School was always boring and that was a fact that wasn't going to change. It did become very funny for a short while as some of my class mates started to experience the blunt end of nature's joke. The first filly to feel the heat was Apple Bloom. And let me tell you, she tried to satisfy that itch with all the intensity of a true crusader. And just like a true crusader, she fell short of the mark.
The next victim was Diamond Tiara. She became a hot mess when a colt so much as looked at her. Colts that she teased wouldn't even give her the time of day. Sure they were drawn to her like flies to poop but before they could do anything they could regret they remembered her rose had way too many thorns. After her heat Rumble started to hang around her, which was teeth grindingly annoying because I was sort of crushing on him.
It went like that for a while and I loved it, except for the whole Rumble thing. Suddenly, I wasn't the odd one out. I was graceful. I was oddly sort of popular with the colts. They liked me because they didn't feel funny around me. Even other fillies who hadn't yet experienced the burn thought I was cool; in every sense of the word.
Sooner or later I knew that my number would be up. Then it happened. And you know what; I don't see why it was such a big deal. Sure, places that don't usually feel warm was uncomfortably hot. Kind of like sitting my rump on a hot stove. And I did feel a little more drawn to the colts in class. I may or may not have even propositioned a few. What is a filly to do? Then it was over and by then I was so over it.
What I didn't expect was the lasting feelings that my fellow fillies had for the colts in class. Suddenly, you weren't cool unless you had a coltfirend. I never cared for any of that mush stuff. I wished I could say the same for mis amigas.
"It's not fair!" whined AB. I rolled my eyes and continued to read the latest exploits of Daring Doo.
Rainbow Dash told me it was the best one yet. And if she said it was than it had to be. My ear twitched as I heard Spike move the ladder. Looking up I saw him climb the ladder to dust the next section of books. He always worked from the top down. And any pony could get a good look at his tight little lizard flank. Spike wasn't my type but he was cool. In an exotic and sexy—
"Stupid hormones," I hissed under my breath.
The unicorn sitting opposite of me raised her head up from her book before flashing me a devilish grin. Cheerilee told us that puberty could change a pony. I figured she just meant the sexy bits but it also tweaked personalities too. In Sweetie Belle's case, it gave her a new confidence; a confidence that thankfully didn't stretch into the realm of colts. I like the improved Sweetie because she was a little less whiney and a little more fun.
"I heard you," she said while still wearing her grin. Her horn lit up as she pulled something from her bag. It didn't take me long to see what she was fishing out as she levitated a little mirror up to eye level. A slight blush ran across her cheeks before she placed it back in her saddle bags.
"You sly minx, you," I purred, tying to fan the heat on her face into a larger flame.
It worked like a charm.
"How come mean old Diamond Tiara can get a coltfriend and we can't?" said Apple Bloom before slamming her hoof down on the window seal, making a cringe worthy sound echo through the library. Rolling my eyes, I returned to my book.
"Rumble?" I asked.
"Yeah," she answered despondently.
It nagged at me, how a bitch like Diamond could get a coltfriend; much less the best coltfriend. How she managed to manipulate Rumble into dating her was beyond me. I always took him as a cool pony. I guess I was wrong.
"Ahem!"
Looking up I saw that Spike was no longer on the ladder. He was right behind Sweetie. The handsome little—well he wasn't so little anymore —drake looked at the three of us with a raised eyebrow.
"What do you want, Slick?" I asked coyly. He puffed out his chest.
"This is a library," he said as he looked over me, giving AB a glare. I didn't have to turn around to know that AB was flush faced. It is always bad to get told off. The heat radiated from behind me, as I felt her glow like one of those old tube radios.
"Sorry," she said lowly.
Spike relaxed and then smiled at her, "Look I don't mind you being loud but Twilight makes the rules and one of those is keeping it down during work hours."
He didn't stay long. It's not like I wanted him to stay. It wasn't that I didn't want him to stay either. Watching him go I couldn't help but gaze at his rump again. Stopping in place, he looked over his shoulder.
"Hey, where can I get a mirror like yours, Sweetie?" he said playfully.
Sweetie turned a shade of red that I don't think even painters see that often before she slammed her book shut and ran towards the door.
"Bwhahaha," I bellowed, as I leaned back in my chair. I kept laughing and my sides started to hurt. Spike joined in on the laugher at our friend's expense. I wasn't paying attention and I felt something brushing past my ears.
What followed was a sound more felt than heard; at least it was for me as the back of my chair hit the floor. I watched as my back hooves that were below me passing over me as I flipped back finally coming to rest on my belly.
A new round of laughter filled the library. I swiveled my ear noticing that Sweetie was still with us as her crystalline laughter resonated in the room like a concert hall.
A small creak from the stairwell caused all of us to look up to see the resident librarian. She didn't look very happy about the noise. A shiver ran down my spine as her eyes shifted to me. Her purple peepers held an ice cold brilliance that chilled me to the bone.
"Girls!" she said shrilly before she looked at Spike, who was now rubbing the back of his head, "Spike!"
I heard him gulp as she descended the stairs, her tail cascading out behind her like a wedding train. I thought that I had grown but she really had grown. Ever since she became a princess she had started to change. It was very subtle at first but now as she descended with a wrathful look I could see that she was taller than Big Mac.
