Chapter 2: A Cold Shoulder
I throw on favorite black and white sundress and brush my shoulder length brown hair before dabbing on a little make up and finally putting a pair of white flats. I then grab my purse and proceed to step out the door and lock it behind me. As excited as I am I nearly bump into an orange filly pegasus and her mother who is also a pegasus.
"Oh sorry" I apologize.

"SUMMER," the little filly squeals in utter excitement of my presence.

"Hello there Orange Sherbet," I reply. "It's good to see you. How is my favorite pegasus?"

"Guess what?" She shouts

"Shhh," her mother replies. "Not so loud. Others are trying to sleep."

"Oh sorry," Orange shrinks back.

"Anyway what is it that you are trying to tell me?" I challenge the young filly

"It's a secret," she tells me.

"No it isn't her mother" insists with half a smile on her face.

"MOM don't embarrass me."

"Orange Sherbet," her mother scolds. "I am so sorry about her Summer," she assures. "She has been doing this for three days."

"Oh it's no problem Jeannie," I encourage as I know her mother has not chosen a name yet as she has just been ponified a year ago.

"Ever since the teams of doctors at the hospital have been able to give her the serum in the three ounce cup, my daughter has really

bounced back," Jeannie encourages. "I would rather take this any day than face another day of my daughter fighting cancer to live."

"I truly believe that you made the right choice," I encourage.

"Now what is it that Orange wants to tell Summer Roberts?" I ask.

"I got my cutie mark see?" Orange excites using a hoof pointed to her flank.

I look down at her flank to see a petri dish and a beaker "Oh we have ourselves a little scientist," I compliment.

"Ever since our choice," Orange Sherbet has been enthused to learn everything that she can about science so that she can find a cure

for ponies struggling from diseases in Equestria."

"When did she get this cutie mark?" I examine.

"Three days ago," Orange Sherbet responds. "Me and mom and getting ready to move to Equestria next week so I can find that cure,"

she adds eagerly.

"Oh I don't know about that," her mom laughs. "We are moving there very soon though."

"Well listen it was great to see the both of you looking today. It has been a while too. However I have a commitment that I am making today.

"It was wonderful to run into you too Summer," Jeannie warmly states as I proceed to the elevators where I make a descent down to ground level floor to a small black car is waiting for me on the street. I stride towards it but I see no chauffer waiting there for me.

"Hello?" I cry out and the door opens to reveal a young brown stallion in a very dapper black suit and sun glasses sitting in the back seat.

"Summer it is so good to see you again," the pony says with excitement in his voice.

"Umm….do I know you?" I ask as he gets out of the car.

"Of course you do. It's me Brian your one and only trusted chauffer that you have known for years ma'am. I am still the same guy but in pony form," he chuckles.

"I thought I sent you to what is left of the Caribbean on a cruise," I inquire getting in the back seat. "When did you squeeze time in for ponification?"

"That was the original plan ma'am. Due to the HLF and their threat of terrorism, all cruises were to remain docked until further notice. So my wife and I decided to take our vacation at the conversion bureau in Sandy Springs. Besides I thought the timing was perfect and especially with the bubble landing here in the United States. You never know how long it will be until that bubble reaches Georgia."

"What about all the money that I gave you to spend on your trip what did you consume it on?"

"Nada," Brian replies getting into the front seat. "I want to give it back to you. I don't need it anyway," he assures me.

"Now Brian you have worked very hard in getting me from point A to point B and you do your job very well. The least you can do is accept this bonus."

"Well thank you Summer I appreciate your kindness I really do but…"

"Not another word! Besides I think you should use that money to convert into bits and take it with you when you and your wife move into Equestria," I encourage.

"Well if you say so. I can never say no to my favorite client," Brian admires. "Anywhere where were you headed today?"

"Liza and we both agreed to go to the Country Club near Fernbank," I inform.

"Didn't you two just get together for her birthday party?" Brian wonders.

"Yes but we specifically reserved this day for a one on one girl bonding time. Besides you know that she said that she loves me like a sister."

"Ooo…kay," Brian responds having nothing else to say. "It looks like ol' girls just wanna have fun," he says as we hit the road.

