>You are Anon
>And you are feeling quite proud at the progress you and Sonata are making on the experiment.
>Most groups were barely finishing their second trial, while you and Sonata just started the fourth one.
>You had watched earlier as Tool Time and the Home Improvement gang spill half of their chemicals all over their stations.
>The one that you stared down earlier swung around to get something from the other side of the counter, and inadvertently swung the neck of his guitar across their experiment, spilling the contents of the beaker onto their books and the rest of the table.
>You weren't sure what you found to be funnier at the time; how he caused the spill, or the fact he caused the spill in first place.
>Either way it was funny as hell, and it took a lot of effort to stifle a laugh.
>The one wearing sunglasses and sporting a thin mustache looked up towards you at the sound of your snickering.
>You think he was glaring at you, but you couldn't tell.
>Once Cheerilee swept in to assess the damage you turned back to see Sonata with her hand up to her mouth.
>She was also trying to keep her cool and not put more attention on her then she already had.
"C'mon let's leave those idiots to their mess"
>"Okay!"
>You and Sonata finish up the last part of the experiment, clean up the equipment, and jot down the last parts of the data.
>"Sooooooo.....What do we do now?"
"Now? We just wait. There's nothing we really need to do now that we're done. All that's left is doing the calculations, which we can do later."
>"Ok!"
"...."
>"..."
"So...."
>You look away and rub the back of your neck, stuffing the slowly emerging spaghetti back into your pockets.
>Fortunately, before you can make yourself look like even more of a mouth breathing creep, the bell goes off, marking the end of class and the beginning of lunch.
>While you and Sonata spark up at the sound, most of the other students groan in frustration, having been unable to complete all of the necessary trials.
>Cheerilee raises her voice so as to be heard over the din of the students crying out in exasperation.
>"I will be here after school, so any groups who did not finish can come in and wrap up their experiment!"
>You sling your backpack over your shoulder and turn to Sonata, who was already raring to go.
>She's bouncing up and down at the mere thought of cheap tacos.
"You ready?"
>She nods her head so vigorously that you thought her head was going to vibrate out of this plane of existence.
"Alright then let's head on out!"
>You keep Sonata close behind you as you make your way out of school and into the parking lot.
"Where the hell is it...."
>You completely forgot where you had parked.
>You press the lock button on your keys, causing your car to chirp out its response.
"Ah there it is! You can put your bag in the back if you want, Sonata."
>"Okie Dokie!"
>You walk over to your car with Sonata trailing behind you, looking around to make sure no one is watching you two.
>She throws her bag into the trunk, right next to yours, and you slam the trunk shut.
>You turn to her and notice she looks even giddier than back at the classroom.
>"C'monC'monC'mon, Anon! The longer we stay out here, the longer it will take to get tacos~"
>She races into your passenger seat, slams the door, and pulls the seatbelt down.
>You slide into the driver’s side, and do the same.
>She's bouncing up and down in her seat as you turn on your car.
>Before you embarked on your journey for faux mexican, there was one more thing.
>You plug in your phone and switch back to your driving playlist.
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K95nxsUD5VM [Embed]
>Perfect.
>As you're driving, you notice Sonata is listening to the music with confusion and some slight discomfort apparent on her face.
"What do you think?"
>Sonata comes out of her trance and turns to you
>"It's...different. I've never heard this before."
"It's not for everybody. You can change it if you want. I have plenty more songs on there"
>She grabs your phone and searches about it quizzically
>"Uuuum....How do I do that?"
>Not wanting to take your eyes of the road, you try and instruct her as best as you can
"Tap the screen twice to turn it on and there should be a little arrow at the top pointing to the right."
>"Yeah I see it."
>The song stops and you can hear the quiet strum of a guitar rolling from out of your speakers as the next song plays.
>https://wwwyoutube.com/watch?v=yv1kIsm40Io [Embed]
>Sonata seems more into this one than the last.
>As the song goes on, you get more and more into it as well, tapping the wheel and even singing along to it.
>Out of the corner of your eye, you see Sonata watching you lose yourself in the music.
