Back at school the next day, the whole classroom was enveloped with red and pink, paper hearts from top to bottom. As I walked towards my desk, from left to right, I saw colts and fillies giving each other little paper hearts with sappy messages or heart shaped candy that tasted like powder.
When I sat down, I saw Rumble and Button give Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle some paper hearts, and they in turn received kisses to the cheek. After that, they then turned their attention towards me and sat next to me. "I take it Sweetie and Scootaloo loved what you gave them?"
"Yeah, they're pretty easy to please on Hearts and Hooves Day." Said Button.
"Where's Pecan?"
"Couldn't make it," said Rumble. "He's over at Sweet Apple Acres helping Apple Bloom with some chores; which gives you plenty of time to win her heart."
"So how are ya gonna do it?" Button wondered.
Before I could even write down anything, I was about to come face to face with the one pony I thought I'd never had to see again. "Well, well, if it isn't my old friend, Clopper. I presume that your colleagues had sent you my regards?"
While my face was saying "Sweet Celestia, not you again!" Rumble was the first to--actually--respond. "Hey I know you, you're that snooty rich kid that we met at Canterlot."
"Yes, and you're the dimwit who cast that lovely jewel aside for some tomcolt." He pointed to Diamond Tiara--who in turn had blown him a kiss.
Button leaned to me and asked, "Sheldon, just who is this guy?"
I then written down a full description. "That's my most obnoxious rival, Highbrow Canterster."
Highbrow then tried to make himself look like the good guy. "Now Sheldon, is that anyway for you to be speaking about your own buddy?"
"You and I were never buddies!" I erased that statement and written a strong point. "Also, since when did you started to call me by my actual name?"
"You mean he didn't call you Sheldon?" Button asked.
"Before I got my Cutie Mark, he'd always refer to me as 'Blankius Flankicus'." I erased that bit of information and written another. "And when it's not about my Cutie Mark, he'd like to take the 'C' out of my last name and replace it with an 'F'."
"Flopper?" Rumble said in confusion. "Why would he call you that?"
"Because back then, I wasn't exactly the top student in the class. That is until the day when I beaten him at a bet." I then erased that sentence and written down the whole story. "I bet that I could make a higher score than him; and when I did, he had to eat his own uniform."
Button and Rumble were both bursting in laughter after reading that. "You actually ate your own uniform?!" Rumble asked Highbrow.
"How did it taste?!" Button jokingly asked.
"Yes, yes, get it all out of your systems," Highbrow said. "Listen Clopper, I didn't talk my father into having us move to this dump-heap of a town just to continue our petty little rivalry. I came here for one reason, and she's sitting over there. Now if you'll excuse me, my lady is waiting for me."
He then went towards Diamond and kissed her hoof. "Oh Highbrow, I didn't think you'd make it."
"Like I wouldn't see my special somepony on Hearts and Hooves Day; speaking of which." He then used his magic to bring in a big paper heart with Diamonds on it. And Diamond wrapped him in his hooves and started to smother him in kisses.
As we were watching this, Rumble said, "Gees, it's almost as if Diamond's dating herself."
"Or maybe Highbrow's dating himself."
...
During lunch, we each sat at a table together as we had the misfortune of watching Highbrow and Diamond feed each other and rub muzzles together. When Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo came to sit with us, Sweetie said, "Have you guys noticed anything weird about Diamond?"
"You mean other than the fact that she's probably dating a filly who's possibly trying to look like a colt?" said Rumble.
After we both gave each other a hoofbump, Scootaloo then pointed out, "Normally when we walk past her, she'd start calling us names at this point; and now it seems that she doesn't know we exist."
"Probably because she's too busy rubbing muzzles with her boyfriend." Button suggested.
This caused Sweetie to say to me, "Speaking of which, are you planning on confessing your love to Apple Bloom?"
I put the sandwich I was eating down so I could write my answer. "I'll tell her after school."
Sweetie was squealing with excitement while Scootaloo was appearing to doubt it. "And just how do ya plan on doing that, Casanova?"
"I'll just head over to your clubhouse and tell her myself."
"So basically you're just gonna walk up to her and say, 'I think you're beautiful, now kiss me'?"
"When she yelled at me, she mentioned something about me not telling her myself." I erased that sentence, "So I figure if I were to actually tell her how I feel, then she might believe it."
Rumble then commented, "Yeah Sheldon, I don't really think that the direct approach might be the best option."
"It's either that or do nothing for the rest of my life."
"Fine, if you want to be direct with her, then by all means."
...
Around the time school had finally ended, Apple Bloom and Pecan were both relaxing in the clubhouse after finishing all those chores. "Thanks fer helpin' me out today, Pecan."
"What are friends fer? besides, I didn't really have much purpose ta go ta school today anyway."
"I know that ya didn't want ta be the only one without a special somepony, but you ain't the only one."
"That ain't true, ya got Sheldon."
"Not yet I don't. Just because I said I'd give him a chance, doesn't mean I'd automatically be his girlfriend just like that."
"Well what is it you want him ta do? just come in and sweep you in his hooves?"
As soon as he said that, that's when Sweetie and Scootaloo came bursting in. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh! Apple Bloom, you're not gonna believe this!" Sweetie Belle was blurting in excitement.
