“Hey, dude, wake up. I need to ask you something,” a voice said close to his ear.

Champ didn’t even flinch but went right on snoring as he lay slumped over his desk, literally drooling all over his arm tucked cozily under his chin. 

“Champ, wake up!” the colt tried again, slightly louder.

Again, no response. 

Desperate times call for desperate measure. Without a second thought, he bonked him on the head just hard enough   

“Ow!” Champ groaned in pain, finally stirring. With one eye barely open, Champ glared annoyed at the colt. “What’d you do that for?”    “Isn’t there supposed to be a new kid coming today?” he asked, ignoring the previous question.

Champ lethargically sat up and, taking his sweet time to pull his forelegs behind his head, stretched his sore shoulders and stiff wings. Still in his contorted position, he yawned,” What….you mean, Sonata?“

The colt shot him a deadpan look. “No, I meant Caramel. Duh!”  he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

Slumping back over, Champ rolled his eyes. “Okay, okay,” he said, waving him off. “But yeah, I think Sonata’s supposed to come today. At least, that’s what it said in the letter me and my parents got.“

“Really? How much do you know about this new guy?” the colt asked, raising an eyebrow.

“First, her name is Sonata. She and me go waaaaay back, I’m talking diapers here. We’ve been friends ever since we were kids,” Champ grinned with a cocky air; leaning his chair back dangerously far and placing his hooves behind his head.

“Oh, really?” he said curiously. “What is she like, then?“

“Well, Sonata’s a lot of fun and pretty easy going for the most part,” Champ said as he gazed up at the ceiling, recalling past memories of her. “ I haven’t seen her for a few years, you know, school n’ stuff, but we had a great time together as kids. She was always a good sport when it came to me beating her at hoofball, even let me win a few times! She’s full of spirit, that’s for sure. We always had a great time, me and her-“

“That’s cool bro, but uh….what did she look like?” the colt interjected

Closing his eyes in concentration, he said. “ Um…I’m pretty sure her coat is like a light orange or something? I know her mane is lavender and she always wears them in two pigtails. Oh, and she’s kinda tall and skinny for her age.“

“Is she also a unicorn with lime green eyes?“

Champ’s eyes shot open. “Uh yeah, that’s right,” he said as leaned forward in his seat, looking perplexedly at the colt. “How’d you guess that?” 

“Because I’m looking right at her!” he exclaimed, his wide eyes fixated across the room. 

Champ jumped back in surprise, nearly falling out of his chair. “What!?” he shouted as he looked frantically in the direction of his friend. 

Unfortunately, all the other students in the one-room schoolhouse had the same idea. The busy chatter of the morning suddenly dropped into a low buzzing of whispers as Sonata walked through the door. Everpony scrambled to get a look at her- some even standing awkwardly in their seats for a good view while trying to be inconspicuous at the same time. 

This made it only harder for a back row pony like Champ to see her, even when he stretched his neck to its limits. He darted his head here and there, hoping for a quick glance of her through somepony’s moving arm or wing. However, all he could make out was an orange and purple speck. 

At the very least, he could tell she was moving…..and slowly growing in size……and…oh wait, is she walking over here-

“Hey…Champ. Is this seat taken, by any chance?” Sonata said smiling as she gestured over to the empty desk beside him.

Puffing up like a startled chicken, Champ gawked at the intimidatingly tall mare before him. Somehow, he found himself incapable of functioning at all anymore. At least he managed to keep his wings somewhat restrained.   A few seconds of awkward silence passed as Champ continued to stare up at Sonata, looking completely dumbfounded. The silence would have gone on longer if a sharp jab in the rib cage hadn’t of jolted him from his daze.   “Uh…yeah-I mean n-no, I mean…..Sonata?” He barely managed stammer out, unaware of how stupid he sounded.

Sparing him the trouble of embarrassing himself further, Sonata curtly nodded and sat down in the seat. Champ’s gaze followed her every move, unable to take his eyes off her. A million thoughts rushed through his mind as he watched her unpack her book bag.

I can’t believe it.

There is no WAY this mare is Sonata. 

I mean, I know it’s been a few years but….the Sonata I know doesn’t look like this at all! The Sonata I know has got the most ridiculous looking pigtails and short curly bang that’s usually frizzy. And she’s tall, but…I don’t ever remember her being that tall. This mare is freakishly huge- maybe even more than ME. Not to mention everything about her is different! Her height is different, her voice is different, her is hair is different! She’s even wearing jewelry and makeup now. When did she start doing that? When did her eyes suddenly….look so…pretty? Like, did they always used to sparkle like that? Was her hair ever this stunning before?

