The forms were spread all over the table. They’d been neatly organized into stacks, one for each set of applications. Some were already filled out and ready for mailing. Others needed work.
Spike stared at the one in front of him. Probably the most important one. Twilight sat in the chair next to him, patiently watching him.
“We don’t have to do this right now,” she said. “The deadline isn’t for another month.”
“Nah, I’d rather not let these linger.”
Spike’s pen moved quickly, blurring past personal bio and academic information and sweeping into the personal statement. He spoke as he wrote.
“Twilight, do I… really need this scholarship? To go to VU, I mean. Like… what if I don’t get it? Can we afford it?”
The unicorn patted Spike reassuringly on the shoulder. “Spike, you’ve more than got the grades, you’ve got actual experience there already from the summer, and, well, I do have some pull with a few chairs over there. Not to be too overconfident, but I think this whole process is just a formality with you.”
“I appreciate the reassurance, but this is the school for, like, government official’s kids, or kids who have family names on the buildings,” Spike said. “I don’t want to assume I’ll get anything. So… how would it be if I had to get in the hard, expensive way?”
Twilight thought for a long moment. “Well… it would be tough, let’s say that. But there’s other scholarships you could apply for, financial aid, grants, and… well, I know Vanhoover is your first choice, but you’ve got a wide range of really good schools you’ve designated your backups. I mean, look at all these options.”
She gestured broadly to the table in front of them. Spike had originally intended to do his college applications alone, but Twilight insisted on being involved. He wasn’t too surprised. He watched her pick up the packet he’d just finished.
“Canterlot University… can’t go wrong there.” Twilight held the papers to her chest and let out a long, satisfied sigh. “Ahhh, so many wonderful academic memories. Plus, hey, you practically grew up there!”
“I know, Twilight, I remember,” Spike said. “I wasn’t that young when we moved to Ponyville.”
“Right, right.” Twilight returned the paper to its spot and watched Spike write in silence for a while.
As he got through his essay, Spike shifted in his seat. Vanhoover University had been his first choice college for pretty much all of high school, and now he was right there, so much hard work behind him… and yet, his mind was distracted by the much smaller, more unassuming packet still on his desk in his room.
The one for the local community college. Because, well, what if he didn’t want to go somewhere so far away? What if he had a reason to stick around now?
I can’t just leave her behind…
“You know, Spike…” Twilight said, breaking his train of thought. “I just wanted to say… I’m so, so proud of you.”
Spike put down his pen and looked at her. There were practically tears in her eyes.
“I know, Twilight,” he said, smiling. “Couldn’t have gotten this far without you, you know.”
“Oh please, you did all the real work. I just kept shoveling books your way,” Twilight said. She wiped her eyes and leaned in and gave Spike a big hug. “You’re the one who got the grades, you’re the one who put in the effort. I’m just… so happy to see you get here. And then I think of all the possibilities your future has to offer! Any one of these schools would start you on a path where… well, where you could do anything you wanted, anywhere you wanted. The whole world at your fingertips.”
She sighed proudly, one hand on Spike’s shoulder. He could almost see the visions of academic pursuits and achievements flashing through her eyes. And of all they’d been through together to make it this far.
Spike couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty for it all. Whatever world awaited him, it was one she could’ve breezed through and beyond, once upon a time. Before him. Before he unexpectedly entered her life and permanently altered her trajectory.
“Anyway,” Twilight said, finally recovering herself back into the moment, “just keep hacking away at these. I can get them all mailed away whenever you’re ready.”
“I know,” Spike said. As Twilight pulled away, Spike got a sudden urge, and he leaned over and gave her a huge hug. She practically gasped. It had been a while since Spike was so openly affectionate towards her, but then, he was becoming a lot more emotionally open as of late.
“So, hey, Twilight,” Spike said softly, “...thanks for being my mom.”
“...it was the best thing that ever happened to me.” Twilight embraced her son. “I love you, Spike.”
“Love you too, Twi.”
The hug lasted a while.
Eventually, they broke apart. Spike returned to his essay. Twilight returned to doing her absolute best to keep her composure up.
Spike stood next to Scootaloo’s locker. She had finished swapping out her books and was now trying to find the rest of her good pens. She’d shoved them somewhere, they were bound to turn up. Around them, the hallway was emptying out as students left the school for the day.
“Good day today?” Scootaloo asked, her face still buried inside the locker.
“Was pretty good. History test came back with an A, econ paper got an A, chem project got me a B+...”
“Oooh, Twilight is gonna be crushed by that last one.”
“She’ll get over it,” Spike said with a grin. He glanced around again. Nobody was around in any direction, so far as he could tell.
Should probably bring it up now, it’s been over a month.
“Soooooo… things going okay?” he asked.
“Yeah, I’d say so. My grades aren’t as stellar as yours but I’m still riding pretty high on things. Plus, gonna really start training for softball season soon.”
“Isn’t that still like four months away?”
“Never too early for the best. Besides, Rainbow Dash has been looking for an excuse to start our workout sessions up again. I’m not complaining.”
“Cool, cool…” Spike hesitated before moving onto his next thought. “Everyone, uh… treating you good? Or better? Or the same?”
Scootaloo shut her locker, perhaps a bit louder than she had meant to, and Spike almost jumped. She shoved her books in her bags before looking at him,
“Things are… fine? I guess?” she shrugged. “No new rumors about my promiscuity, if that’s what you’re after.”
“I mean, I care about how everyone treats you.”
“I know, and I appreciate it.” She grabbed his hand and they started walking towards the stairs. “There’s still some sniggers here and there among all the cheerleader types, and I still catch some graffiti in the locker room, but… I dunno. It’s just kinda carrying on.”
“Star’s not giving you any trouble, is he?” Spike asked.
“You know, funnily enough, he hasn’t even so much as looked at me since Nightmare Night.”
“Go figure.”
Almost getting incinerated must’ve done a good job reshaping his priorities.
“I dunno,” Scootaloo said. “It was all so much at the time, and it still is, but… something’s helping to mute it a bit. Making it a lot easier to deal with. Hard to say what it is.”
“Perhaps having a total dork for a boyfriend?”
Scootaloo giggled. “Could be, could be.”
She turned and gave him a peck on the cheek. He tightened his grip on her hand that much more. They rounded the staircase and moved towards the school’s main doors.
“Did we have any plans this weekend?” he asked.
“Oh, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle got something fun planned,” Scootaloo said.
Spike groaned. “Another surprise activity?”
Scootaloo winked at him. “You’ll like this one. Just you wait and see.”
Whyyyyyy did I agree to this, what am I doing here, okay, no, none of that, come on Spike, don’t psych yourself out, focus, focus…
He looked through the machine. Choices flashed by with each push of the button. Searching, searching, looking for just the right selection…
“Come on, Spike, get a move on,” Apple Bloom said. “We only got the room rented for another half hour. Pick somethin’ an’ let’s hear what you got!”
Next to her on the couch, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle chimed in their agreements. Sweetie Belle reached for another bag of chips on the crowded snack table in front of them. Up on a wall, a small countdown timer backed up with Apple Bloom had said with its ever descending numbers.
Spike had never even been inside this building before, but being with the girls on weekends was dramatically increasing his social map. No matter how little say he tended to have in their destination, he still found himself enjoying things.
“Don’t stress Spike,” Scootaloo said. “You heard us. Karaoke ain’t about singing ability, we’re here to have fun.”
“Are you saying I lack the ability?” Sweetie said with a playfully chagrined expression.
“No, but I sure do,” Scootaloo said with a smile. “You heard me just now. I think I sounded genuinely sick.”
“Worked well for that song,” Apple Bloom said. “Punk suits you well.”
“That’s the nicest thing anypony’s ever said about me.”
Spike kept looking through the machine’s song catalog.
…you know what, yeah, this is the one.
He punched in his choice and stood back with the microphone in his hand. He watched the screen. The girls perked up expectedly. On either side, speakers started pumping out a tune he was quite familiar with.
He took a deep breath and watched the lyrics.
“You light a candle just to see in the dark
You're only running on a fuse, and it's been falling apart again
I'm by your side, I hope at least that helps
And life sucks sometimes, it's feeling more like hell…”
He barreled ahead. He wasn’t actually sure how he sounded. Just that he was doing it and the world wasn’t ending.
Fuck it, get cocky.
He shut his eyes. It’s not like he needed to see the lyrics.
“...When everything
Is falling apart, put your head on my shoulder
Don't cry, just another bad night
You'll make it out alive…”
Rumble may have introduced him to this band as a joke, but this song struck a chord, and he listened to it quite often. Hadn’t shared that fact with Scootaloo yet. Just waiting for the perfect moment…
Of course, the song being short was an added perk, and he was soon on the last verse.
“...You don't have to cry alone
And I'll hold this weight above you
If you slip, I'm falling too
And I'll never let you go.”
The song wrapped up quickly. Spike took a breath and finally opened his eyes.
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were cheering in their seats. Apparently Spike had impressed them both.
Scootaloo was gripping the seat. Her cheeks were bright red, and there was a small tear in her eyes. Her smile told him that he’d gone right to the heart with that one. He smiled back.
Huh, maybe there’s something to this confidence thing after all.
The sound of them walking through the crisp, fresh snowfall was an oddly satisfying sound. Crunch after crunch after crunch. Spike and Scootaloo weren’t that far from the well paved park path, but it didn’t take long before they were out in the thick of nature.
He carried both his backpack and hers. Seemed only fair, since she’d brought back his jacket that he had foolishly left at her house the other night. It had been a very cold morning flight to school without it.
