Chapter 1: Passing Notes

Sweetie Belle sat in her desk, turned halfway around to see the foal behind her, who was Peppermint Twist. The entire classroom erupted with giggles as Twist, chuckling and snorting, eagerly passed an envelope with a heart sticker stamped on the top to Snails, who was in the desk beside her. Snails grinned. "Is this for me?" he said dumbly. Twist nodded her head excitedly, as Snails tore open the note to find a Popsicle stick, coated with a swirled mixture of milk and white chocolate. A note was also attached but Sweetie couldn't see the messy cursive handwriting over her shoulder, fearing

As Miss Cheerilee trotted into the classroom, wearing a pink woven sweater with a red lace trim, the noise died down to just a few snickers and giggles from the back of the room. Cheerilee straightened her papers on her desk, and gave a cheery smile as she passed them around the room. Aw, another paper on cutie marks? Sweetie thought with a sigh, as a paper was set on her own desk. Aren't we ever going to get to science? Coincidentally, the white filly was in that excited mood, well, to make something explode. She had something special to give Featherweight for Hearts and Hooves day tomorrow, and she could barely refrain from screaming out loud with excitement, much less wait to see his reaction. Would he hug her or squeeze her?! More importantly, would he even smile? She shuddered at the thought of no meaningful reaction coming from her future special somepony...

Interrupting her dreamily romantic thoughts, Cheerilee started to speak from the front of the class: "Now, as you all know, you will have the day off tomorrow for Hearts and Hooves day, so today we'll be celebrating! Everyone can take out their trinkets and candies now." The sudden words hit Sweetie hard, as if she had walked straight into a wall. Today? She had nothing to give.

"Now," Cheerilee continued, "I'll give you a minute to exchange gifts, before we start the lesson." The filly bit her lip to keep the shower of tears from pouring. The foals in the class were already standing up and pulling candies and addressed envelopes out of their pockets. Too late. She simply watched as Diamond Tiara stood up out of her seat and marched straight over to Featherweight, and set a red-and-pink patterned box on his desk. Flashing a frustratingly cute smile at the colt, she flipped her mane and trotted nonchalantly back to Silver Spoon, where the two snickered and pointed and gossiped about the other schoolhouse foals. Sweetie was ready to run home to Rarity and curl up in a pile of fabric, and just lie there forever by the time Featherweight turned back towards the other colts and held the gift in the air for the others too see. This was just too much. Sweetie Belle hunched over her desk and covered her face with her hooves, her voice a whimper unheard by her laughing classmates.

"I just don't get it!" Sweetie Belle babbled, pacing around the room, making hoof gestures. "It's not fair! I swear, Rarity, Diamond Tiara didn't even like him until today!"

"Mmm-hmm," the white unicorn murmured as she threaded pale pink thread through a silvery gray piece of satin.

The sun was still around, but it was setting slowly. The electronic clock on the desk read "2:13 PM" - at about 4:30 or so, it would already be dark. The class had been let out early because of the coming holiday, which was yet another surprise to Sweetie, and this time Apple Bloom hadn't gotten the message either. Whew, she had thought. That means I'm not as ignorant as I seem, right?

"It's not fair. I didn't know we were going to have tomorrow off until, well, today! I mean, everypony else seemed to know!"

"Uh-huh," Rarity muttered softly, straightening her bejeweled fashion glasses.

"And it's just not fair! I don't think" - she fell back purposefully into a pile of old material - "that Diamond Tiara likes him a t all. I think that good-for-nothing Silver Spoon found out I like Featherweight and blabbered to her! Don't you think so, Rari -" Sweetie stopped pacing and stared at her sister, looking let-down. "Rarity!"

"Wha-huh?" Rarity fumbled with her creation - it was obvious she hadn't been listening to a word said by Sweetie - and her glasses fell, only to be caught at the last minute on her hoof. The  designer pony gave a sigh. "Darling, whatever this is, I'm afraid it'll have to wait."

Sweetie groaned and turned face-over in the pile. My own sister has turned against me, she thought dramatically. OH! I've got the perfect idea! She sat bolt-upright, then stood. "Oh-sorry-Rarity-gotta-go-see-ya-bye!" the unicorn filly practically shouted, and dashed over to the phone mounted on the wall, and dialed a group call between her, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom. "Hey, guys," she said, the rush in her voice only because she was rushed. "Cutie Mark Crusaders meeting, A-S-A-P! I've got the perfect discussion topic..."