Almost there... Sweetie Belle nervously thought as she fidgeted in her seat. Her eyes were locked on the clock that hung from the wall of the schoolhouse. It was a beautiful Friday afternoon, and they were only minutes away from being let out for the weekend.
Ugh, come on already! Sweetie Belle thought as she watched the seconds hand tick much too slowly for her liking. She tapped her hoof on her desk as if it would help the seconds pass faster. Just like the rest of her classmates, her saddlebag was already packed at her side and she was ready to bolt outside.
“Aaaand that will conclude our lesson for today, my little ones,” Cheerilee said as she tossed what remained of her piece of chalk down on her desk.
Sweetie Belle’s head whipped up to look at Miss Cheerilee as she heard those words. “We’re getting out early?” she whispered under her breath, unable to believe her ears. When she saw Miss Cheerilee start to pack her bags like she always did at the end of the day, her eyes widened in surprise. Then, as everypony slid out of their seats, she cracked a wide smile and grabbed her own bag. “Hey Scootaloo, ready to go crusadin’ today?” she asked, giving her a playful nudge on the shoulder.
“Totally, but I gotta talk to Miss Cheerilee about some late homework first,” Scootaloo said as she straightened some papers on her desk. “This is already a few days late, and I really need to get this turned in soon.”
“Oh, okay then. You want me to just wait outside then?” Sweetie Belle cocked her head to the side. Her eyes drifted down to Scootaloo’s late assignment. She couldn’t help but notice that most of the problems were still left blank.
“Sure! I’ll only be a few minutes.”
Something tells me you’re gonna take longer than a few minutes... “Okay!” Sweetie Belle tightened the strap on her bags just in time to see Apple Bloom walk up to her. They had been put on other corners of the room because Cheerilee had caught them passing notes to each other in class yesterday. “Hey, Scootaloo’s gotta talk to the teacher for a few minutes before we go crusading today. Wanna wait outside with me?” she asked, though her smile faltered when she noticed her friend wasn’t smiling back.
“Ah gotta take care of some chores first, Sweetie Belle,” Apple Bloom said. “AJ said she wants me to clean up the barn and the tree house before I can play with y’all today, so I’m gonna get that out of the way right quick, okay?”
“Yeah, yeah, alright. You want us to come over when Scootaloo’s done talking to the teacher?” Sweetie Belle asked, her voice cracking ever so slightly on her last word.
“Hm...” Apple Bloom rubbed her chin as she thought. “Tell ya what... Since I did a lot of the work this morning before I came to class, all I really have to do is clean up the tree house and sweep the barn’s floor.” Apple Bloom tightened her saddlebag around her back. “I’m gonna gallop home and get it out of the way, so how about you guys take the scenic route? You can just meet me in the tree house, alright?”
“Okay, see ya!” Sweetie Belle yelled after her friend. She grabbed her stuff and trotted outside into the sun. It was nearing the end of spring and the sun’s heat was nearly approaching summer temperature levels. A cool breeze swept in to contrast nicely with the ambient heat.
After casting a glance back at the closed door of the schoolhouse, Sweetie Belle sat down near the edge of the road, wondering how much longer Scootaloo was going to take. After a good minute, she heard a pair of hoofsteps coming from the schoolhouse, so she lifted her head with a smile, hoping to find her friend. Instead of laying eyes on Scootaloo, she found Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. Her hopes dropped like a rock falling down an endless well when she saw Diamond Tiara’s smirk. She hoped they would just keep walking, but alas, they stopped right in front of her.
“Hey Sweetie Belle, is everything alright at home?” Diamond Tiara asked, her voice laced with a tone she couldn’t place.
Sweetie Belle was taken aback. She looked up and saw an expression unlike the one of scorn and distaste that Diamond Tiara usually wore when she was teasing her. Feeling a bit uneasy, she started to think that Diamond Tiara had turned over a new leaf, though she still had her reservations.
“Uh, yeah? Why do you ask?” she asked as she cocked her head to the side, her eyebrows furrowing. She still felt a bit apprehensive, but if Diamond Tiara was willing to start making amends, she wouldn’t want to stop her. Sweetie thought that it would be rather nice to not have to worry about being harassed constantly. She shot a look at Silver Spoon to try and glean what their true intentions were, but she wore a neutral expression.
