Wallflower
I took a sip of my water as I paused my pacing around the the hospital room, Fuchsia idly reading Fifty Shades Of Grey on her hospital bed, what I think was an IV in her arm.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” I asked as Fuchsia smoothed down her hospital gown before giving me a bored look and she set down her book on top of her piled romance novels she was reading.
“Yes, Wally I am fine. Bored, tired and in pain but high as a damn kite. Morphine is a gift from god.”
I gave a low giggle and sat down in the chair.
“Cloudkicker and Trixie were pretty close to each other, huh?” Fuchsia mused with a smile. “It was nice they saw me yesterday and well, all the past three days they’ve been back.”
“I guess so. They’re your friends,” I shrugged as Fuchsia focused on me intently in a way that made me nervous.
“They can be your friends too. If you give them a chance. Sure Trixie can be a bit much at times but deep down she’s a caring girl. She just wants to be cared for and well, that’s something we can all relate too. We all secretly want to be cared for, whether we’re willing to admit it to ourselves or not.”
I gave her a stunned look as she gave a tired smile.
“I should take your morphine away. You’re making sense and that’s not good,” I grumbled with a smile as she rolled her eyes.
“Take my morphine and I’ll give you a fate worse than death.”
I hummed in response as Fuchsia took a sip of her water before setting it down on the table next to her.
“I’d bet Sunset would be your friend too. And mine as well I think. The others know her way more than me but she technically saved my life so I owe her my life forever,” Fuchsia mused as she flicked a hair tie at me. “I know you disliked her a lot more than I used to but she’s really nice. And if I remember correctly, you helped hold her back from killing the Movie Club kids.”
“I suppose,” I grunted and bent over to pick up the hair. I sat back down and started playing with it. “She wasn’t even too angry about the memory stone.”
“Hm. Your phone is ringing by the way,” Fuchsia pointed as she pushed her plastic spoon into her jello and we both listened to my pop music ring tone for a few seconds. “Are you going to answer?”
I gave a shrug and swiped answer as we both looked intently at it. I didn’t entirely recognize the number so I assumed a telemarketer.
“Hey,” Sunset said casually as I raised an eyebrow. “Trixie got me your number, what are you up to?”
“Uh just sitting here with Fuchsia at the hospital. You?”
“How is she?” Sunset asked as Fuchsia leaned closer. “I’m just hanging out around the apartment.”
“I’m okay. Just exhausted.”
“Makes sense. I just realized I don’t have any Christmas tree or ornaments or well, any decorations. I was gonna offer Wallflower to come with me and Diamond to go look around the store but if she’s busy-”
“She’s more than happy to go,” Fuchsia interjected and I frowned slightly. “Look Wallie, I’m tired and I love you for everything you’ve done for me but can I please have a day to sleep without you sitting by my side? Or at least two and a half hours?”
“Are you sure?” I asked nervously as I faintly made out Sunset talking to Diamond Tiara about something that I didn’t make out.
“Yes for the love of God. I’ll see you tonight and bring me back some pop. The hospital won’t even give me a single freaking french fry, a big mac, strawberry shake or even a freaking Hershey bar,” Fuchsia fumed as I made out Redheart outside the door.
“Okay. Uh can you pick me up please?” I asked and I pictured Sunset tapping her finger against her chin like she did so often.
“Yeah, we will be there in ten to fifteen, give or take.”
I strode down the aisle of the store, walking alongside Diamond and Sunset. They had stopped by a briefly to talk to Fuchsia and dropped off some bright purple Alliums that smelled nice. It also helped that they were Fuchsia’s favorite. I assumed Sunset found out by how she always found out information, by digging and asking around.
“How was Equestria?” I asked as Diamond eyes lit up and the smaller girl tightened her grip on her phone.
“Amazing. I’m an adorable little earth pony and Sunset is a gorgeous looking unicorn. Hearths Warming was cool, Princess Twilight was very friendly. Had some minor issues with the other versions of Rainbow and the other elements as Twilight called them at first but it’s okay. How was your time without us?” Diamond asked as she paused to examine a dress.
“It was okay. Practically lived at the hospital but Fuchsia is getting discharged next week so there’s that. I’m getting used to sleeping on the floor or a chair,” I answered as Diamond nodded.
“What do you girls think of this tree?” Sunset asked as she nudged a green box with a boot. “I think it’s pretty.”
“I think one that’s alive would be nice too but this works for your apartment,” I mused as Sunset added a box full of ornaments to her cart that had some groceries in it.
“Why don’t you go look at some of those special looking ornaments with the names or different shapes like pizza?” Sunset suggested to Diamond. “Pick out as many as you want and a star too please.”
Diamond nodded as I picked up a flower seed and idly started reading it curiously as I watched Sunset watching me out of the corner of my eye.
“How did you get to know Diamond?” Sunset asked finally as I put the seeds back.
“She accidentally ran into me and spilled her lunch tray all over me. She followed me to the bathroom and cleaned my shirt off. She also kinda forced me to come to her house and get a new shirt along with Fuchsia. We were business partners for a good while I suppose,” I answered as she nodded slowly.
“Makes sense.”
I hummed softly as we continued down the aisle and I picked up a Santa hat, curiously examining it before setting it back on the shelf. Christmas used to be my least favorite holiday till recently. It used to just be me and Fuchsia every year.
