Triple S: Small Side Story
"Bowlin?" Applejack's consciousness woke up to that word, but the rest of her wasn't ready to catch up. She had just been in the middle on a great dream, and she was hoping she could still catch the wisps of what was left. "That's a great idea fer a first date!" That woke her up. Groggily, but steadily, she got out of bed to see who in hay was up at--she looked at her clock through bleary vision.--One in the morning.
Right after, she heard a quiet 'hush'. She recognized that voice from anywhere.
"Big Mac?" She whispered, "what's he doin up this early?"
"Sorry, ah was just gettin excited fer ya." Was that Apple Bloom? Who else was down there, Granny Smith? Were they all discussing a family matter without her? "When ya comin' back?" Wait--who was leaving? Applejack grabbed her farm hat and ran towards the stairs, not really paying attention to the conversation.
"No."
She stopped, right before she took a step down the stairs. She quickly noticed it was only Apple Bloom and Big Mac, Apple Bloom facing the stairs. She took a step back, so she wouldn't be noticed. This was clearly something between only them, and she'd be intruding if she walked between them. She was interested how this conversation would play out, though. People rarely said 'no' to Big Mac.
"Why 'no'?" She heard Big Mac ask.
"No. Yer not gunna work at all tamorrow...er..taday. Big Mac, you've been workin so hard lately and haven't even been given a lick of appreciation in return!" Apple Bloom replied.
"He has been given appreciation lately!" Applejack whispered to herself, "Ah think..." She poked her head out from her hiding spot to see the scene unraveling before her.
"It don't matter! Big Mac, I want ya ta take the day off taday!" Apple Bloom sounded a bit mad, Applejack immediately wondered if Big Mac said something to offend her, she wondered if she should interfere now, but her feet wouldn't budge. "You deserve it." She continued, she sounded a lot more calmer now. "Ah don't even want ta see you out on those fields," she pointed outside, to one of the closest apple trees, for emphasis. "Y'all need sleep, and that's exactly what y'all be doin later taday." There was a slight pause, Big Mac must've said--or done--something in response. "Ah'll make sure Applejack an Granny Smith know, and I'll have Sweetie and Scoots guardin yer door." She added, nodding in satisfaction. She had been pacing the whole time she was talking.
Mac chuckled, probably at the thought of taking orders from his youngest sister. She walked towards him, looking up more towards the stairs. Applejack fought the urge to gasp as she retreated her head back around the corner. "Deal?" Apple Bloom asked, Applejack imagined her with her arm stuck out towards her brother.
Well, now Applejack really wanted to see how this conversation would play out--would he take the deal or not? It was like listening to a television program on the radio!
"Deal." Mac responded. That was fast. "Only"
Only what? Applejack wondered; she didn't have to wonder for long.
"If ya go back ta bed."
Oh, so this whole thing was about trying to get Apple Bloom to bed. Applejack thought, nodding and understanding.
"Night, Mac." Apple Bloom's voice sounded louder than before. Applejack froze in realization: She was coming up the steps. "See ya later taday." Applejack also realized that, if she ran to her bedroom now, Apple Bloom would either hear her or see her, or both, and question why she was running.
Apple Bloom's face appeared, and immediately noticed Applejack; her expression changing from nonchalant to surprise in a matter of seconds. Applejack pressed a finger to her lips, silently telling her sister to be quiet, at least until Big Mac was gone. Apple Bloom nodded, a small look of determination on her face. They both watched Mac head out the door, and ducked there heads back when he suddenly turned around.
"Applejack?" Applebloom asked, an apple in her hand, "What are ya doin here so early?" She gasped, realization hitting her like a lightning bolt. "Were ya spyin' on us?"
Applejack sighed. "Yes, an ah know I probably shouldn't have. Ah just thought it was a family issue, then I saw y'all an Big Mac, and--"
"It's OK." Apple Bloom interrupted. "Ah understand."
"Ya do?" Apple Bloom nodded. "Phew, that's a relief." Applejack said, visibly relaxing. "Last thing I need is mah own little sister not trustin me." She straightened up and turned towards Apple Bloom's door, about to walk towards it, when she remembered she wanted to ask her sister something. "Apple Bloom?"
Apple Bloom looked up at her with wonder. "Yeah?"
"Why were y'all up so early? Wheres Big Mac goin? Why ain't he gunna work tamorrow? Why don't you think he should work--"
"Applejack, ah'm sorry, but I'm a might tired. I'll tell ya in the morn, ok?"
