Be Mine Tonight

Button’s head was propped up on a foreleg, while Miss Cheerilee droned on about the importance of mathematics. His eyes shifted to the clock hanging above the chalkboard. He squinted and tried to push the minute hand closer to the twelve looming over the other numbers. Sadly, Button’s imaginary mental powers weren’t enough to coax the stubborn hand to tick any faster. Maybe if he was a unicorn he’d have better luck, but this earth pony was stuck watching his teacher clear the board for another equation.

“It’s important to learn multiplication because it will save you a lot of time when you need to calculate larger values.” Cheerilee grabbed a piece of chalk between her teeth and scribbled an equation on the board.

Blah, blah, blah… Another boring lesson about numbers. I can barely stand listening to her. How can she actually teach it?! Button yawned and inhaled the cool breeze pushing itself through the cracked window. Sabotaging the clock was out of the question, and escaping through the window wasn’t looking like a feasible option either. He was stuck enduring the wonders of arithmetic until the bell rang.

Button did what he always did when his mind wandered: stared at the back of Sweetie Belle’s head. Cheerilee had reprimanded him several times already for staring out the window or batting his eraser around like a mischievous cat. The crafty colt had a notebook open and a pencil dangling from his mouth. It almost looked like he was willing to take notes. Well, except for the blank pages leering up at him.

The only problem plaguing young Button was that admiring Sweetie Belle all day was beginning to interfere with his thoughts of gaming. He noticed more about the sweet-smelling filly than he did about whatever Cheerilee was teaching up front. Sweetie’s mane looked so plush and vibrant each morning. Not at all like the scruffy orange bangs poking out from under Button’s beanie.

“I can see you’re all fading fast,” Cheerilee said, glaring directly at Button. “I’m sure this will get your attention though.” She cleared her throat and moved over to her desk. It was never good when a teacher abandoned their post at the blackboard “I’m going to be assigning you an end-of-the-quarter project.”

Nothing sounded worse than the simultaneous groans of a foal-filled classroom. The pencil fell from Button’s mouth and clattered against the tile floor.

“Don’t worry, it’s nothing too difficult! As you know the seasons are changing, and soon you’ll all be warm and cozy in your homes at night.”

Yep! Gonna be wrapped in a blanket playing that new NeighStation! Button’s brief fantasy was enough of a distraction to temporarily remove the thoughts of schoolwork.

“So, you’re all going to team up and go on a bit of a last-minute scavenger hunt before we’re covered in snow.”

Awesome!

“A scavenger hunt for different types of leaves!”

What…?

“The leaf-collecting project has been a staple in our school system since I was a filly!” Cheerilee rested a hoof onto a mountain of teetering binders. “I’ll provide the scrapbooks and pages, but you’ll need to fill it up with the leaves and a few sentences containing info on each sample. This will be a great way for everypony to enjoy the last few days of warmth before autumn officially begins. It’ll be chilly soon, and you know Miss Rainbow Dash is never late bringing in the next season!”

The class murmured once more. Cheerilee had done the unthinkable. Nopony in their right mind would ever drop a bomb like this so close to dismissal! Cries for impeachment would echo down the hallway! Foals would picket outside the building and demand immediate educational reform!

Or they would just split off into groups…

Sweetie Bell scurried from her seat over to Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, who were already busy doodling on a map of Ponyville. The three hunched over Apple Bloom’s desk while she carefully outlined a pathway with her pencil.

“Okay,” Sweetie said taking immediate action, “we should check leaf piles, alleyways, and under the bridges first. Everypony always dumps their leaves in those places!”

“Eh, under the bridge?” Scootaloo protested. Her muzzle twisted in disgust. “I don’t think soggy leaves will work out so well…”

“And most’ve the leaves in the alley’re in pieces. We ain’t gonna score very high if we have to tape ‘em all together!” Apple Bloom added.

The group sighed collectively.

Cheerilee trotted over and stuck her head between the three girls. “Not so fast, you three. This project is meant to be done in pairs.” She lifted her head and hollered at the large groups forming. “Only in pairs, my little ponies! Your scrapbooks will be much more personalized if only two of you are working together on a book.”