She led the way, taking them over a low hill and through a clearing in the trees. It led to a small open meadow, next to an idyllic looking pond. The first snow of the season had given it a good dusting, but it would still be a while before it really froze over.
“Yeah, this looks good,” Scootaloo announced. She promptly plopped back into the show, landing on her folded wings and puffy winter jacket.
Spike shoved the snow off a nearby rock to rest the bags on, and then carefully lay down next to her. They shimmied close, until they were shoulder-to-shoulder and watching the gray sky. Overhead, a few crews of weather ponies were working in tandem, maneuvering some large clouds around to bring in fresh snow-filled ones and create an even spread over the entire town.
The process seemed chaotic, but there was some method to the madness. The two teens watched as a work crew wrangled a particularly fat cloud into place.
“Gonna be a good storm coming,” Scootaloo said. “Got a text from my dad about it. They wanna really kickstart the season here, kind of set the tone of the whole region.”
“So, what, no more shorts?” Spike asked.
Hmm, too lame, gotta do better than that.
“At least your hoodies are all back in style now,” Scootaloo said.
“Lucky me.” Spike looked around at the clearing. It had a frozen stillness to it, one that he felt would be there even in the dead of summer.
“How often do you come out here?” he asked.
“Every once in a while,” Scootlaoo replied. “This part of the park is always pretty empty year-round. I guess everyone else doesn’t know about it or something. Their loss. I like it. Gives me a quiet place to think when I need it.”
“I thought you had the treehouse for that.”
“Spike, I’m gonna let you in on a secret: there are times when I want to be alone, and that even includes Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom.”
Spike gasp dramatically. Scootaloo giggled.
“Yeah, I get it, but still, here I am.” She sighed. “Sometimes it’s nice to take a breather from friends and family and school and sports and just… give my head a break. Ya know what I mean?”
“You’re asking me this? The Loner King?”
“...true.”
Spike smiled. “So… you brought me to your special alone time place.”
“Yeah, I figured, you know… you’re the one I can be alone with.”
She rolled on her side and rested her arm across Spike’s chest. He reached over and held her hand. They both had gloves on, but even so, he could feel what he needed to.
His heart started beating faster. Despite the cold, a few pricks of sweat dropped off his neck. Even after all this time, all the hugs and kisses and hand holding and even occasional couch cuddles, he couldn’t help it. She just got to him right down to his core.
“Penny for your thoughts, bub?” she asked.
He looked at her. Her stark white snow jacket blended with the landscape around her, leaving her head sticking out as an orange and purple spot. At this angle her hair curled over one eye. He loved it when it did that. Her whole look just got better the more he looked. Drawn like a moth to a beacon in the empty void.
I’m crazy in love with you.
“It’s beautiful here,” he said. “Kinda like you.”
Scootaloo almost barked with how hard her laugh was. She shook against his body, her laughter coming up in waves. Way up in the sky, one of the weather ponies glances down to see what the commotion was.
Spike blushed. “Okay, see, I thought that was a nice thing to say.”
“Oh, it was, trust me,” Scootaloo said, wiping a tear away from her eye. “It really, really was. Just, also, holy shit dude, that’s some real mushiness right there.”
“Well, guess I’ll cut back on that, go back to being aloof,” Spike said. He feigned a pout.
“Oh, don’t you dare.” Scootaloo sat up and leaned over until she was practically on top of him, her head staring down at his. He put his hand up and pulled her head in, and they enjoyed a nice long kiss in the snow. The kind that did a real good job warming up both their bodies.
Still, the cold couldn’t be held off forever, no matter how much their growing urges wanted otherwise. They stood, collected their bags, and headed back the way they came in, following their tracks the whole way.
“So, hey,” Scootaloo said on the way out. “My parents are back in town for a while pretty soon.”
“What’s a while?” Spike asked.
“Two weeks, maybe three. Pretty much through Hearth’s Warming.”
Yeesh, barely a blip on the calendar.
“Okay, cool.”
“Yeah, but, like…” Scootaloo searched for the words. “You wanna come over and have dinner with us? They’d really like to meet you, and you can bring Twilight, because they’d really like to meet her, too.”
“Oh yeah, totally,” Spike said. “I can’t wait for that.”
“...was thinking about maybe engineering? Seems like that would give me a lot of job opportunities. Or I could be like my brother and stick to flight sciences to start, then network with him and get a good courier job.”
Rumble scratched his chin as he thought. Button just giggled.
“Listen to this guy, got his whole life mapped out over lunch,” he said.
“It pays to think ahead!” Rumble replied.
“It is wise thinking,” Featherweight agreed.
Button, Featherweight, Rumble, Scootaloo, and Spike all sat around the table at the corner of the library. It was midway through lunch, and with their food gone, conversation had drifted off to the future. Namely, where outgoing seniors Rumble and Spike were headed next.
“But really, I have no idea,” Rumble continued. He glanced over the college brochures spread over the table and grabbed the one that caught his eye. “Besides, college is half what you study and half where you go. Got my eyes here, that’s for sure.”
He laid out the spread for Desert Orchard, Fillydelphia’s largest and most well known college. The others peered over.
“Oooh, somepony wants to be a city boy,” Scootaloo said. “Think you could handle it out there? Ponyville’s a tiny drop in the bucket compared to that place”
“Hey, that means a big social scene I can latch onto,” Rumble said. “Got my hopes up for them, and I think my grades are solid enough, plus all that soccer helps pad out the application.”
“Can you afford it?” Featherweight asked. “The city is not a cheap place.”
“My brother’s gonna be a big help there. Got a college fund going for me a while ago, and we shouldn’t have any issues getting financial aid. He also said he’ll co-sign a loan with me. Still, if that doesn’t work, I got Canterlot and Cloudsdale as my backups. I think I might be auto-admitted to Cloudsdale, actually, since, well, my dad went there, but I kinda don’t wanna look into that too much, ya know?”
Scootaloo nodded and turned to Spike. “What about you? Didn’t you already put a bunch of applications with Twilight? What are you hoping for?”
The others watched him. Spike took a long drink from his soda and considered his reply.
“...I dunno, haven’t really thought about it much yet,” he finally said. “I just… cast a pretty big net, and I’ll see what takes me. Don’t got a real favorite, I think.”
Button snorted. “Please, you’ve been itching to go to Vanhoover U pretty much since your freshman year. Not like Twilight had to drag you there over the summer.”
Scootaloo let out a long whistle. “Well well, shooting for the moon there. And hey, with your grades and Twilight behind you, you got that one in the bag.”
Spike waved his hand in a wishy-washy motion. “I mean, okay, yeah, that would be incredible to get admitted there, but I’d really have to get a big scholarship to be able to afford it, or an even bigger loan, and probably some extra financial aid as well. Plus it’s, well, kinda really far away…”
“Yeah, you wanted that, too,” Button said. “Wouldn’t shut up about it last year, about how you wanted to get somewhere fresh and new and far away. Just be sure you get a good internet connection there, we’re still gaming together even if you’re across the country.”
“Yeah, yeah, that’ll be the case no matter where I go.”
“Huh, Vanhoover… what do you want to study?” Rumble asked.
“So I’m still kinda thinking that one over-”
“Civil Engineering,” Button said without missing a beat. “Come on Spike, you made me listen to this enough times. Whole speech about how it was like a more realistic version of being an architect or something. I dunno, I tuned it out after the third time you said it. Point is, VU’s got the best department for that in the country. Lotta jobs go right to graduates.”
“Ooooh, very fancy,” Scootaloo said. “You wanna build cities?”
“Uh, yeah, I guess…” Spike gulped and looked away from the table, glancing around the room at nothing in particular.
Scootaloo gently patted his hand. “Well, it’s way too early for me to really think about it, but I’m really gunning for a good athletic scholarship. Maybe something that gets me to Canterlot? I saw a few options for them and I think I’m a shoe-in.”
“That’s some confidence. Really think you got it?” Spike asked.
“Heck yeah. This season’s in the bag for me.” Scootaloo grinned. “I’m gonna crush it and snag league mvp, just you wait.”
“Hey, I’m with you all the way.” Spike and Scootaloo traded a quick fist bump.
“What do Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom have to say about this?” Rumble said with a snigger. “Or are you three going to have to finally split up?”
“We are hoping for the best but also recognize reality,” Scootaloo said. “But we’re not worried. Distance can’t break our bond!”
She nodded confidently. Rumble knew better than to push her position. He turned to the two remaining underclassmen at the table, looking pointedly at Featherweight. He answered quickly.
“My parents want me to pursue something STEM, so I am going to be applying to a lot of technical schools,” the tall pegasus said. “Though I would much rather study photography. There will be a long talk with my parents about that next year I am sure.”
“Good luck to you, dude,” Rumble said. “Follow your dreams. Now’s the time to do it.”
“I really think I’m taking the smartest route,” Button said. “I actually already talked about it with my mom. Start off the first year here in Ponyville at community college, knock out the GEs, then I can transfer much more easily to a larger university.”
“Your grades are pretty good, Button,” Scootaloo said. “Why not just go straight to the main event?”
Button shrugged. “It’s not a grade thing, it’s just, well, less pressure this way? Heck of a lot cheaper too, what with community college being free, so that’ll really help out my parents. I think I’d want to go to Canterlot, but, yeah, too early to tell.”
“Honestly a really good play,” Spike said. “Plus, keeps you nice and local for a while longer. Which seems… well, nice.”
I can’t just ditch them all. Maybe… maybe I can just stay here for a few more years. Put it all off, just… see what happens.
