the boutique looking at your design pictures?"

Rarity gave a small laugh as she said, "No I'm getting ready for a fashion show tonight."

Twilight tapped on the glass to Rarity's window as she said, "Rarity, I'm right on the other side of the window. I can see you right there."

Rarity began to think quick about a way she could get out of this, after a couple of decode she had an idea and said, "Oh that's not me, dear."

"It's not?"

"No that is the pony who looks just like me who lives in the same boutique as me."

Rarity looked out of the corner of her eye to see Twilight staring right at the unicorn as she said, "That's so weird because she looks like she's saying the exact same things as you." By now Rarity knew she was uncovered but she was prepared to do anything to get another night to herself as she began to flap her mouth without saying anything. As she looked like she was laughing Twilight said in a frustrated tone, "Rarity! Get outside."

Rarity finally accepted defeat as she said, "Oh okay then dear."

********

Rarity and Twilight met up with Dash and AJ in the local diner as Twilight said, "Look who I brought along."

Dash began to perk up as she said, "Hey Rarity! Listen I'm going to keep this short but the reason were all here is because of this." Rainbow Dash then proceeded to pull out her inauguration certificate into the Wonderbolts. The girls around the table began to ogle the bright gold colored paper as Dash said, "Yeah and I was wondering if Rarity here would like to come to the celebration tomorrow night. We don't see you out much anyways."

Rarity began to think about her decision, she was deciding between her night alone and a night at a dirty and sweaty party with Dash and the rest. After a few minutes of thinking Rarity sighed and said, "Oh alright. Just because this is such a big milestone for you, dear."

Applejack noticed there was something wrong aboutRarity as she said, "Darlin' you okay? Are y'all still frettin' about how you lost your chance to become a famous designer?"

Rarity gave a short laugh as she lied though her trademark fake smile and said, "What? Don't be ridiculous dear!" Rarity turned her head to see none other then Photo Finish and Hoity Toity in the same room as her. Rarity began to lower her head as she said, "Uh-oh."

Applejack looked over the seat to see them rubbing noses as she said, "Oh it's just Photo and Hoity."

Rarity slowly began to get up as she said, "I have to go." she began to silently argue with her friends before saying, "I don't want to come face to face with Phooooto Finish." As Rarity turned her head towards the exit, Photo Finish and Hoity Toity were right in front of her as she said, "Hey you two! Listen I really have to go."

Twilight gave a fake smile as she threw Rarity her pile of dress sketches as she sarcastically said, "Yeah she has work to do."

Rarity immediately caught the drawings with her magic and took a long sigh as she said, "Yeah I have to go, my hooves have the runs." rarity realized the joke she just made and immediately said with an awkward smile, "That came out really wrong." As Rarity quickly turned around to escape her friends she bumped into a waitress and slipped in the spilled drinks. After falling down she got back up in an awkward stance as she said sounding out of breath, "I'll see you girls later." Rarity then proceeded to head for the exit as everypony in the restaurant watched her. Rarity could feel all their gazes upon her as she had to bear the humiliation of slipping on the drinks in from of her friends.

*******

For the rest of the night Rarity sat at her fireplace reading a book named Saw, after a few pages she said, "Oh come on it's through the horn just pull the rest off already. Oh how un fabulous, the place is a mess, those walls must be covered in grime." As the night carried on Rarity couldn't stop thinking about how her friend was accomplishing a dream she lost her chance to claim.

******
The next day Rarity was again in her boutique, Rarity sat at her counter as she looked over the design for a dress some pony suggested she make. Her eyes scanned from one side to the next, deep in thought before she looked back up and said, "No."

The pony on the other side of the counter slipped the paper back into her bag as she said, "Why no?" The customer felt rather hurt that her design didn't make the cut, her long brown mane flopped in front of her eyes as she looked down at the floor.

Rarity took in a deep breath as she said with a fake smile, "Dear your design is clearly flawed, all the diamonds are in awkward places which would make it even more difficult to stitch together and to be honest, it is far too expensive looking." Rarity truly felt bad about what she was saying to this rather friendly looking customer, the customer continued to look hurt as Rarity explained her reasons for denial.

The customer began to draw in a breath as she said with the clap of her hooves, "To be honest, if this dress doesn't get designed then I can't perform. I have no other options."

