She wished she could be more upset about only winning third place in the art contest, but who had time to be upset over a lesser award when the winning picture had turned her life upside down?
"In my homeland, we call it fillies-rabu. It is the celebration of the enduring, innocent feelings between fillies and their ability to connect emotionally on deeper levels," the winner had said when asked to explain his piece. "In this portrait, Apple Tiara, we see these fillies expressing such innocent feelings among pastel flowers and soft meadows."
The crowd had ooohed and aaahed, save for Jenny's mother, who had fainted dead away at the sight. They hadn't even acted like anything was strange or off about the picture, only surrounded her and Jenny with congratulations on finding true love.
"But I'm not like that."
"As if someone like me would ever date a country filly! No offense, Pippi." How could she be offended when Jenny was right? Sure, they were friends now, but Jenny wasn't as close to her as Annika or Tommy.
"She's just like her big sister!" one mare said. "A farmpony winning the heart of an upper-crust socialite!" That wasn't even how it happened with Applejack and Rarity, either. They were just friends who decided to be more, that's how Applejack had described it.
A week later, Los Angeles wouldn't stop talking about it. One night, Jenny crawled through her bedroom window looking like she hadn't slept in weeks.
"Okay, listen, we both know there's totally nothing going on between us," she said before Pippi had a chance to even say hi. "But like, we gotta stop these crazy stories. I asked Daddy if we could sue the colt who painted that picture, but he said no."
"Well, he did work awful hard on it," Pippi murmured. "He probably didn't know this was gonna happen."
"Well, it did." Jenny placed a hoof on hers. "And we gotta nip this thing in the bud, fast."
"But how? No one listens when we try to tell 'em it aint like that."
"Exactly. So for the next few weeks, we pretend it is," Jenny explained. "Then, we break up for whatever reason and go back to being friends! Simple, right?"
"You mean lie?" Applejack was the honest one in the family, but Pippi wasn't much of a liar either. Especially if it meant lying to the whole town who was genuinely happy for them. "Won't it just make everyone awful sad when we break up? Y'know there're some ponies out there who've been calling us relationship goals and sayin' how our love's transformed all of Los Angeles." Jenny rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, and those ponies are idiots. Crazy idiots. Why should we care about letting them down when they won't even listen to us?" she asked. "I've tried to explain a million times to Mom that it was just a picture but she's still ranting and raving about how I'm never gonna carry on the Rich family line! And Daddy's being all happy for me, saying he's proud of me for finally accepting who I am." She made a face, blushing a little and turning away. "E-even if I was into other fillies, I wouldn't be into...well..."
"Me too," Pippi sighed. "And I am tired of everyone comparin' us to Applejack and Rarity..."
"Hence, the need to show them we're completely wrong for each other," Jenny said. "We pretend to be happy for a week, then let them watch it all crumble away until we have a big, public breakup!" Pippi cocked an eyebrow.
"You sure we've gotta go that far? I didn't get my cutie mark for acting, you know."
"Just remember how I used to treat you before you and your friends reached out to me, and it'll come to you." Jenny smirked. "The bottom line is, once we break up, they'll leave us alone and we can date whoever we please!"
She didn't see how this could work. It was probably the worst idea anypony ever had, and she felt awful about lying to the whole town when everyone was so happy. On the other hoof, Jenny was begging her and she was almost physically incapable of saying no to a pony in need.
"If you're sure it'll get all the gossip to die down, I'm in," she sighed. Jenny hugged her so tightly she almost lost her breath.
"Oh, thank you! The sooner we get this done the sooner my mother will stop crying!"
The next day, Pippi made sure to tell Annika and Tommy right away and swear them to secrecy. The Cutie Mark Crusaders didn't lie to each other, after all.
"Besides, it'll be a good way to get Rarity off my back about finding a special pony," Annika groaned. "I swear, she and Applejack are putting more energy into cheerleading you and Jenny than they did planning their own wedding, and they barely slept during those months!"
"Just don't get too sappy in public." Tommy stuck her tongue out "It was bad enough when Miss Cherrilee and your brother did it!"
"We'll try." Jenny pranced up to the schoolhouse just then, and Pippi took a deep breath. Showtime. "Good morning, sweetie!"
"And how's my special fillyfriend this morning?" Jenny practically crooned, cuddling up to her. Tommy gagged, but thankfully Jenny didn't see it.
"I'm just fine, thanks! So, um...wanna walk me to class?"
"If you'll carry my books," Jenny giggled, tossing her leather and silk satchel onto Pippi's back. A few fillies swooned, and a couple of colts blushed and snickered.
"So cute!"
"What a picture they are!"
"Move over, Cadence and Shining Armor, Equestria's got a new power couple!" Pippi stifled an embarrassed groan, letting Jenny lean against her as they walked into the schoolhouse. Can I really put up with a whole week of this?
After school, Silver Spoon pulled her aside, demanding to talk to her. Pippi was almost hoping she'd go off on a jealous rant, so that at least one pony besides Tommy and Annika would have their head on straight during all this.
"So like, Jenny's been my best friend since we were little," the other pony began, her face serious. "And she can be pretty sensitive, even back then. Like, she was kind of a crybaby back in those days, and she could get lonely, and she like, really needs someone who'll comfort her when she gets like that."
"Right," Pippi said. "So I guess-"
"Luckily, you're one of the nicest ponies in the whole school and your whole thing is helping people," Silver Spoon cut her off. "So I'm like, trusting you to take good care of my best friend." Oh, no, not her, too... For years, Pippi had figured Silver Spoon was the one in love with Jenny, so either she'd had it wrong or Silver Spoon was over it.
Either way, she'd bought into all the hype. Maybe Jenny better be the one to make the breakup happen when the time comes.
