The next time Scootaloo and Rumble were at school, everything was awkward between their friends. Scootaloo couldn't get a word out of the crusaders without being asked about how her 'date' went, "It wasn't a date." She'd reply.
Rumble's friends would continuously talk to him and ask him about his new girlfriend, "She's not my girlfriend." was always his response. It got to the point in which the two decided to eat lunch at the 'cold tables' as ever pony started calling them.
"I told you not to mention it around everypony." Scootaloo warned.
"Yeah, you were right."
"Now they're all convinced that we're dating now." The two cringed at the questions they knew they'd be asked.
"I don't even want to think about what they'll do next." Scootaloo stated with a shudder.
"Me neither." Rumble agreed. "How about we talk about gym?"
"It's not exactly the worst class ever, as long as you do what you're told." Scootaloo shrugged.
"Says the coach's favorite female player."
"Just because I played a few sports during the past years doesn't mean I'm a sports star, besides, he liked you too." She pointed out.
"Not with the way he was always praising your team."
"Whatever, we both know I wasn't the star of it all, that's a spot reserved for Lily."
"Yep." Rumble agreed, referring to the best athlete in the school. "Speaking of which, why aren't you in this year?"
"Well," Scootaloo sighed, "I decided not to do any sports this year because I want to focus on my grades, this being our last year, I want to go out with the best grades."
"Well you're halfway there." Rumble said, leaning back and taking a long sip of his water.
"Yeah, only four and a half months to go." She said unenthusiastically.
"You say that like you're not too excited for it."
"Don't get me wrong, I'll be happy once all of the grades are and homework's out of the way, but..."
"But what?"
"I guess that I'm going to miss being a kid."
"But you're nearly 18 Scootaloo."
"I know that, I mean, I'm not too excited to pay taxes and buy my own house and other stuff. It just doesn't sound fun."
"Yeah..."
"I'm just going to miss being a teen, you know? Soon I'll be expected to handle everything on my own and act like an adult, but I don't think I'm ready to be one."
"Well... I guess that nopony really is ready when they have to act like an adult, we all have a part of ourselves that wants to be a kid again. But I say that you should enjoy the time while you have the time. You and I may not have much longer left, but...I think that we should cherish these last few moments."
Scootaloo took a long time to reply. Before she smiled at him. "That sounds like it came straight from a cheesy movie." She smiled, leaning back and propping her back.
"You mentioned it, not me."
"Fair point." Scootaloo shrugged. A bone chilling wind swept through them just as the bell rang. Prompting the two to get up and rush for class.
"Rumble..." Scootaloo said behind him. He turned back around to see hesitation in her eyes before she looked back up to his own. "Thanks." She smiled. Rumble smiled back.
"No problem."
After a much easier practice taught by Rumble, the two parted ways and headed to their regular homes. Rumble went home to find that his brother wasn't there, and sighed with relief as he calmly walked to his room.
Well, walked being a key word.
He was instantly knocked off of his hooves and on the ground in seconds. He saw a flash of purple and suddenly realized that Flitter was still hanging about. She had him in a death grip and didn't show many signs of moving until Rumble could barely get the words out.
"...Can't...b-breathe!" He heaved.
"Oops! Sorry Rumble." She released him from her iron grip and he gasped for air. "I'm just so happy you're home!"
"Why...?" He asked suspiciously.
"Because I wanted to see you of course! I missed you being away all day." She said.
"Well, sorry to disappoint, but I need to get some things done." He said, motioning to his room. Flitter flattened her ears to the side of her head.
"Oh, I was hoping we could go to the park together like old times, and that you'd take me to see your girlfriend-"
"You mean Scootaloo?"
"Yeah, who else?"
"Oh for the love of- Flit, she's not my girlfriend, we're just friends." He said, standing up at eye level with her. He stood a few inches above her head, forcing her to look up at him.
"But I thought that you two started dating."
"What?! No! Where'd you hear that?"
"Thunderlane said that a friend of his saw you two eating there and talking about relationships."
"You mean he was eavesdropping?"
"That's what I wanted to know, but Thunderlane said he wasn't. Anyway, I seriously thought that you started dating."
"Sorry to disappoint, but that's not the case, we're just friends." Rumble assured her. He couldn't help but feel like he was lying a bit, even though he wasn't.
"Okay then, sorry Rumble."
"Don't worry about it." Rumble said. Though he was getting tired of saying it. All day, and the rest of it, he spent sounding like a broken tape recorder, at dinner with his parents, who mentioned Scootaloo, and when Thunderlane teased him about being in love with her while he just picked away at his pasta. It was really bothering him.
"Geez Rumble, I was just teasing." Thunderlane said to an unresponsive Rumble.
"Well, I don't think it's funny." Rumble said, looking directly at his eyelevel.
"I didn't mean to keep bothering you about your girlfriend-"
"Ugh! For the last time, she's. Not. My. Girlfriend!!" He yelled out. Everyone at the table fell silent, while Rumble just fumed and left the table.
There was a soft knock on the door.
"Go away."
"Well, I did come to see you." The voice on the other side replied. Rumble sat up.
"Scootaloo?"
"The one and only." Rumble quickly got up to unlock his door, finding Scootaloo standing there with an expectant grin.
"What are you doing here?"
"Well, you didn't come to flight practice today. As far as I'm concerned you went straight home." She said, throwing him a slightly angry glare.
"Oh," Rumble said, smiling nervously. "I'm sorry."
"Sorry won't cut it, as long as we're not Junior Wonderbolts, you're not going to be escaping practice, rain or shine." She said, stabbing her hoof in his chest with each word. Rumble tried backing away, but she only followed until he ended up falling on the floor. He gulped.
"Pick up the pace!" Scootaloo yelled out.
"I'm trying!"
"Doesn't look like it! You need to keep your head forward, you have peripheral vision for a reason, use it!" Rumble continued racing through the trees, coming close to hitting them before bumping into another.
"Ow!" He yelled out, running head first into the shrubbery. Scootaloo shook her head and flew down.
"Keep your head straight Rumble."
"I think I prefer the clouds." He groaned, rubbing the spot on his head.
"You wouldn't stop whining about them. Take it like a stallion." Rumble rolled his eyes and held his head. Not thinking Scootaloo would notice his bad mood.
"Hey," She said, landing next to him. "Is something bothering you?"
"No, it's nothing."
"Rumble, your not as focused as you used to be, and your even worse than before, what's wrong."
"I know I shouldn't let it be bothering me, but I'm sick and freakin' tired of ponies saying you're my girlfriend or that we're dating. It used to be an annoying thing, but now everypony's overdoing it, and it's really ticking me off." He ranted.
"There's nothing we can do about it."
"I know that, but I just can't get over it."
"Well, as somepony once told me, just accept the things that come into your life, and one day they'll eventually be able to manage. I say just keep avoiding conversation. It works when my family does that."
"Yours does it too?"
"All of the time, 'Scootaloo, are you flying around with that colt all the time?,' or 'How's you're boyfriend doing?'"
"I guess I'm not alone on that."
"Not even close. But I guess we're just going to have to deal with this stuff."
"Yeah, that sucks."
"It does, but not as much as you're 50 wing-ups."
"What?!"
"You've been lollygagging all afternoon, now drop and give me 50 lover boy."
"Fine."