Fluttershy is about as normal as anyone could be as a disabled 9-year-old girl with low vision and physical scarring all over her body, itâd earned her weird looks, but it was nothing compared to the loneliness she felt when her first friend moved away in 2nd grade. In 3rd grade, sheâd had no friends at all, instead she opted to spend recess latching to anyone she could, but they never liked her, she was far too âjumpyâ.Â
Home wasnât much better; during the weeks she stayed with her mother, a manic-depressive psychopath who did nothing but waste money on expensive clothing instead of food, her mother was a leach, even to Fluttershy. Her Mother used her constantly for venting and always tried to force her to cry. When Fluttershy wouldnât cry, her mother would resolve to say sheâs a bad mother, knowing that always got to her and made her cry.
Starting her 5th grade yearâs first week, Fluttershy was simply happy to be seeing her friends again on this Friday morning and this time, even made a new friend, a girl named AJ. AJ was a year older than her, quiet and reserved, preferring to draw and watch anime rather than going anywhere but AJ loved her family a lot, so Fluttershy understood why sheâd want to be home so much. She breathed in the calm September air once off the bus and went to the wall where AJ stood, though it was a small school building, she enjoyed this school much more than the one she had no friends in, that was large and scary. Â
âGood morning.â It took AJ a second to grasp that she was being spoken to, âMorning.â she said flatly and the two girls rounded the corner, Fluttershy sat and AJ crouched across from her, the gravel was warm on Fluttershyâs thighs and the sun beating down on her face was relaxing but then she moved to her knees, âWanna talk about anime?â She asked, since Fluttershy was trying more now to get into anime, she figured AJ would be a good person to get the basics from, âSure,â AJ said, Fluttershy could never figure her out, who she was or what her motives were, though she didnât have much time to guess. âCan I talk with you guys?â A girl appeared, making Fluttershy crane her neck, âA new friend!â she thought, standing to meet the gaze of the tall girl with long rainbow coloured hair which Fluttershy thought was so pretty.Â
âIâm Fluttershy!â She took the tall girl's hand, who nervously shook it, her hand was wonderfully soft and pale, the touch made Fluttershy hesitate to pull her off hand from the other girl. âWhatâs your name?â The tall girl looked flustered and a little scared as she pulled her hand away, âRain...â Fluttershy didnât catch the last of her mumbling, âUh, what was that?â The girl just mumbled again but she no longer needed her to say it, âRainbow Dash!â another girl shouted, and Rainbow Dash groaned, seemingly losing her shy and quiet personality in an instant. âWhoâs that?â Fluttershy asked, in the distance, she could barely see the girl who came running before her attention was snatched by Rainbow Dash running off.Â
Fluttershy turned and almost took off with her but quickly checked in with AJ, âYou okay if I go?â she asked quickly, earning a shrug from AJ. She ran, following Rainbow to the corner, a dead end with a chain link fence greeted them both. âThatâs Gilda.â Rainbow Dash answered her, âShe thinks sheâs my friend because I know nobody else here.â she scoffs, âItâs fucking stupid.â Fluttershy was shocked, sheâd never heard that language from anyone but adults. âYou swear?â she asked in disbelief and Rainbow nodded, hands on her hips. âYeah? If anyone tries to get me in trouble for it, I just lie and say I didnât do it,â she said proudly, she was only seeming more intriguing and cooler by the second, âThat or I just say I said something different.â She shrugs, the bell rings for morning classes to start. Fluttershy follows obediently behind her, watches her brush off Gilda when she tries to speak then, they enter the school. âThis is my class.â Rainbow mentions. Â
âWill I see you at recess?âÂ
The two girls parted ways in the hallway. Fluttershy didnât pay attention all throughout her morning classes, she was much too focused on Rainbow Dash, she liked that name, her face, how soft her skin was, she liked how edgy and cool she appeared, her disregard for rules and authority was so appealing to the young girl, she hoped so much that theyâd see each other again at recess and that she wouldnât lose track of her like she did at the old school with so many people. She wouldnât let it happen again.Â
By recess, Fluttershy changed her shoes and ran outside, finding Rainbow Dash looking lost. âRainbow Dash, right?â The taller girl turned to face the younger, âYeah...â Rainbow scratched her arm, âSo what things do you like?â Fluttershy asked, walking with Rainbow Dash toward a long dirt path filled with pebbles and slightly larger rocks. Rainbow clicked her tongue, âHave you ever heard of the Wonderbolts?â she asks, Fluttershy wracks her brain but shakes her head, âWell, itâs awesome,â Rainbow begins, âTheyâre a band and my favourite member is Surprise, I have a massive crush,â Fluttershy thought that was a strange name for a boy, â...on her. Though sheâs super underrated.â Rainbow finished. âShe?â Fluttershy asked, âYeah, she. Iâm a lesbian.âÂ
Lesbian was a word that Fluttershy had only heard once or twice when her mother made strange comments about women who seemed intimate with other women. âI like girls.â Rainbow narrowed it down, âActually, just Surprise but you get what I mean.â Fluttershy thought to herself, on one hand sheâd gotten Rainbow Dash to open to her and on the other, Fluttershy was starting to question how she felt when she first saw Rainbow Dash. âI think youâd like Blaze.â Fluttershy committed the name of the band and the member to memory for later when sheâd be at her grandmotherâs place. It wasnât long for the bell signaling the end of the 20-minute break was up and afternoon classes began. Once insisde to take off her shoes, Fluttershy mumbled some analytics to herself, âIf she likes girls...and Iâm a girl and I like her, maybe she might like me too.â The thought of it made her sick in a good way. As usual, she didnât pay the slightest attention in class, focused solely on her new friendâs interests.Â
By the time Fluttershy had got off the bus and toward her grandmotherâs house, she greeted her dad and her grandma, she grabbed her tablet that her dad kept, right away she searched for the band on YouTube. She listened to one song, then another, trying to get used to the music. There were all sorts of genres to pick from that the band sang, there seemed to be no consistency with a lead singer which made it easy to enjoy each individual member. Fluttershy listened to the music until she had to sleep, excited for school again to see Rainbow Dash.