“So how was the date?” Pipsqueak asked as soon as Rumble and I made it into class.
I’m sure Rumble wanted me to go into full detail with them, but we had already decided to keep everything as low key as possible until I was sure on how comfortable Silver Spoon and I were with all of this.
So, I responded. “Oh, it was okay. We just, you know, did stuff, held hands, it was a fun time. However, I think my buddy here has some bigger news.” I nudged Rumble as he smirked.
“Oh what?” he said in a bad actor's voice. “You mean my date with my new girlfriend?”
Every person in the room turned their attention towards him.
“What, who?” one of the guys asked.
I smiled before Rumble gave me sympathetic glance and I knew what he meant. Next hour, it would just be me and the school. While I could tell people to just leave me alone, it wouldn’t be long before more details came out. Although, as soon as Rumble went on to say his new girlfriend was Apple Bloom, my phone received a message.
After pulling out my phone, I found that it was from Silver Spoon.
“New girlfriend?” Featherweight asked when he saw the phone.
My face began to heat up and waved them off. I then looked at the text.
‘Can you met me in the gym between periods next hour? <3’
“Um…” I put my phone away, “just, you know a thing.”
“Did I mention Apple Bloom kissed me?” Rumble spat out.
“What?” we all said.
It was new to me too. Apparently, after the mall incident and they all had to part ways, Rumble offered to get Apple Bloom home, where they bonded some more and even kissed. I was suddenly interested in that little detail he had left out during our earlier conversation. So much so, I almost didn’t send Silver a reply before the teacher walked in.
With less than five seconds to type and send, I sent, ‘Sure I will try.’
*****
When the bell rang, I quickly made my way out of the hall, and to my relief, no one stopped me or pestered me with questions about the date. It didn't last long though. Once I had made it halfway to the gym, an eerily familiar voice said.
“So, I heard your date went well last night.”
I groaned, and turned to face Tray.
“What do you want, to humiliate me?” I challenged. “Then why don’t you just get over it.”
He clicked his tongue and shook his head. “I would, but my babe wouldn’t like that.”
My blood began to boil. “You—” I stopped as I realized I wouldn’t have time for this.
‘Unless this is still some plan by Silver to finally get back to you,’ my mind thought even though something kept me from believing it.
“Just don’t get your hopes up, creep,” he continued, “sooner or later, she’ll move on, and you’ll be nothing but grim.”
“Sure thing,” I said and headed off, “just don’t get any of it in your mouth, it’s disgusting enough as it is.”
I was then forced onto the ground, and I only heard Tray say, “Retard,” as he walked away.
“Right then,” I said to myself as got up and cautiously made my way to the gymnasium, time ticking away between classes.
As soon as I entered, i heard her whisper, “Pss, Button, is that you?”
I followed the sound—not without looking behind my back several times—before I found her behind the bleachers.
“Hey, she said, left hand running through her hair. “Sorry I didn’t try to find you before school. I’m still a little—”
I cut her off with a hug.
She was surprised, but soon returned the embrace. “Um, thanks.” She leaned onto my shoulder. “Happy to see you too.”
“Yeah,” I assured, feeling more confident this was real thanks to Tray. At least in my mind, if this was still just a setup, then why would Tray—if they were secretly together—push me down without a lot of witnesses around and tell me to stay away from his ex-girlfriend?
It didn’t, so I hug Silver Spoon more tightly.
When I pulled away, I saw her face flushed red.
She leaned in for a kiss, but I pulled away.
She stopped before looking down. “Sorry.”
“No, I am, I… Never mind, Silver, another time. I did enjoy kissing you.”
She giggled.
I took her hand and continued.
“So, how’s your morning been?”
She puffed. “Oh, the hard stuff’s about to come up. My next class is with Diamond Tiara, and I don’t know what to do.” She pulled her hand out of mine. “I… grr! You probably think I’m the worst.”
I chuckled nervously. “I still have problems giving you a good morning kiss, so I suppose feeling ashamed to date me is fair enough.”
She turned her head towards me. “Well, I just…” she sighed. “I wish I could say I don’t give a damn, and if they’re my friends they should understand, but I guess I’m scared.”
“Silver…”
“No, I mean, I never had it as bad as you or any of your friends, but the teasing and loneliness still stung.” She took in a deep breath. “It was hard enough for me not to say anything mean during first hour.”
My head titled. “Loneliness? You never mentioned that on our date.”
She adjusted her glasses. “Yeah, long story, I promise to tell you on our next date.”
“I’m sure you will,” I assured, knowing enough already. While my stomach began to stir at the mention of another date, I focused on the topic at hand. “Though, you could always say nothing in class, you know.”
