"Momma?" Dinky called into the house as she got home from school. "Um, if it's alright with you can I, um...invite a pony or two over for, um, Hearths Warming Eve?"
She heard a crashing from upstairs. "What was that Little Muffin?"
"Can I invite some of my friends over for Hearths Warming Eve?" Dinky yelled.
"Of course you can!" Dinky's mother flew down from upstairs. "I would love to meet your friends!"
"Um...is it okay if they're...colts?" Dinky asked sheepishly.
"Really? Yippee! Doctor, Dinky might bring a colt home!" Derpy called.
"No...maybe? Oh, stop mom!" The purple filly ran upstairs to her room, hiding her face in shame. "Oh, dear! Now everypony will know! What am I gonna do?" she worried as she plopped onto her bed.
Dinky felt something hard under her head. "Oh, right! The journal!" She used her magic to bring her journal out and flip it to the first page. There was some writing on the page. It said:
Step one: Ask parents if I can bring a colt.
Step two: Get them out of the house.
Step three: Experiment and see what happens.
"Well...step one is done, so I had better check it off..." Dinky checked it off with a blue pen.
"Hey, sis! I hear that you're bringing a coltfriend over!" a voice from the doorway called.
"Go away Amethyst!"
"Nah, I'm gonna come in," she replied, closing the door as she sat on the bed across from Dinky.
"What do you want?"
"What's this?" Amethyst asked, grabbing the journal. "The hopefully Scientific Guide to Possible Crushes? Do you have a crush?"
"Maybe!"
"Well...since you might be bringing one over, I can get rid of Mom and Dad...they can be really annoying...and...embarrassing!" Amethyst blushed, obviously having some awful memories.
"Really? You would do that? Could you leave, too?"
"No...I would have to stay and 'foalsit' you...but I wouldn't get in your mane like Mom would."
"Thank-you! Thank-you! Thank-you!" Dinky cried, jumping around Amethyst like crazy.
"Easy! Don't hurt yourself!"
Dinky flopped onto her bed. "Will you...help me?" she asked sheepishly.
"With what?"
"My book! I'm going to write down my experience and try to publish it...is that a good idea?"
"Very ambitious...but smart! I will help you when I get a chance...is that okay?" Amethyst decided.
"Yeah! Amazing!"
"Alright...let's get some dinner and I can talk to our parents after to get them to leave you and this mystery colt," Amethyst told her little sister gently.
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
"Dinky!" Pipsqueak called across the frozen playground of the school.
"Hey, Pip!" she called back, smiling despite herself.
"How are you?"
"I'm good...I wanted to ask you if you wanted to...um...come to my house for a sleepover this Hearth's Warming Eve?"
"Of course! I would love that! I know that my parents would agree...should we meet here tomorrow?" he asked, nearly bouncing with excitement.
"Sure! Sounds great!"
"Alright class! Please come in for the last day of school!" Cheerilee yelled from inside the doorway of her classroom.
Dinky could hardly focus during class that day; her mind was busy trying to decide what to do during the sleepover. At 12:15 the bell rang, signifying a half-day.
"Have a great Hearth's Warming my little ponies! Stay safe!" Cheerilee called as her students packed up.
Once everypony left, Cheerilee couldn't help but laugh. "Dinky is making it quite obvious that she has a crush...but does she know that? Hm...I wonder."
~~~
When Dinky got home she met Amethyst Star in the doorway. "Go put your stuff down, sis! We have some decorating to do!" she said, smiling.
"Alright!" Dinky put her saddlebag upstairs via magic and went into the living room. A fire was crackling in the pit and a tree sat in the corner, waiting to be decorated.
"Dinky, are you ready to put ornaments on the tree?"
"Oh, yeah!"
"Then let's get started!"
The two sisters laughed as they started putting ornaments on the pine tree with their magic. This was the tradition: the kids put the ornaments and the adults put the star and lights up. Thirty minutes later they were all done.
"What a pretty tree! We actually managed to mix up the colors this time!" Dinky yelled as she remembered that the tree last year looked like Rainbow Dash's mane.
"Last year we had supervision," Amethyst added.
"Thanks, sis...for everything!" Dinky replied as she tackled her big sister in a hug.
"No prob! I like being a big sister...way better than having foals of your own!"
"Tomorrow I'm going to pick Pipsqueak up at school...is that okay?" Dinky asked, a little bit worried that it wouldn't be.
"That's fine! Mom and Dad are already at the hotel that I found for them, so anything is good!"
"Woo-hoo!"
~~~ ~~~
The next day Dinky galloped to the school grounds at 7:30. The sky was gray and every once in a while a snowflake fell onto the ground. As soon as she stopped running the cold penetrated her fur. Dinky saw Pipsqueak standing by the grassy spot where she and her friends always ate lunch.
"Dinky! You're here!" he called, rushing over to the purple filly. "I've been waiting for half an hour! I'm starting to feel really cold...wanna run home?"
"Sure! Last pony there is a melted snowman!" Dinky laughed, rushing ahead. She was surprised by how fast Pip was for his small thin legs. After half a mile they got tired and stopped.
"I'm glad that you needed to slow down...I can't run anymore!" Pip told his companion.
"I know, right? I was afraid that I would be left behind..."
"I wouldn't have left you behind!"
"Thanks...that means a lot to me!"
"No problem...is that your house?" Pipsqueak asked, pointing at a cute little one-story next-door to hers.
"Um...actually the two-story next to it is..."