"Believe what?" asked Apple Bloom.
"Sheldon's got something he wants to tell you!" said Sweetie.
"Well where is he?"
"He's at his place, getting himself ready." Sweetie turned to Pecan. "So Pecan, why don't you go get him for us?" when he left, Sweetie turned back to Apple Bloom. "And while he's off getting Sheldon, we better get you prepared as well."
Back at my house, I was in my room with Rumble and Button Mash as they each tried to make me look dashing for Apple Bloom. Rumble had some hair gel that he took from his brother and said, "My bro puts this stuff in his hair all the time, and all the mares would swoon over him."
"Is covering my mane in gel really that necessary?"
"Sure it is; that fancy Canterlot hair of yours is good, but it can be better."
"He doesn't need any of that gel," said Button, "all he needs is a mustache."
The second he whipped that fake mustache out, I immediately wrote down, "I am not wearing that."
"Come on Sheldon, it worked for Sweetie Belle."
"Well I'm not trying to woo Sweetie Belle, am I?"
"Fine, but at least put on some of this cologne."
"Isn't that strawberry scented?"
"Yeah, so what?"
"Wouldn't Apple Bloom prefer something that smelled like apples?"
While Button was cursing himself for an idiot, that's when Pecan came in. "Hey Sheldon, you ready ta get yerself a girlfriend?" I nodded. "Then let's get goin'."
Back at the clubhouse, Apple Bloom was in the process of what girls like to call: a makeover. Scootaloo had taken her bow off from her head and replaced it with one that had little gems embedded on it. "Scootaloo, don't you think this might be a bit excessive?" said Apple Bloom.
Scootaloo just told her, "Don't be ridiculous. When Sheldon comes in and sees you in that bow, he'll be dazzled."
That's when Sweetie Belle started to spray some perfume on her. "Sweetie Belle, what the hay are ya doin'?!"
"Just spraying some perfume on you," said Sweetie, "Rarity sprays it when she's about to meet a stallion."
"Well it ain't a stallion that I'm waitin' fer," said Apple Bloom, "it's a silent colt who better get here if he ever expects me ta consider datin' him."
"Now Apple Bloom, don't be so hard on Sheldon." Said Sweetie. "He'd said he'll come, and that's what he'll do." Boy does she have perfect timing or what? because as soon she said that, I was standing next to the door, being entranced by Apple Bloom--again. As we were staring at each other, Sweetie Belle said, "Well, I guess we better leave you two lovebirds alone."
As soon as they were gone, I got closer to Apple Bloom. Not wanting things to be awkward, I decided to start things with a compliment. "That's a nice bow you got."
"Thanks, somepony at school made this fer me; but I don't really wear it that much. So...ya got somethin' you wanna tell me?"
Since I couldn't actually tell her, I just handed her a little paper heart that I made for her. She looked at it and let out a giggle when she read the message: you leave me speechless. (You know, because I don't have a voice.) But when she looked back up, she was really surprised when she saw a message on my chalkboard that reads, "I love you."
When she read it, her cheeks started to turn red and her inner voice was saying, "My gosh, maybe he really does have a crush on me. And ta think that I was such a jerk ta him before." She then opened her mouth and said, "Sheldon, I'm sorry fer what I said ta ya three days ago. I guess I just assumed that because you were around Diamond and Silver that you were just like 'em. And yet even after all those horrible things I said ta ya, you still chose ta be nice ta me. Why?"
"Just because you hated me, doesn't mean I had to hate you."
"Applejack's right, I really am seein' him differently. I thought he was some obnoxious pest, but he's actually sincere and sweet. Maybe this whole boyfriend business doesn't seem so bad after all." That was when she saw the others watching us from some window. "I think we're bein' watched."
I turned around and saw them quickly duck down while whispering very loudly. Seeing as how I'm getting closer to the grand finale, I wrote on my board, "You think we should give them what they want?"
A playful smile formed on her face as she said, "Might as well."
As we were preparing ourselves for what might be our first kiss, Sweetie Belle was really eager to see it. "They're closing their eyes, their lips are puckering, they're leaning closer, and closer, and closer, and..." as soon as our lips had touched each other, Sweetie Belle jumped up and shouted, "YES!"
When our lips departed, we both had a warm sensation through our bodies. As we were both just staring at each other dreamily, Apple Bloom suggested, "I heard they're givin' away free milkshakes over at Sugarcube Corner. Wanna join?" and so we both nuzzled each other as we walked out as boyfriend and girlfriend.
While we were leaving, Sweetie Belle was celebrating, "We did it guys, we got them together!"
"Yeah, now let's see if we got our Cutie Marks!" cried Scootaloo. But they were all disappointed when they saw that they were all blank.
"Aw man, that must be a real bummer for all of you; especially after all of the hard work you all put into bringing those two together." Rumble attempted to offer his sympathy to his fellow Blank Flanks.
"It wasn't just fer nothin'," said Pecan, "we got our friend ta be with the pony he loves."
As they kept watching us, Rumble said, "I bet they last until three months."
And to that, Button said, "You're on." And boy were those two in for a surprise.