Author's Note

Aha! I learned how to place notes!

Thank you all for your comments and advice for my story! I originally thought this was going to be a small thing to cure my boredom, but it's really becoming a habit now! I'm starting on getting some ideas for more stories and I hope to be able to write them as soon as I finish this one! Once again, thank you!

Insults

Cheerilee continued on with her lessons about math, which in Butter's mind only sounded like a bunch of crazy business speak. Quotient? Product? I'm sorry, I thought this was school! Not a stupid business meeting! Butter groaned as he lay his head on the desk, almost dead from boredom, when the class bell rang. Butter's head immediately sprung up as he looked at the clock. Oh thank Celestia for lunch!

Cheerilee gaze towards the clock and asked in slight surprise, "Oh, it's noon already?" She let out a small chuckle and added, "Well, time flies when you're having fun!"

Wait...that was supposed to be fun?

"Alright then class, time to go outside for lunch and recess!" Butter's face lit up. If he was ever being graded on for lunchtime and recess for some reason, he was bound to get an A+ in both subjects. Well, actually maybe a B in recess, being slightly less active than the normal foal, but still. He would be happy with a B. Maybe even a C+. Butter shook his head as he realized he was going off on a tangent in his mind and focused back on the task at hoof.

Butter grabbed his lunch bag with his mouth and waited for the students in the first row to walk outside. He saw the pink pony glare at him smirking a bit before whispering to her gray friend. They both giggled and continued on outside. Butter let out a sigh and followed the rest of the students outside, holding his lunch with a tighter grip. He looked around the playground and noticed a few swings, two seesaws, and a lot of open fields. Butter thought to himself, Pretty good setup. Not great, but pretty good. After a good look around the place, he slowly treaded towards a lone bench and sat down, dropping his lunch bag to the right of him. He was just about to reach inside and take a bite of his sandwich when he heard the voice of a filly perk up in front of him.

"Well, well, well! What do we have here?" it announced. Startled, Butter glanced towards the direction of the voice and found himself making eye contact with the pink pony from earlier with her gray associate accompanying her. The pink filly continued, "It looks like we have ANOTHER blank flank to deal." She scoffed at him and turned her head away from him, the gray filly mimicking her in a similar manner.

"E-Excuse me, a blank flank?" Butter inquired. He had never heard this term before, but judging by the actions of the two, it was an insult.

The pink one scoffed again, "Are you serious? You don't even know what a 'blank flank' is?" Butter shamefully shook his head at her question. "Wow, you're dumber than you look then..." Butter flinched at the insult. He knew he wasn't the smartest tool in the...place where ponies kept tools... But he wasn't an idiot! The pink pony observed the look on Butter's face and grinned a bit, "A blank flank is a loser like you who can't even get their cutie mark!" Both fillies giggled in unison at him, leaving Butter even more perplexed.

"What's so bad about not having a cutie mark yet?" Butter asked.

The pink filly looked at him, smirking a bit more. "It means you're not special like us!"

Butter was even more confused. "So having a cutie mark automatically makes you special?"

This time, the gray filly behind her spoke up. "Yeah! Everypony knows that!" Both of them started to giggle again until the pink pony decided to open her mouth to talk again.

"But it's okay, I'm sure you'll get your cutie mark in eating REAL soon!"

Butter immediately did a double take. He didn't think he interpreted her words correctly. All Butter could do is let out a faint, "Wh-What?"

The sinister pink filly's smile grew. "You heard me, Blubberball!"

Butter felt like he just got bucked in the stomach hard. Like all the wind was knocked out of him. Butter's mouth hung open for a bit as he tried not to tear up. He sniffled a bit and looked away, trying to cover his eyes with one arm.

"Aww...did I strike a nerve, fatty?" The pink pony cackled at her own insult as Butter's eyes started to tear up. He started to reconsider that maybe his parents lied to him. I mean she was right. He did eat plenty more than colts his age, mostly junk food and candy. Maybe he was fat. Maybe-

"HEY!"

