Chapters "You sure this is the one?"
"Absolutely," Joe said, holding the game case in his hands. "The newest version of Call of Duty . Now with better weapons, an awesomer story, and, best of all, more zombies to kill!"
Button Mash jumped up and down with glee. He has been looking forward to this game for months on end, and now, it was here. He felt like crying, he was so excited.
"I gotta have that game!" Button said, still hopping with glee.
"Ya sure? It costs a lot."
Button responded by pulling out his wallet, and dumping all the cash in it on the game counter in Joe's Donuts & Game Shack.
Joe smiled. "I'll take that as a yes."
Finally! Button thought. The newest Call of Duty ! All mine!
He ran out of the store with the speed of a cheetah, woohooing in happiness. Ever since he discovered the Canterlot Sunshine Mall and Joe's donut and game store after busing it here accidentally, he has gone from a simple arcade-goer to a full-on console gamer! He still goes to the Fun-Time Arcade every now and then, for nostalgia's sake, but nowadays, games like Call of Duty , Zelda , and Minecraft 360 take up his gametime.
He walked out to the main pavilion, trying to figure out which way to go. He had to say, though the game store was the best, the rest of the mall wasn't all that bad.
Just across from Button was the rest of the food court. On one side was a Subway, Burger King, and McDonald's. On the other was a Long John Silver's, a Leann Chin, and a Sonic. On a wall connecting these two sides was a Papa John's, a Dairy Queen, and a Taco Bell. Right in the center, between all these restaurants, were several tables for mallgoers to eat, converse, and goof off.
Button, after a moment of thinking, decided to grab a bite to eat with the remaining money he had. He decided McDonald's was the best and cheapest to get. He got to the cash register, where a white-skinned cashier with blue hair, sunglasses, and headphones took his order. A red-skinned large man with orange hair cooked and gave his order right to him. A Big Mac. Button's favorite meal.
Button found a nearby empty table and sat in it. He unboxed his burger, put a straw in his soda, set his bagged game aside, and dug in. As he ate, he had a look around.
It was the usual scenery. Several groups of friends were conversing and goofing off, doing regular kid things. At the spa nearby, he saw several ladies getting crazy hairdos done by twin women with pink and blue-colored styles. Nearby, he saw Snips and Snails, two goons his age who also came regularly, were debating how to share a fish-and-chips from Long John Silver's.
"I say we each have one fish! Then, we split the fries 50-50!" Snips said.
"Eh sure!" Snails said, "But uh, there's a problem."
"Whassat, Snails?"
Snails simply looked down at the plate. The entire plate of fries, already gone!
"Snails!"
Button giggled with glee, chewing his burger. Yep. Same as usual.
Then, just to the left of Snips and Snails, Button saw something else. Something that definitely caught his attention.
At a table, he saw two kids. One was a boy, small, chubby, with curly black hair, grey skin, and a big smile on his face. He wore a blue collared shirt and khakis and large, untied converse shoes. Sitting next to him was a girl, with curly red hair, big nerdy glasses, and a messy, plaid blouse and skirt. They sat and read a large book together, laughing and talking, with the girl hugging the boy as they hung out.
It made Button sort of giggle and whine at the same time. Seeing those two made him happy they were having fun. Yet, it also gave him sadness, too, as the scene reminded him. That one day at the arcade. When nothing would be the same again.
It had been an ordinary day. Button was going to the arcade on a normal Saturday trip to play Pac-Man, his favorite. This was cut short, though, as he was confronted by a new gamer who also played the game!
Then, through a twist of an ankle, he had figured out this gamer was none other than a sweet, lavender-haired, white-skinned, green-eyed girl named Sweetie Belle, who had just gone there for the first time.
She helped him with his broken ankle in the accident that day. So it seemed right he would help her with her lack of gaming skills. That help soon turned into friendship, and, he admitted to himself, the best Saturday he had ever had, because for the first time, he had something that was better than video games: a friend.
