When Scootaloo emerged from her room at seven in the morning, Blue Aura nearly spit out her coffee, almost knocking her morning paper off the counter. Aura stood with a proud and surprised smile as she watched her daughter walk into the kitchen. Having forgone the usual cargo pants and tattered hoodie, Scootaloo was actually wearing some of her new clothes! Wearing a new pair of blue skinny jeans coupled with a studded black belt and a black, two layered tank top with a ‘hang loose’ hand gesture printed on the front, Scootaloo looked ready to be a young model! It was quite the miraculous improvement for her appearance, and Blue Aura couldn’t believe her eyes. Was that a bit of lipstick on her lips too?
“Hey, good morning.” Scootaloo greeted her much more cheerfully than mornings past.
Aura had to blink hard a few times to believe her eyes. “Are you…wearing your new clothes?” she asked directly.
“Uh, yeah.” Scootaloo gave a little shrug and blushed a tiny bit. “I thought, what the heck. Why not?”
“I…honestly can’t believe it.” Aura sat back down and smiled warmly. “I thought you didn’t like new clothes.”
Scootaloo gave herself a once over while pulling on the hem of her top. “Yeah, well this stuff is pretty cool. I kinda like it.”
“You have no idea how happy this makes me.” Aura sighed happily and put her coffee down.
“It’s not a big deal.” Scootaloo blushed a bit harder and took a seat next to her after getting a bowl and some milk. “I guess I… I dunno. Just grew into them or something.” This was a total lie. Scootaloo knew all her new clothes were a perfect fit. Aura had a good eye for well fitting clothing, but she wasn’t about to tell her the real reason why she was now sporting a wardrobe change.
“I see,” Aura nodded, although a bit suspicious of the real reason. She wondered if she had met a boy recently. This would explain the change in heart. “Well, I am very glad you like your new clothes. You look beautiful.”
Scootaloo rolled her eyes and giggled. “Yeah, sure. Whatever.” This compliment actually meant a lot to her. It was the first time any parent had given her a real genuine compliment on her appearance. This bolstered her confidence greatly, reassuring her that the very two girls on her mind would definitely have the same reaction.
Aura gave her a pat on the back. “If you want, we can go to the mall this weekend and get some more outfits for you,” she said in more of a statement than a proposal. “I think it’s about time we replaced your closet.”
“Since when do you care about looking cool?” Scootaloo asked, feeling a tad excitement at the prospect.
“Not cool, Scootaloo.” Aura shook her head. “I think looking presentable and well groomed is important on any given day. I don’t want you looking scraggly all the time.”
“Oh, great.” Scootaloo nodded sarcastically. “I didn’t know I was scraggly.”
Aura shook her head and laughed. “You can be sometimes. But today, you look beautiful.”
“Thanks…” Scootaloo poured herself a bowl of cereal and actually returned a smile up at her. “Actually, some new clothes would be pretty cool.”
“Wonderful!” Aura gave her back another pat. “Let’s make it a mother-daughter date then.”
“Blech…” Scootaloo stuck her tongue out before taking a spoonful of her sugary flakes. Contrary to her outward expression of the idea, she really liked the thought of having a mother-daughter day with Blue Aura. She had heard about such a thing, but now was the first time that such a thing was actually tangible.
Aura could clearly see through her attitude. Her adopted daughter was always a bit of a cold shoulder, but there was a real sweetheart in there that she was determined to bring out in her. “Whatever you say, Scootaloo.” She sipped her coffee with a victorious smile only a parent could fully appreciate. “I see you’re wearing lipstick too.”
Scootaloo nearly choked on her cereal as her face brightened. “W-Well, yeah.” She swallowed hard and almost wiped her mouth with the back of her hand before realizing what that would do to her makeup. Being new to the makeup game, Scootaloo learned for the first time that makeup and meals don’t go well together. She would have to refresh her lips after breakfast. “Why? Does it look…stupid or something?”
“Oh, not at all.” Aura shook her head. “It’s a nice touch. Just ask before getting into my makeup, okay?”
“Y-Yeah…” Scootaloo looked away at the side of the counter. “Sorry.”
“It’s fine. Don’t be sorry. If you want, keep the lipstick. It’s a good color for you.” Aura took another sip and flipped the page of her morning paper.
“C-Cool…” Scootaloo ate another spoonful and focused her attention on creating a part of the little flakes in her milk with her spoon. “…Thanks.”
Aura finished her coffee and got up from the table to place her dirty mug in the sink. “You need some lunch money today?” she asked.
