A Dazzling Trio

Chapter II: Pen to Paper

Hello, everyone~ I hope you enjoy this second chapter! As you can see, this is still setting up the main plot points of the story, but all will be revealed sooner or later~ One more thing I want to say is to be careful again. As I said in my most recent blog update, someone commented on one of my stories with a link that could steal personal information, so please be careful when clicking links from people you don't know! I already deleted the comment, but stay safe and special!

Chapter II: Pen to Paper

"So, when did the Civil War start?" Apple Bloom asks me with a stern look on her face, holding a flashcard without showing me the answer. The smell of pasta fills the air of the living room, making me look back towards the kitchen. It's not time to drain the water just yet, but it will be soon... I decided to cook us some food since Apple Bloom has been helping me study ever since I got off work. Besides... It'd be nice to cook for Sunset as well. As for Apple Bloom's question, I can't help but grimace slightly. Why am I supposed to remember this?

"1850...?" I ask hesitantly, looking at Apple Bloom's all too serious face. I know that my answer is close to the right answer... It's in that time era, right? Apple Bloom quietly raises her eyebrow, still holding her flashcard in front of her quietly. Honestly, I can't tell if she's enjoying this sense of power over me...

"Ya wanna try that again?" she asks me as if she's giving me a grace period, her eyes giving me the sense that she's interrogating some prisoner. Knowing Apple Bloom, she's probably enjoying every second of this, soaking in the power trip. It's not every day she gets to toy with someone my age. Well, that's actually a lie. She's always toying with me, but maybe that speaks to how gullible I am for the high schooler.

"Ugh, I don't know. 1860?" I spit out, trying another answer just out of desperation.

"Close. It was April 12th, 1861. We need to work on that." As she says this, Apple Bloom places the card in the larger of two piles. The shorter pile of flashcards were the ones I knew for certain. The pile that was three times the stack of the first one symbolized the concepts I still need to work on...

"God damn it. Why do I have to memorize so much?" I whisper, letting out a big sigh as I stand up, walking around the couch to go towards the kitchen. Apple Bloom quickly follows me, moving past me and standing next to the oven with a small frown on her face.

"Don't get discouraged! I know it's daunting, but remember. You're tryna take your GED. That means you have to at least know a passing amount on each subject you were supposed to be taught in high school. That means English, geography, math classes and others. You wanted to do this." Of course, I don't necessarily know all of this since I left high school right after I lost the Battle of the Bands. I didn't see the point back then... I'm good at math and physics, but when it comes to world history? I would pass it if it was based on old Equestrian history. But since it is the history of this human world, that means I have pretty much no knowledge of it. "Speaking of which, ya never told me why ya want to get your high school credit. You planning on quitting your job?" Apple Bloom asks me with a curious tone to her voice, making me sigh a little more. It was only a matter of time until she asked me this question.

"I'm not quitting, but my boss is planning on selling the music studio. I have no idea what will happen once it's sold," I answer her quietly, gently stirring the noodles in the pot before slipping on my oven mitts.

"Huh. Well, that sucks... Do ya know who might buy the place?" Honestly, Apple Bloom's question is something I've been thinking about for a few days now. The only people I can think of might be some personal connections Fancy Pants has. I know they wouldn't keep the establishment as a music studio at all though... That's something I don't want to happen...