“Let’s not forget about the last Hearts and Hooves Day,” Scootaloo grumbled. The three crusaders were at school, and memories of last year’s fiasco were plaguing them. They had completely embarrassed Big Mac and Cheerilee. Apple Bloom had done extra chores for a month to make up for the ludicrous idea.
“I still think they would have been cute together,” Sweetie Belle maintained. Scootaloo rolled her eyes.
“Well, Twilight’s banned us from taking out that book talking about love potions,” Scootaloo reminded her friends. “And for good reason. We were acting like morons.”
“Pretty strange for you to admit that, Scoots,” Apple Bloom teased.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Scootaloo asked, glaring at Apple Bloom.
“You’re always the one comin’ up with these hare-brained schemes to get our cutie marks. And they get us nowhere.”
“So? At least I’m creative.”
“You’re also kinda dangerous,” Sweetie Belle said carefully. “I mean, you gotta admit, you come up with the ones that get us into the most trouble.”
“Oh yeah? Well at least I have ideas! You two are the ones who hesitate and always try to hold me back. How are we ever gonna get our cutie marks if we don’t take some chances?”
“We’re too old to be actin’ like that now! We’re in the fifth grade! We gotta start bein’ more mature.”
“Oh no…” Sweetie Belle moaned. “Girls, hide me!” She ducked behind Apple Bloom and Scootaloo.
“What’s with you?” Scootaloo asked, but then she saw that telltale beanie and carton of apple juice. “Oh, for Celestia’s sake, Sweetie Belle. You’ve gotta stop hiding from him.”
“I don’t want him to notice me!” Sweetie Belle cried. “He always comes over and talks way too much about his ‘video games,’ and no matter what I say, I can’t get him to leave me alone!”
“Maybe he likes ya,” Apple Bloom suggested. Button Mash looked around and saw Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. He also saw who he was looking for crouching behind them.
“Hey, Cutie Mark Crusaders!” he called with his whiny voice before galloping over. “What’s happening?”
“Hi, Button Mash,” Apple Bloom greeted him politely. “How’re you doing?”
“Great! Hi, Sweetie Belle!” Button waved enthusiastically.
“Hi…” Sweetie Belle mumbled, waving back halfheartedly.
“Didja hear about that new game that came out yesterday? I hear it’s one of the coolest games ever!”
“Ya don’t say?” Apple Bloom said. “What’s it about?”
“Oh, it’s great! You’re on an island, and you get to build all kindsa stuff! I was wondering if you wanted to come over and play with me after school!”
“Are you even allowed to have fillies over?” Scootaloo asked.
“What’re you talking about? Of course I am! My mom’s not lame like other moms. She actually likes playing video games, too!”
“That’s great…” Sweetie Belle muttered.
“It is pretty cool!” Button said. “I mean, how many foals can say they have an awesome mom like that?”
“I wouldn’t know,” Apple Bloom said bitterly.
“Oh, Apple Bloom. I’m really sorry,” Button said. “You must think I’m such a jerk.”
“Nah, it’s no big deal. I just wish I could remember what my parents were like.” Apple Bloom stared off in the distance.
“Trust me, you’re not missing much,” Scootaloo snapped. “Always grounding you, making you do your homework. It’s not fun.”
“Don’t listen to her, Apple Bloom,” Sweetie Belle said. “It’s really hard when you don’t have parents to care about you. But you’ve got Applejack and Big Mac and Granny Smith, and you’re all one happy family, right?”
“I suppose so,” Apple Bloom said.
“I think I kinda know how you feel,” Button chimed in. “I don’t ever know what happened to my dad, and every time I bring it up to Mom she tells me to be quiet or to go to my room.”
“That’s awful,” Apple Bloom said. “You deserve to know who your parents are, and if they’re gone, what happened to ’em.”
“Yeah, but what can you do?” Button asked. “Anyway, Sweetie Belle, sure you don’t wanna come over and play with me?”
“Depends on what you mean by ‘play with you,’” Scootaloo muttered.
