Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones 1/2
Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones 1/2
Her blood coursed through her veins like a fish downstream, cutting sharp corners around the jugular, shooting up the esophagus, and swelling in the brain. Her bones seemed to rattle under the heavy pressure that sat itself atop her, pushing down so hard; she swore to have heard the sound of muscles unraveling like an old bandage. Each hoof step bringing a new sense of dread that churned in her stomach like a bubbling cauldron of stress and fear. Sweat built fortresses along the forehead, running down her cheeks like mascara from the watery eye.
“Maybe I should just go home,” she thought, slowly approaching the schoolyard. “It wouldn’t matter if I missed the first day, right?”
The large brick building came into view, standing tall above the distressed filly. Its massive shadow blocking out the sun, blocking out the light, blocking out the bright blue sky above and replacing it with hard concrete.
The little orange pegusas swallowed back the distasteful mucus in her throat, gifting her with a few clean breathes before saliva formed another barracked inside her neck again, stopping the refreshing air from moving any further.
“Yeah, I-I’ll be fine if I miss the first day, no big deal.” As the filly turned to head back the way she came, a wretched bell sounded from the foreboding schoolhouse. It shook her innards and ate away at the slim chances she had of escape.
A horde of young ponies came stampeding down the road, pushing past the orange filly without caring as she fell to the cobblestone floor with a thud. As her face met with earth, a pain shot through her nose and the odd smell of blood filled her nostrils. She quickly reached a hoof to her nose, blocking the crimson liquid from flowing like a waterfall.
Tears stung her eyes and she wanted to cry, but crying wouldn’t get her anywhere, so she held them back like monsters behind a wooden door. She needed to make a proper first impression, and bawling wouldn’t help with that. With wobbly legs and a lack of pride, she rose to her hooves and saw a purple coated pony standing in the doorway of the schoolhouse. “Alright everypony!” she shouted, “That’s the morning bell, let’s get to class!”
She ushered the kids in before spotting the orange filly, still standing on the road in front of the schoolhouse. “Oh, well hello there,” she said with a smile, “Would you like to join us?”
It was too late to leave now, and her fears must be conquered. “Uh… ok,” she said quietly, approaching the front steps and standing before the purple pony.
“Oh my,” she exclaimed, “What happened to your nose?”
“Oh, this?” the filly said, gesturing to her injury, a single string of blood falling down to her lower lip, “I fell on my way here, that’s all.”
“Well let me get that fixed up,” the purple pony said, “But first, you can call me Ms. Cheerilee. What would your name be?”
“I’m Scootaloo,” the filly replied, still talking much quieter than she was used to.
“Alright Scootaloo, let’s fix up your nose and get class stared.”
With a nod, the two ponies entered the schoolhouse.
***
The colts and fillies had already taken their proper seats with friends, talking up loud conversations about whose jewelry is the prettiest, or who’s the best at sports, or who’s beautiful and ugly. Cheerilee and Scootaloo both entered the class, making their way towards a first aid kit that was beneath the teacher’s desk. A big white bandage was placed over her nose. Scootaloo wanted to protest with this ridiculous looking ailment, but fighting with the teacher on the first day of school is never a good decision.
Unwillingly, she took a seat in her desk by the back of the room and waited for class to begin. She looked on like a stranger as her fellow peers hysterically laughed at one another’s jokes, or commented on their favorite activities. She was an alien in this place, alone, only accompanied by the echoing laughs of others.
She rested her head down on the table, staring blankly at the wooden frame. Suddenly, hoof steps began to approach her desk. Scootaloo shot her head up and noticed two ponies standing before her. One with a bright pink coat and the other a dark grey. One with a plastic tiara resting above her mane and the other with thick blue glasses perched along the rim of her nose. One with the stare of an interrogator, the other with the look of a humble assistant. One with hubris glimmering in her eyes, the other with anticipation.
“What’s your name?” the pink one said bluntly.
The orange filly was rather surprised with such a sudden question, but found no reason to remain silent. “I’m Scootaloo,” she said.
