//------------------------------//
// The Tutor 
// Story: One Plus One 
// by Featherpen Lullaby 
//------------------------------//

	“Button!” Button Mash winced as his mother’s voice rang out through the house; he knew what was coming.
“Coming Mom.” He trotted into the kitchen where his mother was sitting at the table with the folder that held his doom; his ears went back.
“I’m guessing you know why we’re having this talk.” The mare asked.
“I’m just gonna’ take a wild guess, my grades, right?” Button asked, hoping against reason that the answer would be ‘no’. No such luck.
“I’m afraid so, they’ve been really bad lately. I think you need help, I’ve spoken to Cheerilee and she suggested a tutor for you.
“But Moooom! I hate having tutors, remember the last one?” Button groaned, playing his trump card. The last tutor had left after two sessions, as far as Button knew he was living as a hermit in the mountains, far away from civilization.
“Well, this tutor is different, she’s a student like you. Cheerilee suggested her, she has a very good track record and she only charges five bits an hour.” Milky Sweet said, obviously proud of the find.
Button groaned; his mum always undermined him no matter what. Why did she have to be so good at being a mother? Then again, he did love her and she always knew exactly how to cheer him up and she made the best food, her packed lunches were the envy of the school.
“Button? What do you think?” Milky asked looking at him.
“Sure, whatever.” Button said, defeated. “Can I go?”
“Sure!” Milky smiled at him. “Oh and Button? Be nice to her when she comes.”
“Sure, okay, I will.” Button said, already halfway up the stairs and not really listening.

“Why do I need to get good grades anyway?” Button yelled at the wall, now in the safety of his room.
“So you can get a good job and live a good life.” A little voice in the back of his mind answered.
“Shut up.” Button told it. 
He grabbed a controller and powered up the game, maybe playing Super Smash Colts would take his mind off the looming demon. As the game loaded he wondered who the tutor was, maybe it was Ruby Pinch, she was smart, wasn’t she? Or maybe it was Dinky Doo? He racked his mind for any other fillies who fit the description, she could be in one of the other classes, in which case he wouldn’t know her. She was probably an annoying know-it-all type filly.
His thoughts were cut short by the familiar music that heralded the beginning of the game, his head snapped up and he snatched the controller off the floor, soon all thoughts of the tutor and the imminent meeting were washed away.

Milky Sweet loved her son; she really did, but his obsession with video games, though completely understandable to her as she had been a gamer herself, was frustrating. He put games over his schoolwork and made her into some kind of bad guy for telling him stop. She only wanted what was best for him, why couldn’t he see that?
That aside, hopefully the new tutor would be helpful, Cheerilee had said she was a very bright little filly. Which reminded her, she still needed to call and ask about scheduling, grabbing the phone she quickly dialed the number Cheerilee had given her.
“Hello? It’s Milky Sweet, Button’s mom.
“...”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“...”
“Does Tuesday work? I know it’s short notice.”
“...”
“Great! We’ll see you then!”
“...”
“You too.”
Milky put down the phone, smiling at having completed her quest for a tutor; she would fix Button’s grades if it killed her. With luck Button wouldn’t blow it this time, she didn’t want to have to deal with therapy bills again.

The weekend passed uneventfully as did Monday, by the time Tuesday rolled around Button had lost what little hope he’d had that something would prevent the coming afternoon. 
Button trudged home on Tuesday, ears flat, head down. Grabbing a juice box he ran straight to his room and started playing, losing himself in the world of daring quests and brave heroes.
All too soon the doorbell rang, and remembering his promise to his mum, Button ran downstairs to answer it, a cruel irony that he should usher in the beast of his nightmares. 
But the filly who stepped through the door was no monster, all of Button’s images of an ugly filly with drab braids and dorky glasses were dispelled. 	
The filly was a vision of beauty; her two-tone mane looked soft as clouds and her coat was a pure, shining white. She shook out her pink and purple mane in slow motion and Button swore he could hear angels singing. 
His mouth hung open and though he tried to greet her no sound came out.
“Hello.” She had a voice like heavenly bells. “I’m Sweetie Belle. I take it your Button Mash, correct?”
“Umm, Yeah! I’m Button Mash! That’s me alright!” Button said awkwardly.
The filly giggled. “Nice to meet you Button Mash.” 
“Oh um it’s err my pleasure!” Button stammered out.
“Well shall we get to work?” She asked.
“Sure.” He said staring at her, how was it possible to have such a beautiful tail?
“Umm Button, are you coming?” She asked. 
He realized that he had been staring at her and she was already halfway to the kitchen. Wiping some drool from his mouth he followed.
“Why don’t you go get your homework and we can take a look at it together.” She smiled.
“Together…” He sighed imagining the two of them cuddling. “What, oh homework right!” He said realizing that once again he’d zoned off, she must think he was an idiot.
He raced upstairs leaving Sweetie Belle wondering about his behavior.

