"Make sure to pick up every book on that list, sweetie."
"Yes, mom."
"Also, don't hesitate to pick up any books for yourself—the princess kindly offers us all books free."
"Yes, mom."
Placing my right foot on my scooter, I roll my eyes.
"Can I go now?"
She taps her lip thoughtfully before nodding.
"I suppose that's it, sweetie. Have fun and scoot safely—I don't want you to be all dirty for Princess Twilight!"
Gripping the handlebars, I prepare to take off. With one foot still on the ground, I tighten my muscles and begin to push off and—
"Wait, wait, wait, Scootaloo!"
"What?" I exasperate, trying to balance myself after the failed take-off.
"Don't forget these books, you have to return them," she clambers down the small steps and unzips my backpack, the books sliding in right next to my Rainbow Dash poster.
"Mom, watch the poster!"
"I know, I know," she closes the orange bag with a loud zip and pats my helmet. "You can go now."
I find it hard to resist returning her warm smile.
"Alright, bye!"
Adjusting myself back into the middle of the deck, I slide my free foot back in preparation for take off. I lean forward and smirk with confidence, finally ready to show this town my stuff. Completely balanced and at ease, I place my foot on the ground and begin to push off, my scooter going forward—
"Wait!"
"What now?!" I whip my head back around, once again trying to regain my composure. "This is so not cool, mom!"
"I just wanted to say," she giggles and blows me a kiss. "I love you, honey."
I scrunch my nose up and grip my handlebars harder. Glancing around, I make sure there's not any chance for someone to hear me.
"I love you too, mom."
Another laugh gently teases me before she slips back into the house, finally leaving me alone. I wait expectantly for a few seconds before I'm satisfied that she's truly gone this time. Without anything more standing between me and the ultimate rush, I quickly crack my knuckles and let out a deep breath. Getting into position, I readjust my footing and grip before balancing my free foot above the ground with a lazy grin plastered on my face.
Let's do this thing.
Pushing off of the cracked concrete, I'm propelled forward with one kick of my foot. My weight and gravity work together, effectively launching me off as I begin to glide effortlessly down the hill, my speed accelerating and my balance being tried by the various potholes. But it's nothing for a pro like me; even scooting down a mountain would be a breeze! Yup, I'm just a natural talent. Like Rainbow Dash! It's just how we do, us natural athletes. Just like her, I was really young when I first discovered my talent. I got on a scooter and haven't gotten off ever since! Sure, my mom thinks it's dangerous and is always scolding me for scuffing up my knees and clothes, but if Dash thinks it's cool, then I just gotta keep doing it!
Which reminds me—I should pick up some more trick books! Princess Twilight has been specially looking out for them ever since I mentioned there aren't enough in town. I really need to master some more tricks so I can show Rainbow Dash later. She was super impressed with that 180 I did last time! Even said I could probably start doing harder stuff and possibly even skateboard and...
I gasp when I suddenly see a flash of purple and pink step out onto the now smooth road, only a couple seconds away. If I had been paying attention, I know I could have completely avoided it, but it's too late now—we're going to crash!
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" I holler, trying to catch the girls attention. "Watch out!"
Nope, it truly is too late.
Grinding my teeth together, I try to swerve in the other direction but only manage to soften the blow as my scooter collides with the girl. As smoothly as I can muster, I jump off and manage to land on my feet, reaching forward with all of my thoughts zeroed in on rescuing her. But when my fingers only curl around air, I make one last push to catch her. Muscles straining, I manage to extend my arms just a little further and grasp her waist just before she hits the grass. With a sigh of relief, I hoist her back up straight and set her down, almost in disbelief when I release her. That was like...ten seconds flat of pure awesomeness! Seriously! One second I'm riding the breeze, next I'm the dashing hero saving the girl from my scooter!
"Are you alright? Sorry, I wasn't looking!" I wait with my eyes squeezed shut, a big apologetic smile on my face as I rub the back of my neck.
There's a delay in the response, so I open up my eyes in confusion. But the sight before me makes my heart skip a beat.
"H-hi."
Oh my god.
...
Oh my god.
She's so...I mean...She's so...
Pretty.
