by K. M. Hayes
“Sweet,” Skye said. “No walking at least once a month.”
Emma snorted. “We are so spoiled.”
“Just wait until we can drive,” I said as Mrs. Jorgenson pulled up to the curb. Quincy smiled like a fool, and then he winced and turned around, probably embarrassed. Holly waved frantically from the back seat. She had totally hit the jackpot with this, being at the center of the pony fun now.
I slid the van door open, motioning for the girls to get in first. They went in back and I took the seat by Holly.
“Oh my gosh I love your ears!” Holly started right in. “Drew said you make them yourself. Is that true? Can I wear one? Pinkie Pie ones?”
Skye beamed. “Sure. You must be Holly.”
“Oh, yeah. Hi.” She blushed, a bit starstruck by my friends. She looked at Emma, who clutched her newest book to her chest. “And you’re Emma, huh.”
Emma nodded. “Nice to meet you, Holly.”
“Hey, hey!” Quincy called from the front. “What about me?”
Skye leaned forward, and I could have sworn she was checking him out. “So you really do have a friend named Quincy. I was starting to wonder if you were making him up.”
“Like an imaginary friend?” Emma laughed.
I glared at them. “You guys think I’m that pathetic?”
“I’m definitely real,” Quincy said. “I might even be coming to school here next semester, so you may want to get used to me.”
“Okay, okay, everyone,” Mrs. Jorgenson said. “You’ll have plenty of time to talk once I get to Skye’s place, but I need her to tell me where to go first.”
“Right!” Skye pointed out the correct streets, and we were at her house in under five minutes. Mrs. Jorgenson was nice enough to chauffeur us even when she knew she would spend most of the day at a stranger’s house and a Brony party. Hopefully, she’d get along with Ms. Zook and it’d be perfect.
We got out of the car, and Emma immediately pulled away to walk the rest of the way home. I hated seeing her go, so I followed her. “Hey.”
She jumped, twirling around. “Oh, hey!”
“Your mom doesn’t get home for a couple hours, right?” I gulped, suddenly feeling like everyone was looking at us like a couple or something. “Why don’t you just come with us? It won’t be as fun without you.”
“Drew . . .” She looked over my shoulder at everyone, and I swore longing was in her eyes. “You can’t help but push me, can you?”
I shrugged. “Sorry.”
She sighed and a smile crept onto her lips. “Don’t be. Let’s go make a cake.”
“Yay!” Skye skipped over and hugged her. “Stay with us forever.”
“Not forever. Though, can you at least save me a piece?”
“Of course!”
Emma came with us to Skye’s house, and we got to work on the rainbow cake. Maybe my father would have cringed at the sight of us talking about ponies and baking, but my friends smiled and laughed and had fun. I didn’t have just one friend; I had a whole bunch, which was precisely what my parents had hoped for. Precisely what I hadn’t dared believe possible.
And all because of a show about ponies and friendship.
