Lemon Zest banged her head as she shredded on her guitar. Her long bright green hair swung in circles while muscle memory controlled her fingers, which expertly walked up the fret-board during her solo. She held her guitar out in front of herself while bending the final note, her wide smile sparkling. She then stomped on a foot switch, slightly changing the sound of her instrument as she slammed on deep power-chords and another girl sang. Moments later the song came to an end, and Lemon held her fist in the air.

"This is sounding pretty sweet! I think we're ready to record," Lemon declared. "What do you guys think?"

A guy with a black jacket and long dark blue hair sitting behind the drums gave a thumbs up, while the lead singer standing at the microphone shrugged.

"Not sure," the singer said, her long messy white bangs falling over one eye. "I think we might need to change up the bass line a little. Maybe tighten up that solo a bit, too."

"Are you kidding me, Cloudchaser?" Lemon swung her guitar onto her back and walked up to the girl. "What do you mean tighten it up?"

"I mean, tighten it up!" she shouted.

"Take it easy you two." The drummer stood up and pointed at Lemon, shaking his head.

Lemon deflated. "But... Alright, fine. Let's take a break."

She then stepped outside and crossed her arms, slouching against the side of the building.

"Don't look so down, kiddo." A girl with bright blue and white hair punched Lemon's shoulder. "Ignore Cloudchaser; I think your solo was on point. Let's just keep practicing the way we have been and she'll come around."

"Thanks, Flitter. I think your bass line was pretty tight, too. I don't get what her problem is." Lemon huffed and kicked at the dirt.

"My sister is... Well I think she's got the best interest of the band at heart. Something else is stressing her out, I think." Flitter squeezed Lemon's shoulder and smiled. "I'll talk to her later."

"A'ight." Lemon shook her head. "I wouldn't be so cool with her attitude if she wasn't your sister, you know."

"I know," Flitter said with a chuckle.

Lemon pulled her phone from her pocket and scrolled through her messages. "Oh shit. I gotta roll."

"Everything alright?" Flitter asked.

"Yeah, my friend is..." Lemon sighed and rubbed her forehead. "Look, I'm sorry. Tell Cloudchaser I went to tighten up that solo."

"Can do." Flitter giggled. "I hope everything's alright."

Lemon flashed a smile and gave a thumbs up after tucking her guitar into the backseat of her car. "It's all good, girl. See ya!"

Flitter waved while Lemon quickly backed away from the warehouse.

Meanwhile, Sour sat outside of the planetarium with her face pressed against her knees. She tightly clutched her phone and squeezed her eyes shut.

Moondancer stood inside the building, leaning against the window. She watched the faint orange glow of the sun slowly fade into darkness as the many city lights took its place. She glanced down at Sour.

"I'm sorry..." Moondancer whispered, then closed her eyes.

Sour glanced up as headlights caught her attention. She watched the car climb the winding road up the hill, then stood up and brushed herself off. She then glanced over her shoulder in time to see Moondancer walking away. The car pulled up to the parking lot and turned around, then Sour ran up to the passenger side door.

"Yo, what's up?" Lemon asked.

Sour made herself comfortable, kicking her shoes off and slouching back in the seat. "I messed up, Lemon."

Lemon smacked her forehead against the steering wheel, the car still idling in the parking lot. "Damn it, Sour. What happened?"

Sour shook her head and wiped a stray tear from her cheek. "I'm just the worst girlfriend ever. I..."

"Let's get you home." Lemon reached over and grabbed Sour's hand, then headed back down the road.

Moondancer walked endlessly in circles through the long circular hallway surrounding the planetarium and museum. She watched the floor beneath her feet as she went, her mind running a mile a minute.

"Why did I do that?" she asked herself. "What went wrong?"

She continued walking, the moment replaying itself in her mind. Sour touched her cheek. She closed her eyes. They kissed. Sour pushed her away and ran.

Moondancer rubbed her temples. "What if she was the one?"

