It's all my fault.

If I had been paying attention in school, I would've passed my math class. If I had passed my math class, I wouldn't need a tutor. If I hadn't needed a tutor, then he wouldn't have shown up.

It's all my fault.

"Sweetie Belle, come and meet your new tutor!" called Rarity.

"Coming!" yelled Sweetie as she raced down the stairs. She came to a halt next to her sister and stared up at the very tall, very stern-looking unicorn. After a moment, he smiled down at her.

"Greetings, young filly. I'm Mr. Slide Rule."

"H..hi," said Sweetie. Then she added, "You sure are tall." Indeed, he was a head taller than Rarity, but not quite as tall as Big Mac. His eyes were a brilliant blue, and his long blonde mane swept carelessly over one shoulder. He was wearing matching saddlebags (made with a color that brought out his eyes, Sweetie breathlessly noted) that bore what looked like a cutie mark, a ruler superimposed over an abacus. He was dressed in a smart business suit, complete with trousers. In short, he was the most handsome stallion Sweetie had ever seen.

"Sweetie, you're staring," Rarity gently chided. She placed her hoof over her mouth to suppress a giggle. Sweetie snapped herself back to reality.

"Huh? Sorry, sis."

Mr. Rule smiled, showing shining teeth. "It's quite alright. Now then, your sister informs me you're having trouble with algebra. Let's see what we can do about that, shall we?" Turning to Rarity, he asked, "Where may I set up?"

Rarity patted her already perfect mane and said, "Oh, anywhere you like! Might I suggest the dining room?"

"Lead the way."

Rarity did, making sure to swish her tail just so as she walked in front of him. Sweetie saw this and frowned. As much as she loved her sister, it was always a bit embarrassing the way she acted around stallions. She hoped she wouldn't be the same when she grew up.

Once there, Mr. Rule took off his saddlebags and brought out pencils and paper, then laid them on the table. Sweetie took the opposite chair and gathered her materials in front of her. Mr. Rule then used his magic to write down a few equations, and then showed them to her. "These are some simple problems I'll use to gauge your proficiency. Please solve them."

Sweetie's heart sank. While she knew the basic methods for solving the problems, her brain simply shut down. The last thing she wanted was to look foolish in front of this stallion, so she cleared her throat and dutifully wrote them down. Sticking her tongue out one side, she then tried to tackle the first problem, while Rarity and her tutor patiently waited.

Rarity must have sensed her discomfort, for she said, "Oh! Where are my manners? I'll just pop into the kitchen and get you both something. Won't take long!" She made a graceful exit, but not before turning and giving her sister a wink over her shoulder.

With Rarity gone, Sweetie breathed a little easier but found the problem just as difficult as before. After a few moments, Mr. Rule said, "I see you're having difficulty. Let me show you a simple way." He then slid over to her side, and slowly, carefully, showed her the solution. Sweetie brightened. That way seemed much easier!

"Now you try with the next one."

Filled with new confidence, she applied the same method to the equation and finally solved it. Mr. Rule beamed down at her. "That's exactly right. Keep going." He then moved back over to his side of the table and began writing out new problems.

As they were sitting there, Opalescence wandered into the room. She paused when she saw the new pony, then hissed and extended her claws. "Opal!" cried Rarity. "Be nice!" But the cat was having none of it. She sat herself in a corner of the room and refused to take her eyes off the stallion, hissing and yowling. Scooping her up in her magic, Rarity said, "I'm sorry, she's never like this. I'll just move her to somewhere else."

"It's quite alright," said Rule. "Now then, Sweetie, shall we get back to the equations?"

After about three hours of this, he stood and said, "That's enough for today. I think we'll have no difficulties getting you back on track, young filly."

Sweetie smiled. "You think so?"

Rule nodded. "No question. See you next week." Gathering his materials back in his saddlebags, he walked to the door, with Rarity beside him. He turned to her and said in a low voice, "She's much better than I hoped; I don't think I have much work to do with her, Miss Rarity."

Rarity fluttered her eyelashes at him and purred, "Anything you'd like to do...for me, would be fine. To help her," she quickly added. Then she recovered herself and said, "It's getting late; won't you stay for dinner?" But Rule just smiled and shook his head.

"That's kind of you to offer, but I must be getting back to Canterlot. My wife is expecting me."

Rarity's heart sank. "Your...wife?"

"Yes. She likes for me to be punctual." He adjusted his saddlebags and left, while Rarity frowned.

"Oh, shoot! Why are all the good ones are always taken?" She turned back to the dining room but stopped when she saw her sister staring at her.

"Something wrong, Sweetie?"

"Do you have to do that?"

"Do what, dear?" Sweetie opened her mouth to complain about her always flirting with. Every. Stallion. she met but thought better of it.

"Nothing. When's dinner ready?"

"Just a few minutes." She added, "Mr. Rule says you're doing great. I'm so proud of you!" Sweetie's mood lightened considerably at these words. She really did care what her sister thought.

"Thanks, sis!" Then she blushed. Rarity's eyes grew wide at this.

"Why are you blushing, darling?"

Sweetie stammered, "I...I...never mind!" She almost blurted out she liked the tall stallion but decided to keep it to herself. But Rarity wasn't fooled.

