Tender Diamonds

Tender Diamonds

Written by: Shimmer Mint

Ah am Apple Bloom. People call me, simply, Apple Bloom. Or in some pony's cases, "Blank Flank."

It pains me sometimes. Ah simply cannot bear to be called that evil nickname anymore. I just need mah cutie mark right now! As soon as possible please and thank you. Sorry, Applejack always tells me to use mah manners when askin' for a favour.

Anyways, at school ah have a fun time. Especially with mah friends and fellow crusaders, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. We usually spend our recesses running around in the field trying to get our cutie marks. Yeah ah know, we literally try our hardest to try to find our destinies. Besides, we do play games like kick ball with some other ponies! Trust me. It's all fun and games until we spot our worst enemies come up to us while we're all playin'. It makes me mad to see them come up and ruin our fun by pickin' on our "blank flanks." Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon both come up together and end up pickin' on us. They used to always bring me to tears though since I have the help of mah two best friends, I've gotten more confident. Though even with that blast of confidence, it still hurts and embarrasses me. Ah don't dare show it though.

Applejack says to be patient and wait for our cutie marks to appear but ah just can't stand waitin'! That's why Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and ah try to speed up the time by tryin' all sorts of different things! Hopefully we will get our cutie marks and finally not be "Blank Flanks" anymore!

"Apple Bloom?"

Ah look up to see Ms. Cheerilee looking straight at me. Darn. Ah must have slipped into mah own thoughts again. This happens to me a lot. I hear a bunch of ponies snickerin' at me.

Ms. Cheerilee takes it nicely though and smiles at me. She's so nice, ain't she?

"Do you have a partner for today's project?" She asks me and ah have to try to remember what that darned project was. "Uh..." I start and Diamond Tiara spits out, "you might as well just tell her. She always has her head in the clouds. She won't remember."

At that comment, ah feel mah face turnin' a bright shade of red, well, more of a maroon colour but still. Ah try to let out a retort but Ms. Cheerilee interrupts me. "Seeing as Diamond Tiara doesn't have a partner either, you both can be partners for today's project! Isn't that exciting?"

Both of us yell out at once, "what!?"

Ms. Cheerilee smiles. "I think you two will get along just fine!" Ah shrink down in mah seat. Partners with Diamond Tiara, the filly who always puts me down...this can't be good.

"I can't believe you're partners with Diamond Tiara for today's project!" Sweetie Belle squeaks at the word "project" and hops in the air to finish her comment. "Diamond Tiara!" She knows how badly this will be for me.

Scootaloo flutters in the air with her wings. She still can't fly just yet but she still enjoys fluttering in the air like she is now. "Yeah, all you'll be hearing is how bad you are for not having a cutie mark yet. I doubt you'll even get any work done."

Ah frown even further. Ah can't believe this is happenin' to me. Ah eat mah veggies, ah do what Applejack and Big Mac tell me to...why is this happenin' to me? "Ah know girls. This is gunna be awful. Maybe ah can ask Ms. Cheerilee to switch partners?"

Sweetie Belle shakes her head which makes me die a little on the inside. "That won't work. All partnerships are final remember? Those are the rules for all school group projects."

Ah sigh out loud and try to think of ways to get out of this. Maybe Applejack will know what to do! Ah don't like asking for her help, but ah know that that's what Sweetie Belle will suggest me to do. After all, she does always know what the right thing to do is.

Ah couldn't wait for school to be over. When that bell rang, ah literally jumped out of mah seat, flung my saddlebag over me, and trotted home as fast as ah could, all the way to Sweet Apple Acres. Ah didn't dare look Diamond Tiara in the eye. Ah think ah'll just do the project myself.

"Hey Apple Bloom! How was school?" Applejack asks me as she was settin' the table for dinner. Hm, ah wonder what we will be havin'. Ah look up at her and ah know ah can't lie. She can read me very well. Ah look down in shame again and then decide it's time to ask her.

"Ah got paired up with Diamond Tiara for a school project. Ah just know she'll pick on me. What should ah do?" I gave Applejack pleading and upset eyes. Like ah said, there's no point in hidin' how ah feel.

She smiles at me and rubs mah mane. What in tarnation-

"Oh Apple Bloom. Maybe this will be something for you two girls to get along in! Ah mean, ah don't know about you but, isn't it time ya'll stop fighting?" Applejack suggests to which ah shake my head. "She won't get along with me. She never does..."

