Chapter Ten – Can't Buy Me Love

Scootaloo was feeling amazing as she walked. After what felt like a lifetime her scooter was finally about to be fixed. She was so happy she would have flown home if she could.

Scootaloo also felt that there was another reason for her happiness. Not nearly as pronounced as the reason of her scooter getting fixed up. It was… different… but happiness all the same, which was good.

Glass was walking right to her left, keeping her pace though he lacked the jovial attitude of her walk. The orange pegasus couldn't tell why exactly he wasn't, and it kind of bothered her. She wanted Glass to have a good time, like her. If anything it was because their friendship was very thinly established and she wanted to strengthen it.

"We're not much further from my house." Scootaloo told Glass. He nodded, but didn't say anything. It was sort of an awkward silence. At least for Scootaloo. She wanted to say something to fill in the long pause, but couldn't come up with anything really creative or witty to say. Unfortunately she didn't have to.

"Hey, look! It's the blank flanks." A nasally voice shouted. Scootaloo groaned. Glass stopped for a moment, and looked like he was about to turn around.

"Don't." Scootaloo advised him. "Let's just ignore them."

Glass gave a mischievous grin. "And give them the satisfaction? I don't think so."

Scootaloo rotated along with the white colt to face her tormentors. Diamond Tiara was only a couple of feet away, flanked by Silver Spoon to her left. Glass just silently stared at them, while Scootaloo felt anxious.

"What's the matter with you, blank flank? You'll never get a Cutie Mark if all you do is stand around." Diamond Tiara said.

"Well you see," Glass began, fake smile on his face. "I would have gotten my Cutie Mark in being annoying, but unfortunately you beat me to it." Scootaloo cracked a laugh as Diamond Tiara gave a dumb struck look, face turning red with apparent rage. Silver Spoon was actually trying to hold back a chuckle of her own.

Like a pro, Diamond Tiara shrugged off the insult plowed on, just with a new tactic in mind. "So where are you two blank flanks headed? Oh wait, I get it now! Glass is your coltfriend, isn't he Scootaloo?"

"Wait what?" Scootaloo asked. This was a new breed of taunting that she wasn't prepared for. She felt blood rise to her cheeks and they turned from orange to red. "He's not my…"

"You so want to kiss him, don't you?" The pink filly asked.

"There perfect for each other." Silver Spoon said. Both girls gave a derisive giggle. "A couple of blank flanks in love."

Scootaloo felt the need to justify hanging out with Glass suddenly. "Wait, we're not–" She began.

"Oh Diamond, jealousy is so unbecoming of you." Glass said, cutting the orange filly off. Scootaloo, along with Diamond Tiara, looked at him in confusion.

"Huh?" Diamond Tiara asked, her pink cheeks looking a little red..

"You don't need to be envious of Scootaloo." Glass said with a wink. "There's plenty of me to go around."

Diamond Tiara's eyes narrowed and darted to the side. "Wh-what are you talking about?" She asked, stepping back.

"Oh come on now, don't deny it." Glass said. "The entire class knows by now. You've had it bad for me ever since you failed to humiliate me on the playground." Slowly, Glass began to gain ground, while simultaneously the pink filly backed up. "Now you've got a little crush on me because no matter how much you can't stand to be beaten, it's actually quite endearing to you."

"You don't… I… wait I can… NO!" Diamond Tiara spluttered out, but for a moment Scootaloo thought it looked like even the pink filly herself didn't believe what she was saying. Not that she was saying very much.

"If you don't have a crush on me, then ask yourself why you came all the way to the edge of town, just to look for me. That pathetic attempt at a taunt can't be your only reason, Diamond." Glass said. Scootaloo at this point was slack-jawed. Diamond Tiara looked crushed, as if her worst, most embarrassing secret had just been exposed, which it probably had. The pink filly turned and fled; trying to keep whatever dignity she still had left. Silver Spoon's shocked expression went from Glass to her fleeing friend as the gray pony tried to digest the situation.

"Uh… Diamond?" The gray filly called, shimmying off after her friend. Scootaloo watched them run off. It felt great seeing them both so humiliated, but even so… Diamond Tiara having a crush on Glass was shocking. Not to mention that for once, the pink bully's insults had left a lasting mark on Scootaloo. Normally her remarks about being blank flanks could be shrugged off after she left, but the comment about her and Glass was… confusing.

"So, we're close to your house, right?" Glass said, returning to the path they had been on. His jaunty attitude had been dropped to a more melancholy tone. Scootaloo bounded to catch him.

"How did you do that?" Scootaloo asked incredulously. She had about a hundred more questions to. Glass didn't look in the mood to answer one.

"It was easy." He said, his face unreadable. "Too easy." He whispered to himself. Scootaloo didn't ask anything else, though one question was racing through her mind more than any other. When Diamond Tiara had accused them of being in love, Glass hadn't refuted her. She understood his strategy, but the question she need an answer to was: Why had she not refuted Diamond Tiara when she said they were in love?