She smiled. "I think you like him, don't you?"

"Rarity!"

Rarity waved a hoof. "Oh, it's perfectly understandable. He is quite handsome!"

Sweetie Belle held her hooves to her burning cheeks and said, "I do not!" But Rarity just smiled again and walked past her to the kitchen.

"Dinner will be ready soon. Go wash your hooves."

Before she went to finish making dinner, she let her cat out of the room she'd put her in. The cat immediately went to the place the stallion had been sitting and hissed again.

"Opal! What's wrong with you?"

Many days later, Rarity wished she had paid attention.

"So, what's he like?" asked Scootaloo.

"What's who like?" asked Sweetie.

"Your new tutor. I heard around town he's really handsome," added Apple Bloom.

The three of them were hanging out at the Clubhouse after school, away from prying ears, so Sweetie whispered, "Yes, he is. My sister would barely stop flirting with him. It was sooo embarrassing!"

Scootaloo edged closer, and said, "And how about you? Do you...like him?"

Sweetie Belle stared at her hooves. "M...maybe?"

"That's as good as a 'yes'," replied Apple Bloom. "So, what are you going to do about it?"

Sweetie frowned at her. "I don't know anything about boys. What do you think I should do?"

Scootaloo smiled. "Surely your parents have given you...the Talk?"

"What's that?"

Scootaloo threw up her hooves. "You know! The Talk!"

Sweetie stared at them both. "And this..."talk," you both had it?" They nodded.

"Applejack told me last year."

"And my parents told me a few months ago," added Scootaloo. Then she salaciously grinned at Apple Bloom. "I just got a fantastic idea!" With that, she launched into a detailed, graphic explanation. Sweetie's cheeks felt like they were on fire the entire time. When Scootaloo finished (with helpful hints thrown in by Apple Bloom) she was full of more questions than ever.

"So...the stallion puts his..." she asked.

"Yup!"

"And the mare gets it in her...?"

"Exactly!"

Sweetie stared at the floor. "That's gross."

"No, it's not. I hear it's really fun!" said Scootaloo.

Sweetie stared at her. "And how would you know?"

Now it was Scootaloo's turn to blush. "Well, I don't actually. But, that's what my Mom said. She just told me I'm not old enough for it yet, but to wait until the right time."

"And how do you know when it's 'the right time?'"

"She said I'd just know."

Sweetie stared at the floor again. "I still think it's gross."

Scootaloo swatted her on her shoulder. "Stop being such a baby! We're gonna be grown soon; we gotta think about these things!"

Apple Bloom brightened. "Mebbe we can git our cutie marks in 'Sex Education'!"

At this embarrassing outburst, Sweetie Belle nervously cleared her throat and looked at the clock. "Look at how late it is! I better be getting back," she squeaked.

Scootaloo sighed. "Yeah, you're right. I'll see you guys tomorrow."

Sweetie Belle nodded and they all left. All the way home, her mind was filled with the things she'd been told. Additionally, she found herself staring at the stallions she passed. For the first time, she found herself thinking about just what else mares and stallions did with each other. Thanks to her friends, she now had information. More information than she wanted.

A week later, she found herself again sitting across from her teacher. "Now then, shall we begin where we left off?" he asked.

She said, "Yes, sir," and began writing down the equations he had for her. While she was working, Rarity came into the room and with her cat in a carrier and cleared her throat. They both looked up at her.

"I have to take Opal out to see the vet. I'll be gone for about an hour. You'll both be alright while I'm gone?"

"You've nothing to worry about, Miss Rarity. She's making excellent progress, and I'm sure we'll be done before too long."

"Yeah, sis. We'll be fine."

Rarity shuffled her hooves. "Alright. I'll be back as soon as I can!" With that, she left.

Forty minutes passed, then Rule said, "That's enough for today." He gave her his most winning smile. "You really are one of the brightest students I've ever worked with. I don't even know why I'm here."

Sweetie flushed at the praise. "Thank you, Mr. Rule!"

He smiled again and said, "Now what I don't understand is why such a pretty filly as yourself is having so much trouble in school? You're so smart, is something else going on?"

But Sweetie had stopped listening after the first compliment. "You...you think I'm...pretty?"

"Of course! Haven't any of the boys in school told you that?"

Sweetie stammered, "N...no."

Mr. Rule sat back. "Well, they're fools then. Anypony can see that."

Sweetie looked down at the table, too embarrassed to speak. Mr. Rule got to his hooves.

"I should be going. Are you going to be alright if I leave you alone?"

"Oh, yes! Rarity leaves me alone all the time."

Rule's smile widened. "Is that so? Well, maybe you can tell me all about it when I come back." He got to his hooves and returned his materials to his saddlebags. "Walk me to the door?"

Sweetie nodded and followed him to the entrance. He smiled down at her.

Then, just before he left, he stroked her mane, while Sweetie froze. She'd never had her mane touched before by a stallion, besides her Dad. Sensations ran through her she didn't understand, and she found herself unable to speak.

"Bye, for now, pretty filly."

Sweetie watched him go, as her body responded in ways she'd never felt before. She closed the door and went to the couch, finding a comfortable seat. These feelings, she decided, she'd keep to herself.