I sigh in content as I slip into my bed for the night.  The events of the last two weeks unfold in my dreams.  Even after all this time, and even after Vinyl has told me the story of how she obtained my mother's cello, I'm still in disbelief.  It's unbelievable.  Either it was pure, genuine luck, or the gods were on her side.  Apparently, she went to the courthouse and found my case, then she, herself, paid my debts for me!  Unbelievable!  I still can't believe she actually did that for me.  I can't thank her enough for what she has done for me.  She truly is the best friend I've ever had.

I pull the covers over my body and allow the warm sheets to envelop me in their blissful comfort as I watch some television.  The weeks were long, with me playing my cello nonstop, but I would be lying if I said they weren't the best weeks of my life since my downfall.

I press a button on the remote to change the channel.  Coincidentally, I happen to change to a documentary...of me.  Funny, I thought I was completely forgotten, but apparently some ponies still have respect to portray a documentary of me on television.  It starts off with my early life, my career, then eventually got to my downfall.

I shiver, the memories of my downfall still haunt my dreams to this day.  It was unbelievable at first; how I lost all my life savings in such a short amount of time.  You would think that impossible, considering I was a very successful musician.  But no, I did lose everything, and the story about it is horrifying.  It started off with less and less demand for my talent.  My expenses quickly caught up to me after a while.  I could have lasted a year and a half still living in the mansion with the money I had, and if I sold the mansion I would still be living in a middle class house to this day with a lot left over.  But one day I was summoned for a court hearing about a copyright issue over one of my songs.  I lost the case, and was sued for a lot of bits.  That jackass of a manager never even had my side!  And that lawyer!  Was he fresh out of law school that graduated with the lowest possible scores?  I could have done better without him!  

With the ridiculous amount of bits I was sued for, I couldn't pay off the debts.  They took my house and my possessions, including my cello.  That's when I bought a run down apartment.  I had enough for a few months, or until I can find a job, but barely any came to me.  That's when my landlord screwed me over, then Vinyl came into the picture.

Vinyl.  At least now I can sleep in a warm bed, eat full course meals, and finally be at ease in a comfortable home because of that mare.  I know I apologized to her a hundred times before for being such a brat, but I still must do something to show her how grateful I am.  Something that she will treasure for the rest of her life.

My ears perk up as I hear a faint voice followed by a hoof lightly nudging me.  "Tavi?  You awake?"  Her voice sounds like a scared little foal calling for her mother after having a nightmare.

I turn to face Vinyl.  I'm surprised; her glasses are off for the first time!  Dammit!  It's too dark for me to see the color!  I reach for the bedside lamp and turn it on.  Once the light illuminates the room, Vinyl shuts her eyes tight and shields them.  So close.

"Turn the light off, it's too bright."

I inwardly grunt, but obey.  "What are you doing here?  Is something wrong Vinyl?"

Her silhouetted head nodded slowly.

"Did you have a nightmare?"  I inquired.

She shook her head left to right.

"So what's wrong?"

Vinyl sat on the bed and fiddled with her hooves, not saying a word.  A few seconds of empty silence passed.  "Vinyl,"  I said, "Please tell me, what is wrong?"

She leaned in close to whisper in my ear.  "I...I saw a spider in my room..."

A spider?  That's it?  I know of her fear for spiders, but she could have just magic blasted it or something!  I heavily sigh,  "Here, I'll help you kill it."  I am about to stand up when I felt her hooves wrap around me.

"No, Tavi!  Do NOT go in there!  It's really big.  REALLY big...and scary."  She fiddled with her hooves for a few seconds again.  "Can I just...um...stay here...with you...for the night?"  If the light was better, I swear she's giving me puppy dog eyes.

I look to the bed and start to think.  This is very peculiar.  Vinyl saw a 'giant spider' in her room, and is asking to stay with me for the night.  Odd.  "Why can't you just sleep on the couch?"  I ask.

"It's...uh...not very comfortable..."

I groan, "Fine Vinyl."  I said after slipping back under the covers and resting my head on the pillow, "Just keep to your side of the bed."

"Ok."

I hear her ruffle around under the sheets for a few seconds before finding a comfortable position.  What is going on with her all of a sudden?  She's just so vulnerable as oppose to her usual care free down to earth attitude.  It's like she's seen a ghost.  Do spiders really frighten her that much?  We all have our fears, but this seems a little too over the top to me.  Even when I saw that bastardly vermin that Vinyl disposed of on the second day of me being here, I didn't act like she's doing now.  All vulnerable and helpless.

