The next morning or afternoon because my daughter still hasn’t woken up yet, Nova loves her sleep. It’s actually quite a challenge to get her up, especially on morning Mondays, its complete hell. Just the thought makes me cringe.
Nova isn’t a morning pony and hates getting up early. She's very grumpy and has a short fuse that anything can set off. It didn’t help once when I woke her up at 6:00 am on a Sunday thinking it was a Monday. Boy, she let me have It and I didn’t hear the end of it for a long time. But wasn’t my fault because it was around day light savings and in Equestria instead of the time that is affected it’s the days of the week. It confuses me and takes me awhile to adjust.
But anyway, moving on.
My husband is taking a business call in his office. That’s going to keep him busy for a bit. Rumble is a definitely a workaholic. Even on his days off, he’s working all day. My plans are to clean the house… yay… not, because company is coming for today and everyone just happens to disappears when I start asking for help. My good friends Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle are coming for dinner and they’re bringing their husbands and kids.
There's still a lot to do and I haven’t gotten started. The kitchen is messy, the house should be vacuumed and I have to get Nova up because she needs help tidying up her room since Sweetie’s daughter, Pearl might want to hang there. I'm going to be kept busy for must of the day.
I should get the hardest thing over with; I make my way to my daughter’s room. As I said before Nova hates being woken up.
I knocked on the door. “Nova, wake up." I heard mumbles and some slight sickly groans. Is she okay? That doesn’t sound healthy. “Nova, I'm coming in." I heard some groans.
I opened the door. Nova is under her hot pink zebra bed sheets. I stood in the doorway
“Time to get up. It’s almost eleven."
“D-do I have to?” Nova complained under the sheets. She pulled them over her head a bit more.
“Yes, we have company coming over and your room is a mess. I told you this all last week." I said. I walked to the bed and sat on it.
“Why are you being so loud?” Nova nearly whined and used a pillow to cover her head, I really
wanted to grab her mattress and toss her out but I'm not strong to lift it.
“I'm not. Come on, get up you." I’d nudged her shoulder
“Leave, you're too loud and my head hurts." Nova said. then I realized the signs. Does Nova have a hangover? I recognized the symptoms back in my college. days. I used drink a lot when I was her age and that’s why Dash said I wasn’t allow to come home drunk. Because I was a pain to deal with, also I was only sixteen or seventeen at the time. Headaches, tiredness and dizziness all the signs Nova is showing.
“Nova, were you drinking at the party last night?” I said. I started to feel angry. My daughter knows she's only allow to drink if she's at home with me or her dad around on special occasions (like her birthday, holidays such as New Years or Hearts Warming Eve Etc.). Wait until I tell Rumble, she's in for a good grounding.
“No, my head hurts and I feel dizzy." Nova denied. Great she's lying now and it’s not even a good lie. Did Crimson make her drink? If so she can forget about seeing him again and not to mention the trouble he's going to be in with my husband.
“That’s called a hangover and they’re caused by drinking alcoholic beverages." I scolded her.
“I didn’t drink." Nova said. She’s a bad liar; worst then Applejack in fact and that’s quite an accomplishment to achieve.
“Nova, you get one last chance. Tell me the truth or you’re not going out for a decade. Did you drink or not."
“Fine, I had one beer." Nova groaned. Yeah right, like I believe that.
“I see, you’re grounded until farther notice and your not going out the next weekend” I said.
“Are you freaking serious? You’re totally overreacting.” Nova snapped.
“No I'm not, your lucky I found out and not your father. He would be yelling at you right now." I said, Rumble is a lot stricter with Nova then I am (when he's home). But I will crack down on her if I have to. “If you want lighter punishment. I suggest you get out of bed and help clean the house.”
Nova cursed under her breath. “Fine, whatever, can you go now”? I said nothing as I left the room but give me Celestia me strength. My daughter is going through her teenage rebellious phase. I feared this day since she first turned into a teen. Please be short and not as bad like Dash and Soarin had to go through with their two sons, Midnight and Stormy. Stormy was arrested for shoplifting gum that was only cost three bits at a drug store at fourteen. Midnight got expelled for getting in a fight in his senior year of high school.
I remember the phone calls I use to get. Dash completely freaking out and losing her mind when she and her husband paid bail get Stormy of the prison cell. I actually thought it was funny and laughed at her. Why did I do that? I should listen to her better. But at the time Nova was six and I wasn’t worried about her committing a petty crime.
However if Nova were to ever do something that stupid now. I say let her spent a night or two in jail. If that’s what it takes to beat some sense into her. Though I doubt it be she that reckless (I hope). But somewhat bad things did she was give me or Rumble back talk (mostly me) and keeps her room messy. Stormy has straightened up now nevertheless criminal record for the rest of his life.
I better get the house clean before it’s too late.
***
“MOM!” Nova yelled from downstairs and through the house.
I sighed. “Yes."
“Do I have to vacuum? My head still hurts." Nova complained. This house is never going to get cleaned at this rate. Since Nova keeps interrupting me and while Rumble hiding away in the den. Watching the football game because he thinks by staying out of it is helping. In other words he's being lazy.
***
Some time later
After the house is tidy… finally. Now my friends won’t think we’re a brunch of slobs. The guests haven’t arrived yet so that gives us time to get ready and look half decent. The only thing I have to do is get dinner in the oven but that can wait.
