//------------------------------// // Rosey's First Romantic Dinner // Story: Young Love // by Amethyst Flower //------------------------------// "So, I was thinking that we could make some sort of tinfoil heart with Christmas lights..." Sweetie Belle was saying, as she and Silver Rose laid on the pink covered bed in Silver Rose's room. Silver Rose sighed. They had just started planning, and already she was regretting this. Sweetie Belle was good at many things, but coming up with ideas and creating things were not on the list. This was a mistake, she thought, as she rubbed her eyes and yawned. I know Sweetie Belle is my friend, but I'd secretly be thrilled if I got to be Strike's partner. He's so smart and I'm sure he'd have brilliant ideas! "Oh, are you tired?" Sweetie Belle asked, snapping Silver Rose out of her fantasizing. Silver Rose blinked. "Huh?" She realized that she must have zoned out. "Oh, sorry. Um, maybe a little. I was up painting late last night." Sweetie Belle smiled. "I understand. So, back to the project. What do you think?" "Well, I think that would be a cute idea. Not very complicated, but if we do one of the more complex wiring systems then I think it'll pass," she said. She cast Sweetie Belle a look, making sure she understood what she was saying. She was discovering more and more big words that she liked using, and sometimes other ponies had a hard time understanding her. Sweetie Belle didn't look too confused, so Silver Rose continued, "But I think that maybe before we finalize any plans we should learn a bit more." "I guess the cutie mark crusaders and I could do a little research or something," Sweetie Belle said. Suddenly she gasped, "Wait! What if we got our cutie marks in electricity!" She got a hopeful look in her green eyes. Silver Rose gave a little forced laugh. "Maybe," she said. But I seriously doubt it, she added mentally. Just then a knock sounded from downstairs. "Girls, Rarity's here!" Roseluck called. Silver Rose frowned, feeling a little sad that Rarity was here already to pick up Sweetie Belle. The filly might not have been very good at this project, but Silver Rose liked hanging out with her. She got a little lonely all by herself sometimes. She had Roseluck, but now all her older sister could seem to talk about was how amazing Cherry Fizzy was or how many flowers she sold. "Well, I've got to go," Sweetie Belle said, getting up. "I'll see you tomorrow." Silver Rose gave her friend a small smile. "Okay, bye," she said, using her magic to pick up the papers that were scattered on the bed. She handed Sweetie Belle her papers before the white filly left. Silver Rose looked around her painting filled room. Two creamy white and light red walls gave her painting space the rosey-carnation look that she loved. Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked at the pink been bag that rested in a corner next to a white book shelf piled full of fiction and painting books. It was where she and Boysenberry often read books to each other. The white dresser, that she had finally cleaned paintings from, reminded her of the nights when she and her best friend would do make overs together. She leaped off of her bed and her hooves landed on the shaggy bright pink area rug. The rug that Boysenberry got her for her birthday. Silver Rose groaned. Did everything have to remind her of her 'best friend'?! She frowned as she realized that she needed to talk to Boysenberry about what had happened, but she hated awkward situations, and confronting some pony about lying was definitely high on the ranks of awkwardness. I'll do it whenever I work up the courage. I'll just go over to her house some weekend, when not every other pony is around, or something, she told herself. But wait, her brain argued, What if she just lies about lying?! She wouldn't do that would she? Oh, I hope not, 'cause that would just make things even more complicated. Maybe I should talk to Roseluck about this! Or not... She has enough of her own problems. Like her business and always worrying if she's good enough for Cherry Fizzy or whatever. Maybe I could talk to the cutie mark crusaders about it? No... they're too busy trying to get their cutie marks. Maybe just Sweetie Belle? Or maybe Rarity? Or... Silver Rose laughed at herself. She was having a long discussion with her brain. How silly is that? she thought, giggling aloud. She suddenly frowned. Okay, now I'm just getting ridiculous. Stop talking to your brain! Stop! Now Silver Rose was just frustrated. Deciding that she spent too much time alone, she went downstairs. Being with Roseluck and hearing her go on and on about her coltfriend was better than being freaky and talking to herself in her head. "Roseluck!" Silver Rose called, as she descended the cherry wood stairs. She was just down here earlier, she thought. Was my conversation with my brain really that long? She heard laughter coming from the kitchen area. She