Whispered Words - Chapter Four
Silver Spoon stared at Sweetie Belle as she heard the latter's story from years ago, how she was beaten up by a drunk stallion and how she hated making other ponies worry. Though, the only part Sweetie Belle left out was how she disliked colts and stallions. She didn't want to get mistaken for a fillyfooler.
"It hurts to sing too, you know. Stupid, right? I can't even perform my special talent correctly," Sweetie Belle said. She could feel tears welling up in her eyes, but she didn't dare to let a single one of them slip, at least, not in front of Silver Spoon. The grey mare looked down onto the ground. She found herself unable to make eye contact with the purple maned unicorn. Suddenly, a question popped into the grey mare's head.
"Why do you push yourself so hard anyway? You never give up on anything either," Silver Spoon asked. Sweetie Belle gave her a sheepish smile.
"I guess I just don't want to be a burden on anypony. I can't do much. I can't cook, I can't sew, I can't buck apples, I'm not even good at using magic, but I don't want to sit around and not do something that I know I can do," the white mare replied. Sweetie Belle could feel a tear almost escaping. She turned away from Silver Spoon and quickly wiped it away.
"So... why'd you pick Foods and Nutrition?" Silver Spoon asked out of the blue. Sweetie Belle giggled.
"So I could get better at cooking, of course! In case you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly the best cook. Rarity's been screaming at me about cooking for as long as I can remember. I nearly burned down the house once! I want to improve, that's all," the white mare said calmly. A smile formed on her face as she brought her good memories back to light. Silver Spoon could feel her cheeks reddening upon seeing the unicorn smile again.
"Thanks for being here to listen, Silver Spoon. You really are a good friend," said Sweetie Belle. She stretched her legs in the air and yawned.
"I-I'm not your--"
"Friend? I know. Maybe we're not friends now, but I already told you I'm not giving up. I'm not going down without a fight," Sweetie Belle replied with a big grin on her face. Silver Spoon's blush deepened. "I think we better get going now. The school's about to close for the day anyway," said Sweetie Belle as she headed out of the door. Silver Spoon followed suit, but just before the grey mare left the room, she turned back and stared at a nearby bed.
I get a feeling this won't be the last time I visit this room... Silver Spoon thought to herself. She smiled, and walked out the door.
"UGGHHH!" Diamond Tiara groaned. She was sitting on her bed with a thermometer in her mouth. She had been trying to reach Silver Spoon all afternoon, wondering if the Cutie Mark Crusaders had gotten to her yet. She dialled and dialled Silver Spoon's home phone, but to no avail.
"What is she doing?! Classes should've ended ages ago. Is she ignoring me on purpose?!" Diamond Tiara expressed her thoughts aloud. She let out yet another groan before dialling Silver Spoon's number again.
Riiing.
"Pick up..."
Riiiing..
"Pick. Up."
Riiiiing...
"SILVER SPOON. PICK. UP."
Riiiiiing....
"DEAR CELESTIA, YOU GET YOUR HOOVES ON THIS PHONE RIGHT NOW OR I'LL TELL EVERYPONY YOU'RE A FILL--"
"Hello?" a voice came through the phone, much to Diamond Tiara's surprise.
"Silver Spoon?" the pink pony asked. She was still panting due to frustration, but the tone in her voice sounded rather calm.
"Oh, hi Diamond Tiara. Sorry for picking up so late and not keeping in touch--"
"YOU BETTER BE SORRY!" Diamond Tiara snapped at her best friend. "What were you doing anyway?! Don't tell me you were mingling with those loo~oosers." There was a pause in the conversation, which worried Diamond Tiara. "Wait, you can't--"
"Don't worry, Diamond. I haven't succumbed to their tricks. I was late because the white unicorn burned herself and I took her down to the nurse's office," Silver Spoon replied. Diamond Tiara hesitated before heaving a sigh of relief.
"That unicorn got injured again? Can't she do anything right?" Diamond Tiara scoffed. Silver Spoon kept quiet and didn't respond. "Well, besides that, what did they do this time?"
"They invited me to lunch," Silver Spoon replied. At that moment, the pink mare almost dropped the phone.
"A-and then...?" Diamond Tiara demanded. She heard the other pony sigh.
"I accepted their invitation," Silver Spoon admitted. This time, Diamond Tiara actually did drop the phone. She could hear Silver Spoon's voice questioning whether she was still there or not. Diamond Tiara didn't know what to say. Finally, when her mind was back in place, she placed the phone to her ear again.
"Silver Spoon, we have to do something about those crusaders!" she demanded.
"... Like what?"
"I DON'T KNOW, ANYTHING! Anything that'll get them away from you. Can't you see you're weakening your guard?!"
"It's been one day, DT. I don't think they'll get through to me that easily."
"Are you kidding? I got through to you in a day!" Diamond Tiara fought back. Suddenly, a pang of realization hit her.
"If you think she's nice on the inside, then I don't think that even Diamond Tiara got through to her." The words that Apple Bloom spoke the day before rang in the fuchsia pony's ears. Diamond Tiara waited for a minute, but there was no response from her friend.
"Silver Spoon, what is the meaning of this?" she asked. No reply. Diamond Tiara growled. "Silver Spoon, you fillyfoo--"
"Don't," the grey mare replied promptly. "Don't say another word." The crowned pony scoffed.
"Why? Are you embarrassed?" Diamond Tiara teased. "I bet your new little friends don't know about your little secret."
"They're not my friends!" Silver Spoon shouted through the phone defensively. A sinister grin spread across Diamond Tiara's face as she began having fun with her best friend.
"Oh, I bet they're not your friends, but the unicorn sure seems like she'll end up being your special somep--"
"DT, what are you doing?" Silver Spoon asked, sounding panicked.