“What’s that thing on your nose?” said the grey one, eyeing Scootaloo’s snout like the wealthy look down on the poor.
At that moment a feeling dawned on the orange filly, they didn’t seem as friendly as she had hoped. “I just fell on my way here,” she replied meekly.
“Well it looks stupid,” laughed the pink one, a crooked smile creeping across her lips.
Before Scootaloo could process the insult, the pink one spoke again, “I’m Diamond Tiara, and this is my best friend, Silver Spoon,” she gestured a hoof to the grey filly who in return bowed. “In case you haven’t noticed, we run this school because we are the prettiest, the most charming, the funniest, and the greatest.”
“The greatest of the greatest,” added Silver Spoon.
“We couldn’t help but notice that you are new here, so we thought you should get the memo,” continued Diamond Tiara, looking down at her freshly polished hooves and adjusting the plastic crown on her head.
Scootaloo remained still, “What…but…” her words were flustered and came out as nothing but incoherent sentences. No pony had been so blatantly rude to her like this before.
“Why are they being so mean to me?” she thought. “I didn’t even do anything to them.”
Author's Note
This is a two part story that touches on the concepts of bullying and why I find the classic rhyme to be a complete lie. "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me."
But Your Words Hurt Even More 2/2
Suddenly, another piercing bell sounded throughout the room; bringing the constant chatter of the students to a sudden halt. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon began to head for their desks before Diamond spoke again, “We’ll continue this discussion later, ok?” she said mockingly.
Still dumbfounded, Scootaloo remained still. Ms. Cheerilee took her proper spot in front of the class, organizing a few papers on her desk and getting the students attention. “All right class, settle down,” she said, “Now I hope you all had a wonderful summer and I’m so glad to see you all back again for another amazing school year!”
The class let out a cheer, all except for the orange filly who sat in the rear of the room. “Now before we begin,” Ms. Cheerliee continued, “We do have one new student that I would like you all to meet.”
Scootaloo could feel her blood turn ice cold and a foreboding sense of disaster filled her mind. “Scootaloo,” Ms. Cheerilee announced, “Would you like to greet that class?”
With a gulp, Scootaloo slowly walked to the front of the room. Each step bringing her closer to what felt like death. She stood frozen before the class, staring back at the myriad of curious eyes. A few snickers could be heard as the students took notice to the large bandage on her nose. “M-my name is Scootaloo,” she stammered.
“Tell us a little about yourself,” Cheerilee said, her pleasant grin encouraging her to continue.
“I uh… like to do stunts on my scooter.”
The class waited for her to continue, but those were the end of her words. Nothing else could escape her lips under such anxiety.
“Well… ok then,” chimed Cheerilee, ending the awkward silence that reigned over the room. “We’re glad to have you as part of the class!”
Without even thinking, Scootaloo bolted back to her desk, the only safe haven in the class room. The students snickered again.
Scootaloo slammed her head back to the desk, “I’m so stupid,” she thought, “everypony thinks I’m an idiot. It’s what those two ponies said to me, it’s…messing with me.”
Her thoughts came to an end as whispers met with her ears.
“Psst, Scootaloo,”
She slowly raised her head to see a grey pegusus colt sitting just across the room from her, “You said you ride a scooter?” he asked.
Scootaloo nodded, a soft grin decorating her face.
“That’s so cool,” he said, his wings flapping with excitement.
Before she could reply, a small paper ball bounced off the colt’s head, falling onto his desk. Hesitantly, he opened it, his eyes wide and his hooves beginning to shake as he read the words. He threw the paper to the ground and hid his head under his arms on the desk.
Scootaloo then spotted Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon attempting to hold back laughter as they watched the grey colt silently cry.
That’s when something snapped, like a cord had been firmly yanked in her brain. Scootaloo rose from her seat in the middle of class, staring daggers into the two fillies. “What is wrong with you?!” she shouted.
“Scootaloo!” yelled Ms. Cheerilee, “get back in your seat! I don’t want you interrupting class again!”
