A Birthday Party to Cure a Birthday

by StatiZkyZ

Chapter 4: The Morning, and Final Seconds before the Incident

A ray of sunlight fell on Blue's face, prompting him to get up from his slumber. He rubs his eyes and checked his alarm clock. It's six past twelve, three minutes before he's supposed to wake up.

"Beaten again, alarm." He chuckled to himself. Blue is a very on time pony, and he almost never overslept, no matter how tired he is. Almost all the time he wakes up before his alarm goes off, but he still keeps it by his side just in case. Turning the alarm clock off, he got off his bed to do his morning preparations for school.

As he exited his room, Blue ran onto his father who's passing by. The older stallion smiled and gives Blue a quick hug with one hoof around the shoulder.

"Happy birthday, son." He said.

"Eheheh, is this hug my birthday present?" Blue asked cheekily. He knows he's not a kid anymore, but for once, he'd like a real birthday present. His father simply chuckled at his rhetorical question.

"I thought you don't really care about your birthday, Blue?" Blue heard his mother talking from the kitchen. As Blue made his way towards the kitchen to get some breakfast, he can see his mother smiling to him.

"Unless I got an amazing gift or something." The pegasus laughed. Although he wanted it, he never expected to get any 'amazing' gifts for his birthday. It's just a wishful thought for him instead of a tradition to be showered by gifts during a birthday.

"You're such an honest pony." His mother laughed along. "Maybe your friends will buy you something."

"Or, you know, hanging out with friends isn't a bad idea for a birthday celebration." His father added.

"I'll see what they have in store for me." Blue smiled. It's very unlikely, but maybe his close friends do have something planned for him. He does have that kind of feeling last night...

Blue arrived at school slightly a bit late then usual, although it's not much, considering he's never late. It's quiet at school early in the morning as he enters his class, but it'll soon change.

Amongst the few students that already arrive early, for some reason, Lily Dew and Topaz Solid are already there. Usually, they, along with most students, don't arrive this early in the morning. Then, he realized that they're wearing orange scarfs. Not just them, the other classmates wears them too.

"Look who forgot to wear his class scarf, you darn kid." Topaz said. Damn, he forgot to bring it with him today! There's going to be a class photo shoot, and everypony agrees to wear their 'Class accessories' for the picture. In his class's case, Blue's classmates made orange matching scarfs to wear.

"Yeah, he doesn't listen to me, what are the odds he'll listen to anypony else?" Lily added.

Blue wordlessly made his way to his chair and sat. He screwed up by not bringing that scarf. It's still his fault for forgetting, but no doubt that plenty of salt will be poured into that wound. If this is what he gets dead in the morning, there's no telling what kind of torture he'll have to endure at the rest of the day.

As the first school bell is about to start, it became apparent that it seems Blue is the only one who forgot about the scarf. Note Books, who's also his classmate, noticed this and sat next to him.

"Hey, where's your scarf?" He asked.

"...I forgot about it." Blue admitted. "You'd think they'll buy it if I said that somepony borrowed it?"

"I don't think it'll save you..." Note Books said. He knows that Blue is a target for bullying, and he can tell that the pegasus is scared. As they were talking, they noticed somepony walking towards them. It's Ball Hoops, one of Topaz's cronies, and an annoyed looking Rocket Flare. Blue braces himself internally, things will get pretty ugly.

"Topaz told me you had the nerve to not wear your scarf, Blue." The red pegasus growled. Blue stayed silent, while Note Books uneasily looks at him.

"Hey, you better have a good explanation!" Rocket shoved his face up towards Blue, forcing eye contact.

"I... lent it to my cousin, he needed it." Blue lied, but that's the best story he can conjure.

"...You idiot! Why'd you do that? We told you since two days ago! Bring. The darn. Scarf!" Rocket tapped his hoof rather harshly at Blue's head after every word.

"Hey, Rocket. Calm down, you'll hurt him." Ball Hoops grabbed Rocket's shoulder gently. Although it seems that he's concerned, Blue can see the smile at the edge of his lips. He's just laughing along inside.

"Hmph, unless you manage to bring it before the photo shoot, You. Are. Dead. You got me?" Rocket taps his hoof on Blue's shoulder before going away with Ball Hoops. Blue shakily exhales as the ordeal is over, for now. Then, he felt Note Books's hoof on his own, he just remembered there's somepony sitting next to him.

"...Blue. You... must be strong." He said sternly. It's a rather unexpected reaction for Blue, because Note usually left him alone upon touching the subject of bullying. Maybe even Note is nearing his breaking point?

"I will... I must, or die trying." Blue said. He thinks that this year, his birthday will not be worth remembering.

It's the last school session before the recess, maths. The session would end in around ten minutes, but the teacher prepares four math problems on the board, and he also prepares four chalks to use.

"Before this session ends, I want four ponies to solve these problems." The stallion requested. "You, red mare, get on the first problem."

The red mare in question is Rose Thorn, who in a completely carefree way walks forwards and stared at the chalk writings. Meanwhile, the teacher pointed the pony for the third problem.

"How about you, Blue? Care to solve the second problem?"

Blue shrugged internally. It's never a choice for students to decline to solve a problem. Blue walked up to the board and studied the mathematical problem... Wait what?

"Focus Sight, you better be able to do the third problem."

What... is this? Despite Blue's memories, he's certain he hasn't been taught how to solve this kind of problem. He looked left and right to see the other problems, and he's sure he can do them IF he's not assigned to do this particular question! He'll just have to try something out...

