"W-WHAT?!?!?!" Apple Bloom finally said, breaking the silence. Everypony at the table stared at Pipsqueak in shock. Apple Bloom could not believe what she saw staring right back at her.

He was no longer the short, chubby colt that they once knew. First of all he was the size of a regular foal! His eye's were average too, yet they still had the deep, chocolate brown to them that Apple Bloom had always loved. His hair was a few inches longer, which surprised her a bit. He always sported the same haircut, and whenever it got longer he would just cut it to the right length again. He always got annoyed if it was too long. Some of it fell over his eyes, and a part of Apple Bloom wanted to sweep it aside so she could gaze into them again. She didn't do such a thing however, she was too busy noticing every detail about him. He wore a smug smirk on his face, something Apple Bloom had only seen about 3 times before! His new confidence was actually a great site to behold, since she knew he was never very proud of himself, even though she thought his was one of the smartest and most adventurous foals she knew.

But the most surprising thing of all.... Was his flank! NOT THAT SHE HAD BEEN STARING AT HIS FLANK OR ANYTHING AHAHAHHAHA!

It.... It had a cutie mark on it! She almost wanted to leap with joy! How amazing for him! The cutie mark was the picture of a compass. His talent was actually adventuring? She had never thought of that! She immediately wondered how he got it, and maybe if he could help her get hers! No wonder his confidence boosted so much! He had hit an incredible growth spurt AND received a spectacular cutie mark! He was REMARKABLY cute! If there was a chart of the cutest colts in school, he would defiantly be number one! He was still adorable, but now he was just downright a HUNK! Apple Bloom blushed deeply at the thought. Good thing nopony could read her mind! ......Right?

Sweetie Belle still lied under the table, yet poked her head out from under her forearms and stared back at the colt. Her white fur had been splashed with a deep red as she scratched at the ground nervously, mumbling random words under her breath.

"Um....." Scootaloo said, pointing her attention back to the filly under the table. barely even fazed by the new visitor. "You okay Sweetie Belle...?"

Apple Bloom shook her head, dismissing her thoughts on his looks. What did it really matter anyway? It was HIM! He was back! He wasn't dead, he hadn't moved far away, and he was standing right in front of her! It had to be a miracle! Apple Bloom beamed at the colt, launching herself off the table. The first thing she wanted to do was throw her arms around him. It had been a long time since she had gotten a good hug from the colt.

"Pipsqueak!" She screamed as she galloped up to him. "Ah' missed ya so much! What happe-"

Then, there is was. The most unexpected thing that had happened to the filly in a while. It happened so suddenly, there might as well have been a record scratch in the background. She sat on her haunches quickly, facing forward with an utter look of dismissal and confusion. She sat there for about 10 seconds, thoughts filling her head as quickly as filling a glass of water. She turned slightly, looking at the colt who had just walked past her. She raised her eyebrows in concern.

He had just ignored her.

She stared at the colt in question as he simply trotted towards the picnic table, and peered under at the white unicorn currently residing there. Sweetie's blush faded away slowly, and Pipsqueak reached his hoof out to offer to help him up. Apple Bloom suddenly felt her heart stop for 2 seconds.

"Hi Sweetie, did I scare you?" Pipsqueak said. His voice rung with the same Trottingham accent, but it was much lower now. Puberty must have hit hard during the summer... He grew AND his voice changed! Pipsqueak still smiled at the foal under the table, and Sweetie Belle slowly let her hoof slide into his. He pulled her up and out of the table gracefully and delicately, and Sweetie flushed a light pink.

Apple Bloom at this point was not only confused, but slightly annoyed that he was giving her no attention when they hadn't seen each other in months! Its not like she was *COUGH COUGH*..... jealous or anything! But she didn't understand. Wasn't he excited to see her? Didn't he wonder how she had been? Did he not think about her sometimes? Had he never missed her at all? Before she could ask, he trotted away...

"Uh....... what?" Scootaloo uttered, confused just as Apple Bloom was.

Sweetie Belle was still blushing.