"That's adorable! I like it even more!" he exclaimed.
"Really? Do you mean that?" Dinky asked.
"Definitely!"
"Well...come on in! My sister is home...but my parents are out...is that okay?"
"Absolutely! Do you have hot coco?" Pipsqueak asked, his voice yearning.
"Yes! We have tons of hot coco!" Dinky replied as they walked inside. The house smelled like fresh baked cookies and pine trees.
"Hello Dinky! Would you care to introduce me to your lovely friend here?" Amethyst asked as she trotted out of the kitchen.
"Oh...um...Amethyst, this is Pipsqueak! Pipsqueak, this is my sister, Amethyst Star!"
"Pleasure to meet ya, miss!" Pip exclaimed as he offered his hoof.
"The pleasure is all mine." Amethyst took his hoof and shook it gently. "Dinner's in the oven, I'll call you down when it's done...probably ten, fifteen minutes tops."
"Okay!" Dinky called as they raced up the stairs. "That's the bathroom, that's my sisters room, that's the guest room, and that's my room!" Dinky stopped outside of a purple door. "Are ya ready?"
"Let's go!" Pip responded, rushing into the room. "Wow..."
"Is it okay?" Dinky asked, feeling nervous.
"It's AMAZING!" he called, looking around the room in wonder. "It's huge!"
"Um...really? I'm glad that you approve!" Dinky felt a huge weight leave her chest.
"Are we going to sleep here?"
"No...in the guest room with sleeping bags and a tent! It'll be camping, but inside!"
"Amazing! I can't wait!" Pip said as he plopped onto her bed. "Thanks for inviting me over...it would've been boring without coming here."
Dinky felt her heart flutter as he said that. "We...we also have presents...for you," she whispered, embarrassed by his thanks.
"Dinner!" Amethyst called from downstairs.
"Coming!" the two friends called in unison. They walked down the stairs, casting furtive glances along the way.
When they got to the dining room they saw cucumber and daisy sandwiches on freshly baked four-grain bread. There was a side of cranberries in a really nice china bowl. The chocolate-chip cookies were sitting in the middle.
"Save the cookies for last...at least try to! I know that you might need one...but save the rest for later when we open the gifts!" Amethyst told them as she lit a couple of candles. "Tell me when you're done! We can open presents, get the tent ready, then bed!" Amethyst Star left the room humming.
"Thanks, sis!"
"Thanks, miss!"
They sat down at either end of the table, trying desperately to act proper. They succeeded for about a minute until they met eyes and burst out laughing.
"Well...that lasted for a minute!" Dinky laughed as she levitated her sandwich into her mouth.
"Longer than I thought!" Pip added as he put some cranberries into his mouth.
They ate in silence, both giggling randomly as they looked at each other. They finished at the same time, Pipsqueak eating twice as much as Dinky did.
"Amethyst! May we open presents now?" Dinky asked as she walked into the living room.
Amethyst stood there, milk and cookies on the table in front of her. "Of course! Let's begin!"
Amethyst Star, Pipsqueak, and Dinky all sat around the pine tree. Dinky handed Pipsqueak a bag. "Open it!"
Pip gingerly brought the tissue paper out of the bag. Something heavy fell out and thumped onto the floor. "A HOOK!" he yelled, putting it on. "I have an authentic pirate hook!"
"I'm glad that you like it!" Dinky replied, smiling. Pipsqueak came over and hugged her. The purple filly felt light-headed and her cheeks grew red.
"Alright you two...next present!" Amethyst gave Dinky a small box. She used her magic to pull at the strings and remove the tape.
"IT'S A MAGIC BOOK!" Dinky jumped around the room, opening the book. "IT'S BY PRINCESS TWILIGHT SPARKLE!"
"Wow...I never knew that she was obsessed with magic," Pip thought aloud.
"My sister wants to get better...her special talent is supposed to be magic but she isn't that good yet," Amethyst replied. "Sis! Are you done yet?"
"Sorry!" Dinky ran back to the triangle of ponies.
"Guys...I feel guilty! I don't have anything for you!" Pipsqueak whined, feeling just a little bit sad.
"No, no! This is our pleasure! Please don't feel bad...this is all for you!" Amethyst comforted.
"Are ya sure?" Pip asked.
"Of course we are!" Dinky added.
"Alright! Let's get the tent set up!" Pip decided, rushing up the stairs. As soon as Dinky saw where he was going she raced after him.
"Was I ever that energetic?" Amethyst Star asked herself as she walked up the stairs. "I highly doubt it..."
"Sis! It's up already! We did it!" the pink mare was surprised when she saw a tent filled with sleeping bags, blankets, and pillows in the middle of the room.
"Good job! Go get ready for bed and go to sleep! It's important that even though this is a sleepover you still get your sleep...just btw Mom made me say that," Amethyst recited.
"Okay, Amethyst!" Pip replied, smiling.
After minutes of teeth brushing and mane combing the two young ones were ready for bed.
"Goodnight Dinky!" Pip whispered as Amethyst turned the lights off.
"Goodnight Pip," Dinky yawned.
~~~ ~~~~
Pipsqueak left at ten-thirty the next morning.
"Thank-you guys so much for having me over! I had a wonderful time!" Pip told them as they walked him back to the school playground.
"Thank-you for coming over! We should do this more often!" Dinky responded. Pip nodded in agreement.
Dinky watched Pipsqueak walk towards his house until she could no longer see him then walked home.