-Derpy Who?-

Why did everyone pick on her? Or at least, they bullied her as much as anyone at CHS could be bullied, I suppose. It was generally a very nice place, with many friendly faces who would never hurt a fly. But then there were the rude people, and some kind people who weren't aware of their rudeness, and worst of all were the people who didn't care either way. The people who tried their best to not acknowledge her, as some kind of unspoken rule of the school. But I didn't understand that. Why on earth would anyone be so mean to such a girl?

Sure, her eyes were a little funky, and she was rather clumsy, but she was so sweet. It was almost sickening, watching her offer her help to everybody all the time, asking people if they didn't have partners for group work, heck, she even decided to start a band when the rest of the school went music-crazy. She seemed like any other girl her age, if it weren't for her eyes.

But she was also so resilient. Every time someone said no, or every time someone would make fun of her, she would smile and move along her way, letting the words roll off her back with nothing weighing her down. She was like a soap bubble floating throughout time, gently trembling on an ever changing breeze. And she was the prettiest girl I had ever seen.

I wasn't much one for dances, but I felt the need to attend at least one this year. It was the end of the year celebration, and most of the school was there. I found myself hoping that I would actually see that girl there. Maybe with a date so that I didn't have to worry about her whole life. But no, when I spotted her, it left a bittersweet taste in my mouth.

There she was, beautiful and blonde in a modest gray dress. She looked stunning, even with the perturbing lights strobing between colors. She sat in a chair that was pushed against the side of the bleachers, wedged somewhere between the refreshments, the dance floor, and the stage where Vinyl Scratch had set up her sound equipment. Bobbing her head along with the beat of the music, her relaxed grin glued to her face as always. I couldn't help but notice that her foot was tapping and her hands were dancing across her lap, she clearly had energy, and judging from the rhythm of her movements and the beat of the music, she was dancing in her seat.

Why didn't she get up and dance on the floor with the others? Was she waiting for someone to ask her? Why wouldn't anybody ask her yet? What was wrong with everybody in this school that they wouldn't want to dance with such a sweet, pretty girl like her?

I gulped, feeling nervous. This was unlike me. Both the feeling nervous, and what I was about to do. I stepped one foot in front of the other until I came to the chairs where she sat. I blushed and abruptly plopped myself in the chair next to her, keeping my hands folded in my lap and my eyes afixed to them. What now?

"Great party, huh?" She said, turning her head towards me and beaming wide. It was an abrupt introduction, but it seemed to work well enough, dislodging my tongue long enough for me to say:

"Uh, y-yeah!" It was a dirty lie, I hate parties like this. So many people, so much noise. Not my cup of tea to say the least. But for some reason I felt the need to lie to her, as if saying that I wasn't enjoying myself would somehow hurt her feelings.

"Have you been to the snack table?" She exclaims excitedly, grabbing a hold of my shirt sleeve in one of her hands, "They have muffins!" This casual announcement was made with much vigor, more befitting of big news like marriage or childbirth.

"You must really like muffins," I chuckle, looking her in her eye, the one that was pointing towards me. I tried to ignore her other eye as it drifted upwards toward the ceiling.

Derpy grins widely and nods, "Love 'em!" She shouts with that tone of excitement again. Before I realized what was happening, she had tugged me to my feet and started to pull me in the direction of the promised muffins, "C'mon, you'll like them too! I promise!" She insists. It was rather difficult to deny such a stubborn request, so I allowed her energy to pull me along.

She was very cute like this, all happy and excited, although I hardly see her any other way. We come up to the snack table and Derpy grabs two muffins, one in each hand. I take it upon myself to serve each of us a glass of punch to accompany them. Thankfully, the refreshments were free.