She rubbed her shoulders. “Easier said than done.”
I started to protest, till i admitted, “Don’t I know it.”
The bell rang.
I shook my head. “Eh, stupid class bells, they always ring too early.” I looked at her. “Hey, Silver, whatever happens, I’ll understand.”
Silver Spoon lowered her head and shook it. “Oh, Button, you are something.” She looked up at me, arms crossed. “Do me a favor, no matter what happens, don’t stop trying to be such a hero to those you care about.”
I nodded. “Of course.”
We got to the edge of the hall, where several students were passing by and looked at each other.
“Um…” I began.
“Go ahead,” she offered, “I don’t want you to be late.”
“Okay,” I started off, “I’ll see ya later?”
“Yeah, before the day’s over for sure.”
Before I walked off, I swung around and gave her a surprise kiss.
She went “Eep!” in surprise before she returned said kiss.
“See ya,” I said as I headed off, noting how much I enjoyed it because she had nothing on her lips.
*****
For the next two hours, even without any of my new friends for most of the day to help, I was able to avoid most confrontations with the other students about the date. If they asked me for more detail, I figured out an effective way to get them to stop talking about me was to mention the incident that happened with Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle last night at the mall where Tray and Diamond Tiara harassed them.
While I felt bad when it was first brought it up to one of my acquaintances, Sweetie Belle, by text, assured me that she and Scootaloo didn’t mind, saying it was the least they could do for what I did for them on Tuesday and this morning.
Then when I got into fouth hour, that’s when I first got a taste of what was to come. When I walked in, one of the popular girls shot me a series nasty glances.
She didn’t say anything, but soon some of her friends started to look at me too.
Being smart, I kept myself away from that class till the bell rang and I only had seconds to take my seat.
*****
Next up for the day, lunch, but not before I received another text from Silver Spoon.
‘Hey, don’t suppose you want to have lunch outside, away from people?’
All this was going on during class so I quickly hide the phone under the table.
I’d never texted during class before, and it was nothing I was too eager to do now if it got me in trouble. However, with lunch next hour, I decided to take the risk when an idea popped into my mind.
‘Sure, don’t suppose you want to hang out with my friends as well?’
She reply a minute later.
‘Can’t it just be us?’
I sighed, but nonetheless, I told her, typing fast to get it sent undetected ‘they dont hate u, mostly, not sure if u hearr bout last night 2 thm, but I said u r not them. Please, 4 me.’
I felt uncomfortable to type with such poor grammar, but that was that. Though, I worried she wasn’t going to reply when, five minutes later, she answered
‘Okay. CU then <3.’
‘Sure thing. <3’ I replied, then went right to texting my friends.
‘Hey, guys, triple date out by the field today? Silver Spoon wants to befriend you.'
Rumble replied first. ‘Awesome!’
After him, Apple Bloom answered, ‘Okay.’
Scootaloo answered, ‘As long as she behaves.’
Sweetie Belle took longer, right up to the last minutes before lunch. Then at last, she responded, ‘Okay, I’ll meet you there.’
I nodded, and made my way slowly out of class, careful to make it to the cafeteria with minimum attention. Lunch today was a sandwich, an apple, and a granola bar I brought from home. Often times, I’d also buy a bag of chips and a candy bar from the school cafeteria. Instead, with my lunch already in my backpack, I snuck right to the soccer field, where Scootaloo and Rumble were already waiting and playing rock paper scissors.
“One for the win,” Scootaloo muttered as they readied their hands.
“Hey, Button,” Rumble waved.
Scootaloo flashed a scissor. “Ha! I win!”
“What?” he looked at his open hand. “Hey!”
Scootaloo chuckled and looked towards me. “So where’s your girlfriend?”
I flinched. “I, um.. sorry, but can we not refer to her as my… you know?” I waved my hand. “I know how that sounds, but—“
“Got it.” Rumble winked. He scratched his chin. “Though, I thought you were okay with calling her your girlfriend.”
I shoved my hands into my pockets. “I am, or, I think so… I mean,” I shook my head. “Sorry, I guess I’m making this whole thing more complex than it needs to be.”
“And what about any of this isn’t complex?” Scootaloo questioned.
“Hey, ya’ll!” Apple Bloom waved, Sweetie Belle pacing behind. “Where’s the guest of honor?”
“Come on,” Sweetie Belle encouraged, “let’s not go making a big deal about this. I mean, she might be popular, pretty… having a nice personality,” she grinned nervously at Scootaloo who had raised an eyebrow, “but the thing is, we should all be open minded with her, she's still human.”
Scootaloo nodded. “Okay, sure. Now get over here, Sweetie,” she said with a wink.