Spike’s expression glazed over until Scootaloo slid her hand over by his. Instinctively he grabbed on. He shook himself out of a daze and looked over at her. The other boys had spiraled off into their own conversation by now and didn’t notice, giving Scootaloo a chance to lean in and whisper.
“So… Vanhoover, huh?” she asked. “Heck of a train ride away.”
Everywhere is a long train ride from Ponyville.
“Absolutely nothing is decided and I’m leaning a lot of other ways, too,” Spike whispered back. “Don’t worry.”
Scootaloo frowned. “Who said I’m worried? You’re the one who’s gotta decide. No pressure or anything. Just the track for the whole rest of your life being laid out in front of you. Easy peasy.”
She stuck her tongue out at him. He just rolled his eyes, but gripped her hand all the tighter.
Would she really want me to stay?
Spike placed the dish in the sink and washed his hands. He knew Scootaloo would tell him not to bother putting the dishes away when he was a guest, but old habits die hard. Besides, as he listened to the chatter and laughter from the other room, it sounded like they hadn’t noticed him leave.
Worked for him. He needed a break. He was having a great time, but it was still rather exhausting back at the dinner table to sit between Scootaloo and her parents. Snap Shudder was a boisterous guy, and Mane Allgood sometimes felt like a condensed version of Pinkie Pie. He could tell Twilight was barely keeping up as well, though she at least had Aunt Holiday to bounce off of on the quieter end of the table.
Through the window, a small light caught his eye. He peered outside.
On the snow covered back porch, Auntie Lofty stood against the railing, lit cigarette in her hand.
Huh, thought she wasn’t back yet.
Spike quietly slid open the sliding glass door and stepped out into the cold. He shoved his hands into his hoodie. The temperature had really plummeted after the sun went down, and while Spike could handle it better than most, even he still needed some layers.
Auntie Lofty, meanwhile, hardly seemed to notice the chill despite only wearing jeans and a turtleneck. She took another long drag, blowing out a small smoke cloud as Spike approached.
“Hi there, Lofty,” Spike said, taking a bit of a gamble on being so informal. “Off work early?”
“Hey Spike. Yeah, figured I could ditch out of the office a little sooner and nopony would care. Holiday season and all that,” she said, her voice gravelly. She pulled out the cigarette pack and held them idly in the air. “Want one?”
Spike was still getting used to Lofty’s sense of humor. He politely waved her off.
“I’m good with just the secondhand smoke, thanks,” he said, not inaccurately. “Dragons like that stuff.”
“Mmmm,” Lofty went back to smoking and staring into nothing.
Spike stood there, somewhat awkwardly. He turned and glanced through another window further down the house, one looking into the dining room. From this angle he had a clear view of Scootaloo laughing between her parents, who both looked to be having a grand old time.
He took a stab at a conversation. “It’s cool to finally meet her folks. They’re pretty fun to be around. Very… high energy.”
“Mmm-hmm…”
“Cool to hear about their jobs taking them all over, too. All that travel, seeing all of Equestria and overseas. That’s something I really wanna do someday…”
“Mmm…”
Spike watched Lofty carefully. She was still staring into the yard, but she wasn’t ignoring him.
He went for a much bigger gamble.
“You, uh, don’t really like them very much, do you?”
Bingo. Lofty cracked a cynical grin and laughed, a laugh that quickly turned into a harsh cough. It took her a few goes to get her breath back. She took another deep puff when she did.
“Damn cold, always gets my lungs going.” She turned and leaned on the railing to look at Spike. Raising her hand, she pointed to the dining room window. “Spike, look through there and tell me what you see.”
Spike turned back around. The scene was much the same as before. Snap looked deeply engrossed in some story that he was telling, which was cracking Scootaloo all the way up.
“Uh, Scootaloo laughing with her parents?”
Lofty shook her head. “Nope. At that table is Scootaloo laughing with a couple of teenagers who like to wander by from time to time and play pretend.”
Spike turned back around, but didn’t say anything.
“Look, I don’t hate my brother-in-law or his wife, they’re perfectly nice ponies, out living perfectly fine lives. They’re also a couple who had a baby when they were way, way too young and decided the best course of action would be to ditch the kid as soon as she took her first breath and then forever keep themselves busy halfway around the world.”
Lofty sighed. Spike had a feeling he was hearing something she didn’t get to talk about very often.
“How old were they? When Scootaloo was born, I mean,” he asked.
“Younger than you,” she said flatly. “Not a lot of pregnant Juniors walking around then, so it caused a bit of a stir. At least Snap married her and didn’t run off. I’ll give him that much, he really does seem to love that girl.”
Spike reflected on this and crunched the numbers.
I thought Scootaloo’s folks looked young… geeze, that’d make them younger than Twilight, and she’s barely in her mid-thirties. Meanwhile her aunts are a solid decade older than all of them.
Still, Spike felt he had to take a shot at a defense. “I mean, what were they supposed to do? Raise a daughter while still in high school? If nothing else I don’t think that would’ve turned out great for Scootaloo.”
Lofty crossed her arms. “I ain’t saying they made a bad choice there, I’m saying they took what was originally going to be a temporary solution by handing Scootaloo over to us and then proceeded to run with that ever since. Now their daughter has to deal with having parents that treat her like some kid cousin they can drop in on whenever they fancy. Not their own flesh and blood, somepony they needed to raise and nurture and love.”
Another puff. “No, that’s been me and Holi’s job, sixteen years running, and it ain’t stopping anytime soon.”
Spike frowned. “Wait, are you saying you feel like you were just burdened with raising Sco-”
Lofty snapped her fingers and pointed at Spike. Her face grew threatening. “Don’t even finish that sentence. Don’t you dare. Besides Holi, Scootaloo is the best thing to ever happen in my life. She’s far more of a daughter to me than she is to them. Every morning I wake up and realize how damn lucky I am to have her, but that doesn’t mean I can’t still get real annoyed at the stupid couple that fooled around and decided not to stick around for the consequences.”
Her stance softened. She leaned back, shoulders falling. The cigarette burned down quietly in her fingertips, momentarily forgotten.
“It just gets so… tiring, to see her get her hopes up when they come by. She’s grown up a lot faster than she should’ve had to, she knows far too well how the world works, and she knows they’re not gonna stay, but… she always kinda hopes they do anyway. And somehow, that, well…”
She trailed off. Spike found himself recognizing her expression. He could remember seeing it on Twilight years ago, at some of the elementary school parent-teacher conference nights. Even then, at a young age, he understood.
That strange and totally irrational sense of being a “fake” parent with a kid who would surely jump ship to the real thing the moment they got the chance.
“So, you already know this,” Spike said gently, “but speaking as somebody who also grew up with an, uh, unusual family situation, I can see that Scootaloo loves you two. A lot. And like, yeah, she’s happy when her parents come to town and she can goof around with them and have a nice time, but at the end of the day, well, she knows who made her the girl she is today. And that’s you two. And I’d say, at this point, she wouldn’t have it any other way.”
I know I wouldn’t.
Lofty smiled at him. Kindness worked its way back into her hard eyes. “I know, Spike. Adults just get moody sometimes. Teenagers don’t have a monopoly on that, try as they might.”
She took one final drag, only to realize her cigarette had reached the filter. She started looking around.
“Shoot, where’d I put that ashtray… Holi is tired me flicking my butts out into the yard.”
Almost reflexively, Spike held out his palm. Lofty raised an eyebrow.
He shrugged. “Dragon thing.”
The pegasus studied Spike for a long minute before casually dropping the smoldering butt on the patio and grinding it out with her hoof.
“Don’t hurt yourself for others, Spike.”
“Oh, don’t worry, I can take it.”
“I don’t doubt it.” Lofty patted Spike on the shoulders and started walking inside. She spoke as she left. “You’re a good egg, Spike Sparkle. Those are in short supply. Don’t lose your way.”
A few more steps and she was in the house, to the excitement of the occupants.
Spike stayed outside a bit longer, hands in his pocket. He listened to the growing sounds of conversation inside and let his mind drift some more.
Before going back himself, he made sure to stoop and grab the discarded cigarette and throw it away inside.
Spike shifted in his seat. He did it carefully, so as not to wake Scootaloo, who was slumped over onto his shoulder. Though given how hard she had danced and that she had fallen asleep with her earbuds still playing music, he had a hunch that she would be totally out of it until they got back to Ponyville station. As to that, he checked his phone: 1:12AM. Still well over an hour to go.
He shoved his phone back in his pocket and looked out the window. There wasn’t much to see. The train had moved out of the mountains around Canterlot and was now deep into the valley. Mostly a lot of open farmland between the city and Ponyville, which meant few lights. Outside was just a dark blur.
He turned and looked across from him. Button was curled up in his seat, face illuminated by his GameColt, which he’d had out since they left the station two hours prior. Besides the light from his game and some dim overhead lights, the car was dark. The Quiet Car. Just over the top of Button’s seat, Spike had a view of the passageway to the adjoining, well lit, much less quiet car. Sitting up front he could see Applejack and part of Rainbow Dash, both of them deep in conversation.
He guessed they were chatting with Apple Bloom and Flash Fire. Those two had really hit it off at the Nightmare Night party, and while it took everyone a few days to even get the mystery girl’s name out of Apple Bloom, the secret finally broke and the two have been going strong ever since.
Strong enough for her to finally come out to the rest of her family. AJ and Big Mac, to their eternal credit, made a sincere effort to act surprised.