“But we’re a trio! We work as a team!” Scootaloo fluttered her wings as she stood up to challenge the newly announced rule. “You can’t split up the Cutie Mark Cru-"

“Sorry, girls, only two ponies per team,” the nosey teacher interjected. The iron hoof of the dictator had swatted Scootaloo back down into her seat.

“It’s fine. You two can work together. I’ll, uh, just find somepony else!” Sweetie forced a smile.

Cheerilee nodded in approval and returned to her desk. Sweetie hadn’t figured out her plan past the part of getting their teacher away from the group.

Apple Bloom spit her pencil onto the table. “Are ya sure, Sweetie?”

“D-don’t worry! I’m always gabbing away with the gals over there! You two have fun. We’ll have to compare our scrapbooks when we’re finished!” Sweetie’s eyes shifted to her side of the room where ponies were quickly breaking off into twos.

“If you say so,” Scootaloo turned around and slumped down in her seat. “We can make up for lost crusading time once we go on break for Harvest Week.”

Button finished his personal whining and decided it was time to pick his partner; same colt as always. “Yo, Rumble do ya wanna-“ His ears lowered as he watched Rumble and Pipsqueak seal their partnership with a hoof bump. Button frantically stood on his chair and scanned the room for an available partner. “Crud! Who’s left?!” At this point he would settle for Diamond Tiara. Her father could probably feed the trees money to sprout golden leaves.

Before Sweetie could return to her desk, Cheerilee reached out a foreleg and stopped her. “I know a certain colt who could really use a good partner like you. It looks like his usual companion went with somepony else. Foals can be so fickle,” she sighed.

Never one to outwardly disagree with a teacher, Sweetie played along and continued smiling. “Oh? That’s great news!” This is terrible news…

Cheerilee guided Sweetie back to her seat and cleared her throat. Button’s face was still flat against the wooden slab of his desk. She cleared her throat again but with more aggression pouring up from her chest. The colt lifted his head and blinked. “Sweetie, I think you should help Button. He’s a very good student.” When he actually applies himself… It seemed that lying in class was becoming the newest fad. Even teachers were joining in on the fun!

Button gulped and stared at the two smiling faces in front of him. “Wh-what?”

“It looks like we both need partners, Button. Is it alright with you if we work together? I don’t mind at all.” Sweetie plopped down in her seat and turned around. Her forelegs drummed against the back of her chair as she waited for Button’s response.

A deep blush spread over Button’s cheeks. Sweetie was a catch as far as fillies went. She was smart, polite, and one of the most beautiful fillies in class. The only time he ever conversed with her was when she turned around to hand him a paper or when they were outside during a fire drill. Button had to face the fact that not only was she out of his league scholastically but also in a whole different social class! Anypony who hung around with Rarity was destined to be sought after. His mind was racing.

“Button, it’s rude to stare!” Cheerilee scolded, with a hoof pressed against her face.

“Sure…” Button’s mouth automatically replied. His mind was now split between leaving for the day and trying not to have a panic attack talking to Sweetie Belle.

“Sounds good!” Sweetie was as chipper as ever.

“Wonderful!” Cheerilee clapped her hooves together. “I’m sure you two will learn a lot from each other. Button has a very vivid imagination.”

Button watched Cheerilee move to another group of students before properly addressing his new partner. “Thanks for teaming up with me. I didn’t expect Rumble to pick a new teammate.”

“Don’t worry about it. I got split up from my friends too. It’ll be nice to work together! After all, you’ve sat behind me for a quarter of the year and we’ve barely talked.” Sweetie placed a hoof to her chin. “I’m with my sister this weekend, and I don’t think she’ll be too keen on us bringing the outdoors indoors.” She giggled.

“Um, well, I’m sure my mom could help us. If you don’t mind stopping over. I’m free in the afternoon tomorrow, but busy at night.” Button grabbed the pencil with his mouth and scribbled on the blank notebook in front of him. He pressed his hoof onto the tablet and tore the sheet away, leaving shreds of paper caught within the spiral binding. “Here’s where I live. I’ll make sure my mom has food for us, so you won’t have to worry about dinner.” His voice remained sterile. Button was still trying to decide how he should act around his new partner. Sweetie was as cute as a button after all!