"So-" I begin, turning to face Derpy again. I'm greeted by a pastry being shoved into my open mouth. I couldn't stay mad at her as she giggled, nibbling her own muffin and taking a cup of punch from my hand. It was a good muffin, banana chocolate chip. "Mmm…"

"I told you they were good!" She said, somehow halfway through her muffin in a matter of seconds. I shook my head, surprised at the speed of her eating. From what I know of Derpy, she's probably been devouring them throughout the night, when she wasn't sitting and enjoying the music, or trying to start a conversation with someone.

It happened just as Derpy had finished the muffin and set down her glass of punch. Vinyl Scratch changed the song from something with heavy bass and charming "wubs" to a more well-known pop song. Something with actual lyrics. I wouldn't have noticed except for the gasp from my companion. I looked up, expecting something to be wrong, someone maybe injured, or I don't know, some kind of demon attack. But no, just a change of music.

"What?" I asked around a mouthful of muffin. Rude of me, but I figured Derpy wasn't the kind of girl to mind.

"Um, nothing…" she said, turning away and shrugging. It was too late though, I had noticed her blush once she gasped. It wasn't really a shy blush, or even a nervous one, she actually seemed rather embarrassed, which wasn't something I was used to seeing from this girl.

Putting together what was going on, I grinned and set down the muffin and drink, holding a hand out towards Derpy, just in her peripheral vision, if her eye hadn't drifted away again. "Care to dance?" I asked slyly, already expecting the answer.

She turned and her eyes widened, looking at my outstretched palm. It took a few seconds for a response, and in that time, it seemed to stretch out and accommodate a long time to think about all the things that might happen. Time is a fickle thing, moving too fast when you're enjoying yourself, and then, once you start to question yourself, you get eternity to ponder.

"I'd love to!" It takes me a brief second to process what she said. It probably would've taken longer if Derpy hadn't grabbed my arm and pulled me out on to the dance floor. It wasn't until we were in the thick of the crowd that I realized the flaw in my plan: I couldn't dance.

Apparently, neither could Derpy, she closed her eyes and just started jumping around, pumping her fists in time with the music. I guess it qualified as dancing, but compared to how everyone else was, she looked ridiculous. I felt self conscious as I tried to do what everyone else was doing right next to where she was bouncing around like a mad person.

I glanced around nervously, wondering what others were thinking of us, but then it struck me: nobody was watching. In the public eye, we were blind. Everyone was too absorbed in their own fun time to pay us any mind. I stopped dancing like everyone else, I didn't dance like Derpy, either. I listened to the music and let the feeling flow through my muscles, guiding them in their own way. I probably looked incredibly stupid, but with my eyes closed, nobody was watching me, not even myself. I couldn't have been happier as I danced to that crazy song.

Its too bad it only lasted a few short minutes. When the song ended, I stopped dancing and cheered with the rest of the crowd, panting from my ridiculous dancing. Derpy was smiling wide next to me, and I watched her face glow through the light sheen of sweat that covered everyone on the dance floor.

Vinyl put on a slow song. The floor started to clear as the singles stepped out of the way and gave the couples more room to sway. I was turning to walk off with the others, but I bumped into Derpy with a light "oof". Her eyes, both of them, managed to find mine, and I felt my heart surge with some deep, primal feeling. I smiled and she smiled back. My hands wrapped around her waist, and her arms went over my shoulders.

I chuckled as we swayed on the spot, slowly revolving as the music played on. This was probably the most normal thing Derpy had ever done.

"You've got muffin crumbs on your face," Derpy muttered under her breath. I lifted my hand to brush them off, but she beat me to it, her small thumb tracing a small trail down one side of my lips, knocking crumbs off my face.

"Uh," I muttered, certainly a beet red, "Thanks, I guess."

"Don't thank me," Derpy said, licking some crumbs off her thumb, "I just wanted an excuse to touch your face."

Well that was, odd. And rather forward. But it fit Derpy's personality so well. If this was how she flirted, I don't think I minded all that much. But I still have to return the favor, hopefully in a way that she would like, "Well, I think I found something better than those muffins," I said, grinning.

"What?"

"You."