Social Sins of a Young Thang Living 'Alone'

by Regina Wright

And First Came Cheerilee's Goodwill

Sipping lazily a cup of sweeten gray tea and watching the last of the readers leave her library, Twilight sighed. Spike was nearby on a ladder, dusting a shelf top as he hummed. It had been a slow day with Twilight flipping through her textbooks for something to strike her interest and waiting for the next shipment of books to be delivered.

With the thick snow clouds and harsh weather taking up the streets, the books from Fillydelphia would be unreasonable slow to arrive. But they were due to show up any day now and she had to be ready to receive them. Even if she would have liked to be doing anything else at this moment. Twilight had half a mind to leave it up to Spike but the books were coming in her name and he certainly couldn't move all the books himself to be sorted.

Maybe, she should've sneaked off earlier and took a nap and Spike could've wake her if any delivery ponies came by? If only it could have been so easy? Twilight liked to follow things in a certain order and today, she cleared her schedule for book watch. She just didn't know that book watch could become so boring. It had always driven her into a frenzy in Canterlot...

Twilight leaned on her elbow on the table, sighing out a sleepy sigh. You know, she wasn't all that sleepy. Just tired of waiting here. There were thousands of things she could be doing. Like... Twilight struggled to think of something. She finished her packet of homework weeks ago. Practicing her spell work would mean she would have to leave her post and likely make another mess in the basement... And Spike had strong thoughts about her messes in the basement which he shouldn't because she'll clean them when she's good and ready. She didn't smell a smell. He was crazy.

Spike climbed off the ladder and gave her a salute as he headed upstairs. Probably going to take a quick nap before dinner time. Technically, it was her turn but she was looking to get takeout for them tonight. It was for the best if they didn't want a burning stove to stink the treehouse for a couple of days.

'Takes far too long out air out.' Twilight though. She saluted back and dropped her head on the table after she pushed the cup a safe distance away.

The books weren't coming today. Twilight glanced at a window, showing the dark sky and hail pounding the outside streets. Hardly any ponies were out there too. The books really, really weren't coming today. There was absolutely no reason why she couldn't up and leave. Just go. If it's boring, why couldn't she just leave? She could go and get something from upstairs and-

Twilight tried to get up but only shook the table. Her hindquarters were too tired to move. This was it for her. She slid the tea back to her and took another slow, pleased sip. She had caught the 'lazy'.

She was a goner.

Twilight levitated three tomes of Intensive Runic Lore of the Pre-Classical Era from the shelf they sat in and considered if she was going to spoil herself now or later. She had saved a pretty amount of coin to get these books in her hooves. They were supposed to be a rainy day treat but... Today was kinda rainy if one remembered that hail was nothing but frozen rain.

The first volume drifted closer to her face and Twilight inhaled the sweet stench of old history and ink. Her mouth watering, she allowed the other two to return resting as she examined the tome still in her magical grip. Twilight cracked the book open to its first page and her eyes quivered as she readied herself to gulp down her meal.

But then the door busted open with Cheerilee tumbling in as the wind swept the papers and quills from her saddlebags onto the floor. Twilight dropped her book in her surprise and steadied Cheerilee in her magical grip. She then got up, helping the teacher pick up her papers and letters as Cheerilee went to close the door behind her.

“What brings you to the library, Ms. Cheerilee?” Twilight asked as she quickly stacked a pile of graded test papers and parental letters of the foals in Cheerilee's class. The sight of the red ink gave Twilight a flashback to her first set of double zeroes on a returned test. She shuddered as she continued talking. “We were about to close but if you need something, I'll be happy to help.”

Cheerilee quickly grabbed the papers and stuffed them back into her saddlebags that was looking to burst. Twilight took a nervous look at it as she waited for Cheerilee to respond. But the mare in question seemed distracted. She kept digging through her bags and muttering, “Oh, I must have lost it.” as she searched.

“Ms. Cheerilee?” Twilight tried again.

“Twilight!” Cheerilee sputtered as she got on four hooves and abruptly turned to her. Twilight blinked as she gained Cheerilee's undivided attention. It was not pleasant. “Don't tell me you are going to wait for the last moment. The paperwork still has to process through the system regardless of when you do it. We can get it out of the way as soon as I-” Cheerilee trailed off as she resumed searching her bags. “Where is it? I always make three copies!”

“Last moment?” She asked before snorting loudly. If only Twilight was a pony who waited to the last moment, her day could have went entirely different.

Cheerilee sighed from her seat on the floor. Eeep. Twilight might have snorted too loudly. The earth mare tugged at her two-toned pink locks with her hoof before getting up. When she spoke to Twilight again, she sounded oddly professional. Did Twilight offend her somehow?

