//------------------------------// // Juggling Act (♫) // Story: The Autobiography of Scootaloo - A Diary Collection // by Tails_155 //------------------------------// -------------------- Featherweight is still unsure of his father being in a new relationship. I finally put him in a headlock and shook some sense into him when he said his dad should have never found him. I was so mad it's a wonder I didn't knock him out. The nerve. I think I really freaked him out, because he was quiet for quite a while. I didn't want him to think I didn't want him to talk about what was going on, so I eventually asked why he was being so ridiculous. He said more than anything right now he feels guilty. He said he feels like a real mule for being upset about his dad doing something for himself. He said Shutter Speed almost never does things for himself. He's always worried about Featherweight, and the fact that Featherweight acted so selfishly has him feeling rotten. I told Featherweight that what was happening right now was a life-changing event for everypony involved, and that he has a right to be worried, but he has to give his dad the room to live his life. Then I told him if he EVER said anything as stupid as he did again, he'd see just how upset I can get. I'm still angry. I mean I've said some dumb things, too, but he KNOWS how important he is to me, his dad, the newspaper and his friends there, and our other friends. I just don't even know what to say. Right now I'm at a cafe with mom. Dad's out working late again. They need extra ponies for the evening because of the weather. He said "they don't always have enough first responders," whatever "first responders" are. I'm guessing it has to do with the first ponies called somewhere. He said usually the medical ponies would be able to deal with calls, but there are a lot more slip and fall accidents in the winter, and it's really slick right now. I'm happy I can fly. Dad said today was busy, and that he had to help Sweetie Belle out. I guess Sweetie Belle slipped on a road and fell down a hill. I'll have to visit her tomorrow. Dad said she's okay, but that she might be sore for a couple days. -------------------- Featherweight seems down today. He has been dealing pretty well with his dad lately, but something today is still weird. I'll have to ask him at recess. Featherweight is in one of his funks again. He said he was looking in the mirror and today he said he couldn't stand the look of his teeth, his big ears, or the size of his head. I don't even know how to respond. I have disliked how I look, too, but never that much at the same time. All I could tell him was that I love how he looks. I wish I could do something about this. I was talking with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle and they said they've had times where they hated everything about themselves, as well. I mean, usually when I think something bad about myself, I am thinking more about what I've done. I don't really even think about how I look much. Sweetie Belle says she feels heavy a lot. I was so confused. She's tiny. Tiny. She said she's had times where she doesn't feel like eating. Apple Bloom looked worried and told her that some ponies get very sick from doing that. Usually if I'm not hungry I'm just upset, or sometimes if it's really hot, I've never just felt like missing a meal like that. Pipsqueak and Sweetie Belle went to Sugarcube Corner. Apple Bloom said we should talk to Rarity. She says she's worried if Sweetie Belle thinks that. Rarity seemed really worried and said it must be all the fashion magazines Sweetie Belle reads. She says a lot of top designers will only have stick-thin ponies model for them. She says they also mess with the pictures to make everypony look "impossibly, dreadfully thin." Rarity said she had troubles with the same thing when she was younger, and that she'd talk to Sweetie Belle. I spent the evening with Featherweight. He was messing with his teeth using his tongue. I told him to stop, but it didn't really help. I talked to his dad when I was leaving. Featherweight looked embarrassed, but I just worry about him. I'm having trouble sleeping. I mean, I know we all feel uncomfortable in our own skin sometimes, but I didn't know things were that bad. I'll have to keep an eye on Sweetie Belle and Featherweight. -------------------- Apple Bloom was talking with Miss Cheerilee before school. She said she wanted to talk about what we found out yesterday. I guess Miss Cheerilee could help, too. She's pretty important to all of us. After recess, Miss Cheerilee talked about annerexanorexia and bullemeabullemia to the class, and explained that if she heard anyone talking about the way other ponies looked, she would not give a second chance. She said that these things are dangerous, and can make ponies sick or even kill them. She said making other ponies feel bad about who they are "will not be