Chapter 2: A Well-Worked Room

The first half of the first day of school went rather well, it was actually quite boring to be honest. I had been given two classes I had already taken and was submitted to sharing them both with Rarity, a fate that she seemed to adore, constantly asking me meaningless questions and then proceeding to cut me off before I even opened my mouth to answer. This second fact didn't irritate me nearly as much as I thought, maybe it was the fact that I was at least getting attention. Back home in Truinston I never really had much for friends. I had a few decent people I would hang out with on occasion, but never really anyone I would call a friend. Even the people I lived with barely knew me.

When it was finally lunchtime I found I wasn't hungry in the slightest. The trip down to the cafetorium was quite strange. The hallways were very narrow, hosting a multitude of hand painted murals on one side, and a gallery of damaged stained glass windows on the other. It was defiantly a sight to see, or so it had been back in its prime.

When we spilled out into the bench-filled room that contained the source of the half-burned odors I had detected earlier today, I was amazed at the intricacy of the stage at the other end. There was at least three dozen lights and props leaning against the purple velvet curtains. Among them was a textured replica of a purple and green dragon. When y inspection was complete, I turned back to the room and spent my time searching for the girls I had met earlier in the day. It only took about three seconds, Rainbow was running circles around Applejack repeatedly taking her hat and jokingly giving it back only to take it again. I started over just as Twilight signaled to me.

“Hi, I heard the girls talking about you all day,” she giggled quietly when I got close.

“Sounds like you caused quite a stir in a few of Rarity's classes too.” another girl next to her said.

“By that I assume you meant she wouldn't stop talking to me and told you otherwise?” I asked in the same manner.

“Hey! New kid!” I heard Dash call out as she approached.

“His name is Jason.” I could barely hear Fluttershy say from behind me.

I turned just enough to catch a glimpse of her turned slightly away, obviously embarrassed to have even spoke near me. I turned back around just to get a face full of Rainbow Dash.

“Hey! I was talking to you new kid!” she nearly shouted in me face, “Where are you from anyway?”

“Are you guys getting food?” I asked them as a group, hoping to avoid talking about it in public.

“What's the matter New Kid? Afraid to tell someone where you're from? Or are you just a pansy hoping to sound all tough by standing up to the School's Track Captain?” the girl with rainbow hair leaned back in a calculating gesture, doning a pair of comically large sunglasses in the process.

“No, I'm not afraid to tell anyone, and no I'm not a pansy. I don't talk smack and I don't broadcast my life story on the first day of school hoping to get symmpathetic reactions. If you really want to know, ask me later at Pinkie's party.” I said in an even tone without ever blinking. This caused some mixed reactions among the spectators in the lunch line, some even taking bets on if there would be a fight, and who would throw the first punch.

The room got mysteriously quiet when Rainbow started forward slightly, soliciting no reaction from me other than a sigh and a dismissive raising of my my left eyebrow. Fluttershy gasped.

“You aren't seriously going to attempt to hit me are you?” the question struck her like a blow.

“Maybe I will maybe I won't but know this punk, I'm watching you!” and she walked away as several teachers converged on the scene attempting to appear as though they actually cared. After a minute or so the room resumed its previous chatter and noise as students sat down with plates of spaghetti and factory cut slices of black and brown garlic bread. In an instant I completely lost my appitite and held my stomach and stuck my tounge out. Pinkie smiled next to me and made a similair face.

“Hehe, they tried to use the wood stove again I see, they seemed to have failed again as well.” among all the conversations I overheard, this one made me laugh the most.

“Alright well, I have to go to the office and change mys schedule around seeing as I don't want to take two classes again. I already took Algebra I and American History.” I looked around to the girls around me as they continued their conversations. Twilight at least acknowledged my comment as I walked away, fuming over having to point out the school's mistakes for them.

Later after lunch I had a quite boring typing class, one that I made a mental note of having to point out to the secretary that I had ALSO already taken. The only interesting thing that happened was the ceiling tile that fell on the teacher, releasing a bee's nest from it and spilling out onto the floor. The whole wing got evacuated immediately and we chatted out in the mud-pond lawn outside waiting for the buses to arrive. In the meantime I texted Pinkie to find out the details about the party, finding out that it was to be held at her house in town around 4 o'clock.

When the 3 o'clock bell that signalled the end of the school day chimed and no busses had arrived, people started to get worried. A girl with blonde hair and a lazy eye started to call home, saying to the person on the other line that the buses were late again. I promptly did the same making sure Merlin, the driver, was the one who came and got me instead of my father. Students started to pour out of the school and stand around waiting for the buses or calling home to get a ride. I spotted a head of pink hair and meandered towards it hoping it was who I thought it was.

“Hi Fluttershy, you need a ride?” I asked of the poof that was before me.

“Sure...” came the soft response.

“And by God what happened to your hair?” I laughed slightly, poking the mass of pink as it swayed to and fro in the wind.

“Stop it, it has to dry first...”

I poked it again.

“Jason!” she giggled slightly. “Anyway who's giving you a ride?”

As soon as she asked I heard the purr of a 5.5 liter V12 engine pull up behind me and a door opening and closing.

“Monsieur Merdeu, would you like me to take your bag sir?”

Fluttershy looked over my shoulder while I complied with Merlin somewhat awestruck, as did most anyone in sight, though at least Fluttershy's mouth wasn't hanging open and leaking saliva all over herself.

“So uhh, about that ride?” she turned to me with a smirk on her face.

“Ladies first,” I gestured to the car as Merlin opened the back door. She slowly climbed in and carefully sat down in the center seat. I followed, trying not to make a scene, and failed. I tripped into the car slightly, landing half on Fluttershy. The moment quickly passed when I heard someone running towards the car and then all of a sudden-

“YE HAAAA!” and my protests were drowned out as five more people climbed over me into the car nearly crushing my ribcage in the process. I sat up, straightening myself out as I cast a glance around to find myself surrounded by the girls-piss on it I'll just call them my friends. Rarity was the first to speak.

“Oh my stars Darling! Is this a Maybach? I simply can not allow this car...no I can not even allow you to get touched by filth! This is marvelous! I've never before had the pleasure of being in a Maybach I am just simply thrilled!” was the general response from them all minus Rainbow Dash, content on pretending to not be present but still looking around raising an eyebrow at the interior.

“What's this 'ere do hickey do?” Applejack asked, flipping a few random switches on the ceiling console. A moment later I heard a soft, low pitch grumble as all the seats started to vibrate. A few of the girls, especially Fluttershy, started to blush before I turned it off.

“So, now that everyone decided that we're all getting a ride from Merlin,” I gestured to the drivers position, “You can give him directions to Pinkie's house seeing as we're out and about anyway.”

The car ride was quiet, with only a few tidbits of directions here and there. When we got into town I was stricken by the condition of some of the buildings. We passed dozens of broken down or burned buildings, many of which resembled the school's state, some were far worse. I turned to Pinkie.

“Has this town always been like this?” I pointed to an old gas station that was now a hole in the ground next to a sign with many missing letters.

“No, about ten years ago there was a really bad fire that took out a lot of houses and shops on this side of town. The county wouldn't pay for damages and the insurance companies denied claims left and right. What you see now is the result of a lot of businesses packing up and leaving to get away from the poor surroundings.”

We pulled up to a mailbox at the end of a fairly long looking driveway that curved into the woods in the distance.

“This is us! Pull in here Merlin.”

“Of course, Mademoiselle.”

And thus we followed the gravel road into the dark abyss of trees that formed a hollow over the driveway in the dim light of autumn.

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