Spin the bottle was a simple game: The colts would all sit around in a circle. A filly of the girls' choosing would step in the center, lay a cider bottle on the ground, then spin it to see who they would be spending seven minutes in the closet with. It was a game that the girls doubted their parents would approve of, but that was the beauty of it: The older kids often did things their parents didn't like, which was why they were so cool, or so Diamond Tiara thought. In order to be cool, you gotta do what the older kids were doing. Diamond Tiara, being the most popular girl in her class, knew this lesson very well. It was her birthday party, so it would be her way or the highway - which was really no different than any ordinary day in the life of the well-to-do little diva.
Silver Spoon looked up to her friend with a reverence that would shame the most fervent of cultists. She loved Diamond Tiara. She was her BFF; her amiga; her everything. Which was why Silver Spoon never questioned her when it was decided that she would be the one to spin the bottle.
"Don't worry about it." Diamond Tiara winked at Silver Spoon as she gave her the bottle. "I rigged it so it would land on rumble."
Silver Spoon's cheeks flushed, a devilish smile creeping on her little filly face. A nuzzle from Rumble's perfectly sculpted muzzle? She thought to herself, the lenses of her glasses fogging up. I think I can manage that.
Diamond Tiara knew well of Silver Spoon's crush on the young Pegasus, who just happened to be the heart throb of every other filly in their class. Every hearts and hooves day was sure to result in Rumble's desk overflowing with candy and cards containing the written admittance of fillies' affections for him. Silver Spoon always did what she could to make her cards stand out from the rest of rabble, but he never seemed to notice. The colt never even glanced at the cards. Though, he was always sure to consume the candy.
Silver Spoon looked inquisitively at the bottle in her hooves. How this bottle could be 'rigged' was beyond her. Maybe it was imbued with some kind of magic?
She cast a surreptitious eye upon the object of her affections, as she had done many times during the party. Rumble laid on his belly with his front legs tucked in - that usual air of cocky indifference about him. There was some residual specks of frosting around his mouth from the cupcakes the children had earlier, but he didn't seem to care. He was too cool to care. The handsome little devil was the only one in the circle of boys who didn't look as if he was about to piss himself in perturbation - save for the dork with the Joyboy, who didn't even seem to know where he was.
What a dweeb, he was. His nose was always, always, always buried in that little video game of his. He never socialized with anypony, and half the time when his name was called out in class by Miss Cheerilee, he'd act as if he didn't even hear her. It was like his mind was in a completely different world. Silver Spoon couldn't even be bothered to memorize the little commoner's name. Mutton Smash, or something to that effect. It didn't matter what his name was. Silver Spoon disregarded him as she had done so many times in the past. She wasn't even sure why the little jerk decided to attend the party in the first place. It wasn't like he had any friends here, and he didn't seem to be interested in making any. He wouldn't have even been invited if Diamond Tiara wasn't forced by her parents to make invitations for everypony in the class.
The little geek's decision to attend the party was not a concern to Silver Spoon for long, however. Her mind was focused on something else. She could do little to hide her excitement. Rumble would be her first nuzzle. She knew it was Diamond Tiara's birthday party, but if felt like she was the one receiving all the gifts. She began to wonder what his muzzle would feel like as it rubbed against hers. Would it be soft? Firm, perhaps? A quick thought suddenly entered her mind: What if he won't want to nuzzle me? She quickly disregarded the thought. Who in her class wouldn't jump at the chance to nuzzle her? She may not have been as pretty as Diamond Tiara, but darn it, she was still a dead knock out by her reckoning.
"Get on with it already!" A filly with a long purple braid laughed.
"Yeah!" giggled Scootaloo. "We were promised dinner and a show. I had dinner, now I'm ready for the show!"
Sweetie Belle chuckled. "Looks like somepony's eager for her turn."
"'Least I won't have to worry about a horn getting in the way," quipped Scootaloo with a wry smile. "Whoever you get paired with, try not to poke the poor guy's eyes out."
Sweetie Belle prepared to utter a verbal retaliation, but Diamond Tiara silenced them before their exchange could escalate into a quarrel. "Next one to say a word gets to jump right to the front of the line!"
The fillies fell silent, none of them wishing to incur the wrath of their host. Nopony wanted to be first, save for Silver Spoon, who's eyes narrowed upon hearing her friend's threat. She was not about to let any of them take her precious Rumble form her. She quickly cast aside her shyness and picked up her pace toward the circle. She refused to tarry any longer. "Alright, let's do this!"
