The Dreadful Holiday
“Okay class, you can start making your cards,” said Ms. Cheerilee, “And remember you're giving them out after recess.”
“Uggggg,” Scootaloo grunted as she planted her face down on her desk.
Today wasn’t her favorite day because it’s the dreaded Hearts and Hooves Day, a time of the year that Scootaloo didn’t care for. In fact, she never even liked the idea of making cards for her classmates. The only exceptions were Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle since they are the only ponies she hanged out with. Not to mention the color pink fueled her desire to punch a hole in the wall… excessively.
However, Scootaloo knew she wouldn’t be able to get out the situation due to the teacher observing the entire class. Therefore, she decided to just go with it as she takes out glue sticks and paper cards from her desk. Meanwhile, Ms. Cheerilee notices Snails trying to eat his crayon.
Ms. Cheerilee politely begged, “Umm… Snails! Please don’t eat your crayons. They’re for drawing.”
Snails wines, “But it’s says that’s its cherry flavor! See!” He holds up the crayon.
Taking a peak at it, Ms. Cheerilee reads aloud the words, “Cherry Color,” to Snails. The entire class bursts out into giggles over the stupidity.
Not pleased by the joke, Ms. Cheerilee sternly warns, “Snails, don’t eat your crayons.”
“Fine,” he groans.
“Thank you.”
Rolling her eyes, Scootaloo thought to herself, “Another typical day at Ponyville Elementary School.”
As the clock on the wall reads 11:30 a.m, the entire class began finishing up there cards before lunch break at noon. Working diligently, Scootaloo grabbed her liquid glue and outlined her last heart shaped card. Rubbing it, she made sure the glue was spread evenly along the borders before dumping red glitter on it. Putting on the finishing touches, she wrote “Happy Hearts and Hooves Day” in blue ink.
“I hope Rumble will like this,” Scoots said to herself, “Since I think he is the last one. Right?”
***
After Recess…
As the bell rang atop the schoolhouse, the entire class rushed inside to begin the Hearts and Hooves exchange. Taking the letters they made in the morning, the children marched around the classroom delivering their parchments into decorated boxes that sat atop their desk. Once the deliveries were done, Ms. Cheerilee told her students to return to their desks.
“Ok!” said Ms. Cheerilee with a smile, “Is every-pony back at their seat?”
The whole class shouted, “Yes, Ms. Cheerilee!”
“Alright then, you can look inside your boxes now,” chimed Ms. Cheerilee, “But… Slowly! And make sure to thank the pony who gave a card to you.”
The class repeats, “Yes, Ms. Cheerilee!”
“Ok,” Ms. Cheerilee pauses, “go!”
Flinging her box open in unison with the congregation, Scootaloo checks to see what she obtained. To her surprise, she discovered more letters inside her box than expected. She even got a card from Rumble, which reads “Happy Hearts and Hooves Day! From: Rumble.” Blushing, Scootaloo thought it was sweet of him to give her a card this year. Unfortunately, Scootaloo couldn’t give Rumble his card due to the glue still drying. It had to wait till after school, sadly.
A quiet voice spoke behind her, “I can’t believe it.”
Scootaloo turned her head to witness Snails shaking his box, but not producing any letters except from Snips and Ms. Cheerilee. Saddened by the results, Snails hung his head low and quietly sobbed to himself. Feeling the pain and remorse, Scootaloo’s guilt for forgetting to make him a card compelled her to grab one of her own. Making hasty changes, she erased the names from a card she received and replaced them with hers and his.
She get up from her desk without hesitation, Scootaloo hustled over to Snails with the edited card. Arriving at his desk, Snail’s head still remained face down in shame. He never acknowledged Scootaloo’s presence.
Trying to be polite, Scootaloo stuttered, “Hey… S-snails, I have… this for you.” She presented the card to him.
Stopping his quiet weep, Snails abruptly takes the card from her and opens it up.
Smiling at the generosity of Scootaloo, he immediately thanks her as the teardrops continued to roll down his face.
Scootaloo apologized, “Sorry I didn’t give it to you sooner.” She then proceeds to tell a harmless lie, “It’s just that I now found it in the back of my desk.”
Reading the card, “It’s says I’m bananas for you and it has a monkey holding a banana. I love it! Ha! Thank you so much,” replied Snails as he continued to laugh at the corny joke.
Scootaloo responds, “I’m glad you like it.”
***
It is the end of the school day…
Walking out of the schoolhouse, Scootaloo waved good-bye to her friends as she parted in her own separate direction to go home. Not minding the lonely trek, it gave her moments to think about seeing Snails beam like he did and how he laughed at her joke.
Overall, it made her day just as much as his.
Suddenly, someone shouted, “HEY Scootaloo, wait up!”
She turned around to see Snails running up towards her and panting, “Can... I walk… you home?”
Catching up to her, Scootaloo replied, “Umm, sure if that isn’t a problem for you.”
“Oh not at all,” Snails winked, “By the way, that card was so funny with the banana and monkey.”
“That was kinda the joke,” reposted Scootaloo as she rolled her eyes, completely oblivious to Snail’s flirty attitude.
