"How was your first day back?" Roseluck asked, once Silver Rose had returned, late afternoon, from school.
"It was pretty good," Silver Rose said happily. "I made friends with these three fillies who call themselves the cutie mark crusaders and I learned a lot in from the classes."
"Well that's good," the earth pony said as she sat down at the table with a bunch of papers and bills. "What about Boysenberry."
Silver Rose shrugged, trying to act like she couldn't care less. "Mainly she was just hanging out with her other friends."
"I'm sorry, Rosey," Roseluck sympathized. "Sometimes friends just grow apart."
"It's fine," Silver Rose sighed. "Besides, it's not like she said we're not friends anymore. She's just ignoring me a little..." She shook her head and cleared her throat. "So, how much did you sell today?"
Roseluck looked down at the papers, that had information scrawled all over, and rubbed her forehead. "Two bouquets, one of roses and another assorted." She sighed. "And Lily sold a pot of mums."
Silver Rose frowned. "Not such a good day, huh?"
Roseluck shook her head. "Business is has been starting to lag."
"But you've just been awarded as florist of the month. Why would your business be lagging?" Silver Rose asked, confused.
"I don't know," Roseluck said with a shrug. She noticed the concerned look on her younger sister's face and quickly added, "But don't worry, I'm sure it'll pick up again soon." She shoved the papers aside and rose to put a kettle of water onto the stove. She turned around to give Silver Rose a smirk, as she waited for the water to boil. "So, did you meet any cute colts?"
Silver Rose's eyes darted down to the floor and she blushed. "U-uh... Psh! No! What makes you say that...?" her voice rose up to a squeak.
Roseluck stared Silver Rose directly in the eyes. "I know you, Rosey."
"But I've never thought about boys before, so what makes you think I am now?" Silver Rose asked, forcing a critical look.
"You're around the age when puberty hits," Roseluck said with a shrug.
"Lucky!!" Silver Rose whined.
Roseluck laughed. "Joking, joking. But seriously. I can tell by the look on your face. I've looked at stallions before, I know the feeling." As she grinned, Silver Rose knew she was thinking of her coltfriend, Cherry Fizzy.
"Well... there was this one colt..." Silver Rose admitted, as she used her magic to get a white porcelain mug from the cabinet.
"See, I told you so!" Roseluck said, just as the tea kettle began to whistle.
"Do you want me to tell you about him or not?" Silver Rose threatened.
"Okay, okay, fine."
Silver Rose filled up her mug with hot water and added a bag of peppermint tea. "Well, he's an earth pony, and his name is Strike..."
"Ooh, an earth pony. Good choice." Roseluck said, choosing her chamomile tea.
Silver Rose rolled her eyes and continued, "He has azure eyes, a blue and white mane and tail, and a yellow coat. Oh, and he has a bowling cutie mark. He's really good at sports and seems okay at school. I heard him make some jokes and he's pretty funny." She frowned. "He's a little short though."
"Way to pay attention to details," Roseluck teased.
Silver Rose shot her a glare and took a sip of her tea. She winced as the minty liquid was still too hot and it burnt her tongue.
"Well, good luck with that," Roseluck said, setting her mug of tea down onto the counter top. "I need to go grocery shopping. Will you be fine here all by yourself?"
Silver Rose nodded. "Yeah."
"Great." Roseluck grabbed her purse and headed out to buy necessities.
Silver Rose finished her tea and then cantered upstairs to do her homework. Or at least tried to. She couldn't help but fantasize about Strike. She had just met him, but already she needed to know more about him.
***
The weekend came faster than Silver Rose had expected. Time had simply flown by when she got involved in her classes and... dreamed about Strike (though she would never admit it). She tried to convince herself that Strike was just a fantasy that her brain was making up. He would only ever be a friend, and she was silly to think anything different at her age -especially when she barely knew the colt.
On Saturday, Roseluck was on her second date with Cherry Fizzy, so Silver Rose went to Carousel Boutique to hang out with Rarity and Sweetie Belle. She loved going to the pink and purple clothes shop. It was so pretty and artsy.
"I thought you'd be with the cutie mark crusaders at your clubhouse today," Silver Rose said to Sweetie Belle, once the unicorn arrived at Rarity and Sweetie Belle's place.
