Bells of Graham

The young colt looked a bit bored not that he made many other expressions. He was being shoved off to school now after just having been bothered with a night of sleeping among boxes.

Either way the brown colt walked to school much earlier than any sane child would, who would want to spend a whole extra hour at school let alone wake up early enough to do it. The question of how sane and normal he was aside. Graham bought a muffin from a disturbingly peppy pony name Pinkie Pie who almost set off his plans by rambling on about how excited she was that there was someone new in town, among other things he didn't quite catch. He quickly exited fearing she would throw a party right then and there how he hated parties so noisy and crowded.

He reached the school regretting that he didn't wait a little longer as the smell of apples wafted into his nose at least the food here was good or so his nose told him. Smell could be deceiving a terrible prank had taught him that. He reached his destination. this school was smaller than the tall building that he was used to. He found his desk had a name tag placed on it the surrounding ones had them as well reading them over he face-hooved. Of all the botherations he had to deal with this was by far the worst. He would be one of the very few boys in this class. To spend his day with giddy giggling girls, it was a nightmare involving bows and glitter that he would rather not relive.

You look cute as a girl his mother's voice echoed trying not to laugh at her sons current state.

he shook his head willing the memory away maybe one day it would seem funny but at the moment it was not.

He left his bag near his desk, before checking his seat in question for any pranks or old things left behind by its previous owner hoping there would be no wads of gum or splinters. He found none and was pleased to unpack his bag and make it his own before he went outside to watch the students trickle in. As he settled a stray cat came to sit with him...the creatures always did seem too take a shine to him it was probably the catnip tea his mother would make on the daily. He tried to keep it from rubbing hair on his side and failed. The first students to show up were a group of blank flanks no doubt together because or some bully. They were everywhere rude brutes who didn't like their own cutie marks for some reason or another so picked on those who lacked. There were also others who wore glasses like himself , there were enough four eyes jokes to last him a life time and then some. A pony he could only guess was their teacher ushered stranglers into the building when graham went in in his feline friend scooted into the large spot of warmth he had left.

The teacher took note of him and rather than just giving a name introduction she made him get up to introduce himself.

Grahams POV

"Hi," I started adjusting my hat and glasses a bit. "My name is Graham, I am a pony, and I like books...any questions"

The statement that I was a pony got a few giggles, my strange unintended humor tended to cause that.

I looked out at the class to see a hoof in the air.

Horse apples I just want to sit down.

"Why are you dressed like that?" a tiara sporting girl asked "You look like someone shrunk the principal."

"I always dress like this" I said looking at my vest and shirt. My horn was broken so I kept it under my hat though I didn't mention that. My Glasses were strait on my face though I adjusted them again anyway. I had turned to far to the side revealing my lack of a cutie mark and the splotch on my bum that reminded my mother of a doilies. I heard the girl who had asked me the question laugh along with another. I returned to my seat since no one else asked me a question. The day passed uneventfully.

We lived near the Everfree, we may have been moving but it didn't change my parents curious nature. We already had some poison joke floating around father was trying to negate its strange effects doing a trial and error on himself. The latest experiment had his fur standing on absolute end making him look like a perfectly round puff ball with eyes. I never realized how long fathers hair was until now. Mother was laughing at him and carefully trying to flatten it out only for it to poof right back up. I smirked at fathers antics and retired to my room for the night.

I always dreamed of bells big bells that would ring deafeningly accompanied by little jingling one and medium sized ones always bells playing in the background of my dreams.

Tonight I was in the forest bells hung from trees little silver ones big gold ones cracked bronze ones some ringing in the breeze other making muted tinks or tonks from being to large for the wind to blow. I walked on through this strangeness until I couldn't move anymore. My horn was regrown suddenly lighting the darkness with its golden light. I wished it hadnt gears everywhere turning ringing all the bells collectively the ground shook as the final bell rung louder than any bell in my dreams. The floor came out from me...

I awoke to the earliest sun light. Perhaps picking the room overlooking the source of all things creepy hadn't been the best of ideas...

The school bell announcing recess the next day made me jump reminding me of my dream if one could call it that, I slammed my notebook shut and went into the reading corner nothing interesting but i found a history book giving a soft version of the terrors of Equestria's past though all the victories were glorified to the point of idiocy. I hated the distorted history lessons and who was to say all that rose against Equestria were evil what of the other side of the story. I stopped my wondering for a moment to wonder about something else. Why did I care about these things i was a child maybe it was the time I spent growing up in a library. As the school bell rung he recited a line of verse that stuck with him since he heard a teacher recite it.

"Bells, bells, bells, - To the moaning and the groaning of the bells. "

"What does a little boy know about someone as grim as Edgar Allen"

"Contrary to popular belief not all of his works were morbid, he wrote some cool mysteries and mother likes his poetry. The Gold Bug is my favorite story by him have you heard of it."

"No." She muttered

She gave me that look that most adults would when I would say things like that, surprise with some sort of hidden annoyance by knowing little facts she probably didn't know. I could tell even with my thick glasses and the fact she was almost on the opposite end of the room I had annoyed her mildly.

I didn't care it made me feel proud despite my trained politeness I felt I could indulge rubbing it in a little bit I was an 'ignorant child' to some degree after all.

"Oh you should read them they are super cool..." I said feeling like an idiot for even saying super cool.

I continued searching through the bookshelves. One book was not a book at all but a sketchpad accidentally placed here. My mind was suddenly sparked with interest, but I wasn't sure if I should open it I flipped it over to see doodles of ponies all surrounding a name. This belonged to...Applebloom?

After school I talked to her about it she didn't seem to mind that I had or hadn't looked inside.

"I was looking everywhere for this thank you" she smiled giving me a little hug.

"Knock it off I'm not the hugging type." I squeaked after a few seconds of getting my neck crushed. Mentally I was crying thanking Celestia she had stopped before I choked to death.

"Hey wanna join the cutie mark crusaders?" she asked

"Well I don't particularly mind not having one but it sounds kinda fun..." I started nervously.

"Great! We can meet at our club house tomorrow since its the weekend." she bounced off happily ignoring my open mouth.

"I didn't say yes." I said to the open air "WAAIT! I don't know where that is!"

Why do I always attract the weird bouncy ones?

I ran to catch up. I might as well try my hand at this friend thing before my parents chose to move again.

I decided to play around with the characters from the second story a little more. No long rambling reason this time. Next up Draconequus story. Why? Because Discord.`