Pounding club music deafened me as Vinyl nudged the doors open with her flank.

“Proof of invitation please,” the stallion at the door said in a low voice.

“The name’s Vinyl Scratch.” Vinyl beamed. “I think you know my dad,”

“Mr. Record Scratch never mentioned a daughter, but you look just like him. This one…”

“She’s my best friend.” Vinyl grabbed me in a hug and I smiled sheepishly. The stallion glanced at me and I shrunk back into Vinyl. A nod of the stallion’s head and Vinyl was pulling me into the crowd. The music was louder and I could hear my friend scoff.

“They have a newbie on the DJ kiosk!” She cried, pointing a hoof at the DJ stand. “This isn’t cool!”

“Well, Vinyl, not everypony goes to school.” I replied. “The DJ might just need a job to get the money,”

“Speaking of school,” A raspy voice said behind them. “Shouldn’t you mares be there now?” I turned my head and found myself staring into the bright red eyes of a white unicorn stallion. His mane was wild and electric blue. The cutie mark on his flank was a record disk.

“Mr. Record Scratch!” I cried. “How lovely to see you again!” When he looked confused, I straightened my posture. “Octavia Philharmonica…I played here about a year or two ago, when I was just starting out,”

“Octavia, that’s it! I knew I’d seen you somewhere before.” Record Scratch turned his red eyes to Vinyl. “You have some explaining to do. I know I didn’t work my flank off getting you into that school so you could come down to the club when you should be in class.”

“I do go to class!” Vinyl protested. “Octy here just needed a break, so I brought her down. Though now I see I should’ve taken her somewhere else. The DJ here sucks!”

“She’s not that bad,” I commented, though I knew nothing of DJs.

“She came in from Ponyville,” Record Scratch glanced up at the mare. “She’s called ‘Pinkie’, and she said she loved a good party, so I hired her for the day. My original DJ is with his wife today. That isn’t the point, Vinyl. Why are you here?”

“I told you!” Vinyl shook her head. “Octy needed a break,”

“Who’s Octy?” Vinyl wrapped me in another hug and I pushed her off. It was one thing to receive a hug in front of a pushy stallion, but Record Scratch was on a whole new level.

“Octavia’s your marefriend?” Record Scratch asked in surprise. I felt my face grow hot.

“No, sir, you don’t understand,” I started, but Vinyl cut me off.

“Nah, Octy’s just a friend. She’s too classy for me, but with a little luck I could bring her to adore the Vinyl Charm,” Vinyl lowered her glasses and shot me a wink. I opened my mouth to respond, but Record Scratch’s low laugh stopped me.

“If you say so,” Vinyl’s father turned his attention to me. “Keep an eye on my daughter. She’s a full grown mare with the heart of a filly,” I glanced at Vinyl, who was currently trying to use magic to sabotage the DJ, and nodded in agreement.

“Oh my gosh, Octy! It’s my best friend from forever ago!” Vinyl suddenly whisked me away to the bar. While I tried to get my head on straight, Vinyl began talking to a light grey Pegasus with a wild dirty blonde mane.

“Octy, this is Twisted Feather! She’s a writer from Cloudsdale,” The Pegasus gave me a nod and sloshed half her current drink over me in the process.

“She’s very…” I tried to think of the least offensive way to describe the mare that had just ruined my neatly washed pelt.

“She’s amazing!” Vinyl beamed.

“Nice ta meet cha!” Twisted Feather slurred. “Got some writer’s block…ya know how it…hic! Goes, right?” The Pegasus downed what remained of her drink.

“Um…yes, I suppose so.” My eyes darted around the club and I found refuge. “Pardon me,” I excused myself from the bar and began making my way to the toilets, dodging sweaty bodies as best I could. I slammed into a strong stallion and prepared to excuse myself when the stallion turned to face me.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t…Octavia, right?” The stallion smiled and looked up at his friends. “Cloudchaser, Flitter, meet me on the dance floor in twenty minutes. I have some catching up to do,”

“Leave me alone,” I said strongly. My hooves shook beneath me, but I had to remain strong. This stallion had almost done terrible things to me once before, and I was not about to let that happen again.