Then, that day got more unusual when, after a day of fun, Sweetie ended it with a gift-in his hand and on his cheek. Then, Button, with lipstick on his cheek and a quarter given to him in his hand, went home, the thoughts of her, sweet, sweet Sweetie Belle, flowing through his head ever since.
Button looked away from the boy and girl with the book, and pulled something out of his pocket. It was the exact same quarter he had received from Sweetie, along with the kiss, that day. It may have been unimportant to other people, but to Button, this quarter was nothing but special. He just couldn't spend it or lose it, if losing it meant losing memories of her. His first friend.
Button put the quarter in his pocket, and got up, throwing away the garbage of his meal in a nearby trashcan. He put aside his sad thoughts as soon as he looked at his new game.
He couldn't wait to get home and play it! Judging from the cover, the standard man-with-a-gun, only this time a bigger one, it was going to be awesome.
Bump!
Button jumped a few feet back, whining in surprise. Then, he looked up. This was a sight he didn't want to see.
"Well, well, if it isn't the Pac-Boy!" Rumble said, sneering. His goons alongside him laughed and chuckled at his remark.
Oh no, Button thought. He had tangled with Rumble before. Well, more like ran into and beat up by him before. Rumble was the resident meanie and rich boy of Button's neighborhood. However, he never regularly came here, which was another reason why Button liked the mall.
"Got a new game, Pac-Boy?" Rumble asked. He snatched the game from Button's hands, and looked at it.
"Whaddya know? Pac-Boy's found something other than dots and ghosts to chase!" He chuckled, his goons doing the same.
Button blushed in anger. Not only did he insult Button by calling him that name, but he insulted his favorite game cabinet, too! Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do about it. Button wasn't exactly Jackie Chan when it came to fighting. Usually, he hoped for Principal Celestia to help him out of this jam. Unfortunately, this wasn't Canterlot High in Ponyville. This was the Sunshine Mall in Canterlot.
Rumble tossed the game into his black jacket pocket. "Gotta thank you, Button. Didn't think I'd have anything to do today." He got right up to Button's face, towering over him with his fists. "Now I get to scruff you up, and play this at home with my bro Thunderlane straight afterwards!"
"B-but I just got that game!"
"Yeah, now I just got it," Rumble shouted, slapping Button onto the floor. "Whatcha gonna do about it?" He sneered, his goons surrounding Button.
Button sat there, not knowing what to do. All those days, doing chores and helping Mom around the house, all in vain, now, he thought. He felt like tearing up, knowing he couldn't match up to Rumble's strength and power.
Then, out of nowhere, a voice came up.
"Hey!"
Rumble looked to the sound, his goons doing the same. Then, a sudden look of fear on their faces, they ran out, dropping Button's game in the process.
Button could only stare at it, wondering who that was, until he heard:
"You OK, Button?"
This person knew his name? The only people who knew Button's name were Rumble, his mom, and-
Sweetie Belle. The new gamer that changed his life. Whose green eyes Button were now staring right into at that exact moment!
Sweetie looked closer at the face of the boy in front of her, then gaped in shock. "Button?!"
"S-sweetie?!"
Button jumped up, still in a surprised stupor. Sweetie Belle, here ? He didn't think it possible! After all, she was never there before, nor did she ever come back to the arcade after that day. Course, he kind of figured that. She was a pretty, pretty girl who happened to be bored and alone that day. Why would she go back into a place meant for people like...well,him ?
But no time for that at the moment. Back to reality.
Sweetie could only stare at Button, who did the same. "I'd..I'd never thought i'd see you here, of all places!"
She sat down. "I always figured you were," she paused, "a loner kind of guy." She looked at him, scrunching up. "No offense."
He kind of took offense. Yet, he couldn't. For one, it was true. Button wasn't a social butterfly. For another, the way she talks, the way she's so honest with him..he just couldn't be mad.
"It's ok," he said, "none taken."
He smiled, to ensure he truly wasn't angry. Sweetie stared, and smiled right back.
"Everything ok, Sweetie Belle?" Button heard someone shout. He looked around, and saw two people running towards them.