***
They continued to walk down the road to Scootaloo’s home…
“… And the doctor told me if I stopped picking at my fur then I wouldn’t get so many bald spots,” Snails commented while accomplishing all kinds of awkward in Scootaloo’s mind. Luckily for her, home was a just few feet away and she never felt more relieved to see it.
Approaching the front door, Scootaloo thanked Snails for his kind deed.
“You’re welcome,” said Snails.
“Soooo… See you on Monday?” asked Scootaloo.
“Ok,” he replied, “See you,” Scoots runs into house and locks the door, “Monday?”
Getting away from “awkward,” although still thinking it was nice for him to walk her home, Scootaloo hangs her saddlebag up on the coat rack and calls out her return from school. Strolling past the living room, Scootaloo spots her older brother, Trapper, and her dad, Icy Blast, sitting in their chairs reading the daily newspaper. Soaring into the kitchen, she finds her mother, Sugar Lump, cooking up supper.
“Hey Scootaloo,” her mother spoke, “How was school?”
Scootaloo is flat in her expression, “It was fine.”
“Really?” her mother teased her, “Did any cute colts give you a letter?”
“What?” said Scootaloo, offended by the fact her mother asked “that” question. She stressed, “Mother! You know I don’t like those dodos.”
Sugar laughed, “Oh sweetheart, take a joke,” giving Scoots a gentle nudge on her shoulder.
“Alright…” Scoot pauses, “Mom can I ask you a question?”
“Sure, what is it?”
“Umm,” Scootaloo hesitated to ask. “What do you when a boy likes you but you don’t feel the same way towards him?” She looked down on the floor.
Sugar advised, “I would tell him that you're flattered by the offer, but you're just not interested.” She wondered, “Who is he anyway?”
Scootaloo answered with shame in her voice, “Snails.”
“Aw that’s so cute,” her mother cracked-up, “You two would be a darling couple.”
Scootaloo wanted to gag on the thought as she let out a loud, “EWW!!! Mom! I'm ten.”
“Scootaloo, lighten up.” Her mother gently hit her over the head with a newspaper, “I was joking. Besides, no boys until high school, missy.”
“Uuuuggggg,” Scoots snorted.
***
As the kids returned to school the following Monday, Snails told Snips that he was obsessive over Scootaloo’s letter all weekend and is wanting to ask her to become her boyfriend. Snips agreed with the idea, but told him to wait until recess to do so. Snails thought the same way, however it keep him anxious all morning.
When the clock read 12:00 p.m, the entire class burst from the school and out into the playground. Among the scene of fillies and colts, Snails searched with ambition for Scootaloo. Finding her, he began to build up his confidence as he stepped closer and closer to her. Coming within her vocal distance, he greeted Scoots and asked her without shuddering.
Scootaloo blushed, “Snails, I'm really flattered by your interest, but I just don’t feel the same way about you.”
Not believing what he heard, Snail asserted with a laugh, “Ha, very funny Scootaloo! Don’t deny it, you like me.”
“Snails please, no. I don’t... Well… I mean, like you as a friend-”
Diamond Tiara interrupts, “Aw, how cute! The couple is arguing.”
Silver Spoon jumps in, “Snails, you better stop your girlfriend before she dumps you.”
“Buzz off,” Scootaloo and Snails reply.
Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon remained un-fazed by the demand and instead continued to harass them, “You know Snails, I wonder how the flightless freak managed to convince you to ask her out?” said Diamond, “Did she threaten to hover you to death?”
“Or maybe she bribe him” Sliver added.
Scootaloo snapped, “CAN YOU STOP?”
“Or what,” Diamond insisted, “You’ll fly away like a normal Pegasus? Oh wait, you can’t! You pathetic earthbound loser.”
“Like yourself?” Snails retorted.
The statement left Diamond furious and Spoon disturbed. Therefore without speaking a word or making up a comeback, they instantly ran off in tense anger.
Meanwhile, the tears began to slide down Scootaloo’s face. While she resisted the urge to cry, her old emotional wounds were slashed open by the thoughts of her not being able to fly. Leaving her a crying mess, Scootaloo assumed that Diamond is right.
“What if I’ll never fly?” she sobbingly asked herself.
“Don’t say that!” Snails responded, “You will fly one day.” He turns her head towards him, “I believe in you.”
Hugging her, Snails wiped the tears from her eyes while she thanked him for saying what she needed to hear. As they let go of each other, Scootaloo was thoughtless of her actions as she leaned in towards Snails. Kissing him on the check, Snails turned beet red in a millisecond.
As his mind flooded with the image of what just happened, he forgot about the fact that most boys his age would react by saying, “EWWW!!! Call the cooties doctor.” However, Snails didn’t mind it since he knew insulting Diamond is going to get him into trouble later. Until then, the kiss made his day a whole lot better.
Author's Note
Edited by JR Black Wing
He corrected this story and made it way better. I can't thank him enough and I didn't even ask him to do so, I hope to work with him again.
SPECIAL thanks to him!