Well, the obvious reason there would be I'm just a tougher pony.

I curl into a tighter ball to preserve heat.  Sharing a bed with another pony, more specifically Vinyl, isn't particularly something I'm thrilled about, but I usually do good with ignoring things.  Besides, by tomorrow one of us will wake up before the other, leave the room and forget this ever happened.  If not, I have methods to make sure that that will go according to plan.

(\/);,;(\/)

"Never...EVER...speak of this AGAIN!"

These are my methods.

Vinyl cowers beneath my rage as I lash out at her.  She starts shaking in fear and apologizing over and over again.  I try to completely ignore her while attempting to fix myself some breakfast.  

"Tavi, please, I'm sorry!  I was asleep!  I didn't know what I was doing!"

"Did I not just say to not speak about it?!"

"I'm sorry!"

"Vinyl,  enough.  Just forget it ever happened."  Even as I said the words I still can't force them out of my mind.  It is horrid and awkward beyond anything else.  I feel violated and as if I had been taken advantage of.  Sharing a bed with her is one thing, but waking up to her arms latched around my torso and our muzzles nearly centimeters apart is just an indescribable amount of awkward.

And when things get awkward, I usually get mad to push the feeling of 'awkward' away.  Anger is better to deal with than awkward.

I saw her lower her head and slump on the floor, visually trying to hold back tears.  Great, she can take so much verbal lashing from me on a daily basis, but falls apart over this?  Gah, enough thinking like that!  Vinyl is my friend now.  A brash, disgusting, annoying, headstrong, dimwitted friend, but a friend nonetheless.  I go over, sit next to her and place my arm around her shoulder.  "Vinyl, I'm not mad at you.  I'm just...a little disturbed is all.  It wasn't your fault really and I apologize for yelling at you."

Vinyl says nothing as she nods and makes way for her room.  I go back into the kitchen to prepare some breakfast for the two of us.  My treasonous mind, however, kept wandering to when we woke up.  Curse you thoughts, I will have your heads for this!  I try effortlessly to forget about it, but the images still invade my inner sanctum.  I shiver as the thoughts of Vinyl and I cuddling came back to me.  

I shake my head.  Enough of this!  I need to preoccupy my brain by thinking of something else.  Ah, here's one! I've been here for months and don't even know Vinyl's eye color!  I swear it's like she has no eyes and has to use those glasses to cover up two gaping holes in her head.  I need to find a way to get those bloody things off her and see what her eyes look like.  The anticipation has been killing me!  I've asked her to take to them off for so long but she always weaves away from the subject!  I just don't get it.

Only a few seconds before Vinyl went to her room I hear a shriek.  Another second had passed as a white blur whips through the living room, knocks over an end table, only to stop and latch onto my leg, shaking in fear.  Vinyl clutches onto me for dear life as if she is hanging off a ledge and my leg is the only support available.

I pat her head.  "What's wrong now, Vinyl?"

She points a shaking hoof to the direction of her room.  "T-the spider's s-still there!"

I roll my eyes.  "Alright then, I'll kill it."  I look around for the nearest object to smash a spider with and found a pile of newspapers and magazines that Vinyl scattered on the tile when she rushed towards me.  I pick up one of the magazines and roll it up.  "Let's go."  I say in an annoyed tone.

I've never actually been in Vinyl's room, and with good reason.  The first thing I notice is the plethora of posters taped all over the walls.  All of them are of what looks like album covers of bands that I have never heard of nor care for.  On her bed she had a music player and headphones as well as more magazines.  In the corner was one of those bean plush chair things that just sat on the floor.  On top of all that, each piece of furniture as well as the floor has some article of clothing on it.  All in all, it looks like a typical teenagers room.

"Where is the spider, Vinyl?"  I ask.

"Bed."  She meekly states.

I trot to the bed and look over it.  Almighty Celestia, have mercy on my pitiful soul.  That thing, sitting on the pillow, is NOT a spider!  Sure it has eight legs, but it is almost the size of the pillow itself!  Its eyes are the size of marbles; eight of them just staring through your soul.  The legs are about a yard long!  And those fangs...Great Faust.  Now I understand why Vinyl is so frightened.  That thing could have eaten her alive!

I move as slowly as I can, fearing it would jump at me.  I lean in to whisper to Vinyl while still looking at the eight legged abomination.  "Vinyl, listen to me very carefully.  I want you to get out of here and call an exterminator."