They stopped near Button and Sweetie. One was an orange girl, with short, dark pink, spiky hair. She wore a black slipover jacket, dark khaki shorts, and tall, black boots. The other was quite the opposite. She had yellow skin, long, red hair, and a large red bow in her hair. On her person was a green shirt, tight, dark-blue jeans, and cowboy boots.
"Everything alright?" the orange one repeated. She had a bit of a city slick in her voice and stature.
"Rumble didn't hurt this here little guy, did he?" the yellow girl asked. Country accent. These two definitely were quite different, Button thought.
"A little bit," Sweetie said. She pointed to the bruise on Button's face. "He got hit in the head."
"Aw man," the city girl said, "looks like it hurt." She walked right next to Button Mash. "Did it?"
Button stood there, not knowing whether or not to say it did. "Uh, a little." Eh, good enough answer, he thought. They won't think of me as weak. However, I won't exactly be the strongman in their eyes, either.
"Well, that's good." The city girl smiled. "I'm Scootaloo, by the way."
"And ahm Apple Bloom," the country gal said, "And we all make up-"
Sweetie, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom ran into a group and struck a pose."-the Crusaders!" they shouted in unison.
Button was both confused, yet amused by the motto of these three friends.
"We try to make fun out of this thing called life!" Scootaloo shouted, raising a fist in the air.
"Hope ta make the most of it!" Apple Bloom responded with, she too raising a fist.
"Crusading our way to what we want to do for the rest of it!" Sweetie shouted, only raising the fist halfway, looking rather awkward in Button's eye. This must not have been her idea.
"Well..cool!" Button said, unsure what to make of it.
"Thanks!" They shouted in unison.
"Maybe you could join us on one of our escapades some day?" Scootaloo said.
Button widened his eyes. He didn't know whether or not that was a good idea. He looked at Sweetie Belle. "Uh, sure."
"Great!" Scootaloo said, pulling out a scooter and helmet, "Come on, girls! Let's go see what we can do!"
Scootaloo and Apple Bloom began zooming out of the food court. Sweetie stayed behind with Button.
"You're going to have to pardon them," she said, a look of embarrassment on her face, "they can be a little excitable."
Button smiled, also feeling awkward. "It's ok."
Button sat next to Sweetie, not sure what to say. Sweetie only looked at him.
"If you..you know..ever wanted to hang out," Sweetie said, playing with her hair, "you're always welcome."
She then put a hand on his shoulder, making Button jump internally. "I kinda missed playing Pac-Man with you."
The same feeling he had gotten that day crept into Button's body once again. His mind was flowing with confusion and astonishment.
"W-w-well.."
That was all he could say. His mind just simply went blank. Sweetie only stared in confusion.
"Okaaaay.." she said, getting up. She crossed her arms, sort of sad. "Well, it was nice to see you again."
She slowly walked away, as if waiting for something. Button tried to get his mind back on track.
She was a few feet away from him now. Button still couldn't think straight.
A bunch of feet away now. Button started to panic.
So far away now, she could almost not hear him.
Then, out of sheer worry and panic, Button could only say one thing:
"Maybe Saturday?!?"
Well, more like shouted, but that wasn't on Button's mind.
Sweetie Belle looked back. Then, she started to walk back. Button, realizing what he did, clamped his mouth shut.
Then, Sweetie sat right back down. Then, she smiled. Button only stared, sweating faster than the Niagara Falls.
"Here?" she asked.
Button umclamped his mouth, managing to open up. "S-sure."
Sweetie then smiled more. "I'll see you then."
And then, for the second time, a kiss was planted on poor Button's cheek.
With that, Sweetie walked back to her friends, sort of skipping along, if Button saw correctly.
Button watched as she went out of sight, his hand resting on his affected cheek. From there, his mind, now completely clear, only thought one thing:
"What have I just done?!"
Button sat in his room, pacing with his Gameboy in his hands. He played his Gameboy while pacing in order to think. He had been doing it for about two hours, but Button still didn't know what to do.
