Violet never showed up to class today, but I still went to meet her behind the magic building. And sure enough, here she is, standing behind the building, her hooves folded. I trot up next to her and watch the ponies pass by. A few come up in the school's parking lot with their new automobiles. The automobiles are relatively new, being created only two years ago. I really want to get my hooves on one, but they are insanely expensive starting at one hundred thousand bits for the cheapest one!
"Ever wanted one?", Violet asks, looking at the few cars.
"You mean the cars?", I ask.
"Yeah."
"Well yes I would love one, but I don't really have much money," I tell her. And it's true I don't have much money, I'm not really from a high class family. The only reason why I'm here is because I got a scholarship straight out of high school.
"I thought about getting one too," Violet tells me. "But I have the same problem as you. Not enough money."
I nod. "Yep."
"So this Red guy, who is he exactly?", Violet asks looking at me.
"Well a week back I got a new roommate-"
"And that's Red?", She asks, interrupting me.
"Yes. But anyway he's studying ancient and modern magic. And he was working on a spell to change pony's eye color. He tried it on me, and luckily it worked," I tell her. "Though he's a bit odd and very hard to warm up to. He means well," I tell her.
"You didn't have to tell me everything Eve, I just wanted to know who he is." She laughs.
"So Violet, how come you weren't in class today?", I ask.
"Class dulls the mind, closes gateways to originality and creativity," She says calmly. I smile; that's one thing Red and Violet have in common.
We stand there for a few seconds until a hoof taps me from behind. I spin around and see my professor Mr. Trotter standing behind me. He's wearing a button up checkered shirt with a pocket protector. He smiles at me, showing a few laugh lines and various wrinkles due to his advanced age.
"What are you doing behind the magic building by yourself, Eve?" Mr. Trotter asks.
By myself? "No, you don't understand Mr. Trotter you see-"
He puts a hoof up to stop me midsentence and smiles. "No need Eve, your not in trouble I'd never be suspicious of my best student!" He says proudly. He soon looks at a golden watch on his hoof and his brown eyes widen. "Oh my look at the time! I really must be going Eve. Nice speaking to you." He says trotting away.
By myself? What did he mean by "by myself?" I'm clearly accompanied by Violet who is still standing next to me. But I don't blame him he probably just couldn't see her. After all he is about to turn sixty five and he was missing his glasses so probably just a misunderstanding. On account of his bad eyesight.
I look back at Violet and give her a smug smile. "See? He's nice," I tell her.
"Whatever," She says. "You know Eve, I really got to get going," Violet says.
I look at her confused. "But we just started talking," I tell her.
"Yeah, but happy hour is on over at Buck's tavern. Unless you want to come," She offers.
"Maybe tomorrow Violet. But this time you wouldn't mind If I brought Red now would you?", I ask.
She sighs her hooves still folded. "Fine meet me at the tavern tomorrow at five o'clock OK?", She says.
"Of course Violet," I say.
"Good see you tomorrow," She says trotting off into the parking lot.
Oh Celestia what have I gotten myself into?
The tavern is made of wood with a large sign with flashing red lights reading, "Buck's Tavern." It took some convincing for Red to come. He had at first refused to come since he was concerned that I might drink too much. But after a few reassuring remarks and a promise to not drink too much, he finally agreed. Outside of the tavern stand two grey ponies, probably guards. We both go to the tavern door where the grey ponies stand looking at us with glaring eyes. When we get to the entrance, the two guards step aside giving us entrance into the bar. Let me just say that I have never once been in a bar before, so I never knew what I was going to see when I entered. Now I'm getting second thoughts about continuing. On the floor two blue pegasi wrestle each other both still (somehow) managing to hold their drinks. We go around the two wrestling ponies and take a seat at the bar on wooden stools. The bartender sees us and quickly trots over. The bartender places his dark brown hoof on the table, revealing a tattoo of a snake going through a skull's eye socket on the side of his hoof.
"Waddya need?" He asks in a gruff voice.
I can see Red shaking a little next to me, but I keep myself together, just barely. "Um what do you have?"
The bartender sighs. "Waddya think?" He motions to the drinks.
"This is a bar so what do you think we sell?", He asks.
What a rude stallion.
"Um...one shot of whisky," I say.
He nods. "And how bout' you red guy?" He says looking over at Red.
"W...whatever sh...she's having," Red stammers.
The bartender laughs at Red's fear and reaches for a brown bottle behind him.
"E...Eve," Red says.
I giggle. "Yeah Red?"
"Could we go I really don't feel safe with this guy. I mean he doesn't seem very-"
"Red please calm down we are going to be fine," I say making eye contact with him.
"B...but-", Red stutters.
"Red c'mon." I say.
He looks at me with a worried expression but eventually he sighs.
"I'm doing this for you Eve," He says barely keeping a grin on his face.
The bartender returns with two shot glasses filled with whisky. The bartender soon after trots away to serve another customer. Red eyes the liquid suspiciously.
"You can't be serious Eve," He says still eyeing the whisky.
"C'mon Red at least just one," I say attempting to make eye contact with him.
