An Inconvenient Attachment // Appledash

chapter 9

"RAINBOW WAKE UP!"

Dash almost fell off the bed, startled by the sudden noise. She looked around the room wide awake and confused as to how she got here before the events of last night flooded her mind.

"We're going to be late to school! I forgot to set an alarm!" Applejack shouted to Rainbow in alarm as she started tossing clothes out of her closet, trying to find her skirt.

"What's the big deal AJ, i'm always late," Rainbow snarked, raising an arm and resting it on the bed head.

Applejack sharply turned her head and fired back at Rainbow. "Well ah'm never late. Cmon get up or i'm leaving without you." She threatened.

Dash let out a loud groan and sluggishly climbed out of the bed and went over to the doorframe and grabbed her hanging clothes. Dash turned around to go to the bathroom and change, to see AJ wearing that skirt she was trying to find before. 'Did...she change in the same room as me just now?'

Dash never had an issue with that kind of stuff as she would have to share a locker room with her at athlete friends all the time. 'I should probably change here too right? Incase AJ needs to use the bathroom. But is that weird?' She asked herself. She shook her head, freeing the worried thoughts and started to change into her clothes from yesterday on the spot.

Applejack finished folding her pajamas and placed them back into her messy closet as if one pile of folded clothes would make a difference. She turned around to find her backpack and saw Rainbow slipping her shirt over her head. AJ's eyes widened and tried to avert her eyes and go back to her task but she didn't move.

Dash finished changing and grabbed the clothes to pass to Applejack, but when she turned around, she saw AJ staring at her like a creep.

Applejack realised what she was doing once Rainbow turned around and quickly shifted her eyes away and went to grab her bag, embarrassed.

"Here's your clothes AJ..." Dash said suspiciously, handing her the garments she borrowed.

Applejacks cheeks flushed red as she quickly took back her items and shoved them into her closet embarrassed being caught.

"Okay lets go now." She said as she shut the closet door behind her.

"You go to school without eating breakfast!? Are you insane??" Rainbow exclaimed as she trailed behind AJ, flinging her backpack over her shoulder as she exited the room.

"Well, ah normally do, but we're late so there's no time. Cmon let's go i'm driving." She said rapidly as she rushed past the kitchen.

"I'm hungry AJ, I didn't have dinnerrrrr." Rainbow whined in hope of extracting pity from the other.

AJ stopped in her place and sighed. "Fine." She ran back to the kitchen and within a moment returned with a singular red apple.

"Eat this." She said throwing it at Rainbow as she reached her other hand out to open the front door.

Rainbow expertly catches it in her left hand before it hits her in the face and follows behind her, biting off a chuck of the juicy fruit.

"What time is it?" Applejack asked, slamming the door behind her before whisking over to her vehicle.

"I dont know, phones dead." Dash replied ignorantly, waving her black screen in the air as she approached the truck.

Applejack grunted in response as if you say, 'of course it is'. She slithered into the drivers seat and started the truck with barely enough time for Rainbow to get in beside her. It was so strange seeing her frustrated like this, she felt she had to say something to calm her down.

"Chill out Apples, we'll be fine." 'Oh My Gosh, You're TERRIBLE at calming people down.' Rainbow mentally scolded herself while waiting for Applejacks reaction as she began to pull out of the farm.

"Ah've never been late Dash."

"I'm always late and it's been fine."

"Sure it has..."

"What's that suppose to mean?"

Applejack went silent and she was focused on the road, there wasn't any other cars to look out for, but it preoccupied her enough to think about Dash's question

Rainbow shrank back into her seat and almost began to close her eyes when Applejack replied.

"You're failing every class aren't you."

"...As always..."

"If you came with us yesterday you could've gotten the homework finished."

"Yeah well I just didn't feel very welcome believe it or not."

Dash's snark reply trailed off in volume as she finished. She didn't know why she was expecting an apology from AJ, she was the one who messed up in the first place, the one who backstabbed her friends, the one being chased by the police...

Applejack cut her thoughts with one of her own. "Dash?"

"Yeah?"

There was a pause between the girls.

"Did you not go to Fluttershy's house with the rest of us because of me?"

'Yes, but also no.' Rainbow thought. 'Do I tell her the whole truth? Or only partially? Am I overthinking this?'

"Sort of..." She replied half heartedly.

"What else was it?" Applejack followed up, pushing the topic.

"It's fine AJ, let's just move on from this."

"Tell me." She said stubbornly as she flickered her eyes between Rainbow and the road. They're both stubborn, two can play at this game.

"I'm not saying anything."

"Spill it Dash."

"No, it's stupid anyway."

"Why's it stupid."

"Because it is."

"I'll be the judge of that."

"I just don't want to talk about it."

"Why not."

"Just leave it alone AJ!"

Applejack didn't fire back with another argument, she didn't want it to get out of control again. She took a silent deep breath in and concentrated on guiding the truck through the crowded streets trying to find a parking. A car was pulling out of a spot just outside the school and she raced into its spot before it could be stolen by another.

"Sorry Rainbow." She finally replied as she grabbed her keys and exited the car. Dash copied her movements swiftly and allowed AJ to lock the car before walking up the pathway into the school.

They walked to the front doors of the school together in silence but as soon as they pushed open the gold handles, noise met their ears and blue and yellow met their eyes.

"Did we miss it?" AJ asked. "We couldn't have slept in that much could we?"

Rainbow opened her mouth to reply but before she could an energetic fashionista threw her arms around Applejack.

"DARLING! You're just on time! Everyone is going to the cafeteria now." She says gleefully as she reaches into her backpack and pulls out a tail and ears and hands them to the perplexed girl.

Rarity approaches Rainbow and gives her a small hug, after she pulls back reality starts to set in. "Where were you two this morning?" She asked as she passed Rainbow her headband and tail.

"Slept in-we're fine nothin to worry about, let's just go help Twilight." Applejack responded for her, redirecting the conversation as she shimmied the tail on. Rainbow eyed her questionably at the topic change.

"Of course! We don't want to lose anytime!" Rarity exclaimed, clasping her hands together in thrill as she turned to walk over to their other friends.

The farmer and athlete follow the purple haired girl to the doors of the cafeteria where they met an excited Pinkie, a nervous Twilight and a comforting Fluttershy calming down the anxious girl. "It'll go perfectly Twilight, don't worry, you'll get that crown."

"Are we ready?" Rarity asked as she approached the girls, hands fixing her ears placement.

"More than i'll ever be." Twilight replied nervously smiling, failing to sell her point. She slowly stood up straighter and took a deep breath in and rested her hands on the cafeteria doors, ready to push them open.

"Let's do this."