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// First Period - Hoof Drumming 
// Story: Tonari no Pinkie-kun! Another Master of Killing Time 
// by Takarashi282 
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The start of a new school year... the one everypony dreaded. You see 'em all, head down like a guilty turkey. 

But not me! I am personally excited for this coming school year. Heck, I did so well last year that I didn't find any reason to be down! I have all my classes with good teachers... how the hay am I supposed to be down?

... Then she ended up in my classes. Don' get me wrong, I absolutely love nutballs like her. But I've got a feelin' that she's a couple apples shy from an apple tree. You see her, hopping around in the halls, all hyperactive and stuff, which is perfectly fine in that setting. However, that much energy plus a classroom seemed to be a bad omen. 

I am not looking forward to this class.


First Period
Hoof Drummin'?


Teach's chalk squeaks so loud on the chalk board I can't even focus. In fact, this might be the lowest tech classroom I've ever seen. All the other classrooms have switched to whiteboards, projectors and all that jazz. Even the desks in the other classrooms had more spitshine than these ones here. 

But, regardless, I listen to teach and his fancy way of talkin'. His voice was smooth and really expressive. It was more of a performance with good teachin'. There he was, explainin' tan to us like we didn' know it already! And I think I'll remember this this time forward!

But then there is a clankety, clank, clank!

I turn my head to see that silly Pinkie Pie, ever so lightly tapping her tin pencil holder. I smile. Well, I'll be! She's a percussionist. In fact, she might be the best percussionist I've ever heard in this school, gettin' softer and louder both gradually and quick and brief. She pulls many different beats that fit together so nicely! I find myself bobbin' my head to the beat when I'm interrupted.

"Ms. Applejack?"

My heart jumps faster than a jackrabbit's. "Uh, yes, sir?"

"Echo back to me the necessity of tangents in life, in business, et cetra?"

My jaw just drops. I officially screwed up! I grind my teeth like a Zebra grinds corn. "I can't," I admit, growlin' a little. "I was distracted. I'm awfully sorry."

Teach raises his eyebrows. "Just don't get distracted again, m'kay?"

I nod. "Yessir." I sit back down in my desk, the frame cryin' from my weight. I really want to get the message across to Pinkie Pie, but that would be distracting myself again! I don't want that! I'm an A student! I can't afford to do that again.

Teach goes on, yammerin' about new concepts in math, especially in graphin'. I'm actually surprised: Pinkie hasn't made a single sound! She must actually be payin' attention this time! I snicker in victory. 

Then came the assignment. It was thirty minutes to the bell, now, and we were expected to apply everythin' we learned in twenty problems. I crack my neck. Easy-peasy! I will have this done so fast that Pinkie Pie won't have time to bli—

Tap, tap, tippity, tap, tap!

My jaw drops again. Pinkie Pie was drummin'... again? No... but with more tin pencil holders this time! My eyes widen. Not only is she drummin', but she's drummin' in different pitches! There are five—no, six—no, eight. Eight pencil holders, making a mighty beautiful noise that sounded like mini chimes. The beat is so calm and soothing this time, I feel my eyes get heavy—

No, no, Applejack! Keep your eyes open! Do the assignment, like you're supposed to. Forget the... *yawn*... forget... theeerzzzz... zzzzz...

Ring!!!!

I wake up with a start. Everypony's gettin' their stuff and scootin' out of the classroom! "Oh, no!" I quickly gather my stuff and run into the halls.

I grind my teeth again. "Hehe... confound you. Confound you, you master of killing time."