Butter's thoughts were abruptly halted as he heard a familiar voice cry out from somewhere. Butter moved his hoof down, eyes still teary, trying to locate the source of the yell. He suddenly saw three fillies march towards the two bullies. The Crusaders! Butter's ears lifted a bit but then quickly flattened again. Wait, the Crusaders! It made sense now! The Crusaders were allies with the two unknown bullies. They were ganging up on him! Butter watched as they got closer and closer to the group. He braced himself and closed his eyes, waiting for more hurtful words to be thrown at him.

"You leave him alone, Diamond!"

...Pardon? Butter opened one eye slowly as he saw that the three fillies were not yelling at him, but at the two bullies.

The pink filly turned her attention to them and asked simply, "Or what?"

Applebloom answered, "Or we'll tell Miss Cheerilee that you both've been teasin' our new friend!"

Wait...did she just say friend? I hardly know their names and now suddenly my friends?!

The pink pony's eyes widened a bit as she to counter Applebloom's threat. "Y-You wouldn't tell on me! That's something a tattletale would do!"

Scootaloo's eyes narrowed as she confidently stated, "We would. And we will!"

The pink pony went silent, unsure of what to say. After a few seconds of complete silence, she turned to her gray companion and ordered her, "Let's get out of here, Silver. Before our cutie marks disappear!" The gray pony nodded a bit as they trotted off in an egotistical fashion.

The three fillies all exhaled in unison and moved their heads back to Butter. Sweetie Belle was the first to speak. "Are you okay, Butter?"

Butter could've have responded with a plenty of things. But with all the emotions and thoughts going through his mind he could only simply answer, "I dunno..."

The Crusaders inched forward towards him as Scootaloo tried to comfort him. "Hey, don't listen to what those brats have to say. They're just stuck-up jerks!"

Butter wiped his eyes with one hoof and sniffled, trying to keep his cool. "Y-Yeah...I think I got the hint the moment I saw that filly's tiara." He chuckled awkwardly, attempting to cover up the fact that he almost wept his eyes out.

"Yeah, don't worry about Diamond Tiara or Silver Spoon. They're just a buncha meanies!" stated Applebloom, smiling a bit more. Butter nodded in agreement as he started to grin a bit more as well.

"Oh, by the way! Did you get our note?" Sweetie asked, her voice cracking a bit.

Butter smile faded a bit. "Y-Yeah. B-But what do you mean by 'an offer I can't refuse?'"

Applebloom's eyebrow rose up a bit. "What are ya talkin' about?"

"Heheh..." Scootaloo chuckled nervously and started to back away slowly. "I-I wanted to make it sound awesome...and well..."

Applebloom shifted her attention towards her. "What are you tryin' ta do? Frighten 'im away?"

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean it to sound threatening!"

Butter groaned and exhaled deeply. Okay, so they aren't going to kill me. That's good news to hear.

Annoyed with her friend, Applebloom looked back at Butter and tried to reassure him. "Butter, ah'm sorry. We won't hurt ya!"

Scootaloo inched her way back into the group. "Y-Yeah! Honest to Celestia!"

Butter gave them all a questioning look. First they want to murder me, and now they want to be friends? Sighing a bit and giving a bit more thought he finally answered, "F-Fine..." The Crusader's eyes all lit up with glee simultaneously until Butter suddenly added, "But you have to tell me what you three are planning!"

With an agitated groan, Scootaloo turned to Applebloom. "Should we tell him?"

"We can't! It's supposed ta be a surprise remember!"

"Applebloom. I think I surprised him enough with my 'threat.'"

"C'mon!" Applebloom begged. Whatever the surprise was, it must've been pretty important.

Before Scootaloo could argue, Butter spoke up, "Fine...it can be a surprise."

Applebloom's ears lifted as she gave him a big smile. "Thanks, Butter!"

Before Butter had the chance to reply with a "You're welcome," he heard Cheerilee announce, "Okay! Lunch and recess is over!"

Butter's heart sank as he looked at his unfinished meal. The three looked at him as Sweetie Belle apologized. "O-Oh...s-sorry..."

Noting that the three really felt bad for the poor colt, Butter simply responded, "I-It's fine." He carried the bag with his mouth and starting walking back into the room. Whatever this surprise is, it better be good!