//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: Principal’s Pet // Story: My Little Pony: New Generation Girls // by RedRanger3142 //------------------------------// The side hallway Sunny had pointed to ended up containing a pair of double doors leading outside and a staircase that led to the second floor. “This is the back staircase,” Sunny explained as they began to climb the steps. “Trust me, when you have to travel from one floor to another between classes, use the back staircase. The ramp gets so swamped with foot traffic it becomes a total gridlock.” “Wait,” Izzy said, raising her hand. “Wouldn’t students just use the back staircase if the ramp became a total gridlock?” “You’d think so, but must students don’t seem to even know the back staircase exists. The only other students I’ve seen use it other than me is Hitch and some girl from Zephyr Heights.” Suddenly Sunny let out a hiss of pain as her hand went to her hip. Izzy looked at her in concern. “Um, shouldn’t you see the school nurse? I mean, you did hit that desk pretty hard” Izzy asked. “I’ve suffered worse than this. My hip will be bruised by tomorrow but I’ll be fine” Sunny responded. “So, anything else you want to know about the school?” Izzy had a feeling Sunny was just trying to change the subject but on the other hand she believed Sunny when she said she had suffered worse, given how most of the student body seemed to treat her. Deciding to make use of the fact that Sunny wanted to answer questions about the school, Izzy decided to learn more about their fellow students who were so quick to laugh at them. “Who were those two boys?” Izzy asked as the two girls came to a stop at the top of the stairs. Sunny smiled. “The boy who stood up for us was Hitch Trailblazer. He’s a close childhood friend and the closest thing I’ve ever had to a brother. He’s kinda the only family I have now.” That fact surprised Izzy. “You’re on your own, too?” Sunny nodded again. “My father passed away, and I never knew my mom.” Then Izzy’s words properly registered. “Wait, you’re on your own?” Izzy nodded slowly, biting her lip. “Yeah. My parents… “ Izzy hesitated. If there was anyone she could trust, it was Sunny. Heck, Sunny probably understood her like no one else could. But it was still hard to talk about the fact that her parents just… left. Suddenly Izzy felt a hand on her shoulder. She knew it was Sunny, but when Izzy tried to look at her she found her eyes were too watery to see clearly. She was… crying. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she found Sunny giving her a warm smile. “Don’t answer,” she said gently. “It’s clearly too painful for you.” Izzy nodded, then without warning buried her head into Sunny’s chest. Izzy felt Sunny stiffen in surprise, but then the other girl’s arms rapped around her, hugging her. The two just stood there for a while, neither of them moving. “Thank you” Izzy whispered when she finally pulled her head out of Sunny’s chest. Sunny simply smiled. “You’re welcome” she whispered back. Then Sunny gently took Izzy’s hand and started leading her down the hall, like a parent guiding a lost child. Letting herself be led, Izzy’s mind wondered back to the event in the classroom. “Who was that other boy?” she found herself asking. “The jerk?” Sunny growled slightly. “Sprout Cloverleaf. The school’s resident bad boy and bully.” “Then why was Hitch sitting next to him?” Izzy asked. None of this made sense. Sure she and Sunny didn’t get to choose their seats because there were no other options left, but everyone else seemed to have chosen the seats they were sitting at. If Sprout got to the table first Hitch could have just gone somewhere else, and if Hitch got there first surely he would have saved the seat for Sunny. Hitch had no way of knowing Izzy would be coming to the school or that she and Sunny would become friends. “Because Hitch and Sprout are ALSO childhood friends,” Sunny answered, surprising Izzy. “The three of us hung out a lot as kids, but I wouldn’t really call Sprout a friend. We were both just hanging out with a mutual friend. We never really got along, and we get along even less nowadays.” The two came to a stop and Sunny let go of Izzy’s hand, the latter realising they had stopped in front of what appeared to be a doorframe, only there was no door. Sunny walked through and Izzy followed. In front of them was a door and to their right was a staircase leading down. Sunny pointed to the staircase. “That’s the staff only staircase.” She leaned towards Izzy and whispered in her ear. “Don’t tell anyone, but I’ve actually used it a few times, and apparently so has the Zephyr Heights girl.” Izzy giggled. Sunny turned to the door. “And this is the principal’s office.” Izzy noticed Sunny seemed oddly cheerful for someone who was just called to the principal’s office. “Um, Sunny?” she asked, slightly nervous. “We’re not in trouble, are we?” Sunny turned to look at her. “Hardly” she said, before opening the door and walking inside. Izzy followed her in. Inside Izzy was surprised to find that the room was rather bland. There was nothing hung up on the walls and the only furniture