leaned over the staircase railing to her right and recoiled when she saw Roseluck sitting at the kitchen table with a caramel colored earth pony stallion. She trotted quickly down the stairs. "Um, hello?" Roseluck bolted up. "Oh, dear, Silver Rose, you scared me. I didn't hear you." The stallion turned around in his seat and gave Silver Rose a megawatt smile. "Hello." Silver Rose cocked her head and gave her older sister a confused look. "Uh...?" She turned to the stallion. He had black mane and light green eyes. Either Roseluck is cheating on her coltfriend or this is the all famous Cherry Fizzy. "Oh, Rosey, this is my coltfriend! Cherry Fizzy," Roseluck said, grinning from ear to ear. When the stallion stood, Silver Rose could see his cherry cutie mark. "I see that," she remarked, unsure about how she felt having her sister's colt friend here. "Um, hi," she said to Cherry Fizzy. "I'm Roseluck's sister, Silver Rose." "I know," he said, courtly. Roseluck talks a lot about you." "I could say the same about you," Silver Rose said, instantly regretting her words. Roseluck turned beat red as Cherry Fizzy shot her a charming smile. She turned back to Silver Rose. "I'm sorry, I forgot to tell you that Cherry Fizzy is staying for dinner. We'll be having Fettuccine Alfredo." Silver Rose turned her head a fraction to see the pasta that was laid out on the counter top. "Isn't the Fettuccine a little under cooked?" she teased, finally finding her voice. Roseluck spun around. "Oh! I forgot to prepare it!" Silver Rose and Cherry Fizzy both chuckled. Deciding to be kind Silver Rose offered, "Let me make the food for you. You just enjoy your coltfriend." She winked. "Are you sure?" Roseluck asked, a concerned look on her face. "Don't worry, I have the recipe memorized. Besides, I have nothing better to do," Silver Rose assured her older sister, heading over to the sink to fill the pan up with water. "Well, alright." Roseluck smiled. "Thank you, Rosey." She and Cherry Fizzy headed to the living room, leaving Silver Rose to prepare the meal. Trying not to wonder what it would be like if Strike were her coltfriend, Silver Rose put the pasta on the stove and began to make the Alfredo sauce. She buttered the garlic bread and popped it into the oven before tossing a salad. She set the table with their fine china and lit two tall candles, all awhile smiling. Her plan was to make the food, grab her plate, and then head upstairs. She may not be all that happy about meeting Cherry Fizzy today, when she was feeling rather down, but she could at least make this dinner a little romantic for the two love birds. Once they were finished with the food, she could wash the dishes and maybe get to know Cherry Fizzy a little. That should keep her distracted for the rest of the day. It was a way to make her sister happy, and keep her own mind off of her lying friend and first crush. Once everything was finished, Silver Rose set out the food, filled her own plate, and then turned the kitchen lights down. Just as she was about to call for Roseluck and Cherry Fizzy, something clicked in the back of her brain. Music! Every romantic Italian dinner needs music! She looked around before remembering that she had a record player that she got for her birthday along with a few records in her closet upstairs. Silver Rose energized her horn and in a flash she was in her room. She dug through her closet, that was in bad need of organization, found her player and a record of romantic music and flashed back down stairs. Once she was back in the kitchen she shook her head. She wasn't very used to teleporting and it left her a little dizzy and her mane a little static. Shaking it off, she set up the record on a stool and set the pin down. "Dinner's ready!" she called, using her magic to grab her plate and fork from the counter. Roseluck and Cherry Fizzy moseyed into the kitchen, talking softly and chuckling a little. When they saw the table they stopped and gasped. Silver Rose had a little smirk on her face. "I hope you both like the food. I took the liberty to make a few changes to the... aura of the kitchen." "Wh-what...did you do?" Roseluck stammered looking around the kitchen. The light brown curtains were closed, a few rose petals were scattered around, and the candles created a flickering light. "You never told me your sister was a romantic," Cherry Fizzy said, chuckling a little. "If you don't like it I can totally redo it," Silver Rose said, suddenly growing a little worried. Maybe she had over done it a little. It was just dinner, not a proposal on hearts and hooves day. "No!" Roseluck quickly said, before catching herself. She cleared her throat. "Uh, I mean. No, it's lovely. You put a lot of hard work into this and you needn't redo it..." Silver Rose grinned. Oh who was she kidding? Her sister was a Rose. And the Roses loved romance. "You too have a good time. I'll be down to do the dishes then." "Oh, Rosey, you