A delicately pale hand shoots up and intertwines in her hair, a long, pink strand curling around her finger as she twirls her hair. Blinking, I feel my chest tighten as blood begins to rush to my head. I see her lips moving but can't make out a single word she's saying, only now realizing that her eyes are the most faint shade of green I've ever seen. Long lashes bat over the pale emeralds and graze over her soft looking cheeks, and I dart my eyes to the ground, not sure if it's okay to stare. But I betray myself as I steal another glance, this time taking note of the rest of her. She's so clean and put-together...Nothing like my bruised up knees and straight-out-of-bed hair. I glance around at the neighborhood, my eyes widening as I realize we're stopped in the really nice part of town, in front of that super fancy boutique. Well no wonder...Butterflies launch a full-blown war out on my stomach, and I bite my lip, more unsure of what to do than any time in my life.
I hate nerves. They're so...lame. Nothing Rainbow Dash feels, that's for sure. What would she do in this situation? I have no clue! But I can't just stand here like an idiot...Do I talk to her? Glancing back up, I see she's still staring at me, and a knot forms in my throat.
"Well, I, um..." my throat is so dry I can't seem to speak. "Uh..." quickly scooping up my scooter, I hop on and give her an awkward grin. "Bye!"
I almost think I hear a soft, "Wait!" but decide to ignore it as I take off. Whatever she did to me is so not cool; I'm definitely not going to wait for her. Nerves and not being able to speak? That's super un-awesome! Racing off, I go as fast as my legs will pump, trying to get as much distance between myself and that girl as possible. Besides, I have to get these books. Mom will be mad if come home empty-handed. Yeah...I got more important things to do! I can't just sit around talking to that girl! Nodding to myself, I push her sparkling eyes and flushed cheeks to the back of my mind and swerve around the corner, Twilight's library coming into view.
Skidding to a halt, I prop my scooter up by the door and walk inside.
"Hello and welcome to—Oh hi, Scootaloo!"
"Hi, Princess Twilight," I give her a smile before kneeling down to pet her dog, Spike. He wags his tail in appreciation, his eyes seeming to tell me that he's glad to see me. "I'm here to return and pick up some books for my mom."
I shrug off my backpack and unzip it, presenting them to her. One is a gardening book and the other two are for recipes that use home-grown vegetables. The meals mom has been cooking recently are awful and now I know why.
"I already told you, Scootaloo; just call me Twilight," she smiles warmly and I shrug sheepishly. "And that's great! Now, I'll just take those and I'll be here if you need me," she slides the book out of my hands and begins to check my books off of her long list.
Nodding in response, I take my list out of my backpack and read it over. Sewing books, ways to get stains out of clothes, best ways to clean for cheap...Looking around, I see the little sign that reads, "how-to's" and head over to the shelf. Boxes litter the floor and it's only then that I realize a lot of the bookcases are completely empty.
"How's the moving going?" I ask genuinely, happy to find that my particular section is still in tact.
"Quite well, actually. It's a lot of work, though, so Pinkie Pie has been helping me pack up all these books—she's just on a cupcake run right now."
"I still can't believe you're going to live in a castle!" I pick up the sewing book and slip it into my backpack. "Or that you're a princess!"
"Sometimes I can't either," she laughs softly. "But even in my castle, you can still visit me anytime!"
Fingering through the various titles, my eyes suddenly settle on a particular one. How to...fall in love? My mind flashes back to pink and purple hair, and I smack my forehead. No, no, no. I can't think about that! Shaking my head, I continue to look for the last book my mom requested. Best ways to clean, best ways to clean, best ways to...tell your crush you like them?! Chewing on my lip, I bite a little too hard and wince. That is not what I'm feeling. I mean, how lame is love? She just...surprised me. That's it. She was surprising. I sigh and rest my head against the bookcase, my brain hurting from all this stupidity.
What is wrong with me? This hasn't happened before! But I can't ask my mom, she's too embarrassing. Princess Twilight is, well, a princess now, and has way more important things to think about. And I'm not reading a book unless it has lots of pictures and scooter tricks! I lightly beat my head against the bookcase. Then, suddenly, a smile tugs at the corners of my lips as I realize there's an obvious answer. Rainbow Dash! She'll totally know what to do! Forgetting about my chore completely, I begin to race out of the library.
