We had some pancakes, made form scratch, that morning, not really saying anything as Charlie laid at the side of the table, looking nervously between the three of us.
“We, um.” Silver Spoon eventually said.
Mom looked away and raised a hand. “It’s fine, missy, though,” she said looking towards Silver Spoon. “I take it your parents don’t know you’re here.”
Silver Spoon looked away.
Mom giggled. “Didn’t think so. Why don’t you take a shower in the second bathroom? Up the stairs, third on your right.”
Silver Spoon looked at mom and blinked a few times. “You mean it?”
Mom smiled. “Oh please, do you think I wasn’t your age once? Now hurry along, wouldn’t want to be late for school.”
Wasting no time, Silver Spoon leapt from her seat, gave me a kiss on the cheek and raced upstairs.
Mom then glared at me. “I assume you’re aware we’re going to have a ‘talk’ about this later.”
I shrank in my seat. “I didn’t invite her over… okay, I kind of did, but I meant it as a joke! Then when she showed up, I couldn’t just turn her away…”
Mom raised an eyebrow at me.
I groaned.
“Though, we can have´the talk´ another time.” She looked at Charlie. “I just set up an appointment with the vet right after school. Also, Dr. Turner called yesterday as well, he say he’ll have to reschedule your own doctor's appointment to next week.”
I let out a sigh of relief. “Oh good, more time to get ready for the dance.”
Mom cocked her head. “Dance?”
I slapped my head. “Oh, right, I was kind of crazy yesterday." I looked up at her with a devilish smirk. "I asked Silver Spoon to be my date for the fall formal, and she said yes.”
Mom clapped her hands together. “Button, that’s wonderful,” She raised up and pulled me into a hug. “I’m so proud of you.”
“Mom! Don’t embarrass me, she’s right upstairs you know!”
Laughing, she pulled away. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay.” I brushed off my sleeve. “Though, who would have thought we could turn into a couple in a few days just because I said one of the most popular girl's at school had pretty hair?”
Mom shrugged. “Who knows?” She then looked at Charlie. “Though, I was just as surprised when I saw him scraping at the door this morning. Maybe not as surprised as seeing you and your girlfriend sleeping together, but it was still a pleasant surprise.”
I blushed. “Yeah… I mean, I guess this is good.” I sighed. “I know he won’t last much longer, but I suppose some more time with him is better than none.”
In response, Charlie slowly lifted himself up, and made his way towards me.
I rewarded him with a pat. “Good boy.”
Mom smiled. “Now, why don’t you get ready yourself?”
Seeing as how late it was, I gulped down my breakfast, patted Charlie on his head, and raced upstairs.
*****
After one near awkward moment of Silver Spoon and I almost running into each other naked, we got cleaned up and raced downstairs for school.
“Hurry along now,” mom urged. “You need a ride?”
“No,” Silver Spoon answered, “I parked my car a few blocks away.” She blinked and looked nervously at my mom.
“Just hurry along.” Mom assured.
“Oh wait,” I said, “got to let Charlie out.”
“It’s fine,” mom promised, “I´ll let him out. Now get going, you two.”
I thought about ignoring her and giving Charlie a goodbye hug, however, when I saw what time it was, I realized we had to get going. So I nodded and raced out the door with Silver Spoon.
*****
“What are you two hiding?” Diamond Tiara asked during lunch as we all sat in our usual spot in the cafeteria.
While I was still the talk of the school, most of the heat had started to die down, and things slowly had begun to fall into, what I felt was going to become, routine nowadays.
“Wh… what?” Silver Spoon stuttered after being quiet all day. “Nothing, why would—”
Diamond Tiara put up her hand and smirked. “Sil, I’ve known you for years, you can't hide anything from me.”
“You sure?" Rumble questioned. “Though, I guess it dose seem like something is up.”
“Well,” I said looking at my food, “I mean, I thought my dog was going to die last night, so there was that.”
Apple Bloom rubbed her chin. "Maybe, now that ya mentioned it.”
“Yeah,” Sweetie Belle nodded. “I mean, what did you two do sleep with each other or something?”
A little jump on my part was all it took to give the game away. I looked up to see them wide eyed, and I panicked. “It was her idea! She wanted to come over and comfort me!”
“Shut up!” Silver Spoon said, stomping on my foot.