This recent action is probably why AJ and Dash had agreed to chaperone the teens on this overly long day trip to Canterlot to go to the Magenta Park concert. Pop-punk likely wasn’t AJ’s style, but she seemed to enjoy herself anyway. Everyone else certainly did, especially Rainbow Dash, who was in her element. The show provided a much-needed energy release after the recent finals season wrapped up. Spike’s ears were still ringing a bit from standing too close to one of the speakers.
Definitely gotta bring earplugs to my next concert.
Scootaloo murmured something in her sleep. She rolled herself over and moved down, resting her head on Spike’s lap, face half-buried in his belly. Throughout the move she never stirred.
Button looked up for a moment to watch them, then returned to his game.
I should really talk to him about it, been putting it off long enough.
“So, Button…” Spike whispered. Can’t break the Quiet Car rules. “How you been doing lately?”
“Huh? Uh, good, I guess,” Button whispered back. He paused his game to look at Spike. “Why? What’s up?”
“Well… you remember the Nightmare Night party?”
“Heh, not really,” Button said. He gave a half smile and rubbed his head. “I, uh, don’t think I’ll ever drink like that again. Felt like garbage all weekend, too.”
“Yeah, gotta go easy your first few times,” Spike said. “But I mean more, uh, well… did you ever actually, like, talk to Sweetie Belle?”
Button held a finger over his mouth and waved off the question. “Nope, nah, not even gonna… no, I didn’t, and I don’t intend to.”
“I mean, Button, it’s not as hard as it seems, and she’s in between suitors now, as it were, so…”
Button shook his head. “No. Spike, bud, you’re not getting it: I’m just… not even gonna try for a relationship with a girl right now. In fact, I’m not gonna bother for the rest of high school. I’m out.”
“Why’s that? I thought you, you know, were interested?”
“Wellll…” Button thought for a moment. “It’s like, Spike, look at me, and I don’t mean in some ‘Oh I’m ugly no girl would want me’ kind of sad sack way, I mean… I’m just some dork who plays too many video games. Which is fine. I like playing video games. I’m really good at it. I have them and I have you and a few other close friends and, well, that’s kinda enough for me right now? Later in life, I’ll be ready to try and branch out and, you know, talk to girls that way, but not now. Now… that’s not in the cards for me. And, again, that’s fine. I’m good as who I am, where I am.”
Spike frowned at him. “Doesn’t that seem kinda, I dunno, regressive? Like, you can’t just keep putting stuff off that you want to happen. They don’t happen on their own, and it doesn’t make it easier to just avoid it. Plus, you’re a great guy! You’ve got plenty to offer anyone. Not to mention, well… this is a really nice thing to be in.”
Spike motioned to the sleeping pegasus.
“I know.” Button smiled at his friend. “And thanks, and I’m also really happy for you two. It’s been great to watch. But I’m not worried. I mean, I’m sixteen. I can be a young dumb slacker having fun for a few more years. In fact, this is the prime time to do it. Why should I try to rush out of that?”
Spike searched for a reply and came up with nothing. Button shrugged, and returned to his game. Spike watched him for a bit and then leaned his head back on the window.
He’s been hanging out on those advice forums too long again… or he’s a lot more mature than I’ve ever given him credit for. Certainly more self aware.
Someone a row over snapped on their overhead light. Spike looked outside again. All he saw now was his own reflection staring back at him.
Rumble:
[I got the letter today]
[I did it!!!!]
[I got accepted!]
[8D 8D 8D]
Sweetie Belle:
[Congrats dude!]
Apple Bloom:
[I knew ya would :)]
Scootaloo:
[Never had a doubt]
[:D]
Rumble:
[the confidence is appreciated]
[This time next year Im gonna be a cool city boy]
[living the high life in Fillydelphia]
Scootaloo:
[Enjoying the night life you mean ;P]
Rumble:
[I will party in a mature and responsible manner]
[and also in a way that lands me a hot boyfriend]
Apple Bloom:
[Reach for the stars bud :P]
Rumble:
[Easy for you to say]
[You’re set now]
Apple Bloom:
[;P]
[I messaged FF and she says kudos]
Sweetie Belle:
[We all have to come visit you]
[I’m desperate to see the city]
Apple Bloom:
[aint no way Rarity will let you go that far away without her]
Sweetie Belle:
[we’ll see about that]
Scootaloo:
[Any visits count me in]
Spike:
[HEY IM HERE NOW]
[RUMBLE THATS AWESOME!!]
[HOPE YOU DO GREAT THINGS THERE DUDE]
Rumble:
[Thanks man]
[You hear back from anywhere yet??]
Scootaloo:
[Yeah yeah]
[Spill it dude]
[How much good news have you already got]
Spike:
[NOTHING YET]
Rumble:
[Weird]
[Lotta places shouldve already sent out replies by now]
Sweetie Belle:
[I wouldn’t worry]
[Mail can be so slow sometimes]
Apple Bloom:
[Tell me about it]
Spike:
[ITS COOL]
[IM NOT WORRIED]
Spike sat back in his chair. The group chat quickly moved on, mainly with Rumble discussing his serious plans for his first year at college. The girls were eager to support him and even more eager to get involved in his planning. He was the first of the friend group with a genuine path into the future, one they could all visualize. Excitement abounded.
Would it be that easy…
The dragon sighed. He put his phone down on his desk. He had to find space. It was crowded with large envelopes that had been arriving steadily in the mail for the last few days, all of which he had to carefully intercept and sneak inside before Twilight got so much as a glance at them.
Of course he’d gotten accepted everywhere he applied. He wished he could be surprised. But there it was. His pick of the litter.
Chief among them being the very prestigious looking letter sitting square in front of him. The one congratulating him as being the recipient of a full ride scholarship to Vanhoover University’s Civil Engineering department, pending only his acceptance of such and his successful graduation from Ponyville High School in four months time.
Of course, he had less than three months to let them know his decision.
Spike just stared at the letter, and then at his phone.
The decorating committee had really made an effort this year. The school’s gymnasium was decked out in streamers, stars, banners, and even a large mirrored ball hanging from the center ceiling. Word was it took every pegasus on the crew to properly get it up there, and also that it was never actually cleared by the teachers, so that was a whole separate discussion to happen. Still, there it was, and it did make a very effective centerpiece over the dance floor.
Only the best for the Hearts and Hooves Day Dance. Ponyville High’s biggest official social event of the year. Not even senior prom could really compete, being so much more limited in scale.
Well-dressed teens ambled throughout the large open room. Boys in tuxes, girls in dresses, and teachers in suits acting as eagle-eyed chaperones. Many sat at the tables that stuck to the outer edge of the room, but most were enjoying the dance floor. The DJ had sent the music through a variety of genres through the night, and after so many high energy moments it was finally time for a slow number to bring the happy couples together.
Spike and Scootaloo danced in time as best they could. Spike let Scootaloo lead, since he knew he’d end up scattered on the floor if he tried that himself. It worked out well. She liked to take charge. They held each other close under the twirling spotlights. Even if they missed the beat, it’s okay, they were happy in the moment.
Spike looked around. He spotted Apple Bloom and Flash Fire dancing not too far away, in matching green and red dresses that really made them stand out and also nicely matched their skin tones. Technically, Flash Fire went to another school, but nobody was asking too many questions when she showed up.
Looking another way, he spotted a beautifully blue-gowned Sweetie Belle dancing with Chipcutter. The pegasus was looking a bit overwhelmed, but doing his best to keep up with Sweetie’s confident movements. He had to keep trying. Sweetie was still sampling all the boys she could, likely saving any serious relationship for senior year, and she was finding plenty of eager takers who might someday become the lucky one to stick with her. Or maybe they just thought they’d be getting lucky a lot sooner. Those ones always went home disappointed.
Around the edges of the room, Spike spotted a few random faces turned their way. A few small whispers and laughs.
He was quite pleased to find he truly did not give a shit what they might be saying about them.
He tightened his grip on Scootaloo’s hips. She smiled at him, her arms around his neck. They did a small spin, keeping a good amount of balance in the process.
Wow, this is… going really well.
They’d been formally together and going steady for five months now. Five very good months. Fun and good feelings and everything else that they could hope for in a high school romance. He was riding high on the crest of a wave, one that just seemed to be getting bigger with every passing day.
Guess now’s a good time to finally actually say the words to her…
A beat in the song. Everyone paused as the music quieted, waiting for the next swell and next cue to move.
“Scootaloo…” Spike spoke softly.
“Hmm?” She cocked her head at attention. A colored spotlight passed overhead, and her purple hair was given an extra glow. It dazzled in his eyes.
“I… I love you.”
Her expression didn’t shift a muscle. “...really?”
“Uh… yeah.”
“Wow…” she smiled, almost taken aback by actually hearing the words.
They looked into each other’s eyes. He could see the reflection of his scales in her iris.
The seconds ticked by.
…shit, she’s not gonna say it back, uh, fuck, quick, say something reassuring
“You don’t gotta, like, say it back,” Spike stammered out, “Or at all, if it, you know, isn’t-”
It took Scootaloo leaning all the way in for the kiss to cut Spike off. He somehow didn’t see this one coming. They closed their eyes and enjoyed the moment, even though they could feel the nearest teacher’s eyes burning a hole through them the longer they stayed locked together.
…does that count as saying it back?
The dancing carried on for a while longer. Eventually, as the music started wrapping up and the DJ gave his final announcements and shoutouts, the various couples all retired to some tables of their own.
Spike flopped into his chair, Scootaloo on one side, Apple Bloom to the other. Flash Fire, Sweetie, and Chipcutter rounded out the circle. The conversation drifted, as they often do, in no direction as all as friends all traded late night small talk. Finally, and somewhat dramatically, Sweetie Belle yawned and stretched out her arms.