She stumbled against the wall, then slid down to her knees. "Why did I have to lie to her? Why couldn't I just be brave?"

★★★

"Can you believe we're officially high-schoolers now?" Sour asked, then sipped on her milkshake.

Moondancer pressed up on the tape between her glasses, then picked at the cherry on top of her treat. "I can. I'm just surprised that Sugarcoat gets to be my roommate."

"I'm so jealous..." Sour pouted.

Moondancer looked up and tilted her head. "I wish all three of us could be roommates somehow. Or even just you and me."

Sour nodded. "I just hope my roommate isn't super annoying and loud."

"I bet you'll get an awesome roommate." Moondancer winked and swirled her straw around in the frozen drink. "Hey, can I tell you something?"

Sour tilted her head. "What is it?"

Moondancer shuddered, then took a deep breath. "Well, what if I told you I had a crush on someone?"

Sour raised her eyebrows and grinned. "Who?"

"I'd tell you, but I've been afraid that it might mess with our friendship." Moondancer huffed. "But now that we're going to high school, I think we can handle like mature ladies."

Sour bit her lip and glanced down, then looked into Moondancer eyes. "Honestly, I was wanting to tell you the same thing."

"Wait, really?" Moondancer smiled. "You... you have a crush on someone too?"

Sour nodded. "Yeah, but I didn't want to mess things up between the three of us."

Moondancer furrowed her thick eyebrows and slowly nodded. "Who do yo have a crush on? I promise you can tell me anything, and it'll be okay."

Sour twirled her hair around in her finger and her cheeks turned red. "Sugarcoat. How about you?"

Moondancer flinched, an ache in her chest growing as she tightly clenched her fist between the table. "Oh... Well, I, uhm... Wait, really? Sugarcoat?"

"Yeah, is something wrong?" Sour asked, her smile slipping into a crooked frown.

Moondancer shook her head. "No, I suppose not. It feels wrong to say it now, but the person I have a crush on is..."

Sour lowered her head. "Oh jeez, you have a crush on her too, don't you?"

Moondancer shook her head. "Actually..."

Sour smiled and waved her down. "It's fine. We can both have a crush on her. It doesn't matter."

Moondancer cringed and did her best to force the words from her mouth. "Y-yeah... I have a crush on Sugarcoat, too," she lied.

"So now what do we do?" Sour asked.

"Let's just agree not to act on it. We'll all stay friends and keep this our little secret. Crushes come and go, right? We'll have plenty of crushes in the future." Moondancer forced a smile. "Sound good?"

"Eh, sure." Sour shrugged. "I think it would better if one of us acted on it. I'll let you if you want."

"Nah, I don't think it'd be right." Moondancer sternly nodded. "Let's just forget about crushes for now. I'm sorry for bringing it up."

"No biggie." Sour winked as she sucked on her straw.

Moondancer rested her cheek on her hand and stared out of the cafe window. I can't tell her... Not now.

★★★

Moondancer opened her eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks as she sat alone in the dark. "I'm such an idiot."

"I'm such an idiot," Sour said, her face buried in her hands. "I just got her back, then I let something like this happen? How can I face her or Sugarcoat ever again now?"

Lemon sat at the foot of Sour's bed, her hand on her shoulder. "Come on, these things happen... I guess."

"I know you're probably sick of my drama by now. I'm sorry for dragging you into it all of the time." Sour sobbed, falling over on her bed and squeezing her pillow.

Lemon scratched the back of her head. "Dude, it's fine. You guys warned me that I shouldn't mess with whatever you had going on, so I asked for this."

"That's right... I did warn you to stay out of it." Sour cringed and glared over her shoulder. "This is your fault!"

"I wouldn't go that far." Lemon sighed. "I promise you, this isn't the end of the world. This isn't the end of your friendship with Moondancer, and it isn't the end of your relationship with Sugarcoat either."

"How can you be sure? Would you still want to date Vinyl if she kissed another girl? Twice?!" Sour shouted. "I wouldn't!"

