I sat in the isolated booth, tapping my hooves lightly on the table. Concerto sat across from me, his cider bubbling.

“Come now, Octavia, I would expect some conversation from a pony such as yourself.”

“There’s not much to say,” I lied. I had done an awful lot of lying lately. It was such a bad habit. “I’m simply a young mare hoping to be the best cello player I can be,”

“You’re already the best cello player in all of Equestria,” Concerto said kindly.

“Thank you,” I nodded. “Your violin playing is very beautiful,”

“So I’ve been told,” neither of us said a word after that. Our food arrived shortly before the silence could officially be considered ‘awkward’.

“This restaurant is said to have the best daisy salad in all of Canterlot,” I noted. Concerto eyed my salad and smiled, but said nothing. We ate in silence, but something felt wrong. Concerto was not eating. Instead, he kept his eyes locked on me.

“How is Symphony?” I asked. My voice cracked. I didn’t like the way Concerto was staring.

“She’s fine; she thinks I’m spending some time with Harpo tonight,”

“I thought we were only here as friends,”

“We are, but Symphony would never allow me going to dinner with a mare by myself, especially not a mare as beautiful as you.” My face got hot at the compliment. Part of me told me to run as fast as I could, quit orchestra, and leave the Academy. The rest of me said I was overreacting.

“Perhaps we should leave,” I suggested. I would feel safer out in public. Concerto left more than enough bits on the table and we left the restaurant.

The night wind bit at my face and I instantly regretted not taking a scarf when I left the Academy. I walked alongside Concerto in silence, glancing at him when I dared. His eyes never left me, and I suddenly remembered where I had seen the look in his eyes before.

~XoXo~

“He’s staring at you,”

“Bon Bon, no he is not.”

“Octavia, I’m telling you. That stallion is staring at you. A college stallion is staring at you.” The mare gushed. I rolled my eyes.

“I’ll look, but he’s not staring at me,”

“You’re right, he’s not staring. He’s coming over here.”

“What?” I spun my head and sure enough, the college aged stallion was approaching me.

“Hello ladies,” his accent screamed Cloudsdale and Ponyville, and sure enough, the wings on his back stretched out in an annoying flirtatious way. “The name’s Thunderlane,”

“I’m Bon Bon, and this is Octavia!”

“Bon Bon, be quiet!” I hissed. Thunderlane looked at me, his eyes glinting.

“Hey, Bonnie, mind if I talk to your friend alone?” Bon Bon winked at me before trotting off to the benches.

“Can I help you?” I asked. The stallion was handsome. His black pelt shone and his blue mane swayed in the wind. It didn’t hurt that he wasn’t a simple Earth Pony like I was.

“You’re kinda pretty for a High School mare,” Thunderlane smiled.

“I’ll have you know that I am a senior,” I saw the gleam in his eyes again.

“I’m a freshpony in flight school up in Cloudsdale. It’s a pretty big campus, but not a single mare there is as good looking as you,”

“I’m not interested,” I turned to leave, but Thunderlane was in front of me with one flap of his wings.

“I wasn’t asking,” he said harshly. “You’re coming with me.” He pushed against me, forcing me backwards. I screamed.

~XoXo~

“Octavia, are you alright?” Concerto’s voice broke my thoughts. I backed away in fear.

“Get away from me!” I cried. The gleam in his eyes was gone, but I was still terrified.

“Octavia, please, calm yourself. We can go to my apartment. I refuse to live on campus, but the apartment is nice,”

“No, I do not want to go to your apartment. I want to go back to my dorm at the Academy and I don’t want to ever come into contact with you again. Now please leave me alone so I can go back to the Academy.”

“Octavia,” Concerto’s voice was scratchy. I cocked my head to one side. Concerto had a very elegant voice, and I had never heard him speak with such a raspy tone.

“I want to go home,” I repeated.

“Octavia,” his voice was urgent, and it was lowering to a harsh whisper. I was preparing myself to slam my hoof into his nose as he started inching towards me. I didn’t want him near me, and he leaned closer, whispering my name with each inch closer.

“Stop it! I’m warning you,” my voice shook and I readied my hoof. “Stay back,”

“Oh for the love of Celestia, Octy, are you honestly going to hit me?” I stared at Concerto in confusion.

“Did you just call me Octy?” I asked.

“Uh, yeah, that’s your nickname, remember?”

“But that’s what Vinyl calls me,”

“Well duh,” Concerto’s voice was suddenly feminine, and he gave a slight giggle. “You need to wake up, Octavia. You’re still half asleep!” My eyes fluttered and I found myself staring into Vinyl’s eyes. For the first time, I was looking directly at them. There were no glasses, flashing club lights, or angry mothers to distract me from their true color. Pure magenta stared back at me and I found myself lost for words.

“What day is it?” I asked when I regained the power of speech. Vinyl stared at me quizzically.

“It’s Thursday night. You got back about three hours ago and pretty much passed out from rehearsing so much. Just because the concert is tomorrow doesn’t mean you have to overwork yourself. Now you’re getting nightmares.”

“It’s only Thursday?” I asked in shock. “But I thought…I mean I assumed…” I tried to remember what had happened before I got back to my dorm. I remembered talking to Concerto…that was just a dream.

“How long have I been asleep?”

“I told you, about three hours. Are you alright, Octy? You’ve been doing a lot of screaming.”

“I was having a nightmare, but I’m alright now.” I sighed and shook my head. I needed to get over Concerto. Just because Thunderlane had tried to hurt me last year did not mean that Concerto would do the same. I could have misread the look in his eyes the other day. I had to believe that he truly wanted to spend an evening as nothing more than friends.

“You know what you need?” Vinyl grinned. “A day off,”

“I can’t take a day off. That would be wrong.” I protested.

“No, you need the relaxation. Tomorrow, you aren’t going to classes. Instead, we’re going to a club.”

“Which club would be open all day to two college mares?”

“Easy,” Vinyl gave me a look. “Club Canterlot,”

“You need to have an invitation to get into Club Canterlot,” I reminded her. I had been there once, in the summer between high school and the Academy, because my mother had been invited. She refused to go, and I wanted the experience.

“Trust me, we’ll be fine.” Vinyl assured me.

“Unless you can forge the handwriting of the Club’s owner, I don’t think we’ll be fine.”

“I don’t need to forge his handwriting, silly filly. Haven’t I told you yet? My dad owns the place!”

“He…you…your father is…I should have realized! Record Scratch is your father!”

“Yeah, I’ve got a pretty cool dad. So, still think we can’t get into the club tomorrow?” I threw myself around Vinyl, wrapping her in a hug. I did need the break, and here was a perfect excuse right in front of me.

“Vinyl, you’re the best friend anypony could ask for,” I said cheerfully.

“I know, Octy. I know.”

~XoXo~

Sorry for the long wait everypony! I’ve just been busy with school and such.