>"You have a nice singing voice, Anon~..."
>You feel your face get a bit warm at the compliment.
>You try to downplay yourself a bit in an attempt to be modest.
"Ah I'm not that good, I really only like to sing in the car when no one else is around."
>A light turns red and you stop just at the crosswalk, letting the massive throng of students cross.
>"No it really is good! For realzies! It reminds me of when..."
>Her sentence trails off and she turns back into her seat and stares into her lap.
>You turn to her while the light is still red.
"When what, Sonata?"
>She stays quiet, and you see her trailing her hand around the base of her neck.
>Almost like she's searching for something.
>The light turns green, forcing you to return your attention towards the road
"Sonata..."
>She remains silent, but you see her head turn towards you.
"Are you alright?"
>"...I don't want to talk about it..."
"Are you sure? You seem kind o-"
>"I said I don't want to talk about it!"
>Taken aback by the sudden outburst of anger, you decide to drop it.
"I'm sorry, Sonata..."
>She doesn't reply, so you two ride the rest of the way in silence.
>Her fingers continue to trace around the same area absentmindedly.
>Her demeanor softens as you pull into the drive thru of the Taco Bell.
>As you're waiting in line for the voice box, you turn your head to Sonata.
"You know what you want?"
>She remains as still as a statue as she lists of what she wants.
>"I want 6 tacos, 2 enchiritos and a drink."
>You try not to show her how surprised you were at the ludicrous amount of food.
>Where the hell was she going to put it all holy shit.
>It’s finally your turn to order.
>You lower your window and pull up to the voice box and are greeted by the harsh static with a voice mixed in it.
>You didn't quite catch what they had said, so you just decided to list out your order.
>You see everything you asked for pop up on the screen below the speaker and confirm that everything was correct.
>You assume he tells you to drive on through, so you bring your window back up and continue on through.
>Sonata speaks so quietly you almost can’t hear her.
>"...Hey Anon?"
>You turn off you music to hear her better, and turn your head slightly to the side to acknowledge that you are listening while keeping watch of the cars in front of you.
"What's up?"
>"I...I'm sorry I yelled at you..."
>Sonata looks down out of shame and embarrassment.
>It's just...these past few days have been so crazy and weird and stuff, that I kinda just couldn't keep it in anymore..."
>She rests her hand of top of yours and turns to face you once more.
>"I'm really sorry I was mean to you, I didn't mean to be angry."
>You feel her grip tighten on your hand.
>"Please don't hate me Anon, you're all I have left! I have no one else, and I'm scared..."
>You sigh deeply and turn to look to her as the car in front of you slows down to pick up their meal.
"I'm not mad at you, Sonata."
>Her eyes widen and her smile returns in full force.
>"For Realzies?!?"
>You nod in agreement as you gather your thoughts before you open your mouth once more.
"Am I annoyed and disappointed that you snapped at me like that? A little bit. But I'm not pissed off with you."
>Pissed off? What do-"
"Figure of speech."
>"Oh."
"Anyway, I'm not mad Sonata. I understand that you’re under a lot of stress right now with everything going on.  I forgive you."
>She smiles at you once more and lays back into her seat, satisfied with her apology and your acceptance.
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dq8YcRi7DD4 [Embed]
>You pull up to the window where you pay and lower your own window.
>The cashier repeats your order and states what the total comes out to.
>You hand the greasy teenager the money, and in exchange hands you an equally greasy bag.
>Thanking him for the slop, you raise your window and drive off.
"So where do you wanna eat, Sonata?"
>"Hmmmm...I'd  kinda like to eat here in your car with you~"
>Her tone of voice seems different.
>Almost a saccharine air to the way she speaks now.
>You don't mind eating in your car. You've done it before.
>Pulling into an empty parking spot not far from the drive thru, you turn off your car and put on its brakes.
>As you do, Sonata snatches the bag of "tacos" and pulls out every single one.
>By the time you finish parking, she's already eaten one of her tacos.
>You pull out your burrito and start chowing down.
>Both of you are content in focusing on your food, with your music filling the silence.
