The warm spray of hot water droplets felt good against Button’s coat, he stop scrubbing himself and just laid his head against the hot steamy tiles, he had an overwhelming urge to both yell in anger and sob with sadness, he wasn’t sure what to do or what to think, all he could do was lay here, on the floor of the shower slowly drifting to sleep as the hot water made his eyes sleepy.
.”BUTTONS!” yelled his mother from the kitchen.
Button was startled but didn’t bother to move away from his aqua therapy.
Button's mom said while thumping up the stairs. “I just got a call from Applebloom, she said she found Sweetie Belle crying her eyes out at the bus stop!”.
Button still didn’t even make a movement; he was dead to the world.
“What did you do to that poor girl…” Button’s mom burst through the door and found Button curled up in the shower, the bright fade of the upstairs lights lit up the dim steamy bathroom.
“She’s!….” button’s mom stopped talking right away as she saw her son.
“Um button dear…you ok?...it’s been half an hour, would you like to hop out of the shower now, If you want I could whip up a chocolate pudding...I know how much you like that….” She said quietly.
Button raised his head a few centimetres of the tiles and began to speak
.
“Please go away mom…just please leave me along…” button said with a sad and croaky voice.
“..Ok darling…just you know, think of the…you know water bill…and…yeah” she said with a submissive tone while slowly exiting the bathroom.
“Mom?” Button said.
“Yes dear” she said with a slightly uplifted tone.
“….close the door please…” he said sadly.
“…Oh…OK” she said in a sadder tone.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Button didn’t bother with dinner, once the shower water started to get to the point of freezing he hoped out and just curled up in his bed. He stared at the blue neon glow of his computer; Button knew he wouldn’t go to sleep at 7pm at night, so he started to gaze around his dark room, in the moonlight he could see dusty black consoles in which he devoted his life too, shimmering posters of game like CastleMania and halo 6 which he idolised…and finally the clothes draw with pictures of his family on it.
His brother left home 2 years ago to live back in Fillydelphia, and his father hadn’t been seen by Button for 4 years, sure he sends letters and presents but button knew he wasn’t coming back; he probably had a new wife and kids anyway.
Pictures of button’s first birthday, him at the Summer Sun celebration and a 3rd place trophy for a kindergarten running race. Button looked at all of them; they reminded him of when he and his family lived a dream-like life back in Fillydelphia, his brother would verse him at Mare-RE-O kart and street fighter, his mom and dad would go out dancing on Friday nights and he would sit in the lounge room and watch samurai jack on this TV, hell he even had a few friends here and there aswell. Life was good….now it seems like life went into Hard Mode.
“sweet Celestia or Luna or discord or any fake godlike wannabe...why...why did you have to go and fuck up my life…Thing were easier a few years ago...now shit’s all kinds of messed up…well…where are you…you big light-bright whore! Where are you!”
Buttons grabbed his alarm clock and through it across the room. He sat there…and sat there...and sat there...trying to think of something to do or say to cheer him up.
He reached under his bed and grabbed and old cardboard box labelled “Bitch” in crude permanent marker. Inside the box was a small photo-Album, he open it and saw pictures of him and sweetie bell a few years ago, there was one of the two of them at their first dance, another one taken at one of Rarity’s fashion shows and one more showing them at the school talent show where the did a ukulele duet.
Button bit his lip trying not to tear up, button sighed then grabbed a small half-full bottle of shampoo labelled ‘essence de lavande’ from the box and put it up to his muzzle, He popped the lid and gave a large sniff. The sweet scent sent a small shiver down his back and he fell backwards onto his bed with tears rolling onto the bed.
“why do thing have to be so damn hard, I just want one day of like Happy happy joy joy.” Buttons mumbled to himself.
Button laid there for a long time thinking…. He came to a conclusion that didn’t satisfy but he thought it might trick him into feeling better.