“Woooo… I’m beat,” she said. “Haven’t danced that long in… I don’t know how long.”
“Music was good this year,” Chipcutter said. “Much better than last year.”
“What time do they kick us out of here?” Scootaloo asked.
Apple Bloom dug her phone out of her dress pocket and checked the screen. “Uhhhh… in like ten minutes. Anypony got any plans after?”
“I don’t gotta be home for more than an hour,” Spike said. “Twin Pines Diner is open for longer than that. Anyone wanna grab a snack?”
“Oooh, now there’s an idea. I’m game for that,” Scootaloo said. She and Spike exchanged a fist bump.
“I think I’m going to call it a night. It’s cold enough out there, I don’t need to be out there any longer than I need to be,” Sweetie Belle said. “Chip dear, I don’t suppose you’d mind escorting me home?”
“Uh, yes, absolutely!” Chip practically leapt out of his seat to help Sweetie out of hers. The two gave their final waves around the table and joined the other departing teens for the exit.
“I wonder if he knows Rarity is gonna be waiting at the front door when they get there?” Scootaloo asked with a snigger. “Poor boy ain’t getting anything tonight.”
The others giggled, albeit a bit awkwardly. The overall hormone level in the room was reaching near critical mass, but this was also the night where it seemed like the town’s parents were enforcing early curfews with an iron hoof. Still, some would try to sneak off, and for the rest that didn’t, that was still a lot of steam that needed to be released somewhere, somehow.
“What about you two?” Scootaloo asked. “Wanna join Spike and me?”
Apple Bloom and Flash Fire both nodded, and with that they all stood and prepped to leave. This involved gathering their thick coats, jackets, and gloves, and properly bundling up before stepping out into the brisk February night.
It was a good call by Spike. The diner wasn’t terribly far away, and they all enjoyed splitting part of a pie and laughing away the late night hours. A few other couples had even followed along, and for a brief period the restaurant was packed with tiredly rambunctious teens.
Still, all things must end, and as the midnight hour approached, the bills were paid and tracks were made for home. Scootaloo and Spike gave their hugs to Apple Bloom and Flash and watched them wander off in the direction of the farm.
“Real chatterbox, that Flash Fire,” Spike said. “Surprised Apple Bloom could ever get a word in.”
“Hey, at least she’s nice and cool,” Scootaloo said. “And apparently they don’t live super far apart? Just across the school district lines. Good for them, got a lucky find.”
“Yup yup.” Spike turned and held his elbow up to Scootaloo. “M’lady? Care for an escort home?”
Scootaloo giggled and took his arm. “Lead the way. And don’t dawdle young man, Aunt Holiday is waiting at home and she does not suffer tardiness.”
Even with this threat looming, they took their time walking along the moonlit streets. There had been something of an early thaw this year, and much of the snow had been cleared off to the sides. Still, even with Spring just around the corner, it was plenty cold at a quarter to midnight, and they held each other real close. They walked in silence, listening to their own steps on the sidewalk.
As they neared Scootaloo’s house, Spike finally spoke up.
“...I’m sorry to spring what I said on you,” he said. “About me… you know…”
“Hey, it’s okay,” Scootaloo said reassuringly. “I kinda had a hunch. I’m happy to hear it, I really am.”
“Cool, cool, I’m glad.” They walked a little further before he spoke again. “But, uh… can I ask how you feel in that department?”
Scootaloo thought for a moment. “I’d say… I’m about there? Like, I really wanna say it dude, but also… I truly wanna mean it when I do, ya know?”
“Yeah, I can get that,” Spike said. Deep inside, some small part of his heart took a hit. He wished he could feel otherwise but there it is.
“It isn’t because of you, I should add,” Scootaloo said quickly. “Like, you’re pretty much everything I want in a guy at this point in my life, it’s just… I dunno. Hard to describe really. It’s… it’s something that I gotta work on, if that makes sense”
“It’s okay, I understand,” Spike said.
Do I?
They reached her front gate. The light was on inside, and they could indeed make out the seated silhouette of Aunt Holiday waiting in a living room chair.
They hugged and kissed and saw each other off. As she walked away, Spike spoke out.
“Hey, Twilight’s out of town Friday night. Wanna do a movie marathon at my place? We still gotta watch the Sand Worm series together.”
“That does sound fun,” Scootaloo said. “Count me in.”
She then stopped, and turned to face him.
“Of course, uh… if we’re ready, we can always do more than watch a movie?”
She smiled nervously. It took Spike a moment to catch on, before his brain promptly melted.
“Uh… y-yeah?” he was able to say.
She nodded, and turned back to go inside.
Spike stood out in the cold longer than he had anticipated. Eventually he snapped out of his stupor and flew home, his mind still a blur. Twilight was grumpy at him being nearly a half hour late, but he hardly even noticed and went straight to his room to bed. He’d suddenly found himself at an intersection between extreme excitement and gut-wrenching nervousness and he hoped that he could sleep at least some of those feelings away.
He thought wrong. Paying attention at school that week proved to be a very difficult task indeed.
The bedroom was dark. The rest of the home was empty.
Two figures slipped into bed. They closed to a tight embrace. Lips locked together, a kiss that was longer and harder than ever before. Tongues met, not for the first time, but never before with such intensity.
Hands started exploring. Fingers felt along clothing, finding seams, reaching past sleeves and under shirts.
Pulses raced. Sweat was already forming.
Voices were quiet, hardly enough to be heard a few inches away.
“Um… can I… reach up under here?”
“Yeah.”
A hand felt around. It cupped, it held, it squeezed. The breathing increased. Grew labored.
“...that feels nice.”
Some clothing came off. The two rolled in bed. Wings, already pulled in tight, were compressed that much further. A hand started venturing south.
“Want me to keep going?”
“Um… y-yeah…”
More rolling. More labored breathing. What might’ve been a moan. A finger worked its way under a waistband, moving gently, with a purpose, trying to work its way in just a bit more, until finally, it was nearly on top of-
“Wait.”
Full stop, total freeze up.
“Everything okay?”
“I… I…”
The breathing caught, just for a moment. A pulse pounded with a deafening beat.
“...fuck.”
“What’s wrong? Did… did I-”
“No, no, it’s not… dammit, shit, fuck, damn, I… I’m sorry, I need to stop.”
A figure rolled, facing away, eyes burning a hole in the darkness.
“...I really thought I could handle this now, but…”
A tremor rippled through the body. Not a happy one.
“Hey, it’s okay, it’s fine, really, it is.”
“No, it isn’t, I just… I’m sorry, I don’t know what’s wrong with me right now.”
A tear hit a pillow. A sniffle, one more guttural, with suggestions of more to follow.
An embrace, tight, loving, and calming.
“Hey… I don’t want you feeling bad about this. If you don’t wanna keep going, then neither do I. We just stop.”
“...thank you.”
The embrace had a good effect. Bodies relaxed.
“Do you wanna go back downstairs?”
“Yeah, but, not yet… can we just… stay like this, for a while?”
“Of course.”
“Thank you. Again.”
The cuddle grew closer and closer. No more tears. No more sniffles. Breathing evened out, pulses relaxed. A body embraced a body, a hand held a hand.
“...love you.”
“...I know.”
The night passed on.
Spring arrived in force. Besides the warmer weather, that meant that softball season had finally, truly arrived. Scootaloo had been doing her workout routines all school year and was ready to put it all to the test. She was determined this year, not only to help push her team as far as they could possibly go, but to really stand out and be noticed up there on the pitcher’s mound.
Of course, between school, practice, homework, practice, and still more practice, it meant that she and Spike suddenly had a lot less free time together. Not a surprise. Even before she’d warned him directly he knew that she grew scarce between March and May. Still, they did their best to make it work. While she stretched and worked drills with the rest of the team on the field, he quietly chilled in the bleachers doing his schoolwork.
He liked to watch her practice. She was fully in her element out there. Confident, focused, and disciplined. All qualities he came to realize drew him to her in the first place.
Plus, and he would never actually admit this to her face, the uniform really complimented her body well.
The longer stretches of time apart did have their downsides. Her post-practice exhaustion tended to mean less nights out, or that she had to focus on keeping up with schoolwork, and Spike could only help her with so much of that while still focusing on his own workload. They still saw each other as much as they could, but for a span their text conversations started becoming more prevalent than their face-to-face ones.
In a way that brought Spike a lot of anxiety, this benefited him. He had yet to make his college decision, and the clock was ticking down. Just a few weeks left. By now Twilight knew about the responses he’d received and was positively ecstatic, but did promise to keep it a secret until he’d finalized his decision. This just led to night after night of her asking probing questions and helping him do more in-depth research of not just the schools themselves but the surrounding areas he would potentially be living in.
Leave it to Twilight to make a research project out of the next few years of his life and beyond.
Spike just kept thinking it over. Or rather, pretending to think it over.
Really he was just trying not to think about it at all.
As the first game of the season arrived, he sat in the stands and cheered Scootaloo on as loud as he could. He practically willed his energy into her, and with it a belief that every win she had would make things easier, would make the future that much better. This also led him to worry he was losing his grip, but then, it didn’t much matter what he did that day. The Ponyville War Horses had a strong lineup this year, and Scootaloo’s arm helped lead the way to a blowout victory over Sunnyview Prep.
As Spike huddled up with Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom to congratulate Scootaloo after the game, a constant thought kept ringing through his head, one he couldn’t shake off.
I can’t leave her behind.
Another school day. Another lunchtime.