"Be honest, Sour. And hope for the best." Lemon rubbed her calf. "That's what I did and it worked for me. I don't know what else to tell you."

Sour gritted her teeth as the tears continued to pour. "I wish I had a perfect life like you..."

Lemon groaned, her patience wearing thin and her voice turning sharp. "Sour, stop saying that. I don't have a perfect life."

Sour flinched and leaned up. "Did something happen to you, too?"

Lemon covered her face with her hands. "This, for starters. Do you think I wanted to leave band practice early to come deal with this?"

Sour felt her heart shatter, then curled up beneath her blanket, hugging her knees. "...I'm really sorry. I don't have anyone else to rely on."

"It's fine, dude. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel worse. I just have a lot on my mind right now." Lemon fell onto her back and spread her arms across the bed.

Sour sniffled and wiped her cheeks. "Do you wanna talk it out?"

Lemon glanced over to her friend and cracked a smile. "Do you wanna listen?"

Sour nodded.

"For starters, the lead singer of my band is really starting to tick me off with her negativity," Lemon explained. "She always has something to complain about, but she thinks she's just perfect! Tonight, for the first time, I really considered quitting. I just wish I could be in a band like Rainbow Dash, you know? They always have so much fun playing together and they're still really good. I feel great when I'm playing, but afterwards... it just feels like business."

"You wanna quit?" Sour asked.

"Not at all, but I don't want to feel like I'm unappreciated either." Lemon closed her eyes. "On top of that, Vinyl is freaking out because Octy lost a really nice necklace she got her for her birthday a few years ago. Vinyl is normally really chill all the time, so it sucks to see her so upset. I kept trying to calm her down while we looked for it and she snapped at me. Seems like there's a good chance it was stolen by the person she went home with. I dunno."

Sour lowered her eyes, suddenly feeling a little guilty. "Are you sure it isn't back at Moondancer's house?"

"Nope." Lemon shook her head. "She definitely had it when she went back home. She didn't stay the night there, and she took some... pictures of herself in her bedroom that night while wearing it."

Sour blushed and grinned. "You wouldn't happen to have those pictures, would you? You know, to examine the evidence."

Lemon stood up and laughed as she playfully shoved Sour over. "Shut it, you."

Sour giggled and shielded herself with the blanket. She closely watched as Lemon's playful smile slipped into a half smirk. "I'm sorry for being selfish. I had no idea you were dealing with so much."

"It's all good, dude." Lemon sat down on her own bed. "We'll straighten this crap out in the morning. You've got a lot to talk about with Sugarcoat, and I bet Vinyl will be more relaxed by then."

Sour nodded, then fell onto her back. "Alright. I'm ready for today to be over and done with, anyway."

"Same. At least we had a good Friday, huh?" Lemon chuckled. "Well, I did anyway."

Sour softly smiled and closed her eyes. "I did, too."

"Good." Lemon switched off her lamp. "'Night."

"Goodnight."

Knock knock knock!!!

Sour opened her eyes, squinting at the brilliant sunlight creeping through her curtains. She grabbed her phone to check the time, then noticed several missed calls from Sugarcoat.

Knock knock knock!!!

"What?!" Sour shouted as she threw the blankets off of herself, then stomped up to her dorm room door.

As she opened it, a familiar face calmed her temper. She wiped her groggy eyes and rapidly shook her head, not entirely certain she wasn't dreaming. "Sugarcoat?"

"Good morning, sweet-tart." Sugarcoat grinned with a raised eyebrow. "Get dressed and come see me in my room."

"Uhm, okay." Sour blinked several times, sleepiness still blurring her vision.

Suddenly the reality of the situation hit her and her eyes shot wide open. "Oh, okay! Gimme a sec!"

Sour darted back into her bedroom and stood in front of her sink, splashing water on her face. She quickly brushed her teeth, then eyed the bottle of foundation sitting beneath her mirror. She looked over her dark freckles, then dropped the bottle into the garbage can next to the sink.