"Don't be silly now, sugarcube. Just, be a little nicer to her and maybe things will spark." She finishes settin' the table and sits down on one of the chairs. She pulls one out for me to sit down on but ah don't take her offer. Ah feel too upset to sit. "Ah don't think it'll work Applejack. You don't know Diamond Tiara. She's mean, she's nasty, and ah don't want to work with her."

Applejack lets out a giggle. "Ah think she's a little more different once you get to know her. Ah mean, she's friends with that Silver Spoon, right? If she was really all that mean and nasty as you say, do you think they'd be friends?"

Applejack just doesn't get it. "Silver Spoon is mean too! They're both mean so that's why they get along so well."

Applejack runs her hoof through my mane again. "Just give it a try tomorrow okay? If things still don't work out, you can try to reason with Ms. Cheerilee okay? Now go call your brother and granny for dinner."

Ah slowly nod my head and trot over towards the stairwell to call for the rest of mah family. Well, things with Applejack didn't turn out so well. Sweetie Belle doesn't really know what she's talking about. Mah sister isn't really the best advice giver.

Ah have literally tossed and turned that night for hours and hours and hours and ah still haven't gotten to sleep. All ah can think of is that day or horror that will soon face me tomorrow.

"Blank Flank! Blank Flank! Hehehehe you're so lame Apple Bloom! Getting your cutie mark was so last year! Looks like you're behind again! No wonder you don't have many friends and hang out with your messed up Granny Smith all day picking apples! You're so uncool! Hehehehe!

Ah sit up awake once again in mah bed with tears filling my eyes. "Ah can't do it." Ah say aloud. "Ah simply cannot do it." Ah get out of bed and grab my little journal from mah nightstand. Ah sit back down on my soft mattress, open mah book and begin writing.

Dear Diary,

Today ah was paired up with Diamond Tiara, AKA mah arch enemy, to work on the school project. It's too big for me to do by myself so ah am forced to work with her. Ah know ah will get picked on and teased but tomorrow, for you diary, ah will stay strong. Ah will not back down from Diamond Tiara this time. For the Cutie Mark Crusaders ah will finally stand up to her and tell her what is right!

Ah stop writing for a second and put mah pencil down onto the left page of the book. Ah don't know what ah felt right then but ah know ah felt something great. Something like "motivation" Sweetie Belle calls it. Ah then put mah book down on mah nightstand and close it. Ah place the pencil down on top of the cover and for once that night, ah felt hope inside me. Ah knew that ah could fend for myself against Diamond Tiara. Ah lay back down into mah covers and slowly let my eyes droop shut. Ah then fall asleep faster than the apples falling from Applejack's apple bucking.

Ah wake up next morning to mah alarm. Applejack had made it so it's a lot louder than ah prefer. Ah tend to sleep in so she doesn't want me to be late for school. It's so dang loud though!

Ah sit up and wipe the crust outta mah eyes before washin' mah face in the bathroom. Ah head downstairs for breakfast and after seeing the delicious pancakes Granny Smith has made, ah stuff mah face full. Of course mah sister scolds me for doin' so.

"Apple Bloom! Didn't ah tell ya'll to eat slow and chew your food slowly?"

Ah snicker and speak through mah halfly chewed pancakes. "Ah am m-mighty sworry Apple-" Ah feel mah sister's hoof on mah mouth. "Please sis! Get a hold of yourself and chew slowly before talkin'!" Ah snicker again. "Sorry sis." Ah swallow and then gulp down mah small glass of apple juice. Ah don't know why ah was so energized this mornin' but ah was and ah was excited to go to school and show Diamond Tiara who's boss! Applejack notices mah weird behaviour and scoffs at me. "Wow-ee sis! What's gotten you all in a bunch?"

Ah swallow mah juice and place mah glass down with a slam. "Today is the day!" Ah start while standing tall and proud. "The day where ah finally show Diamond Tiara who's boss! If it's the last thing ah do! Ah quickly lean mah head to the left at the coo-coo clock hangin' on the wall. 7:40!? Ah better get goin' or ah'll be late!

Applejack looks like she wants to say something to me but ah simply don't have time for that! Ah gotta get to school! Ah rush out the door, barely grabbin' mah saddlebag and wave goodbye to her as ah run outta the barn before she can say a word.