The clouds began collecting above and Scootaloo swore that a droplet struck her face. She swiped at her face and felt moisture spew across her fur. She scanned her clipboard for any darkened splotches of wood, but there were none; her absence-and-tally sheet, clipped to the board laid in the same condition. It was a trick of the brain, she guessed, dew on the leaves from the canopy, maybe. She nodded, it was sweat from the near unbearable humidity, or her loosely zipped jacket sitting on a rock and tallying laps. An hour of sitting on a rock in the Manehattan park, waiting for rowdy high schoolers to have their laps tallied. Not exactly the job she had in mind, but it was that or the streets.
Kicked out by her parents, and left to fend for herself. It was raining and her mother busted through her door, and threw a fit. It was over something she called ‘obnoxious’, but she failed to recall the memory. They argued, then their voices reached their peak. Her father peered his head at the crack of her bedroom door and ordered her outside. He took her suitcase and shoveled her belongings into it and sealed it with a “clamp”. He threw, both her and the suitcase, to the front porch―and that was that. Well it wasn't exactly like that, but she believed it was. No, that’s exactly how it was. She crossed her forelegs, “That’s exactly how it happen.” she muttered. “Now I’m stuck here, they’ll miss me. Stupid high school, stupid high schoolers.”
“Mrs. S!” Scootaloo turned and saw in the distance the slowest of the class, coming in for his first tally. He was round by the belly, and with cheeks fluffier than a marshmallow. He was gasping and sweating, his nostrils flaring. “Did… you… get me?”
Scootaloo nodded, “Hurry up, Dawn.” Scootaloo searched the side of the road for the jelly cart, “You got about…” the cart reared it’s way in by the intersection and stopped directly in front of the Jelly Donut shop. “ten minutes left, you can do it.” The jelly cart caught Dawn’s eyes and his mouth began to water.
“Dawn!” Dawn released his eyes on the cart and with a bewildered face shot his attention to Scootaloo. “Get going!” Dawn made off in a slighter faster past then slowed himself when he reached park’s corner. Scootaloo chuckled, I’ll pass him with a D-.
They weren't all that bad, but her disposition made them seem so. Dawn, out of the bunch, wasn't so bad. The rest were quite different, four of the same groups would travel with one another, the scheme would never change. The athletic bunch would be ahead of the rest, very tone, and fierce with each step they took. She checked them as they went, humming their names as they passed her.. Then came the average runners, composed of hefty but healthy runners. “Check and check.” she said aloud. Then came the group Scootaloo despised the most, seven mares with their chins raised high, and with a strut that caught more eyes than was acceptable; it reminded her deeply of somepony she knew, once knew. Scootaloo checked the first three who only appeared panting, then left the rest unchecked. Last, but not least, were the slightly larger individuals and a few others that simply failed to keep in motion.
“Alrighty, you’re all excused, have a day.”
“Wait!” called a half depleted voice behind her. It was Dawn panting and sweating profusely, “Could… I go… too?
Scootaloo frowned and nearly facehoof, “Dawn, what are you doing back here? Go finish your lap.”
“Yeah, Dawny,” said one of the students, a mare by the name of Crown with her raised chin and a single hoof protruding from her stance. “maybe you should hold off on those hay cookies. It’s really starting to show.” She chuckled, followed by rest who followed her. Dawn’s ears flopped miserably behind his head. He lowered his head and shifted his forelegs to hide his impressive girth.
A shot of disdain struck Scootaloo, “Excuse me, what did you say to him?”
Crown swung her chin away from Scootaloo’s piercing gaze, followed by her friends, “I didn't say nothin. I was just telling the truth, like my mamma always tells me: honesty is the best policy. Crown threw her hips from side to side and made off with her party who snickered and whispered loudly so that the two would hear. Scootaloo’s face began to steam, she threw her clipboard to the ground and marched after them.
“Wait.” Dawn interrupted her march, panting, “Wait. let it go, it’s fine.”
Scootaloo stopped in her tracks with a questionable stare, “Dawn, let me take care of this. That sort of thing does not sit right with me. Now stand aside.”
“Please I beg of you don’t, if you do then they’re only going to make my life worse, please.” Scootaloo ended her charge at his finale plead. Crown and her group of misfits vanished beyond the treeline. Scootaloo was about ready to call a crusade for their flanks, but that cry of desperation was all too familiar. High school, grade school, they were both the same, filled with punks with an ego large enough to only sustain themselves and their crummy friends.
“Dawn, do they… do this often―call you names and all that.” Dawn nodded in response. “Dawn, don’t listen to them, okay. I know these bunch, they’ll stop at nothing to put you down and make your life difficult.”
“I know that,” he said with an arid throat . “but It’s better if I just stay out of their way. I get hurt less. Sometimes it happens and it’s okay.”
“Dawn, it’s not okay! You can’t live life like this, taking punishment from some trashy… ponies. You gotta stand tall and tell them off, forget the names they call you. You know what my mom told me when I had the same problem. She said, no matter who or what look like it doesn't matter, because you’re awesome in your own way.”
Dawn raised his head with a gleaming smile, “You’re right, I may be big, but I’m not that bad in the inside.”
Scootaloo laughed, “You know what, Dawn. If you finish your lap, I’ll give you half-credit.”
Dawn itched the lump in his throat and searched the ground for his answer. He nodded and made for the park’s corner.
