Looped

3.

I stepped into the bathroom, thinking of a plan. The only thing I knew about her was that she was from the Crystal Empire. So if I took a bus there, I could somehow find her there.

I played with my hair a little bit, then decided on a messy bun. I splashed some cold water onto my face, making sure it didn't touch any of the clothes I was wearing.

Applebloom was the next part of my routine. I knocked softly on her door, opening it slowly. "Sugar cube, it's time to wake up."

She groaned and rolled over. "I hate Mondays."

I chuckled to myself and sighed. "You have no idea."

Just as I was about to leave, Applebloom commented, "Sis, why are you so gussied up today?"

I paused, realizing she was right. The most I ever did on Mondays was a hoodie and jeans, my hair was normally left alone, or it was in a loose ponytail.

I decided to play it cool. "What do you mean?"

"It's jus' that," she yawned, "You actually look good today."

"And I'm goin' to pretend I didn't hear that."

Applebloom's red hair pooled onto her pillow. Even when she was sleeping, she managed to keep her bright pink bow in.

She tugged on her blankets, covering her face. "Aghghh kill me," I heard her groan through the sheets.

I opened my mouth about to say something, then I decided it wasn't worth it.

I left the door open, then continued on my journey to find her. I said my usual good morning to Granny Smith, attempting not to ignite another conversation about my parents between us.

I shrugged on my backpack, slid on my shoes, and walked onto the front porch. I closed the front door, locking it behind me.

I took a deep breath, inhaling the new fresh air. When you're forced to repeat the same day, over and over again, you start to realize the little things. Like how the clouds had the same exact formation. Or how I'd never see any other sky except this one.

The sun was halfway through the horizon, which sent a wash of reds and oranges painting the sky. The birds were chirping, singing their usual songs.

I reached for my phone, which was sitting in the pocket of my jeans. I searched for buses to get to Crystal Prep. There was one, about a mile away was one of the nearest stops.

I didn't mind walking that far. Actually, I was more than happy to. It was just that, the fear of things that could kill me on the way, spiraled in my mind.

A car could run me over... again.
I could somehow walk into a fire.
Someone could accidentally aim their gun at me and shoot.
A bike could run me over.
Something from the sky could fall on me.

The possibilities were endless. And I spent way too much work to have to repeat it all over again.

I started walking, doing my best to keep high alert of everything around me.

What did I know about the Crystal Empire? 

Once every four years they'd compete against CHS. They'd set out obstacles, choosing seven people to represent each of the schools. The competition was harsh against the two teams, rarely any of them got along.