That Crushed Feeling

by MittenPatty

A Problem Revealed

Author's Note:

Hey guys! Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I started this chapter a while ago and I wanted to finish it, so here it is!
Enjoy!

December 5

I trotted alongside Applebloom on our way to Gym. The Earth pony is like a straight-A student in that class. You can probably guess why. We walked through the hallways with our saddle bags on our back.

"So Babs got a new crush yesterday." Applebloom exclaimed with a grin. I frowned.

"Yeah, so? She gets them all the time." The yellow mare beside me giggled.

"She told me not to tell you." she winked at me. I groaned in annoyance. I wasn't going to ask her who it was, no way. She would just keep her mouth shut until I give her a bit or something. We kept advancing towards the locker rooms, passing by other ponies who were heading off to class. We entered the body-smelling area and started to change into our uniforms. I hate this class.

I sat down in my seat, all covered sweat. Why do I have to have 3rd right after Gym? Other students poured into the classroom, along with Sweetie Belle. The white unicorn plopped in her chair next to me.

"Hi!" she chirped before reeling back in disgust. "Woah, you don't smell so hot." I sighed.

"What do you expect, I came from PE." I said gruffly. Suddenly, a sweet aroma was spritzed all over me.

"Hey, what are you doing?!" I coughed and waved away the scent. Sweetie smiled and held up a small bottle.

"It's the new perfume by Pony GaGa." she inhaled the smell deeply. I laughed.

"You're crazy." I joked. She shrugged and kept sniffing.

"Yeah, I am." The bell rang and Miss. Sparkle closed the door. She strode up to front of the classroom and tapped a hoof on the chalkboard.

"Alright everypony, please take out your worksheet from yesterday and work on problems 8 to 12." rustling echoed through the room as hooves got out their papers and started to scribble down answers. I got out my folder and removed the necessary pieces, before closing it and putting it away. I looked up to see Pop Rock levitating his pencil. It twirled around inside the magic bubble like a propeller, rotating at a respectable pace. I watched him as he did this, forgetting to pay attention to the lesson.

It was only when Miss. Sparkle called on me to answer the problem on the board that I actually stopped staring at him.

"Honey Dill, what did you get for this?" I blinked and looked away from him and turned my attention to the question. Oh crap, I didn't do any of them! I gulped and tried to do some quick mental math. 7 times 12 is- no that's not right...

Everyone was now watching me, waiting for my response. Even Sweetie Belle was looking at me intensely. The teacher tapped her hoof on the floor and raised an eyebrow. Everypony probably thinks I'm stupid, Which I'm not! I don't mean to brag, but I get straight A's in all of my Honors classes. Well, except for this one. I think I'm pulling a B.

I finally came up with the answer, hoping it was right.

"134?" The other student's eyes were directed to their own paper, checking I was right, or they were wrong. Miss. Sparkle shook her head.

"Nope. That's not it," she wrote a different number on the chalkboard. "Maybe if you were paying attention, you would know what it was." I hung my head in embarrassment. That was horrible! I made myself look like a complete idiot!

"Psst," I looked up and saw Pop Rock grinning at me. He chuckled. "I got that answer too." I smiled graciously and laughed softly.

"I guess neither of us are that smart." Why did I say that. He cocked his head and made a stupid face, like he was actually an idiot. I couldn't hold in a giggle when he got cross-eyed.

"What are you doing?" The teacher scolded us for talking, and we both brought our attention back to the lesson. I curled my lips inwards and sat awkwardly as ponies glared at me. I didn't care.

Pop Rock kept casting glances at me, and whenever I noticed it he would start making dumb faces again. It was pretty funny, considering the amount of times he was yelled at.

I thought Miss. Sparkle was about to snap, when the bell rang. The students cheered and poured out the door, leaving Sweetie, Pop Rock and I alone. Excluding the teacher of course.

I grabbed my things and started towards him, only to be stopped by Sweetie Belle grabbing my arm.

"Come, on!" she pulled me away from my crush. "It's time for lunch!"

I sat at our usual spot, waiting for my friends to arrive. Each day we have different lunch times, and today I was eating with Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, Babs Seed, and Twist.

I had already begun to chow down, munching on a carrot. I kept my eyes trained on the entrance, waiting for HIM to come in. I planned to wave at him, or maybe even invite him to sit with us.

Pop Rock arrived alone, which formed a lump of guilt and anger in my stomach. Why did Sweetie Belle pull me away, I really wanted to talk to him. The stallion was still recovering from the death of his brother, and didn't want his friends harassing him like they usually did. They weren't mean, they were just being y'know. Boys. I swallowed the lump in my throat and raised my arm to wave.

"WASSUUUUP!" Babs Seed screamed in my ear, causing me jump with a squeal. I folded my ears down and blushed, as everyone was staring at us. I shoved the laughing Earth pony away, and tried to spot him again. It was no use, he was already in the lunch line. I turned and glared at Babs, who had taken a seat next to me. She gave me a toothy grin. Honey Dill is not amused.

"Dude, come on!" I groaned, annoyed. "That was my chance with him!" I pointed to the long line of ponies buying their food. Pop Rock was almost completely hidden from view, but that didn't stop Babs from catching a glimpse of him. She straightened her back and blushed, twirling her hair in her hoof. I raised an eyebrow.

"What. " I asked flatly. The mare next to me flinched and took a deep breath, averting her gaze from mine.

"I didn't want you to find out," She whispered. "I told Applebloom, which was a bad idea considering she's related to the Element of Honesty." She chuckled.

"I guess I am too, but I'm not really living up to it." I was utterly confused. Oh, no. She better not be-

She sighed and hung her head.

"I-I like him too," she said softly and looked up at me in shame. "I'm sorry, Dill, I just-" I didn't hear the last part. I didn't WANT to hear the last part. I was already galloping out the cafeteria door, tears threatening to fall. I raced down the hall, Babs calling my name behind me. How could she? I thought she liked someone else...

I thought she was my friend ...