"Where are you going?!" the librarian exclaims, but I ignore her, bursting across the threshold.
Hopping onto my scooter, I zoom off towards my idol's home, knowing that all my problems will be solved soon enough.
***
"And I mean her hair! It was so...pretty? Really long, too. But it was really her eyes that put me off! I mean they were sparkling—literally sparkling! Really pretty pale green as well...I've said pretty a lot, haven't I? That's embarrassing...But it's really the only way to describe her I mean—"
"Oh this is too good!"
The sudden outburst completely cuts me off, and I stare in confusion as Rainbow Dash begins to laugh, her hearty chortles that usually make me chuckle along only bringing me confusion.
"Wait...what? What's too good?" I ask, my eyebrows scrunching together as she flops onto her couch.
"I mean, I suppose it couldn't last forever..." she wipes a tear off of her eye and fails at suppressing another snort. "But still, I mean wow. You've possibly fallen harder for her than you did for me!"
"What are you talking about, Rainbow Dash?"
"It's okay, squirt, you can talk about it now. You're over me, so there's no need for any more secrets," she grins and pats the seat next to her. "And as I said, you weren't going to feel this way about me forever."
Frowning, I hop onto the cushion next to her, still completely confused.
"But I've never really felt like this before."
Her chuckles come to an abrupt stop.
"Wait, what? You haven't? Not even for me?"
"No, that's why I'm so confused!"
"Really?" she purses her lips and glares at the wall. "Ouch, kid."
"Huh?"
"I guess this maybe is your first love?" she gives me a sly grin and heat blossoms across my face. First love? "Okay then, I'mma give it to you straight, Scoots."
"Okay...?"
"Back in high school, just like you're going into next year, I was the mack. Y'know, great with the ladies," she props her feet up on the coffee table and locks her hands behind her head. "It was around your age when I first started getting approached—trust me, I would never go out of my way to get their attention."
My eyes begin to widen in horror.
"N-not that it's a bad thing to approach someone!" she exclaims and I relax back into the red leather. "It's just that, in my younger days, I had lots of chicks all over me. Ended up having tons of girlfriends, too."
But I only seem to like one girl? Have I been doing it wrong the whole time? Am I supposed to have all kinds of these girlfriends?! Man, I never paid attention to that stuff because it was so mushy but maybe it is cool...
"Rainbow Dash...is it weird that I only like one girl?"
Her eyes widen and she shakes her head fervently.
"No! No, not at all, kid! When it comes to things like this, you gotta be your own awesome little self," she ruffles up my hair and tosses an arm around me. "See, I'm settled down now. Funny thing is, I was the one who ended up approaching Fluttershy after all those years. She was too nervous, as usual..." she laughs at that and I snuggle into her side. "So maybe you already got this thing down, squirt. You do take after me in the talent section, after all."
"Really?" I beam up at her.
"Truly, kid. Now, you want some advice? Go find that girl again! Make friends with her, hang out; just trust yourself and I'm sure you won't regret it."
"Anything you say, Rainbow Dash!" I hug her one last time and she returns the gesture.
"Now hurry up and get going!"
I jump to my feet and grab my helmet off of her table, soon strapping it tightly onto my head. Turning for her door, I find myself oozing with new-found confidence.
"Oh and Scootaloo?"
Glancing over my shoulder, I smile when she gives me a thumbs up.
"Don't forget to tell me the details later!"
Grinning, I open up her door and exit her house.
"Good luck, kid! Not that you'll need it!"
I can't get the smile off of my face as I roll away from her home, my head swirling with elation and confusion. It's totally awesome that Rainbow Dash believes in me, but why? What are these instincts that I'm supposed to trust? If I can't even talk to her, then how am I supposed to be friends with that girl?! This is so confusing...Gliding down the road, I turn into the park, determined to clear my mind. I just need some fresh air or something before I go back to the library and get those books for mom.
