I have been what many may call a “loner” for the longest of times now. Sitting alone at lunch, unaccompanied by gleeful laughter in the classroom, and left to myself within the confines of my desk. Sometimes a question the point of things, why I bother getting up in the morning, giving the sun a second look before trudging to yet another day of solitude.
I hate it. All of it. My parents don’t care, my brother doesn’t care, nopony cares! To sit solemnly on a single swing set, watching the sky go black as kids pass me by, shooting glances and releasing cackles, cackles I have grown accustomed to. They talk behind my back, yet so close I can hear the words slither inside me.
I grow numb, uncaring, undeserving of the fate given. So I lay here, the quietness of Sweet Apple Acres engulfing the world as my body melts away under the tender glow of a setting sun. I pick one of the vibrant shaded fruits, taking in the delicacy as my tongue explodes under the sheer amount of flavor. “If only life was like an apple,” I thought, “sweet, tangy, delightful, all till the bitter core.”
I eyed the eaten remains of the red fruit with a look of pity, flicking it into the brush that surrounded me. “Ow!” a harsh squeal emanated from the tall grass. I leaped to my hooves, shaken by the sudden noise.
A small filly exited the green blades of nature, standing before me. “Oh, howdy there,” she said, gifting me a smile. She rubbed the top of her bright red mane, holding my apple core in her other hoof. “Did you happen to throw this at me?” she asked, giggling.
My worries subsided, the thoughts of Timberwolves and chicken monsters fading away like a lost cloud. “Oh, my bad,” I said, rubbing the back of my head in embarrassment.
“It aint’ a problem,” she chimed. “Ah’ve never seen you around school before. What’s your name?”
That’s when I froze, feeling as my insides washed away like the waves before a storm. She was talking to me, asking questions, taking notice of me. I stood unmoving for a moment, further examining the filly before me. Her yellowish eyes reflecting white blotches of light in the setting sun, her coat washed over in a blanket of warmth. Her mane tide up into a ponytail, a noticeably large red bow protruding from her scalp.
No matter how silly it sounds, she was beautiful. The fragileness of her being was astounding, the perfectness of every feature. But it’s not looks that swiped my hoofs off the ground, but the gentleness of her tone, the calmness that lingered in her presence.
“Hello, ya’ there?” she asked waving a hoof in my face.
I flinched, unnoticed of how long I stood there silently. “I-I’m fine,” I finally answered.
“Ya’ sure,” she continued, raising a brow, “you looked pretty lost.”
“I was… uhh….” I found it hard to speak through a knotted tongue. “I was just… enjoying the evening, that’s all.”
“Sounds nice,” she weakly smiled, her eyes glancing about the looming apple trees as a heavy silence befell us both.
“So,” I began, breaking a thick quiet, “What are you doing here?”
“Ah’ live here.”
“Stupid stupid stupid,” my brain pulsated the word. “Oh… uhhh, right.”
More quiet.
“Ah’ asked what your name was,” she repeated, an obvious look of confusion adorning her features.
“My name is—,“ I was cut off by a thunderous boom in the distance, rattling the tops of apple trees. Jumping, I squealed like a baby foal, “What was that!?”
The filly laughed. “Just ma’ sister,” she wheezed, “buckin’ trees. Man, you should have seen your face.”
I stood unamused as she began rolling around in the dirt, holding her sides. It didn’t seem that funny, but her gleeful laughing was more than adorable. “But where are ma’ manners,” she said, getting back to her hooves. “Ma’ names Apple Bloom.” She extended a hoof, her smile piercing through me like a ray of heat.
I slowly and shakily shook her hoof. “Why you so sweaty?” she asked. I quickly pulled my hoof back, face turning red. “J-Just really hot out.”
She giggled and I felt my heart melt under the sweetness of her voice. “So, why haven’t ah’ see you around school before?”
The redness in my cheeks remained as I tried spitting forth words. “I normally hang around by myself.”
A sorrowful look overcame her face. “Why’s that?”
I didn’t know what to say, my body collapsing under such a heavy weight my legs no longer worked. My odd silence was broken by her sweet voice, “Ah’ll be your friend.”
“W…What?”
“Ah said ah’ll be your friend.”
I felt limp like a cinderblock had just fallen against my head. Somepony actually wanted to be my friend. “But… we just met. We don’t even know anything about eachother.”
“I don’t know,” Apple Bloom said, looking down at the dirt floor, kicking a pebble around, “you seem like a nice colt. Ah’ just want to get to know ya’ better, that’s all.”
“This must be a dream,” I thought, “does kindness such as this truly exist. Coming from a wonderful filly who I barley even know.”
“R-really? You really want to be my friend?”
She smiled, a look as soft as silk. “Why not?”
Before I could say anything, she began to speak again. “You're also kinda cute…”
“What?”
“You're kinda cute…” her face went beet red, as did mine.
So much to take in, so little time. The mere fact she wanted to be my friend was overwhelming, but now she thinks I’m cute?
Not knowing what to say, I quietly whispered, “You're kinda cute too.”
After another long session of silence, an odd feeling of happiness filled me. I couldn’t help but crack a grin, slowly burst into a fit of laughter. Her lower lip began to quiver, holding back more shrieks of glee. We both fell below the apple trees, laughing for no apparent reason.
For the first time in a long time, I was happy. Only this time… I had somepony to share it with.