“Uh, yeah.” Scootaloo could never bring herself to ask Aura directly for lunch money, or anything at all for that matter. She felt that it was too demanding and weird, a conditioned behavior of having been refused many things as an early child. Aura, however, was more than willing and readily available to do so.
Aura fetched her purse from beside the toaster with her keys and handed Scootaloo a couple folded bills. The denomination of the bills was twice as much as what Scootaloo normally received. If Scootaloo was planning on going on a date today (which was highly likely considering her appearance) then she would need extra. “Have a good day at school, honey.” She planted a kiss on top of Scootaloo’s head and walked towards the front door.
“T-Thanks…” Scootaloo was still a bit surprised by the amount of money she had received, but if she had learned anything when living with Aura it was to accept a gift without question. She remembered her saying something about (deleted “a”) looking a horse in the face or something a couple years ago after recently moving in. Scootaloo didn’t remember jack about that saying, but the lesson had more or less stuck.
Aura left with a smile, leaving Scootaloo to spend the next five minutes in silence to finish her cereal. The remaining sugar covered flakes had gotten much too soggy by the time she had her fill, so into the sink the bowl went. Because Aura had more or less given her lipstick, Scootaloo hurried to the bathroom to refresh her lips before making the trip to school.
While standing in front of the mirror, Scootaloo began to second guess all the decisions she had made that morning. Had she over done herself? Compared to Sweetie Belle with her glossy lips and rosy cheeks probably not, but this wasn’t like her at all. Maybe the clothes were much too her fashion, all nicely punked out, but would her friends think of her differently? All of her endeavors to pretty herself were to impress her new… girlfriends? Was that the right word? Both Applebloom and Sweetie Belle probably wouldn’t care what she looked like as long as kissing would be available. In reality that’s all Scootaloo wanted, but now having entered a serious relationship (however unique in its structure) had caused the little dare devil to feel self conscious vanity, a desire to be just as cute and pretty as her two best friends. It was the least she could do now that she had been accepted and loved. It was only natural to want to look your best for your girlfriend(s), right?
Scootaloo dropped her lipstick into the sink by accident when she felt her pocket buzz. With quick hands, she salvaged her lipstick and brought her phone to her ear. “Aura?” she asked, assuming it was her adopted mother. “Did I forget to take out the trash?”
“What?” Applebloom giggled hard, and Scootaloo could hear Sweetie Belle giggling in the background. “No, silly! It’s us! Ya’ll ready fer school yet?”
“Um…” Scootaloo frantically raced out of the bathroom and grabbed her backpack in a hurry from her room. If she was getting a call from her friends, that meant she had spent too much time at home and was incredibly late for school. “Am I late??? Oh crap! Are you girls already at school?”
“No,” Applebloom giggled once more. “We’re outside yer house! We still got like a half hour.”
Scootaloo breathed a sigh of relief as she stopped dead in her tracks at the front door, her backpack over her shoulder and her scooter already unfolded at her feet. “Oh thank goodness!” She gasped. “Wait, you’re outside?”
“Scootaloo!” Sweetie Belle’s voice dominated the phone line, and Scootaloo could only assume that she now had two people talking into one device on the other end. “Get outside already! Let’s get some breakfast!”
“I already ate.” Scootaloo poked her head out the window, and sure enough, Applebloom and her little truck was outside by the curb. “But, yeah. Breakfast sounds good.”
“Then get yer butt ‘n gear, Scoots!” Applebloom shouted. “Ah can see ya ‘n the window! C’mon!”
“Alright alright, geez.” Scootaloo hung up her phone and slid the device into her pocket beside her new lipstick. She opened the door and skipped out to the truck where Sweetie Belle opened the passenger door to let her in.
“Whoa, Scoots! You look suppppeerrrrr cute!” Sweetie Belle gasped.
Scootaloo blushed incredibly hard, her cheeks now matching the dark blood red shade of her lips. “R-Really? You think so?”
Applebloom leaned across the passenger seat to greet her. “Get in, missy! We’re gonna be late if ya’ll ‘er gonna dawdle all day.”
Scootaloo threw her backpack and scooter into the back of the truck, a practice she had picked up from catching rides in Applejack’s vehicle. She climbed into the cab of the truck, immediately realizing how cramped the seating arrangements now were. The truck was designed to carry a maximum of three passengers; one behind the wheel, one in the seat where the center console flips up from, and one in the passenger seat. Sweetie Belle had taken the middle position to allow Scootaloo the bigger seat beside her. “Wowwww!” Sweetie Belle squealed with delight as she looked Scootaloo over. “You look amazing!”