Sweetie Belle chuckled and took a seat next to her on the ground.
“So, where is...” Rumble began to look around and then pointed towards the entrance, “ah, there we go.”
We all turned to see Silver Spoon coming towards us, head held down in a hoodie, wearing a pair of large sunglasses and looking constantly back and forth.
Scootaloo slapped her head. “She has to know that’s the worst way to be discreet, right?”
Sweetie Belle gave Scootaloo a nudge, and I kept my eyes firmly locked on her. Once she saw us, I gave her a strong reassuring smile and she advanced.
“Hey,” she said as she removed her sunglasses for her regular pair.
“Hey,” I replied, “glad you could make it.”
We smiled at each other till I took her hand. “Don’t worry,” I whispered, “they’ll like you.”
She nodded and, fingers interlocked, I led her on.
“So,” I began, “I presume you all know each other. Silver Spoon, my friends, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, Rumble, and… Sweetie Belle.”
“Hey,” they all said.
“Guys, Silver Spoon.”
“Hey.” she said rather quietly.
“So,” Rumble said after a moment of silence, “are we, like, going to eat or what? I’m starving.”
We all simultaneously agreed.
I dusted off a spot clean for Silver Spoon and began to eat. All the while, I could feel how the tension in the air began to grow as no one spoke.
“So,” Silver Spoon said at one point, “this um… do you guys often eat lunch here?”
“No,” Scootaloo said blankly.
“Oh, um, okay,” she nodded and went back to her own sandwich.
I sighed. “So, Silver, didn’t you—”
“Can we just cut this crap and get right to it!” she blurred.
We all looked to her in confusion. “Huh?
She rubbed her glasses. “Look, I know I’ve been a… well a stuck up bitch who probably deserves to rot in hell, you know that. Some more than others.” She looked to Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. “I’ll be honest, a part of me wants to make mean jokes, if not at any of you, then at someone else just so I’ll get some attention. But, I don’t want to be like that, I just want to be liked without having to resort to such extremes. And if you all can’t get through a lunch without thinking I’ll call you all faggots at some point, then I’ll leave.”
I placed my hand on hers. “Silver, they—”
“No, she’s right,” Scootaloo admitted.” She stood up, hands in pocket, and walked up to us. “But, from one ex-bad girl to another, I wouldn’t mind if you made a gay, preferably lesbian,” she winked, “joke from time to time.” She chuckled. “Within reason of course.”
Apple Bloom gave her a small smile. “Well… alright, Ah forgive ya for all the things ya done, long as ya mean it.”
Rumble shrugged. “Hey, as long as Button and Apple Bloom are alright with you, then you got no conflict from me, Silver.”
That left Sweetie Belle, who hadn’t replied, and was looking away.
“Sweetie Belle?” I spoke to her.
“Sweetie,” Scootaloo encouraged.
With a moan, Sweetie Belle addressed us. “Alright, sorry, Silver Spoon, I can forgive you too.” She smiled at us. “If you make one of my best friends happy, then I don’t see why I should hate you.”
Silver Spoon nodded vigorously. “Thank you, thank you all.”
I squeezed her hand. “See, what did I tell you?”
She nodded.
Sweetie Belle rubbed her nose. “So, if I may ask, are you two a couple now?”
We all looked at her.
“Oh, um, what I mean to say is… well, I don’t mean any ill will if you are or aren’t, high school is a bitch, didImentionIloveScootaloo!”
Scootaloo sat down beside her and wrapped her arm around Sweetie Belle. “You’re a dork you know that?" she smiled mischievously. "But my dork.”
Sweetie Belle flushed.
Silver Spoon turned to me.
“Long story, leave it at that,” I whispered. “Though, I guess I should ask, how’d it go with your friends? Again!” I assured, “I don’t care, I mean, if you said we weren’t a couple, that’s fine, but what did you tell them?”
Silver Spoon crossed her arms and sighed. “Well, I… I may have said…”
I rubbed her hand. “Silver?”
She rubbed her neck. “I told them… I made our date and this whole thing seem real so I could haze you at the fall formal!”
*****
I blinked at her several times. “Oh, I guess that’s not too bad, it’s actually pretty clever.”
Silver Spoon stared at me. “It is?”
“Yeah, well, I suppose it will cause less drama on our… next date?” I took a deep breath as everyone—namely Silver Spoon—stared at me. “I mean, now we won’t—”
“You know putting it off isn’t going to help, right?” Scootaloo muttered.
“Scoots!” Sweetie Belle whispered yelled at her.