Maybe after that I can go back out and look for the girl? I don't want to go against Rainbow's advice, but at the same time I'm still nervous about the whole thing! Love is a grown-up thing, yet my idol is telling me that what I'm feeling is that. A "crush". I feel like a lot of kids my age know about this sort of stuff, but I just never paid attention to it. As long as I had my scooter and Rainbow Dash, my whole world was perfect. I frown, swerving around a pile of pebbles. Why did she have to come in and ruin everything? I feel almost sick to my stomach thinking about her—why does this love stuff have to hurt so badly? And to think that Rainbow had many girls! What a headache that must of been!
Rounding another corner, I weave around the dirt path, careful to not hit rocks or holes. There's a pause in my train of thought as I realize that today is the perfect combination of blue skies and warm breezes. Every blade of grass sways in harmony, even the leaves looking much greener than usual, the whole day sparkling under the sun's gentle rays. Just like her eyes... Biting my lip, I gently ease to a stop and stare up at the clouds. Everything is so peaceful that even the wispy puffs seem to be in slow motion. I don't feel like moving myself, so I don't blame them. It's then that I realize that even the birds are completely quiet, the whole world at a standstill for just a few moments. Closing my eyes, I lean against the tree and just try to forget everything for a little while.
It's only then that I hear it. Very faint—if I was still rolling along I would have definitely missed it—but the breeze faintly carries the soft tune that gently caresses my ears. My eyes snap open and I swivel my head around, trying to find the source of the sound. Walking a little further up the path, the mere noise begins to fill out into a voice, a song. Curious, now, I drag my scooter along with me as quietly as possible, making my way over the hill and towards the center of the park. Not a soul is in sight, and that's strange for this time of the day, but I push the thought to the back of my mind as the central fountain comes into view, the white marble gleaming brilliantly under the summer sun.
With each step I take, the melody grows louder and louder, and I'm now able to make out words and follow the tune. It's a common song—one that tells of love and the beauty of the world—but that's not what has me walking closer, eager to hear more. The voice—a pure and pretty voice—is unlike anything I've ever heard before. It's vibrant yet gentle, it's sweet and rich and soothing and just the most beautiful thing I've ever heard. I don't normally appreciate the arts, but I'm in a complete trance, my body working on it's own as I approach the fountain.
My heart nearly stops when I realize who's sitting on the edge of the water.
She's oblivious to my presence, and for that I'm thankful. As every bit as lost in her craft as I am, the girl from earlier dips her feet into the water, letting the cool, clear liquid pool out around her ankles as she sings. I don't even know where to stare, my eyes darting from her face to her hands to her mouth and all the way back to her long hair. Everything is so pretty about her, and I just don't know what to do about it. I'm so mesmerized and caught up in her song that I don't realize I've come so close until I nearly trip over the edge of the fountain, her green eyes darting over to me. With a yelp, I catch myself and regain my composure. That is, until my scooter slips from my hands and comes slamming down onto my right foot, another exclamation scratching up my throat.
"Oh my gosh, are you okay?" she leaps up from her spot, wading over to my side of the fountain.
"Y-yeah," I wince, kicking my scooter to the side. "Totally cool."
"If you're sure..."
I watch as her eyes trail up from my shoes and settle with meeting my gaze. My face heats up and I avert my eyes, choosing instead to stare at my scooter on the ground. How awkward is this?
"Hey, um, did you hear me singing?"
The blush spreads out to my ears.
"Y-yeah. I mean, I wasn't spying or anything! Just kind of just heard your voice and followed..."
"Really?" I nod, still not able to meet her stare. "That's embarrassing..." she laughs nervously and I'm not sure if I should tell her that she sounded really good, that there's really nothing to be embarrassed about. "But I'm still happy it happened."
My eyebrows slide together at her statement, and I watch her shadow. She begins to twirl her hair like earlier and my knees grow a little weak.
"What do you mean?" I scuff the sole of my shoes on the concrete.
"Well, I've been looking everywhere for you!"
A couple droplets splash onto my shoes as she steps out of the fountain.
"Y-you have?"
"Hah, yeah...You ran off before I could get your name, and I was wondering if you, I don’t know, wanted to be friends?" I look up just in time to see her smile and I find it hard to say no to such a pretty face. "If you don't remember, my name is Sweetie Belle!"
Sweetie Belle...I mirror her expression and awkwardly shift on my feet. What a cute name.