“Well screw it, who the hell mopes around because of some mare anyway, that’s fucking stupid. Gotta buck up Button mash, your what matters and you’re what’s important. Nut the fuck up and take it like a Colt!” he said to himself with fiery conviction.
“Time for a little old school Super MareTroid” said Button in an unconvincing up-tone voice.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Button awoke to the sweet smell of sizzling eggs and rice; he trotted down the stair and into the kitchen.
“Oh honey, I made some chocolate pudding for your school lunch I hope that’s Ok?” Button’s mom said with a chipper tone.
“….That fine mo….”Button replied as he was interrupted.
“Well you know you don’t need to go to school today if you don’t want to” she said speedily
“…mom…” Button tried to talk.
“Because it’s only the second day back anyway, so it’s not really that important” she said starting to sound abit psychotic.
“Mom” Button said while raising his tone.
Buttons mom rambled “we could go to the swimming pool or the arcade if you want…”
“MOM!” Button was almost yelling.
“..Because you seem upset and school just wouldn’t help right now so how abou….” Button’s mom was finally stopped.
“Karin!!!! ENOUGH!” Buttons said loudly. “I’m going to school today and I understand what your trying to do but I can’t put this stupid shit in front of my education!”.
Button’s mom sighed “I know buttons….it’s just…I haven’t seen you like this since….last time.”
“I know…But it doesn’t matter, I’ve got stuff to do” Button replied.
“Im sorry about last night, I know she means a lot to you, and It’s just dramatic to see…” she was interrupted again.
“Mom…I know, I know, but…that in the past” Button’s sad sounding croaky.
“Buttons you can’t keep hiding your feeling all your life it’s not healthy” button’s mom said in a soft tone.
“Dammit Mom I don’t have feelings! Or emotions or crap like that!” Button harshly said, he soon grabbed his lunch and walked out.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Button sat on the bench waiting for bus angrily tapping his hoof against the wood.
“C’mon C’mon” Button said to himself.
“Hey Button, yo!” said a green pony walking to the bus stop.
“Oh, sup Snips” Button said looking at the dirt.
“Dude, I gotta thank you for giving me all that coin man, once I got into Canterlot I went to the guy’s Club, you know the one I was talkin’ about yesterday?” Snips said excitedly.
“Yeah” Button replied.
“Well turns out he’s this super rich zebra guy, he’s got like a cool black fedora and like really tight pony tails all through his mane. Anyway, when I showed up at the apartment, which is huge by the way, he gave me a $1000 bit deposit and like 50 vials of this stuff.” Snips said as he took a small glass vial full of glowing green liquid.
“What is that?” Button replied as he stared at the emanation of green.
“Apparently it’s called ‘green stranger’, makes everything like really colourful and grainy like those old VHS’s. Although Guy said it works best when it isn’t shown to sunlight.” Snips said insightfully.
“Works?” button said in confusion.
“Well it’s kinda like a … drink I guess, I’ve already sold like 11 of these things yesterday, make’s you all Happy and shit. I get 50 bits a pop for these, sells like cupcakes man. Snips said with pride.
“Sounds so cooool” Button said as his gaze was fixed on the green goo.
“Here take it, I owe you anyway, if it wasn’t for you I wouldn’t have done this” Snips said as he looked around suspiciously then wrapped the vial in a black cloth then put it deep into Button’s saddlebag.
“Now don’t go around tellin’ people I gave this too you….well unless there you know… on the up and up…. Then tell them to meet me around the Crimson Joke Club in Canterlot usually at 10pm” Snips said trying not to sound giddy but also trying to sound bussinessy.
“Uh…..alright, gee, um thanks Snips, soo what are you doing here if you live in Canterlot now?” Button replied.
“I’m off to go give berry all the rent money I owe her, she was very upset yesterday when I said I was going to get out of her mane, I dunno maybe she thought I was going to leave without giving what I owe…you know, well I’m off to her place, see ya ‘round Mash.” Snips said and soon was trotting down the street.