“I’m still certain a green tree is best love,” someone said an aisle over and Sunset tensed up visibly as her smile disappeared and she scowled as a mint green girl, a grey girl with black hair and a very light green girl rounded the corner, freezing as they locked eyes with Sunset. “Sunset?”
“Octavia,” Sunset folded her arms across her chest. “Lyra and Sophisticata. What are you three doing here?”
“Uhm getting Christmas decorations and last minute gifts,” Lyra muttered as her eyes shifted nervously behind me, Sunset and Diamond.
“I’m so so-” Sophisticata started and closed her mouth nervously as Sunset focused on her.
“Don’t even,” Sunset cut her off with an upraised hand. “Diamond, go to the toy aisle. Find something you like and a gift for Alula. I’ll be back.”
Diamond nodded as she watched for a moment before walking away.
“What do you three want?” Sunset said finally as she continued staring. “Here to ruin my life yet again?”
“No love we’re just shopping,” Octavia answered timidly as she rubbed her neck. “That’s all. We just happened to come across each other is all.”
Sunset hummed in response as Octavia looked around uncomfortably, Lyra and Sophisticata avoiding eye contact.
“I’m sorry,” Octavia said finally as Sunset raised an eyebrow slightly. “I’m so, so sorry.”
“Hmph.”
“I understand if you hate us all,” Lyra said finally as she toyed with a lyre necklace around her neck. “All of us treated you like, well shit. Especially me during the whole thing. I under-”
“You don’t understand a damn thing,” Sunset snapped and Lyra flinched and looked back down. “Don’t you dare try to act like you understand anything of what I’ve been through this past month because you won’t. You don’t understand how lonely I was, how much I hated going to school and how often I thought about killing myself to just get this shit over with.”
“I never meant to hurt you,” Sophisticata commented and ran her hand down her skirt. How she could wear one in the snow, I’ll never know. “We have no excuse for what happened.”
“Got that right,” I spoke finally and they jumped.
“Who are you?” Octavia asked curiously as she tilted her head to the side and I detected no rudeness in her tone, just honest curiousity. “You were up on stage with the Princess.”
“I’m Wallflower Blush,” I answered with an amount of confidence that startled me. “Yes I was. I knew she was innocent after I caught the movie kids talking about their plans.”
“And you didn’t stop them or tell anyone?” Lyra asked as she glanced at me. “Why?”
“Let’s see,” I tapped a finger against my chin. “You all were out to get Sunset and had already blamed her so that was out. I couldn’t tell their sisters because they would call me a liar. And if I showed them the video of them talking, who knows. They could have said I made the video with some editor or something. We have talented students here with computers after all. And besides, DT needed them so she could use them.”
“Why are you three even hanging out? You’ve never been friends before,” Sunset chimed in as she examined the three before smiling faintly at me.
“Well, I don’t know. I just needed to be around people. Especially since the Student Council is taking time away from each other,” Sophisticata answered. I had partially forgotten she was the leader of the Student Council. She was probably going into politics one day.
“It’s almost Christmas and we’re in public with people watching us so I’ll not kill you,” Sunset commented as she leaned against her shopping cart and we all flinched, my eyes widening nervously. “Don’t ever approach me like this again right after anon a miss. Because I promise you, I won’t be as a kind as I’m being right now. And I can’t bury you in the woods because of my girlfriends and Diamond now run along before I change my mind.”
“Would you actually hurt them?” I asked as we watched the three retreat. “I think they accidentally came upon us, I don’t think they were following us.”
“I know,” Sunset sighed. “And no, I wouldn’t hurt them unless I was angry enough. I don’t wanna go to jail.”
“Did you actually try to kill yourself?” I asked and she looked away before nodding.
“I thought about it a bit fairly often but well, Cloudkicker found me the day I was planning on it. She still doesn’t know about that part. I probably won’t tell her, I don’t know yet. She’d either be mad at me for considering it or be happy she stopped me unknowingly.”
“Probably both,” I noted with a grimace. “I’ve watched you both long enough to know you well enough. That uh sounded less creepy in my head.”
“I imagine.”
“Anyway,” I coughed into a fist. “You wanted help finding Fuchsia a gift. She really likes art and stuff. She’s more soft-spoken compared to Trixie and Lavender, much like me. Only real difference is she stands up for herself more and I well, don’t.”
“And what do you think you’d like?” Sunset asked as she started walking with her cart and I gave her a startled look as I followed her.
“You actually want to get me something?” I asked in surprise as she nodded. “Why?”
“Well, you’re part of our group too after all. Same with Fuchsia even though I don’t know her well yet. You’re my friend after all even if you didn’t entirely want to be at first, you still saved me from a hate mob.”
“I like plants,” I shrugged. “That’s about it it really. Horror movies are good too.”
Sunset nodded as we approached to the toy aisle and I idly examined a stuffed bear.
“Hey,” Sunset said as I turned to look at her. “Don’t kill me.”
“Why would I?” I held the bear as she stepped forward and hugged me. “What?”
“Shush and just accept it.”
I gave a silent nod, knowing I was too weak to fight back against it anyway.
I hesitated before hugging her back.