was a large table and three chairs. The furniture all looked new, but was clearly generic and just bought at a local store. The table didn’t even have any personal items on it, just a bunch of generic school stuff. The room had no sense of character, like the person who owned it could just be changed around without making a huge difference. And speaking of the room’s owner, principal Beautiful Heart was sitting in the chair behind the table. “Oh, Izzy,” she said as the two entered. “I’m so sorry. I always give the new first years a tour of the school myself so I picked out a student to show you around, but then completely forgot to have them with me outside the school for when you arrived.” “It’s okay,” Izzy said quickly. “I already have someone to show me around.” She nodded her head towards Sunny. “Sunny?” Beautiful Heart asked, apparently only now registering that Sunny was in the room. “Oh, thank goodness you’ve already met each other.” “Wait? You picked me to show Izzy around? Why?” Sunny asked, surprised. “Because you’re one of only two students in this whole school who has their head on straight, Sunny.” Beautiful Heart answered. “Anyway,” she continued. “What’s the new teacher like?” “He’s mean” Izzy said before Sunny could respond, so she simply nodded in agreement. Beautiful Heart sighed. “What did he do?” she asked, covering her head with her hand. “Shouldered me into a table, knocked Izzy to the ground and verbally abused both of us” Sunny summarised, taking her bag off. Beautiful Heart let out a barely audible groan. “I didn’t like his attitude, but he was the only teacher in the area available to cover the classes. I’m so sorry you two.” Sunny simply shrugged. “I’m guessing you want to talk to Izzy?” Beautiful Heart nodded. “Yes. Though you’re more than welcome to stay.” “I know.” Sunny said. “I just want some fresh air. I’ll be out on the track if either of you want me.” Waving to both of them Sunny left the room, closing the door behind her. “She’s a sweet girl,” Beautiful Heart commented. “I wish she was my daughter.” “Do you have a daughter?” Izzy asked, taking off her bag and sitting across from Beautiful Heart. Beautiful Heart nodded, then sighed sadly. “Her name’s Posey Bloom. She’s the same age as you and Sunny, though she’s nothing like you two. She’s your typical leather jacket wearing bad girl. If the school were to have a contest for who had the most rotten personality she’d come second only to… “ “Sprout Cloverleaf” Izzy finished, realising where Beautiful Heart’s sentence was going. “You’ve met him, then” Beautiful Heart said grimly. Izzy nodded. “You said Sunny was one of only two students in the entire school who had her head on straight. I’m guessing the other is Hitch Trailblazer.” To Izzy’s surprise, Beautiful Heart shook her head. “Hitch is alright, he just needs to learn to abandon Sprout. That boy is far past redemption, but Hitch just can’t see that. No, the student I’m thinking of is Zipp Storm. She’s the school’s most academic student, though Sunny sits in a comfortable second.” Izzy thought about it for a second. She had never heard the name ‘Zipp Storm’ before, meaning the girl was likely from Maretime Bay or Zephyr Heights and not Bridlewood. Then another question occurred to Izzy. “Why does everyone hate Sunny so much?” she asked. Izzy knew perfectly well why she was hated in Bridlewood. She never thought she’d meet someone else like her, yet everyone in Maretime Bay hated Sunny as much as everyone in Bridlewood hated Izzy. She was curious if the reason their respective towns hated them were similar. Beautiful Heart suddenly appeared nervous when Izzy asked the question. “Y-you’ll haaavvvee to ask Su… Sunny about that. I haven’t got a clue. Hahaha” she said quickly. It was clear as day that Beautiful Heart didn’t want to answer the question, so Izzy didn’t push it. “Do you mind if I go catch up with Sunny?” Izzy asked, sitting up. “Just one quick thing” Beautiful Heart said, suddenly back to her cheerful self. The sudden attitude switch may have been alarming to some, but Izzy barely noticed. After all she was the same, often going from bursting with energy to depressed over the course of a single sentence. Beautiful Heart opened a drawer in her desk and reached inside, pulling out a card. “This is a pass so you can get out of class whenever you want to. Sunny and Zipp both have them too,” she explained, handing it to Izzy. “Personally I think it would be better for peoples’ development if they didn’t come here, but you have to get your education somehow.” Izzy stared down at the card, then smiled at Beautiful Heart. “Thanks. Now I gotta go find Sunny.” “Don’t worry. She won’t have gone far,” Beautiful Heart said. “In fact, knowing her she’s out there dragging her feet in the hallway waiting for you to catch up.” Izzy nodded before skipping over to the door. “Izzy,” Beautiful Heart said suddenly as Izzy was opening the door. The girl turned back to look at her. “For the record, there’s now three students in the school who have their head on straight.” Izzy was shocked, but then smiled at Beautiful Heart before running off to find Sunny.