"But what about you?"  She whispered back.

"I'll be fine, just...go...now."

"I'm not leaving you here with that thing, Tavi!"

I turn to her.  "Just go!"

Vinyl doesn't obey, instead she quickly fires up her magic and shoots a laser at the creature.  It dodges the beam and jumps to the wall behind the bed.  We both screamed our lungs off and run out of the room.  We didn't stop running and screaming until we pick up the phone in the kitchen.  Vinyl tries to frantically dial the numbers while I catch my breath.  

"Hello, exterminator?!"  Vinyl says into the phone.  "Yeah, we got a huge problem.  There's this spider in my room, but it's like not a spider, it's like...I don't know what it is!  The damn thing is the size of my TV!  It could have eaten me alive in the middle of the night!  Yes, please.  Really?  When?!  Ok.  Ok.  Yes, thank you so much!"  She hangs up the phone and turns to me.  "They're sending a guy down, he'll be here in twenty minutes."

I sigh in relief.  "What in the name of Hades was that thing?"  I asked.

Vinyl shakes her head, "I don't know!  It's probably some kind of mutant spider that crawled into some nuclear waste and gained super powers or something."

"Crawled into?  More like a...like a demon and a tarantula mated on top of a pile of nuclear waste!"

"Or - stay with me here - or an alien demon from a black hole found a spider rolling in a pile of nuclear waste and thought 'You know what?  I can put my dick in that.' and out came Alien Super-Uranium King of the Demon Spiders Arachnianis Legs-a-lot III jr."

I only stare at her for a mere moment before bursting out with laughter.  "Super - Ahahah - Demon Spider King - Aahahaha - Legs-a-lot - ahahaha - The third?  Junior?  Ohhhhhh goodness Vinyl you really are something else."  I take deep breaths to calm myself.  I soon notice I still hold that rolled up magazine in my hoof and put it on the table.  The cover is now revealed.  I have no care for gossipy magazines and whatnot, but the title caught my eye.  "Vinyl Scratch's secret lover?"  I read out loud, not without a suggestive tone and a smirk mind you.

"Wait let me see that!"  Vinyl said, looking over my shoulder.  

I slap the article shut and hold it away from her.  She tries to reach over me to grab it, but my forelegs are longer than hers.  I turn my back to her and flip the pages.

This is not what I was expecting.

I re-read the article and examined the picture at least three times.  Yes, it is there in black and white.  The more I stare at it, the more I can feel my face heat up in a mixture of embarrassment and anger.  Apparently somepony wrote an article in a tabloid on how I am Vinyl's 'secret lover.'!  It even has a picture of me kissing her on the cheek when she gave me my cello!  That was a friendly gesture not romantic!  My family did that all the time to their friends!  It's just a custom!  A tradition!  A...a thing we do!

My blood boils in rage as I crumple the magazine and throw it on the counter.  "How dare they make a mockery of my already run down name!  And how dare they recognize a kiss on the cheek as a romantic gesture!  My family did that to their friends all the time!  Do they not know of tradition?  foreign customs?  Uncultured heathens!"

Vinyl is speechless.  She stares at the tabloid for a few minutes with a blank expression.  Every second, her blush deepened.  She finally turns to me after what seemed like an eternity.  "Tavi?"  She says calmly.  "Hand me the phone, I'll deal with this."  I take the phone out of the charger and hand it to her.  She quickly dials a number and holds it to her ear.  "Hello, may I speak with Mr. Wave please?  It's me, Vinyl."  There is a short pause.  "Yeah, hey Sound Wave?  We gotta talk about something."

I am able to hear the pony on the other end, for his voice is rather loud.  

"What's the prob Vinyl baby?"

"So ummm, yea I got this magazine here in front of me aaaaaaaand I'm not too thrilled."

"Why?  What's the dealio?"

Her anger finally spills.  "The magazine says I'm involved with Octavia Harmonious!"

"Oh yeah that!  First I'd like to say, congratulations!  I have to say I'm a little jealous.  How'd you get a mare like Octavia to get with you?!  She seems waaaaaaaay out of your league."

"Mr. Wave!  We are not together!"

"Really?  Cause it looks like it here.  I don't see a lot of ponies that kiss each other that aren't a couple..."

Vinyl's blush intensified.  "What?  No!  That was a friendly gesture!  Octavia's old fashioned ya know?  It's like a custom or something...wait aren't you Itailian?  You should know!"