And why do I suddenly feel awkward and sweaty around her? I mean, it’s not like I’m in love with her or anythi-  

“Um…do you…need something?” Sonata asked, looking at him with a worried expression.

Champ nearly jumped out of his feathers at the sudden sound of her voice- his rambling train of thought coming to a screeching halt. He suddenly realized that he had been staring at her and was probably coming off as a creep, which only made his face feel even hotter. 

If only it was hot enough to make him melt into the ground. 

Rubbing the back of his sweaty neck with his hoof, Champ chuckled nervously, “Oh, eh-heheh-no, I-I’m fine. It’s just…it’s really great to see you again after all this time. What’s it been, 2 years?“

Sonata smiled warmly at him. “3 years, actually. And it’s great to see you too.“

“Oh YeAh hehe yep sAme heRe hEheHe!” he exclaimed, badly winking and awkwardly finger gunning her.    

Gah! Stop panicking, Champ. You’re looking like a weirdo! Get a hold of your self, it’s just Sonata. Play it cool….

Leaning his head on his hoof, Champ cleared his throat and managed to squeak out in a somewhat casual tone,” I mean- how you been?“

“I’ve been busy, that’s for sure,” She said, sighing just a little. “The move has been…kinda hectic, but I’ve managed. How about you?” 

Champ shifted nervously. “Oh, who, me? I mean, of course, me, who else! Yeah, I-I’ve been doing beau-I mean good. Really good, actually! Just last night I had-“

Suddenly, Champ was cut off by a ringing voice shouting above the noise. All heads turned to look at the front of the room where an adult mare stood 

“Aright now Class, it’s time to begin this morning’s lessons! Please take out your Science 101 book and turn to page 12,” she said, a little bit too cheerfully for 8 o’clock on a school morning.

Champ gazed back at Sonata, but she was busy pulling out her science book. She didn’t even glance back at him. Slightly peeved, Champ pulled out his own book and opened it upright on his desk, not caring that it was also upside down. He slunk behind the paperback, stealing little glances at Sonata. He wanted….no, needed to talk to her, but she was too occupied with doing actual school work to pay attention to him. Always following the rules- now that was the Sonata he knew. He needed to grab her attention without getting caught, but how?

That’s when his bright and intelligent mind was struck with the best idea of the century.

Sonata was reaching into her bag for her notebook and pen when she saw something land on the ground from the corner of her eye. Laying her supplies down, she glanced at it and levitated the object up for closer inspection. It was a piece of crumpled and poorly torn paper and, smoothing it out on her desk, she saw inside was a scribbled mess of words.

Hey u wanna talk mor later? Me and rocky are going to get milkshakes after school if u wanna come.

Sonata chuckled under her breath. Classic, Champ.

Champ eyed her nervously as she turned the piece over and, clicking on her pen, began to reply. It seemed to Champ that she was going as slow as physically possible. Even tank could have written at a faster pace than she was going. It didn’t help that his stomach was in knots. What was up with that? I mean, he’s written tons of notes during school, this one should be no different.

Right?

The thought was interrupted by the sound of the pen clicking again. Champ quickly looked back at his book and avoided her gaze, trying not to be awkward. His heart jumped a little at the sight of the folded note slowly alighting on his desk. Causally, he opened it and squinted down at the fancy cursive note.

Sounds great

Champ could hardly contain his excitement as he scribbled frantically on a newly torn piece. Holding the note out to her, he flashed her a knowing smile as she took it from his hoof.  

awesome! so its a date then ; )

Sonata looked over the rim of the paper at Champ, who was wiggling his eyebrows at her not-at-all-seductive manner. She could hardly hold back her snicker at the sight and quickly turned to write back her reply. Once she laid it on his desk, Champ opened it with bated breath.

Haha, nice try. ; ) See you boys there!

Clearly friendzoning? Yes. Disappointing? Hardly. Champ knew Sonata wouldn’t fall for that  ̶c̶h̶e̶a̶p̶  classic tactic, but her response was best he had ever received to that question, so he considered it a win. Folding it away into his book bag, Champ felt a nudge on his shoulder.

“So…just good friends then, huh?” the colt beside him whispered while smiling smugly at him.

Champ smirked back. “Yep, just good friends.”

For now.