“Oh, it’s nothing, really,” Diamond Tiara said. “I don’t know if I should say it, but...”
“But what?” Sweetie Belle asked nervously as she watched Diamond’s eyes run over her body. She flicked her tail around her blank flank just in case they wanted to make another joke about that, but she knew that wouldn’t help much. It never did. Diamond and Silver Spoon shared a quick glance, though it wasn’t quick enough for Sweetie Belle to miss Diamond's smirk.
“Well, if you really want to know... I think that you’ve become rather... pudgy,” Diamond Tiara said with an unsettling giggle.
“A little?” Silver Spoon asked, raising an eyebrow as she glanced at Sweetie Belle’s belly. “Don’t you mean a lot, Di’? She’s easily gained a lot more weight this past semester.”
“What?” Sweetie Belle’s face scrunched up as she looked down at herself. “No I haven’t...” she muttered, a hint of uncertainty in her voice.
“Hmph! I suppose you are right, Silver...” Diamond Tiara said. She poked Sweetie’s side and stepped back with a giggle. “Silver, did you see that?”
“See what?” Diamond’s compatriot in arms asked.
“This!” Diamond poked Sweetie’s side again. “Can’t you see the ripples on her stomach when I poke her?”
“Hey, stop that!” Sweetie Belle slapped Diamond’s hoof away and stood up. “I’m not fat!”
“You so are!” Diamond retorted. “Just look at me, and then look at you! This is how a filly should look!” She stuck her left hind leg out while simultaneously sticking out her right foreleg. She lifted her head and flicked her mane so that it fell on the opposite side of her neck.
Even though she didn’t want to, Sweetie Belle took a quick glance at Diamond Tiara’s belly. She was nicely-toned, though she could have sworn she saw the outline of her rib cage. As far as she could tell, Diamond Tiara did not have a single ounce of fat on her body. Sweetie Belle looked down at herself for just a moment as she compared herself to her bully. M-maybe they’re right... Maybe I am getting a little fat...
“You know, if you’re so self-conscious about gaining weight, why don’t you do what I do? I read in one of my daddy’s magazines that all of the famous celebrities make themselves throw up after eating. They get the best of both worlds, you see. They get to eat whatever they want and they get to look skinny! You can’t get a body like mine just from working out, you know...” She spun around once. “Anyways, Silver and I are going to the spa to get our hooves done. Have fun playing in the mud, piggy!” Diamond trotted away, making oinking noises much like a pig would.
Sweetie shot a glance at Silver Spoon as they walked away. She could have sworn that she saw a little bit of regret in her eyes, but Sweetie didn’t say anything to her as she watched her walk down the road with Diamond Tiara.
Do I really look that fat? Sweetie thought as she looked down at her belly. She poked it a couple times and saw a couple small ripples flow outwards from where she touched herself, just like how Diamond Tiara had pointed out.
“Hey, Sweetie Belle!” she heard Scootaloo say from behind her. “You ready to go over to Sweet Apple Acres?”
Sweetie Belle bit back her insecurities and threw on a fake smile. “S-sure!” she said, tightening her saddlebag’s strap in a small effort to try and make her belly look smaller. Scootaloo pushed her scooter next to her as they trotted through town. “So, what did the teacher say about your late stuff?”
“Eh, nothing much, really. I just have to have my math homework turned in by Monday and I’ll be fine.”
“That’s cool. I can help you on that if you want. It’d be no trouble at all,” Sweetie Belle offered. They had left the main part of town behind them, and only had another few minutes until they made it to the front gate to Sweet Apple Acres. “Hey, um... I have a question for you.”
“Yeah? What’s up?” Scootaloo asked nonchalantly.
“Do you think I’ve been gaining weight?” Sweetie Belle hesitantly asked. She stopped in the middle of the road, making Scootaloo come to a halt several feet away. Scootaloo quickly closed the small distance between the two of them and glanced at her belly just like Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon had done. She wanted to suck in her gut, but she had to know.