"OH...... MY...... CELESTIA!!!!! DID ANYPONY SEE HIM?? Tell me he was real! OH MY GOSH HE TOUCHED MY HOOF! HE TOUCHED ME!!! HE WAS SO HOT.... AHEM... I mean he was........... HOT OH JEEZ HE WAS HOT!!!" She gushed out like a waterfall that wouldn't stop, and she began to bite her hooves.

Scootaloo was VERY SURPRISED and she turned to the unicorn, her eyes bulging out of her head like she just saw King Sombra rise from the ground. "WHAT?!?!"

Apple Bloom looked at Sweetie Belle, who seemed to be in a daze.

What........ did she...... jus' say?

Apple Bloom attempted to compose herself. But oh, the rage she was feeling right now....

DOES SHE LIKE PIPSQUEAK??!? WHY DO AH' SUDDENLY FEEL LIKE KILLING ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS?!!?!

Her blood was boiling. Jealous? Was she jealous? Apple Bloom clenched her teeth, wanting to run, run after Pipsqueak. Show Sweetie Belle that he was HERS and had always been HERS. But wait.... Pipsqueak.... He was different...

What's up with Pipsqueak?

Suddenly, she got up, her mind telling her to confront him. "Pipsqueak!!!! What the HAY?!?!" Apple Bloom yelled out, stopping right in front of her friend. Pipsqueak merely glanced at her, obviously annoyed.

"Call me 'Pip'.... I'm not exactly tiny anymore...." He grumbled, seeming to brag a bit.

"OK WHATEVER PIP!" She shouted, starting to get frustrated. "Are ya' not aware that we haven' seen each other in MONTHS?! Is there a big problem in sayin' hello??"

Pip just smiled. "Re-lax Apple Bloom. I just didn't notice you there! I've been... quite busy over the summer..." He said calmly.

Apple Bloom suddenly felt a shock of electricity. She had finally seen him after two months! He was here! She didn't have to worry anymore! She couldn't help but throw her arms around him, like she had been wanting to. "I missed ya Pip! It's been so long!"

"Get off of me..... Please" Pip stated in a pretty pissy tone. Now Apple Bloom was confused again. She reluctantly let go of his shoulders. Pip had always accepted her hugs! What was wrong with him? He was acting completely different! Despite her thoughts, she still was curious about how Pip spent his time alone.

"Whatwasyoursummerlike?Didya'goanywhere?Wasitfun?" She asked quickly, bouncing around the colt before stopping right in front of him. "Oh ah' can't wait t-" She was interrupted by the colts hoof pressed up on her mouth. She blushed furiously, but it was short lasting.

"I don't feel like talking to YOU right now! I have got more important things to do!" He snapped, his face scowling like she had done something wrong. Apple Bloom stared wide eyed at the colt as he removed his hoof, gave a frustrated snort, and walked away.

It all transpired so quickly, and once again Apple Bloom just sat down, staring into space. She could feel her stomach sink, and she wanted to cry. Nothing made sense. She could see out of the corner of her eye that Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were approaching, but she didn't even look at them. She barely even heard Silver Spoon stumbling over her words.

"I... um... YOUR STUPID! And.... um...... BLANK FLANK!" Silver shouted. Diamond Tiara rolled her eyes and dragged Silver back away by the tail. Apple Bloom would have laughed at this quick charade of failed bullying, but she couldn't even focus on anything other than the many questions that blared in her head.

What.....?

As the bell rang later at the end of the school day, Sweetie and the two other members of the CMC walked out of the school building. Although, Sweetie Belle wasn't really walking.... more like hopping.

I can't believe he held my hoof! He is so UNBELIEVABLY cute! Wait a minute..... this is weird..... Why am I thinking this? Oh well! I don't even care! I just know that he is ADORABLE! Okayyy..... seriously what's going on? Sweetie Belle thought. She just had an uncontrollable wave of happiness that just wanted to bur-

"Sweetie Belle? Are you LISTENING?" Scootaloo asked. And as Scootaloo very RUDELY interrupted my narrating, she stopped walking and looked Sweetie in the eyes.

"You've been acting like this all day! What has gotten into you?" Sweetie just giggled and bounced around Scootaloo. Apple Bloom stopped walking as well, but she stared at the ground.

"SWEETIE BELLE!!!" Scootaloo screamed.