Applebloom turned her head to admire Scootaloo’s new appearance. “Shucks, Scoots! Ya’ll look like one a them models ‘n yer skateboard magazines.”
“T-Thanks.” Scootaloo giggled nervously and darted her eyes towards the floorboards. Her friends didn’t look to shabby either. Applebloom wore the usual faded blue jeans and a flannel shirt which could not look any better on anyone else, and Sweetie Belle wore a pleated black skirt and a white blouse with a loosely knotted oxford striped tie. With a delicious cowgirl and an adorable schoolgirl sitting beside her, Scootaloo couldn’t have been happier. “You girls look cute too…”
“Aw, you’re sweet.” Sweetie Belle planted a wet kiss on her cheek, making Scootloo hold her breath. “You ok? You look like your face is gonna explode.”
“Y-Yeah, I’m good…great!” Scootaloo giggled hard and shook her head. “It’s a really nice surprise to be picked up at home.”
“Well, let’s make it a thing, huh?” Applebloom started the truck up and shifted hard before rolling down the street. “Ah’ll pick each of ya up everyday.”
“Really?” Scootaloo’s eyes widened. “That would be so cool!”
“Oh oh oh! And we can get sausage and pancakes everyday too!” Sweetie Belle clapped her hands together. She laid her head on Scootaloo’s shoulder and squeezed her thigh. “You want pancakes, Scoots?”
“We we’re thinkin’ a goin’ through a drive thru ‘n the way,” Applebloom explained as she pulled out onto the main road.
“Uh, yeah, pancakes sound great.” Scootaloo’s blush continued as she turned her head to sniff Sweetie Belle’s hair. She smelled very lovely, a faint whiff of mint entering Scootaloo’s nose.
“Is this new?” Sweetie Belle asked, tugging on the excess of Scootaloo’s studded belt. “It’s cute! Where did you get it?”
“Uh, Aura got it for me. I don’t know where she got it.” Scootaloo’s face grew a shade brighter pink after becoming very aware of just how cozy Sweetie Belle was getting with her hands.
“She’s got a good eye.” Sweetie Belle looked up at her with an innocent smile. She closed her eyes and gave her a soft kiss on the lips.
Scootaloo’s eyes grew as wide as dinner plates when she felt her lips make contact with her friends. Deep down, she had expected this at some point today, but it still made her heart skip a beat. “Mn…” Scootaloo moaned very softly and closed her eyes to return the kiss. Once her body had recognized what was happening, a flood of endorphin fueled pleasure radiated up her enter body.
“Aw, no fair,” Applebloom sulked. “Ah wanted to kiss her first today.”
Sweetie Belle pulled away and gave Scootaloo’s thigh another squeeze before turning to the driver. “You’re driving, Applebloom. That probably wouldn’t be a good idea.”
“Still, it ain’t fair. Ah’m the one drivin’ ya’ll ‘round. Ah should be the one to get a kiss first,” Applebloom said defiantly.
“Ok, then let me drive,” Sweetie Belle said with a matter-of-fact tone. “Then YOU can make out with Scoots, and I get to choose where we go for breakfast.”
“U-Uh, g-girls…” Scootaloo giggled sheepishly as her ears and cheeks tingled. “It’s really not a big deal-”
“Ya’ll ain’t got a license, Sweetie Belle.” Applebloom rolled her eyes and shot her an angry brow, paying absolutely no attention to the third passenger. “Ah’d get ‘n a heap a trouble if Ah let ya’ll behind the wheel.”
“Then I guess that settles it.” Sweetie Belle stuck her tongue out at the tall redhead. “You snooze, you loose! I guess I’ll just go back to kissing Scootaloo now.”
“Jerk,” Applebloom mumbled as she turned her eyes back to the road.
Sweetie Belle gave Applebloom a quick peck on the cheek. “Don’t be a wet blanket, Applebloom.”
“U-Um, girls?” Scootaloo fidgeted awkwardly and rubbed the back of her head. “Is kissing me really that… special?”
Applebloom and Sweetie Belle both looked at each other with amusement before giggling hard. “Well ‘course it is, Scoots,” Applebloom nodded. “Yer the only gal fer us, ya know that?”
“Always will be.” Sweetie Belle booped her on the nose and wrapped her arm around Scootaloo’s elbow.
“Wow…” Scootaloo’s felt genuine embarresement. “…That’s actually really sweet… Like… REALLY sweet.” She looked up from the floorboard and turned to Sweetie Belle. “I didn’t know you girls liked me that much.”
“If we didn’t, we wouldn’t do this.” Sweetie Belle leaned up and caught Scootaloo’s ear with her teeth.
