Button Mash tapped his pen against the desk by his bed, thinking about what he might do. His thoughts turned to the day, what with its confusion and fun, and smiled to himself, before the smile slipped for a moment. He didn’t quite know why it did, especially when he tried to focus on Rumble and him playing video games, but something just felt… empty. He looked to the book, biting into his lip as he thought of how to maybe change something so that he wouldn’t feel like this tomorrow night.

The pen touched the page, and he slowly wrote, Cheerilee will welcome me into her home whenever I ask, and never ask me to leave. Lifting the pen away, nothing more happened. Just like the night before. With a soft thwump the journal came to be closed as he let out a sigh. “Please, please don’t trick me this time.”

======+++++======

“You want to stay the night, Button? Are you sure?”

He nodded slowly, breathing in deeply as he looked down upon Cheerilee, who was still sitting at her desk. “I thought it might be a good idea for me to try to get out and hang out with somepony who didn’t just want to play video games, maybe have some real food again. Otherwise, I may have asked Sweetie Belle.”

A slight giggle escaped Cheerilee as she stood up, her hands deftly picking up books and papers that she began to put into her bag “Well, I would be happy to host you then. I’ll admit, it’s a little weird to think of having a student at my house,” she paused, and Button noticed a red aura radiate from her eyes, “but I don’t see why you would be a problem.”

A sigh of relief escaped Button as he readjusted his backpack, a soft smile lighting up his face. His own face was feeling a little warm, as the thought of staying at his teacher’s house was a little awkward to him as well. He just needed to look at her like it was staying with his mom. They would have fun, hang out, she would cook, and then they would go to bed in different rooms. It all sounded so nice to Button.

And for so long, it was! The two began by talking about recent events around the town with the normal disinterest Ponyville citizens gained towards the unusual. If Manehatten had seen half of its city burned, the event would be talked in hushed tones for years. For Button and Cheerilee, it was simply small talk so as to pass the time, even though it happened only about a week ago.

Getting to Cheerilee’s quaint, little house, Button couldn’t help but smile to himself. The living room itself was fairly boring, with only a couch and chair pointed at a television decorating it, along with a nice, soft, green rug that covered most of the floor. Her cutie mark and other flowers covered the walls and even made it onto a few throw pillows, but it still gave it a calm, simple appeal. The kitchen, on the other hand, was anything but simple.

It had a large table in the middle of it, able to sit maybe eight people, along with counters lining every part of the wall that they could. The granite counters gave a clean gleam off of them, something his mother could never do, even after she got hers polished, and the tools! Knives, spatulas, forks, spoons, ladles; almost any sort of tool to cook with, you could find it on the walls. “Wow. Mom never had a place like this.”

Cheerilee smiled brightly at that as she stood behind him, her hands placed on his shoulders, the tall mare’s heaving chest currently using his head to prop themselves up. “It’s my pride and joy to be honest. There’s a reason why I like to bake something for all my students whenever I have an excuse. No matter how frustrated I am, cooking can help me relax.”

Button tapped his chin as he thought for a moment, before a smile spread over his face. “Is that why we got cookies after the whole Gabby Gums incident a few years back?”

Cheerilee’s mane rose for a moment as her grip on his shoulders tightened. “I was merely trying to make sure everypony knew we were all still friends. Nothing more.”

Button couldn’t help but bust out laughing at the comment, which swiftly got him kicked right out of the kitchen. He was told he didn’t have to leave, but since she wanted to treat him with a surprise, he had to stay out of the kitchen. Now, for many ponies, a few magazines and a soft couch was all that they would need to pass the time. For Button, who had purposefully not brought his Joy Boy so as to make sure he had a change of pace, it was torture. To say the least, it took him a lot less time than others to start exploring the house, his own inner voice narrating his epic journey to find… something. As long as it’s more interesting than sitting there doing nothing, I’ll take anything.

No matter how hard he searched, high, low, or medium, he could find nothing. No captivating books amongst her romance shelves, no grown up magazines, at least for a stallion’s pleasure, in the bathrooms, and no trinkets that spoke when he nudged them. Not that he had expected to find anything really, but he had hoped for something, anything. Of course, there was the one room he hadn’t gone in.

Button looked back towards the still closed kitchen door, and made up his mind. Within a few moments, his shaking hands had turned the knob to Cheerilee’s bedroom, and he took his first, slow step in. While he knew she wouldn’t tell him to leave, there was no reason for him to think he was actually allowed in here. Of course, he didn’t plan to snoop much. No closets, no drawers, just what he could find on the…

The young colt stood there, staring at a letter on a long dresser, that was surrounded by dozens of others. How the letters curved, arced, and the language used all told him one thing. They weren’t just plain, old letters. They were letters from his mom.

Button slammed his hands down onto the table before one moved and slowly lifted the first. It was simple, maybe from two years ago, and about his addiction to gaming. Or, to be more specific, about how it could help him learn. Others were about being lenient on him for something stupid he had done, while a whole set covered her moans and groans over her lazy husband, and how he never came home.

It was the one saying that she didn’t know what she would do if Button wasn’t there that finally broke him. The week of confidence and bravery melted away as he returned to being the colt he so desperately wished he could. Tears fell, staining the papers as his body shook. It was then that a hand placed itself onto his shoulder. “I thought those might help you open up. Button, I know you probably haven’t talked to anypony, but I’m right here, just like I was for your-” Cheerilee as cut off as Button whipped around, the letter clenched in one hand.

The brown stallion pointed a finger at Cheerilee, his body now shaking for a new reason as his mind kept sinking lower and lower. “No! You weren’t there! Almost nopony was there in the E.R. with me. It all happened too fast for them to get called. I… I almost…” The sound of the paper crinkling filled the space as he looked down, his fists balled against his head. “No! This isn’t how I’m allowed to act. I… I’m the responsible one.”

Cheerilee started to embrace him, but he backed away from her, his scowl becoming worse as he hit the wall. “Button, I’m here for you. You don’t need to just tough this out. Please, Love Tap wouldn’t want you-”

“Shut up!” Button slammed his fists against the wall, his mind screaming as he stared through Cheerilee. “You… you don’t know what she would want. Nopony does. I… I don’t…” He watched as Cheerilee stepped closer, her arms outstretched for him. She just wanted to help, just wanted to let him know that he was not alone.

Just like his mom.

He didn’t care about Cheerilee screaming after him as he burst through her front door, now running through the streets as the last rays of light went below the horizon. Button just wanted to be home now. He didn’t need to depend on anypony else. He would do just fine, and the little book there would make sure he would be happy. Make sure he forgot.

He just had to figure out the right way to do it.

Author's Note

Based on this comment.