I screamed in pain as the whole table erupted in laughter.
“Hey now,” Rumble said as the laughter died down, “it’s none of our business, but good for you.”
I rubbed my head. “Well, in any case, it turned out well. No more than mom giving me a ‘talk’ when she has time. The good news is, when we, woke up, Charlie was walking again. He coughed a few times at breakfast, but it looks like he’ll be around for a little while longer.” I tried to lean back into my seat. “Although, we’re still going to the vet today.”
“Want us ta tag along?” Apple Bloom offered.
I smiled and shrugged. “Sure, if you all want to, that is.”
Scootaloo bit into her sandwich. “Sorry, can’t, I have soccer practice, otherwise I’d have no problem.”
“Same,” Lily whispered.
Diamond Tiara cooed and rubbed Lily’s head. “So sweet.”
Lily blushed.
“I wouldn’t mind.” Sweetie Belle offered.
“Same here,” Rumble nodded.
“Of course I would.” Silver Spoon assured.
Diamond Tiara looked around nervously for a bit before Lily placed a hand on her shoulder and warmly smiled. “Well I…” she sighed, then smiled. “Alright, like, I guess I wouldn’t mind… if you want me.”
I reached over and rubbed her shoulder. “Of course, friend.”
The bell rang shortly after.
****
“That’s more than generous,” I said for the twelfth time, “but you don’t have to.”
Diamond Tiara huffed as we pulled up to my house. “Oh please, I’m not doing it for you, I’m doing it so Sil here can have her date show up to the dance in style.”
“Dia!” Silver Spoon scolded while blushing.
“What?” Diamond Tiara questioned. “I mean, what’s the point of having money if you don’t’ spend it?”
“Can’t argue with that,” Rumble said, stepping out and holding the door for everyone in the back of Silver Spoon’s car. “Though, are your parents really okay with… you know, your date?”
Diamond Tiara bit her tongue. “Er… could be better, but for now, they’re not protesting. I think dad is completely okay with me, but mom, who could tell?”
“It will be okay,” I assured her as I led them towards my house. “Either way, thanks for doing this, means a lot.”
“Anytime,” Sweetie Belle said before we reached the door.
We walked inside, where silence greeted us.
“Mom?” I called out. “You ready to go?” I looked to my left. “Mom?” Then I saw her sitting in the living room, tapping her fingers on her chin rapidly.
She looked up at me when we walked in. “Button, I… oh, and you brought your friends over.”
My friends began to anxiously glance between one, not saying a word as they set their gazes at my mom.
“Is everything okay?” I asked.
She sighed. “Have a seat.”
I reluctantly did so, wanting to get Charlie to the vet as soon as possible so we could plan more about our big night on Saturday.
“Charlie... Charlie died while you were at school, Button.”
I blinked, before the expected rush of emotions came over me. “Wha… I…” I was upset, and wanted to cry, but I knew there were a few things that needed to be done first. “Where is he? What happened?”
Mom brought her fingers to her lips. “He… he died when you were at school, shortly after you left. I… I went to let him in, and he was just, laying at the door.” She began to cry.
I jumped to my feet. “I… I guess we should do something about him.”
I started to head for the backyard when mom stopped me. “I… I already took him to the vet to be cremated when you were at school.”
Standing there, I felt my world beginning to spin, not able to believe what mom had just said.
While I had been—all things considered—okay with Charlie dying, what I was not okay with was how she could just take him away, without me here, to say goodbye.
My hand tightened into a fist. “I… you, what?! Why you... you… you couldn’t have waited for me to come home?!”
I felt Silver Spoon put a hand on me. “Button—”
Mom continued, eyes watery. “I’m sorry, but what was I supposed to do? Leave him there for hours to rot on the pouch?”
My eye began to twitch. “I didn’t even get to say frickin goodbye!”
“Dude, chill,” Rumble said, “I’m sure we can—”
“Can what?” I snapped at him. “What? My best friend is gone, and I never got to say goodbye! What can you do?” My breathing became rapid, my mind was working overtime when I had a thought. I turned towards mom. “You planned this, didn’t you?”
Mom’s eyes widened. “What? Sweetie, you’re not making—”
“No! Don’t play dumb!” I demanded pointing a finger at her. “You were worried that I couldn’t handle it if it turned out we had to put him down. So you went ahead, took him to the vet to do it while I was at school. Just so I wouldn’t feel upset or have to make that call.” I threw my arm down. “Well guess what? Now I feel like shit!”
