Button Mash woke up from the sunlight coming through his window and into his eyes. Squinting and blinking, he got up and stretched out his muscles with a loud yawn. Quickly, he remembered his celebrity guest that slept over for the night. He shoved his hooves over his mouth, in hopes that he did not wake up Sweetie Belle. He looked to his bed to check on her, but found that she was missing and that the bed was made. His first thought was that she had already left. He wasn't surprised as he believed that this was how a celebrity would be, but he was also hurt that she didn't at least give him a goodbye.
Button made way downstairs, but his mind was distracted. He sniffed around the air and thought to himself, "Is something burning?" He opened the door and noticed there was light clouds of smoke. Now fully awake, he rushed down the steps to find the source of the smoke. He began to hear coughing as he drew closer to the kitchen. When he made it, he saw Sweetie Belle over his stove struggling with a pan. She used her magic to place it in the sink and turn the water on. The water splashed on the pan with a light sizzle. Button ran to the nearest windows to let out the burnt smell and smoke.
"Sweetie Belle! What's going on?" Button Mash asked as he coughed and gasped for air.
"I'm sorry," Sweetie Belle apologized between coughs, "I wanted to thank you by making you breakfast. But...I guess my cooking skills never got better."
As most of the smoke cleared away, Button saw Sweetie's mane to be a mess. Plus, her fur was covered in black patches. He walked over to the sink to see the damage.
"I really appreciate it Sweetie. Umm... this oatmeal doesn't look too bad." Button tried to cheer up Sweetie Belle with a smile.
"...Those are eggs..." Sweetie said in a depressed tone.
"Eggs!?!" Button thought loudly to himself. "Oh, umm... it looks delicious?"
"It's okay Button, I know I'm a bad cook."
"No no, you just need to umm... uh..." In Button's mind, this is why many mares and fillies think that all colts and stallions are idiots. As he tried to think of what to say, he offered a suggestion. "Hey Sweetie, why don't you get yourself cleaned up? The bathroom is upstairs next to the bedroom. There should be a clean towel on the rack. I uh... don't think I have any shampoo or body wash that you would use though."
Sweetie looked over herself, "A shower does sound like a good idea. I actually have travel size soap in my saddle bag. Thanks Button. Sorry about your kitchen."
"Don't worry about it. I will get things cleaned up here." Button gave her a smile as she left the kitchen. Button then turned his attention to his surroundings; he saw a pan in the sink, eggshells on the counter, and more food that Sweetie Belle planned to prepare. He thought to himself, "Okay... where to start..."
***
Sweetie Belle exited the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her head. As she made her way to the kitchen, she was still able to smell the smoke of her burnt eggs in the air. Just thinking about it brought much embarrassment to her. However, she noticed that the smell was mixed with something else; the smell of something good. In the kitchen, she looked at Button Mash still setting up the kitchen table. To the kitchen counter near the stove, she spotted two plates with cooked scrambled eggs and crispy hay on the side. Next to the plates were small bowls with fruit. Although it was simple, it looked more appetizing than what she had created earlier.
"Oh hi Sweetie, I'm almost done setting up the-," before Button could finish, the plates and utensils levitated to the table. Button ducked from the flying plates of food and points of forks. Sweetie Belle chuckled at Button's jaw dropping reaction to the neatly prepared table. Although, it seemed overly done as the set up could be compared to something out of the book of "Etiquette." There were more forks and spoons needed for a small breakfast. Also, for each pony, there was one coffee mug and three glass cups placed to the right.
"Umm...Sweetie Belle, I don't think we are going to need this many kitchen utensils for breakfast," Button objected.
Sweetie Belle blushed in embarrassment, "Hehe. Sorry. When you have a sister like Rarity, some things rubbed off on me."
"Well, in any case, breakfast is ready," Button said with a smile as he took his seat.
Sweetie Belle followed suit as she took her seat. For a short moment, she stared at her breakfast and took in the smell. Curious about Button's cooking skill, she decided to take the first bite of her hay. As she took the bite, she savored the buttery flavor with a slight hint of salt and pepper. "Wow Button," said Sweetie, "this is really good."
"I learned from the best cook I ever had."
"Who would that be?"
"My mom of course!" Button Mash exclaimed.
"A useful skill that I wish every mother had," Sweetie thought to herself. Although she loved her mother dearly, there was no denying that she was not the best cook in the world.
***
After they finished their breakfast, Sweetie Belle gathered her things and put on the same disguise from last night. Once finished, she met with Button Mash at the door. "Thanks for the help and hospitality Button."
"No problem Sweetie. It was nice to have some company. Are you sure you will be okay from here?"
