A Search For Something More

Chapter 51: A Picnic on the Roof

The next morning, my mom drops me off at school, and I walk into the front entrance with Soarin and Caramel waiting for me. Unsurprisingly, they are giving me displeased glares that tells me that they already know that Sunset is back, and we made the...arrangement with Sonata and Octavia. I bite my lip before I walk over to them, prepared to face the music.

"So..." I begin. "How are the girls taking Sunset's return?"

"A little ticked off, but happy to have her back," Soarin says bluntly. "But you know that's not what we want to talk to you about."

"Yeah, I know," I say, sighing. "But, I hope you have something new to the table besides demanding that I choose Sunset now that she's back in the picture."

"Something new?" Caramel says in disbelief. "Okay, how about what the heck were you thinking? I mean, how do you think this...this...thing between the two of them is going to go? I mean why in your right mind would you -"

"In case you didn't know, Caramel, I've been tortured, shot, left abruptly by my girlfriend, in depression for another two weeks and have that same ex-girlfriend come back and ask me back not two days after another ex-girlfriend asked the same thing," I snap. "My heart has been crushed and then suddenly leaping for joy over feeling the lips of both girls again. It's a little hard to be on my right mind right about now."

Soarin and Caramel frown before Caramel reluctantly says, "Okay, that's fair, but how do you know you can trust those girls to respect your wishes when one is picked, and the other isn't?"

"I don't know, Caramel," I say honestly. "I'm just gonna have to trust them regardless of how hard that might be right about now."

"But it should be simple, pick Sunse -" Soarin begins.

"No, it isn't, Soarin," I snap. "The fact is there are two girls who I love and who love me back. It's not something as simple as just one girl that has always been on my mind like you two with Applejack and Rainbow Dash. Is what we're doing right now the greatest way to handle it? Probably not, but can you honestly tell me you guys can't think of a better way that can handle this fairly while deep down you want me to take Sunset back just like the girls who mean the most to you?"

Caramel and Soarin look at each other with reluctant faces before they sigh simultaneously.

"No. No, we can't," Soarin says honestly. "And as much as we're not pleased with this as your best friends, we can't deny that Sonata's probably the best chance you have at handling things in an unbiased way. That being said, we want you to be careful with how you do this, and while we stand with hoping you choose Sunset Shimmer, we hope that in the end, the girl you choose is the one that's meant to be with you for the rest of your life, buddy."

Caramel nods in agreement, and I smile at both of them.

"I appreciate that, guys," I say sincerely. "Now, let's get to class before the final bell rings.

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The rest of the day goes by without a hitch. Teachers are mostly reviewing the material for our finals while Mr. Iron Will is planning something for our last day in his class. Sonata sat with me during lunch alone as we agreed on, but Sunset Shimmer turned out not to be at lunch or English with Ms. Cheerilee. I guess she hasn't officially come back to school yet or something.

As soon as the bell ring signaling the end of school for the day, I put away my things and leave Ms. Cheerilee's classroom and take out my phone to text Sunset Shimmer. Before I hit send, however, my phone vibrates, and I receive a text from her instead.