Teary eyed, but now enraged, mom shot up from her seat. “Button, I would never! You think I didn’t know how you would feel?”
I snapped. “Don’t lie to me!”
“Button,” Silver Spoon said tugging on my hand, “please, you have to—”
“Don’t touch me!” I shouted at her, jerking away and pushing her back into the wall in the process.
As I did so, I looked at her, and she looked back at me, eyes full of fear.
Still breathing heavily, I looked around and saw that everyone was looking at me the same way. Diamond Tiara was even inching towards the door.
I tried to say something, I tried to do something. I wanted to race outside to find Charlie there, I wanted to race to my room and lock the door. I wanted so many things, but all I was able to do was fall onto the couch, pulling my legs in, and cry.
I cried for a few seconds, before mom sat down beside me. “Button, I’m so sorry. I… I didn’t want this to happen either.”
I didn’t respond, as I opted to let her rub my back. I let her do this for a while, before wrapping my arms around her. Then I cried some more, until I felt someone—looking behind me I saw it was Silver Spoon—leaning on me, wrapping her arms around my waist.
Once I began to calm down a minute later, I saw the others had also sat down either next to or adjacent from me. With no one saying a word, not even Rumble, I was allowed to cry in silence.
About two minutes later, I started to pull away from my mom, choking out. “I’m… I’m,” I hiccuped, “I’m sorry. I’m… I’m good.”
Silver Spoon sighed, knowing I really wasn’t, but at least now I could be reasonable.
“It’s okay,” Silver Spoon said, moving her hands from my waist to my shoulders.
“Yeah,” Rumble nodded, holding onto Apple Bloom’s hand for comfort on the adjacent couch as she did likewise. “I’m sorry for your loss.”
“Me too,” Diamond Tiara groaned.
Sweetie Belle took a seat on the armrest next to Silver Spoon. “Yeah.”
I continued to tear up, but was able to control myself. “Than… thanks, guys.” I turned to mom. “Sorry. Though, I wish we buried him. You got anything left of him, mom?”
She got up," Actually, I do have his ashes. I figured i'd keep them away till you calmed down. I'll be right back." she then left us all alone.
I stayed silent, keeping my head low.
Silver Spoon lifted up my chin. “Hey, it will be okay.”
I sighed. “I know, and, sorry for scaring you like that.”
She leaned her head on my shoulder. “It’s alright.”
I noticed Rumble and Diamond Tiara raise an eyebrow.
“Love, huh?” Rumble asked.
I chuckled and pulled Silver Spoon into a tighter embrace. “Yup, I’m one lucky guy to have you, you know?”
Silver Spoon nuzzled me. “Me too.”
A moment later, mom returned carrying a vase with a picture of Charlie on it, along with a lock of his hair. “Figured I’d let you vent before bringing this in.” She set it down on the table. “I suppose if we can’t have a funeral, this will have to do.”
I nodded. “Okay.” I then looked to my friends. “You guys want to… stick around, say a few words.
Not one of them protested.
*****
We sat around for a few minutes, crying, holding each other, and said our goodbyes. Each of them—for how little they knew him—gave a few kind words of goodbye as mom decided to light a candle.
Then, after Silver Spoon had spoken, saying to him how she would take good care of me, I stepped up and looked down at the picture.
“So… um, I guess this is it, my friend.” His picture looked up at me, never moving. “Sorry I didn’t get a chance to properly say goodbye today, was kind of in a hurry.” I rubbed the back of my neck and weakly chuckled. “Um, I guess I should have at least let you in… then I could have given you one last ear rub.”
The tears started to form in my eyes. “I… I’ll try to be okay. You wouldn’t want me to miss you all the time and be sad. I…” I breathed. “I just never knew a day when I came home, and you were not there to greet me. Whenever things got hard, whenever I was at my lowest, whenever I was having a really bad day for whatever reason, you were there.” I coughed up as tears started to run down my face. “So I’m… yeah, I’m really going to miss you, buddy.” I dropped to my knees and placed a hand on the vase. “Than… thank you for everything, boy.” I sniffled. “I promise, for you, I’ll try every day to be better.” I pulled my hand away. “Thank you… and goodbye.”