It was just another typical day at Canterlot High School. Everyone was going about their usual hustle and bustle, anxiously waiting for the bell to ring so they can have a few moments of reprieve before slaving away in yet another boring class. However, for some lucky students, this happened to be their lunch period; forty minutes of uninterrupted relaxation before heading to their next class. Despite this brief relief, there were two students who found themselves in quite the conundrum.
They were in the cafeteria, in front of a standard vending machine with various snacks and beverages within. Although the choices within the machine were quite limited, that didn't stop Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle from standing in front of it, staring at it like there was a hidden gem to be found within.
With her hand in one pocket and a bottle of soda in the other, Scootaloo stared at Sweetie Belle with a blank expression on her face. As she took a sip of her beverage, Sweetie Belle scratched her temple as she tilted her head, her face staring intently at the items inside.
Her expression remaining the same, Scootaloo stared at the item her friend was looking at: a bottle of grapefruit juice in all its glory. It was only when she looked back at Sweetie Belle, who was now staring at the ground while she tapped her chin with a finger, did her expression change to one of slight annoyance.
"Well?" she asked, catching her attention. "Are you getting it or what?"
"Don't rush me, Scoots," Sweetie Belle replied. "It's not that easy, alright?"
"Hate to burst your bubble, but the bell will be ringing soon, so could you hurry this along?"
"I'm aware of that, Scootaloo. I just need to think about it, so just...please!"
A brief moment of silence followed.
"What's there to think about?" Scootaloo muttered. "If you want it, get it. Not that hard, really."
Sweetie Belle let out a sigh of frustration. "You don't understand. Ms. Harshwhinny has a strict policy about eating and drinking in class. I learned that one the hard way, trust me."
Scootaloo raised an eyebrow and said, "So get it after class."
"Yeah, but her class is on the other side of the building," Sweetie Belle said, her voice almost sounding like a whine. "I'd have to go out of my way to go from there, to here, and to my next class."
"You do know there's another vending machine closer to Ms. Harshwhinny's class, right?"
Sweetie Belle let out a groan. "I know, but it doesn't have the juice I want! It never does!"
Another moment of silence followed as Scootaloo took another swig of her drink.
It didn't take long for an idea to pop into Scootaloo's head. "So just get it now and save it for after class. That way..."
"No way!" Sweetie interrupted. "Grapefruit juice tastes nasty when it's warm."
Scootaloo could have sworn she felt her eye twitch. "So, get it and drink it on the way to class."
"I would like to enjoy it, Scootaloo," Sweetie retorted. "Not just gulp it down in a few minutes."
Looking to the clock and back to her friend, Scootaloo said, "You know, in the time it'll take for you to decide, you could have bought it and drank it already."
Sweetie Belle groaned in frustration again. "You're not helping, Scoots."
"If it's that important to you, get it later. You know, when you have the time?"
"But I want it now."
"So, get it now."
"But I won't have time to drink it now."
"So, get it later."
"I won't have time to get it later."
"So, get it now."
"Ms. Harshwhinny won't let me drink it in class, remember?"
"So, get it later."
"WILL YOU STOP THAT!!"
"Hey, I'm trying to help you!"
Silence dawned on them again as Sweetie Belle stared at the machine again. Scootaloo finished her drink and tossed it in the garbage can before turning to Sweetie Belle.
"Sorry about that," she said softly. "I...didn't mean to snap at you like that."
Letting out a sympathetic sigh, Sweetie Belle said, "I'm sorry, too. I'm just frustrated with this, that's all."
"It's okay, I understand." She put a hand on her shoulder and smiled. "Look, why don't you just get it now and get it over with?"
"But..." Sweetie began, before she was interrupted by Scootaloo, who had put a finger over her lips to silence her.
"Yeah, I know," she said. "I think it's a better idea to get it now. Just drink what you want before class, then the rest after class. I'm pretty sure it'll still be cold by the time class ends."
Lowering her finger, Sweetie asked, "Do you really think so?"
Scootaloo smiled. "Of course," she said.
Returning the smile, Sweetie Belle gave her a friendly hug and said, "Thanks, Scoots."
"No prob," she answered, returning the gesture. After they released their embrace, she continued, "Now, get it and let's go, before the bell rings."
Sweetie Belle nodded in response as she reached in her pocket and retrieved her pink wallet. However, her facial expression immediately changed when she opened it, only to see a single dollar bill nestled inside. Her cheeks flushed as she gave Scootaloo a sideways glance, who had also gotten a glimpse of the amount of money she had. If she didn't know any better, she could have sworn she saw Scootaloo's eye begin to twitch.
Slowly lowering her wallet, she turned to her and asked in a tone that was almost a whisper, "You don't have an extra dollar I can borrow, do you?"
Her only initial response to her was an annoyed, "Really?"
"What?" Sweetie Belle asked innocently as her cheeks flushed and she gave a sheepish grin. "I could have sworn I had more money on me. So...do you..."
"No," Scootaloo responded, a look of disbelief on her face.
"Oh...okay, then," Sweetie Belle said as she slowly put her wallet back in her pocket. Rubbing the back of her head with a hand, she said, "I guess that's that, then."
Scootaloo just gave her an irritated stare until they heard the bell ring, the students in the cafeteria getting up from their seats and beginning to vacate the cafeteria.
As innocently as she could muster, Sweetie said, "Well…we better get going, huh?"
"Yeah," Scootaloo said flatly, as the two of them made their way into the hallway and into the sea of other students. As Sweetie Belle entered the hallway, Scootaloo following close behind, she could have sworn she heard her mumble something under her breath:
"Well, that's five minutes of my life I'm never getting back."