“O-OW!” Scootaloo yelped in surprise, but a strange electric zap went up her spine that felt almost sinfully good. “Sweetie Belle!”
Instead of apologizing with words, Sweetie Belle pulled on Scootaloo’s arm to close the nonexistent distance between them to kiss her again. This time, their kiss lasted longer than before, and a couple of soft popping sounds were exchanged as the kiss continued. Sweetie Belle brought her head back with that same adorably innocent smile. “You’re actually pretty good at this,” she giggled. “You practice on a watermelon or something?”
“What?” Scootaloo raised an eyebrow at her. “Ew, no! That’s weird!”
“Guess that makes just makes Applebloom the only one.”
Applebloom nearly stompped on the brakes but controlled herself. She shook her head very slowly and growled low. “Sweetie Belle, yer gonna get it so bad when Ah get outta my truck.”
“Oh no, I’m sooo scared.” Sweetie Belle taunted her.
“Just fer that, Ah ain’t drivin’ ya no more.” Applebloom got into the turning lane to drive up into the small parking lot of their favorite burger joint. “Guess ya’ll can just hitch a ride from yer big sister from now on.”
“Hey, girls?” Scootaloo interjected. “Please don’t fight over me. I love both of you, so can we just live with that?” She rubbed the back of her head again and giggled nervously. “I’m not going anywhere, so… it’s not a big deal.”
“Ya know we’re only kiddin’ with each other, right?” Applebloom giggled at her.
Sweetie Belle nodded. “Yeah, we’re just giving each other a hard time. It’s a joke, Scoots.”
“Yeah, I guess…” Scootaloo nodded slowly with a sigh. “It’s just kind of worrying me. I don’t wanna play favorites with you guys. You’re both my friends.”
“Girlfriends,” Sweetie Belle corrected her.
“Galpals,” Applebloom did the same.
“R-Right.” Scootaloo rolled her eyes and laughed. “Girlfriend-pals. Got it.”
“Hey, what do ya want?” Applebloom asked as she stopped the truck and rolled down the window.
“Me?” Scootaloo asked, pointing to herself.
“Yeah, you.” Sweetie Belle nudged her side. “Pancakes, right?”
“Oh, uh, I can pay for myself.” Scootaloo said while putting her hands up. “Really, it’s ok.”
“No can do, Scoots.” Applebloom shook her head. “Ah’m buyin’ breakfast today. Tomorrow, Sweetie Belle can buy. Then it’ll be yer turn.”
“Oh, uh, yeah ok. Sounds good.” Scootaloo shrugged. “Yeah, I’ll have those pancake sticks with syrup.”
“How ‘bout you, Sweetie Belle?” Applebloom asked the middle passenger.
“A sausage muffin and pancakes.”
“Hah. Hah bah bah. Habbah dag gah dah?” came a voice from the external speaker underneath the backlit menu of the drive thru. All three girls looked at each other in confusion, neither girl understanding a single word uttered by the cheap, ineffective speaker. “Hah bah dahdahdah bah?”
“Uhhh…” Applebloom stuck her head out of the window with a blank face. “Can Ah get three pancake sticks please, ‘n two sausage muffins?”
“Hah bah bah. Hah bah dah gahdah gahdah bah.”
“Uh…” Applebloom raised an eyebrow. “So…next window?”
“Bah. Hah dah bah dahgah.”
“Great…” Applebloom pulled her head back into the truck as all three girls broke out in giggles.
-o0o-
There were two very important things that Scootaloo learned that day, both of which had absolutely nothing to do with school. The first was never eat fast food in front of Rarity, especially if Sweetie Belle was doing the same. Right before school started, Applebloom had parked right next to her big sister’s truck, and like clockwork Rarity was there with her. She had seen the crusaders holding small boxes and wrappers from the drive thru and nearly pitched a fit about the horrible dangers concerning their health. Most of her ranting was directed at her little sister, many of the concerns pertaining to possible weight gain and a ruined complexion. Although it hadn’t been terribly awkward, all three girls decided that any food they bring to school would have to be finished before arrival.