tolerated." Even Diamond Tiara seemed upset when Miss Cheerilee showed us some of the ponies in the hospital from these things. Miss Cheerilee said that she had other examples, but that she didn't want to make anypony any more upset. Everypony seemed really quiet after class today. I walked home with Featherweight, and we have been hanging out for a while, but Featherweight seems really quiet. I finally asked him what's wrong, and he said he was just really upset to think that ponies had hurt themselves like that over something like weight. I told him it's not that different from him hating himself because of his face. He seemed embarrassed. I gave him a hug and told him that he didn't need to worry about all of that, that I love him exactly as he is. He has always been there for me, and that's what matters to me. -------------------- Featherweight seems better today, but Sweetie Belle is still pretty quiet. I told Featherweight I may be busy tonight, that I'm going to try and spend some time with Sweetie Belle. He said that that was fine, that he might go take pictures with his dad. I talked with Sweetie Belle and she was upset that we talked to Miss Cheerilee about what happened, and she said that she could deal with things on her own. She said we shouldn't have even brought it up. I got into a bit of a fight with her. She said that she knew what she was doing, and that she didn't need Miss Cheerilee, Rarity or us to help. I was pretty upset. Sweetie Belle was crying. Apple Bloom came to visit her, too. She said she would have been there earlier, but Applejack needed help fixing the wheel on a wagon. Sweetie Belle kicked us out, though. We told Rarity what happened, and she seemed pretty upset, too. Rarity had Sweetie Belle come out and talk with all of us. Sweetie Belle said she was fine now, that she had gotten over her problem, but that she didn't want everypony knowing about it. Rarity said she knows that somepony doesn't just "get over" this stuff. She said that if she ever started feeling this way again, that Sweetie Belle should talk to her. After a long talk, Sweetie Belle seemed to feel better about what was going on, but we're all still going to be keeping an eye on her. I'm at Featherweight's, sitting and talking with him. He's upset because his dad already had plans with Jasmine Tea. I told him not to let it bother him. He said he still gets feelings like he will be forgotten. I asked him if he went to see what Pipsqueak was up to, and he said he didn't even leave the house. I told him that Pipsqueak might have been happy to take pictures with him, too. I told him he could teach Pipsqueak his tricks. Featherweight seemed upset, still, but I think it gave him an idea. Maybe they'll hang out sometime and take photos. -------------------- Ocean Breeze invited me and my friends to go on a ride on one of his dad's shipping boats in Port Mane. He said we could go to Prince Seaward Island with his parents for the weekend. Mom said it sounded like fun, and helped me pack for the trip. Maple Woods said he was sorry it wasn't a cruise ship, but that he was happy we got to go with them. I don't care if it's not some fancy pants cruise ship, this is fun! We got to sit in the bridge. Captain Gulfstream taught us what he does and how all the things work. I don't know how you keep everything working! The Cutie Mark Crusaders are not ship crew material. We couldn't move the crates with all three of us pushing. Worth a try. All the ponies, mares or stallions, are big and tough. One of them was bigger than Big Mac! Apple Bloom isn't having fun on the boat. She got sick, and the crew had to give her something, she was embarrassed. Maple Woods said seasickness happens to a lot of ponies and Apple Bloom shouldn't feel bad. The island is nice. It's still chilly like home, but it's a nice change of scenery. They also sell snow globes, so we got Sweetie Belle a Prince Seaward Island snowglobe. She was so happy. We're staying in a really fancy room in a big hotel. Featherweight, Pipsqueak and Ocean Breeze are across the hall, and Maple Woods and Sandy Shores are one room down the hall. These rooms are huge, and we have a really, really nice view of the island. Featherweight and I went down to the restaurant. The owner said our meal was "on the house" as guests of Maple Woods. This is really neat, I feel famous or something! We had some garlic and rosemary spaghetti and some dandelion and burdock root juice. It was a wonderful meal, and the ponies were really nice. Ocean Breeze, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Pipsqueak came down to eat a bit later, so we joined them while we had our dessert. They had some of the best strawberry pie I've ever had. Tomorrow we go to the warehouse for a while so Maple Woods can help move the crates into the warehouse. He said he'll show us around the warehouse and let us meet his team. It should be fun!