“What? I’m just saying it as it is.” She leaned back, and was about to say more before her girlfriend casted a mean glare. “Well, I… never mind, I’m sure you two will work it out if you both really like each other.”
I felt Silver Spoon slouch. “Me too.”
With that, I wrapped an arm around her. “Things will be fine, trust me.” I took a bite of my sandwich before she added;
“So, sorry again about the drama they caused you at the mall.” She adjusted her glasses. “They can be real jerks sometimes.”
Rumble nodded. “Duly noted.” He munched on a chip. “So anyone hear that they have a new Fallout game coming out?”
“Really?!” Silver Spoon and I shouted simultaneously.
I turned to her. “Wait, you play?”
She beamed. “Are you kidding?” she looked nervously at my friends and blinked. “wait, I don’t have to care!” Hands in the air, she continued, “Anyways, yeah, it’s one of my favorites. Though, I do have some standards and only like how much effort they put into their backgrounds.”
I shrugged. “I guess that’s true.” Though to be honest I could not have cared less about that as long as the action was good. “Though, I like it more for the stories. Between you and I, I always go for the evil route on my first play.”
Silver Spoon rolled her eyes. “Oh you would.”
Sweetie Belle cooed, “Ah, young love.”
Scootaloo and Rumble stared dumbfounded.
Apple Bloom added, “Why did Ah see this comin?”
*****
For the rest of the lunch, we all eventually got into talking about more video games. The only ones who didn’t have a clue about what Silver and I were talking about was Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, but they had their others to help fill them in even if they weren’t likely to play with their own schedules.
As for Silver Spoon and I, I was having a blast. While she didn’t play every game I liked, she did know of a few others I promised we would ‘geek out’ as she put it, some other time, and not once did I see her as the same girl as last week. The longer we talked, the more she smiled at me, the warmer I began to feel. Looking at her, she began to, radiate, shine? Either way, the more I felt for her.
Maybe I still had a few things to sort out, and maybe there would be things in a relationship I’d never get comfortable with, but as long as she was being real and this wasn’t a set up, I wanted Silver Spoon to be my girlfriend.
Eventually it was time to leave. The gang headed out first, two at a time, each saying their farewells to Silver Spoon and hoping to get to know her better, which left us with some alone time.
“That was fun.” Silver Spoon nodded once we were alone
“Yeah,” I said, “I told ya.”
We smiled at each other.
“So,” she began to twirl her hair, “Are you, um… free this afternoon?”
“Maybe video games at my place?” I suggested.
She beamed. “Sure thing.”
I smiled. “Alright.”
The bell rang.
“After you?” I offered her to go first.
She nodded. “Thanks.” Before she walked off, she asked, “so, would it be okay if we…”
I rubbed my elbows. “I can be okay with kissing. I’m actually getting pretty used to it.”
She chuckled. “I meant… never mind, I’ll talk about it later.”
I blinked. “Okay.”
“It will be fine,” she giggled, then gave me a kiss that I returned. “I’ll see you later.”
She raced off, and a moment later, I made a mad dash to my class.
*****
After that, I made it through the day with the least amount of conversation about my date with Silver Spoon. If someone asked, I answered, “It went great.” and aside from a few harsh or uncertain glares from some of Silver’s friends, everything flew by smoothly as the bigger news was the incident with our friends at the mall last night.
Then I got to chemistry.
When I walked in, I was immediately greeted by a choir of girls whistling at me.
“Hey, handsome,” one of them teased, “want to ask me out and then tap this?” she motioned to her rear.
They all laughed and I rolled my eyes as I took my seat.
A moment later, Sweetie Belle joined me. “This class should be fun.”
“You said it, lesbo,” we heard one of the girls whispered.
I rubbed my head. “Do they really have nothing better to do?”
Sweetie Belle bit her lip. “Well, don’t worry, it will pass.”
I sighed. “Will it? I couldn't care less what they say, but Silver, I…”
Sweetie Belle rubbed my shoulder. “You really care about her, don’t you?”
I nodded. “Weird, right?”
“Not at all,” she assured, “love works in strange ways my friend. One moment, the school think we’ll make the best couple, the next, I’m with the girl of my dreams, and you’re with Silver Spoon.”
I began to glance to the door. “So, have Scootaloo asked you to the dance yet?”
Sweetie’s face began to color. “Um…”
I giggled. “Oh, I’m sure she’s going to make it really special.” The final bell rang, and Silver Spoon was nowhere to be seen as the teacher walked in.
“Good afternoon, class, today, we will be going over our notes for tomorrow's test…”
I looked at Sweetie Belle, and she looked at me, silently thinking one thing as my hand raced to my phone, typing to Silver Spoon, ‘where are you?’