With A Little Help From My Friends

by Closer-To-The-Sun

Intro

The school bell rang and many of the ponies within the schoolhouse rushed out. The fillies and colts hurried to meet with their parents or siblings waiting outside for them. Amongst those waiting outside was Big Mac, there to pick up his youngest sister, Applebloom, and her friends. The red stallion looked at the small ponies flooding out of the schoolhouse, but could not find the noticeable pink bow that Applebloom always would wear. His eyes did, however, spy her two friends. He trotted over to meet with them.

“I’m tellin’ ya, Sweetie Belle, I don’t think Sapphire Shores was the answer to number three on that quiz,” the orange pegasus insisted.

“Are you sure, Scootaloo? I could have sworn that I wrote that in my notes….” the unicorn replied.

Scootaloo raised a hoof to her head, “I think you were daydreaming again.”

“Excuse me, girls,” Big Mac interrupted as he got closer to them.

The two ponies looked up at the stallion and greeted him.

“Hiya, Big Mac!” Sweetie Belle chimed.

“Hey. Uh, Applebloom is still inside the schoolhouse. I think Ms. Cheerilee wanted to talk to her about something,” the orange filly explained.

This caused Big Mac to tilt his head, “She’s still inside? Is she in some sort of trouble?”

Sweetie Belle shook her head, “I don’t think so.”

Big Mac’s curiousity got the better of him, “Wait fer me out here, ah’ll go get her.”

Scootaloo gave a salute to Big Mac as he trotted away, “Yes, sir!”

Big Mac made his way toward the schoolhouse. While he was almost positive that there was nothing to worry about, he couldn’t help think of the worst-case scenarios. Applebloom did have quite a knack for getting in to mischief, such as when she broke the barn door by roughhousing with Applejack, or when she and her friends accidentally set their clubhouse on fire, and of course the Hearts and Hooves incident that happened last year with Cheerilee.

Entering through the already open door, Big Mac lightly knocked on the door as he spoke, “Hello? Anypony here?”

Inside, he saw that the room was empty except for Applebloom and her teacher.

“There he is!” Applebloom loudly proclaimed as she pointed to her brother.

“Huh?” Big Mac was caught off guard.

“Ask him!” the little filly was loud and full of energy.

The red stallion was puzzled with what was going on, “Excuse me, Ms. Cheerilee, but what’s goin’ on here? Is Applebloom in trouble?”

Cheerilee finally spoke up, “Oh no no, she’s not in any trouble, Big Mac. Actually, she was telling me that you had something to ask me.”

“Beg pardon?”

Almost interrupting him, Applebloom blurted out, “He wants to know if you’d accompany him on Hearts an’ Hooves Day!”

A deafening silence fell within the room. The only sound was the squeaky floorboard underneath Applebloom’s hooves as she bounced in place, waiting eagerly.

Cheerilee’s face grew flushed at the thought. Her eyes darted anywhere in the classroom but to the Apple siblings in front of her.

As for the stallion, Big Mac was dumbfounded as he blushed. The thought had not even crossed his mind of doing anything for Hearts And Hooves Day, much less ask anypony on a date of sort. Though, he would be lying if he said that he didn’t find Cheerilee attractive. But after the mishap caused by the Cutie Mark Crusaders last year, he didn’t want to do anything of that sort.

“Is….ahem, is that true, Big Mac?” Cheerilee broke the stillness, still a bit bashful.

As he was about to reply, Applebloom interrupted yet again, “Of course he does! He’s jus’ really shy ‘bout askin’ ya!”

Cheerilee took a deep breath to regain her composure and normal demeanor, “Well, alright then, Big Mac, it’s a date. Let’s just hope the Cutie Mark Crusaders don’t make it a repeat of last time, okay?” She smiled to Big Mac.

The red stallion, who still had yet to say a word, nodded. He didn’t understand why he nodded, but nevertheless he did.

“Okay, we should be goin’ now. Bye, Ms. Cheerilee!” Applebloom waved before she started to push her brother towards the door and out of the classroom.

“Goodbye,” she returned, “I’ll see both of you tomorrow!”

Once outside, Big Mac and Applebloom started trotting to the two fillies who were waiting for them.

“Applebloom?”

“Yes?”

“What jus’ happened back in there?”

“I got ya a date fer Hearts an’ Hooves Day!”

“Why?”

“Why? What’d ya mean why? Don’t ya like Ms. Cheerilee?”

“Well, yes, but–“

“Then what’s wrong? I got ya a date!”

Big Mac paused for a moment before echoing, “I got a date.”