//------------------------------//
// 03 - What a Drag 
// Story: Bridging Words 
// by The SideKick 
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Walking through the maze of tables, helping the cafeteria lady gather up discarded trash or clean the odd stain with a spray bottle and cloth, you can feel your anger lingering still somewhat as you are left to your own thoughts while working.

Ugh, peach cobbler? It was definitely a good thing you missed lunch today. 

You slid the glop of congealing dessert into your trash bag and begin wiping away the mess it left behind. As you wash it away you try to focus on this feeling at the back of your mind, one that told you had forgotten but can’t remember what, hoping to force the memory to your mind. Table now free of cobbler menace you pause a moment, staring at the spot you had just cleaned. You don't know what was causing it, but SOMETHING was bothering you. It had been bothering you since you had woken up from your nap and it was really starting to annoy you.

"Kid, you're not gonna get done anytime soon if you’re just gonna stand there daydreaming."

Snapping out from your little trance you look over at the lunch lady as you come back down to earth, realizing you had just been staring at the still-greasy tabletop for several minutes.

"R-right, sorry."

Ignoring her pointed look you get back to cleaning, wiping off a few more stray chunks of food as you think again.

The lunch room wasn't especially large, and even going at a leisurely pace you could be done undoing a typical mess in about forty minutes, nor was it even hard work. On a better day you would have had no problem volunteering for the job for brownie points, but as it was your punishment it made the easy work feel all the more bitter and tedious to him. The nagging in your mind wasn't helping alleviate the annoyance either. As you finish off another table you tie off your trash bag, it being full now with numerous milk cartons and discarded foodstuffs. You still have at least two more tables to clean and then you’ll be sweeping and mopping the floor. With a low growl you turn to go grab another bag and dispense the used one in the dump, not looking ahead of yourself as you gave your bag a glare only to run straight into the lunch lady who apparently had been right behind you. 

“Hey,  whatcha’ think you’re doin’?!”

Backing up you still had sense enough to feel embarrassed for blindly bumping into her, even in your less than exuberant mood.

"I'm really sorry about that, I wasn't paying attention!"

"I noticed."

She pins you with an unhappy look before sighing and holding the new bag out to you.

"Take it and give me the full one, I was coming over to hand it to ya anyway since I saw yours getting full, I'll take it to the dumpster so you can hurry up and finish off these last tables."

Nodding quietly you exchange bags with her. Again she gives you a look, one you can't quite place before she walks off. You watch her for a small moment before getting to work again. The lunch lady was always a strange one. Not exactly mean, but not the most talkative or the first one to help. You really didn't know that much about her, not even her name, as the staff weren’t required to wear name tags. You knew more about her co-worker, Helen, then you did about her. In truth, you kind of liked that about her. You had gotten so used to personal questions or someone trying to be "nice" to you that you didn't realize at first just how much a breath of air the mysterious food server was. And now you were done.

You hadn't been aware of the work as you had pondered about the lunch lady until now. Half-full bag in hand you make your way to the kitchen, heading for the back door and the employees car park, where the dumpster was kept. A short walk later saw you outside, where you found the previous subject of your thoughts leaning against a wall and smoking.

Huh.

You had never seen someone smoking up close. The appeal of it never really made sense to you, but you figured it wasn't your place to try and dictate how people live their lives. The smoker gave you a brief look before looking back out into nothing in particular. Shrugging, you walk past her to the dumpster, ducking under her puffs of smoke, and quickly rid yourself of the smelly bag. You take a quick glance at the lunch lady before heading back for the door.

"You’re a good kid, ya know that?"

What?

"What?", vocalizing your thought.

The lady wasn't looking at you as she took another short puff of her cig.

"Quick to temper and stubborn to boot, but other than that ya got a good head on your shoulders, kid." 

You just stare at her blankly, genuinely at a loss for words. A little creeped out and confused if you were honest. Finally, the lady looked at you, giving a snort at the mix of expressions on your face.

"I'm not gonna bite ya, just figured you'd like someone to talk to. Either that or back to the sweeping and mopping, your choice."

You hesitated but gave in to your curiosity, the lady's sudden willingness to speak intriguing you. Tentatively you step forward to stand about a half foot away from her, mimicking her stance against the wall. You both just stood there in silence as she puffed away the little that was left of her nic stick before tossing the butt away, not offering any more conversation while you tried to think of what to even say.