"Wha- what?" Sweetie finally snapped to it and looked in the angry lavender eyes of her friend.

"What is WRONG with you? All you've been doing is giggling and jumping around and not even paying attention every two seconds!"

Apple Bloom was silent, still staring at the ground, not even listening to the conversation.

"What do you mean?"

"YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN!!"

Scootaloo suddenly stopped yelling and put a smirk on her face.

"You like him? Don't you?" She stopped smirking suddenly and now looked completely disgusted. "UGH gross!!"

Sweetie Belle blushed pink and looked around, trying to not make eye contact. "N-no I...... don't."

"PFFFFTTT YA you do!"

"No I don't"

"Yes you do!"

"No I don't!"

"YES YOU DO!"

"NO I DON'T!"

"YESSSSS YOOOOOUUUU DOOOOOO!!!!!"

"NOOOOO I-"

"What the hay is going on between you two!" Apple Bloom said finally noticing the two when they started screaming. Scootaloo smirked again and looked at Apple Bloom, laughter practically in her eyes.

"Nothing really, except that Sweetie Belle has a crush on Pip!"

Apple Bloom stopped. Her face fell at an alarming rate. She could feel the tears forming in her eyes already. "W-w-what?" But nopony seemed to notice her little words as Scootaloo faced Sweetie Belle again.

"NOOOOOOOOOOO I DOOOOOOOOOOON'T!!!!!"

"Yes you do! When Apple Bloom walked away and went to talk to Pip, you couldn't stop gushing about him!" She began to strut around, speaking in an obnoxiously high pitched voice. "OH MY! HE IS SOOOO HOOOOT! I WANT TO LOVE HIM FOREVER! MWAH MWAH MWAHHHHH!! OOOOH HE TOUCHED MY FLIPPIN HOOF OOOOH!!" She quit mocking and stuck out her tongue. "BLEEEHH romance! How gross!"

"Maybe.... I might.... have a teensy ... c-crush on him," Sweetie whispered, her blush darkening. She picked at the dirt awkwardly, her ears tilted back.

"YES!!! I KNEW IT!!" Scootaloo exclaimed thrusting her hooves in the air. Sweetie smiled sheepishly at her. Apple Bloom however, was anything but happy.

Apple Bloom stormed in front of them. "A-Ah' gotta go ya' guys...." She mumbled, dragging the words out long and slow. The two dropped the conversation, and now looked at Apple Bloom. She wiped her eyes quickly with her hoof, hoping her friends didn't notice that they looked quite glassy. They both seemed oblivious however, though one part of Apple Bloom wanted them to notice her.

"Are you sure?? You said you would hang out with us and help us think up stuff to do for our cutie marks!" Scootaloo replied, with a quite puzzled expression.

Apple Bloom shifted a bit, looking back and forth between the two fillies. Her heart was caught in her throat, she didn't feel well at all. "Ah.... Ah' realized Ah' have a lotta chores ta' do....." she lied, giving a fake smile. She was just as good at lying as her sister. Though still her friends we're completely unaware.

"Er... Okay... Goodbye Apple Bloom," Sweetie Belle said sweetly, yet Apple Bloom didn't reply. Sweetie Belle watched the earth foal turn around swiftly and walk away, down the long path towards the town. Scootaloo and her watched her go until she was out of sight. It was pretty weird... Nothing had triggered her to go. She had even said she didn't have any chores earlier after lunch! Did she lie? That wasn't like her...

"Um.... Do you have any idea what just happened?" Sweetie said starting to walk again alongside Scootaloo.

"No...." Scootaloo replied, wondering the same things as the foal walking next to her.

"Well.... I guess we can't practice then..... since she has chores..... on the first day of school apparently...." Both ponies kept thinking about it, even though they had both carried on with their conversation as they neared the town. Scootaloo tried to joke around a bit. It made her laugh, but Sweetie still couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

But after walking for a few minutes, she just happened to bump into someone who automatically pushed Apple Bloom out of her mind.