---

"So this is the famous, broken scooter." Glass stated, standing in front of said scooter. Scootaloo dropped the spare key underneath her welcome mat, set it back down, and shut the door to her house.

"Yep. That's it." She said. Glass lifted the scooter up to inspect the broken wheel further.

"So how did you break it anyways?" He asked. Scootaloo bit her lip. She had broken the scooter outside Sugar Cube Corner, looking for Glass. The orange filly didn't actually want to tell him that because it might come off as creepy.

"Just… riding around. I think it might've been a pothole or something that broke the wheel." She finally said. Glass didn't press her for details, so she breathed a sigh of relief.

"It looks like we'll need some actual tools to fix this. Do you have any?" Glass asked.

"Uh, yeah. I think my dad keeps a toolbox in the basement." Scootaloo pointed to a door at the very edge of the living room.

"I'll be right back." He said. Glass set her scooter propped so the wheels were facing the ceiling. He walked quietly over to the door and opened it.

"Oh, Glass!" Scootaloo said as he walked through. "I think the toolbox is on the top shelf!" The door had already shut though, and Scootaloo had no idea if Glass had heard her. She decided to go after him, just to make sure. First, Scootaloo moved her scooter into the living room, so they could at least sit on the couch when trying to fix it. She set it on the coffee table.

When she looked up, Glass was standing in front of her, holding a red toolbox in his mouth by the handle. The orange filly felt her jaw go slack for the second time that night.

"I-It wasn't on the top shelf?" She asked. Glass set the toolbox on the table before speaking.

"No it was, just like you said." He responded. Scootaloo wanted to ask for a little more info, but decided to let it drop for now.

"Let's get started." Glass said, popping open the lid of the toolbox and selecting a random screwdriver. The next few minutes were spent in total silence as Glass worked away at her scooter. He unscrewed the wheel completely, and worked to bend back the axel, which had been knocked out of place.

He finished in ten minutes flat, completing a task that Scootaloo had spent hours on with no success.

"And… done!" Glass exclaimed, tightening the wheel back in place.

"I can ride it now?" Scootaloo asked excitedly, her wings flapping wildly. Glass nodded. In one deft maneuver, Scootaloo leapt into the air, grabbed hold of her scooter, swung it around, and landed expertly on the gound.

"Very nice." Glass said. "A few more tricks like that, and I'll have to learn how to ride one of those."

"I can teach you!" Scootaloo said, pushing off and riding around. "And you can teach me how to fix a scooter, since I have a feeling you'll be breaking it a lot."

"Oh, I don't really know how to fix scooters." Glass responded, stopping Scootaloo dead in her tracks. "I've just been doing a little impromptu this entire time." He sounded completely honest

"Really? So you were just lying to me when you said you knew how to fix my scooter?" The orange pegasus accused. Glass held up his hooves in defense.

"I never said that. All I said was I'd help you. And I did. So you can't call me a liar." He said.

"Well I can't call you a truther." Scootaloo said. "You're never fully honest with me, or any of us." She pointed out.

Glass frowned. "Maybe you're right." He said softly. "How about this. We play Truth or Dare, just… without the dare. You can ask me a question, and I have to answer truthfully. And vice versa."

Scootaloo pondered this for a moment. "Okay." She finally said.

Glass made a big, bow-like gesture and said, "Ladies first."

"Oh… Um…" Scootaloo stepped off her scooter and prepared to choose her first question. "Is it true that Diamond Tiara has a crush on you?" She asked.

"Yep." He said. "Wasn't it obvious?"

"Well no." Scootaloo said. "No it was not. How did you…"

"Whoa whoa whoa. You already asked a question. It's my turn." Glass exclaimed.

"No it isn't." Scootaloo said, grinning. "You already asked, 'Wasn't it obvious?' and I answered."

Glass froze for a moment. "Huh." He finally said. "Well I'll be darned. It is your turn then."

"Okay, how did you know about Diamond's crush on you?" Scootaloo asked. It was a question she was dying to know.

"Ah. Good one." Glass said. "I didn't really know it after the playground incident, but the very next day when she tried to insult Applebloom, I shot her down again. She was pretty angry, so at first I thought that was why her face was red. Then I realized she was blushing."

"Wow." Scootaloo said. "That's a pretty big assumption."

Glass leaned back on the sofa. "I guess so. But I wasn't wrong." Scootaloo nodded in agreement, not needing a reminder of how Diamond Tiara acted earlier. "Okay, now it's my turn for real. What's the whole story behind how your scooter broke? It's pretty clear that you left something out."

"How did… Oh never mind." Scootaloo exclaimed. "Look, all I left out was the fact that I was trying to find you, and I didn't say anything before because I didn't want you to think I was weird." She lowered her head, a little ashamed.