"Oh, just teaching you a lesson. Don't you ever DARE do something as lame as spending a lunch break with those untalented little freaks." Diamond Tiara threatened with a harsh tone in her voice. The fuchsia pony heard a sigh through the phone.
"Fine, just make sure you show up for school tomorrow," Silver Spoon replied.
"I'll try. Daddy doesn't want me out of the house when I'm sick, so we'll just have to see," Diamond Tiara responded with the intention of teasing her best friend. She expected a groan or at least a sigh from the grey mare, but none of that came. Instead, she heard something that shocked her.
"Okay, well then, get well soon," Silver Spoon said calmly.
"THAT'S IT?!" Diamond Tiara hollered through the phone.
"What do you mean?"
"I might be gone for the next day, and all you have to say is, "get well soon"? You realize this means you have to spend another day, WITHOUT me, mind you, with the Loser Crusaders?"
"Sorry Diamond Tiara, I'm a little tired today. Can we cut the chit-chat?"
"Cut the chit-chat?! Listen here, anything and everything that comes out of my mouth is important. We're not chit-chatting, we're talking business here, Silver Spoon! ... Silver Spoon?" It took Diamond Tiara a moment to realize that the line was cut. Silver Spoon had hung up on her. She held the phone right in front of her face, and growled at it fiercely. She could feel her temperature rising again, but she didn't care.
"Oh, you fillyfooler. I'm going to get you AND your little Loser Mark Crusaders..."
Silver Spoon sighed. In truth, she wasn't tired at all, she just didn't want to talk to Diamond Tiara. For some reason, she couldn't bear hearing her friend talk so lowly of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. They had taught her so much in one day about friendship, and all she did in return was cause harm to them.
She jumped onto her bed, but not even two seconds after doing so, her phone rang again. It must be Diamond Tiara, she thought to herself. She answered.
"Hello, Di--"
"Oh, Silver Spoon! It really is you!" said the voice through the phone, who, apparently, was not Diamond Tiara, but instead, Sweetie Belle. The grey mare was astonished.
"How did you get my phone number?" she asked. She heard the other mare giggle.
"Oh, that's a long story that'll have to be saved for another day, but anyway, what's up?"
"Oh, um, nothing much, I suppose. Why'd you call me?"
"Can't two friends just randomly chit-chat?"
"We're not--"
"Still stuck on that, I see?" said Sweetie Belle. For some reason, she sounded really happy.
"Excuse me?" Silver Spoon asked, confused.
"Don't worry about it, I'm just kidding around. So anyway, I was wondering if you were busy?"
"You mean... right now?" Silver Spoon replied intelligently. What could she possibly want to do at this hour? the rich mare thought to herself. She glanced over at her clock. It was almost 5 pm. With the season already transitioning into winter, 5 pm was rather late for a mare to be out.
"Well, any time, really. Generally, I never have anything to do after class anyway, haha." Silver Spoon thought about it for a moment.
"Just... just the two of us?" she asked. She heard another energetic bout of laughter from the other party.
"Well, if you want. I'm sure if I asked, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo would be more than happy to join us," Sweetie Belle offered. Silver Spoon hesitated. In reality, she didn't want the farm pony or the pegasus to join her, but it would certainly be less awkward with their company. However, the wealthy mare's heart seemed to overrule her mind.
"Maybe... just the two of us would be fine," she replied. "B-but only because it'd be a burden to call for more ponies just for my sake!" she added. Smooth, Silver Spoon, she thought to herself.
"Okay! In that case, it's a date!" Sweetie Belle announced happily. HUH? Silver Spoon shouted in her head. What did she just say?!
"A d-date?!" she shouted through the phone. The mare's glasses almost fell off her face due to the sudden shock.
"Well, yeah! Isn't that what it's called? Two ponies alone together, just enjoying each other's company?" Sweetie Belle asked innocently. Silver Spoon readjusted her glasses. Of course, the way Sweetie Belle described a date was certainly what Silver Spoon was expecting when they do meet up, but that didn't necessarily mean it was one.
"Um, Sweetie Belle," the grey mare said calmly. "Of course, that's what a date is, but dates are usually between two ponies who have feelings for one another!"
"I do have feelings for you, though," Sweetie Belle replied innocently. The remark made Silver Spoon blush. She could feel her temperature rising. It was as if her body temperature surpassed Diamond Tiara's fever.
"Um, Sweetie Belle, what do you mean?"
"I have feelings for you the same I have feelings for Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, of course!" Silver Spoon's temperature did not cease to rise. "I want to be really close friends with you!" The grey mare paused for a moment.
"Wait, Sweetie Belle, just what do you think, 'having feelings for somepony else', means?"
"Isn't it how you feel about a really good friend? I mean, Scootaloo's mentioned having feelings for me multiple times, and we're best friends, so I put two and two together, and I figured she meant she really liked being my friend!" Silver Spoon face hoofed herself. If she was drinking a glass of water, she'd surely do a spit take.
It came as a great shock to know that the orange pony was in love with Sweetie Belle, but she decided not to pursue the topic of feelings any more. After all, she did value her life, and preferred if it wasn't ended by a certain pegasus who could pack a kick.
"Well, anyway," the white mare continued, "do you wanna meet up by the hilltop within thirty minutes?"
Hilltop? Silver Spoon thought to herself.
"Sure," the grey mare found herself accepting the invitation. She didn't even notice what had left her mouth until after she said it.
"Great, see you then!" Immediately afterwards, Sweetie Belle hung up and didn't let Silver Spoon take back her offer. The rich mare sighed.
"Oh, what have I gotten myself into?"