"Yeah. I didn't realize how close your house was to the inn my agent and I are staying at. I am sure she is worried about me and waiting for me to get back." They both smiled at one another, but the moment became awkward as they stood in the doorway silently.
"Well, I guess I will be going now."
"Um...yeah," Button said with a smile, but felt sad that she could not stay longer.
"Hopefully we can hang out again soon. Next time, I will put on a better disguise," she said jokingly.
The chuckle they both shared was short. Between them, there was only awkward silence. "Well...goodbye Button."
"Bye," Button said as he forced a smile.
Although Sweetie mentioned that her agent might be worried, she was in no rush to meet her. Button looked down and walked back inside. He looked around his home and listened to the silence. That moment, was the first time he ever truly felt how empty that house was. Not long after he closed the door behind him, he heard a knock at the door. He turned back to open the door. He was surprised to see that it was Sweetie Belle.
"Oh. Did you forge-." Before Button could finish, he felt something warm pressed against his cheek. It all happened so fast that his mind could not process what was going on. In time, he discovered the source of the warmth; Sweetie's lips on his cheek. Before he could say anything, Sweetie Belle already had ran off and disappeared from his sights. Even though she was gone, he could still feel the warmth that she left behind for him.
To Button, he only stood at the door for a few seconds. To the ponies staring at him, he stood there for a few minutes. Realizing the attention he was getting, he quickly shut the door and contemplated what just happened. "Did...did she just...kiss me on the cheek? Why would she do that? Oh she was probably just thanking me. Then why did it feel so much more? No, I am thinking too much into it. But maybe she... no no no. She is a singing sensation and I am just a YouTuber. Yeah, that's all there is to it. Just friends and nothing more. I need to keep my mind distracted. I know, I will edit and post the video from last night." Not wanting to overthink things any further, he decided working was the best thing to do.
The video with him and Sweetie Belle was rather short and simple, so it did not take very long for him to edit it. Also, the plan to take his mind off of Sweetie was a complete failure. After he finished editing, he then started uploading to YouTube. Emotionally exhausted, he went to lie down on his bed as the video uploaded.
As he laid there, he noticed there was an unfamiliar scent. He turned on his belly and found that the scent was coming from the bed itself. It was then he realized that the scent was from Sweetie Belle's perfume. The scent could be compared to common lavender, but it came from a rare and special pony.
While he looked down on his bed sheets, he noticed something peeking out from under his pillow. He moved away the pillow to find a CD case. He picked up the case and observed it. The back and cover was blank white. When he opened the case, a folded note and a slip of paper fell out. The slip of paper was a ticket to Sweetie's concert tomorrow night. He opened the note and recognized Sweetie Belle's writing:
Dear Button,
While I was sleeping, I was wondering something. Do you ever think about the time when we were small? Before we even had our cutie marks? You and I were completely different ponies and yet we were able to do so much together. I had just as much fun with you as I did with the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Last night proved that that bond never died; it didn't even weaken. I am glad to know that no matter how far we are, or no matter the time that passes by, we will always have that bond.
As you probably noticed, the ticket I left for you is for the concert I will be performing tomorrow night. After that, I am not sure whenever I will come back to Ponyville. I left behind a CD for you. On it, there is a song that I wrote and you were my inspiration for it. In case you can't make it, I want you to know that this song promises we will always be friends.
I hope I can see you again before I go.
Love,
Sweetie Belle
Button's heart beat faster than it has ever beaten before. The heart raced faster than a jump scare from his horror games. His mind began to bounce full of questions and not sure what to make of the situation.
He then turned his attention back to the CD and the ticket. Button wanted to know what song was on the CD. However, he felt that by listening to it he decided he was not going to the concert. Of course he wanted to see Sweetie again before she left. If he was to hear that song, he wanted to hear it from her LIVE at the concert.
Then, a sudden realization came to mind. His mind began to pound as he remembered something very important to him. The night that Sweetie Belle performs, is the same night he had planned to do his charity live stream. As much as he wanted to see her, he knew he could not let down the Equestrian Red Cross.
It was possible for Button Mash to reschedule everything. However, Button was worried about how this would look on him. Would it make him look irresponsible? I mean, what could possibly be more important than doing a charity event for a non-profit organization? He didn't want to lie to his fans to make his situation easier. Also, other YouTubers planned to watch his live stream and provide generous donations as well. If he reschedules, some of those YouTubers might not be available to watch on the changed date.
He puzzled and puzzled at what he should do. He paced back and forth; thought carefully about what sort of outcomes each choice might bring. He did not want to upset anypony, but he felt that might be unavoidable. Choose his friend? Or his fans and reputation?
In the end, he thought of a solution that might guide or solve his problem. What is a child to do when he is not sure what to do? Maybe that child needs... a mother's guidance.