For the first time in a few weeks, Scootaloo and Spike were actually eating together with no other friends around, the social calendar having lined up just right to give them a little gap. They were out by the fields, sitting on the bleachers Spike had become much more familiar with as the softball season progressed. They had the whole area to themselves, most choosing to eat in the quad or closer to the main building.
While Spike munched away on his sandwich, Scootaloo eyeballed him carefully.
Alright, enough of this, time to finally get it out of him.
“So, Spike… can we talk about something?” She kept her tone loose and casual.
“Hmm?” Spike looked over, wiping his mouth. “What’s up?”
“Welllll… what’s, you know, going on with your college choice? Because it really seems like you’re putting that way way off and it’s kiiiiinda important.”
Spike froze like a deer. Scootaloo could practically see the gears turning in his head.
The hell is he trying to wriggle out of here?
“I mean, where’d you get in?” she asked. “Come on dude, just tell me already. You’ve been ducking this for a while, and I’ve let it slide because I know it’s a really big decision to make, but every other senior I know settled on their choice ages ago and you still need to commit.”
“Why is this important to you?” Spike asked. He sounded a little annoyed. “It’s my thing to deal with, I can handle it.”
“I care about it because I care about you!” Scootaloo exclaimed. “Like, do I really have to spell that out? Why won’t you just tell me this? What is the big secret?”
Spike made a face. He could beat around the bush in text and in passing conversations, but he couldn’t lie to her face.
“...fine, I got in everywhere I applied,” he said, with a hint of remorse. “Every college, every scholarship, everything.”
Her eyes went wide. “Scholarships? What kind? Where to?”
“...full academic scholarship to Vanhoover University. Completely covers tuition, housing, the works.”
“That’s great!” Scootaloo smiled. “That’s really amazing! So you’re gonna take that full ride to VU you wanted, right?”
Spike shifted in his seat. His eyes darted around, as if he wanted to look anywhere but right at Scootaloo’s face.
Scootaloo’s smile faded. “What’s wrong? That’s the place you were after. It’s being handed to you. This is, like, every smart kid’s dream, and you’re the smartest kid I know.”
“...I’m not gonna take it. I’m gonna just do community college here in Ponyville, stick around for a while.”
She stared at him, mouth agape. He shoved his hands in his hoodie pockets and looked at the ground.
“Why the heck would you do that?” she asked. “That’s turning down the chance of a lifetime, ‘cause I’ll bet that’s a one time offer. What do you wanna stick around here for anyway?”
Spike finally looked up and looked her right in the eyes. An alarm in Scootaloo’s head, one that had been sounding off since the conversation got going, finally reached the conscious part of her brain.
…dammit. Of course that’s why.
Her shoulders sagged. “Spike… you can’t stay for me.”
Spike looked confused.
“Why not?” he asked. “This is my life, I can take it at whatever pace I want, and right now the most important part of it is you. I can’t just ditch you!”
“You’re not ditching me, you’re going out to actually live your life.” She gestured around them, from the field to the school. “This is not your life, this is high school. It’s a fucking weigh station we all gotta pass through before we can escape into reality.”
“Well, then…” Spike tensed up. “What about us?”
Scootaloo sighed. “Well, then, we eventually say our goodbyes. High school romances always have an expiration date. That’s the game. That’s how it works and it’s fun while it lasts and we miss it when it’s over but we don’t settle on it forever. We… we can’t do that.”
“It’s not settling, though,” Spike insisted. “It’s staying here with the pony I love.”
Yeah, I gotta address that too, shouldn’t have put it off so long, that wasn’t right.
“Spike…”
“Scootaloo, I am in love with you,” Spike said determinedly. “I truly, really feel this, in whatever way I’m supposed to feel it.”
“Yes, I know you do, and I believe you, I do! It… it’s just…”
“Do you love me?”
His eyes were fixed on her. She could see the sweat building at the base of his scales near his ears. Always a sign that his anxiety was building. Normally she found it endearing. Now it just worried her.
“It is not fair for you to put me on the spot like this,” Scootaloo said. “That is not how it works.”
“I need to know!” he said, his agitation rising. “I need to know because it is wrapping around my brain all the time and I am freaking out that I can’t tell what to do about it and I need some kind of answer here. So, again, do you love me?”
Do I? Do I… I really want to, don’t I?
Scootaloo threw her hands up in frustration. “Fine! Maybe I do! I think! I’m pretty damn close to sure, at least, and that might be as good as it gets. I hate to break this to you but that’s a really hard emotion for me to pin down and I’m sorry I can’t be as straightforward about it as you but shit ain’t easy sometimes and you putting me on the spot like this sure doesn’t help.”
Why is this so hard for me?
She took another breath. “Spike, even if we love each other, we can’t… you can’t just stay here like that.”
“Why the hell not?” Spike was adamant now. “Why is it a weird thing to want to stay with you?”
“Because, then, what? What’s the plan here? We gonna get married and stay together forever and that’s that?”
Spike sputtered. “I mean, not like… that’s not what I’m talking about here, I’m…”
“You’re what? Spike, there’s no plan there, there’s nothing. You can’t put your life on hold for me.”
“Sure I can! What better thing is there to put my life on hold for?”
Nobody stays for me, he can’t stay for me, that is not how any of this is supposed to go.
“Because I’m not worth that!” Scootaloo shouted back. “I am not gonna be some anchor around your neck that keeps you from going out there and actually becoming someone. I don’t want anyone to do that, any more than… than I’d want you to do that to me.”
Now it was Spike’s turn to sag his shoulders. “So, what… you want me to leave? You want to just toss all this away? Did this relationship… mean nothing to you?”
“Of course not, you stupid boy!” Scootaloo growled in frustration. “Despite what you seem to think this relationship matters to me as much as it does to you and I am sorry that being realistic means that it ends but that is what happens to good things, they end. And I don’t like it either but I also have a life ahead of me, just like you do, and I’m not gonna spend it standing still.”
“How the hell can it be-”
The ringing of the bell cut off whatever Spike was about to shout. They both looked at each other, breathing heavily, emotions still flaring.
“Look, I got class and I got practice and I got a ton of homework and I do not have time to think about this right now.” Scootaloo snatched her backpack off the bleacher and stormed towards the school.
Well that was a fucking stupid thing to get into a fight about. How the hell is he so dense, he’s like a damn lovesick puppy, and yeah of course I don’t want him to go! This whole thing is so dumb and frustrating… why can’t he just leave and make all this easier… stupid dumb loving jerk… dammit I handled that so badly what was I thinking, what was he thinking, dammit dammit dammit…
She fumed all through the rest of her classes.
Spike was not in the stands to watch practice that day.
On the mound, Scootaloo’s first furious warm-up pitch nearly sprained the catcher’s hand, and the next three went so wide they may as well have been thrown blind. She had to run laps the rest of the afternoon to cool off.
A long, awkward week passed. They passed uneasily in the halls. They didn’t speak or text or do any of the things they normally did. Spike stuck deep to the library at lunch, Scootaloo to the field.
Their friends tried desperately to figure out what was up. Nobody was talking. Not even Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle cornering Spike on the stairs could get anything out of him.
The simple fact was they were both very frustrated with each other, and even more so with themselves.
Spike had been taking the back field to get home every day. It took longer but he was in no mood to run into any friends in front of the school.
Today, as he approached the fence, he saw a figure waiting for him.
Scootaloo was casually leaning against a post. Her arms were crossed, her expression neutral.
“Come on.” She jerked her head towards the park. “Let’s go.”
They walked in silence. It didn’t take long for Spike to realize she was leading him to the quiet spot by the lake. As he expected, they were completely alone when they arrived. They tossed their bags onto a nearby fallen log and sat down, close to each other but not within touching distance.
Scootaloo looked determined, but she was fidgeting a lot more with her hands than normal. Spike kept his buried in his hoodie pocket. Was all he could do to not have his hood up as well.
Eventually, it was him who broke the stalemate. “So, um… did we break up?”
A long beat passed. Scootaloo took a breath, then smiled, and even barked out a loud laugh. She quickly stopped, one hand over her mouth, looking embarrassed.
“Sorry! Sorry, that was… not the response I was trying for.” She took another breath. “No, Spike, we did not break up. That was a fight. Couples have them. I guess that was our first, so, hey, milestone.”
Spike cocked his head. “Did that thing on Nightmare Night not count as a fight?”
“I’d say that was… venting frustration, and not really at each other,” she replied.
They took another moment.
“So, I am so, so sorry,” Spike said. “I tried to box you in and that was really shitty of me, and I apologize.”
“Thanks,” Scootaloo said. “I’m sorry too. Sorry that I reacted as fiercely as I did, it just… I dunno, it seemed to really trigger something in me.”
“I shouldn’t have kept it all bottled up for so long.”
“Big time, yeah. You can’t avoid your problems forever, that just makes them grow and fester.”
“So I’ve noticed.”
“Spike…” Scootaloo sighed. “I get where you’re coming from. It’s a lot to think about. More than I could handle all at once then. More than we both could handle, I’d say.”
Spike nodded. “Scootaloo… I am so, so scared of losing you. And to be clear, I’ve had that fear pretty much from our very first date. I cannot believe I have made it this far and I don’t know what I’ll do when, well… it’s all over. Losing that, losing you… it scares the shit out of me. All the more so because, yeah, you’re right… it’s gonna happen eventually, one way or another, like it or not.”
His face was crestfallen. His eyes glistened, not yet to the point of tears, but certainly headed that direction. Scootaloo moved closer to him, pulling her knees up against her chest in the process.
Gently, she placed a hand on his leg. “Spike, I need to be clear about something: you will never lose me. Even if… even when we stop dating. I’ll always care deeply about you, and I’m guessing you will about me, too.”