“So, why don’t you start on your homework and then we can take a look at it after you’ve finished.” Sweetie said, shuffling her papers and setting them down.
“Aren’t you supposed to be tutoring me? Like teaching me new stuff?” Button asked, still looking dreamily at Sweetie Belle.
“Well, I find that it's more efficient to get homework done, then address problems as they come up.” Sweetie said briskly and Button got the feeling that this wasn’t her first time explaining.
“Oh, yeah, I guess that makes sense.” He smiled at her, and to his delight she smiled back, a beautiful smile that lit up the whole room and induced the heavenly choir to burst out in song once more.
“So, lets get to work.” Sweetie said and promptly began her work.
“Yeah, sure. Anything you say.” Button said before turning to the task at hoof and tried to concentrate on his work, a task easier said than done.
He couldn’t help peeking over at her every few seconds, noticing how her mane fell perfectly over her neck or how she stuck her tongue out as she worked. 
“Button?” That heavenly voice broke through his trance bringing back to reality.
“Yes?” He asked; having a feeling that what she was about to say wasn’t good.
“I think a problem has come up.”
And there it was, maybe his special talent was predicting bad things right before they happened to him.
“You’re a very slow worker and you lose focus easily, that’s something we’re going to need to fix.” She said, her tone was serious but he still had to suppress a smile at how cute she was.
“Okay. Umm, how?”
“You like video games right?” She asked.
“Well yeah, but I don’t see how that has anything to do with homework.” He responded, the question seemed kind of random but she knew what she was doing, probably.
“What if you imagine that the math problems are quests you need to complete?” Sweetie suggested.
“So, when I solve one it’s like defeating a monster?” He asked, intrigued by this new idea.
“Exactly! Then when you finish it’s like you’ve saved the princess or found the treasure.” Sweetie said, excited that he was showing interest in her tactic.
“That sounds kind of cool, it’s worth a try.” Button said and, for the first time, he started work voluntarily, imagining himself as a brave warrior who battled evil creatures to save the beautiful Princess Sweetie Belle.
He didn’t look up until the last problem was complete, or in his mind the princess had been rescued from the villain’s evil clutches.
“Wow Button, I’m impressed, you finished those problems off pretty quickly.” Sweetie said, smiling as she checked his work. “You also got almost all the problems correct, good work.”
Button grinned at the praise, a slight blush forming on his cheeks. “I couldn’t have done it if you hadn’t helped me.” He said; it’s very important for heroes to stay modest.
“How about we move onto the essay?” Sweetie suggested, without waiting for an answer she continued on. “Now, essays are difficult and boring, that’s a fact, but you can reduce both of those factors if you are passionate about the topic of the essay. Tonight we have to choose a famous pony from Magical Technological Revolution period to write our essays on; I’m doing the pony who first invented the sewing machine. Who are you thinking of doing?” 
“Umm, Charlemane.” Button said, he was getting that feeling again.
“Button! Charlemane isn’t even near that time period, he can’t be your essay topic.” Sweetie reprimanded, her nose scrunched up in the worlds most adorable frown.
“Cheerilee mentioned him when she was talking about the assignment so I chose him.” Button shrugged, he’d been preoccupied with other things.
“You obviously weren’t listening very well, she used Charlemane as an example of a bad essay topic.” The little unicorn gave an exasperated sigh.
“So, what happened in the Magical Technological Revolution?” Button asked.
“Well that was the time period when ponies first began to use magic and technology together as the name suggests, many of the household items we use today were invented then.” Sweetie Belle said, sounding remarkably like Twilight.
“So, stuff like video games?” Her companion mused, an idea beginning to form.
“Maybe.” Sweetie said, she wasn’t particularly knowledgeable in that particular field.
“So I could do the pony who invented games, now that I think about I think that it was mentioned in a book I read.” The brown colt said, trying to recall the title of the book.
“Great! You know what, Button? I think you’re a smart pony and could be a great student, you just need to apply yourself.” Sweetie praised.
Button could feel another blush beginning to form on his face at her approval. 
“Thanks, and, um Sweetie?” Button stammered as the unicorn packed her bag.
“Yeah?” She asked, turning towards him and gazing at him with those gorgeous green eyes.
“Do you want to come to Sugar Cube Corner with me on Saturday?” The words seemed to tumble out before he could stop them.
“Are you asking me out on a date?” Sweetie Belle said, one eyebrow raised, an impressive feat considering she didn’t have eyebrows.
“I guess so.” Button’s eyes didn’t leave Sweetie’s oh-so-perfect white hooves.
“Sure, I’ll see you then.” She said as she walked out.
“I just asked out the most beautiful mare in the world.” Button said to himself, a big grin spreading across his features.