"Hi Sweets." The colt said from behind Sweetie Belle. Sweetie Belle once again blushed pink as she jumped from the shock that Pip was standing behind her. She turned to face him, and he was just standing there. Where had he even come from? It didn't matter really, he was still standing there and Sweetie Belle had to come up with something smart to say before he had decided he had go.

"I..... Uh......" She murmured, blushing even more as the tips of her very ears felt warm. "I like your hat.... WAIT! You're not wearing a hat... Hehehe.... silly me...." Sweetie backed up little in embarrassment. Is this what Fluttershy felt like all the time?? She would have to apologize to the mare sometime for not being sensitive about her timidness. Pip , trotted slowly around Sweetie as her eyes follow him.

"So you like me huh?" He said smoothly, and Sweetie could feel her face BEING LIT ON FIRE! She might have to go to the hospital after this because of third degree burns! But it was just her face glowing red from the fact that he had probably heard the whole argument with Scootaloo. Why had she shouted??

"I would have never excepted." He smirked at his own sarcasm, and stopped right back in front of the white unicorn.

Despite Sweetie thinking that he was probably disgusted with her, he trotted away before she could even reply. He was still smiling.

"See you tomorrow, Sweets" He called, not looking back as he walked into the town.

"B-bye..." She muttered, staring at the colt until he disappeared around a building.

Once he was out of view, she let out a squee of delight and bounced around in circles. She fell to the ground and started giggling like there was no tomorrow. She couldn't even hear Scootaloo shouting at her as Sweetie Belle starting running around, screaming and singing inaudible, gushed out things. Before she knew it, Scootaloo was gone from her site, and Sweetie was whipping and whirling around crazily. Before she knew what was happening, she ran strait into the lake, and Rainbow Dash had quickly pulled her out.

Apple Bloom slammed her bedroom door and sprawled herself out on her bed. She could her her grandmother shout from the other room, but she didn't care, and she began to kick everything in sight. Her dresser, the wall, the wardrobe, anything she could buck a nicely sized dent into, she did. All she could see was red. She was angry. Sad still, but extremely angry. He hadn't spoke to her... HE hadn't SPOKE to her! She had spent her entire summer worrying herself to bits and pieces! All for what? A stupid "Don't call me Pipsqueak." and a "I don't wanna talk to you because I'm acting like a little four year old!"

Then there Sweetie Belle, who didn't even took into consideration that maybe APPLE BLOOM could have liked Pip because, I don't know, THEY HAD KNOWN EACH OTHER FOR YEARS?? She looked around for another thing to slammed her hoof into, and then she saw it.

Her bedside picture of her, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Pip all posing with silly faces from Nightmare Night. She was sticking her tongue out, her eyes crossed as Pip next to her was trying not to laugh. Pip managed to pull a goofy under bite, while Sweetie on the other side made a duck face, standing on her hind legs with her hooves in the air. Scootaloo did a back flip over the three foal just for the picture, and the camera flashed right at the moment she was upside down with the stupidest look on her face, but also equally hilarious. Pinkie Pie couldn't help but photobomb, and her muzzle and on of her eyes appeared at the left right up at the camera. Apple Bloom took one look at the photograph, and started crying. She couldn't handle it! She just couldn't!

She seized the frame in her hooves, staring at it for a moment as a tear dripped onto the smooth glass. She raised it above her head, and thrust it through the air. It flew at an incredible speed, and hit the wall with a loud CRASH. Bits of glass and even wood from the frame flew around her room like it was snowing. The back of the frame fell to the floor with a flop, and the photograph floated through the air, softly landing on her carpet. She wanted to go and pick it up and rip it in half, fourths, eighths, sixteenths until all the little pieces were scattered around. But she couldn't move. She wouldn't budge. Her head was spinning, and her ears were ringing. She breathed in and out like they were her last breaths.

She didn't move an inch.

"Apple Bloom?" a voice said softly as the figure opened the door with a creak. "A-APPLE BLOOM!"

Apple Bloom looked up at her sister. The foals pupils were the size of pinpoints. Her mouth was twisted in between a frown and a smile, and she looked around, taking it all in.

1...

2....

3.......

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!"

Author's Notes:

Took me FOREVER to right this!
Can't wait for the NEXT chapter!
Lurve you guys
~CrazyRandomPony