"Scoots! Dinnnnner!" called Sweetie Belle up to my room, and I winced. Her damn voice was so perfect. Unlike me, but I wasn't going to get down on it. Someponies were just luckier than me. In my case, I'd say almost all ponies.
"Cooooming!" I yelled back, slamming the Daring Do book I was reading shut. Whoever this F.S. Braveheart was, she knew what she was doing. So did I, apparently, because I was already on the tenth book in the series. With a light flap of my wings, I glided down the short staircase to the dining room.
Maybe I should explain my house. It's actually a loft, in what I call "the more artsy-fartsy part of Canterlot". The bottom half of the place is where me and Belle do almost everything, save sleep. That's "upstairs". We installed the second floor ourselves, since the roof is so high. Belle wasn't sure about it, since she wanted me to have room to fly, but I told her this way she'd get more room to practice singing, and that got her.
"Tonight, I will be serving the madam one of our specialties. Daisy stew, with the side of the crunchy hay fries," smiled Belle, a beret atop her beautifully done mane.
"In a French mood, are we?" I teased, lifting my nose. "Well, do hurry up, waitress. I don't have all day," I commanded snootily, then burst into a giggling fit. Belle complied, setting the small bowl on my side of the table with the reheated hay fries.
"I'm sorry there's not more," said Sweetie quietly after a few bites. "I tried to find the best deals to get us more food. I found these hay fries half price at the market!" she exclaimed excitedly, and I shook my head.
"Belle, this is fantastic. And to be honest, stop going to the market. After tonight, we'll be shopping at Fleur's," I reminded her. Celestia, I was excited. My job agent was meeting me at Donut Joe's, with what he assured me as good news.
"I just hope he doesn't have one of those jobs for you," said Sweetie disdainfully.
"He won't. And would it be that bad if he did?" I asked, semi-serious.
"Yes! You can't let yourself get used like that! Your mi—" she paused, a small blush covering her cheeks in the most adorable way. "Your my friend," she covered, and I nodded. Whatever she was hiding, I didn't mind.
I finished dinner relatively quickly, ran a brush through my hair, and was out the door within half an hour from that. I shot a glance up at Canterlot Clock Tower, then sighed, flapping my wings energetically.
"Damn it," I cursed, forcing myself to go faster. I came to a screeching halt outside Joe's, flinging open the door a bit too hard.
"Glad I installed the plastic windows," mused Donut Joe as he saw me coming. "The regular?"
"Of course," I smirked, shooting him a glance over my shoulder as I sat down across from my agent.
"Ah. Miss Scootaloo," he said mysteriously, and I cuffed him over the ears.
"Cut the crap, Bits. What's the job? Crime-fighting? Rock-starring? Flying?" I waved my hooves wildly as Donut Joe set my coffee and eclair on the table.
"You have been accepted for two positions. You can actually work at both, with their hours. You've been invited to work at a pegasus salon during the day, the place called 'Wings and Things'? Then... you've been most eagerly welcomed at Sore Saddle Saloon."
"What the—" I started to yell, then caught myself. "Are you mental? Do I look like a slut to you?"
"Well, no," started my agent, and I slammed my hoof on the table. "Tell them I most respectfully laugh in their faces. As for Wings and Things..." I gulped. "I'll take it. But get this straight. I am not a frou-frou frilly pony. Remember that." I took a deep swig of the coffee, gulped down the doughnut, and stood. "I'll be going," I added coldly and stomped out the door.
Gee, did I show him. Do I look slutty to you? Is it because I don't have a c— okay, if they hired me because of that they're sick. Just sick. Anyways, I took to flying, ready to get home. At least this job should pay me well, and it was close by. Close, of course, being different to pegasi than it was to unicorns.
"Scootaloo! You're back so early!"
"Yeah. He had one of those jobs. But I took a different one, at Wings and Things!" I said, falsely cheerful. At least I'd be bringing bits home.
"You mean that really popular, really ritzy salon a mile from here!"
"Yeah, that's the one. It should only take me about ten minutes to fly there, so I won't have to wake up very early. Though I don't know when I start... guess I'll stop by tomorrow!" Celestia, this tone was annoying. At least Sweetie Belle didn't think it was suspicious for me to be this happy.
"You... you wanna watch a movie?" she asked shyly, and I froze, halfway to the stairs.
"Sure, Belle. What're we watching?"
"Oh, I thought we could catch Slendermane," she offered teasingly, and I flinched.
"No horror movies," I commanded.
"Fiiiine," she whined. "How about..." I ignored her, my attention caught by a figure outside the window.
"Sweetie Belle? Down," I commanded in a hushed tone. "No, scratch that. Hop on," I waved, and she crawled on my back. I snuck, no sneaked, er, whichever it is, out of view of the window just in time. A rock came smashing through, glass framing the moonlight. I slowly shook Belle off my back, and approached the rock, using my teeth to loosen the note around it.
"What is it?" whispered Belle.
"Fillyfoolers don't belong here. Go back to your little gay town Ponyville?" I read, each word filling me with rage.
"Scoots, calm down," warned Sweetie Belle, a moment too late.
"Calm down? Whoever bucking did this almost hurt you!" I screamed, flapping my wings angrily. "I'm going to get them!" I yelled, then glided out the window. I knew I wouldn't find anypony, but I needed out of there. It was suffocating. After a short flight, I returned home. A note sat at the table.
"Cleaned the glass and went to bed. See you before work. ♥ Belle," I read, then shook my head. Flying up to the bed, I saw her curled under the covers of our bed. Sharing was cheaper, after all. I sighed, then snuggled under the covers. In the morning, this was going to the Royal Guard.
