One year

by PonyFromSpace

7. Milshakes and Mistakes

7. Milkshakes and Mistakes

Uncomfortable. Stride never thought he'd link that word to Pinkie Pie. Jolly? Definitely. Annoying? Quite so. But now? Now she just made him feel uncomfortable. She was just sitting there, staring. Her puffy hair had a mind of its own, as it moved up and down in the opposite direction of Pinkie, who's only movements were provoked by her heavy breathing.

Sitting still was also something he'd never imagine Pinkie Pie to do. The bubbly mare would usually be unable to stop hopping around, even if you were to hold her down with magic. He tried to keep focused on why he was here in the first place, but Pinkie was just so... so obvious.

In the corner of his eye, he saw Scootaloo facehoof.
"Pinkie, could you maybe excuse us for a second?" she groaned.
Pinkie tilted her head sideways, stretching her neck.
"Okay," she answered in a chipper fashion.
No, in the chipperest of fashions. The mare, however, did not leave the spot she sat.
"I meant as in you move away and we stay here," a rather agitated orange filly remarked.
"Okay," Pinkie repeated. Exactly the same. It sounded exactly the same, almost as if you'd replay a recording.

This time, she skipped her way back behind Sugar Cube Corner's counter, leaving the two at their table with their superawesomelicious milkshake menu. They both had a rolled up pancake laced with warm chocolate sauce. Towering above their heads was as large glass cup. Chocolate mixed with vanilla. A huge tuft of whipped cream on top, covered in colourful sprinkels. Two straws stuck out the cup.

A silence filled the room. Scootaloo noticed Pinkie had disappeared into the kitchen. Good, the less witnesses, the better. She opened her mouth to say something, but drew back on the last second. Was she ready for this? She didn't feel like it. Outside, costumed ponies of all shapes and sizes were retreating home.

It was very late in the evening. No problem, none of them had a curfew. Storm had stressed Stride was allowed to stay out late on Nightmare Night and on Scoot's side... Well, let's just say she didn't have a curfew either.

"What is it?" Stride yanked her out of her pondering. She gave him a sheepish smile.
"Nothing..."
"You were about to say something," he persisted as he shoved a large piece of pancake into his mouth.
The young mare turned her head and tried to think of something.
"I just thought the menu gave us both a milkshake, not one big one," she lied.

At the time it had appeared as befitting the situation, but now it just felt all the more awkward. Stride seemed as if he was having a great time though, chomping away at the pancake. He didn't look as if he had even considered the milkshake anyway. She decided chocolate's always a good way to take away the pressure. She smiled as the substance filled her mouth. However, after having had a taste of Storm's cooking, she decided not to call them the best pancakes ever yet.

Soon, she was staring at an empty plate. Her eyes shot towards the delicious looking milkshake. She slowly moved her gaze towards Stride and saw that he too was considering the totem of deliciousness before him. He seemed reluctant to share a milkshake with anyone. Not for the greed but for the weirdness, she thought. Thus he just licked his lips and looked back down. Scoots decided she was too cool to drink from it either, so the piece of magic would just have to stand there between them, untouched...

She quickly tried to think of something else, like her mission at hoof.
Before she knew it, the words had already leapt out of her mind and into the blender, "Stride, talking we need."
"I beg your pardon?" his joyful expression gloomy and ignorant as usual.
"Stride, we need to talk," she repeated.
He deadpanned. His eyes shot downwards and he nodded, whispering to himself, "Yeah, I guess we do."

Immediately, guilt overwhelmed her. What had she said to make him feel so sad?
Maybe he had expected more fun coming to Sugarcube Corner for a milkshake?
"We need to sort out how to fix the milkshake issue," she said with her happiest voice.
Nice save, now how are you gonna tell him?
Stride's ears perked up, "Well, we could ask Pinkie for another glass."

The ever present detection system connecting to the anomaly named Pinkamena Diane Pie had apparently picked up on that, as her head now peaked over the counter.
"Sorry, I've got no more cups for the milkshake," she utterd, before going back to sorting clean milkshake cups in the cupboard.

"Well, uhm," Scootaloo admitted, "I have no other solution, other than you get the milkshake."
Stride shook his head, "I'm full anyway."
Scootaloo could see the disappointment on his face. The only reason he declined the shake was so she could have it.
No way I'm drinking it on my own now.

A certain anger crept over her. Why was this so darn hard? It was just a milkshake, nothing more. A milkshake.
"That's it," she cried out, "I've had it."
Stride shrunk back into his seat, his eyes wide open. The comb of his helmet fell sideward, making him look a lot less impressive than he had done in the woods earlier.
"We are both going to drink this milkshake and we are going to enjoy it!" she commanded. She was sick of awkwardness.

Stride exclaimed with a squeacky voice, "okay," and quickly rose his head to the straw. Scootaloo replicated the action. There they were, both sitting across eachother, sipping a straw. Their faces a lot closer to each other than Scootaloo could handle. Especially with the red blush she felt covering her face now, she quickly regretted her decision. This is even more awkwardness, stupid brain. Next time I see an organ trafficking agent I'm going to sell you for two bits!

The sweet taste of the milkshake however soon extinguished that feeling. She did no longer mind the fact she was enjoying Stride's presence. She was still the coolest pony around, she was sure of that!

"Oooooooh," an unwanted but familiar voice exclaimed. The orange pegasus hadn't noticed she'd closed her eyes. Opening them, they widened as two hoof lengths from her was a second face being way to close. Pinkie grinned at the pair. Both Scootaloo and Stride quickly jolted back into their seats. Pinkie trotted away with a guilty smile.

