First Dates

Flash Sentry was not looking happy right now. Now, this was unusual in itself, as he was a typically upbeat sort of guy. But right now, in this moment, that upbeat nature was instead replaced with an irritation and annoyance, which was firmly focused on the trio sitting opposite from him in his booth. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, otherwise known as the CMC. Their being here was clearly not something Flash was pleased about, and after a long and incredibly awkward silence, he finally sighed and started to speak.

"So...I come here, expecting my friends from my band, as per the message I got in my locker, and instead I find...you three."

Apple Bloom gave a nervous chuckle, scratching the side of her cheek a little.

"Yeah...well...we figured you'd probably not say yes to this if y'all really knew it was us!"

Flash frowned.

"Gee, I wonder why?"

The boy rubbed his temples, then looked to them with at least a modicum of calm

"Girls...I really hope you can understand why this is a bad...really bad position for me, right?"

His sarcasm was palpable, as indeed was his continuing irritation at having been brought into this unexpected and unwanted date with the three young girls. Sweetie, the most romantically-inclined of the three, put on a smile and then tried to explain their side in this.

"Okay, so we know everyone's big on dating, so we figured we'd..."

"No," Flash said firmly.

Sweetie blinked.

"Yeah, I know this maybe isn't the most appropriate thing, but..."

"No," Flash repeated.

"...But maybe, once you get to talking to us we can..."

"No."

He stood up.

"N...O. No! Nope! Nopesies! N, O, P, E! Nopety-nope-nope-nope! All of the nopes! A nope that will forever be etched in stone! Just...plain...nope!"

The girls looked to him, seeing this increasingly uncomfortable situation, with Apple Bloom finally asking the obvious question.

"So...what do we do?"

Letting out another sigh, Flash folded his arms.

"Leave this cafe...wait a few years...start dating other people, pending permission from your sisters and elders...and never try to trick me into a date again."

The girls all nodded, silently agreeing to those terms. But then, as ever, one of them had to cross the line, and it just so happened to be Scootaloo.

"Okay...but if you had to pick one of us..."

"Go home, girls."