"So...?"

Another snort.

"You really aren't used to talking are you?"

Skin prickling a bit at her comment, you want to retort but hold your tongue for a moment instead.

"No, not really."

"Think you're too good for the other kids or somet’in?"

God, did she have to say that so plainly? At least she could sound like she was mad or something.

"No. I don't like talking with younger kids."

"Makes sense, this place has got a bunch of the real young tykes, maybe ten or so of you older ones, I can’t exactly be bothered to count."

Again you felt a bit off put, but also a little...relieved?

"I can talk to the other older kids sometimes, but it's not really fun."

"Can't imagine it is. Older means you should be getting wiser, more experienced. It can't be fun talking about what's gonna happen when you turn eighteen."

Did she really just say that with such a straight face? She did, you having seen her speak the words yourself. NO adult you've met ever has been so forward with orphanage stuff if it wasn't about adoption. They always wanted to dance around it like it was a pit of snakes or something. Then she just comes out and says that?!  But...you weren't really mad as much as you were shocked. In fact, something about it made you happy, in a roundabout way you couldn't describe.

"Yeah, it's not...we talk about what jobs we'd have mostly."

It wasn't much, but you felt like offering the small tidbit to her.

"Jobs, eh? And just what kind of job would you be looking for?"

"I don't know really, just something that would let me travel a bunch. Maybe a trucker."

"Trucking ain't the worst life, but you'd be living in that truck most of the time ya know. Air attendant, that'd be a good job for ya. If you can keep your head out of your arse you could land it pretty easy kid."

You were again surprised by her. She really wasn't afraid to talk however she wanted, even to a ten-year-old like you. You think you understand why you liked it though now, it was refreshing. An adult just talking to you normally, no sweet words or half-truths, only straight, honest talking.

"I've thought about that too. But I'm also kinda still...well you know."

"Waiting to get adopted?"

She hadn't broken eye contact with nothingness until then, glancing sidelong at you as she asked her question. There was something in those eyes, but her question weighed more on your mind at the moment.

"...Yeah. I'm still ten, I've got time."

She looked away, the same flat expression on her face.

"Not as much time as you think. Most kids who get picked up are about seven or eight. Not saying you need to stop hoping, but I would turn a blind eye to any applications if I were you."

Okay, maybe you didn't like such honest talk after all. You were starting to feel like heading back in and getting the lunch room done before Ms.Conson came to check on you, but something about the conversation still held your interest.

"Why would I look at an application now anyway, I can't get a job anywhere legally anyway."

"Just giving out some advice kid."

A short silence followed, you fidgeting in place as you wondered rather or not you should go now. But there was a question that had bubbled up inside your head.

"Why did you say I had a good head on my shoulders? What does that even mean?"

She didn't respond at first, but after a second she turned her head to look at you fully, her mouth shaped in a snarky but genuine smile.

"I don't rightly know kid. You ain't exactly had much a chance to do anything impressive here. I guess you just strike me as the type, but I could be dead wrong. Either way, we've wasted enough time out here. Get yourself back inside and get that room done, the longer you take the longer I have to stay here."

You're left standing against the wall as she walks past you, cutting your conversation short. You're trying to process what she even said when she pauses in the entrance way.

"Come on, I don't have all day!"

"C-coming."

-~-~

Some time afterward you had a mop in hand, half of the lunch room so clean you could eat your food off it. Given its previous state, it looked like someone had tried. You had been thinking about the sort talk you’d just had. It was probably the most honest talk you've ever had. Not just with an adult, but with anyone. Adults always trying to be nice and to spare your feelings instead of just being straight with you while other kids were either too young to keep a good conversation going or they were too busy getting ready for when they were gonna get adopted, keeping themselves inside that little bubble of theirs, never wanting to face the possibility that it’ll never happen.

It made you think about a little bit of everything. About parents, about kids, about what you want to be when you were older, about what you were going to do when you were done here, and about the lunch lady herself. She was sitting in a corner reading a magazine, looking over at you every few minutes or so to make sure you were still working. You really didn't understand her anymore now than you had before but you think you might actually like her now. If for nothing else then to at least have someone who would talk level with you, if she was willing to talk again anyway.