"Hi, Sweetie Belle," I offer my hand, remembering that my mom says it's only polite. "My name's Scootaloo."
I swear I see a faint tint of pink on her cheeks when we link hands.
"That's a cute name," she beams, shaking my hand rigorously. "Scootaloo...Yup, it totally suits you and your scooter!"
We both have to laugh at that statement.
"I guess it is pretty ironic..."
I let my hand fall back down to my side, the limb hanging awkwardly. Though it may look no different to my left one, on the inside my hand is tingling where it touched her smooth skin.
"S-so..." I begin, but she quickly cuts me off.
"Are you going to Diamond Tiara's party this afternoon?" she suddenly blurts out.
Oh yeah...That snooty brat's party—I forgot about it entirely! I was most certainly not going to go. But if Sweetie Belle's implying what I think she is...?
"Well, I guess that depends."
"On what?"
I smile sheepishly.
"It depends on if you're going or not," my ears feel on fire and my stomach is doing those horrible flips again, but I can't stop the words. "I mean, I could give you a ride over there if you'd like..."
"I thought you'd never ask!"
Leaning down, she picks my scooter up and pushes it into my hands. A bit surprised by the sudden action, I fumble it around for a bit, only regaining control of it when she runs around the fountain again. Propping it up correctly, I glance over to see what she's doing as I get into position. She does a funny jump dance, and it's only then that I realize she's attempting to put on her shoes and run back over at the same time.
"Why are you so eager? It's just Diamond Tiara's party," I laugh and she rolls her eyes.
"I'm not excited about that, Scootaloo."
I wait expectantly for her answer, but it never comes—she's already placing a foot on the deck behind mine.
"What are you so excited about then?"
A pair of warm arms suddenly snake around my waist, and my eyes widen, my question forgotten completely.
"Just go, silly."
Her breath tickles the back of my neck and I suddenly find it hard to even breathe correctly, let alone take off. Taking a deep breath, I attempt to regain my composure, trying to forget that her hands are clasped against my waist and her face is buried into my back. With one last clearing of my throat, I push off of the ground, my scooter lunging forward as I awkwardly control it. This only results in her fingers digging into my shirt harder and her chest being pressed against my back. Keep it together, Scootaloo, you're just transporting a new friend of yours...Though, it doesn't feel like she's a new friend. It seems like it's always been this way; like this is how it's supposed to be. My nose scrunches at that thought. That seems really mushy and gross. Is this really what love is? It...well...
I guess I could get used to it.
After awhile, I begin to adjust to the added weight, my scooter back under my full control. But one thing that refuses to listen to me is my heart; it's beating so fast that I'm afraid it might stop. But I suppose...I mean, this wouldn't be the worst way to go. On my scooter, Rainbow Dash's approval...Sweetie Belle...
"This is so much fun! Too bad my sister would never let me get one of my own!"
Then you wouldn't be able to ride with me...
"What did you say?"
I said that out loud?!
"I-it's pretty dangerous!" I chuckle nervously.
"That's totally what you said."
I can feel her smile against my back.
It stays that way for the rest of the ride; her constant touch driving me insane as we glide smoothly across town. I'm almost disappointed when we have to come to a stop, Sugarcube Corner already in front of us. She lingers a little longer than necessary, a smile plastered on my face the whole time I prop my scooter up by the door.
"I wonder why she chose Sugarcube Corner of all places," I muse, staring up at the bright and cheery building. "You'd think she'd have her daddy buy a palace for the occasion."
"This is just the pre-party for all her "lame classmates" as she so nicely puts it," Sweetie laughs, her shoulders bumping into mine. "She's actually hosting a whole bunch of parties."
"What, Diamond? Being over extravagant for practically nothing?"
That draws a couple more chuckles out of Sweetie Belle. I'm glad to find that she hates Diamond Tiara as much as I do. No one can stand her, but a lot of them don't ever dare to speak badly about her, afraid that she'll find out and have her daddy punish them. Frankly, I've never cared—and it's even better that Sweetie Belle doesn't either!
"Well," she links arms with me and we exchange a small smile. "It's now or never!"