She smiled at him. He weakly returned it.
“Folks come and go in our lives,” Scootaloo went on. “You and I know that better than most. But they’re always still there with us, one way or another.”
“Yeah, I know… I missed you this week.”
“Yeah, I did, too. Got so used to having you around, I guess.”
“Same, same…” Spike laughed as a small tear came out of his eye. He hurriedly wiped it away with his sleeve.
“Jeeze, sorry, I didn’t think I’d get like this…” he hurriedly cleared his throat. “So, um, I guess… I think I’m taking that scholarship then?”
He phrased it as a question he hadn’t actually answered yet. His eyes were carefully studying Scootaloo’s face.
She did her best at keeping the smile on her face.
“Spike, I’m glad you’re doing that. I am! That is a fucking incredible opportunity and you’re gonna have an amazing life! I’m happy for that and for you!”
Her smile flickered, just for a moment. Spike saw it, and Scootaloo saw him see it.
“...yes, I’m gonna be sad to see you go,” she said. Her posture sagged, her voice dropped. “Spike… yes, I’ll be honest, I’m in a really weird spot. I don’t want you to stay… but I don’t want you to go. And… and I realize that after everything we fought about that is… not what you need to hear right now.”
“No, no, I’m glad you said that,” Spike said. “I guess… I dunno, it’s stress we can both share. Spread the load and all that. And… I’m still gonna go. Because you were right. The logic holds up. I gotta go live a real life, out there, somewhere.”
“Still…” He worked his shoulders like he wasn’t sure how he was supposed to look for this part. “Well.. what about us?”
She could only shrug. “We keep going, until we’ve run out of time. Then we say goodbye.”
“I guess I… I’m worried that’s not enough. Like, if a relationship just ends, then I must’ve done something wrong. I must’ve failed at something.”
Now Scootaloo had to shake her head. “Spike, these things aren’t like that. We’ve had, and are still having, such an amazing time together. That’s what counts. A relationship doesn’t need to be defined by its ending. You didn’t do anything wrong, and you definitely didn’t fail at anything.”
“Yeah… yeah, I know you’re right. It’s not a zero-sum deal. It’s just… it’s probably been the best few months of my entire life. It’s scary, realizing that it’s going to come to an end. But… everything does end, doesn’t it? High school has to end.”
They’d been shifting towards each other the whole conversation. By now their bodies were leaning shoulder to shoulder, leg to leg.
“Who says teenagers can’t be mature?” Scootaloo said with a forced chuckle. “You’re growing up real fast, you know that?”
“Somebody once told me the same thing about you,” he replied. “I dunno, I think I’m just faking it all. None of this ever really made sense to me.”
This got an actual laugh from Scootaloo. “Spike, I’ve been with you long enough to plainly and sincerely tell you you’re a good boyfriend who is doing things right. You seriously need to start giving yourself a lot more credit. You’ll be happier when you do. And it’ll help you out big time later, I’m sure.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right.”
Scootaloo relaxed her stance, finally able to shake free the tension that had been binding her for days. She stretched her arms behind her head and leaned back onto the ground, wings to the dirt.
“Anyway, it’s definitely a good thing you’re gonna move on,” she said idly from her new horizontal position. “No way you wanna be that creeper college student with a high school girlfriend.”
Spike seriously considered this as he laid on his back next to her. “...fair point.”
They lay together for a while, enjoying the calm breeze that ruffled her feathers and danced off Spike’s head scales. They both let out long, satisfied sighs, like it was the first real chance they had to relax all week. Spike felt a familiar warming comfort flow back through him, and Scootaloo felt a chain break from around her neck.
“So… what’re you gonna get up to next year?” Spike asked.
“I’m not sure. Probably more of the same. Do decent in school, do awesome at softball, and hang out with Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom and Button and my teammates and whoever else comes my way that seems cool. You know. Basic school stuff.”
She turned her head to the side to look his way. “What about you? Ready for college? Ready for life on the other side of the world?”
“Well I don’t think Vanhoover is that far away,” Spike said. “Barely an 11 hour train ride. It’ll fly right by.”
“A hop, a skip, and a jump away.”
“Exactly. But… well, I don’t know what it’ll be like. Before I met you I probably would’ve given a firmer answer, though. Something about being really excited to be somewhere new, to truly learn and integrate into a new environment, to… to truly be off on my own…”
His eyes drifted as he said that last sentence, his mind easing back to how he used to be, how his life and attitude was shifting before that fateful day where he asked out a cute girl he liked.
“Still feeling happy alone, Spike?” Scootaloo asked softly. She placed her hand on his as he did. “Because… I’d kinda like you to promise me you… won’t stay lonely over there.”
After a moment, he gripped it. “Yeah… yeah, I’ll try. You’ve, uh, taught me the perks in, uh, not being alone. And whatever happens out there I’ll try to, you know, not be the quiet wallflower guy who ditches parties and hides in movie theaters and keeps working late for the sake of avoiding everyone around him. Whatever I’m gonna make of myself, it’s gonna be something that’s not isolated in a self-made void.”
“Smoothly said.”
“I gotta say, I am a bit scared I won’t meet anyone I could even hope to have a chance with.”
“Pffft, oh please.” Scootaloo knocked Spike in the arm. “You asked out the coolest girl you’ve ever met. You got that kind of thing in the bag. Other girls should be so lucky.”
“I’ll try to keep that in mind,” Spike said sheepishly. “Anyway, it’s college. Just more teachers, lectures, homework, the works. How hard could it be?”
“That’s the spirit. Show those big city folks what for.”
She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. He turned and found his nose touching her. The kiss that followed clicked everything nicely back into place. A balance restored.
“Hey, uh, Scootaloo…” Spike said when they separated. “What you said when we fought, about you not being worth it? Not being worth staying for, I mean?”
“Oh, yeah, I think I was just… frustrated and fishing.”
“Maybe, but like… don’t say stuff like that about yourself. You are worth it. You know that. This all doesn’t change that.”
“I… I know.”
“You’re supposed to be the confident one here.” Spike chuckled.
“Got me there,” Scootaloo nodded her head, just a little. Spike watched as she stared into space for a minute, and wondered where her head was off to. It wasn’t often he heard her talk down about herself, and he didn’t like what he made of it.
“Alright, time to get out of here,” Scootaloo said abruptly, standing up and dusting her shirt and shorts off. “Let's go see a movie or something. I’m dying for a proper fun evening.”
“Well, I dunno,” Spike said as he stood beside her. “I kinda got a lot of homework I still need to do. Final essays and projects coming up soon, so, you know-”
Scootaloo poked a finger in his chest, cutting him off. “Spike, you are a second semester senior with a guaranteed scholarship and admission to the best college in the country already in the bag. Your grades are amazing. You’re graduating in a month and a half. You literally cannot academically screw things up here. So if there’s one thing I will consider a failure with you, it’s not instilling some sense of genuine chill into your life.”
She turned to grab her bag and his, tossing it to his chest. “So, to wit, you are blowing off homework tonight, you are gonna come with your girlfriend to watch whatever dumb movie is playing, and then we’re gonna get dinner and go hang out with friends so we can finally reassure them that all's right with the world again.”
Spike had to concede the point. Plus he knew it would be really good to get Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom off his back. Their texts were starting to take on a very menacing tone.
They wandered down the path back towards town, hand in hand. Halfway down the path, Scootaloo spoke again.
“You’re a good boyfriend, Spike.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, you’re a better girlfriend, Scootaloo. And I don’t say that enough.”
“Thanks.”
He put his arm around her shoulder. They walked on, embraced and content, into the late afternoon light.
Spike’s final weeks of Ponyville High sped by in a blur. Events and memories piling on in such rapid succession he could hardly keep up.
The Ponyville War Horses had their best season yet, rocketing all the way to the regional finals. Sadly, they made it there only to lose in a very close finish to reigning champions Saddleview Prep. Still, Scootaloo wasn’t too disappointed. She walked away with the league’s MVP award due to her superb pitching, and kept her hopes high for next season. The coach telling her she was gonna be Captain certainly put an extra spring in her step. As did Spike and her friends cheering her on at every game.
Then came birthday season. Apple Bloom was up first, followed by Sweetie Belle a week later, and Scootaloo two weeks after that. As per tradition, the three threw one large joint birthday party to get all their various friend groups involved, this time taking over the field around the farmhouse for a big outdoor event. It was a blast for all, and Scootaloo was over the moon for the gift Spike got her: an original Nightmare on Cherry Lane one sheet, signed by Shreddy himself. Spike had Button to thank for that last part, as his friend had snagged the signature at a convention he went to a month earlier. Button was only too glad to help out.
Finals season swooped in like a hawk after a fish, and the students did all they could to wriggle free of its vice-like grip. The juniors buckled down, Spike offering his assistance as a tutor in whatever they cared to ask him about. Rumble opted to take the no stress route and took all his exams with zero studying, and somehow still came out with a B+ average at the end. A charmed boy, it was said. Spike, naturally and seemingly effortlessly, aced every class. Even Wormwood’s dreaded AP Calc and a teacher who would never come out and say he thought dragons shouldn’t be that smart, but that was certainly felt with every interaction. Spike left his room on the last day with glee and never looked back.
Then, at long, long last, the signpost at the end of the road: graduation day.
The seniors gathered, decked out in cap and gown, and they proceeded in orderly fashion into the gym and into chairs assembled in front of the stage. Their family and friends packed the stands on either side.