“Huh?” Button asked.
“Ignore her,” Sweetie Belle said. “Anyway, I don’t think I have time today. My sister wants to take me shopping in Trottingham.”
“Man, you’re always so busy,” Button complained. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were trying to avoid me.”
Scootaloo opened her mouth, but Apple Bloom stuffed her hoof in it. Peeved, Scootaloo licked it with her tongue, and Apple Bloom quickly took it out and wiped it on the ground.
“You’re disgusting!” she complained to Scootaloo.
“You’re the one shoving hooves in places where they don’t belong,” Scootaloo retorted. “Speaking of shoving hooves into places where they don’t belong…”
“Scootaloo, please!” Sweetie Belle cried, now blushing. “We get the point already.”
“Well, maybe you want to be honest to Button Mash for once!” Scootaloo snapped.
“Huh?” Button asked. “Sweetie Belle, what’s she talking about?”
“Scootaloo!” Sweetie squeaked. “That’s not fair!”
“No, what’s not fair is being so polite that you end up stringing the poor guy along!”
“What?” Button asked, scratching his head. Apple Bloom smiled and put a hoof on her shoulder.
“I think what Scootaloo means is…” she started.
“No, Apple Bloom,” Sweetie said. “Let me tell him.”
“Tell me what?”
“Come on, Button,” Sweetie said. “Let’s go talk where we won’t be interrupted.” She shot Scootaloo a dirty look. Scootaloo smiled sheepishly.
“Um, okay…” Button said as he walked with Sweetie Belle over to the far end of the playground. He looked confused as Sweetie Belle gave him a serious look.
“Button, I think I know why you’re always trying to talk to me and inviting me over,” she began.
“What do you mean?” Button asked, although his cheeks turned pink.
“Look, it’s Hearts and Hooves Day. I think you know what I’m talking about.”
“Oh.” Button’s cheeks blushed even harder. “You know, maybe you’re right. But I mean, just...look at you! You’re really pretty and smart and you’re always so nice to me―”
“Button, please let me finish,” Sweetie Belle requested, and Button Mash stopped talking. “Look, I’m always really nice and polite to you because...well, I’m a nice pony. But I have to be honest. I don’t really feel the same way about you…”
“Oh.” Button said, looking away. He looked completely downtrodden, and Sweetie realized too late that Hearts and Hooves Day was probably the worst day to be letting him down.
“Look, I still wanna be friends,” she started, but Button held up a hoof.
“No, I’m not gonna get stuck in the friendzone. I was really nervous about telling you how I felt. I thought about it for weeks, and today it seemed especially important. I was gonna tell you when you came over today, but I guess there’s no point now.” He began to walk away.
“Button, where are you going?” Sweetie asked.
“I gotta get to class,” he called, not missing a beat. Sweetie watched him leave sadly before her two best friends went over to her.
“That could have gone better,” Scootaloo said. “He looks like shit.”
“Scootaloo, come on,” Apple Bloom said. “Look, Sweetie, I’m proud of what you did. It’s not easy bein’ honest about that kinda thing sometimes.”
“You know, it’s funny,” Sweetie said. “At first he just annoyed me, but now that I get what’s going on, I’m starting to feel bad for him.”
“Oh, dear Celestia, don’t give him a pity date,” Scootaloo warned her.
“I wasn’t gonna do that,” Sweetie exclaimed. “I just don’t wanna see him down in the dumps like that.”
“He’ll get over it,” Scootaloo said, waving a hoof. “He’s a colt. He’ll just jump onto the next filly who looks halfway decent.”
“If he gets lucky, that is,” Sweetie said with a wink.”
“Hey, I’m the one who’s supposed to make the innuendos around here!” Scootaloo protested. Suddenly, the school bell rang.
“Looks like we’re going back to class,” Apple Bloom said. “Do ya think we apologized enough to Cheerilee about last year?”
“The way we’re going,” Scootaloo replied, “we’ll have to apologize for apologizing too much.”
The three crusaders laughed as they made their way back into the school.