The eager filly tucked the map into her saddlebag just as the bell rang. Books slammed and hooves clopped against the floor. Sweetie waited until the congestion died down before leaving her seat. “Have a good night, Button. I’ll try and think of some ideas for our book tonight!”

“O-okay…” With one swift motion Button slid all of his books and pencils into his saddlebag. He slung the cluttered bag over his back and made for the door.

“Happy hunting!” Cheerilee said, as Button walked past her desk.

. . . . . .

Button seems like he'll be a good partner. Might just need a push in the right direction. Some days it does look like his brain is off in another world though…

Diamond Tiara galloped away from the schoolhouse kicking up a cloud of dust in her wake. The entire time she bumped the other foals to the side. Her hurried pace turned to a casual trot as she finally caught up with Sweetie Belle. The cunning filly wiped the usual smug look from her muzzle and strained to show concern. "Wait up, Sweetie Belle!" She pretended to pant.

Sweetie's hooves came to a halt. It was rare that Diamond Tiara ever called her by name. Blank flank seemed to be the only term of endearment that was ever shouted to Sweetie on a daily basis. "I don't want any trouble, Diamond. I need to get home and do some brainstorming on the project. Have a nice weekend." She continued her canter over the bridge leading from the school house back into Ponyville. Keeping conversations short and civil was the best strategy for diffusing a ticking bully bomb.

"W-wait!" Diamond Tiara insisted. "That's why I came to find you! It’s about the project. Look, I know we don't have the best history together, but I've been trying my hardest to fix things!"

"Well, you haven't really caused any problems for us lately... Okay, what's up?" Sweetie Belle leaned closer. It was true that the Crusaders were enjoying a renaissance of peace from Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon’s frequent harassment.

"I saw that Cheerilee put you in a group with Button Mash." Diamond Tiara shuddered. "I was in a group with him once. It was awful..."

Sweetie raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Diamond planted her flank on the ground and sighed. The gears of manipulation were already turning inside her head. "I was just like you; open-minded and ready to tackle the day with my new partner! Then I went over to Button's house and couldn't believe how rotten he acted. His poor mother…  She's practically a slave, while he lies on the couch all day playing his JoyBoy. And have you seen how messy he looks in the morning? That's because he only showers once a week! Just be glad you don't sit behind him. He smells like an old horseshoe!  He’s a total slob! If I were you, I'd ask Cheerilee for a new partner. Button's a total reject. Why else do you think no one picked him? Rumble is his best friend and even he chose to go with somepony else! Button’s a spoiled brat and just leeches off ponies to barely pass his tests! Gamer colts are the worst ponies imaginable! I just don't want him to use you, Sweetie..."

Sweetie wasn't sure what to think. Button seemed harmless. "He barely makes a peep behind me during class ! He seems so innocent…"

"It's fine if you don't believe me, but I’m sure your fellow Crusaders will say the same thing. I came all the way out here to warn you. I didn't want to say anything bad about Button behind his back, but..." Diamond Tiara placed a hoof on Sweetie's shoulder. "Blank flank or not, I've always wanted to be your friend. And after everything I put you through I just want to make things right!" She turned on the waterworks and sniffled.

"Don't cry! I believe you! It is true that he didn't seem very thrilled to work on the project...   I'll talk with Cheerilee on Monday. Maybe it won't be too late to change partners. I certainly don’t want to end up doing the entire project by myself!”

Sweetie Belle was an easy target for classmates who wanted to copy her homework or steal an occasional answer. Never a filly to cause trouble, she did her best to keep peace between everypony. Quite the difference from the hot-headed pegasus and stubborn earth pony completing the remaining Ponyville slots of the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

The fillies said their goodbyes and began the walk home in opposite directions.

Rather than sabotaging a crusade or flinging misguided insults, Diamond Tiara was now testing the waters of spreading rumors. Planting the seeds of doubt and allowing Sweetie’s overactive imagination to blossom into panic would be more than satisfying to watch. She smiled and snickered quietly. "Those crusaders are even stupider when they're apart! I can't wait to see the look on Button's face when he winds up presenting his crummy scrapbook all by his lonesome, little self!" Her laughter grew in volume until Diamond Tiara threw her head back and maniacally cackled. "Game over, Butt Munch!”

/) To be Continued (\