After slipping into fresh clothes, she spotted Lemon still fast asleep. "Wake up sleepyhead!" she shouted before exiting the room.

Sour flattened her clothing as she walked through the hallway on her way to her girlfriend's room. She took several deep breaths, her mind racing as she considered everything she had to say. As she reached her door, she grabbed the handle and let herself in.

Sugarcoat stood in front of her window, wearing a white summer dress, her long icy hair loosely falling over her back and shoulders.

"You're beautiful," Sour said, shutting the door behind herself.

Sugarcoat shook her head and pushed up on her glasses. "Thank you."

Sour approached her and tentatively wrapped her arms around her back, resting her chin on her shoulder. "I'm so happy to see you."

Sugarcoat hugged her back, sighing. "I have some interesting news for you. And aside from that, there are a few things I'd like to discuss with you."

Sour stepped back and nodded. "I have some things I need to tell you, too. I'm afraid to, but... I trust you, and I want to do what's right."

Sugarcoat narrowed her eyes. "Very well. Who should begin?"

Sour gestured towards her girlfriend. "Go ahead."

"Understood." Sugarcoat sat down on her bed and crossed her legs. "First and foremost, I told my parents about you last night."

Sour recoiled, crossing her arms. "Oh? What did they say?"

"They weren't happy with me for keeping you a secret for so long, but they accept it," Sugarcoat said, then grinned. "I'll be spending my weekends here with you from now on until the end of the school year."

Sour's eyes watered over and she smiled uncontrollably. "Really?! Oh my god that's amazing!"

Sugarcoat closed her eyes and opened her arms as Sour crashed into her. "I agree. I only regret not telling them sooner."

"I'm so happy! I don't know what to say." Sour tightly hugged onto Sugarcoat, forcing her onto her back.

"Okay, okay." Sugarcoat tapped her back as she ran out of breath, then Sour backed up, blushing. "Beyond that, I've completed all of my entrance exams to the universities I was interested in, so I'll have much more free time to spend with you during the school weeks as well."

Sour shook her head, her eyes glistening. "Are you serious? You have no idea how happy you're making me right now..."

"And to top it off, my parents are willing to buy your ticket to Queenshire with us this summer, provided your mother allows it." Sugarcoat smiled knowingly, then grabbed both of Sour's hands. "I really care about you, Sour. I know you've been having a hard time coping with my distance lately, but now that I'm ahead, things can be better."

Sour nodded with teary eyes and a wobbly smile.

Sugarcoat tilted her head. "Now what was it you wished to tell me? You don't have to be afraid."

Sour stepped backwards and sat down sideways on a chair in front of a writing desk. "You're absolutely right about the... the distance being hard on me."

Sugarcoat gave a quick nod.

"I messed up." Sour covered her face. "I'm more afraid now than ever before, because things seem like they're going to be perfect, and I... I just screw up! I screwed it up..."

Sugarcoat lowered her eyebrows and stood up, gently grabbing Sour's shoulder. "What's wrong?"

"I made up with Moondancer behind your back on Friday night. That's where I was when I missed your call. Lemon orchestrated some dumb party because she wanted us to be friends again, and I fell for it," Sour explained. "I don't hate her, Sugarcoat. I actually really, really missed her. I don't know how I let things get so bad between us. I'm really sorry for lying to you."  

Sugarcoat crossed her arms and shook her head. "Really now. Maybe you've forgotten about they way she treated you, but I haven't."

"That's not all..." Sour looked up into Sugarcoat's prying eyes and cringed. "I kissed her last night."

Sugarcoat turned away, her arms stiff.

Sour stared at her, her lip quivering. She carefully examined the side of her girlfriend's face, desperately searching for a trace of what she was feeling, but she hid her emotions well.

Sugarcoat closed her eyes and removed her glasses. "Tell me why."

"I just got carried away when we were laughing and remembering all the good times we had. I was lonely and stopped thinking clearly." Sour bit her lip and covered her face again. "I pushed her away right after and ran. I called Lemon to take me back here."

