“You girls go find a place to practice. I’ll keep an eye on things around here,” I said as the Rainbooms and Twilight nodded before disappearing out of sight.
I sighed and leaned back against the wall as I heard laughter approaching. I glanced over at the Dazzlings, pushing myself off the wall.
“You’re never going to get away with this.”
“Why? Because you didn’t?” Adagio asked with a smug grin as I flinched. “Oh we know all about you Sunset Shimmer. Turns you out got quite the reputation at Canterlot High.”
“I’ve changed! I’m in a much better place!” I shot back and glared at the three.
“Waiting in the wings while your friends have all the fun?” The purple one mocked with a smirk.
“Oh yes you girls are so tight,” Adagio commented as she and the other two circled me. “And yet, they didn’t ask you to join the band.”
“Probably afraid no one would want to see them play if she was in the group.”
“Too bad!” Sonata shouted as she jumped in my face as I glared at them. “So sad!”
“If it’s any consolation at all, no one will even remember you by the time we’re done,” Adagio smirked as she and Sonata hipchecked me. The three girls pushed open the double doors behind me and disappeared as I rubbed my arm looking down.
They were right. Everything they said was what I had been thinking. I originally had planned on doing a solo act but well, everyone hates me. The only ones who are somewhat friendly is Lyra, Bon Bon and Derpy.
Maybe I shouldn’t even be here. I should just sneak back through the portal since it’s open and just go back home. But that would mean I’d have to face her. Princess Celestia.
And I really don’t think I’m ready for that. She would probably banish me to Tartarus. But if she wanted me in Tartarus, she would have ordered Twilight to bring me back, right?
I groaned as I slumped against the wall, holding my head in my hands as loud music came from down the hall. A girl with two tone blue hair and headphones on walked down the hall as I examined her white jacket and shirt before looking down.
She paused in front of me and kept bobbing her head to her way too loud music before shrugging and sitting next to me. I gave her an incredulous look as she tilted her head before slipping her headphones around her neck.
“What’s up?” She asked and my jaw dropped even further. “Uh okay. Weird dude.”
“Sorry it’s just you’re sitting with me and talking to me.” The only people who did so were Rainbow and the others.
“Yeah?” The girl raised an eyebrow. “Figured that out on your own, did you?”
I bit back a harsh comment at that. New me, no rude insults or snippy comebacks.
“Yeah. Uhm who are you exactly?” I asked curiously as the girl smirked.
“Names Vinyl. Vinyl Scratch.”
I snapped my fingers and nodded. I had vandalized her dj booth freshman year and blamed it on Lyra. Weird how Lyra was semi friendly, even after I admitted to it.
“So uh what exactly are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be competing in the showcase?” I asked curiously and wiped my eyes. Now that I thought about it, I hadn’t seen her enter the competition or fighting amongst the crowds of students.
“Not really my scene, ya feel me?” Vinyl asked with a smirk. “I prefer to play my music to make people happy, not to compete or win a prize.”
“So wait,” I said and waved my hands. “You’re not under their spell?”
“Is that what it is?” Vinyl asked as I nodded with a shrug. “Yeah, nope no spell mind control for me.”
“But how? You were there in the lunchroom with us when they started this whole thing!”
“Never take off my headphones.”
That would make sense I guess.
“It sucks,” Vinyl sighed and dropped her head. “Octavia, Lyra and Bon are under their spell. Even Derpy is and she’s the nicest girl in Canterlot High. Other than Fluttershy of course. It’s difficult seeing my friends like this.”
“I bet,” I kicked the ground with my boot. “I don’t really have any friends.”
“Because the Rainbooms treat you like shit?”
“How did you know?” I asked nervously with a bit of surprise to my tone.
“I see how they treat you. I see how they all treat you, the whole school. It’s fucked up and I don’t really approve. With their no offense comments when they damn well mean offense. You really need to stand up for yourself.”
“No I shouldn’t. I deserve this,” I said and waved a hand around us. “But it doesn’t make it feel better. Especially when everything they say is what I’m thinking.”
“Whaddaya mean?” Vinyl asked as she procured some gummy worms out of her pocket and offered me one. I shrugged and accepted it, tossing it into my mouth and ignored the fact that I could be poisoned.
“Ah just something the Dazzlings said to me before you came around the corner.”
I quickly filled her in and she nodded with a frown.
“I would have watched you play. Screw them for not inviting you but allowing Twilight in. That’s bullshit and bullying. Can you even play an instrument?”
“Guitar. When I first came here, fingers were a weird thing to use. I worked hard, bought my first guitar and practiced that way. Plus video games.”
“I knew about the video game thing. I watched your livestreams,” Vinyl admitted as she rubbed the back of her head. “Until I realized you were a bully and I quit watching for the obvious reasons. I started up recently though. You made me mod in your streams.”
A moment of silence passed as I processed what she said before I grinned widely.
“Wubzgal?”
“That’s me,” Vinyl smirked with a smile. “Surprised you didn’t put two and two together. It’s nice to finally talk face to face instead of through a screen.”
“You should have said something sooner!” I exclaimed and threw my arms around her before blushing. “Uhm are hugs okay?”
“Just this once,” Vinyl chuckled as she hugged me. “I’m not big on touching.”
“Sorry,” I muttered as we released each other. “Why exactly are you being nice to me? Shouldn’t you hate me? The rest do. Even the princess does.”
“Sure you made a mistake but it’s in the past. I believe life is too short to be constantly focusing on the past actions of a person. So what? You tried to enslave a school after running from pony land. Could be worse. You could have killed someone but didn’t. And besides, I can see you’re trying to change.”
“Thank you Vinyl,” I whispered and felt my eyes start to get wet.
“No problem. Now are you going to sit on your ass doing nothing and proving them all right or are you gonna get up and prove them wrong? Show them who the real Sunset Shimmer is, girl! The red headed bad ass!” Vinyl exclaimed with a grin before putting her sunglasses in her pocket and I gawked at her bright red eyes and extended hand. “You aren’t on your own after all.”
I didn’t even hesitate to accept her hand.