"Cross mah heart an' hope tah fly, stick a cupcake in mah eye," Applebloom said, going through the gestures.
"Thank you, Applebloom, it means a lot." Button smiled weakly.
"It's okay Button, ah understand." Applebloom was happy to have resolved the problem that Diamond Tiara had left behind. "If yah ever get into any more trouble, the Cutie Mark Crusaders are always here to help yah."
"Huh?" Button had never heard of the Cutie Mark Crusaders before. He had no idea who they were or what they did. He sat there with a confused feeling and a look to match while Applebloom explained it to him. "I still don't think I understand what you're talking about, sorry."
Applebloom let out a sigh, "That's alright, Button. Maybe we should just go find Sweetie Belle." Suddenly, the school bell rang and school had started for the day. "Or... not. Well, she'll just come tah us instead."
********************************************
On the other side of the schoolhouse Scootaloo was chasing after Sweetie Belle. "Sweetie Belle! Wait up!" Her only response was a quick muffled sob. Sweetie Belle turned a corner and so Scootaloo followed. She was surprised when she ran directly into Sweetie Belle. "Finally. Everyone's worried about you, Sweetie Belle."
She sat in her place, quietly crying in front of her friend. "Why does she have to do this?"
"It's because she's jealous," Scootaloo joked, trying to think of something to say to cheer up her friend. She had never been very good at this. The fact that she was trying to cheer up Sweetie Belle didn't make that any easier. Sweetie Belle continued crying and her emotional state didn't seem to be doing any good by itself.
"Hey, Sweetie Belle, maybe it would be better if we go find Button."
"Don't talk to me about Button!" Sweetie Belle suddenly cried out.
"Okay... well, at least walk to class. Schools about to start." Sure enough, on cue with Scootaloo's statement, the school bell rang out.
"Alright, but don't talk about him on the way there." Sweetie Belle replied firmly.
********************************************
"I hope she's alright. I mean, I know what Diamond Tiara is like, but I've never seen Sweetie Belle so upset before..."
"Yeah, I don't think ah've seen her so upset either. Ah'm pretty sure ah've known her longer too," Applebloom said as the two walked into the classroom.
Button took the seat that was, by previous events, allocated as his seat. He began the chore to take out his book and quill to prepare himself for the day of learning. "I can't possibly debate that you have known her longer, but I'm her friend too. At least-" Button rests his head on a forehoof "- I hope she thinks of me as a friend."
Applebloom immediately smacked a forehoof into her face the moment she heard this comment. "Ah'm pretty sure 'friends' would be an understatement," she mumbled to herself.
"What was that?" He asked, sitting up from his position.
"Yer serious?" Applebloom asked back sarcastically, raising her head slightly to see his expression. "Did yah even see her reaction yesterday when you sat next to her?"
Button's face grew hot as he looked down at the seat and desk he had chosen to sit in the day before. "Well, I..." his voice trailed off as his mind followed.
Yes, her expression was a little surprising. Her eyes did look slightly different to what I remembered from past memories of her. Those large, green eyes with her snow-like coat. Even now, I'm still not sure-
"Button?" a voice called tentatively.
"Uhm, yes?" Button replied quickly back, startled by the intrusion against his thoughts. His startle changed into a look of surprise after he turned towards the voice to see it belonged to Sweetie Belle, who had taken her seat next to his without him noticing.
"The lessons already started."
"Um, er... It has?"
"Yes. I just thought I should tell you because you looked like you weren't focusing." Sweetie Belle turned her head back down to her book to continue writing.
Button looked down to his own empty page, "Oh."
********************************************
"And that, students, is how multiplication works. Be sure to study this in your spare time, because we are having a short test next week to see how well you all do," Ms Cheerilee announced at the end of class as everypony was getting up and leaving.
Button walked out the door to the schoolhouse and began to make his way home. The only thing he could think of was how badly he messed up.
"Button Mash!" Scootaloo called from somewhere behind him. "Get over here. Now, Button."
Button stood in his place for a few seconds, confused about what was going on. "Don't make me come over there and hurt you." Button then looked around and walked over to Scootaloo, Applebloom and a quiet Sweetie Belle.
"What's going on?"
"Yah know what happened earlier? Well, no pony's happy about it so don't yah think we ought tah do somethin' about it?" Applebloom reasoned with Button.
"Alright. What do you want me to do?"
"Sweetie Belle has kinda, sorta already decided that."
"Yeah, she wants you to kiss her. Right now." Scootaloo added.
"What!?" Button, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle all exclaimed together.
"I... No. I never said that." Sweetie Belle said with a fully red face.
"Hey, we were all thinking it, I was just the one to say it." Scootaloo laughed.
"Well don't just joke about it!" yelled Sweetie Belle, as she began to walk away with a quickened pace.
"I don't think she's very happy with yah Scoots."
Scootaloo began putting on her helmet and walked over to her scooter. "Whatever, I'll meet you guys at the tree house if you decide you need me for anything." Scootaloo began speeding towards the direction of the tree house as Apple acres.
"Now that she's gone, we can actually try to help Sweetie Belle. Let's go, Button." Applebloom began walking in the direction Sweetie Belle went, leaving Button behind.
Button Mash, still dazed and confused, didn't know what to do. I really should go help Sweetie Belle, but I don't know... Normally I just make situations like this worse.
"Are yah comin' or not? I'm not sure how much I can help Sweetie without yah."
Button instinctively decided he should follow Applebloom.
********************************************
Button Mash and Applebloom continued in the direction they thought Sweetie Belle had headed, to arrive at Sugarcube. "Well, that was surprisin'," Applebloom announced.
"What do you mean 'surprising'?"
Applebloom sighed, "You just don't get it do you?"
"Get what?" Button Mash was really confused at this point.
"Nevermind. Ah just don't understand what Sweetie Belle is thinking sometimes..." Applebloom sighed again, under her breath this time.
"Neither do I." Button Mash said as he walked up to Sugarcube and entered the building.
"It's probably better if Ah just leave it." Applebloom, again, sighed, then followed Button Mash.
Button only took a second to look around the bakery to find Sweetie Belle. He walked over to her thinking of how he should act in this situation. He didn't have enough time before Sweetie noticed he was walking towards her.
"Hi, Button." Sweetie Belle said quietly.
"Uh... Hi, Sweetie," Button said, sitting down next to her.
Sweetie Belle smiled at the mention of only the first part of her name. "I know I overreacted a bit, can you please forgive me?"
"Um... I... Forgive you?" Button was even more confused with Sweetie than he was with Applebloom, nothing made any sense to him at all today.
Sweetie Belle leant onto Button, "Thank you," she said quietly.
Now it was Button's turn to feel embarrassed. His head grew hot as his face turned red. "Uhm, I er..."
"Am I still allowed to come over?"
"Wh-what do you mean?"
"To meet your family, of course"
"Oh, right. Of course, my mom really wanted to meet you."
Sweetie Belle looked up towards Button. "Well, we should probably hurry over then. Don't want to keep her waiting."
"Al-alright." Button Mash stuttered as he slowly got up off the seat and headed past Applebloom and towards the door with Sweetie Belle.
"Well this is worrying..." Applebloom thought.