"So, do you think you'll be able to handle it?" Cheerilee asks with a hopeful, mostly desperate, smile.
You shrug then nod to which the teacher lets out a heavy sigh of relief.
"Oh, thank Celestia. I was getting really worried about all this."
"Don't worry. I'm sure we can get this done. A few decorations like streamers and the like is right up Rarity's alley, food stalls can be outsourced to some of the food farmers round here, and as for games there isn't a single pony more suited than Pinkie."
"Think you'll be able to convince them... by tomorrow?"
"Yeah--No--Why tomorrow?" You ask, doing a complete triple take.
"Well, that's when the fundraiser is?"
Cheerilee feigns a cheery smile, hoping to placate you as you rise from your seat.
"Why are you posing that as a question?"
"I don't know. You're clearly angry and I'm worried you won't help now."
And then you let out a long sigh. With a conscious effort, scrunch your face tight then release to make sure you'll look more goofy and annoyed than angry.
"I'm not really angry. You just, really, caught me off guard with that. Why am I hearing about it now?"
"To be completely honest; I've been marking tests and projects, trying to keep my social life, and there was some mandatory training I had to take up in Canterlot last weekend so it's just completely slipped my mind. I'm so sorry about this Mayor Anon but it's why I'm here, I need help."
You fall back into your seat with a half exasperated sigh and half groan. Then watch Cheerilee in silence for a moment. She looks around awkwardly for a minute, avoiding eye contact completely, then the silence gets to her so she speaks.
"Are you still willing to help?"
You nod, "Just thinking of how I'm going to convince Rarity and whoever is going to be the food vendor."
"What about Pinkie?"
"It's a party emergency. If she has the time, she'll do it."
Cheerilee nods as she can't find fault in your point then begins to ponder herself.
"So, do you want food or decorations?"
She looks up at you in shock, as if she just noticed you were there. In your own office.
"Well, you see, I still need to get a few of the children's tests mark--" She pauses when she notices the patience draining from your face. "--Food. I'll talk with a few, the Apple family will probably be the easiest."
"Leaving me with the hard one, are you?"
"You gave me the choice," she smiles a cheeky grin which you return fondly.
"Do you even have the contractor for the playground lined up?" You ask with a sudden realisation.
"Not really. Depends on how much we get. If it's a lot then we'll be able to shop around."
"Fair point." You nod then the two of you say your goodbyes before Cheerilee heads out.
A quick glance at the clock shows you've got plenty of time in the day to get this done but then again, with such a closed deadline, you decide it best to push everything else back and get this out of the way sooner rather than later. You step out of your office and into reception to see Moonie is still where you left her. Thankfully.
Moonie is fiddling away with a few drawings, paper planes, bad attempts at origami from memory, and some short stories of her being the valiant villain saving the day by showing the despot princesses how a real totalitarian does it. The entire receptionist desk looks like a hurricane blew through the place.
"Why does it seem like every pony has awful organisational skills." You ask rhetorically.
Moonie places down her pencil and clears her throat as if she were about to give a lecture.
"I, myself, have always held a rather curious theory about that you know." Her voice is pompous as she feigns an educated accent, poorly.
"Oh?"
"Very well, if I must explain. Now, you see those digits you have on your hand?"
You hold up your hand and give your fingers a little flitter.
"Those, precisely. With those, you can keep track of five whole things. FIVE! Whereas, I, myself, am only able to keep track of." She cuts herself off and raises a hoof with a solemn expression.
"One? Really?"
"Naturally, of course. It's all I can count to. One."
She firmly presses her hoof into the air as if to punctuate her point. Then looks up at you to see if you're buying it. You are not.
"And THAT is why I can't keep my room clean. I can only keep track of one toy and one toy only."
"Then put it away before you get another."
"Ah, but that's where my problem comes in," she smiles as if she's caught you in her trap, "The second I think of a second toy, it is all I'm able to think about! And so I just abandon the old one and there's nothing I can do about it."
"What about Twilight then? She's got better organisational skills out of anyone in town."
Moonie seems to seriously ponder this conundrum for some time before deciding on her answer.
"Magic."
"Magic?"
"Yep, don't gotta explain it. Magic."
"Moonie," you adjust your stance and glare irritably at her, "You can do magic."
"Yeah, but not very well. Duh. I still can't do fire that well, look."
She points her horn at the paper in front of her and it begins to weave a magical aura, you stretch your hands out in front of her and shout, "No, don't!"
Moonie's horn loses its light and her smile glows instead.
"Gotcha."
You sigh what feels like the hundredth sigh today.
"You know what, I need to help Cheerilee organise a fundraiser for the school by tomorrow and you've just volunteered for the committee."
"But--"
"No buts Nightmare Moon."
"I hate when you use my name, you always make it sound like I'm trouble," she grumbles under her breath but you're able to hear.
"That's because you are in trouble. Now let's go to Rarity's."
Once she leaps down from the chair, she beings to march exaggeratedly towards the door. Along the way, turning around to poke her tongue at you. And you, being the mature parental figure that you are, poke yours back.