"Yes, Miss Twilight?" We said in unison followed by a somber, "Yeah?" from Spike.
Lifting a hoof to her mouth she cleared her throat. Hear it comes. To my surprise and to the surprise to all present, her face softened and then she laughed.
Spike let out a nervous chuckle as did Sweetie and AB. Me on the other hoof I was confused. Twilight covered her mouth again with her hoof as her laughter died down to a snigger.
"I know the rules say that you're supposed to be quiet in the library but, you are all my friends so I'm not going to kick you out or anything for being a little loud," she said as she strolled over to the table we were using.
She eyed the book that I was reading before she rolled her eyes, "Just like Rainbow Dash."
Pulling myself up from the floor I puffed my chest out and spread out my wings. There was no way that her comparing me to the most awesome, most cool, most spectacular mare around wasn't a compliment.
"You know that she reads books other than Daring Doo, don't you?"
"Well... um"
Twilight levitated a book over to me and dropped it into my open hooves. I looked it over and then read the cover, "Tip of the Sword: The Turbulent Mind of Captain Hurricane."
"You wouldn't know it but Rainbow loves to read about the past. She really likes to read about pre-equestrian history and how the pegasi were before they adapted to living amongst the other tribes," said Twilight with a squee, "she gives me somepony to talk to about that historical era."
I pressed the book against my chest before giving her a hopeful smile, "Can I check it out?"
Her smile widened, "Yes you may."
I did a hoof pump before I place it into my saddle bag along with the newest Daring Doo book. I turned up to see that Sweetie's cheeks were burning again.
Twilight had two books in her magical grasp. One was the one I remembered Sweetie reading the other I didn't recognize. Twilight had an eye brow raised. Raising her hooves to cover her face, Sweetie let out a, "meep!"
Spike must have noticed it too as a blush covered his scales.
"What kinda book is that?" asked AB as she walked over.
Twilight sat the large book on the table. The smaller book shook a little in her grasp as her face lit up too, "This is the Camel Sutra a book that should have been locked away in the adult section," she said as she shot Spike a hard look.
"Well, you see," muttered Spike while bringing his fingers together.
"It's mine!" shouted Sweetie, as she tried to pull it away from Twilight with her own magical aura. The princess's hold held firm as she gave Sweetie a look that even I could tell meant, "Really?"
Twilight opened the book. After a few moments of turning it over she returned it to Sweetie, "Oh, I see. It is yours."
Pressing it against her chest Sweetie gave Twilight a sour look. Twilight dropped her head and then walked back towards the stairs wearing a flustered look. A moment later we heard the door to her bedroom slam.
Things returned back to normal. Well as normal as three hormone addled teens could be and one hard working drake.
After righting the chair, I drummed my hooves on the table having reached my reading quota for the day. Sweetie wouldn't even look me in the eye. And all AB would do was sigh. Reaching into my saddle bags I pulled out a piece of paper and started to fold it into a paper hoofball.
AB sighed.
I turned in my seat to see that she now had a book in her hoof but she kept glancing out of the window every few seconds. She chewed the inside of her lip.
"What's wrong with me?" she asked lowly, "Am I ugly or something?"
The yellow filly didn't look like herself. She looked tired and angry; a scary thing for any apple to be. "There's nothing wrong with you AB. It's just you're too cool for the colts in school. Heck if I was a colt I would date the heck out of you as long as you promised to not do anything too mushy."
"I know you would," she said with a weak smile.
"I would too," added Sweetie.
AB sniffed, "Right now I wished I wasn't so cool. Heck right now I would say yes to Snips or Snails if they asked me out."
A loud thwack came from Spikes direction. I looked over at him and noticed he was mouthing something.
"Ugh," I said pretending to gag, "Those two are least cool colts in school. Snips smells funny and Snails is an egg head."
"Hey, Snips and Snails aren't as bad as the two of you make them out to be," roared Spike as he stomped over to our table. He brought his hand down hard on our desk. I must have struck a chord and made him mad if his heaving chest was any indicator of emotion.
A loud pop later I was staring not only at Spike but also Twilight.
"What's wrong with egg heads?" asked Twilight while raising a brow.
"Uhm... there is nothing wrong with egg heads," I said in a feeble voice.
Spike looked over at Twilight with a wicked grin. She looked back at him with wide eyes. I felt something. I didn't know what it was but it wasn't good. They were scheming that much I could tell.
"If there is nothing wrong with egg heads then I dare you to ask Snails out," said Spike as he rocked back on his heels.
My mouth dropped open. I would never stoop so low as to ask Snails out. I didn't even like colts like the other fillies did. Sure they were fun to hang out with but that was it. Even with my more recent developments I wasn't colt crazy. I couldn't turn down a dare either. I can't wasn't in my vocabulary. A plan formed in my head.
"If I go out with Snails then AB has to go out with Snips," I said with a smile, no sense in only me getting thrown under the carriage.
"WHAT!" screamed AB as I heard her stomp my way. Twilight backed up as AB glared at me not an inch from my muzzle.
"You got to be kidding me!" she added.
I smiled bigger, "Nope!"
Spike laughed at the two of us.
"And Spike you have to take Sweetie out too!" I said as I pointed to Sweetie.
Spike turned red all over and then he looked over to Twilight, "Do I have too?"
Giggling into her hoof Twilight said, "It's only fair."