“Twilight, I know that it's the middle of the year and you were thinking of having Spike come to school next year... Lots of parents think that's a good idea to miss a year due to unplanned traveling but I think that Spike is smart enough to handle the second semester.” Cheerilee glanced at her bags and shook her head. “It seems I don't have them with me but I've made notes and study guides to ease Spike for the transition. We wouldn't want Spike to be left behind after all.”

“Wait, what is this about?” Twilight thought over the mare's words. Cheerilee was concerned about Spike's schooling? Twilight looked around the room as she wondered on how to answer.

Cheerlilee started staring at her, baffled. Twilight mentally groaned. She looked around again, still stalling and hoping that Spike heard the commotion and decided to come down from upstairs.

No such luck.

Her gaze met the floor as she tried to sound just as professional and serious. “You don't have to worry about Spike being left behind. He keeps up with his lessons at home.”

“Oh... You home-school? I see.” Cheerilee's face grew troubled and another sigh slipped free as if the mare was remembering something. Twilight winced.

“Ah,” Twilight waved her hoof. She cleaned her throat and her eyes wandered back to the textbooks waiting on the table. If Cheerilee had come couple days ago, Twilight would have had several stacks of paperwork and suggested reading to put Cheerilee at ease. “Self-study.” She clarified.

“Nonetheless,” Cheerilee stated. “I think that Spike would get some well needed social interaction from being in my class. We would be happy to have him.”

“No, really. We self-study.” Twilight said, trying to think why Cheerilee would be so interested in Spike all of the sudden. Was it because he was a dragon and she wanted her students to learn from him? “Once or twice a month, we'll get a large packet of study work from Canterlot to finish and send back out before the month is through.”

Cheerilee seemed distracted. Twilight must've not gotten to the point fast enough. Cheerilee was worried about Spike, right?

“Spike was really cutting it close last month.” Twilight continued, watching as Cheerilee's ears perked up. “But then again, he's always been cutting it close. He thinks finishing the packet in a week misses the point of doing classwork without a deadline but I always remind him waiting for the last week to do it isn't right either. He could do it too if he didn't let the time slip by. There are only so many hours in the day, right?”

“You're still pursuing education for yourself, Twilight?” Cheerilee asked, catching Twilight off-guard. “That's good.” She nodded to herself. “Maybe, I should bring some work for you if you need anything extra.”

“Yeah. I love learning and books. Err... Um...” Twilight lamely stated. Somehow, the conversation got awkward. Like it always did when she kept talking. “I appreciate you coming, Cheerilee. Would you like to stay for some tea?”

“No. I have to pass.” Cheerilee moved from her and slipped her saddlebags back on. “I have to make my rounds to the homes of my other students. Are you sure you wouldn't want Spike to come to my class?”

“Yes, I'm sure.” Twilight already imagined the conversation with Spike. He'd go on and on that he isn't a little kid and throw a fit about being stuck with real babies all day. “He'd probably be embarrassed to speak in front of so many foals.”

“I see...”

Comments

[Scootareader]

Great thus far, as I've come to expect from you. The grammar suffered a little more in chapter 2 than in chapter 1. Looking forward to the next exciting installment.

[ThunderWonder]

Somehow, the conversation got awkward. Like it always did when she kept talking.

Quite like me, actually

[RazDelacroix]

So...it begins... DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN! Yeah, gonna favor this one. I would rather not accidentally miss a chapter!

[Telaros]

That story descriptions like this deserves a separate like bar so we can upvote a story's description.

Reading this next xD

[Regina Wright]

5410133
Thanks for reading. I just made clean pass through chapter 2 but I might still have my 'I'm-finished-' goggles on from catching any more.

5410144
Thanks for faving. I hope its a good read.

5410218
Hope you enjoy it.

[Telaros]

Chp. 1 reaction: The life and times of an introvert. I really enjoy the inner look into what goes on in that purple mare's mind. She really doesn't seem to grasp that social balance since she seems to have such a literal sense mentality being such a studious pony. Jeez. Very nice start.

Ch.2 reaction: Whoa, you know, Twilight is very assumptious. Granted, she seems right about Spike's opinions, and he is almost as old as her anyways, maybe we don't have any idea how old Twi was when she took the test, but I digress. It would have been nice to let Spike in on that bit of decision making. The show could have done well to let Spike go to Cheerilee's class and put Snips and Snails to more use, maybe add Rumble into the group, who knows. But that's a boat long since passed.

Great chapter, liking this story a lot so far. The way Twilight speaks really gives off the wrong impression to ponies xD

[Seether00]

It's different. I like it

[Whiteeyes]

"You're still pursuing education for yourself, Twilight?"

"What do you mean "still"? I'm Celestia's prized pupil, what part of that sounds like I don't study?"

[Greenhat]

Cheerilee, not Cheerliee.