//------------------------------// // The Crystal Heart Formal // Story: Dear Dean... // by AppleJTZ //------------------------------// A bundle of files under her arm, Dean Cadence locked the door of her office behind her. Putting the keys into her pocket she walked down the corridor towards the cafeteria. The hallways of Crystal Prep were filled with students, having just returned or being on their way to lunch. Many of them greeted the dean as she passed by. Gleefully, she noticed a lot of them were going in smaller groups or pairs, with fewer than usual being by themselves. Though the Crystal Heart Formal had been a week ago, it seemed the spirit of friendship from that evening was still influencing the students. But although she was happy about this, she was a little disappointed she didn’t get a report from Sour and her friends yet. After that night, she was sure they would have to share a lesson about friendship. A yawn tried to make its way out of her mouth. While suppressing it she stretched herself a little, careful not to drop the files. “The nights seem to be getting shorter and shorter” she mumbled, rubbing her neck. She even had to do paperwork during her lunch break. Walking on, she reached a crossing between two corridors. The cafeteria was straight ahead, but familiar voices from the right made her stop and listen. Though the hallway was bustling with background chatter, she was sure to recognize the girls talking with each other – especially since it sounded like they were arguing about something. Curiously, the dean leaned against the wall, and peeked around the corner. The hallway was leading straight to a staircase. On the stairs to the next floor, five girls were sitting. One of them was holding a smartphone while the others had gathered around her, all staring on the display. “Oh, how about this?” Indigo asked, pointing at the screen of Sunny’s phone. The lavender-haired girl scoffed. “Not that one – I look terrible on it!” “You’ve been saying that about all of them” Sugarcoat remarked. Flicking her bangs, Sunny harrumphed. “Well sorry nobody got my good side!” “Oh, I like this one!” Lemon exclaimed as Sunny switched to the next picture. Leaning over Sunny’s shoulder Indigo looked at it. “That pic’s 90 percent your face, and it’s not even a good resolution.” “Yeah, but that’s what’s so cool about it!” Lemon grinned. Moaning Sour got up on her feet. “Girls, try to focus!” she said, stepping up in front of her friends with her fists against her hips. “We all agreed to send a photo with all of us at the Crystal Heart Formal to Dean Cadence – so Sunny, don’t be so picky! And Lemon, take this serious!” The green-haired punk crossed her arms. “Hey, I am serious! If I were Dean Cadence, I’d want some silly photo that shows how much fun we had!” “That may go for someone like you” Sunny said with a nasal pronunciation. “I, on the other hand, think we should show her a photo that reflects both the beauty of our friendship as well as the beauty of our… well, the beauty of our beauty.” “That’s just an excuse for your vanity.” “Shut it, Sugar.” Indigo snapped her fingers. “Hey, wasn’t there a photo where we all pose on the dance floor?” “There is only half of me on it” Sour said. “Your nice or your grumpy half?” Indigo asked with a smirk. A sarcastic smile formed on Sour’s face. “Oh haha, very funny, Indigo! Hey, isn’t there this photo where you trip on the dance floor? Maybe Dean Cadence would like that…” “Oh, oh, maybe we can make a collage with each of us tripping on the dance floor!” Lemon suggested, giggling at her idea. Sunny raised an eyebrow. “Did we really all trip on the dance floor?” “And did we all get photos taken of that?” Sugarcoat asked. With her thumb and index finger, Indigo rubbed her chin. “Lemon’s got a point though: If we can’t agree on a good photo with all of us together, each of us could pick a photo of herself and then we put them together.” A ponderous look on her face, Sunny slowly nodded her head. “I’d prefer a group photo, but if we can’t decide on one, that might really be the best idea.” Content, Sour clapped her hands. “Good! Now each of us just has to settle for one photo.” “I’ll take the close-up on my face!” Lemon yelled, pumping her fist into the air. “You definitely will not!” Sunny said, glaring at her her. “I want to take a photo that isn’t too flashy” Sugarcoat stated, dry and with little passion. Indigo stuck out her tongue. “Meh, that’s boring - let’s all pick photos with action poses!” Sour slapped her face. “…And of course, that idea doesn’t work either.” She gave each of her friends a boring glare. “Does one of you at least have an idea what we should write in the letter?” Indigo shrugged. “Something about not making dumb bets with your friends...” “…not forcing them to anything they don’t want to do, even if you mean well…” “…not telling your date they have horrible shoes…” “…and that throwing a party is real rad!” Arms crossed, Sour looked at each of her friends. “Okay, I think we can work with that – or at least some of it. But, we should also include something about not trying to pretend to be someone you are not.” “What’s that supposed to mean?” Indigo asked, standing up with a frown on her face. “You think I was just faking it to be a strong, powerful girl?!” Sour rolled her eyes. “Please, don’t tell me you learned nothing from that night…” With a leap Indigo jumped off the stairs, standing right in front of Sour. “Well what I learned was the boys here at school can’t handle a girl with attitude!” A honey-sweet smile on her face Sour gave her a thumbs-up. “Great, that’s the perfect friendship message for the dean: Indigo learned nothing and blamed everyone else.” Her thumb turned upside down, just like her smile. “Oh yeah?” Indigo said, leaning closer to Sour. “Then maybe you wanna tell her how you got all sappy?” “Don’t you dare tell her about that, or I’ll tell you about you got sappy!” Sour snapped back, getting into Indigo’s face. “Try that and you can pick your teeth up from the ground!” While Indigo and Sour were yelling at other, the rest of the Shadowbolts were hanging over Sunny’s phone. “Come on, can’t I just pick the photo I like?” Lemon asked as she tried to grab the phone over Sunny’s shoulder. “Not if it’s just pixels of your nose!” she shouted, wrapping her arms around her smartphone. “I’d still like a non-action photo of me doing some regular activity” Sugarcoat said, also trying to get the phone. Sunny showed her shoulder to the white-haired girl. “I also won’t allow you to choose a boring photo!” “Yeah, take a close-up of your face!” “I SAID I WON’T ALLOW THAT EITHER!!” “For the last time, Sweet, I was a cool, strong woman every boy had her eyes on and if you tell the dean anything else…” “Oh, is that so? Because I don’t remember any boy’s eyes following you at all at the ball.” “PARTY!” On and on, the girls bickered with each other. The dean listened for a while, hardly holding back her laughter. Eventually, she continued down the hallway towards the cafeteria, chuckling all the while. She might never get a report or souvenir for her files, but she probably wouldn’t forget about this anyway.