Button was about to open his saddlebag and keep looking at the vial when he heard the sounds of angsty young colts and mares in a yellow wooden coach…the bus was here.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Button listened to Ink spot argue with 8bit about Dr Whooves having flaws in the show.
“…How can a sonic screwdriver do absolutely everything, it’s just a cop out so they don’t have to make things elaborate.”8bit said in a slightly higher than usual voice.
“it was developed by the timelords, of course it would have many applications” replied Ink spot.
“But DR whooves is a pony not an alien?” 8bit said naively.
“Sweet Celestia, have you even seen the show first of all he’s just called “the Doctor” and second of all his race just HAPPENS to look like ponies!...” Ink spot angrily replied
.
“…..I still think FogWatch was a better Doctor than Time Turner….”8bit said quietly.
“BLASPHEMY!” Ink Spot yelled.
Manga taped Button on the shoulder.
“ボタンマッシュあなたは雌犬のように聞こえる” said Manga.
“na sorry Manga I’m not hungry” Button said without listening.
“Hay Mash” said Rumble as he walk towards the group.
“Hay Rumble…” Button replied.
“Remember yesterday?” Rumble said with a smirk on his face.
“I think so, because you know…It was yesterday” Button said.
“Well ……… somepony got laid last night
“What!”Button said with astonishment.
“shhhh…give me a brohoof” Rumble while raising a hoof.
After giving Rumble a courtesy hoof bump his curiosity got the better of him.
“You serious, what, how,when,where?!?” Button said slightly voyeristic.
“well if you whisper I’ll tell you…ok, well last night when we left you and Sweetie, we ended up at the Cloudsdale obstacle course,well after 3 hours of training I said that I was faster than her, so we made a bet that the first one to touch the chimney of the rainbow factory wins, if I win we go to my place for a make out session, if she wins I walk around main street in a dress for half an hour yelling ‘Im a perdy little birdie’.” Rumble told Button Mash who was listening with great concentration.
“hehe and you won” button said
“…nope” rumble replied “After the second most embarrassing moment of my life I went back to her place to take off her dress, anyway when I had the dress stuck over my face and hooves she…pushed me onto the bed and…well one thing led to another and...Yeah” rumble said while reminiscing.
“…what was it like…” Button said like a wide eyed child.
“…Scary at least at first… neither of you know what to do so you just kinda do what you hear from people..and then well… you ever tuned a radio?” he said.
“Yeah” Button replied.
“Well it’s like that, you do this and that till you find the right spot then…Oh Celestia…you wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.” Rumble said with a small amount of ecstasy.
“Wow…did you have a thing?” button said curiously.
“na, It was kinda the heat of the moment thing you know” he replied.
“Wont she…you know…get pregnant?” Button said hoping to hear the answer.
“I don’t think so, I pulled out” Rumble said
“..Wow…you gonna do it again (*BRRIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNGGGGGG*)…dammit.” Button said.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
“You ok Sweetie belle” said Applebloom while opening her locker to get her sketches.
“Yeah I’m fine” sweet belle said trying to sound uplifted.
“Do ya wanna talk about it? Applebloom said while trying not to overstep her bounds.
“I dunno…I just dunno, bit sad I guess?” Sweetie bell replied.
“Well it’s been like 3 years or so, I didn’t realise it would phase you anyway. Applebloom said while closing her locker with the side of her face.
“It’s just ... he’s such an asshole” Sweetie belle said.
“No doubt, but why did you too break up exactly? You never told anyone, but if you don’t wanna say Im fine with that?” Applebloom said with comforting curiosity.
Sweet belle said with genuine confession. “As exuberant and obnoxious as he seemed … he hides all his real emotions and feelings behind those videogames of his, it’s his guard or curse or something, after a while it just become horrifying ya know, he needs help…Celestia knows his mother’s no real help…it used to be kind of sad…now it’s just…more sad.