Rarity continued to look at the sad pony as she used her magic to levitate a stamp towards her, she planted the stamp on top of the picture as she said in almost a whisper, "I'm sorry but that's not my problem." The customer gave one final sad look as she put on her own fake smile and exited the boutique. After a few seconds of loneliness, Rarity returned to her sewing of another one of her dresses. As she stitched and cut the threads she decided to check her mail. She floated the first envelope towards her as she read it aloud, "Buy in on the book stocks. Nope." Rarity then crumpled the paper with her magic as she threw it away before reading the next one, "Your invited to Pinkie's water-tastic balloon fight party. How about no." One by one Rarity crumpled the papers and was throwing them out without even considering reading them. The last one she read aloud again, "Find a local prince charming in your town for yours to keep. YeeeaNo." Rarity tore the letter in half before throwing the pieces along with the rest into the fire. 

As she resumed her stitching a knock gently tapped against the door which could mean one thing, visitors. Rarity sighed as she opened the door to find Fluttershy in front of her saying, "Hello Rarity! How's it going?"

Rarity sighed and resumed her fake smiling as she said, "Oh hello Fluttershy. Things have been good here. Lots of business."

Fluttershy trotted into the room before hovering as she said, "Me and angel were going to have a tea party this Friday and we were wondering if you would like to join us."

Rarity looked over at her calendar as she said, "Oh sorry dear, but I'm busy doing stuff."

Fluttershy tilted her head, she noticed there was something wrong with Rarity as she said, "That's odd. You always have something going on when we want you to visit."

Rarity gave a fluff of her hair as she said, "Oh really?" She began to feel uncomfortable with the thought of Fluttershy catching on to her undesire to socialize.

Fluttershy thought for a few seconds as she brought her hoof to her chin before saying, "How about next we"

Before she could even finish Rarity interrupted her by saying, "Oh I'm busy hat day as well."

Fluttershy began to give a suspicious look to her white unicorn friend as she said, "But... You didn't even let me finish."

Rarity gave an annoyed sigh as she began to resume work on her dress and said, "Well darling that's because I am busy all next week as well."

Fluttershy began to look a little down as she said, "Oh... Okay. Well I'll see you later." Fluttershy dropped to the ground and began to slowly trot out the door. Rarity stood there feeling bad about what she had done, but after failing big time in the clothing industry with Hoity Toity and Photo Finish, Rarity began to fear taking risks and saying yes all the time.

For the rest of the day Rarity simply stitched and sewed pieces of dresses together when at around the stroke of midnight a knock banged against the door. Rarity ignored it until she heard it again and said to herself, "For heaven's sake, either I'm away or I'm busy." 

As she tried to resumed her stitching Dash opened the door and said, obviously angry, "Spike's been sending you messages, why haven't you been answering them."

Rarity began to turn in place as she li through her teeth, "Oh that, I can't find where my mail has been going. It's really weird."

Rarity pulled a pile of letters into the room as she said with a frustrated tone, "You are so full of lies."

As Rarity looked at the pile of paper she began to feel humiliated and decided to play stupid and said, "Oh there they are!"

Dash looked around the room thinking of the best way to say this to the white unicorn, after a couple of seconds the cyan pegasus said, "You know what? You missed my inauguration ceremony."

Rarity's eyes went wide with shock as she realized how badly she messed up and said, "Oh no, goodness I completely forgot about that. How about this, dear Rainbow Dash, tomorrow you and me we can go prancing."

Dash shook her head as she gave the unicorn a confused look and said, "What does that even mean these days?" As Rarity thought over that Dash decided to head for her door as she said, "You know what? I don't even care anymore. I'm the element of loyalty but that doesn't mean you don't have to be loyal to me. Tonight one of my best friends wasn't at the most important moments in my life. You keep doing things like this and going on this path your going to grow into a very old and lonely mare." As the rainbow maned pegasus flew into the distance she repeated her last line out loud, "A lonely mare!"

Rarity was left there to feel horrible about what she had done, she sat there on her bed thinking about how much it hurt her friend to not see her there. For the rest of that night Rarity laid on her bed thinking about what she could do to make it up, every decision being dismissed immediately though.