We nod simultaneously before opening up the doors, a little bell chiming at our arrival. It's strange not seeing Pinkie Pie at the main counter, but there's no one there, the whole shop obviously rented out for the occasion. Two butlers stand at the double doors leading to the party room, and they silently push the heavy oak open and wait for us to step through. Sweetie Belle takes the lead as we enter the party room, the floor already littered with pastel purple and white confetti.
"You're just a little sister of a freak!"
The statement completely shocks us into a complete halt when we look upon the scene before us.
"No I ain't! Applejack ain't no freak, Diamond!"
It's truly not that surprising, but it still baffles me that Diamond Tiara can't even give it a rest at her own birthday party. Or maybe that's all the more reason to...? Sweetie and I exchange a look.
"Yes. She. Is," Diamond takes a step closer to the girl adorning a big bow in her red hair. "She likes girls."
"And?" the country girl scoffs. "If I'm rememberin' correctly, didn't your momma up and leave for a woman?"
Murmurs burst throughout the crowd and my own eyes widen. Is this girl wishing for a death sentence?!
"Exactly," Diamond's eyes turn into slits, her mouth curling up into a nasty smirk. "Lesbians are promiscuous and dirty; daddy told me so himself. And now Applejack's tainted your family name. All of you Apples are more disgusting than you already were!"
"Now hold on just a minute!" Sweetie Belle suddenly steps forward and my jaw unhinges. "You leave her alone; lesbians aren't any different to anyone else!"
Whipping around, Diamond remains unfazed when her eyes settle on Sweetie Belle.
"Oh? Says another sister of a freak. Isn't Rarity dating Applejack, Sweetie Belle?" she rolls her eyes when Sweetie's gusto obviously deflates. "I suppose it runs in the family since you showed up with the biggest dike of them all!"
All of her attention suddenly zeroes in on me, and I blush furiously under her scrutiny.
"T-that's not..." I pause, not so sure if I should deny it if it is true. My eyes shift over to Sweetie Belle then to Applejack's sister, my teeth worrying at my bottom lip.
"Oh, please, don't even deny it. In fact, you should be proud! I'm sure you could make some money for yourself since you're so poor, Scootaloo. Really taking after Rainbow Dash, aren't you?"
The pain of her comment matches that of a physical blow, and I wince. I mean...Rainbow Dash was talking about her various girlfriends earlier. Is Diamond right? Am I just...gross? Frowning, I let my gaze drop to the floor.
"See, everyone? Scootaloo accepts i—hey, what are you doing?!"
Warm fingers suddenly curl around my chin, and it's too late to realize what's happening until soft lips are pressed against mine, my eyes snapping open on contact. Why is she...? I forget about Diamond Tiara, I forget about the party, I forget about the whole dang world as I stand there, my lips against Sweetie Belle's. Everything has completely stopped, even my own heart as I begin to really feel the smoothness of her plush mouth and the heat of her touch. She's tastes sweet, just like sugar. No wonder her name is Sweetie Belle. I just wish she would open her eyes, too. If I could see myself in those green irises, I might be able to tell if this is real or not.
I realize that it truly is reality when the hand cupping my chin gently releases me and the sugary warmth draws back from my mouth.
"Well, I like Scootaloo!" Sweetie Belle exclaims confidently at an obviously shocked Diamond Tiara. "So what? I guess you were right, Diamond, it must run in the family."
Murmurs begin to spread like wildfire across the sea of guests, and Diamond nervously darts her eyes around the room as her guests begin to giggle at Sweetie Belle's statement.
"Not too mention my sister an' Rarity only like each other! They have since they were our age!" the red-head interjects and I watch as the whole party begins to turn on Diamond.
"Y-yeah, Diamond..." a quite, nasally voice cuts through all the chatter and everyone stares in disbelief as Silver Spoon frowns at her best friend. "That's pretty rude of you to say considering that most of the population are lesbians."
The guests begin to form a circle around the birthday girl, and she visibly begins to panic. I'm about to walk over before there's a flash of red and I'm suddenly being dragged out of the room. It's only when I end up back outside that I realize it's that girl from earlier that led us out here.