"Yea yea I know, I am, and I do...haha.  So anyway, what do you want me to do about it?"

"Oh I don't know.  Maybe...TELL THE MEDIA THAT THIS STORY IS A LIE!"

"I would advise to do exactly the opposite of that."

"What? Why?"

"Listen, Scratchie.  Do you know how much of a benefit this is for you?  All this time the media has been trying to figure out your sexuality.  Let's face it, you're brash, and tomcoltish.  Most of the lesbian community didn't like you because of the image you give off.  Ya know, acting like a fillyfooler but not being one?  A lot of them were offended.  But now, since they know you are, in fact, a fillyfooler, the lesbian community will be on your side and your popularity will increase!"

Vinyl groaned.  "What the - why would they be offended over...and how would that even...?" she sighs, "nevermind.  Just straighten this out, alright?"

"Heh...straighten."

"Wave!"

"Alright alright!  Anyway, are you a fillyfooler?"

Vinyl stays silent for an uncomfortable amount of time.  Her face was now completely scarlet from blushing.  "No comment."

"I'll take that as a yes."

"Sound Wave!"

"Scratchie, baby, I don't care if you're a carpet muncher.  If it get's us more money, then we're good!"

Vinyl facehoofs.  "Could you at least tell the media that me and Tavi are not together?"

"Tavi?  Are you sure you're not together?  I mean, it's a pretty cute petname."

"YES I AM SURE!"

"Whoa whoa easy there hot shot.  Fine, I'll make you a deal.  I'll tell the media you two are just 'friends' if you agree to come out publicly."

"No!  I'm not going to do that!"

"Why not?  Like I said, it would do you better if you would admit it."

"There's nothing to admit!"

"Riiiiiiiiiight.

Vinyl sighs.  "Fine."  Her voice becomes very quiet.

"Alrighty then, we're in business!  Now, don't be embarrassed.  I've worked with many other clients that were fillyfoolers.  Most of them went down in history!"

Vinyl waits for a long moment to respond, "Yeah...ok."

"I promise once I get off the phone with you I'll call the media."

Vinyl sighs again, "Thank you."  Then hangs up the phone.  She lays down on the couch and stares at the ceiling.  "My manager's gonna take the story down, Tavi.  Don't worry about it anymore."

The entire time Vinyl has been on the phone, I was in complete shock.  I heard the entire conversation between her and her manager, and I think Vinyl thinks I didn't hear it!  And apparently, Vinyl just admitted she is a fillyfooler, again without me knowing I heard.  I don't know what to do or say anymore.  I don't even know what to feel right now!  I just slept in the same bed as her, and woke up to her cuddling with me!  I'm not even sure that was involuntary anymore!  

Does Vinyl...have feelings for me?  No. That can't be true.  It can't.  She just told her manager, or practically yelled at him, that we weren't together and demanded to take the story down.  I would suppose she would have done something different if she is in love with me.  But maybe she was just shy and wanted to wait?  She has been very affectionate lately.  Always hugging me, and putting her arm over my shoulder...Oh dear Celestia.

What if she does have feelings for me?  What am I going to do?  It's going to be so awkward!  I mean, we live together, and she's in love with me.  What's going to happen if I turn her down?  What if--

My thoughts are interrupted by a knock on the door.  Vinyl goes over to answer it.  She first looks through the peep hole and gasps in joy.  "The exterminator!"  She exclaims.  "He's here!"  Vinyl opens the door and a skinny pale coated stallion is revealed.  He wears an orange outfit and has a tank of green liquid strapped to his back.  "Thank Celestia you're finally here!"

"No problem, ma'm.  Now where is this here big ol' spider you were talking 'bout?"

"In my room.  Down that hall on the left."

The stallion slaps the nozzle of his device saying, "Come to papa ya big ol bug." before heading to the room.

Vinyl slowly follows him to watch the spider be disposed of while I went to my room to think about all of this.  I still can't believe that my only true friend could quite possibly have romantic feelings for me.  How could this have happened?!  What did I do?  I wasn't leading her on now was I?  Oh what if I was and I wasn't even knowing it but she thinks that I know it?!  What if she thinks that I'm playing hard to get or something?!  

I know I've asked myself this a lot already, but seriously what am I going to do?  If I reject her, things are going to be awkward between us for who knows how long!  Our friendship won't be the same anymore and we might slowly drift apart until we never talk to each other again!  I don't want that to happen, I like Vinyl I really do!  She's an amazing friend, even though at first I thought she was a bint.  But now I see how good of a friend she is!