"So, you promise?" Silver Spoon prompted, and Pippi nodded.
"Sure. You can count on me!"
After the first day, she learned to put up with the pet names, the public nuzzles, Jenny bragging about the dates they'd never actually been on and feeding her tidbits of whatever treat they were sharing at Sugarcube Corner. Jenny was nothing if not an attentive fillyfriend, and whoever she did wind up with in the future would be a lucky pony.
But as the days crept closer to their staged breakup, Jenny didn't seem to be backing off. The only change was she was a teensy bit less gooey about it after the first two days, and even weirder, she was starting to do that stuff even when they were alone.
It was the evening before the breakup, and Pippi hadn't moved in three hours thanks to Jenny falling asleep on her shoulder. Part of her kept wanting to protest, but another part of her didn't have the heart to wake her.
And still another, teeny tiny part she'd been trying to ignore since day four kinda liked how it felt. Just like she enjoyed being called "half-pint," a name Jenny once used to tease her with but now she said with such affection. And the way Jenny giggled that time they licked frosting off each other's hooves for show.
And Silver Spoon, trusting her to take care of her best friend in the whole world, whether or not she'd had feelings for Jenny to begin with. She really knows her better than anypony else, yet I'm the one she's trusting to take care of her now.
Ever since Jenny decided to be a better pony, she hadn't changed completely. She was still a little spoiled, a little selfish, but now that everyone knew how nice and helpful she could be, she wasn't afraid to be that way anymore.
And her leadership skills helped fix the playground, got us another wing for the library...
And then there was last year's Zap Apple harvest, when Granny Smith's back acted up and she couldn't take part. Jenny had rushed over, on her own accord, with as many classmates as she could round up to make up for Granny Smith's absence.
She didn't even act all embarrassed about it, either. She even helped out with the sales, and not just countin' the money, either.
As Jenny slumbered on, Pippi tried to remember the lines they'd written for the breakup tomorrow. But the more she went over them in her head the less sense they made, and the sadder she felt.
But it's for the best. You wanted Los Angeles to stop gushin' and starin' at you two all the time, comparin' you to Applejack and Rarity, right? And Jenny's lookin' just as forward to it bein' over as you.
When Jenny finally woke up, Pippi walked her home. Jenny insisted they take the long way, and when they nuzzled goodnight, she felt a strange spark she hadn't felt any other time they'd done it.
"We need to talk, half-pint"
Today was the day. In a few hours, her relationship with Jenny would end and everything would go back to normal. No more gushing from other ponies, no more love-talk, no more cuddling, no more putting on a big show.
"Yeah, you did good rememberin' your lines," Pippi said. "I guess one more rehearsal can't hurt before we-"
"I don't want to break up."
"Huh?!" She tried to check for any signs of lying, like Applejack would do, but Jenny's face was serious, eyes staring into hers. "But I thought-"
"Okay, like, when I went to bed last night I did a lot of thinking. About us," Jenny said. "About how I used to pick on you all the time, but like, you never hold it against me. I mean, you poke me when I get annoying, sure, but, like, the way you treat me it's like we've never been enemies!" Pippi blushed a little.
"Yeah, well...you really wanted to be a better pony, and you've stuck to it."
"And that's just it! I didn't know if I could do it, but you kept on me, you believed in me, and that's why...why I..." Jenny turned bright pink and stared at the floor, muttering something."
"What's that?"
"I love you for real!" The words left her mouth so quickly, but so loudly Pippi couldn't miss them. "I know, I know, I'm an idiot. I bet you're good and ready for it to stop, I bet you've already set your sights on somepony else, and I'll still go along with it, I promise! I just had to tell you the truth or I'd burst."
If Pippi hadn't been wrestling with her own feelings, she'd think Jenny was playing a dirty trick. She's still got a sneaky side, and she is awful good at getting her way by makin' others feel guilty even if she uses that power for good nowadays. But right now all she felt was surprised.
"Y'really...I mean, not that I'd think you're lyin', but..."
"Good, cause I'm not." Jenny shuffled her front hooves, still bright pink. "Look, if you don't...I mean, I didn't tell you just so you'd-"
"I think I feel the same," Pippi interrupted. She hadn't meant to, but poor Jenny didn't deserve to be kept dangling. "I just didn't think you would, cause...well, we're friends, but..."
"I know, I said you were't my type, and I know you're tired of everypony saying you're just like your sister," Jenny muttered. "But if you and I both feel the same, does that mean..."
"It means it doesn't matter what other ponies say anymore." Pippi smiled. "Just cause they say we're like Applejack and Rarity doesn't mean we are, even if we're in love. We're all different ponies, and I think everyone's eventually gonna accept that and can the chatter!"
"You're awfully optimistic." Jenny finally faced her, still blushing, but smiling a little. "But...you're right. If we like each other, who cares what they say?"
"And we figured it out all by ourselves, too!" Pippi moved closer and leaned against her, and Jenny's smile became a smirk.
"And since we're actually going to be a couple now, it'll be nice being the most important fillies in Los Angeles because of it. I didn't want to admit it, but all that attention sure felt good." Pippi rolled her eyes, stifling a giggle.
"I dunno about that..."
"Trust me, you'll love it." Jenny sighed, pulling Pippi down onto the bed with her and cuddling close. "Thanks for last night, too. You're a cozy pillow for somepony so small."
"I'll be your pillow anytime you want."
When they leaned in to nuzzle each other, this time there was no hesitation or uncertainty. What did it matter if some painting and a bunch of chatter sparked this? If we like each other, that's all that matters.
She rested her cheek against Jenny's mane, sighing happily. Looks like we don't have anywhere to be today until we want to.