The second and more important lesson of the day was this: Scootaloo would need to buy a lot more lipstick for herself if she planned on it being a usual part of her appearance. Normally lipstick could last well over a few hours, but with two girlfriends and three pairs of lips, that was never going to happen. This lesson became most apparent during her lunch break when the trio had gone behind the bleachers to eat. They did this mostly to avoid Rarity’s lecture on healthy eating habits, but considering the privacy of the area, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle had taken turns with her. Applebloom got to go first since Sweetie Belle already had her chance that morning. That lunch experience had definitely been something to remember. Scootaloo was beginning to realize that Applebloom was a ‘nonstop’ type kisser. Her kisses were deep and powerful, a drawn out facing sucking style. Sweetie Belle was more of a ‘double-tap’ type kisser. Her kisses were softer and made up of multiple little kisses all linked together into one. Either way, Scootaloo couldn’t deny that she was having the time of her life. It was then that she discovered that eating food and trading spit not only could be possible at the same time, but done right, could also be very enjoyable.
There was something that Scootaloo felt very curious about. As much as she enjoyed being showered with hugs and kisses, it did still feel a bit weird. She supposed this awkward feeling would eventually go away the more the relationship continued, but Scootaloo still didn’t fully understand why both Applebloom and Sweetie Belle were so affectionate with her. Sure, they kiss each other too, but Scootaloo seemed to be the one getting the most out of their relationship. Not that she was complaining, but it was starting to become apparent that both girls seemed to crush on her the most. Scootaloo wondered if this was a bad thing. What if she started crushing on one of her friends more than the other? Would that cause a rift between the three of them? That probably wasn’t going to happen. Scootaloo loved both of her friends just as much for separate reasons. Sweetie Belle was sweet and loveable, and Applebloom was forceful and chipper. It was like having both popcorn and soda at a movie: the perfect pair.
The absolute best thing about this new arrangement was just how much her friend’s affections seemed to make her feel genuinely happy. Although not completely gone, Scootaloo no longer had strong feelings of hatred and anger towards herself and the rest of the world around her. Right now, those feelings that had overwhelmed her earlier that week seemed silly and dumb. It was as if a big weight had been lifted off of her shoulders now that she was certain she would always have two friends who genuinely loved her enough to actually want to be with her, both in kinship and in intimacy. Maybe one day she would revisit her past to put her emotional angst to rest, but for now, Scootaloo just wanted to enjoy life like never before.
Sweetie Belle wrapped her arm around Scootaloo’s waist as she gave her one last peck on the cheek. “You okay, Scootaloo?” she asked. “You look like you’ve got something on your mind.”
“What?” Scootaloo shook her head as she snapped back to reality. “Oh, no… sorry. I was just thinking about… how happy I am right now. With you two.” She looked from Sweetie Belle up to Apple bloom who put her hands up to her cheeks and smiled. “It’s weird…I haven’t felt this good in a really long time.”
“Aww, Scoots!” She sat down on the other side of Scootaloo and laid her head on Scootaloo’s shoulder. “We’re real happy too! Honest. Ah’ve been waitin’ a long time to tell ya about Sweetie Belle an’ Ah, an’ havin’ everything work out the way it has got me real excited about whatever comes next.”
Scootaloo nodded and pressed her head up against Applebloom’s. “Yeah, ever since you told me, I haven’t been able to stop smiling.” She giggled as she entangled her fingers with Sweetie Belle’s. “It’s like all the problems I’d had swimming around in my head are just…GONE.” She gave a nervous giggle. “So… anyway… I just wanted to say thank you, girls. For everything.” A slight blush found its way onto Scootaloo’s cheeks, certainly due to her moment of vulnerable emotion.
“You are just too cute!” Sweetie Belle cheered as she guided Scootaloo’s chin with her free hand and kissed her on her curved up lips. “Too cute!”
Applebloom leaned over and beamed at Sweetie Belle. “Hey, Ah was gonna say that!” She leaned in and kissed Scootaloo on the cheek, hoping to punctuate her point.
“Then I guess you should have!” Sweetie Belle grinned as she refocused on Scootaloo’s lips. “Snooze, you lose!”
After a moment, Scootaloo detached herself from Sweetie Belle and looked back and forth between her two friends. “Girls, you’re not gonna keep fighting over me, are you?” She certainly didn’t want to make this an issue, but this ‘argument’ seemed to keep reappearing, no matter how playful it was. If felt nice to be so loved, but she didn’t want to create a rift between them.
Sweetie Belle put her hand on Scootaloo’s knee. “Don’t worry, Scootaloo. It’s not that we’re fighting over you, it’s just that…” She paused, trying to find the right way to describe things. “Well, it’s like…
“It’s just that we’re only used to havin’ each other,” Applebloom interjected. Scootaloo raised an eyebrow, prompting Applebloom to continue. “An’ Ah don’t mean y’all’re intrudin’ or nothin’, Ah’m just sayin’ that when it’s one on one things are a bit… easier. Each person has the other, so there’s no decidin’ who gets what and when. Ya know what Ah’m tryin’ t’ say?”