>You're only halfway through your burrito and Sonata's already scarfed down all of her tacos.
>She wipes her mouth and lets out a satisfied groan as she slides back into her seat.
>"Mmmmmmmmm...That was great. Thank you so much, Anon~"
"Hey, it's my pleasure. To be honest I kind of wanted to go out as well."
>The CHS cafeteria was not well known for its top rate cuisine.
>Almost every day was mystery meat day.
>The mystery being was it actually meat or not.
>"I didn't really want stay at school, either. Too many people that don' like me. I only wanted to *mumble mumble*
"Hmm?"
>You turn once more towards her.
>"She starts fidgeting in her seat, twirling her ponytail around her fingers.
>How the hell did she manage to fit that mass of hair in your car is beyond you.
>The blush on her face gets brighter and brighter as she fumbles for her words.
>"I said I kind of wanted to only be with you..."
>Sonata turns her head as you turn to look back at her.
>Your eyes met hers as you gaze deeply into each other.
>You turn your attention back to what was left of your burrito to spare Sonata the sight of you being a fucking beta.
>"H-Hey… Anon?"
>You swallow the last bite of your burrito, wipe your mouth clean, and look back towards her.
>"Did we just go out on a....a date?"
>What.
"I....uuuuh.....what?"
>She giggles and leans in closer to you
>"I said, did we just go out on a date?"
>You feel yourself start to sweat.
>Knees weak.
>Everything spaghetti.
>You recollect yourself and stammer out a reply
"I-I guess w-we just di-did."
>She looks at you cheerfully and smiles once more.
>"You know anon, I think you're kinda cute when you're nervous."
>Fug.
>She's leaning in closer.
>Her face is inches away from yours.
>"You've done so much for me today anon. You've made me feel so happy inside. I want to make you happy as well~"
>Her lips are almost touching yours. You can feel her warm breath gently caress your face.
>Just as she is about to make contact with your lips, she pulls away and sits back into her seat, giggling all the way.
>"Hee-hee! Silly Anon~, you didn't think I'd kiss you after just one date, didja?"
>Wow what a tease.
>You feel a slight sting of embarrassment creep up on your face.
>You sigh in disappointment as you turn on your car.
>As you are about to back out, Sonata leans over and kisses your cheek, lingering for a couple seconds, and slowly backing away.
>"You're also cute when you're mad~."
>Buckling her seat belt and laying back in her seat, her vision remains fixed on you.
>"You gotta take me on more dates if you want to kiss, silly."
>You feel your irritation dissipate and give way to contentment.
>Your car roars to life and the speakers start blasting a song from your phone.
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcHKOC64KnE [Embed]
>You pull out the parking lot and make the journey back to school.
>On the way back, you quietly reflect on the events of today so far.
>Your thoughts keep coming back to the girl that is sitting beside you, happily humming along to the song.
>You try to return your focus back on the road, but your thoughts slowly drift back to Sonata.
>It's time to man the fuck up, Anon.
"Would you like to get together after school, Sonata?"
>Phase 1 complete.
>She smiles as she puts on an air of fake curiosity.
>"Gee Anon, Are you already asking me on another date?"
>Alpha time go
"I-if y-you to...If you want it to be."
>You could not have whiffed that harder if you fucking tried to.
>Her response is another bubbly giggle.
>"Have I told you that you're cute when you're nervous?"
"So I've heard."
>She hums in mock contemplation as she prolongs her response for a brief moment.
>"Ok!"
"Really? Great!"
>"Whatcha wanna do?"
"Let me think..."
>There probably wouldn't be a lot going on this evening, considering it was just a Tuesday night
>All the movies that were out were not getting the most favorable reviews, and no new ones were coming out today.
>You didn't really want to take Sonata anywhere that any of your classmates might catch you both at.
>You would prefer not to get jumped by anybody tonight.
"I'll get back to you on that after school is over." 
>"Okie Dokie!"
>You pull into your parking spot and get out of your car just as the bell rings.
"Shit. Sonata we gotta hurry if so we aren't late."
>Both of you quickly retrieve your bags from your trunk and you slam it shut, activating the locking mechanism.