The powwow of young colts were caught of guard by Silver's sudden burst of vigor.
All were quiet as they watched her. Even Diamond Tiara fell silent in anticipation.
Without another word, Silver Spoon laid the bottle down directly in the center of the circle the boys had formed. The filly placed a hoof at the bottom of the bottle and sent it in motion with a firm flick.
Any second now, she would have Rumble all to herself. She didn't know what she loved more: the prospect of her being Rumble's first nuzzle, or the jealous eyes of all the other fillies in her class boring into her. Silver Spoon just loved making other girls jealous of her. She already knew that everyone was jealous of her beauty and keen wit, but giving others further reason to want to be her was a bonus.
There was no doubt Rumble would fall in love with her after this. And why wouldn't he? All the other fillies in her class, with the exception of Diamond Tiara, were only second rate when compared to her. All the other fillies in her class, no, in all of Ponyville, were all just plain to exceedingly ugly. There was really nothing special about any of them.
Yep. It was all smooth sailing from here on out. Rumble would be hers. He'll never want to look at any other filly than her after she was done with him. She confidently watched the bottle spin, as did the others. Some of the boys had beads of sweat rolling down their faces as the bottle slowly lost its momentum. It was so obvious that they were all intimidated by her. But they had no reason to be, for the bottle was imbued with a special power that would ultimately lead Silver Spoon to her very special somepony. Which was, of course, Rumble.
Silver Spoon smiled as the bottle came to a stop, then she placed a hoof over her mouth to feign surprise, not even bothering to look to whom it was pointing to. "I didn't think it would point to Rumble!" she lied. "Oh well, rules are rules, I suppose. Come, Rumble dear. Off to the closet we go."
The filly smiled proudly as she spun around and sauntered toward the closet, assuming her prize was following close behind. The sound of snickering made her ear twitch when she got to the door. She looked back, and she was puzzled when she noticed that Rumble hadn't gotten up - and the girls were all smiling impishly at her.
"What?' she said.
Diamond Tiara smirked. "I think you better take a closer look at the bottle, Sil."
Silver Spoon adjusted her glasses and squinted in the direction the neck of the bottle pointed. She traced a slow path along the floor, and she blanched when she saw who the bottle had selected for her. The dork with the Joyboy... He wasn't even looking up at what was going on, despite the thunderous laughter from the girls - and congratulatory pats on his back from the boys.
"No!" She squealed, her face contorting with revulsion. "Not him! Why?"
"Them's the rules, Sil!" Diamond Tiara laughed.
"But you said it would land on... On..." Silver Spoon gestured toward Rumble with a sideways jerk of her head.
Diamond Tiara smiled with a malevolent twinkle in her eye. "Oh, did I?"
The gears began to grind in Silver Spoon's head, and then it all made sense: Diamond Tiara wanted Rumble to herself. She had been tricked. An indignant frown formed on her face. "Diamond Tiara, you butt!" She squealed, her lower lip protruding.
The little dork with the Joyboy finally looked up from his game with a triumphant smirk on his face.
Silver Spoon scowled at him. No doubt the little twerp was beside himself when he saw who it was he'd be going into the closet with.
"I beat Diego on the Hell difficulty!" Button Mash suddenly cheered.
Silver Spoon nearly fell face first. Did he even know what was going on outside of that game of his? What did that even mean? It's like he was fluent in dorkanese!
"Well?" Diamond Tiara said, grinning. "You two love birds ready, or what?"
"No!" Squeaked Silver Spoon.
"Too bad," Tiara replied. "Get in the closet."
Silver Spoon sat defiantly on her haunches and crossed her forefronts over her chest. "I demand a do-over!"
"Come now, Sil," reasoned Tiara, "allowing do-overs would hurt ponies feelings, and it would take all the excitement out of it." The girls behind her nodded and whispered to each other in agreement. "Besides," she added, "If you don't get in the closet, we'll just have to lock you in. You don't want seven minutes with Button Mash? How would an hour sound?"
Button Mash's head popped up at hearing his name. "Wait, what's going on?"
Silver Spoon face-hooved so hard, the throbbing horse shoe shaped indentation left behind could glow in the dark.
A colt leaned over and whispered briefly in Button Mash's ear. The colt pointed at Silver Spoon, then at the closet in front of her as he explained the situation.