“I-I think so.” Obviously Applebloom and Sweetie Belle had more experience than she did, so Scootaloo decided that she would give them the benefit of the doubt and trust that they knew what they were doing. They were her best friends after all, and she could trust them more than anyone else, right? “Alright. I won’t bring it up anymore. Sorry I get worried about this stuff. I’m… not really used to any of it.”
Sweetie Belle rubbed Scootaloo’s leg. “Don’t worry about it. We’re trying to take things slow and give you all the time you need.” She giggled again as she gave Applebloom a knowing look. “But I guess we could figure out a way so each of us could get some more kisses out of you.”
Applebloom leaned in and whispered sensually into Scootaloo’s ear. “Ah guess we could share.” As Scootaloo was looking at Sweetie Belle, Applebloom had ample room to drift downwards and kiss Scootaloo in the nape of her neck.
“WOAH!” Scootaloo shouted, contorting her torso in a weird way and giving Applebloom a surprised look. While she may have appeared angry on the outside, inside her heart was beating like a jackhammer. She had honestly never felt anything like that before. It was difficult to put into words, but Scootaloo certainly found it… arousing? Why did that sound so…naughty?
Applebloom put her hands up. “What? Ya’ll don’t like that? Ah’m sorry! Ah shoulda asked ya…”
Scootaloo shook her head and took a deep breath. “I-It’s fine, it’s fine! Just, uh… kinda surprised me. But it was good! New. New but good.” Applebloom sighed in relief as Scootaloo inspected the spot where Applebloom kissed her with her finger. “You know,” she giggled, “I never knew getting kissed there could feel so… good. But, yeah… I kinda liked it.”
A mischievous grin formed its way across Sweetie Belle’s mouth. “There’s a lot of places like that, Scootaloo. Trust us, we’ve had some time to practice.” She looked over to Applebloom, who placed a hand on Scootaloo’s back.
“If ya’ll liked that, then give us some time n’ we can show ya some other places too.” She spoke softly while running two fingers up and down Scootaloo’s lower back.
Scootaloo loudly cleared her throat as she quickly stood up. Her chest felt like it was going to burst, and her face was burning brighter than a smoldering ember. “Uh, hey, the bell is about to ring to call us back inside!” She nervously ran her fingers through her short hair and took a deep breath. “S-So… the weekend is in two days. You girls have any plans? Maybe we could all do something, you know, together?” Though her face was deep red and her ears burned hot, Scootaloo was doing her best not to show how much Appleblooms’s offer had gotten to her. A warm tingling sensation was hitting her in an area much lower than she’d like to admit, and for the moment it was all a bit too much for her. All she could do was divert somehow with awkward body language and stuttering speech.
“Hmm,” Applebloom wondered with a finger to her chin. “Well, we were talkin’ ‘bout having a sleepover type thing. That still sound interestin’ to y’all?”
Sweetie Belle clapped her hands together as she stood up. “Yeah! That sounds great! If Rarity will let me go, that is.” After the grilling Rarity had given them earlier that morning, Sweetie Belle wasn’t sure if her big sister would ever again let her go see a movie. “What about you, Scootaloo? Does that sound like fun?”
“Yes!” shouted Scootaloo, a bit too excitedly. She was glad the topic had so easily shifted. “Um, I mean, yeah that sounds cool.” She chuckled slightly as Applebloom put a hand to her hip. “So, where are we thinking? Sweetie Belle?”
She shook her head. “Well, we could do it at the Boutique, but… Applejack will probably be coming over, so unless you want to hear our sisters sucking face all night then I don’t really think that’s a good idea.” She cringed at the thought and sighed. “Ok, it’s not like they do that EVERY night, but…once is enough.”
Applebloom lifted a finger. “Again, ya mentioned it. Really, really wish you didn’t.” She stuck her tongue out in a disgusted manner before turning back towards Scootaloo. “How ‘bout we do it at Scootaloo’s house? We ain’t never had a real sleepover there before!”
Scootaloo stuttered in silence for a moment. In her haste to make a suggestion, she didn’t really think about one of them asking to do it at her house. If she was being completely honest with herself, she was somewhat afraid of Aura seeing or hearing them doing something… unseemly. It’s not like she was planning on going too far with anything, but Aura didn’t even know she was…like ‘that’, and it would be a long string of awkward moments if she found out while Sweetie Belle and Applebloom were there with her. Divert.
“Uh, hehe…” Scootaloo’s eyes darted back and forth between her two girlfriends. “A-Applebloom’s place is fine with me. My house is really messy, and… my room’s not really set up for a sleepover right now.”