They all listened to Principal Cheerilee give a nice speech. About the places they’d go and the ponies they’d become. They heard class valedictorian Twist give a very eloquent reflection on her time at school. Both speakers gave them the right amount of optimism for their collective tomorrows.
As salutatorian, Spike merely had a nice sash on his gown and a seat up front. Worked fine for him. He dreaded the idea of giving the speech anyway.
They read the list, they called his name, he took the stage and took his diploma. He could hear plenty of friends cheering him on the whole time.
That was it. He’d done it. Spike had survived high school
After the last of the graduates walked off and the hats tossed into the air, they were let out into the quad to the joy of the waiting masses. Everyone wanted a hug, a picture, one more word of congratulations.
Spike stepped out, blinking in the light as he looked around.
Heck of a day.
He wandered through the crowd. The first familiar face he spotted was Rumble, who was standing off to one side with his brother. He headed their way.
“Hey, made it to the finish line,” Rumble said, fist bumping Spike as he walked up. “Feels good, right?”
“Didn’t think I had it in me,” Spike said. He nodded at Thunderlane, who smiled and gave him a nod back.
“Eh, you were the one we were all the least worried about,” Rumble said with a smile. “Nothing gonna keep Spike Sparkle down.”
Spike smiled. “Always appreciate the confidence. And same to you. Coming to the tree later?”
“Wouldn’t miss it. Gonna get lunch with my bro here first, and then-”
“SPIKE! WHERE ARE YOU! DON’T YOU HIDE FROM THESE HUGS!”
Pinkie’s shout hot knifed its way through the crowd, which melted away accordingly, revealing a very excited pink pony hopping in place. Twilight stood next to her, along with the rest of her usual crew. She ran up to Spike and gave him an enormous hug, smiling and crying the whole while.
Didn’t think she had this kind of grip strength… okay, gonna black out…
Luckily Rarity was able to gently pry her loose. Twilight wiped some tears from her eyes.
“Oh Spike, I’m… I’m just so proud of you, I…” She was at a loss for words and just moved to hug him again. Spike hugged her back and even took the incoming kiss on his forehead with pleasure. He waved as Rumble and Thunderlane walked away and was then promptly surrounded by the usual suspects. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, even Fluttershy had managed to sneak away from her animal clinic to come and wish him well.
Everyone wanted to share their joy for the moment. Little baby Spike was all grown up. Plus they needed to take every possible combination of pictures to commemorate the moment.
Through the clump of ponies, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle wedged their way in.
“Hey Spike!” Apple Bloom said. “We’re on our way to the tree, so we’ll give you a proper congrats there! Just gotta get some supplies first. I saw Button somewhere around here, I think he’s gonna get Featherweight and meet us up later as well.”
Pinkie gasped loudly. “Spike’s graduation party! I have a cake waiting for it at the bakery, I need to go get it!”
“Pinkie, I think we already brought the cake to the library,” Twilight said.
“You brought a cake, but a party like this needs way more than just one cake,” Pinkie said with a wink. She gave Spike one more hearty slap on the back and quickly trotted off.
Spike looked around and frowned.
Weird, I saw her in the stands next to Twilight, where’d she get to…
Sweetie could tell what he was thinking and leaned in. “When you get a moment, somepony is waiting for you over there.”
She pointed towards the library entrance. At this moment Twilight also got the hint.
“Well Spike, I know you need to turn your gown in and get the actual diploma,” she said. “We’ll be waiting for you at the tree when you’re ready.”
“Don’t be long, bud!” Applejack said. “Gonna have one heck of a party tonight.”
Wrapping her arm around Rainbow Dash’s shoulder, she walked off, snagging a Fluttershy on the way. Twilight gave Spike one last smile and headed off with them. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle didn’t linger much longer either. Each gave Spike a hug and a quick word of encouragement and then disappeared into the crowd.
Spike made his way to the library. Scootaloo was waiting for him, sitting two steps up and looking very satisfied.
“Well well, look at this: big boy high school graduate,” she said. “Top of the world and everything.”
Spike took a bow, nearly losing his cap in the process.
Scootaloo held her arms out. “Alright, let’s do the thing.”
Spike made a show of considering it. “Hmmmmmm, do I want to, let me think about that one.”
“Don’t make me pout.”
“You’re really cute when you pout though.”
“You saying I’m not always cute?”
“Hey let’s do the thing.”
Spike reached under her armpits and lifted Scootaloo into the air. He quickly shifted and held her around the waist, letting the two enter a tight embrace and a nice big smooch. To complete the scene, he slowly spun her in place, a picturesque image of a happy young couple.
Someone else certainly thought so, as Spike heard a telltale *click* to one side. Gently setting Scootaloo down, he turned and saw Featherweight and Apple Bloom scurrying from the nearby bushes, a camera around the former’s neck.
“Great shot, real keeper!” Apple Bloom giggled over her shoulder as the two disappeared around the corner.
Wonder how long they were planning that one. No wonder she made me practice lifting her up like that.
Spike could only roll his eyes. “Nice setup.”
Scootaloo smiled innocently. “Just needed something sweet to remember the moment. Gonna stick it on my wall.”
“Well, get me a copy at least.”
She and Spike grabbed hands and walked to the cafeteria, which was currently doubling for gown turn in. At the front, Spike took his actual diploma, and in exchange returned his cap and popped his gown off. Doing so revealed his t-shirt: a stark black and white design of a decapitated head that had sprouted legs and an extra set of eyes, looking ready to scuttle off. Written above the head, in big blazing words, was the sentence YOU GOTTA BE FUCKING KIDDING.
The teacher behind the counter raised her eyebrows at him. Spike waved his diploma back at her and gave a big thumbs up.
Scootaloo was still laughing as they exited the building.
“Took you way too long, but you finally decided to show off your fashion sense,” she said, wiping her eyes. “And with a Ducking Fecayed design no less. I’m jealous of that one, I don’t think I have any Who Goes There shirts.”
“That’s a bummer for you then. And yeah, I think I can finally shake free at least a few inhibitions,” he said. He leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. She laughed and kissed him back.
They wandered around the school, with no clear direction in mind. Campus was largely empty now, the graduating class having dispersed to whatever events were going on that evening. The two of them knew they had to get to the library themselves soon, but a little extra time just to themselves wasn’t going to be skipped.
Eventually they ended up at their usual lunch spot, the bleachers in the back field. They took a seat all the way on the top row. Spike stretched out his legs and wings, flexing like it was the first time all day he was able to properly relax.
Scootaloo glanced around the wide view of the baseball diamond, grass fields, and the quiet school buildings. She turned to Spike.
“Gonna miss this place?” she asked.
He looked around himself. “...nah, probably not. I think I had a pretty good run here, all things considered. But like… my life is just starting. This place will likely just end up a footnote.”
He slid closer to her and put his arm around her shoulders. “Of course, the friends I made here, that’s a different matter entirely.”
“Darn tootin’.” She stuck her tongue out at him, then leaned over and nuzzled against his neck. They sat like this for a while longer.
Spike’s mind drifted. Events yet to come drifted his way.
He saw the summer laid out ahead of him. It was a busy one. Events flashed in and out of his mind’s eye.
His 18th birthday party. A group camping trip to the mountains. Sneaking to a concert in Canterlot. Taking an excursion or three to the beach. Summer holiday celebrations.
The usual social nights around town. Date nights. Movie nights. Game nights. Friends coming and going, all the time.
His goodbye party.
A farewell at the train station, complete with a cinematically-appropriate tearful kiss goodbye.
And then…
An unknown life doing who knows what and with who knows who… and probably not this amazing girl sitting right next to me.
Spike stared off into the horizon. It was a while before he realized Scootaloo was speaking to him.
“Huh?” He shook himself out of his stupor. “What’d you say?”
“I asked what you were thinking about,” Scootaloo said. “You got really tense for a bit there.”
“Oh…” he turned to look at her. “I guess… just everything that’s coming. Summer and college and beyond and… it all feels like it’s coming faster and faster and I… don’t know how to feel about that.”
Scootaloo gave him a peck on the forehead and smiled. “Hey, you’re about to close off the first real chapter of your life. Plenty of time to adjust to the next phase. Whatever it is.”
“Mmmm…”
The next phase, real soon, is the end of this… the end of us… or is it already here?
He gripped her hand tightly. She could read his mind.
“I wish this summer could be longer. No matter how much we fit in, it’s gonna blow right by, I can feel it. But we gotta focus on getting the most out of every minute of it, that’s what counts here. A journey isn’t all about the ending, after all.”
“Yeah, yeah…” Spike looked away. He knew she was right, but he still couldn’t shake the gray clouds moving in on the outskirts of his brain.
Scootaloo saw, as she often had in their relationship, that it was time for executive action.
She reached up and turned his head, so they were looking each other eye to eye. “Spike… I love you. I do. We’re going to have an amazing summer, and we’re going to say goodbye, and it’s gonna suck, and then… we’ll move on. But, and this is as mushy as I’ll ever get so listen up, we’ll always have a place in each other’s hearts.”
Spike watched her intently. He couldn’t stop the smile spreading on his face. “I love you too, Scootaloo. So, so much. I’ll miss you when it’s time. But for now… I’m so happy to be here with you.”
“Likewise.”
They moved in and had a long, deep kiss. How long it lasted, neither of them could say, or much cared. Their spirits were intertwined and their emotions soared together.
In time they would stand, head back to the library, and enjoy a great night of partying with friends and family. And just like they said, that would be the kickoff night for one heck of a summer, and then, eventually, the rest of their lives would begin.
But for now, they were just two teenagers, stuck together in love and ready to take on the world.