Scootaloo walked down the road very very slowly. She really didn't want to go to school. She heard the rumors about High School. She wan't exactly the most popular filly, which meant that she would be labeled as soon as she walked in. She was, in most ponies opinion, somepony to avoid. Nopony really messed with her since Diamond Tiara and her little lackey moved to Manehattan to attend that prissy private school. She was, nevertheless very nervous. This was a whole new game, with ponies she never met. Sunburst High was a pubilc school, so she didn't have any trouble messing with the system.
"At least Applebloom and Sweetie Bell are gonna be there"
Her group of friends had stuck together somehow after all these years. Even after the Cutie Mark Crusaders disbanded. She smiled. That little club of theirs was one of the only things that could make her do that. They were close enough to be family. Her only family considering that damned house fire that claimed her parents when she was only two years old. She had fended for herself when she outgrew the foster homes. The cutoff was seven, which was screwed up in every way possible. Now she was fifteen, alone and couldn't give a buck about anything even if she had one to give. If it hadn't been for her friends, she probably would've starved to death before she hit eight. Luckily Applebloom's family specialized in delicious food and Sweetie Bell could provide her with outfits, because clothes were more mainstream nowadays. She always wore the same black leather jacket, paired with a rough hairdo and one of the hardcore band t-shirts. She was the scary student that everypony thinks has some sort of unholy habit and cooked and ate cats or had a swimming pool full of piranhas. This wasn't true of course, although she did have a serrated combat knife stashed away inside her jacket.
She kept on walking at a procrastination-to-the-extreme pace until she was a few feet from the school gates. Nopony was here. Maybe because school didn't start for a few hours. She knew this, and picked a shady tree to sit under, even tough the sun wasn't even up yet. She dug her hoof into her pocket and pulled out a just-illegal-enough amount of cider. She glanced at her watch, which was fashioned out of obsidian shards, courtesy of Rarity.
4:12. Good. With luck, she could be drunk and expelled before the first bell even rang.
**********
Sweetie Bell rampaged though her closet. So much pressure. Everything rode on her appearance today. Everything. She had to look absolutely beautiful in every way. Or at least that's what Rarity had said, and she did overly-well in high school. Now she was telling Sweetie Bell how do make her "grand debut", as she so elegantly put it.
Sweetie Bell mocked her sister's voice. "Now you must make sure your makeup is absolutely flawless, make sure to curl your eyelashes just right. Don't forget to wear that diamond necklace dear. Oh and while your at it you should defiantly tattoo the words open trench right above your...." She stopped herself. Bad language was not needed, she agreed with her sister on that one. She rummaged through her over-sized wardrobe until she stumbled upon what she was looking for. It was a white jacket embedded with several small pearls. Just a few, rather invaluable gems, at least compared to what else she had. She preferred a little less flash. She didn't want to be popular or beautiful. She wanted to be herself. Since clothes had become a bigger market, her sister never failed to provide her with the best she could, which was really good, she had to admit. But she always wore what she liked, not what others liked.
She slipped on the jacket and put the matching pearl necklace on. She looked at herself in the mirror. "Well the necklace does work with this outfit. I could've dubbed down on the makeup a bit. Ah well too late now." She eyed the clock. 5:03. School seemed to start earlier each year, which was really starting to get annoying. She took a few minutes to curl her mane and then headed downstairs, bracing herself for her sister to "constructively criticize" her outfit.
**********
Applebloom just woke up and already she was being disruptive. Granny Smith woke as she walked downstairs. She said something about fish, laughed a bit, and fell back asleep in her rocking chair. Applebloom looked at her deeply and kissed her green forehead. Granny was getting even older, and senile, which didn't prove useful towards their family structure. Applejack was in the kitchen with Big Mac, who was actually talking about something. She walked in and plopped down in a chair. She was still in her nightgown. No biggy it was only 5:35. Applejack stared to relentlessly smother her with stuff that Applebloom was too tired to listen to. Her southern accent was as prominent as ever.
"Aww jezz ah remember when ah was in your position. Ah think ah was almost as tired too. Well now don't ya worry none, Applebloom everthang will be just fine. What fillies an' colts say nowadays about all this school rough housin' is a bunch a hooey."
Big Mac saved her. His accent was a little more suppressed. "Applejack please all ya gonna do is make her more nervous. Plus you get real annoyin' when you ramble on like that."
Applebloom smiled at them both. Her accent was equal to her brother's. Lighter. "Huh...yeah well ah shouldn't be all that worried now. Besides its a whole new start right?" She didn't wait for a response. She was super nervous and she could tell that her siblings knew. Her poker face was awful. She turned to walk back upstairs, but her sister called after.