"Scootaloo, take a moment to realize who you're talking to about being weird." Glass said happily. Scootaloo raised her head, and grinned.

"All right. My turn. Do you like Diamond Tiara?" She asked, genuinely curious.

Obsidian Glass laughed so hard, a tear welled up in his eye. "That's a – hahaha – that's a good one, Scoots. Me and that pompous, irritating, preppy rich girl. Haha! That's a riot." He wiped the tear out of his face. "Okay, now ask your real question."

"But…" Scootaloo protested. Glass shook his head.

"That wasn't a question, that was a joke. Now really, ask me a question." Scootaloo was temporarily stunned. She had meant it to be a legitimate question, and Glass had technically answered it. Now she was floundering for something to ask just to keep the game going. Then she noticed the light purple bruise still on Glass's cheek as he removed his hoof.

"Okay." She began. "How did you really get that bruise? You obviously didn't get that from hitting a wall."

Glass's laughter died quickly. "I did hit a wall." He said, seriously. "But the circumstances leading up to that hit, are probably not what you think."

"Then elaborate." She demanded. "Otherwise, you haven't answered my question."

Glass smiled weakly. "Fine, you asked for it." He sighed, then spoke with a slight shake in his voice. "My dad… My dad got really drunk last night." Scootaloo moved over to the couch, transfixed by the story. "My mom asked him to stop drinking, and he… he hit her."

The orange pegasus gasped, but didn't interrupt.

"When I tried to stop him, he told me to shut up. Then he hit mom again and…" Glass actually choked up. "I smacked the stupid beer bottle out of his hoof. That turned his attention on me. He threw me against the wall, which is how I got the bruise. Then he just… kicked me out. He shouted a lot at me, then the bastard said not to come back until I learned some respect. I wandered for a bit before running into you guys."

Scootaloo realized she was now sitting on the couch right next to Glass as he told his story. The white colt's head was bowed slightly, and another tear was in his eye.

"Glass I…" Scootaloo wasn't sure what to say to him.

"My turn to ask a question." Glass said, picking himself back up and out of emotional distress. "What is your honest opinion of me?"

"Oh... well..." Scootaloo thought for a moment. There was a lot she could say about Glass, but she wasn't entirely sure how she felt with so many new feelings that surfaced every time she saw him. "I don't know that much about you. But I think you're a great friend so far, and I like having you around." There, the truth.

Glass cheered up some, and no more tears welled up in his eyes. "Okay, now it's your turn." He said.

"I guess I want to know your honest opinion of me." Scootaloo asked, without needing to think. "What is it?"

Glass gave a smile, not one of his fake ones, and said, "You're pretty awesome. I don't know a lot of fillies who are willing to put up with me. And I can safely say that I like having you around too."

Scootaloo smiled brightly and she felt her heart beat a little faster. "Thanks. And now you get to ask a question." She said.

"Can I spend the night here?" Glass asked.

The question took Scootaloo some time to digest. For a moment it was just her staring at Glass. She gulped, and replied with a shaky "Okay."

"If it's too much trouble I can–"

"NO!" Scootaloo said quickly, and loudly. Glass stared at her. "I mean… It's no trouble. My dad's not going to be back for a few more days probably. You can just sleep on the couch."

Glass gave a light smile. "Thank you." He whispered. Their muzzles were extremely close now, but it seemed that neither really knew what to do next.

"I think we've played enough." Scootaloo finally said. She awkwardly shifted off the couch and moved toward her room. "Good night." She called over her shoulder.

"Scootaloo, wait!" Glass called back. She stopped and turned, standing in the middle of the doorway. Glass walked up to her. "I'm going to bend the rules of the game really quick. I need to dare you."

"What?" Scootaloo asked. "No, I don't think so."

"Don't tell me you're chicken." Glass wryly said.

"Don't call me chicken." Scootaloo said, narrowing her eyes. "What's your dare?"

"I dare you to close your eyes." He said. Scootaloo blinked for a confused moment, but then complied with the dare. With her eyes now closed, Scootaloo was about to ask Glass what the point of it was. Then a soft pair of lips brushed lightly against her cheek.

The orange filly gasped as her heart skipped a beat and she immediately opened her eyes. All she could see was darkness. Obsidian Glass had turned out the light, and disappeared back onto the couch.

For a moment she contemplated going over to him, but she didn't want to ruin the finality of the moment. Wordlessly, Scootaloo walked into her room, letting the darkness hide her enormous grin.

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Damn, that was something. Besides the fun little references I dropped, this chapter got heavy. While writing this one, things went in a completely different direction than I anticipated. I still think it turned out awesome though.

Now I've got a fun little poll for you guys. I've yet to decide the next POV for the upcoming chapter, so I've set up a poll. For just a few days [like, only a few because I actually have to write this chapter at some point] you can decide who's perspective the next chapter will be in. Vote fast, and vote multiple times if you want to.