Sugarcoat pressed her hand against her forehead and stared at the ceiling, her voice finally cracking. "I'm very upset about this."

Sour swallowed her tears. "I know, but I didn't want to keep it a secret."

"Thank you for your honesty." Sugarcoat sat back down and took a deep breath. "And I understand that you were feeling vulnerable; I saw it on your face every weekend before I would leave. I might not agree with your feelings, but I've realized that I need to see things from your perspective. That said, your actions last night are inexcusable!"

Sour covered her mouth and nodded. "I know."

"...but not unforgivable." Sugarcoat put her glasses back on and fiercely gazed at her partner. "I'll need time."

"I promise I'll do anything I can to make it up to you." Sour leaned forward and placed her hand on her girlfriend's knee. "I can't say it enough, but I'm so sorry."

"As you should be." Sugarcoat crossed her arms and jerked her knee away, then looked into Sour's eyes once again. The pain she felt was incredibly obvious, and Sugarcoat winced as her sense of empathy kicked in.

"Would you be interested in hearing about my thought process leading up to my recent decisions?" Sugarcoat asked.

Sour stared at her girlfriend and blinked several times. "I would."

"As I understand it, ninety-eight percent of high school relationships are doomed to fail a short time after graduation. And ninety-eight percent of those that last more than one year after graduation end in fewer than four years." Sugarcoat stared directly into Sour's eyes as she spoke, no emotion slipping into her words. "Statistically speaking, preserving our relationship is futile, but I decided that I wouldn't reduce my feelings for you to simple numbers. Whether or not our relationship will last depends on the people we become once we've fully matured."

Sour sat speechless, nervously squeezing the bottom of her shirt.

"If our relationship stands any chance, then I must do all I can to preserve it. This is why I told my parents about you, and why I want you to come with me to Queenshire this summer," Sugarcoat explained. "Do you understand?"

Sour wiped her tears and shook her head. "I'm not sure."

Sugarcoat stood up and smiled, then walked up to her girlfriend, placing both hands on her shoulders. "You can come with me to GCU, Sour. We can live there together. I know you have the ability to pass the entrance exam, and I'll be happy to help you study for it."

Sour's eyes lit up and she fidgeted in her seat. "So... you're not mad at me?"

"I'm furious." Sugarcoat narrowed her eyes. "But I quickly decided that yelling at you and insisting you leave was not the best course of action to take, though it was my initial reaction. It would help me if I had more information. Please describe what happened between you and Moondancer this weekend."

Sour winced and nodded. "I can do that... So like I said, Lemon and her girlfriend ended up having a party at Moondancer's house. She talked me into going even though I didn't want to, and, well, long story short, Moondancer and I made up after talking about some of the things that happened when we were kids. Like this scar on my elbow."

"That's all it took after two years of being at each other's throats?" Sugarcoat asked.

"I honestly did not believe that I'd ever be able to be her friend again. I'm just as surprised as you are. If you talk to her, I bet you'll feel the same way I did." Sour offered a soft smile. "She told me she misses you, too. I know she doesn't want to get in the way of our relationship either. When I told her about you going to GCU, she offered to help my study for the entrance exam too so I could go with you."

"I suppose you expect me to kiss and make up the same way you did, then?" Sugarcoat glared.

Sour squeezed her elbow and glanced away.

Sugarcoat dropped her head sighed. "I'm sorry. I'm still angry with you, alright? Please go on."

"There's really not much more to it," Sour said. "We just got to talking and agreed that we should have made up a long time ago. I was actually kind of excited to tell you about it and I hoped all three of us could be friends again, like before. Then we kissed and ruined everything."

Sugarcoat's eye twitched. "Fine. Get Moondancer here and the three of us will figure this out right now."

"Wait, are you sure?" Sour asked, not hiding the worry in her voice. "I haven't even talked to her since... last night."