He still believe he had basically asked out Sweetie Belle. Sweetie Belle ! A girl who, though astoundingly pretty, he had just practically met! Why ask out someone you just met?
On the other half of his mind, however, Button was somewhat congratulating himself. He just asked a girl out! That's pretty awesome, given Button's social life and poor ways with people. Maybe now, Button can actually a few friends in this world. And maybe, just maybe, Sweetie would really like this date! That would be something really awesome! he thought.
In this round of pacing, however, the cons of asking Sweetie out were increasingly outweighing the pros. He just knew something would go wrong! Button had never done this before, so he didn't know what to do in this type of situation. So, with no knowledge and no experience, not to mention no social skills, Button eventually shook with fear, no longer able to concentrate on his game, now just pressing random buttons while simply staring at the screen, not actually engaging.
After another hour, Button could only determine one thing: he needed advice.
Button's mom was cooking some soup in the small kitchen of their apartment. Button poked his head in, smelling the aroma. Mmm, tasty. However, this wasn't the time for thinking of food. He needed help.
"Mom?" he said.
His mother turned around, her braids swinging around her head. "Yes, sweetie? What is it? You lost your charger, again?"
Button shook his head. "It's..something else. Not a game problem."
"Nothing to do with games?" Button's mom let down the spoon she was using, a look of confusion and astonishment on her face. "That's a first."
She sat down, waving Button to the seat next to her, which he took. "Now, tell me, honey. What's wrong?"
Button started to speak, but for some reason couldn't get the words right. He didn't exactly know how to ask for advice on things like this.
"U-uh..h-have you ever gone on a date, Mom?"
"Why, of course, silly! How do you think I met your father so many years ago? He took me on many a date." She looked up in thought, smiling. "Always a charmer, he was!" Then, a frown appeared. "Not very dedicated, though."
Button only sat there, facepalming. Perhaps he should've rephrased that question.
His mom suddenly snapped back. "But yes, I have. Why do you ask?"
"W-well.." Button replied, "I'm going on one Saturday."
"You are ?" Mom replied. Immediately, she jumped up, wrapping Button in a big hug. "Oh, my golly! My little son, going on a date! Oh, finally growing up! Finally making some friends! Finally getting out of my-"
She paused, then put Button down. "I mean, that's very nice, Button. Very nice, indeed." She saw the look of embarrassment on his face. "I assume you're trying to ask for help on what to do on this date? Is that why you asked if I ever went on a date?"
Button only looked down, and nodded.
"Well," Mom sat back down, with Button doing the same. "I don't really know what a boy is supposed to do at a date, but I will say this."
She looked Button directly in the eyes, with Button stooping in to hear better. "I would say, be the best you can be." She leaned back in her chair, smiling. "That's the simplest thing you can do."
Button thought of this for a moment. It didn't quite make sense. "OK. Thanks..I guess."
He walked out of the kitchen, his mom, sighing and smiling, went back to the soup she was preparing.
Button contemplated what his mom said as he laid in bed that night. Be the best he can be? What could that mean?
It took a while through the night, but he managed to maybe figure it out. Basically, he thought, it means be awesome. Be the best. In other words, make it the best date it could possibly be.
In other words, do things you normally wouldn't do in order to impress her. Yeah. That would definitely work. Sweep her off her feet that date, and she'll be putty in my hands .
Yes, he finally understood. Button knew what to do. Then, with that, he fell asleep, dreaming of her, hoping she will love who he would be on their date.
Button woke up extra early the day of the date, hoping to make himself be the best ever by getting ready and getting there early.
He got up and examined his usual wear. T-shirts and jeans and shorts just wouldn't cut it for today. The clothing of choice today would have to be better.
Button went deeper into his closet, hoping that the quality of clothing would increase with every inch into it. In it, he managed to find a good pair of light khakis that his father got from Australia at some point in his time that he spent away from his family. He tried them on. The legs outgrew his legs by a foot. Thinking, Button rolled them up. They were good enough.
