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// Bugging Out 
// Story: High School is Annoying 
// by Granite 
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An hour after her friends morning episode, Sweetie Bell was sitting in her desk rapidly jotting down her zoology teacher's guidelines and requirements. She seemed to be the only student that actually cared. Most of the class was either sleeping or talking. Whatever. Sweetie Bell was a good student. With a grade point average of 3.8 she was arguably one of the best. No cider or poison joke for her. Ever. 

Eventually the student's got unruly and her teacher was apparently too tired to deal with it, so she just stopped and let the class have their time. Only ten minutes and teachers were already giving in. Sweetie Bell spent a few more minutes making extra notes, then she closed her notebook and looked around the class. She didn't see anypony she knew so she put her head down on the desk and shut out the jabbering class. Why was it that her two friends had barely any classes with her? She didn't think that was really fair. That left her alone for most of the day and she didn't like that. She starting thinking of ways to get by unnoticed when a weird smell like wet dirt filled her nose. She looked up and was staring right at a old looking snail. She squealed and jumped out of her seat. Ponies laughed at her. The teacher was reading a book and lifted one eyebrow in surprise, but she seemed to disregard the prank. She looked at the slimy mollusk and moved here eyes around the class. Of course Silver Spoon was giggling in the corner. Figures. No way Sweetie Bell could get off that easily. She sighed and tried to pick up the creature with her hooves. She touched it and didn't like it. She ended up using magic to take the snail outside. She set it down gently in a patch of wet grass because that's where snails were supposed to be. She then trotted back inside only to find yet another creepy crawly on her desk, this time a hairy tarantula, More giggling from her tormentor. She briefly though about flinging the new nuisance across the class into Silver Spoon's braided mane and pushed the thought out of her head.

She was already fed up with the class. She was gonna have to take this highly venemous spider to...where? Snails were fine on campus but where the hay could she put this thing? She sure didn't want to pick it up. She was lost. Silver Spoon was laughing uncontrollably now. Apparently her expression was priceless. Sweetie Bell reluctantly reached out to the spider. But before she could pick it up another hoof was on the desk. She looked up at the newcomer. He was a pegasus stallion with a brown coat with a grey and black stripped mane. His snout had a few white freckles. He wore a white shirt with a unbuttoned black button up with a collar as a over-shirt. His deep emerald green eyes avoided Sweetie Bell's kinda awkwardly, and they were nearly the same color as her own. The spider crawled almost nonchalantly onto his hoof. He must have been either handsome or popular from the way Silver Spoon had suddenly shut up and was staring daggers at Sweetie Bell. He didn't say anything but he did take the creature with him as he walked to the back door. As he passed Silver Spoon he looked at the grey mare rather deviously and brushed the spider pass. She flipped out and moved away from him. He chuckled and muttered something that Sweetie Bell didn't catch. Whatever he said made Silver Spoon even more mad. Then he moved to the door, opened it and let the arachnid crawl off to wherever he came from. 

The stallion promptly went back to his desk and opened up a sketchpad. Everypony was looking at him including Silver Spoon. Sweetie Bell didn't know this guy, but he still helped her out. Maybe she did have a friend in the class after all. Silver Spoon was looking at him for exactly eleven minutes before she grew tried of him not cracking under the pressure, He seemed to know he was being watched and didn't seem to care. The precise timing set Sweetie Bell of a little. Eleven minutes. Was ten not good enough? She would've broken after one. But he didn't seem to notice either of the mares. He just worked busily on his sketches. Sweetie Bell eventually trotted over to his desk and sat in the one next to him. She occasionally looked over to his book to see what he was drawing and possibly find something to talk about. His sketches were hard to make out from her viewpoint and one of his hooves was in the way. She turned away for a few seconds and then he spoke to her. His voice was not as deep as most stallions, but she figured it suited him well. 

"Did you need something else?" 

She didn't really like where that was going. She ignored the question. Instead she tried to take his interest. "I just wanted to see what you were drawing." 

He looked at her and then moved his hoof so she could see. "It's a anatomical sketch of a Wyvern showing a complete skeletal reconstruction along with a living version. I put in a few enlarged features like tooth structure, wing membrane and tail thagomizer. " He pointed to some smaller sketches on the same page, detailing the special qualities. Sweetie Bell was lost. He expected that and simplified it. "Its a endangered reptile. Like a dragon, except much more primitive."