"But." He turns to me smiling. "C'mon how about we just study it instead huh?" He asks hopefully.
"Nope, c'mon Red you tried your spell on me so just drink it." I say.
"That was a week ago Eve," He says.
"C'mon...please," I say putting on my best sad face.
Red looks over at me and frowns. He uses his magic, the shot glass going towards his lips.
"Only for you, Eve," He says swallowing the alcohol.
I smile at him and drink from my own glass. The alcohol burns my throat, but I ignore the sensation. For a few seconds me and Red are quiet until.
"Hey...uh bartender!", Red shouts.
"Yeah kid?", The bartender says.
Red slams his shot glass down. "Another one, for my friend too."
The bartender smirks at Red.
"Whatever you say kid," He says pouring more alcohol into our glasses.
The bartender leaves us, and Red uses his magic to raise the glass to his lips.
"Down the hatch," He mutters.
I too drink my whisky. But at this point I think I'm done. I can feel myself getting warmer, so I put the empty shot glass next to Red. I look over at Red whose red cheeks have now turned to a very bright shade of red. His mouth is open, and he looks down at his empty glass. He shakes his head, pulling himself out of his tipsy thoughts. He slams his empty glass on the bar and barely whistles for the bartender to come back.
"Another...another one," He barely gets the words out.
"You sure kid?", The bartender asks, concerned.
Red leans over the bar slowly to the bartender, and they touch each others noses. "What you don't think-" He hiccups. "I can take it?" He asks.
The bartender pulls away from Red.
"Its your funeral kid," He says, pouring more alcohol and putting the glass in Red's hoof.
Red leans back into his regular position and grabs his glass with his hoof and looks over at me.
"Could you believe that guy?", He asks.
He then puts the glass to his lips and drinks all the alcohol in one gulp. He slams the glass on the bar.
"Fgwhat a fhriken prick," He says in a drunken slur.
"Hey Red maybe you want to head back?", I ask, putting my hoof on his shoulder.
He leans away from me slowly.
"Don't grab at me."
He burps. I can smell the alcohol on his breath.
"Do you know who I am?", He asks stupidly.
And just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, he leaps onto his stool and looks around at the crowd of ponies.
"I am Red! The-"
He burps .
"Greatest frickin unicorn that ever lived!" And with that he sits back down and looks over at me his eyes half open.
"See sweetheart...everypony loves me."
OK even though Red is my friend, I do not want to get my flank handed to me by other drunken ponies, so I think I'll sneak away to the bathroom just in case things go south. I quickly get off of my bar stool and trot to an area that reads "restrooms." I go around a few fighting ponies who are apparently fighting over who gets the last drink. And head into the bathroom. And if I thought that the tavern lobby was a mess, you wont believe how horrible this place is. The restroom floor is made of old wood with various stains of blood and vomit. And the stalls aren't very well cared for either, out of the three stalls only one will grant its occupant any form of privacy. Since the other stalls have their doors completely ripped off of the hinges. I'm starting to rethink which is the lesser of two evils. Staying in a disgusting dirty bathroom or getting my flank handed to me by drunk ponies. Well I don't have a death wish so might as well make the best of my time in this bathroom. I look at myself in the cracked mirror, most of it is covered in very crude graffiti so I can just barely see myself.
"And that's when I said, blind! Dude your craaaazzyyy." I hear Red ramble on in his drunken stupor outside. Followed by a few giggles.
I'm surprised Red was able to reel in any mares, considering his little quirks.
"Eve!" A voice calls my name.
I turn to the door and see the yellow mare Violet standing at the bathroom's doorway. "Where have you been?" I ask.
Violet pants, "Eve...no time to explain we gotta go, now!" Violet says grabbing my hoof.
I smack her hoof away from mine and glare at her. What in the hay is she talking about? She sounds distraught, as if she's worried for her life. Or possibly both of our lives. "Violet what are you talking about?" I ask felling confused.
"No time we have to go Eve!" She shouts at me.
"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me why your in such a hurry!" I yell back in her face.
Violet looks me straight in the eye, "Eve listen some stallion wearing a black hoodie came up to me asking my name and if I've seen you. I asked him who he was but he didn't answer. So when I refused to tell him my name he pulled out a knife with his magic and tried to stab me!" She says revealing a minor cut on her back leg. "He just barely grazed me, I got away and I knew you'd be here so I flew here as quick as I could." She finishes in one breath.
I put my hoof to my chin. "So what your saying is that there is some unknown stallion in a black hoodie chasing us with a knife with a deep desire to kill. Am I correct?" I ask not believing her sudden claims.
She nods. "Exactly, so c'mon we gotta get out of here before he shows up!" Violet yells frantically.
I laugh, "Violet you cant be serious. Listen you probably had one too many drinks so I think its best that-"
"THIS IS NOT A DISCUSSION! We are leaving now! I don't want you dead Eve." She yells in my face.
"Don't yell at me Violet." I reply sternly, what is wrong with this mare? She doesn't show up at the bar, then all of sudden she just pops up and tells me somepony is after me? This is all happening too fast, it just seems unlikely that somepony would want me dead. I mean what have I ever done to anger another pony? "And what makes you think he wants us dead?" I question her.