Applebloom looked curiously at Scootaloo. “But… didn’t we just sleep over there like two days ago? Ah mean, it was on yer couch ‘n all, but it was still-”
“And I really don’t want to bother Aura!” interrupted Scootaloo. “I… don’t really think she’d want me to have a sleepover this weekend. Don’t want to step on her toes too much, you know?”
Applebloom shrugged. “Whatever ya say, Scoots. Ah don’t mind it bein’ at my house, so long as y’all don’t mind Big Mac an’ Granny Smith bein’ there.” She turned to Sweetie Belle. “Sound good t’ you?”
“Sounds great! We’ll probably be upstairs in your room most of the time anyway.” Sweetie Belle saluted Applebloom before she wrapped an arm around Scootaloo’s waist. “Cutie Mark Crusaders sleepover is a go!” She beamed her perfect white teeth at Scootaloo, who became lost in her smile for a moment before she realized her cue.
“Oh, uh… yay!” She muttered, still trying to put the embarrassment of the previous moment into the back of her mind. After a brief moment of Applebloom yelping from being pinched on her perfect rump, the sharp tone of the school’s lunch bell rang across the campus indicating that they all needed to return to resume learning.
“Oops,” Sweetie Belle began, “Looks like we need to head back. You girls ready?” Both Scootaloo and Applebloom nodded as they picked up their backpacks and threw away the remains of their lunch.
Scootaloo checked her pockets and felt a reminder of what she needed to do. “Oh, hold up, let me do this real quick!” she called as she pulled out her lipstick and reapplied it as quickly as she could. She rolled the red dye on both lips before rolling them together in order to flatten out any residue. “Look good?” she asked to her friends.
Applebloom placed her hand on the small of Scootaloo’s back as she guided them all back to the building. “Looks good enough t’ eat, Scoots.” she said with a grin.
Again, Scootaloo giggled nervously as she stared at the ground on her way back. She wasn’t entirely used to the compliments, but if it always felt this good to hear them, then she definitely didn’t mind if it kept happening. As they reintroduced themselves to the crowd of students working their way through the double doors of the high school, Scootaloo couldn’t help but notice a particular rainbow haired athlete and who she now was very sure was her girlfriend walking in at almost the exact same time a few feet ahead of her.
“Don’t let her see me, don’t let her see me…” Scootaloo repeated to herself as Sweetie Belle and Applebloom both placed an arm on each of Scootaloo’s respective shoulders. She wasn’t quite ready to see Rainbow after all that had happened, even with her now having her two gal-pals arm in arm next to her.
“It’s okay, Scootaloo,” Sweetie Belle said with a squeeze of her hand. “We’re right here if you need us.”
“Yeah,” added Applebloom. “Yer gonna be okay. Let’s just try ‘n move past her.” They both left their hands on Scootaloo’s shoulder as they tried to push their way past Rainbow Dash and towards the central stairwells that lead to the second floor of Canterlot High. “Or if ya feel like, Ah can pull her shirt over her head.” This made Scootaloo smile, but just as she felt as if she was in the clear, she felt her heart pang as a familiar voice called out to her from behind.
“Hey, squirt!” Scootaloo winced as the three turned around to face Rainbow Dash with Fluttershy bringing up her rear. “I didn’t see you there. What’s going on? It’s been a while.”
Scootaloo failed to look Rainbow in the eye. “Uh… yeah… it has, hasn’t it?” She wracked her brain to try and find something to say. Scootaloo really had to appreciate the irony of the situation. Under normal circumstances, she would have given her left leg just to be recognized by Rainbow Dash like this. Now…all she wanted to do was walk away as fast as possible. She looked at Applebloom for support, but all she received was an earnest smile.
“Hey, is that lipstick?” Rainbow asked. Scootaloo was shocked out of her thoughts as she looked up at her idol.
“Uh, y-yeah. Kinda thought I’d start… trying to look nice, you know?” Her voice betrayed her timid and hurt attitude, but it seemed as if Rainbow either decided to ignore it or didn’t even notice. Given her luck, it would probably be the latter.
Rainbow ruffled Scootaloo’s hair. “Well, it looks good on you, kid.” She turned back to look her girlfriend in the eye, who jumped once she noticed she was under attention. “Don’t you think so, Fluttershy?”