“Uh... maybe a little bit?” Scootaloo cocked her head to the side, blissfully unaware of the damage she was causing. “But that’s probably from all of those big lunches your parents send with you for school! You have no idea how jealous I am that you get to eat brownies everyday...”
“Yeah... maybe...” Sweetie Belle muttered, casting her gaze downwards. It was as she had feared. If one of her closest friends thought she was gaining weight, then surely Diamond Tiara was right. Sweetie Belle, much like her sister, put a good amount of effort into looking good. Keeping a white coat clean was never an easy task to do, and keeping a styled mane in shape was even harder. She was never one for working out, because she feared that her exertions would ruin her look. Usually, she spent nearly an hour before school getting ready.
Now Diamond Tiara’s suggestion was rather tempting. She wouldn’t have to work out, and all she had to do to eat whatever she wanted was to simply throw it up after eating. To her, spending a minute throwing up was much more desirable than spending time working out then grooming herself back to perfection.
“Hey, is everything alright, Sweetie Belle?” Scootaloo asked, her voice sounding rather unsure.
“Huh?” Sweetie Belle’s head snapped up. “Uh... yeah, everything’s okay.” She trotted forward as she bit her lip, leaving Scootaloo behind. Her friend caught up quickly and slowed down to match her pace. Their conversation slipped into silence as they made their way through the front gate, and it took them just a quick minute’s trot to the treehouse.
As Scootaloo set her scooter against a nearby tree, Sweetie Belle trotted up the ramp to the treehouse and poked her head inside. “Apple Bloom? You in here?” She stepped inside and looked behind the door, but found nothing. “Huh... she’s probably still busy in the barn,” she murmured to herself.
“Huh?” Scootaloo asked from behind.
“Apple Bloom isn’t here, so let’s go check the barn.” Sweetie Belle turned and eased her way past Scootaloo, taking care to not push her off of the tight ramp.
“Wait, why there?” Scootaloo cocked her head to the side and watched her as Sweetie Belle trotted away from her.
“Because that’s where she told me she’d be!” Sweetie Belle called over her shoulder. “Come on, let’s go see if we can go help her so we can start having fun faster!”
“Alright!” Scootaloo jumped off of the top of the ramp and flapped her wings as hard as she could, barely keeping herself aloft. Alas, her strength ran out, making her drop straight down for the last couple of feet. Scootaloo landed on all four hooves, though she did stumble a bit as she tried to catch her balance. “So close...” she whispered. With shaky legs, she trotted up to her scooter and noticed that Sweetie Belle was almost to the barn. As a grin broke out on her face, Scootaloo pushed herself as fast as she could, nearly overtaking Sweetie Belle.
“Dang, you gals got here fast!” Sweetie Belle heard Apple Bloom call out from inside the barn as Scootaloo screeched to a halt beside her. “I’ll be out in a few minutes, I just gotta finish sweepin’ up in here!”
“Okay!” Scootaloo yelled back. “Hey Sweetie, wanna watch me jump my scooter over that fence over there? I know I can do it!” She let her scooter fall to the ground as she scampered over towards some spare plywood and a couple of cinder blocks.
“Huh?” I thought we were gonna help... oh well. Apple Bloom said that she’d be done in a few minutes anyways... Sweetie Belle turned to watch Scootaloo finish setting up her ramp. It was easily twice as tall as she was, and she knew there was no way that Scootaloo would be able to make it, even with her improvised ramp. “That doesn’t look so safe...” she said, her voice wavering a little as Scootaloo finished propping up the wood on the blocks.
“Pfft, I know Rainbow wouldn’t back down from a challenge like this!” Scootaloo said as she trotted back to her scooter. “Besides, what can go wrong? I’ve done jumps like this all the time!”
“You sure?” Sweetie Belle asked, tentatively raising a hoof in the air as if she was trying to hold her back.
“Of course! Just watch!” Scootaloo said with a confident grin. She ground her back hoof into the ground and pushed off with as much force as she could muster, her tiny wings buzzing rapidly. She gained speed and rocketed up the ramp. Though as it looked like she would clear it and land safely on the other side, her front truck caught on the tip of the fence, stopping her in mid-air. She flipped over the handlebars with a surprised squeak before she slammed face-first into the ground.