Gah!  Alright let's just calm down and reassess the situation.  What do I know?  First, Vinyl admitted that she is a fillyfooler.  This is a fact.  Second, I, being another mare, have lived with her for a little bit, and she's also quite affectionate towards me.  This is also a fact.  There could be a possibility that Vinyl has a crush on me, but this is all speculation.

Now, what can I do?  I have three options: Reject, ignore, or accept.  Rejecting is, so far, on the top of my list.  I can let her down gently and we could still stay close friends, hopefully.  This is assuming that she does have a crush on me and that she will confront me about it.  If I do reject her, I will try my damned hardest not to lose her as a friend.

Second, I can ignore it.  I can pretend that I never heard the conversation and trick myself into believing so.  I can let it all slide off my back and live in ignorance.  I've done this before for different reasons, and I usually like it the best.  Ignorance is bliss.

And third, I can...return the feelings.  Can I even do that?  No, I couldn't.  I'm not a fillyfooler, and I don't like Vinyl that way.  She's an amazing friend.  She has helped me in my darkest hours and practically saved me from a life on the streets.  Ever since then she's done nothing but care for me as if we've been...together...for a while.  Ugh.  

Alright, let's say that she did confront me with these feelings.  IF and this is a purely hypothetical situation, IF I were to consider it, how would I go about it?  Should I try viewing Vinyl in a different perspective?  She is rather...cute...to say the least.  I love how her mane looks after a shower.  The way she giggles reminds me of an innocent schoolfilly.  The way she came to me last night shows that she has a vulnerable side.

So yes, I can admit Vinyl is an admirable and attractive mare, but that doesn't mean I have to be attracted to her."

I'm not in love with Vinyl.  She is my best and only true friend.  I can't ruin something like that by attempting a relationship!  I'm not even sure if I can attempt to attempt a relationship...if that makes sense.  I've only ever been in one other before!  And that one wasn't even real!

My room is then filled with rapping from the door.  "Tavi you in there?"  A certain mare calls out.

I take a deep breath.  It's even starting to get hard to talk to her now!  "Yes...I'm, I'm here."

Her tone shifted to one of concern, "You ok?  You sound...kinda down."

I stuffed my face into the pillow, "I'm fine, really.  Just...tired."

"Can I come in?"

Oh Celestia.  Calm down Octavia, just pretend you never overheard the conversation.  Like I said before, she probably doesn't even know you overheard the conversation!  "Sure."

The knob turns and the click of the door opening echoed through the small room, as well as the squeaking hinges, and the feeling of a weight on the side of the bed.  Vinyl sits on my right while I have my head stuffed into the pillow, avoiding eye contact.

"Are you sure you're ok?"  She asked.

"Yes, Vinyl, I'm fine."  I said, sitting up in bed and still not trying to make eye contact.  "I'm just tired."

"Well the exterminator got rid of the spider-thing."  She shivered.  "But he also found a...nest in the attic.  We need to get out of the house for a few hours for him to bomb the place."

Get out of the house?  With Vinyl?  For a few hours?  "What are we going to do?"

She places her arm around my shoulders.  I shudder.  "I don't know, stuff!  We can go to the movies, or the arcade!  Or...um...something else..."  She sheepishly giggles.

Why do I have the strange feeling she's asking me out on a date?  I'm sure she doesn't even know that I know she has feelings for me!  Yet I still feel all tingly inside and these weird feelings keep assaulting my body.  Even now, just sitting next to her, makes me feel weird.  Or maybe that's just my stomach.  "How about we go for lunch?"  I suggest.

Her ears perked up and a smile spread across her face.  "Yeah sure!  I could go for some food now.  I know this awesome bar and grill close by!"

I raise my brow.  "A bar, Vinyl?  It's almost noon and you want to drink..."

She scoffs and looks at me like I offended her.  "Filly, please.  Did I not tell you a couple weeks ago that I don't drink?  And also, it's a bar and grill which means they serve food there too Miss Fancy Flank."  She grabs my hoof in hers and drags me out of the room.  "Come on let's go!"

As she held my hoof, that feeling once again fills my veins.  I can't tell what it is, or if I like it or despise it.  It makes me shudder and wince, but at the same time makes me feel a bit calm.  This isn't a date.  It's just two friends getting some lunch, then going off to who knows where.  Maybe while we're out I could subtly get some information out of Vinyl.  Maybe see if it is me she's in love with.

Dear Celestia almighty I hope not.