Friday 8:57 AM
Diamond Tiara took a step forward, Silver Spoon didn't take a step back. Disturbed by this, Diamond took another step toward her opponent to intimidate her. The two girl's faces were only inches apart and Silver Spoon hadn't even flinched.
"How dare you." Diamond Tiara's voice was filled with pure hatred, "After all I did for you, this is how you repay me?"
"What you did for me wasn't help, it was a bargain." Silver Spoon's voice was scarily calm.
"A bargain where if I helped you with your stupid games, you wouldn't hurt me. Your a bully Diamond, and you're nothing more than that."
Diamond scoffed sarcastically, "Your wrong there Spoony. I'm rich, loved by my Daddy, popular-"
"Take that away and what are you?"
Silence filled the playground. For the first time, Diamond Tiara was at a loss for words. All the children on the playground were standing in a large, silent circle. Stunned.
When Diamond finally recovered from Silver Spoon's statement, only four words escaped her lips.
"Why you dirty little...." She pounced at Silver Spoon and she finally flinched out of the way. The fury in Diamonds eyes were replaced with surprise as she felt Ms. Cheerilee's hand grab the back of her blouse, stopping her mid-spring. Diamond's fingers barely scraped the bridge of Silver Spoon's nose, causing her blue-rimmed glasses to fall to the ground.
"That's enough, Diamond Tiara." Her voice was stern. "You will be in my office for the rest of the day."
The purple-haired brat was taken inside the school building and the playground was left in an awkward silence. The bell rang and school started. Everyone lined up and went inside the school house and prepared for class. Silver Spoon was the last one in line. She had expected something... well, different. She had just stood up to Diamond Tiara, freed everyone in the school from her tyranny. They could have at least thanked her. She turned around to look at Vinyl.
Vinyl was already in her car, looking back at her goddaughter through the passenger window. She gave her a thumbs up and mouthed the words, "Good job kid." Then she drove away.
Tears were filling Silver Spoon's eyes before the car even left the parking lot. Those three words were better than any applauding crowd or attention that she could have ever received. Vinyl was proud of her, and that was satisfying enough to last a lifetime. She turned around and entered the school, but this was no ordinary day of school, it was her first day of freedom.
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Friday 3:00 PM
"I assume that you all know why your here today." Ms. Cheerilee said as she stared at the two families assembled before her. Diamond's and Silver's parents were sitting side-by-side at the small conference table. Sliver sat between her mother and godmother, Diamond beside her father. Silver Spoon was rolling her glasses in her hands, the left lens was scratched from when it had been knocked off her nose.
The families nodded and Cheerilee continued, "Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara have been going through an private 'problem' throughout the year. A problem that has hurt Silver Spoon and worked for Diamond Tiara's benefit."
Diamond shrank at her father's angry gaze as Ms. Cheerilee continued the meeting.
"From what Ms. Octavia and Ms. Scratch have told me, Diamond Tiara has been blackmailing Silver Spoon so she would do her bidding. And from my knowledge, this kind of bullying can lead to suspension or expulsion, which is something I do not wish to do." Cheerilee sighed and looked at Diamond Tiara, "I am very disappointed in you Diamond, Silver Spoon did not deserve to have such a terrible school year, and the rest of the children did not deserve to suffer either. I do not want to punish you-"
"But what about Spoony?" Vinyl interrupted, she looked at Diamond's father, "I do not mean to be rude, Filthy Rich, but I do not want that girl around my daughter. Yesterday, my goddaughter came home crying in fear of your daughter. And I-"
"Ahem!" Cheerilee cleared her voice, "As I was going to say Ms. Scratch, I do not want to punish Ms. Diamond Tiara, but there must be consequences for her actions. Diamond will be suspended for one month, and her recess privileges will be taken away for the rest of the year."
"But that's still four months from now! What am I going to do 'till the school year ends?" Diamond Tiara was in shock. She never got punished, she wasn't supposed to be.
"I believe there are many things you can do. Things like writing an apology letter to every kid in school. And after that, I want an essay on how actions lead to consequences, and that those consequences aren't always good."
"And you will be grounded for a month as well." Filthy Rich looked at his daughter with a disappointed look on his face.
"But Daddy-"
"Two months. Do you have anything else to say?"
The brat crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair. A scowl on her face.
Ms. Cheerilee turned her gaze to Silver Spoon, "I know that you were a victim in all of this, but other children were hurt as well. Your recess privileges will be taken away for two weeks, and I want a one thousand word essay on the history of Ponyville on my desk by Monday. Understood?"
Silver Spoon nodded, "Understood Ms. Cheerilee."
"Very good," the teacher then looked at the entire group sitting before her, "I am sorry for all the trouble this has caused you all. I will keep a close eye on Diamond when she returns from suspension, she will not be allowed to approach Silver Spoon during school for the rest of the year."
Octavia nodded, "Thank you Ms. Cheerilee."
Both families stood to leave, and Ms. Cheerilee went to open the door. The teacher nodded in farewell as each person left the small school building. Silver Spoon was last to leave the room, trailing behind her mother. Before she left through the door, she turned towards Ms. Cheerilee and said, "Thank you." Ms. Cheerilee smiled,
"Don't thank me, Silver Spoon. You are the only reason any of this is happening. If you hadn't told or parents what was happening, or stood up to Diamond Tiara, she would still be hurting other kids." Ms. Cheerilee knelt down and put her hand on the girl's shoulder, "It takes a lot of bravery to stand up to a bully, and it takes even more to stand up to a bully that wants to hurt you. You are the bravest girl that I have ever met, Silver."
"But what about everyone else?"
"What do you mean?"
"Everyone knows me as the girl who helped Diamond Tiara. They all see me as.... as a bully too." Silver inhaled a shuddering breath, as if she was about to cry, "What if no one will want to be my friend?"
"They may have seen you as the girl who helped Diamond, once. But they will also know you as the only one who stood up to her." Ms. Cheerilee gave the grey-haired girl an encouraging smile, and Silver smiled back. "Now go on, your mother's waiting for you. I'll see you on Monday."
Silver Spoon nodded and left the school house. Octavia was waiting for her at the bottom of the small staircase. Silver took her mother's hand in hers, and they headed for the car. Silver kept her head down as they walked past the other kids on the playground. Looking out at the children from the corner of her eye, she could see Sweetie Belle, Applebloom, and Scootaloo were talking to Dinky and Berry Pinch. Dinky was holding her muddy doll. Silver couldn't hear what they were saying. The girls' conversation stopped as Silver and her Mother passed by and Silver Spoon averted her eyes. She expected them to glare at her, to hate and scorn her, but she felt no burning stare on her back. She looked back up at the group of girls and saw something that she had ever expected.
Applebloom, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, Berry Pinch, and Dinky, they were all smiling at her, they were smiling. Scootaloo waved at her and said,
"We'll see you on Monday, Silver Spoon."
Silver Spoon felt tears of joy welling up in her eyes. Cheerilee was right, she still will be seen as the one who helped Diamond Tiara, but she will also be remembered as the only one able to stand up to her as well. Scootaloo's goodbye and those girls' smiles weren't just empty temporary farewells.
It was the sign of a second chance.