“But they were throwing notes!” Scootaloo protested.
“I don’t want to hear it, sit down!”
With a huff, Scootaloo sat back in her seat, frustration taking a strong hold of her. She took another look at the grey colt who was now peering at her through the few tears that spotted his bright purple eyes. “Thank you,” he whispered, gifting Scootaloo with a weak smile.
She wanted to smile back, but there was no strength to do so. Whatever was on that note must have been terribly mean to bring that colt to tears, and Diamond Tiara’s words were slowly beginning to get the best of her.
***
Another loud bell sounded and the fouls of the class began to run for the door. It was lunch time, and no pony wanted to waste another second in the damp classroom. As the final ponies left, only Scootaloo and the grey colt remained, both taking an exceptionally long amount of time grabbing their lunches.
Scootaloo decided it was best to finally talk to the colt, see if she could help somehow. “Hey,” she said approaching the grey pegusus.
“Oh, h-hey Scootaloo,” he said, looking rather nervous, his eyes constantly scanning the room.
“What’s your name?”
“I’m Rumble. Uh… I just want to say thanks for standing up for me and all back there.”
“Don’t mention it,” she replied, “Any pony would have done the same.”
Rumble looked down, eyeing the floor around Scootaloo’s hooves, “Yeah, right,” he stammered. “Want to eat lunch together?”
Her face seemed to glow at the question, only one day in and she already seemed to have made a friend, “Sure!” she exclaimed. Rumble gave a sly grin at her excitement, “I mean… yeah, whatever.”
The two laughed and headed for the door that lead to the playground. The other children had already scattered to their appropriate
tables, all memorizing the proper seat to sit in, maneuvering to them like it was nothing but protocol.
Rumble and Scootaloo failed to find a seat in time, and stood awkwardly over the ocean of sitting kids. “Hey, we can eat up there,” Rumble said, pointing a hoof to a single thick branch of a nearby tree.
His wings began to flap and he slowly drifted through the air towards the branch. Scootaloo sat frozen, fear consuming her mind.
Rumble was now sitting atop the tree, waiting for his friend. “Come on,” he said, a cheerful smile on his face.
With a gulp, Scootaloo looked around in hopes that no pony was watching. Her wings began buzz and her body twitched with pain at all the strength being put into flying. Rumble raised an eyebrow, “You ok?” he asked, “Did you hurt your wing?”
Unable to reply under the pressure, Scootaloo fell to the ground with a thud, failing to get more than five feet in the air. She shot her head up from the ground, greeted with a dozen eyes staring at her. All filled with amusement and on the verge of laughing.
Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon walked promptly out of the crowed, approaching the terrified filly. “You have got to be kidding me!” Shouted Diamond, falling to her side laughing along with her friend, “A pegusus pony who can’t fly! How rich! Man, I never thought the world could be so pathetic!”
Scootaloo could feel tears approaching like an army bursting through the weak lines of defense that is her confidence. “Hey, leave her alone!” shouted Rumble, falling from the tree and standing by her side. “She never did anything to you!”
“Pfft, yeah, sure,” remarked Silver Spoon, rolling her eyes behind the thick frame of her glasses, “There is nothing more sad than a pegusus pony who can’t fly! She’s equivalent to a handicap!”
Crack.
The most indescribable pain shot itself through Scootaloo’s chest like a knife. Her heart felt to fall, jumping from the tallest cliff to end on the hard rock floor below. A sharp stone carving hieroglyphics depicting pain onto the fragile marble of her now grey heart.
She had to leave, there was no staying here. With tears flowing in her bloodshot eyes, Scootaloo ran in a full gallop towards the school gates, and leaving. “Scootaloo, wait!” shouted Rumble, tailing her from behind.
Diamond and Silver both stood in the playground, continuing to snicker and giggle as the two fouls ran further off into the distance…
Author's Note
I have decided to make this a prequel to my other story, "You're Gonna Fly!" They both seem to fit each other pretty well.
But I hope I got my point across, it doesn't take a punch in the gut to really hurt someone.