“wow, sound pretty bad…” Applebloom replied with a low inquisitive tone.
… you know when his brother left… all he did was play his xbox for days, truth is…….the day before I left him….. I found him playing the PlayStation... “Sweetie belle said while looking at her hooves.
“Well yeah, when isn’t he playing…” replied Applebloom when she was cut off.
“..I found him playing the PlayStation….but the TV and cords weren’t even plugged in, its was just a black screen…I said his name but he didn’t reply…I even grabbed his shoulder and he didn’t even notice…I just…couldn’t take it anymore”. Sweetie belle confessed sadly as she pressed her head against the side of the locker and sighed.
“It’s ok sugar cube, just try not to open up ol’ wounds” Applebloom said not knowing what Sweetie belle wanted to her.
“You want to go get something to eat from the canteen?” sweetie bell asked comfortingly as she raised her head up from the lime green locker.
“na I’m watchin’ mah weight” Applebloom said with happy chuckle.
They both had a small laugh then headed for class.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The school day was over, students fled from the blocks like it was infested with parasprites, hoping to get home and watch ‘Jackass’ or ‘Beavis and butt-hoof’.
The west Ponyville bus wasn’t as clean or as good looking as the east bus but it was definitely more spacious, you know somewhere you can put your hooves up, to the back were the Goth ponies listening to Black Stable’s ‘Iron Pony’ and to the front where the civilian tag alongs getting a cheap ride back to Ponyville.
Button spent the whole bus ride secretly fondling the ‘Green stranger’ while Rumble talked about painting his coach so it looks good enough to fly around Cloudsdale main street. The vial felt warm against his hoof all the while making Button more and more curious about it…should he look it up on the web, should he ask rumble right now about it or… should he ask his mom about it…No, definitely not.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Button opened the door to his house and hoped to race up stair and lock his door, he threw his saddlebag on the ground as he held the vile between his teeth.
“….Button….are you home dear…” Button’s mother said
“uhhh yeah”. Button said as he put the vile in-between the back of his mane.
“Good, I’m cooking pasta and fries, I hope you still have an appetite?” she said cheerily.
“um..well, see I feel a bit sick, I’m just gunna go play some GTM 7 and surf the web ok” Button lied.
“Oh, OK, we’ll just come down when you’re feeling better honey” she said as she sloppily grabbed at bottle of Applejack Daniels.
Button sat in his room for 2 hours in the dark just gazing at the green liquid illumination the which showered room in a terrestrial glow, it looked amazing, like if fresh morning grass was in a syrup form, there was 3 small air bubbles trapped in the little glass tube adding personality to the funky mix, the beauty of it was spectacular, something so magical in the size abit larger than a AA battery.
Button Finally unscrewed the bronze cap atop the vial and watched as a small amount of lime green fog leaked from the exposed glassware and softly faded in the dark night.
“sooooo cooool” button whispered to himself as his mouth salivated softly, the time was right.
He slowly and sheepishly brought the zebra made brew up to his mouth. His heart began to race and pound as he knew that this was the point of no return, he wasn’t sure if what he was doing was wrong, but by the way Snips described this it must feel amazing.
“one up” Button said softly as he let the glowing green liquid down his throat….…….
……
…..
the room around button seemed to become foggy and slow and the Green stranger went to work, colours and sounds became over-saturated and low low pitch, the cream painted ceiling seemed to be growing taller and taller by each second.
Button had never felt something of this magnitude before, He gazed at the crack of light from under his bedroom door, It's strong beam from the outside world had become soft and dim like a small fire licking at the darkness of his room.
Button began muttering nothings to himself as the powerful narcotic drew him closer to passing out.
"Hi My name is Button Mash, I’m 16 years old and I like video games" Button finally said as the colours,sounds and sensations around him melted into a flurry of ecstasy, And with that, He was out like a light.