"We will never speak of this," the startled filly uttered. The colt across her nodded.
"A secret I will take into my grave," he confirmed.
Wow. He suddenly got very grim. What a time to be thinking about graves.

The sudden sound of explosions filled her ears like music. Three colourful blasts in the black sky confirmed the start of the fireworks.
"It's beautiful," she said.
"Yes, it is," he confirmed pensively. He didn't look all that happy anymore.

The pegasus suddenly felt worried. she'd seen Stride depressed before, shortly after that incident with the third trial, but didn't see any reason why he'd look sad with the fireworks now. What was the reason for him being so depressed after the trial anyway? She decided she'd hear him out. After she'd told him her feelings, of course. She relaxed the muscles in her tense neck as her brain and her heart finally agreed. She didn't have to rush into talking now. She had all the time in the world, right?

---

"Are you kidding me?" Apple Bloom cried out, "You had him right there! All you had to do is say something!"
"Well, hello to you too," Scootaloo grumbled.
She had just opened the door and already she regretted doing so. What was Apple Bloom's deal anyway? Scootaloo lifted her chin, " How do you know what happened in the first place?"
Apple Bloom froze. The left eye of the yellow filly began to twitch.
"I wasn't eavesdropping if that's what you're suggesting," she claimed.
"Nooooo, of course we weren't," Sweetie Belle added. They weren't very convincing.
A sigh flew past Scoot's lips as she shook her head, "Please don't tell me you dragged Button into this."
"Of course not," Sweetie Belle said, "you know he's a little dim, he never knew what was going on!"

---

Button Mash watched the two crusaders peak through the window of Sugar Cube Corner. He lifted an eyebrow.
"Are you spying on someone again?"
"Nope," Apple Bloom answered.
"You're eavesdropping on someone again."
"Maybe."
"Who is it?"
"Nobody."
"Is that Stride and Scootaloo?"
"Nope."
"You sure?"
"Yup."
"Okay! Can we go play games now?"
"Nope."

---

The pegasus crusader was about to leave the clubhouse when Apple Bloom jumped in front of her. Bloom slammed against the door with so much force, Scootaloo felt the floorboards creak under her legs.
"Oh, you ain't goin' nowhere until we know everything!"

Scootaloo's face felt hot. She was blushing. She noticed it didn't go unnoticed, since Sweetie Belle chuckled.
"I figured I need some more time to figure this out," Scootaloo admitted.
Apple Bloom shook her head, "But you had him right there-"
"Don't think this is easy, Apple Bloom," Scootaloo shouted, "What if he doesn't like me? Or worse, what if he starts avoiding me?"
"Ah don't think that's very likely," Apple Bloom frowned.
"What do you mean? Why would he not not like me? I mean, I like the idea of him not not liking me, but he might not not not like me, right?"

Sweetie Belle tried to count nots on her hooves, her face sinking farther into confusion, "Say what?"
Apple Bloom frickled her bow, carefully picking her words, "Scootaloo, I don't think he'll not not not like you. He'll rather not not not not like you- or wait is it the other way around? Not not not not not? Never mind that. Do I really have to remind you who the coolest pony in town is?"
Scootaloo raised a brow, "Rainbow Dash?"
"No, you, ya silly filly!"

Oh, of course it's me she's talking about, Scoot pondered, or what if he does like Rainbow Dash more? No, that would be silly. Rainbow Dash is way older. Maybe he likes older mares? How much do I actually know about him?
"But, what if I don't know him well enough? What if I ask if we could go catch some hayfries and he doesn't like hayfries..."
She was interrupted by two yellow hooves resting kindly on her shoulders.
"Then get out there and get to know him better."

---

Papers, oh so many papers. There was a stack of papers on the desk. A whole load of papers in the drawer and a closet full of papers. There were also papers spread out across the floor. Did I mention the papers? One tip: never let a banker inside a teacher's office. Especially not when it's a unicorn with a spontaneous magic disorder.

Cheerilee felt like the unluckiest pony in the world: Having to deal with Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon all day, not to mention that brat Snow Flux... Then, an angry banker walking in and accidentally flooding her with paperwork and after that, her ready-made meal had exploded all over her desk, because the town librarian was so smart as to accidently switch the regular magic book for the unicorn class for, you guessed it, a spell book that makes things spontaneously combust.

She looked sad at one of the papers catching fire by itself, before agreeing she wasn't the unluckiest pony. No, having a case like Stride in her class, she knew better than to wallow in self pity. She reassumed her passionate mind and started cleaning up. (After bringing the book back of course. You should've seen Spike's face when his duster turned to ashes without any provocation.)

As soon as the place was clean, she smiled at how everything was shiny again. Her special talent wasn't cleaning, but she sure was good at it. The universe seemed to think she had gotten the wrong cutie mark though, as a ball of mud smashed into the window.
Children, they never bore you do they?

Her expression unhappy, she watched as the mud slowly but surely made its way down to the window sill. She outed an unladylike shriek when she heard a sudden knock on the door. Straightening her hair and promising herself never to shriek like that again, she opened the door.

There stood the skinny, wingless pegasus. In the beginning, she nearly didn't believe his wings were removed. Now however, she began to notice how his body had those same slim contours often occurring with pegasi.

"Hello, Stride," she said sweetly, "Come in. Why are you here?"
Stride slowly stepped past her. He seemed nervous about something.
"Well, I was wondering if you could tell me more about life... about cutie marks, actually."

Comments

[Emma Anarchy]

Yay new chapter! Also first comment