Sweetie Belle shrugged. "Apple Bloom had a thing at the farm and Scootaloo is writing fanfic about her hero Rainbow Dash."
"So I'm a third choice friend?" Silver Rose mock-pouted.
Sweetie Belle suddenly gasped and sputtered to cover up.
Silver Rose and Rarity both giggled.
"She's teasing you, darling," Rarity said, with a smile, as she threaded a silver needle with her magic.
Sweetie Belle looked from her older sister to Silver Rose. "You are?"
Silver Rose nodded. "I know Apple Bloom and Scootaloo are your best friends, and I don't mind that. You've only known me for a week. Besides, we all have our special friends."
"Do you?" Sweetie Belle asked. "I mean, it's just, I haven't seen you really hanging out with anyone else."
Silver Rose thought for a moment. "Well... Boysenberry and I have been best friends for forever and a half, but we've always kind of had this thing, where she has her friends at school and I... I dunno... I've never really participated in anything non-school related unless it had to do with art."
"Not this year though!" Rarity chirped. Silver Rose had told her older friend about how she was making a new start.
"Nope! I'm doing things differently this year," Silver Rose said, happily.
"Well, I'm glad I can be a part of your change, even if I am younger than you," Sweetie Belle said.
Silver Rose nodded. "Age has never really been an important thing to me." She looked up at Rarity, who looked like she was having a bit of a struggle with her sewing machine. "Is there anything I can help you with, Rarity?" she asked.
Rarity shook her head and pushed her red spectacles up her muzzle. "No, I simply need to oil this machine once again," she said, with an exasperated sigh. "I've been shoving it off, as I hate that grimy stuff!"
Silver Rose and Sweetie Belle smiled knowingly. Rarity hated getting her pearly white hooves dirty, even if it was necessary to accomplish something important.
"So I've noticed you seem a little interested in Strike," Sweetie Belle said with a grin.
Silver Rose blushed. Did everyone have to say something about Strike when she was trying to not think about him?! She noticed that now Rarity looked incredibly interested and curious. "Um... maybe," she squeaked.
"That's cute," Sweetie Belle gushed. "I'm pretty sure that he likes you too!"
"Yeah right! I've only talked to him a couple of times, and I've only just recently noticed that he's alive," Silver Rose objected, trying not burst into giggles. She got that way when ponies talked about the colt, for some reason. She had no idea why.
"But still. Guys notice when girls notice them," Sweetie Belle pointed.
Silver Rose frowned. "But I thought it was always the exact opposite."
Sweetie Belle shrugged. "Like I would know!" She burst into a fit of giggles.
Rarity smiled. "It all depends on what they're like. I agree, some are exceedingly dense and never notice a thing, and others are very observant."
"Well Strike's definitely not stupid," Silver Rose quickly said. She smiled inwardly as she remembered all the times she saw him helping the younger foals with their school work.
"No, not stupid. Just a little dense," Rarity corrected. "And I'm not saying he is, just a lot of colts and stallions are." She sighed, as she began to run material through her sewing machine.
"What's with her?" Silver Rose asked Sweetie Belle quietly.
"She's got her tail in a twist over another Canterlot stallion," Sweetie Belle whispered.
"Ohhh," Silver Rose said, with a nod.
After spending a couple of hours at Carousel Boutique, Silver Rose went to Boysenberry's house to see if she could hang out. She still hadn't told her about Strike, and she felt she should since they were best friends.
But when Silver Rose knocked on the door to have Boysenberry to open it, the earth pony told her that she was too busy with homework.
Silver Rose left, hanging her head a little. Homework? On a Saturday? She couldn't help but be a little suspicious, so she turned around and rushed back. She was about to knock on the door again, when she heard cheerful laughter and talking coming from the backyard. Feeling guilty for not trusting her best friend and spying, Silver Rose peeked around the edge of the white house and was shocked when she saw Boysenberry running and playing with several of her friends from school.
She felt her stomach fall and she was afraid that she might be sick. Boysenberry had lied to her. Why couldn't she just have told her that she was already hanging out with her other friends? And even so, why couldn't she have invited Silver Rose to hang out with them? They had all played together before. What was going on?
Tears streaming down from her face, Silver Rose galloped off. Some best friend! a little voice in the back of her mind said. As she ran across a bridge, she slipped on a rock and before she knew it she had fallen into the freezing cold river.