"And... the last one. Royal Suit, care to step up?"

Blue turned around to see the pony that got the final question. Royal Suit is one of Topaz's friends, and compared to them, he's not stupid when it comes to lessons. Still, he's the least worst pony in the group, more likely targeting him because of peer pressure. He can hear Topaz and his friends giggling when one of them is choosen, very typical of them to treat a school lesson like a joke.

"H~ey, Blue. Ca~re to help me out?" Focus Sight asked. It is not forbidden to help out your friends when you're up front, but it may make you look more dumb in the teacher's eyes. At least Blue won't be the one getting the stare if he helped.

"Okay, but hold on... I'm trying to figure out mine." The pegasus informed.

Blue reanalyzed his problem once again... and still draws blank. Crap, he can only do one part of the solution, which he already did, but had no idea how to continue. Now he looked like a dumb horse staring at something he can't comprehend.

"Blue, h~elp me." Focus asked again. Blue looked at the problem Focus was assigned to. Oh, for crying out loud, he can't do that? Besides, Blue needs time to think, maybe something will help him while he's helping Focus.

"J-Just count the root equation, then... divide that by fourteen--"

"Wait, h~ow do you count this?"

"Wh... The root of-- Hey!"

A rubbing sound catches Blue's attention, and noticed an eraser covered in a red magic grip is making a mess of his writings. Rose is giggling like a foal before half ran towards her seat. Blue's not even sure if she'd finished her problem or did it correctly. Meanwhile, Royal Suit had already finished his, and Focus is thankfully able to do the rest of the solution himself. Now, he's the only one that haven't started thanks to that darn mare. He better finish his problem, and fast!

"You're welcome!" He can hear Rose giggling again from her seat. Dear Celestia if Blue had a spear right now...

Once again, Blue analyzed the math problem he'd given. All his knowledge summoned into his head, and... still nothing. This is, legit, something he haven't been taught before. Like last time, he can only do the first part of the solution, before stopping. He felt like a fool, even Focus had finished his problem. Blue started to sweat, there's not much time left...

*Riiiiiiiing*

Usually, the bell for recess is a godsend for all the students. But just this once, it's a sign of horror for Blue. While the rest of the class seems happy to get a break from the school lessons, Blue realized that he had failed to finish a task in time. It doesn't help that his teacher is next to him right now, looking at his answer in an unimpressed way.

"...Points for getting the first step right. But honestly, I expected you to be able to solve it, Blue." The stallion commented, before walking out from the room. That hurt. Blue is a student that's very rarely got scolded in any way, and he would like to keep it that way. In this particular case, it felt unfair. He's positive that he haven't been taught how to solve the problem. Defeated, Blue sulked back to his desk. Oh well, perhaps getting to meet his friends will cheer him up.

But of coarse, Lily Dew has another plan in mind.

Like usual, she'd brought Rose with him, but this time, Topaz and his gang are here too.

"See? When we say you're a dumb horse, you deny it. What happens now?" Lily fired the first shot.

"It's even dumber to erase the completely wrong side of the board." Blue hissed, glaring at Rose.

"Oh! If you're so smart, why can't you finish the answer, hm?" Rose countered. Damn, why she's only smart at things like this?

"And, if you're so smart, you should've brought the class scarf." Ball Hoops added.

"Yeah, that's right. Or did you do it on purpose?" Topaz accused. The ponies around Blue seems to be more unfriendly then usual.

"I bet he did!" Lily shoves her face to Blue's. "So, you think you can get away trying to abandon us? You will never survive without us!"

At this time, Blue imagines himself to be alone, all alone. That's his wish, and he tried hard to ignore any disturbance from the world. But it's hard, and the mental straining to do that somehow hurts. Or, probably it hurts because of the words thrown at him... No, he must be strong.

"As a stallion, you should be responsible for your actions! Go get that scarf already!" Rose went into the mix. "Or, are you not a stallion?"

Make it stop. Blue buried his head in his hooves, jamming his eyes shut.

"He's just a kid, he doesn't understand something like that." Topaz said.

"This is probably a good time to say 'Kids nowdays', eh?" Royal Suit chuckled with his group.

Blue's eye twitched. This is pure torture. He honestly don't know how long he can survive...

"Kids... Maybe his parents didn't treat and raise him properly too." Rocket said.

Twitch

"Yeah, if I were his mother, I'll be ashamed to have a son this careless and unresposible!" Lily said.

Twitch

"Heck, you think his parents love him?" Topaz said.

TWITCH

"Ah, he's probably an accident when his mom is having her way with another stallion!" Rose said.

TWITCH

A sob

"That makes sense, I guess." Topaz taps Blue's head, very slightly lifting his face. "Is that true, kid?"

Blue cannot hold it in anymore. He doesn't care if everypony around him can see and hear him now. The blue pegasus sobbed and cried openly. So many things he wished would happen. He wished he can shrink and vanish to somewhere else. He wished he can stop time to burn down the entire classroom. He wished airtight earplugs would cover his ears right now. But it's all just a wish. Real life comes down at him hard because of these horrible, horrible ponies surrounding him. Curse them, curse them for eternity. If one more thing happen to him--

"Happy birthday, Blue!"

From his blurred vision, Blue can see something brown on his desk, a chocolate cake. Everypony around him suddenly looked friendly as they exclaimed. They... They're... giving him a... birthday surprise?

SNAP

Author's Note:

Whoa, two chapters in one day?

Do you dare to guess what will happen next?