"But I don't like her," Button Mash announced brusquely.
"Excuse me?" Demanded Silver Spoon, blindsided by the remark. He doesn't like me? A little twerp like him should be ecstatic to have the honor of taking out my garbage! The filly huffed, but quickly thought of another escape from her predicament. "You see that, Di?" she said. "He doesn't want to go in the closet either! I guess we're both disqualified, huh?"
"Sil," said Diamon Tiara, "Get in the closet. You too, Button Mash. Get in there, or we'll push you in."
"I actually don't mind," said Button Mash, rising to his hooves.
"I'll bet you don't!" spat a furious Silver Spoon.
"I'm interested in testing out the night vision function on my Joyboy. Never used it before. It consumes the battery life like nopony's business, but who knows when it could come in handy?"
Silver Spoon rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right... Let's just get this over with!"
Button Mash ignored the heat in her tone as he brushed beside her and opened the closet door.
If he thinks he's going to win me over by simply holding a door open for me, he's got another thing coming! Silver Spoon tried to look as dignified as she possibly could as she attempted to enter the closet, but she suddenly collided with Button Mash on the way and lost her balance.
The fillies roared with laughter. "What's wrong, Sil?" Hooted Apple Bloom. "He already making you feel all weak in the knees?"
Silver Spoon silenced them with a red hot glare thrown over her shoulder, before turning the scathing gaze to the twerp who knocked her down.
"Sorry," Button tossed back at her as he stepped through the doorway, leaving the indignant filly behind to pick herself up.
"Hey!" Siliver Spoon protested, rubbing the bruise on her head. "I know a little weeaboo like you doesn't get a lot of interaction with girls, but you're supposed to hold a door open for a lady, you little creep!"
Button Mash cast a quizzical grin upon her and said, "I'll treat you like a lady when you learn to act like one."
Silver Spoon's eyes widened in disbelief. Nopony had ever talked to her like that before.
"Oh snap!" Howled one of the colts, every pony in the room erupting with mirth at Mash's retort.
"You gonna take that, Sil?" Laughed one of the fillies.
"Yo, Mash!" yelled Scootaloo over the laughter. "I just took two points off your dorkometer for that one. Freakin' zing, man!"
Silver Spoon glared at them until the laughter died down. She then harrumphed with her nose in the air, picked herself up, and stepped into the closet. She scowled at Button Mash. She never liked him, but now, she was beginning to hate him. That stupid nasally voice of his! That dumb propeller hat! That ugly ginger mane! Nothing about the little turd was pleasant. He was offensive to all the senses!
"Have fun, you two love birds~" Diamond Tiara giggled as an unseen pony behind the door pushed it closed, concealing the two in utter darkness. "Clocks ticking, guys. I better see a puff of steam blow out when those doors open!"
The fillies could be heard shrieking with delight after Tiara's final comment.
The closet was completely black, but the colorful light from Button Mash's Joyboy illuminated the inner confines of the small room. "Ha," he laughed, "it works!"
Silver Spoon had her back firmly pressed against the wall like a cornered cat ready to start swiping. "Don't you get any ideas, you little dork!" she warned.
Button Mash didn't respond. The violent sounds of the cleaving of flesh, sinew tearing, bones cracking under mighty blows, and cries of agony emanated from his game as his eyes remained transfixed on the screen. "This night vision app is awesome!"
"I mean it!" Silver Spoon said. "You so much as take one step toward me and I'll scream!"
"Uh huh," Button Mash answered disinterestedly. "That's whatever you're talking about for ya."
"You're not even looking at me!"
"I think so..."
"That's.... That's not even a proper response to what I just said!"
"No, I didn't," The colt mumbled.
Silver Spoon's fury was growing by the second. Now she definitely knew she hated the little twerp. He wouldn't even pay her the proper respect of looking her in the eye when she spoke to him. If she didn't know any better, she'd assume he was acting like he was better than her! No. He couldn't possibly think that. He was just a little dork! He was an inane, unpopular, forgettable, pathetic little loner. Nopony liked him. Even those cutie mark crusader dorks avoided him like the plague.
Silver Spoon harrumphed with her legs over her chest. This suited her just fine. Seven minutes of him playing his little video games while she got to keep her distance - it would be over before she knew it.
Just seven minutes in this hell... How bad could this really be?