The pink haired girl paused a moment, seemingly panicked as she quickly looked back and forth between Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash. “Oh, um… yes. It looks very… nice, um…”
Scootaloo thought the girl’s behavior was strange, but she was more focused on the fact that Rainbow had complimented her looks. If there was a time she’d ever felt more conflicted, she couldn’t remember it. It was nice to hear that Rainbow thought well of her, but it wasn’t really something she wanted to hear from her after she’d hurt her feelings so badly, even if it was completely unintentional. And now, Scootaloo felt incredibly guilty for having such animosity when all her idol was trying to do was be friendly. She gave all she could to finally mutter out a response. “Oh, uh… thanks…” she said, dejection still evident in her voice.
Rainbow Dash shared a concerned look at Fluttershy before bending down to the same level as Scootaloo. “Hey, Scoots. You doing okay? You seem a little-”
“I’m fine!” Scootaloo shouted softly enough to avoid attention of other students but loudly enough to cause a ring of tears to form in her eyes. “I’m good. Just a little… tired, is all.” Applebloom began to rub her back as the two crusaders gave Rainbow a scowl.
“Uh, you sure?” Rainbow asked, completely lost as to why she was being treated with such hostility. “’Cause you don’t look fine.”
“Dashie…” Fluttershy muttered, gently tugging on the bottom of her girlfriend’s shirt.
“I gotta go!” Scootaloo spun around and quickly walked away from the two older girls. Sweetie Belle and Applebloom soon followed after glaring daggers at Rainbow Dash one last time.
Rainbow stuttered as she reached a hand out for the departing Scootaloo, a look of bewilderment on her face. She quickly turned to Fluttershy, who looked equally confused. “Was…it something I said?”
Scootaloo ran her way up the stairs and onto the second floor, but stopped short of running down the hallway. She really didn’t have it in her to see Rainbow Dash again, and as easy as it was to forget her pain when Sweetie Belle and Applebloom were around, it was still too difficult for her to process while she was right there in her face. Her girlfriends soon caught up with her, and they wrapped their arms around Scootaloo as quickly as they could.
“You did really well, Scootaloo,” sympathized Sweetie as she planted a secret kiss on her girlfriends’ cheek. “I’m sorry we weren’t able to sneak past her, but you did a good job at holding your own!”
“Yeah!” added Applebloom. “Y’all didn’t even cry ‘r nothin’!”
Scootaloo huffed as she rubbed a stray tear from her cheek. “I sure felt like it.” She knew her friends were stretching the truth a bit, but they were just trying to make her feel better like any good significant other would do.
Applebloom continued to rub her back. “That’s what makes it so impressive!” she said. “Ah don’t know if Ah would be able to handle somethin’ like that. An’ we both know Sweetie Belle would start cryin’.”
“Hey!” Sweetie Belle shouted. “I mean… that might be true. But you don’t know!”
A small chuckle found its way out of Scootaloo’s mouth. Her girlfriends smiled, their plan having worked.
“All we’re sayin’ is that we’re real proud o’ ya, Scoots.” Applebloom pressed her forehead against Scootaloo’s temple. “Real proud o’ ya.”
Scootaloo slung her arms around the girls’ shoulders and brought them in even closer. “Thank you so much, girls. I probably wouldn’t have made it through that without you two. You’ve already made my life so much better.”
Tears formed in both Sweetie Belle’s and Applebloom’s eyes.
“Aw, Scootaloo…” Sweetie said, unsure of how to respond.
“Ya’ll make our lives a whole lot better too, Scoots.” Applebloom kissed Scootaloo’s dimpled cheek, uncaring of whoever may see. Sweetie Belle followed suit, and for a brief moment Scootaloo was all giggles.
“Aw, girls! I…really love you guys…a lot.” And Scootaloo had meant it, too. Despite the tumultuous world around her, Scootaloo had found herself a rock on which she could rely on. Well, two rocks to be specific. Even though she might not be okay right now, she knew that with the help of her friends - her girlfriends - eventually she was going to be. And for now that was all she needed. “Come on,” She said as she pushed past the girls before taking each of them by the hand and pulling them down the hall. “Let’s get to class, and then afterwards we can start planning out our sleepover.”
“Sleepover!” The two girls said in unison. The trio made their way down the bend of the hall, a skip in their step and their spirits lifted once more. Scootaloo couldn’t wait to unwind with her best friends in the world over the weekend, and she was even happier that she’d be able to see whatever romantic entanglements the three of them could now get into. As they made their way into their classroom, Scootaloo took note of the dark clouds brewing outside with a hope that a storm wasn’t about to come and rain on their collective parade. Tossing that thought aside, the trio crossed the threshold of their classroom and sat together in the back of the class, eager for time to pass quickly so they could get to whatever treats may lie ahead once out of school.