Earlier that day Scootaloo heard from Apple Bloom that Button Mash was found in the bathroom that morning foaming at the mouth. One of the other school-colts found him there convulsing on the floor and screamed until Cheerilee came running to the scene. The teacher rolled Button on his side as he vomited on the floor. She sent the other school-colt to get help. All she could do was keep Button’s airway clear and wait for a doctor to arrive.
“Ah heard he was tryin’ tah… ya know,” Apple Bloom gestured her hoof as if she were cutting her own throat.
“No, Apple Bloom. That can’t be what happened. I’m sure he’s just sick or something. I’m sure he’ll be okay,” Sweetie Belle responded. Scootaloo sat silently listening to the conversation happening around her. Her eyes teared up slightly, but it could have easily been mistaken for allergies.
“I… I have to go guys. I’ve got um. I’ve got a thing with Rainbow Dash,” Scootaloo lied to her friends as she ran away from the schoolyard. Apple Bloom raised a brow and Sweetie Belle started after her. Apple Bloom used a hoof to stop Sweetie Belle from going anywhere.
“She’s got a crush on him, ya know. She’s just gonna go visit him in the hospital I bet.” Apple Bloom informed her.
Scootaloo ran to her room and grabbed her scooter. She hopped on it and rode as fast as she could to Button Mash’s house. She dismounted her scooter, and approached his house. Scootaloo carefully snuck into his window, as she had so many times before in the past few months. One hoof hit the floor, and then the other. She practically fell onto his rug and tumbled to his desk. She landed on her back and her head hit his desk. As his desk rattled from impact, something fell off of it onto her abdomen.
“As…. Aspruh… Aspirin,” Scootaloo sounded out the word in disbelief. A nearly empty 500 count bottle of aspirin was now sitting on her stomach. She swallowed loudly and opened the bottle. Counting slowly she found only seven tablets of aspirin were left. She stood up and rifled through his desk. She found a receipt for the aspirin that was dated from yesterday. Her jaw fell. Her friend had indeed tried to kill himself that morning.
Scootaloo made her way back out of Button’s window with the nearly empty bottle of aspirin. She put it in her saddle bag and mounted her scooter. She rode through Ponyville, and out into the fields before Sweet Apple Acres. Wind blew through her mane as she ground her teeth. She was riding faster than she thought she ever had before. The feeling of air hitting her so sharply made some of the hurt go away. She stopped by a particular tree about fifty yards from the pathway she was riding on.
“I can’t remember how many times we walked to here in the middle of the night. Button… what have you done,” she hugged the tree, seeking whatever comfort it might have to give her. Over the past few months, she’d started hanging out with Button Mash. It started with just playing video games together. They would take turns and give each other pointers. Eventually, Button started inviting Scootaloo to spend the night. They would go for 2AM walks, joking and enjoying the scenery. Everything was so cold and quiet at night. They both enjoyed the solitude together. Scootaloo giggled to herself in a moment of clarity.
“How did we enjoy this quiet, aloneness… together?” It seemed quite silly, but it was much nicer to be alone with a friend. She wiped the tears from her eyes. After getting back on her scooter, she made a slow journey back to her room.