"Thanks y'all," she adjusts her bow before offering her hand to Sweetie Belle. "I was in a might pickle right there until you came an' saved the day!"
"It's no problem," Sweetie shakes her hand and shrugs. "Only doing what's right."
"I'm Apple Bloom, by the way," I take her hand and am surprised by her immensely strong grip.
"Name's Scootaloo."
"And I'm Sweetie Belle!"
"Well, it's great to meet y'all. I hope we got lots of classes together when school starts again," we all exchange smiles and nod in agreement. "I'm sure we'll be great friends, since we're like gay crusaders an' all."
"Gaysaders, huh? We should make a club!" all three of us laugh simultaneously.
A bell suddenly sounds before the bakery's doors slam open, our laughter cut off....Only to start up again as Diamond Tiara storms out of Sugarcube Corner, hair mussed, clothes wrinkled and steam shooting out of her ears.
"You're all losers anyways! A bunch of freaks who will never be as rich as I am!" she screams at no one in particular, barely even noticing us as she rushes towards her limo with a huff.
"Hey, you guys can go back in," a familiar voice snaps our attention back to the doors. "The party's still on, though Diamond and I will take our leave now."
"Alright, Silver Spoon," Apple Bloom responds as the girl flicks her braid over her shoulder and makes her way towards the car behind Diamond's limo. "Have fun calmin' down that dragon disguised as a princess!"
With a snort, the littlest Apple runs back up to the bakery's entrance.
"Well, I'm headin' back in. Y'all comin'?"
Sweetie Belle opens up her mouth to respond, but I lightly grab her hand.
"We'll be just a moment."
Apple Bloom shrugs before turning on her heel and going back to the party.
"What is it, Scootaloo?" Sweetie asks, but I feel like she already knows what I'm going to say.
"About that..." the nerves begin to rise up again and all of the previous confidence from facing Diamond completely evaporates. "About that kiss..."
"Scootaloo, I—"
"H-hold on, I'm just asking something," I squeeze my eyes shut, determined to just say what needs to be said. "Did that kiss actually...mean something? Is what you said true?"
"Scoota—"
"I-I mean, it doesn't have to! I don't want to pressure you or anything; we're just friends and we just met..."
"Scootaloo."
"There would be no hard feelings if it was just in the moment. I mean, it's not like I expected to really mean anything, I was just wonderi—"
Soft. Warm. Sweet. That same feeling as before suddenly returns, swiftly and effectively shutting me up. My eyes snap open and I nearly melt at the sight of seeing her so close. She...she's doing it again. She's...kissing me! Hands gently rest on my shoulders and she presses a little harder against me, my eyes unable to stay open any longer as we stay like that for a while longer in our own world, lips pressed together in a closed, chaste kiss. After what feels like an eternity and no time at all, she gently pulls away, pretty eyes twinkling mischievously as she takes my hands.
"Does that answer your question?"
Nodding, I give her a stupid smile and intertwine our fingers.
"Yeah...yeah it does."
She returns my smile and leans forward to peck my cheek.
"So, do you want to go back inside? I heard that the cake is really good."
"Sounds good to me. Let's go find Apple Bloom again—I really think we should start a club!"
Smiling at each other, we squeeze each other's hand before walking back inside.
I may not know as much about love as Sweetie Belle or other girls my age. Perhaps I'm not as great as Rainbow Dash when she was in my shoes. I'm new to this, and frankly it's a little intimidating—even more so than when I first got on my scooter! But, just like my scooter, I have a feeling that I'll be able to get used to this very quickly.
Leaning over, I steal another kiss before we enter the party.
Author's Note
Well that was a lot of work...
Yay! It's finally here, a week after promised! Sorry it took a long time. I've been sick and between that and schoolwork, it's difficult to write. 
I worked with some amazing gentlemen and one extraordinary gentlelady to get this up, so go check out their pages and work because without them, you wouldn't be reading this, now would you? 
I've also decided that I love ScootaBelle more than I realized and I'll probably be writing more. Perhaps older versions, maybe some more kid stuff. We'll see, I got a couple more stories and even a contest on my plate as of now, but be anticipating it! 
Like it? Love it? Hate it? Despite it? Tell me in the comments and drop me a thumbs up! 