In the same closet, Button Mash also happened to find a small button-up shirt. Nothing too special, just a short-sleeved red button-up that Button had to wear to special events when he was younger. He put it on and tried to button it up, but the buttons just couldn't get close enough. It had been a while since he had worn it.
Button looked at himself with it and the khaki pants on in his bathroom, pondering what to do. Then, in his reflection, he also saw the shirts he piled up searching in the closet. One stood out in particular. Like the red shirt, nothing special. Just a plain white T-shirt.
Button went to the pile and grabbed the shirt, pulled off the red button-up, put on the T-shirt, and put the red one back on. He looked at himself in the mirror again. Perfect.
The only thing left was the head. He looked at the whirligig hat that he wore since childhood. All colorful and childish and...what was the best description? Not the best.
Button, slowly, took off the hat and looked at it and his hair. All hat-hair, having been stuffed under the spinning top for years. Well, that's gonna change today. For Sweetie Belle.
Button threw his spinhat on the bed, and went to his mom's closet. There, he found one of the only remnants of his father. A brown dusty beret hat. Good enough to complete the look.
Button went back to his bathroom mirror and put on the hat. The best look of all . Button smiled at his new fashion achievement. It wasn't toe-tapping gorgeous, but it will do.
The next thing to do: get the money for the date.
That was definitely not gonna be a problem. Button was trying all his best to help out and do chores around the house, along with around his house. He had washed dishes dozens of times, and raked the yards of several houses to get a bunch of money for his chance to impress.
Button opened up his sock drawer. In it, along with his socks and undies, were two boxes. One was a big box of savings, which he saved for something big. Button would've used this, but felt it wasn't enough. Besides, he wanted to save it for something even awesomer. A huge flat screen for his room kept floating in his head for the past while everytime he looked inside it.
So Button put that box aside and picked up the other box. This was the box of date money he had saved up from the neighbors he helped and his mom, who was very generous and helpful in his quest for moolah. Hope this is enough. Button got out his wallet, and stashed all the money inside it. Then, to make sure he wasn't robbed of it by sudden muggers, he put it in a hidden compartment in his backpack for safekeeping, along with deodorant, a toothbrush, toothpaste, and a brush and comb. Button hoped to keep clean the whole date, so he didn't take any chances not taking all this stuff.
Good, he thought. All ready to go. He just about walked out of his room, ready with what he had, but then stopped. He glanced at his hat atop his bed. Button looked at it for a minute, saddened, then, with quick thinking, stashed it into his backpack.
Perhaps he couldn't wear it, but there was nothing wrong with keeping it around.
Button was at the entrance to the mall, having waited for a solid hour for his date, having started sweating from worry. He wondered when Sweetie was going to show up. He hugged his backpack tight, as if it was a stress doll.
He than began to wonder if he was being the best he could be. After all, he had his thoughts about the outfit, along with the combing he endured for fifteen minutes before leaving. Will it go ok? Will Sweetie like me? Will she like what I did? I don't know! Will she think instead i'm a weirdo who wears weird clothing? * I don't know!***
Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw movement. The bushes nearby crackled and moved, like when someone jumps into them. Button stared, suspiciously, then, curious, he walked over to the bushes and looked behind.
"Boo!"
Scootaloo and Apple Bloom immediately jumped out of the bushes, scaring Button right off his feet. His butt hit the ground hard, leaving him spurting out a hurt whine.
Slowly getting up, Button looked at Scootaloo and Apple Bloom, discovering they both wore tight ninja outfits. He tried looking at their eyes, which were the only things showing, so as to not be a creep.
"Wh-wh-what are y-you guys doing here?! Trying to play a prank on me or something?!"
Scootaloo took off her mask. "What? Heck no, dude! Just a little, uh...spying, that's all."
Apple Bloom followed suit with the mask. "Yeah, on you two, that is." Scootaloo rammed her arm with her elbow, causing Apple Bloom to wince and reply in pain.
"WHAT?! Spying on us?!?!" Button looked at himself, and took off his hat. "Wh-what do you mean? Why?"