"That's fine." Sugarcoat tapped her wrist. "Get her over here now."

Sour looked through her phone, then found Moondancer's newly added number. She quickly typed out a text message and sent it without hesitation. How soon can you get here? Sugarcoat wants to talk to us and work things out.

Sour crossed her legs and awkwardly tapped on her knee in the silent room while Sugarcoat's piercing eyes remained locked on her. She flinched when her phone vibrated, then she read the message aloud. "I'm in the library right now. Give me a few minutes."

"Perfect," Sugarcoat said as she cracked her knuckles.

Sour shuddered. "Are you sure this is alright? I feel like... I don't know. This seems wrong to me."

"I'm certain that this is the best course of action based on the information you've given me. The sooner we eliminate these uncertainties, the sooner we can move past them." Sugarcoat gave a quick nod before adjusting her glasses. "Don't you agree?"

Sour chewed on her tongue and shrugged with one shoulder. "I guess so."

A tap at the door caught their attention. "That was quick. Come in," Sugarcoat called out.

Moondancer pushed the door open and quietly walked in, her arms behind her back. "Hello, Sour. Hi... Sugarcoat."

Sugarcoat stood up and held out her hand. "I've been told that you and Sour Sweet worked out your problems."

Moondancer stepped forward and stood behind Sour. "That's true."

"And you wanted to do the same with me?" Sugarcoat asked, her voice suddenly softer.

Moondancer nodded. "Also true."

"Kissing my girlfriend isn't a good way to do that." Sugarcoat leered across the room. "What were you thinking?"

Moondancer recoiled. "I don't know what happened, alright? I'm sorry..."

Sour hid her face behind her hands and looked down. "Please don't start fighting."

Sugarcoat flicked her wrist and turned her head. "It's alright. I'm allowed to be a little angry, aren't I?"

"You are," Moondancer leaned her elbows against the dresser behind her and crossed her legs. "Where do we go from here?"

"Do you have feelings for Sour?" Sugarcoat asked, her eyes shifting to Moondancer's.

Moondancer remained quiet. She glanced to Sour, then back to Sugarcoat. Finally, she shook her head and lifted her hands. "No. I used to, but after that kiss, I realized that those feelings are dead. I just want to be her friend. Nothing more."

Sugarcoat carefully watched Moondancer's entire body as she spoke, and she paid special attention to her eyes. "Are you sure about that?"

Moondancer looked the girl in the eye and nodded. "Absolutely."

Sour glanced up with hopeful eyes, then smiled as she watched Sugarcoat soften her gaze.

"Fine," Sugarcoat muttered. "Never let this happen again. Now please leave Sour and me alone for the time being. You and I can talk more later. I won't hold any grudges against you."

"That's fair. I'll see you around, Sour." Moondancer turned around and headed back into the hallway, glancing back over her shoulder before shutting the door. "You're a lucky girl, Sugarcoat."

Sugarcoat huffed and fell down onto her bed. "This is not the pleasant Sunday I had hoped for."

"I'm sorry. It's my fault." Sour joined her on the bed and cuddled up next to her. "This should be the happiest day ever. I'm such an idiot."

Sugarcoat sighed and wrapped her arm around Sour's back. "You're not mistaken."

"I don't know know why I do the things I do or feel the way I feel sometimes, but when I'm with you..." Sour kissed her girlfriend's cheek, then nuzzled her neck. "Everything feels right. You make me so happy, Sugarcoat."

Sugarcoat stared at the ceiling as she stroked Sour's hair. "You're making it difficult to stay angry with you."

Sour smiled, her finger tracing Sugarcoat's collar bone, then gently tugging at the top of her dress. "I love you," she chirped.

Sugarcoat removed her glasses and placed them on the nightstand. "Go ahead and prove it."

Moondancer reclaimed her seat at the library desk. She flipped open her notebook and scribbled out Sour Sweet's name drawn inside of a heart. "Stupid..."

She slammed the book shut and tucked it into her bag.