After class had dismissed for the day, I decided to grab lunch with my new friends. Now, I just needed make some friends so I could join them for lunch. I scanned the groups of ponies as they left the schoolyard. Each was heading in a different direction. I had to make up my mind fast. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were out of the question. I had humiliated Diamond Tiara in front of the whole class, and while I'm not one to judge other ponies, she seemed like a stuck up prick and I doubt she would see me in a favorable light either. Next was a group who consisted of Twist, Featherweight, and Pipsqueak. I thought about it for moment and decided that may be my best course of action. The group seemed diverse and welcoming enough, I might just fit in. However, once I had gathered myself from my thoughts, they were gone. Disappointed in myself for blowing that opportunity, I quickly evaluated my two remaining options: Snips and Snails or Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle. Even though we shared the same gender, I seriously doubted the chances of having an intelligent conversation with Snips or Snails. As much as I loathed the nickname 'Squeaky', I'd just have to bear with it today.
"Hey, wait up!" I yelled in the direction of the three fillies. They paused and waited for me to catch up to them. "Would you mind if I joined you for lunch?"
Sweetie Belle was the first to speak up, "Well sure, I don't see why not."
Apple Bloom followed, "Of course ya can and we’d be happy to have ya."
Scootaloo responded in a mocking tone, "Well, look at you. Making lunch plans with somepony. Honestly, I pegged you as an eggheaded nerd kid who still played with their imaginary friends. I guess I was wrong, Squeaks." UGH! Please, I didn't need patronizing. Eggheaded nerd? Imaginary friends? The nerve! I thought about walking away right then and there, but then she added something else, "You're not half bad." I smiled. I guess I can let the previous remarks go, this time.
We trotted off to have lunch while Scootaloo rode along beside us on her scooter. We headed out to the middle of the Apple family orchard. We passed tree after tree, after tree, after tree, until I was certain we were lost. I was just about to open my mouth to speak when Sweetie Belle cut me off.
"And here we are," she sang. I was blown back at her expert singing capabilities, even nonchalantly, her singing was amazing. She blushed, "Sorry, sometimes I sing when I get excited." I couldn't believe she was apologizing. Even though it was just four words, It was easily some of the best singing I've heard, and judging by the amount of times ponies break into song here in Ponyville, that's really saying something.
Apple Bloom led us to the clubhouse while Scootaloo leaned her scooter up against a nearby tree. Apple Bloom went over what their plans for the day were, "So after lunch we've got bird watchin' at Fluttershy's, baby sittin' at the Cake's, and then we're going to observate some plants for Twilight. Any questions?"
"Isn't it 'to observe' plants, not 'to observate'?" Sweetie asked giggling.
"Now looky here, I don't care if we observe, observate, prostate, or procreate, as long as it gets us our cutie marks," Apple Bloom retorted. It took every ounce of my body to keep from exploding with laughter. I was almost certain Apple Bloom did not know the meaning of the last two words she had said. What would those cutie marks even look like? Judging by the mixed look of confusion and shock on Sweetie Belle's face, I'm guessing that she knew they meant. I began to look over at Scootaloo to see her reaction, I didn't even turn before I heard her response.
"Yeah! Whatever it takes!" She said with resolve. I instantly regretted not choosing to eat lunch with Snips and Snails, as my chances for an intelligent conversation were dwindling fast.
We entered the clubhouse and sat down around a solid oak table, just big enough for four little ponies. I pulled out the dandelion sandwich my dad had prepared for me and I watched as the other pulled out their own lunches. Sweetie Belle has daisy and rose petal sandwich, fitting seeing as her sister Rarity had made it, I'd expect nothing less from Ponyville's best fashion designer. Apple Bloom pulled out some hay fries and then plucked an apple from tree branch near the window. Last was Scootaloo, who seemed to have not brought any lunch with her.
"Did Rainbow Dash forget to pack your lunch again today?" Apple Bloom questioned.
"Yeah, but she's really busy so it's no big deal." Scootaloo replied. The way these two talked it felt like they had had this conversation many times before.
"I know she's not your sister, but since she's decided to look after you, the least she could do is remember to pack you a lunch." Sweetie Belle said. Apple Bloom rolled her eyes and made her way over to the tree branch and plucked another apple from the tree and handed it to Scootaloo.