Now she seemed at least back on track. "I think I know what that is." She looks the drawings over again. The reptile was in a running with its bat-like wings in the up position, like it was flapping. It didn't have front legs like a dragon did. It's mouth was open, with needles of teeth and a barbed tongue perched on a slim neck and head. It seemed to be reaching for a strawberry fruit bat. It had a crest of feathers on its neck and running down its back, the tail ending in a spiky mace. In the left corner was a smaller, skeletal version in the same position. She looks back at him, realizing he was staring at her. "Um...well I do now anyways." 

To her relief he chuckled. "Right. Well it's a zoology class. Might as well start of learning a new animal. But maybe we should switch topics. Probably best for both of us. How about something else? I'd guess that Silver Spoon gives you trouble huh?" 

Sweetie Bell was going to answer but right then Silver Spoon marched over to them. She must have been listening in on them. She cut in the middle of the conversation and starting raging on him. Her voice was like ice needles. Cold and sharp. "Okay look here Granite I don't know why you decided to show up here but you better not get in the way of Diamond and I. You are really gonna get it from Diamond's dad if you don't!"

He opened his mouth to say something, but she cut in. "And another thing! If you want to get along with anypony at all you should stay away from this one!" She jabbed her hoof at Sweetie Bell and continued. "Her and her little friends are the lowest of the low as long as we have a say and that won't change, Understand?" 

She turns to walk away when the stallion, who's name was apparently Granite, shot back at her with a very calm, collected voice. "Well who says it won't change." He also pointed at Sweetie Bell. "I think she's kinda nice. I haven't met her friends but I don't think they can be as bad as you say. Diamond Tiara might have some pull around here, sure. Doesn't mean I have to care and doesn't mean you two are the only ponies who do." He rested his head on his hoof. "I'd say that maybe this is the year things change. But what do I know?" Silver Spoon was about to say something but was interrupted by the bell. Granite swung his saddlebag onto his back and tipped his fedora in Silver's direction in a taunting gesture and walked out leaving Silver Spoon and Sweetie Bell alone. Silver stood fuming mad and didn't even look at Sweetie Bell. Sweetie Bell quickly grabbed her own bag and hurried out. She wanted to catch up to Granite. Nopony ever spoke to either of the devious duo like that before that she knew of. Nopony except him. She felt like her friends might just be willing to meet this guy. She trotted faster until she found him among the mass of students. He was standing at his locker pulling out more pencils. She slowed her pace and walked up to him. He didn't notice her until he turned his head. He didn't seem surprised. " Sorry about all that. Didn't mean to put you on the spot."

Sweetie Bell didn't care at all. "No it's fine. I....Well the thing is I've never actually seen anypony counter her before. Do you know her from somewhere?" He closed his locker and put the pencils in his bag. "Barely. I know she can be a brat and she used to go to Moonridge Middle School in Manehattan along with her friend. I went there too if that counts as knowing them."

He zips up his bag, and his voice seemed to be strictly apathetic. "I'm not the private school type. Their uniforms are all too...well... uniform. And I was putting a dent in my family bank account. On the other hoof Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon must have left because their pull wasn't as strong. Over there almost everypony was in the upper class, except for me, which is why they picked on me. I guess I was in the same boat as you and whoever else she was harping on. The difference being they didn't irritate me, which in turn made them irritated. Bullies don't like not having a reaction. No big deal for me." He turned to go to his next class. "You however wanna have me around right? Give you some extra backbone with them?" 

Sweetie Bell did, but she didn't want him to actually know that. She replied weakly. "Well yeah I guess. TBH My friends and I really don't like them probably as much as you don't." His tone stayed where it was. "Okay well first off don't use text lingo." She blinked, looking confused. He saw that. "It's just something I can't stand." She nodded in understanding and he continued.

"Secondly you should tell your pegasus friend to hide that knife better." She was starting to get a little freaked out by his extensive knowledge to her situation. He noticed. "No I'm not a creeper, that was all over PonyHoof. Social media is a perfect way for Diamond to get a head start on you." He holds up a phone to put emphasis on his statement.

He started to walk away. Sweetie Bell snapped up. "Hey!" He stopped and turned his head. "If you want we can talk at lunch. Do you have fourth?" His face remained expressionless for a bit more and then he smiled. "Sure I'll look for you." 

With that he left. 

Sweetie Bell smiled too. She met somepony new on the first day. Not a bad start.