don't need to," Roseluck objected. Silver Rose shook her head. "Nonsense! You wouldn't do any less for me." She headed upstairs, being careful to walk softly. Once she got into her room, she sat down on her window seat and began eating. Rarity would be proud, she told herself happily, thinking of how romantically inclined the white unicorn was. *** "Was this your first romantic dinner, or have you set up many?" Cherry Fizzy asked Silver Rose, as she washed the dishes. After the meal, both Roseluck and Cherry Fizzy had insisted to help Silver Rose with the dirty dishes, but she objected, saying they should sit back and relax themselves. "Nope, this was my first one," Silver Rose said proudly. She used her hooves to wash a plate and then transported it over to the drying rack with her magic. "Well, we loved it!" Roseluck said, from where she sat at the table, beside Cherry Fizzy. "You've told me that, like, five times already," Silver Rose said, rolling her eyes. "So what grade are you in at school?" Cherry Fizzy asked. "Well, I've started the fifth class this year, but I'm ahead in school, as I've always enjoyed reading and studying," Silver Rose said. "Oh, so then you're getting close to the end of your school," Cherry Fizzy said with surprise. "Will you be going to Canterlot for high academy -as they call it-?" "You know I've never really thought about that!" Silver Rose said. "I'm aspiring to become an artist, but the extra classes might be a fun learning experience." "It might be something we have to look into," Roseluck said, looking thoughtful. "What do you do for work?" Silver Rose asked Cherry Fizzy. If her sister was going to get serious with this stallion, he had to be suitable. "I am Mayor Mare's assistant. I also do some odd jobs helping ponies. Once in awhile I fill in for other ponies at stores," Cherry Fizzy said. Hm, Mayor Mare's assistant... not bad, Silver Rose thought approvingly. Her next question was going to be a little awkward, but she needed to know. "Previous dating life?" "Silver Rose!" Roseluck gasped. Cherry Fizzy chuckled. "No, it's alright." He cleared his throat. "Well... I was previously dating Cherry Berry, but it just didn't work out." Silver Rose nodded. "Do you have any annoying family members?" Here the stallion burst into loud laughter. Silver Rose smiled, knowing the question seemed odd. She didn't mind that he didn't take her too seriously. In fact, that was a good thing. "What is with you?" Roseluck asked, flushing from probable embarrassment. "You need to know what you're getting yourself into," Silver Rose said, as she dried a sauce pan with a small hoof towel. "Your younger sister has a bit more sense than you do. She's wanting important details," Cherry Fizzy teased with a playful wink. He turned to Silver Rose. "And, well, I do have this one aunt. She's rather nit-picky. I love her, but everyone in the family has to agree that she is a hoof full." "Thank you, that is all I wanted to know," Silver Rose said, pleased that Cherry Fizzy actually answered her questions. Not a lot of stallions would. Either they thought they were too good or got embarrassed when she asked questions like that. "You're hilarious," Cherry Fizzy said, with a grin. "I'm just looking out for my sister," Silver Rose said. She used her magic to put some of the dried dishes up. "Don't worry, she's in good hooves," Cherry Fizzy said. There was a silence as Silver Rose finished up the dishes. Not an awkward silence, the three ponies were simply involved in their own thoughts. Breaking the quiet, Silver Rose announced that she was done with her dishes and was going to go work on some homework. "It's nice to have met you," she said to her sister's coltfriend. Cherry Fizzy smiled. "You too. And thank you again for the wonderful dinner. We might have to get you to create another date for us sometime." Roseluck nodded in agreement. Silver Rose smiled, pleased that Cherry Fizzy and Roseluck had enjoyed their dinner date. Maybe I should do this sometime again, she decided, her brain developing plans. She shook her ideas out of her head as she headed back up the stairs again to complete her homework and maybe go to bed early, as she felt kind of foggy-minded. Once she finished her homework, she laid in her comfy bed and stared up at the ceiling. She wondered what her first dinner date would be like, and whom it would be with. There would be a bouquet of red roses, on top of a silk covered table, flanked by two tall, white candles. A bit of rose petals and glitter would be sprinkled on the table top. They would use crystal glasses and have small, heart shaped ice chunks in the glasses. Steaming vegetables and pasta would be served on plates of fine china, and the utensils would be real silver. Soft music would play in the background, and the lighting would be low... Silver Rose closed her eyes as she fell to sleep, dreaming about the day of her future first date.