A/N: I am so so so sorry that it's been so long since I updated. I keep trying to work on this and then getting distracted, and I've had a ton of homework lately and all sorts of things. I will hopefully be updating more often in the future, but if I don't, please review and PM me and bug me all the time next time it takes anywhere near this long to update. Anyways, this chapter is longer than usual, so please enjoy, subscribe, watch, favorite, and whatever else. Oh, and also, prepare for depressing flashbacks!

Big Macintosh walked along the path to Ponyville, whistling quietly under his breath. He hadn't been this happy in a long time.
Even though he had only met Fluttershy a few days before, and they hadn't even talked for that long, he had felt an instant connection with the yellow Pegasus, something he hadn't even felt close to since he had met Cheerilee.
Big Macintosh believed in love at first sight, and though his family haas teased him for it, when he first saw Cheerilee he thought she was the pony he was destined to spend the rest of his life with.
His thoughts were interupted by the very pony that was on them - Ms. Cheerilee herself. "Big Mac!" she exclaimed, smiling happily at him. He faked a smile in return. Seeing her again brought back all the pain of their breakup. He remembered every word of it as if it were yesterday.

"Hey sugarcube," he said, sidling up beside her after her class had let out. "Yer looking gorgeous as usual."
"What do you want Big Mac?" she snapped, turning and glaring at him. "I'm kind of busy, if you couldn't tell."
He looked around the almost empty room, the last of the fillies filing out of the door, only Applebloom remaining. "Ya sure don't look busy," he grumbled to himself, watching her stack some papers and put them into a bag.
"What was that?" she snapped at him, shoving the papers roughly into the saddlebag.
"Nuthin, nuthin. It just looks like ya ain't that busy." He looked over at Applebloom, standing in the corner waiting for him, and gave her a nod towards the door, silently telling her to wait outside. She scampered out, looking worried.
"Oh, like you think it's soooooooo easy, teaching these little snot-nosed brats their ABCs and 123s! Well it's not! They're loud, and annoying, and don't pay attention to anything I say! Maybe you should try saying 'A is for apple,' 100 times while they pick their noses and cry for their mommies and don't even take a second glance at you!"
"Well maybe Ah should! From what Ah hear from Applebloom, Ah reckon you ain't even that good of a teacher!"
"Well at least I can speak English properly!"
Big Macintosh froze. He and Cheerilee had had their fights, but never once had she insulted the way he talked. She had even told him it was "adorable." He sighed, and lowered his voice. "What happened to us Cheerilee? We used to be so happy. We'd talk, and laugh, and now it seems all we do is lie and scream."
Cheerilee was not ready to stop the fight like that. "What happened? WHAT HAPPENED? You want to know what happened?"
"Well yeah Cheerilee, Ah reckon Ah do."
She sighed, taking a small step back. It seemed like all the fight went out of her in that one sigh. "Listen Big Mac," she said quietly, almost regretfully. "There's... There's someone else. Another stallion."
"There's a what?" His mind didn't seem to be processing anything.
"Another stallion. I'm sorry Big Mac. I didn't want it to end like this." she took a step forward, kissed him on the cheek and galloped to the door, pushing it open and running away, tears streaming down her face.
Big Macintosh stood there silently, mouth open slightly, staring after her.

"...Mac? Big Mac? Equestria to Big Mac?"
He shook his head and looked down at the purple earth pony in front of him. These were the most words she had spoken to him since that day in the schoolhouse. "Well howdy Cheerilee," he said, attempting to appear calm and not as if he were about to break down and begin sobbing. "if'n ya don't mind, Ah gotta lotta apples to deliver, Ah'd best be off." He began trotting off, hoping it was enough to keep Cheerilee from continuing to talk to him - but, of course, it wasn't.
"Oh, I'll just take a moment Big Mac, and then I'll be out of your mane. I mean, unless you don't want me to be."
He looked down at her quizzically.
"Oh, well, you see, me and Caramel broke up on Tuesday, and as we were standing there, and he was telling me it wasnt working out, I realized something. I realized that I was wrong to leave you in the first place. So anyways, I was wondering, you know, if you're free if maybe you wanted to go get some coffee or something some time."
"Oh," said Big Macintosh, now looking anywhere but at the schoolteacher. "Well actually, Ah think Ah'm gonna be pretty busy for a while, so Ah dunno if Ah'd be able to make it. Mah apologies Miss Cheerilee."
Cheerilee stared up at him in shock. "But... You... You've been trying to get back together with me for months, and now you're just too busy for a cup of coffee? Is that what you're saying?"
"Eeyup."
"Well fine!" she snapped. "I'm sure there are plenty of other stallions who would kill to go out with me! I'll see you around."
"Bubye Miss Cheerilee. Have a nice day."
She snorted and threw her nose in the air, walking off haughtily. Big Mac smiled. She was definitely still the same Cheerilee. He turned too, and slowly began walking towards the edge of town. Today was going to be a good day.