“Come on, Octavia, I’m not a bad guy,” Thunderlane’s voice came in a whisper, and his eyes glinted in the club lights.

“Tell that to security,” I made to run and find a guard-pony, but Thunderlane stuck a wing out.

“I’ve changed,” he smirked. I didn’t believe a word of it. I heard he had transferred to a new university, but I knew he couldn’t have changed in just a year.

“Thunderlane, I would like to enter the little filly’s room. If you would please retract your wing and let me pass, there will be no need for me to inform security.” I said reasonably. Thunderlane looked at me and chuckled.

“You think I’m letting you go? You got me arrested, and let me tell you, jail isn’t that fun.”

“Should’ve thought about that before taking advantage of an innocent High School mare,” I shot back. “I’m fully prepared to watch you go to jail again if that’s what it takes to get it through your head,” I inhaled deeply, looking around for any form of security. Just my luck, they were all hovering closer to the middle of the dance floor, watching for any fights.

Vinyl had disappeared from the bar, but her drunken friend was still there. Thunderlane’s eyes pierced me as though he was daring me to let out a scream. My lungs filled with air as Thunderlane made his advances, his muzzle inching closer to mine at an alarming rate.

An ear splitting scream filled the club as I let the air escape. Thunderlane’s wings batted in shock as he stepped backwards. Ponies stopped dancing and looked over. I cowered as Thunderlane’s front hooves raised and slammed against the floor. Security began pushing through the crowd, trying to reach me and Thunderlane.

“Octy!” I could hear Vinyl shoving through ponies, trying to get to me.

“I didn’t touch her!” Thunderlane protested as onlookers began to figure out what was going on. “She’s crazy! The mare is crazy!” Vinyl pushed through the crowd and began to charge Thunderlane.

“Vinyl!” I cried. “That won’t solve anything!” I grabbed her stump of a tail in my teeth and pulled her backwards.

“He hurt you, Octy!” Vinyl whined. Her glasses lay askew on her face and I let out a giggle as I went to straighten them.

“I’ll be just fine, Vinyl,” I watched the security ponies in the reflection off Vinyl’s lenses. They had temporarily clipped Thunderlane’s wings and the lead guard was using magic to keep Thunderlane walking in a straight line. “See, they’re taking him already,”

“Are you okay? I left Twisted Feather to follow you because…never mind that, but are you okay?” Vinyl’s voice cracked with worry and I felt my heart skip a beat.

“I’m just fine, Vinyl,” I pressed my muzzle to her cheek quickly and wrapped her in a hug. She hugged me back and I opened my mouth but before I could speak, a raspy male voice cut through the crowd.

“Alright, everypony, nothing to see here, get back to your usual activity please,” There was a flash of magic and the music started up again. Everypony in the club returned to the bar or the dance floor and the volume kicked back up.

“Are you alright, Octavia? I take full responsibility for what could have happened here today,”

“I’m just fine, Mr. Record Scratch,” I bowed my head and the stallion laughed.

“Please, call me ‘Rec’. Mr. Record Scratch is far too formal for a club owner,”

“Thank you…Rec,” I tried out the nickname and wondered for what had to have been the billionth time the use of a nickname.

“That could have been worse,” Vinyl pointed out.

“How so?” I asked, tilting my head sideways.

“I saw Bee Bop on my way to follow you. I don’t think she knows we’re here, but I would leave now before she writes a story on how we left school to hang out at a club…alone,” The thought of Bee Bop made my blood boil. I still wanted to buck the mare’s teeth in for writing that article, even if I received positive response from it. The thought that anypony would be so nosy just disgusted me.

“Thank you Mr…er…Rec, for allowing us to stay, but I think Vinyl and I will return to school now,” I bowed slightly again and Rec smiled at me.

“You two are welcome here whenever you feel the need, but try to keep your visits limited to outside of school hours,”

“Of course,” I turned to Vinyl. “Let’s get out of here. We can have a late breakfast and go back to school.”

“Aw, do we have to?”

“We can get pancakes with that Neightella stuff you like,” I bribed. Vinyl’s ears perked and she galloped to the door.

“Last one to the café is a rotten egg!” she cried.