Applejack looked at her sister with a bit of concern before changing her expression to a worried smile. "Alright, sugar cube. Now, let's get cha ta bed."
Chatting at 1 in the Morning.
Apple Bloom woke up to the sound of a monster growling at her from someplace in her room. She gasped, tightly clutched her blanket, and urgently looked around, trying to find the place this foul beast was hiding. It growled again, and this time, she got a hint of where it may be. Now, she didn't know if this was the smartest or the dumbest thing she had ever done, but she got out of bed and walked towards it.
"Keep growlin' beastie." She mumbled, "I'm gunna catch ya, an' keep ya as my new pet." Definitely the dumbest. What if the beast was three times her size? What if it kidnapped her, and took it away to it's home and kept her as a pet? What if-- "Apple Bloom!" She scolded herself, "stop scaring' yerself! If it tries ta kidnap ya--or worse--scream like Rarity did when she found out her favorite fabric was missin." She didn't know if her voice would let her reach that high a pitch.
The beast growled again, this time from below her. "Beast..?" She asked, she was starting to get scared. It growled once more, it was getting much more frequent. She bent her head so she could look underneath herself as the beast slowly stopped. She realized, just before it quieted down, that this 'beast' of sorts was her belly.
It was rumbling like crazy; at that moment, a sudden pain came to her and realization struck her like a speed demon. She was hungry; no, not hungry--she was starving. There was no way plausible she could just go back to sleep in the state of hunger she was in, she could literally feel her stomach eating itself.
This made sense, she guessed, because she was always this way in the morning. She almost smelt the delicious apple fritters Applejack was making for breakfast, along with the pancakes with little apple slices on top. She excitedly ran out of her room and down the stairs, ready to dig in.
She noticed something was seriously wrong as she reached the last step.
No one was in the kitchen; no idly morning chatter, the shades weren't even open! She thought that she might have been the first one up, but immediately ruled out that thought, due to her tenancy to sleep in on weekends. Plus, Big Mac was always the first one out of bed, sometimes as early as five in the morning, to get some farm work done.
Apple Bloom felt bad for him; he always worked so hard, and didn't really ask for much in return. She remembered when she and her friends, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, tried to hook him up with the school's librarian, Ms. Cheerilee. She honestly thought that was a great match! There both hard working, there both kind, and they both care about others. But, they didn't seem that interested. That day was a complete disaster; something that wouldn't leave her mind no natter how hard she tried.
She suddenly had an idea: she should make breakfast for him and the family! They'd surly appreciate it, and maybe she'd even get her cutie skirt! A burst of energy sprang through the little girl as she rushed over to prepare the morning meal. Whenever she came downstairs on a normal day, the shades were up, and no lights were on; the only exception was is there was a storm, or heavy clouds, blocking out the beautiful sunlight.
She opened the curtains up and discovered another major problem.
It was pitch-black outside. She could clearly see the starlight that shone like diamonds, but other than that, nothing. Confused, she went over to the grandfather clock that stood in the farthest corner of the kitchen, right next to the stove.
It clearly marked the time as 1:08 in the morning, no doubt. She was up earlier than she expected, that's for sure. Her stomach rumbled again, louder this time. Since she was now aware of the time, and that the others in her house were sleeping, she tried to shush her stomach the best she could. She figured she could grab a quick snack, perhaps an apple, or just some milk, maybe even a cookie, before she headed up to bed again.
"Apple Bloom?" A deep voice startled her; she turned around to see her brother at the bottom of the steps. "Why ain't cha in bed, like the rest of the fam'ly?" He asked; he had his arms folded across his chest, along with a light purple shadow under each eye. He wasn't getting much sleep lately, and it was starting to show.
"Ah couldn't sleep," she responded, "did ah wake ya? Ah didn't mean to." She slowly crossed the kitchen to where he stood, she could feel her trademark pink bow bouncing as she walked, something she usually ignored. She wondered why she could feel it then, and figured her senses were on end after being startled.
He simply shook his head, arms still folded. "Ah came downstairs fer a midnight snack, but I thought it was mornin'," she continued. "I think I might've made a noise or somethin', ya sure ah didn't wake ya up?"
"Eeyup."
Apple Bloom smiled. "What are you doin' down here so early? Or...late? Or..."
"Nevermind that." Big Mac interrupted, "just head on back to bed sis, I'll see ya in the mornin'."