"Well," Scootaloo replied, "Sweetie is our best friend-"
"-and given this here's her first date, we thought we'd keep watch!" Apple Bloom interrupted with.
"To make sure nothing goes wrong with it!" Scootaloo then walked to Button's side, with a guilty smile. "Plus, I hate to lay on the truth to you, but to me"-Scootaloo looked Button over once-"you don't like someone who's 'romance-savvy.'"
"W-well, to tell you the truth, i'm not," Button admitted, putting his hat back on, "so I-i'm going to try my best to make this date good!"
"I admire the spunk, Button," Scootaloo said, pulling out some paper and writing something down," but you won't be able to do that alone." She handed Button the slip of paper. "Use this for when you need us for anything ."
With that, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom put their masks back on, and jumped back into the bushes. Button ran back to the bush, trying to say something, but only found grass and leaves behind the bush.
How did they do that?
Before Button could contemplate that thought any more, he saw a white sedan pulling up into the parking lot and stopping near him. He had seen this car before. This was Sweetie Belle's sister's car!
And where there was Sweetie Belle's sister, Button thought, there was...
Pretty.
Just...amazing.
This thought was all Button could think as his date stepped out of her sibling's car. She stepped out in well-polished black casual high heels. Her ruby-red dress whooshed as she closed the door to her sister's car. She adjusted her dress and the light purple jacket she wore over it, looking rather embarrassed or awkward. One of her eyes were hidden by her shining curly locks, to help prove this feeling.
"Uh, sorry if this is a bit too much," Sweetie said, her face a light red. She pointed her head to the car. "My sister's a fashion designer, and when she heard I was going on a date, she just got all excited, and wanted to help."
Then, as if by cue, the front window rolled down, showing the hyped excitement on Rarity.
"Oh, why, hello, Button! I've heard a lot about you." Rarity leaned over the window, looking over Button as Scootaloo did. "You looked much different when I first saw you that other time.'
Button, having rushed back to reality, simply took off his hat and went red. "Uh, y-yeah. I, uh, changed a bit for the date."
Rarity looked him over once more, smiling. "Well, I can see you did that. Although I think you should come to me next time, so that you can get the full best look."
Button frowned. This isn't the best look?
Rarity saw the look of concern on Button's face as he looked over his outfit again. "Oh, but it does look good." She then grabbed the shoulder of Sweetie, who looked at it in surprise.
"I do know it will certainly look good next to my darling little sister!" She giggled in excitement, with Sweetie Belle blushing more as did. "My little sister, looking good for her very first daaatte !" Rarity pinched Sweetie's strawberry cheek, wiggling it as she talked, Rarity chuckling in pride and amusement. Button only mentally chuckled a little bit, given much of his mind was still fixated on Sweetie's beautiful looks.
Sweetie pulled off her sister's hands, her blood rushing even more to her face. "Rarity!"
"Oh, I'm only being excited, Sweetie." Rarity pinched her little sister's cheek one last time, before pulling her head back into her car. "Have a darling time, you two!" she said, waving as she drove away.
Button only stood there, staring. He suddenly noticed Sweetie staring right back, her having the exact same look-over look. He quickly put his hat back on, straightening himself up as best as he could.
"Well," she said, still contemplating her date's outfit, "it wasn't quite what I expected from someone like you."
Button could frown. His hat drooped, as if recognizing his sudden disappointment.
Sweetie then smiled. "But it does look good on you." Sweetie then walked right next to Button. His face immediately lit back up, his posture becoming more confident.
"We-heh-ell," Button said, trying his best to sound suave, "that's just the beginning."
Sweetie sort of giggled , amused yet somewhat confused, as Button, in his mind facepalming himself, walked with her into the mall.
Before going in, Button noticed Scootaloo and Apple Bloom, in the bush again, watching him, with criticizing looks on their faces. He looked at the slip of paper. On it was a phone number.
Button immediately memorized it, and put it back in his pocket. Given how this was going so far, he felt like he was going to need the help.
