The New Colt in Town
*RiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiNG* The bell rang loudly as Cheerilee walked into a classroom of a chatty class of colts and fillies. She neatly put last weeks exams on her desk, all graded and ready to be given back to the students.
"Settle down class."She said kindly. As usual, the class grew quieter at the sound of her soft friendly voice. "Thank you everypony. Now before we begin today, I would like to introduce a new student that will be joining us today. Come on in."She looked over towards the door, where all the students drifted their gaze to the bottom of the doorway. A brown hoof appeared, then another, and soon, the class could clearly see the face of their new student walking into the class. "Everypony, meet Button."Cheerilee said as the colt stood in front of the classroom proudly.
"Hello everyone!"He said cheerfully. "My name is Button Mash!"Button tried hard to keep himself from galloping in joy. "I'm excited to meet some new ponies, and make some friends!"
"That's great Button. You can take a seat over there next to Diamond Tiara."Cheerilee pointed towards an empty desk next to one of the class bullies. Diamond Tiara rolled her eyes as Button gladly hopped in the desk with a smile. "Now I'd like to pass out last weeks math exam's. Afterwards, we're beginning the new unit on Multiplication!"Cheerilee said as she begun placing a graded test on each students desk. Cheerilee placed one of Diamond Tiara's desk, and she seemed to snarl.
"An F!"She yelled. "Miss Cheerilee I believe you'v graded this wrong."She said in a smug and disappointed tone.
"Miss Diamond Tiara, I believe I graded your test fairly, and you failed. Now would you kindly keep your attitude at an appropriate level, unless you want to see me after school and have a chat with your father."Cheerilee scolded the misbehaving student, writing a small dash on the chalkboard.
"Ooooh"The majority of the students covered their snouts and widened their eyes.
"What are you all looking at?"Diamond Tiara turned her head to face her classmates behind her, greeting them with an angry glare.
"Ahem."Cheerilee said with her hooves crossed. Diamond Tiara looked back with an irritated face.
"Hmph."She said crossing her hooves.
"Now, I'd like to begin the unit with explaining and showing the difference between multiplication, and addition." Cheerilee wrote two equations on the board. One read "2+2=", while the one to the left of it read, "2x2=". "Now, who can tell me what two plus two equals?"Cheerilee asked. A yellow filly with a red mane quickly raised her hoof. "Yes, Applebloom."
"Four!"She exclaimed.
"Correct."Cheerilee wrote a 4 at the end of the first equation. "Now Applebloom, tell me what this is."She pointed to the unfinished equation.
"Four!"Applebloom exclaimed again.
"Correct."Cheerilee wrote 4, and wrote two more equations. "3+3", and "3x3".
"This aint so hard."Applebloom said in a smug tone.
"Now, who'd like to solve this equation. How about you Button?"Cheerilee looked over at Button.
"Okay. They're both six!"He responded.
"Close..."Cheerilee wrote 6 at the end of the first equation. "But three times three isn't six I'm afraid."
"Huuuh?"The class said at the same time. Cheerilee chuckled under her breathe.
"Three times three actually equals nine."She wrote 9 at the end of the other equation. "Now begins the fun part. You see, in addition, you're simply adding something on. In multiplication you're, 'not so simply' multiplying something times a certain number. Take two times two. If I were to say this in a more descriptive way, I'd say, 'Two sets of Two's'. Which happens to so be four. But when you take three sets of three's, you would do something like this."Cheerilee wrote "3+3+3" on the board. "Three sets of three's. Three plus three plus three equals nine."
"Now here's a tricky one."She wrote "1x1" on the board. "Any volunteers?"The hooves of the class stayed down as some of the students thought about what Cheerilee had said. Finally, an orange hoof was raised. "Scootaloo."She called.
"Is it one?"Scootaloo asked.
"Yes! Yes it is, well done Scootaloo."Cheerilee wrote a one next to the equation, and erased the other equations around it. "Keep in mind everypony, that anything times one, is itself. So ten times one is ten, one hundred times one is one hundred, can anyone guess what one million times one is?"
"One million?"A silver filly responded.
"Correct Silver Spoon. You all are learning very fast."Cheerilee looked up at the clock near the door leading in and out of the classroom. "It seems time isn't on my side today. Lunch is about-
*RIIIIIIIIING*
The lunch bell cut the purple mare off. Her students quickly jumped out of their seats and rushed out on to the playground outside. Button had no intention of rushing out, and took his time walking out of the classroom. Three fillies did the same. Miss Cheerilee mentioned their names during the lesson. The yellow filly was "Applebloom", and the orange filly was "Scootaloo". He wasn't sure about the third one though. But at the sight of this white furred filly Button seemed to have a spark within him. Though, he didn't notice it, nor feel anything. He continued to walk out to join the rest of the class with the three fillies right behind him.
"Wait!"He heard. The three fillies were now running up to him. They all came to a quick halt in front of his hooves. "Button, right?"Applebloom asked.
"Yup."Button responded.
"Well howdy there partner. I'm Applebloom, this is Scootaloo, and that's Sweetie Belle."Applebloom said presenting her fellow crusaders.
"Nice to meet you all."Button said.
"Now, we noticed you didn't have a cutie mark on that their flank o'yers."Applebloom put her hoof around Button's neck making him blush, while she pointed her other hoof towards his flank.
"Uh...yeah."Button said keeping a smile.
"Well I'd like to introduce you to our club!"Applebloom said releasing him from her hooves.
"It's a society!"Sweetie Belle said.
"Club, society, whatever."Scootaloo said.
"Ahem, well anyway, our club is dedicated to helping those in need of a cutie mark, and to rid of the existence of the Blank Flank."Applebloom explained.
"A club for getting cutie marks!"Button's face lit up with a smile. "Gee-wiz that sounds awesome."
"So, would you like to join?"Scootaloo asked.
"I'd love to join!"Button responded. The three fillies gasped loudly, and stared at each other in excitement.
"YAY!"They yelled at the same time while they jumped off the ground.
"So how do I join?"Button asked
"Just follow us after school. We have a classified location for the initiation of a new member, as well as the club's meeting point."Applebloom explained.
*RIIIIIIIIING*
The bell rang again as the second half of the day started, and the students rushed back into the classroom. "This is going to be the best!"Button thought to himself, as he imagined what the days after today would be like. What he imagined is far beyond what reality had planned for him.