“Scootaloo!” Sweetie Belle cried out. She darted across the courtyard and crawled under the fence, albeit with a little difficulty. The bottom of the fence dug into her back painfully, but she had to get to her friend. She heard a small groan come from Scootaloo as the fence finally released its grasp on her. “Scootaloo, are you okay?!” she asked, her voice thick with worry as she galloped up to her.
“Ugh... yeah, I think so,” Scootaloo muttered as she pushed herself up.
Sweetie Belle sat down beside her and helped her sit up. Scootaloo looked up at her, and what she saw made her hooves shoot up to cover her mouth in shock. Scootaloo had a cut on her forehead and her forelegs looked bruised. “Oh my gosh, Scootaloo! Doesn’t that hurt? You’re bleeding!” Movement in her peripheral vision made her look up to find Apple Bloom trotting out of the barn. “Hey Apple Bloom! Grab the first aid kit, alright? Scootaloo had an accident!” she called out.
Scootaloo pushed Sweetie Belle away as she tried to stand up. “I’m fine, Sweetie Be-”
“No, you’re not. You’re bleeding, and it looks like bruised your legs.” Sweetie Belle helped prop Scootaloo up against a tree trunk, getting her out of the sun. Apple Bloom scampered up with the first aid kit in her mouth. She set it down next to Sweetie Belle, who promptly opened it up. “Can you go get something for her to drink, Apple Bloom?” she asked. Apple Bloom nodded once and ran back towards the house.
“Seriously, Rainbow Dash has taken harder hits than that, and-”
“Stop!” Sweetie Belle ordered as she pulled out a roll of gauze. She wrapped up one of Scootaloo’s forelegs in silence, and as she started wrapping up her other one, she relented. “Look... I don’t like seeing you get hurt. Rainbow Dash is a fully-grown mare, and we’re still fillies...”
Scootaloo sighed. “Yeah, I know you’re right, but still...”
Apple Bloom walked up, a glass of water balanced perfectly on her back. “You doin’ alright, Scootaloo?” she asked as she hoofed her the glass.
Scootaloo took several large gulps, emptying the glass in seconds. “Yeah, I think so... Thanks, Apple Bloom,” she said, hoofing the glass back to her. “I don’t know about you guys, but I kinda just want to relax for a little while. That okay?” she asked with a sheepish smile.
“It’s always okay, Scootaloo,” Sweetie Belle said as she helped Scootaloo to her hooves. “Hehe... anypony up for some truth or dare up in the clubhouse?”
“Everypony else is skinny and fit, Sweetie Belle!” Diamond Tiara said as she stalked around Sweetie Belle. They were in the school’s playground and everypony had formed a circle around them. Nopony else said a word except the two bullies walking around her like sharks who had picked up the scent of blood. “I think you’ve been spending too much time on Sweet Apple Acres because it looks like you’re turning into a pig! Maybe you should stop hanging around those weird blank flank friends of yours... Who knows? If you hang out with Silver and I you just might actually get your cutie mark...”
“That’s... that’s not true!” Sweetie Belle said, her voice lacking most of its usual confidence. “I love my friends! What makes you think I would want to hang out with a bully like you?”
“Oh! She didn’t deny that she was fat, Diamond!” Silver Spoon laughed, shoving her from behind. Sweetie Belle fell face-first into a mud puddle, her pristine white coat turning brown. “I bet you like the mud, you pig!”
“See, you are turning into a pig!” Diamond Tiara laughed with Silver Spoon. “After all, that is your proper place: down in the mud!”
Sweetie Belle tried to get up, but Diamond just pushed her back down. She felt mud being kicked in her face, making her turn away. Her hind legs kept slipping out from under her, and as hard as she tried to get up, she just couldn’t. She clenched her eyes shut, waiting for somepony else to hit her.
“You see how worthless you are? Your fat is holding you down, Sweetie Belle!” Diamond Tiara yelled at her. “You! Are! Fat!”
“Fat!” Silver Spoon started chanting with Diamond Tiara.
“Pig!”
“Fat!”
“Pig!”
“Stop!” Sweetie Belle yelled. She bolted upright and opened her eyes. Instead of seeing the schoolyard, she was surprised to find that she was in the clubhouse. It was nearly pitch-black out, but she was able to see the faint outlines of her friends’ sleeping bags.