I am about to laugh when I see Brian rolling his eyes indicating that he is being sarcastic. Either way I go into every single detail about the day's plans that I will do with my friend according to the agenda. First eat a lunch in the country club's buffet and get our fill so that we skip dinner, then walk over to Fernbank together and catch an Imax showing, see the exhibits and to top things off, have Brian drop us off for tea afterward.

"Really now things are going to go that smoothly Summer?" Brian asks sneeringly.

"No not quite like that fantasy, I do know that when I am with my best friend it is like living in a fairy tale."

"Yeah right," Brian smirks.

"Okay not that unrealistic," I giggle. "Either way I always have such a good time with Liza. Even if we don't ever talk about the unfolding events with Equestria and the likes. It just gets her too upset."

"Yeah I wonder what she will do when she sees what I have gone and done," Brian whinnies.

"I guess she will have to be a neigh sayer on the matter," I respond jokingly and gaze out the window and see the beautiful country club and the rolling acres of green golf course that fall behind it. "Anyway at least they have done a good job to keep the pollution out of here. This is place is just as green as the day that Morning Glory first became a pony.

Brian pulls up to the gate to see a gray mare in a security suit flash and flashes his ID. At first the pony does not let us in until I roll down my window to reveal my face. "Oh how's it going Miss Roberts. He almost had me fooled for a moment there," the gray earth pony replies with relief.

"No worries sir. Brian just converted to ponydom since he is looking to move to Equestria with his wife in the very near future."

"Jolly good Miss Roberts," he states as I give him a tip. "Btw your friend is up at the club with her husband."

"Wait husband as in Cody Bosko?" I ask.

The guard nods with a smile. "Tell him hello for me will you?"

I pull my head into the car, and Brian looks at me with a look of regret in his eyes.
"Just drive up there," I advise him as he moves our car up to the entrance where Liza and her husband Cody are standing in front of the door.

Although I don't understand I quietly let Brian bring the car to a halt as I anxiously look at my friends with utter befuddlement. Why is Cody doing here? Didn't Liza tell me over the phone time and time again that this was supposed to be a girl's day out? Either way I gradually allow myself to get out of the car and demand an explanation out of my friend.

"Hi Summer," Liza stated softly and politely smiling, "It's great to see you."

"Yeah you too bestie," I reply allowing myself to give her and Cody a hug.

"Did you get a new chauffer?" Cody asks out of curiosity.

"No no that's Brian," I explain. "He decided to get himself ponified.

"Didn't you send him on vacation to the Caribbean," Liza questioned.

"I did however there are too many complicated matter right now sis," I clarify. "So he decided that it was time to ponify," the words slip out.

"Oh that," Liza disappointingly acknowledges before looking at Brian in the front seat. "Do you have a hard time gripping the wheel with those things?"

"Yes I am pretty sure that I do. Anyway I heard that you received a Tony award and I am happy for you."

"Well thank you," Liza boasts.

"Yeah best actress for worst play ever," he sneers.

"Brian," that was not very nice.

"Yeah I know. Anyway I have some errands to run and then I am going get some food. Cody, would you care to join me this afternoon
so that these two can have some extra girl bonding time? I really think that Summer was looking forward to time alone with her friend."

"No that is okay," Cody refuses. "My wife told me that this buffet is one of the venues in town that carries meat anymore. Then there are a few exhibits that I want to go on with my wife."

"What about Summer?" Brian confronts. "Aren't you forgetting about her?"

"Oh right," Cody states carelessly.

"Anyway, as I said I have some things to take care of. I will see you later Summer," Brian assures and slowly backs the black Mercedes out of the way.

I then slowly turn to my two friends as my smile gradually turns into a frown. I look at Liza and I call her out. "What is your husband doing here? I thought the original plan was to have a one on one girl bonding time. We have been planning this for months."

Without one word Liza's smile turns from a frown to a complete scowl and proceeds to move away from me and closer to Cody. This causes my face to turn beat red in embarrassment. I wonder what I said to put her on offense like that. Either way I try to walk up and talk to her about what is on the menu but again she moves away from me. I have never seen her act like with with me and seem so hot to trot about having Cody come along to an event that we both discussed and planned for months.