She huffs, "Eve I just told you what happened, I even showed you the cut!" She yells pointing to her leg. "Isn't that enough proof for you?" She asks stomping on the ground with her hoof in frustration.
Well if I follow her I'd be able to get away from Red's little scene. So I could just humor her for the time being. "Alright fine I'll go with you." I sigh.
She grabs my hoof. "Good, now c'mon before he finds us." She says puling me out of the bathroom and back into the pandemonium of the tavern.
As Violet pulls me out of the tavern I spare a glance at Red. There he is sitting on the stool, his face a bright red and three mares next to him. He appears to be telling them a story, waving his hooves around in the air with passion. He makes eye contact with me and his mouth forms a stupid looking smile.
"H...hey Eve. Come over here and join us!" He yells motioning to himself and the three other mares with a empty shot glass.
Violet pulls me out of the tavern and I can just barely hear Red yelling for me to come back. I sure do feel bad for him, he's going to have a huge hangover tomorrow. Violet pulls me along, we go through various alleys and side streets all leading us back to the college. The lights are all turned on in the campus making it easy for us to see my dorm building. Violet finally lets go of my hoof when we are in the front of the building, I hope my blood is still running smoothly.
Violet turns to me, "Eve lets go in carefully, he might be in there." She points to the building.
"Violet don't you think your being a little paranoid?" I ask concern in my voice.
"Dammit Eve! I know what I saw! I'm not crazy, please believe me." She says looking into my eyes.
I know she's probably just unraveling but I will try my best to humor her. "Your probably right Violet, lets be careful."
"Good, I knew you'd listen Eve." She replies. "Lets go in." She says going into the building.
I follow behind her rolling my eyes. She is beyond paranoid she's just delusional! She probably just drank a lot before she came to the bar and thought she saw somepony. But oh well, no point in making her more worried then she already is. So I continue with her up the marble stairs and down the long hallway. Until I reach her dorm, the number 177 put in gold on her door.
"Thanks Eve, I just couldn't go alone. I was just well...scared." She admits looking to the floor.
I smile. "Violet we all get scared sometimes, but we just cant let it get to our heads." I tell her.
She looks me in the eyes glaring. "What's that supposed to mean?" She asks.
Uh-oh bad choice of words there Eve, "What do you mean?" I ask playing dumb.
"Don't play dumb Eve, I know what you mean. You think I'm nuts." She says.
"No, Violet listen-"
"Whatever Eve, you'll see just you wait you wont think I'm crazy when he rings your neck!" She yells slamming the door in my face.
"Wait Violet, c'mon." I say knocking on her door, no response.
She probably just needs some time to calm down, she will probably be back to reality tomorrow. I trot back down the various dorms until I reach mine. I pull the key out and open my door, I enter the room and take a seat in the desk. I look out of the window, nopony is out only the various lampposts lighting up the campus. I put my head in my hooves and continue to stare outside, still nopony is out I'm actually kind of hoping for Red to come back. An image of Red lying face down in the tavern comes to my mind. What if he did get beat up by somepony? I begin to get out of my chair subconsciously to go get Red...until I see a silhouette outside. I take a closer look at the figure. I think its a stallion judging by his blocky looking figure, could this be the stallion that Violet thinks she "saw"? Only one way to find out, Violet said that he was wearing a black hoodie so that is the determining factor. I wont believe what she said until I know for sure! I continue watching him, he keeps going on the grass until he goes onto the stone path leading to my building. A feeling of dread washes over me, Violet did say he was after us so...no, no Eve get a hold of yourself! Who knows maybe its just a guard? Yeah, yeah I'm probably right that seems much more realistic than some psychopathic killer after two random mares. I look outside the window again, but...the stallion is gone. I begin to feel hot, where has he gone off to?
He cant just have vanished like that! I take in a deep breath, Eve relax your going to be fine Violet is just trying to scare you don't worry about it. I attempt to control my erratic breathing for a few minutes until I feel calm. Yeah I'm fine no need to worry, I'm going to give Violet hell about this tomorrow. How could she do this? Make me believe there's some killer on the loose! I get out of my seat and fold my hooves, feeling angry that Violet would go this far just to try and get me scared of some killer that doesn't even exist!
Knock-knock
My eyes widen, did I just hear a knock on my door? A million thoughts begin to race in my head about who could be at my door. Its probably just Red who barely got back from he tavern and needs rest. Or maybe its Violet coming to apologize for slamming her door on my face? Or...that killer. I smack shake my head, no this isn't the case! Its most likely Red drunk off of his flank like I said before, but just in case I'll check through the peephole first before letting Red in though. Funny I'm so convinced that its Red and not somepony else.
I trot to the door slowly, one hoof in front of the other each step taking more energy like walking through quicksand. I didn't even realize that I'm at the door now. I raise myself to the peephole and put my eye to it...and its not Red nor Violet. In the peephole is a stallion wearing a black hoodie.