"Thanks," she mumbled. I couldn't help but feel connected to Scootaloo. She was an orphan, just as I had been. However, I had been lucky enough to be adopted. Looking at her was like staring at a 'what if' version of me. I wasn't so hungry anymore.
"Do you want the other half of my sandwich?" I asked her. She looked me as if I had insulted her.
"Do I look like I need your pity!" Scootaloo yelled. Her voice rang in my ears. I had insulted her, badly. The pride of the filly sitting across from me had been severely damaged by my offering. I could have said something or apologized to her but out of fear of making it worse I decided to say nothing.
"He didn't mean anything by it Scoots. Come on, take it easy. Why don't you step outside and simmer down, a bit." Apple Bloom said.
"Whatever," Scootaloo replied. She stood up and walked outside. She was still clearly irked by what had just happened.
"Sherlock, try be more considerate around Scootaloo when that topic comes up, it’s a touchy subject for her," Sweetie Belle said, "I know you were trying to be nice and you're still just a kid, but think before you act next time." Was she serious? I knew very well what I was doing, and if Scootaloo knew me a little better I'm sure the gesture would have been seen in a different light. However, I wasn't in a position to say anything so I just sat there and took the blame. A few minutes later, Scootaloo walked back into the clubhouse.
"Alright, I've calmed down." she said.
"Good, then we can get down to getting our cutie marks," Apple Bloom said. Wait a minute, what? I took a quick moment to check out all of their flanks, purely for investigative purposes, mind you. That's when I realized something I had been completely oblivious to moments before, none of them had their cutie marks. Then I remembered Apple Bloom had mentioned it early when going over the day's plans, only I had been distracted by her awful choice in words. It seems I made the right decision for lunch after all.
"First up on our list is bird watchin'," Apple Bloom said, snapping me from my thoughts, "Let's head on over to Fluttershy's so we can our bird watchin' cutie marks."
Sweetie Belle interrupted, "How do we do that?"
Apple Bloom replied, "Ya just sit there and watch birds."
"That sounds like the most boring thing ever," Scootaloo cut in.
"Maybe it is," Apple Bloom retorted, "but it’s one of the few things we haven't tried yet." Jeez, it sounded like this group was getting desperate.
"Fine," Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo groaned simultaneously. I agreed with their sentiment; that sounded awfully boring.
"Great, and since Sherlock has yet to speak up, I'll take his silence as a yes," Apple Bloom couldn't have been more wrong, but I let it go, "Let's get moving girls!" I coughed so as to draw attention to my presence, and Apple Bloom quickly caught her mistake, "I mean, let's get moving Crusaders." That's more like it.
We saddled up the equipment Apple Bloom had prepared for us, which included: a pen and pad, a book on flight patterns, and tree branches to make into disguises. The only useful thing in the bag seemed to be the book; I reached in my bag and pulled it out to inspect what birds might be flying through in migration today. I opened the book and its uselessness was made apparent immediately, the pages I had turned to were covered pictures of the Wonderbolts' flying formations. An old saying popped into my head and I couldn't think of a more literal interpretation of it than right now.
"Hey, Apple Bloom," I spoke up, "did you even look through these books?"
She laughed, "Course not, silly, I don't have time to read books. That's why we have Sweetie Belle," Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes and then joined me in looking through the book on flight patterns.
"Apple Bloom, these books are about aerial formations and tricks. It's about the Wonderbolts," Sweetie Belle laughed.
"So much for bird watching,” sighed Apple Bloom.
"We can still try, maybe Fluttershy has some bird watching stuff at her house," Sweetie Belle said trying to stifle her laughter while consoling Apple Bloom.
"Yea, we can still head over there and try," added Scootaloo. Apple Bloom had regained some of her vigor after her friends endorse plan.
"Yer right, we can still get our cutie marks, come on," she said. We followed her out of the clubhouse and had started to make our way down the road when we heard it, a scream coming from the direction of the clubhouse.
"Scootaloo!" Sweetie Belle cried out. She was right the orange filly had not been following us, we rushed back to see what had happened. We hadn't been walking for more than a minute, so we returned quickly. When we arrived we saw Scootaloo sitting on the ground crying, staring at the base of a tree.
"It’s gone! My scooter's gone!" she began to sob uncontrollably.