“Sweetie?” she heard Scootaloo’s tired voice ask. “What’s wrong?” She looked to her right and saw Scootaloo lift her head from her pillow.
“I was about to wake you up... you wouldn’t stop tossing and turning, and you kept moaning things I didn’t understand.” Scootaloo sat up and gathered up her blanket.
“I... I, um...” Sweetie Belle stuttered, looking away from Scootaloo. Her eyes fell on Apple Bloom, who was still fast asleep. That filly always slept like a rock, and she wasn’t surprised to see that her commotions had not woken her. Then, a moment later, Sweetie Belle felt Scootaloo press up against her left side. She looked back just in time to see Scootaloo draping a blanket over their shoulders, wrapping it tightly around them.
“What was it about?” Scootaloo asked softly, gently nuzzling her cheek to break her from her thoughts.
“No... nothing,” Sweetie Belle lied. “It was nothing...” She felt Scootaloo’s hoof guide her head to look back at her.
“Sweetie, out of all the sleepovers we’ve had you’ve never had a nightmare like that before,” Scootaloo said as she rubbed Sweetie’s back. “I’m here if you want to talk...”
“I’ll be fine, but... thanks.” Sweetie Belle looked up into Scootaloo’s eyes. She looked away, letting the blanket fall from her shoulders. “Want to go back to bed?” she asked with a yawn. “My sleeping bag is big enough for the both of us.” She slid back into it and used her magic to hold it open for her friend. “Surely this would be better than the little blanket you brought,” she said with a giggle, teasing her friend with a small smile.
Scootaloo eyed the blanket that was hanging loosely off of her shoulders. It was rather old; the colors had faded and it had a few holes. “That might be a good idea,” she said with a chuckle. She carefully stepped forward and slipped inside the sleeping bag. There wasn’t that much room for them to lay down facing each other though, making her feel a bit awkward.
“Teehee, this is a little tighter than I thought it would be,” Sweetie Belle said, covering her growing smile with a hoof. Her back was pressed tightly against the seam of the sleeping bag.
“You know... I can just go back to my blanket if you want,” Scootaloo offered, averting her gaze.
“Nah, don’t be silly. I don’t want you getting chills in the middle of the night,” Sweetie Belle said. She rubbed her chin as she thought. “Hm... how about this?” She rolled over onto her other side and scooted towards the middle of the sleeping bag. After fluffing her thick pillow, she looked over her shoulder and said, “Come on, slide on over here. I saw my big sister do this with one of her other friends a while ago.”
“You... you want us to cuddle?” Scootaloo asked with a slightly nervous-sounding giggle.
“Is that what’s it called?”
“I think so,” Scootaloo replied. “So... like this?” She gently pressed her belly against Sweetie Belle’s back and laid a hoof over her side, right under her forelegs. Scootaloo laid her head over Sweetie’s so that the unicorn’s head fell right into the crook of her neck.
“I think so...” Sweetie Belle replied. “It sure does feel comfy though... right?”
“Yeah, it kinda does,” Scootaloo replied, letting herself relax. “Listen... if you start having another nightmare, I’ll be right here to wake you up. I’m kind of a light sleeper, so if you start doing what you did earlier, I’ll wake up and get you up.” Scootaloo tightened her grasp around Sweetie’s belly momentarily. She tried to lay a wing around her, but she couldn’t even reach Sweetie Belle’s body. With a tinge of regret, she folded her wing back to her side as she bit back a sigh.
“Thanks, Scootaloo...” Sweetie Belle muttered. The warmth emanating from Scootaloo’s belly was quickly luring her back to sleep. She wasn’t scared of the possibility of having another nightmare, for she knew her friend had her back.
“Yeah, no problem...” Scootaloo slid a little closer to Sweetie Belle and closed her eyes. After pulling the sleeping bag up over her shoulders, she whispered, “Good night, Sweets...”
“Night, Scoots...” Sweetie Belle whispered back. She gently grasped Scootaloo’s hoof and snuggled deeper into her embrace. Sweets? She’s never called me that before, but... I think I kinda like it...