Thinking about it had brought that feeling of something forgotten back to your brain. You scratched the back of your head as if you could physically get rid of the nuisance in your mind, but predictably it only further pestered you. You held the mop in one hand and rubbed your face in frustration in another,  wishing for nothing more than to be back in your room so you could privately deal with this nagging. 

"What did I just say, kid? You're wasting our time standing around acting like you got into the liquor cabinet!"

"Ugh, yes ma-!"

You take a step back to address her, only to have that leg go out from under you. Your mind only registers that you must have stepped on the wet, just-mopped before your head hits something hard and you black out.









You're sitting rigid in your seat immediately, gasping as your mind tries to discern the difference between the fall you had just had and the black and white that filled your vision. Before you had the chance to put everything together your vision shifted once again as the black and white was replaced with the unamused face of the pegasus mare, Ruler, your personal teacher. As it turns out, she had just removed the paper that had stuck to your forehead while you were sleeping.

"Young prince, do you find my lessons to be nothing more than a glorified chance to nap?"

Mind still breaking the cobwebs as its gears slowly began to spin up again, you grasp for a response.

"I-I-I-I'm really sorry Ruler. I mean Miss Ruler! I-"

"Yes yes, you're ever so sorry. I've heard it all before."

She trots back to the chalkboard on the wall straight in front of you, the trip taking her only two seconds within the confines of the small classroom. You guess it had some other purpose before becoming a room of learning, a utility closet or something along those lines, but it worked fine for smaller class sizes, able to seat at least ten students if you had to guess.

You shrink in your chair at her remark. Miss Ruler was not the nicest of ponies, but she was excellent at her job. With her mentoring you, you had gained a rapid understanding of the Equestrian language, but with recent events it had only become harder and harder to focus or even stay awake during her lessons. She had been recently trying to work you up to more advanced words and writing, but falling asleep every other lesson had, understandably, hindered your progress.

Miss Ruler slapped her namesake wooden ruler upon the chalkboard behind her, pointing to a small list of words.

"Can you at least tell me what each of these words say?"

Looking at the board you scan over the list.

"Uhh, Parasprite, Cac...Cactus, Helium, and Unicycle?"

"Hmph, correct this time, but you still missed a hearty chunk of your lesson. Seeing as it's almost time for you leave I will simply have to increase your homework for tonight. Look over your study sheet while I work out your additional homework."

Sighing in defeat you look around your small desk for the aforementioned paper.

"Yes Miss Ruler."

Nodding stiffly she trots off to her own desk and begins writing as you look over your own paper. As you look it over you vaguely feel the spot where your head would have impacted in your dream, the phantom of the pain coming to you in the form of an imagined pressure. You wanted to write down what you had dreamed, but Miss Ruler was sure to catch you and bring it up with Celestia. It was bothersome, but there was not much you could do about it. You just file it away for now and hope you could remember it for later. Not too long later there is a knocking at the door to the secluded classroom before Celestia's head poked out from behind it, her eyes quickly landing on you and her lips curving up into a smile.

"Hello, Sunshine!"

"Hi, mom."

Your smiles weak but real as she walks fully into the room and addresses Miss Ruler.

"Did everything go well today Ruler?"

Writing off one last sentence before giving a nod of satisfaction Miss Ruler looked up to Celestia.

"As well as usual your Highness. He behaved himself and paid attention, for as long as he was awake at least."

Celestia glanced at you worryingly before looking back at the smaller mare.

"I see. I assume he will have more homework tonight?"

"Indeed. But more importantly, I wished to speak to you about the young prince’s sleeping habits. This is the seventh time this month he has been sleeping during lessons. I would like it if you could speak to him and see what the root of the problem is."

Giving you look that you really could only describe as sad yet determined, Celestia nodded her agreement.

"Yes, I believe it is time I had a proper talk with him about his behavior."

That's not what you wanted to hear. You couldn't handle a talk with her. You'd rather study for the next three months straight if it meant you could avoid it. But when Celestia beckoned you to follow her you hung your head and got up, gathered your school supplies, Miss Ruler yelling after you down the hall because you forgot to grab your homework, and with dread building in your gut left the room as you fell in step with Celestia.