"Aaah!" she shrieked, as she thrashed around in the bone-chilling water, trying to get to the surface. She knew from swimming in the river that it was a couple of inches above her head -just enough for her to drown. Don't panic! Don't panic! her brain commanded, as she emerged her head. You'll only make things worse! The river isn't rushing, and if you remain calm you'll be fine.
"Oh my Celestia, are you okay?!" came a familiar voice from the bank.
Silver Rose froze, causing herself to slip beneath the water again. She came back up coughing and spluttering.
Strike looked scared for her as he stared into the water. "Do you need help?!" he asked, his voice filled with urgency.
I can't believe he's seeing me like this! Silver Rose thought, angrily. She doggy paddled over to the bank -as she wasn't a very good swimmer yet- and managed to pull herself up onto dry land. "I-I'm f-fine," she stammered, her breath slightly wheezy.
Strike reached out a hoof to Silver Rose but then quickly withdrew when a voice shouted, "Strike?! Strike! There you are!" First Base scurried over to them. "Strike, me and the boys are wanting to start up a game of baseball." When he saw Silver Rose he gasped. "Celestia! What happened to you?"
Silver Rose shook the water from her mane and tail, causing both colts to take a couple steps back. She frowned. "I, um, I fell into the river..."
"Are you okay?" First Base asked, eyeing her up and down.
She nodded. "Yes. Of course." Not really... I just found out my so called 'best friend' is a liar. But they don't need to know that... She shivered. The water had been chilly, as the Autumn nights were growing colder. "I'm fine." Silver Rose began to walk back on, to her home (as Roseluck was most definitely home by now), but she felt the colt's eyes on her. She turned her head, only to have Strike quickly look away, and First Base give him an odd look. Was Sweetie Belle right? she wondered.
She shook the thought from her head and continued on to her house, where she knew Roseluck would be to comfort her and give her a cup of warming tea.
"Class, this week we will be studying about how modern technology has helped Equestria," Cheerilee announced on Monday. "To go a long with the theme I want each of you to either team up with some pony or go on your own and create some sort of device that conducts electricity."
Silver Rose lit her aura to pick up a pencil and sighed. Great, she thought to herself. What do I know about electricity?
"Today I only want you to decide if you're going to partner up or strike out on your own and then write down any ideas you have," the school teacher continued.
Strike out on your own? Silver Rose thought, with a mental groan. Does everything have to remind me of him?! She couldn't help but glance over at the creative colt. You could see the ideas already forming in his mind.
Sweetie Belle got up from her desk, along with other foals, and walked over to Silver Rose's desk. "Do you want to be my partner?" she asked.
Silver Rose's eyes widened. "You want to be my partner?" she asked, surprised.
"Sure, why not?" Sweetie Belle asked. "You're my friend too you know."
Silver Rose grinned. "Sure. Wanna meet up later to plan?"
"Sure. How about your house? I haven't been there yet," Sweetie Belle suggested.
"Okay," Silver Rose agreed. She glanced across the room at Boysenberry, but quickly looked away when their eyes met. She was still mad at her 'best friend' and would be until she apologized. Which probably won't be anytime soon, since she doesn't even know that I found out she lied to me, Silver Rose thought.
"Alright ponies, if you're done choosing your partners, please go back to your seats and sit down," Cheerilee commanded. Once her orders were issued out, she began her lesson. "First of all, we will be learning about atoms. Does any pony here know what an atom is?"
A few of the older foals raised their hooves.
"Okay. Well, for those of you who don't know, an atom is a basic unit of a chemical unit. They are the small particles that everything is made of..."
As Cheerilee continued to talk about atoms and what they did, Silver Rose glanced at Strike again. He was jotting down notes, holding his pencil with his muzzle, but paused when he noticed Silver Rose looking at him. She quickly jerked her focus away, to her desk. We. Made. Eye contact! she thought, feeling what Roseluck called butterflies in her stomach.
She tried to focus on her lesson about atoms, matter, and newly discovered electricity, but she just couldn't get Strike off of her mind. Is this what it feels like to have your first crush? she wondered. If so, it's incredibly annoying! She looked over at Strike for what felt like the hundredth time. But incredibly amazing...