"Wait a sec Applebloom." She turned around and faced her sister. "Ah...uhh...well since it's your first day of high school and all." She moves to the hall closet and pulls out a box. It was labeled "Stetson." She removed the lid and pulled out a hat, like her own except a bit nicer and embedded with some turquoise. Then she held it out to Applebloom, who took it gingerly. AJ spoke. "Ah think you should have it. For...good luck and whatnot." It was a meaningful gift for a western pony. One did not simply get a hat. Especially a Stetson, which was worth an good amount of bits being that it was completely antique. You don't say anything when a cowpony gives you a hat. You just take it.
Applebloom held fast with tradition. She went upstairs and quickly got dressed. She threw on her white undershirt and red and white plaid button-up over it. She ties her mane in one, long braid. She looked in her mirror and slowly placed her new hat on her head. Stereotypical cowgirl. Just the way she liked it. She walked back downstairs and smiled at her brother and sister, glanced at her granny, a bit concerned and left to meet her friends at school.
**********
They met at the tree where Scootaloo had gotten really drunk, barfed a few times and sobered up a few minutes ago. Sweetie Bell was there before Applebloom and grimaced slightly at her disheveled friend. She highly disproved of the pegasus' rather destructive lifestyle. It wasn't like she could really say anything though. Given Scootaloo's absolute lack of money and pretty much everything else, there was no valid argument. If school wasn't government funded, she would've dropped out nearly a year after they first met. They stood there in relative quiet until Applebloom showed up, grinning wide at her new head-wear. Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo spoke in rapid burst of choppy sentences.
"Woah dude....NICE hat!"
"Well did your sister finally give you one?"
Applebloom smiled big at them. She was glad her friends understood how big of a deal this was to her. "Aww thanks gurls. But enough 'bout this. Whatcha got on your classes?" She pulled her folded schedule from her shirt pocket. Sweetie Bell pulled her's out and stole Scootaloo's and Applebloom's and set them on the ground. "Ok lets see here. Nothing for homeroom. you guys have second period Geometry, while I have Zoology. Third period I have Chorus, Applebloom has Physics and Scootaloo has Art. We all have fourth period lunch!" They stopped and giggled joyfully. "Umm next I have Algebra, and a you guys have English. Then I have English, Applebloom has Gym and Scootaloo has Chemistry. Seventh we all have History."
"Ok so that means you two see each other after homeroom. We are all on our own for third. Then we'll meet up for lunch. You guys see each other for fifth again. Alone for sixth and back again for seventh. I think this was less than I expected. I get less time with you guys."
Scootaloo seemed content. "I'm happy with it. I was kinda hoping I would get math with one of you. Now I don't actually have to do work."
Just then somepony called to them across the courtyard. A pony walked towards them with a pinkish coat and a elegant white dress with gold lace. She wore a small tiara on her head. She was soon followed by her grey tag-around with the braid, who wore a expensive looking navy overcoat that tied around her waist, kinda like Sweetie Bell's except better.
"Well well look what the cockatrice dragged in. It's good to see that you still are so lame."
Scootaloo couldn't believe it. Neither could the other two. That bitch was supposed to be at private school.
"Oh buck not her!" Scootaloo cursed.
Diamond Tiara walked briskfully towards them. She eyed Sweetie Bell, "Oh I love how you just wear anything. Really though your sister is a prime fashion couture and you still hang around these freaks. You could've at least asked for a better outfit."
Scootaloo had enough of her way before this. In split second, she got up, spun around, grabbed Diamond and pinned her against the tree. Scootaloo drew her hidden knife and held it less than an inch from her throat. Sliver Spoon gasped along with the other two. Scootaloo's voice dripped with menace. "Look her you little prick! I had enough of you back in grade school. Now since you decided to show your face again I can carve it like a hearthswarming ever dinner. You get how that works?!"
Diamond held the orange pegasus' stare. "Oh trust me, you won't. Not when daddy can take everything you still have after your families little accident. You actually think I'm sacred of you? You technically don't even exist as far as the government is concerned. So if something were to happen to me, nopony would give a damn if you followed suit."
Scootaloo would've gutted her right there. But she didn't. Instead she let go, fell back to the ground and stared to cry. Diamond smirked and walked off to her homerooom without a backwards glance. Silver Spoon did a quick double take and followed her master.
The bell rang, but the three friends didn't move. Applebloom and Sweetie Bell sat next to the depressed Scootaloo and comforted her.