Okay, something was up; Big Mac rarely acted like this, and when he did, he was trying to hide something. Like that time when she saw him after she and her friends fought over that doll, and he had to take it away from them, after that, he was acting pretty strange. When they did that newspaper column a few weeks earlier, she discovered he had kept it for himself, and loved it like a child he never had.
"Alright, I'll head on up ta bed..." Big Mac seemed pleased with himself, "if ya tell me what yer doin down here at 1 in the morn."
Big Mac sighed, he knew how his little sister was like; if she wanted to know something, she was as stubborn as a mule until she found out. Or she spied until she got the answer she wished. "I'm goin ta meet Cheerilee--"
"The school librarian?" Apple Bloom interrupted, about ready to cheer for her brother. He liked her! He really did like her! And he never would have known, had the CSC not made him meet with her!
"Eeyup." His pink-ish skin turned a different shade of pink around his face as he scratched his head.
Apple Bloom walked over and sat backward on one of the kitchen chairs, her eyes searching his desperately for more detail ."Why are y'all goin so late..er...early?"
"There's this fancy bowlin' place that's only open from one ta four," he explained, "we decided ta go try it out."
"Bowlin?" Her voice was starting to rise as more and more excitement bubbled up in her chest. "That's a great idea fer a first date!" Big Mac shot her a gentle yet stern look and shushed her, reminding her it was still the middle of the night; that, and he really didn't want anybody else to know. "Sorry," Apple Bloom continued, her voice much more softer. "Ah was just gettin excited fer ya. When ya comin' back?"
"Around five. This ain't my first date with her--"
"--It ain't?" Apple Bloom's eyes shimmered; with excitement or sadness, he couldn't tell. "Ya done this before?"
He nodded shamefully. "Eeyup."
Her eyes shimmered more, he recognized that look now. It was concern. "Big Mac, ya need sleep."
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trusting himself not to fall into her adorable concern trap. "Ah'll be fine. Ah need ta get ta work when I get home, then ah'll sleep."
"No."
He opened his eyes with shock. Apple Bloom looked mad, for reasons unknown to him. "Eenope?" He shook his head, used to that saying. "'No'?" He corrected himself, "why 'no'?"
Apple Bloom stood up, crossed her arms, and nodded. "No. Yer not gunna work at all tamorrow...er..taday. Big Mac, you've been workin so hard lately and haven't even been given a lick of appreciation in return!"
"I actually have got-"
"It don't matter! Big Mac, I want ya ta take the day off taday! You deserve it. Ah don't even want ta see you out on those fields," she pointed outside, to one of the closest apple trees, for emphasis. "Y'all need sleep, and that's exactly what y'all be doin later taday." Big Mac raised an eyebrow at her, wondering if she knew that she wasn't exactly in charge of him. He could do whatever the hay he wanted! "Ah'll make sure Applejack an Granny Smith know, and I'll have Sweetie and Scoots guardin yer door." She added, as if she was reading his thoughts.
He chuckled, imagining little Apple Bloom as his boss. It was best to go with the flow, at least, for this situation. She could be as stubborn as a mule if she didn't get her way at times, like those many, many cutie-skirt fiasco's. She walked up to him, her arms behind her back. "Deal?" She asked, reaching out an arm to him.
As she looked up at his face, she thought she saw some blonde hair disappear around the corner. She decided it was her mind playing tricks on her.
"Deal." He responded, "only if ya go back ta bed." She nodded, and he took her hand and shook it, almost taking her off of her feet. She didn't seem to mind, though.
She grabbed an apple out of the apple bowl in the middle of the table and headed up the stairs. "'Night, Mac." She said, waving. "I'll see ya later taday."
"Night, sis." He responded, waving back. As soon as she disapeered around the corner, he grabbed two apples out of the apple bowl and left the house. As he closed the front door, he got a feeling somebody was watching him. He looked behind him, only saw the door, shrugged, and walked over to one of the trees; the one Apple Bloom had been pointing at earlier.
He took a big bite out of one of the apples and looked behind the tree, happy to find Cheerilee there. He handed her one of the apples and they both started the very short walk towards Mac's car. "Took a while." Cheerilee noted with a smile.
"Family stuff." Mac responded, "ah won't be workin' tomorrow." He took another bite of his apple.
"Why's that?"
Mac smiled, replaying the conversation in his head. "Long story." He held the passenger door open for Cheerilee. He walked the long way around, making her wait; he finally got into his seat, buckled up, then looked at his girlfriend. "Ah'll tell ya at the bowlin alley."
Without another word, his car backed up, then sped off into the night.