I quickly run upstairs to my bedroom. Heading to the private bathroom, I took out my make up bag and opened it. As taking out some items, I hear the doorbell ring.
“Scootaloo, Apple Bloom and Pip are here” Rumble shouted. Why do Apple Bloom and her husband have to be early all the time? She always shows up half an hour sooner then everyone else. And it has to be when I look my worst. It can be very annoying. Would it kill her to be a little late? And I won’t look like a bad hostess.
“Well, let them in, I'm still getting ready” I said as I put on some pink blush on my checks.
“Okay." He said. “Are you going to be long?”
“Maybe ten minutes." I said. As I grabbed rose-colored lipstick and spread across my lips,.
“Fine." Rumble said. My husband will have to entertain them until I’m ready, I'm worried. Please don’t scare them off before I can join everyone. As always Nova is taking forever to get ready like most girls her age, she might have learnt that from me too, whoops.
***
Nova is in her room finishing up with a little make up for she heads downstairs. She’ll be done soon… at least that’s what she told herself forty-five minutes ago. Having a sense of time has never been her forte. Anyway she has a feeling she is this time, maybe.
“Nova, Ryder and Boomer are here." Her dad yelled from the stairs. “Come say hi, please." Hearing that she probably should speed up a tad. Her head doesn’t hurt that much as it did in the morning, although Ryder’s younger brother can be unbelievably annoying sometimes and has a strange obsession with fire. He once tired to burned down a small apple tree on the farm last year because he was bored. She might be able to keep her cool and not snap at him. If she could just make it through dinner.
“Okay, I’ll come down soon” Nova called back while she is brushing her purple mane.
***
“Hi." Nova said to the two brothers, once she came the stairs. One of them with giant bags under his eyes and trying stay awake. Dealing with Ruby last night must have been harder then expected. Might be a interesting story to tell if she can get it out of him.
“Hey Nov." Ryder and Boomer said in unison.
“Wanna watch TV?” Nova asked.
“Sure." They both said again at the time.
***
With greeting aside Nova lead Ryder and Boomer to the basement den. Nova took a seat on the large black “L” shaped couch, for the remote and presses the “on” bottom. She flipped thorough some channels. While Ryder is texting on his phone and Boomer is playing a mobile game.
“Ruby, leave me alone." Ryder muttered under his breath. As he stared at his phone annoyed from something.
“Is anything up?’ Nova asked while her eyes don’t leave the music video on screen.
“Just Ruby being Ruby”, Ryder signed. “She's been bugging all day about happened yesterday. I'm really mad at her and I told we would talk tomorrow so there's time for me to cool off.”
“Was it that bad”? Nova said.
“Completely drunk, to the point when she..” Ryder begins to tell his story.
***
Ryder walked out with Ruby as everyone got at them. They barely made it to the front door and the whole party was watching them, at least that what it felt like to Ryder. Nasty remarks were being made to Ruby but she was not in the right mind of state to respond to her getting called “The Future Town Drunk." Ryder probably should say something and defend his mare-friend but he'd just get into a fight over it. The colts were twice his size, it was not worth getting a punch to face. Just smile and wave until they were both in the car.
As they headed out of Cara’s house, Ryder saw his dusty blue car parked in the driveway only three feet away. ”Okay that a lot easier then I thought I it would be, all I need to is get Ruby in the car and this nightmare is over." Ryder thought to himself.
Her eyes brighten at her colt- friend. “Fine (hic), let’s go have (hic) some fun in your car."
Ryder took a moment to figure out what she meant. It resulted a slight blush “Wha- no I mean I'm taking to get you home."
“Oh, (hic) you’re rejecting me again?” Ruby said.
Ryder stayed still from mild embarrassment. ‘We’ll continue this in the car”, He said as took her hand and lead her to the parked vehicle. It ended up to where he had to tightly hold to stop her from tripping yet again.
Ruby managed to enter the car without a hitch. Ruby dropped the topic they had at the party, however as soon they arrived Ruby’s small house that had a metal bar and had three heavy-duty locks on the door. Ryder parked in her driveway.
“I had a nice-“ Ruby begun to said but was interrupted with green chunks on the carpet. Ryder said nothing as slapped his forehead in defeat.
“I'm sorry” Ruby said.
“Just go now”, he snapped at her as she left the car. Ruby looked hurt for an instant, before she opened and exited.
***
“Your kidding me, she was that drunk?” Nova said alongside a nervous laugh comes out.
“I'm not, she couldn’t even walk on her own." Ryder signed.
“And you wonder why mom and dad don’t like her’. Boomer said, joining the convocation now.
“Oh come on, she's not that bad." Ryder said. “She just got carried away with the tequila."
“She told dad to fuck off after he caught her smoking in the backyard while she was meeting us for the first time." Boomer pointed out.
“And also before she used to pick on Gemma and your cousin, Clover.” Nova said. “It was actually kind of messed up."
“First off, she apologized to dad and second, Nov, you and Cara joined in as while ." Ryder said. When Nova was still on Ruby and Cara’s good side. They weren’t do the nicest group at the middle school.
“I was forced into it but I hated every second of it” Nova said.