>"C'mon this way, Anon!"
>Sonata takes off towards school grounds, with you following close behind.
>Most of the students have already packed into the hallways, navigating through the crowds to find their respective classes.
>You had Trigonometry next, so you had to make your trek to the opposite side of school to get to the math department.
>Sonata had English next, which meant her journey was much shorter than yours.
>She points it out to you as she gets closer.
>"Here's my class."
>She stands in front of it, waiting for you.
>"I'll see you after classes, right?"
>You smile and nod your head in acknowledgement and pat the pocket housing your phone.
"You remember what to do if you run into any trouble?"
>"Yup! To text you and meet you somewhere."
>She looks at you with a feigned sultry look.
>"Are you trying to get me alone somewhere to do something to me~?"
>You smirk at her joke and shake your head.
"Maybe, maybe not..."
>You lean over and get within inches of her face
"...Depends on how you want it to turn out"
>She blushes heavily at your remark and gently pushes you away.
>"P-Pervert! I can't believe I'm friends with a pervert..."
>You laugh at her awkward retort and pull her in for a hug.
>Surprised by the action, Sonata lets out a small "Eep!", as you bring her towards you.
>After a moment, she returns the gesture, letting out a content sigh.
>You end the embrace and start off to towards the Math department.
>You turn and wave to her as you walk away.
>She waves back before she enters her classroom.
>You turn back towards the hallway and make your way to your own classroom.
>The hallways were starting to empty out as students filed into their classrooms.
>As you're walking, you start to get a feeling that someone is following you.
>It sounded like they were matching your pace to mask their footsteps.
>You stopped for a brief moment to feign tying your shoe.
>The footsteps ceased as well, replaced by slight shuffling.
>You get back up and continue walking. You hear whoever is behind you start walking as well.
>You turn your head to look behind you in an attempt to catch whomever was tailing you.
>All you see is a pink and yellow blur as they dash behind a set of lockers.
>You didn't really have time for this.
>You turn your head back and continue at a brisk pace towards your class.
>The footsteps behind you were no more, so you assumed that your stalker had decided to give up on following you.
>You enter your class just as the bell rings and pick a seat towards the back to sit in and prepare for the rest of the day.
>Once again, your mind wanders back to the girl you had met this morning.
>As class went on, you drifted in and out of daydreaming.
>The machinations of your mind were quite tame, partly in due to the fact that you were at school.
>With about forty students seated around you.
>The teacher continues to ramble on as you let your mind wander...


>You are Sonata.
>And you did a very bad thing.
>You tried really super-duper hard not to show how bad you felt for what you did to Anon.
>You tried to tell yourself that it was just because you didn't want to lose him.
>Anon was the closest thing to an actual friend you had in so so long.
>He was so kind and nice to you. He made you feel tingly on the inside.
>You never wanted to take over the world with the other two. You wanted power so people would love you and be your friend.
>Whenever you wanted to do something fun with the girls, Aria would yell mean things at you and Adagio would be too busy trying to write songs.
>After your necklaces were destroyed, you didn't want to be friends with them any longer.
>So you helped a bunch of scary looking people take Adagio and Aria away.
>You frown as you recall the moment your necklaces were lost.
>After the Battle of the Bands with those lame-o Rainbooms, you felt much much weaker, but you still felt some magic in you.
>It wasn't much, but it was enough for one more spell.
>The spell probably wouldn't have worked if you sang, your throat hurt when you tried.
>Humming along to Anons music in the car seemed to do the trick.
>The moment you finished humming the song, you saw his eyes give off the telltale greenish hue.
>Adagio mentioned something about the magic working better singing along to songs.
>She talked about cat lists or whatever.
>But none of that mattered, you felt glad that Anon was yours and only yours. You wanted him all to yourself
>You couldn't help but feel like it was something Adagio, or even Aria, would approve of.
>The thought of their approval made your skin feel icky for some reason.
>You told yourself it was to make sure he wouldn't betray you. He was happy to be your friend and that was all that mattered.
>....Right?

END CHAPTER 3