“So, where have you been sleeping all this time, anyway?” Sunset asked, as she took the book out from her locker along with her physics textbook.
“We’ve been staying at a hotel since you and the Rainblossoms upstaged us.” Aria replied, coolly.
“Rainbooms,” Sunset corrected, causing Aria to roll her eyes apathetically.
“What’s that?” Sonata asked, pointing to Sunset’s book.
“Oh, this?” Sunset asked. “It’s just a book I carry around with me to take notes on important things…for classes.”
“And unimportant, so shut up and let us finish our conversation.” Adagio berated her.
“How do you three have money to stay at a hotel for so long?” Sunset asked, suspiciously. “I mean, no offense, but I thought if anything, you’d all be stuck in some rundown, probably roach-infested motel.”
“Well, we would be if it weren’t for the fact that we do some odd jobs around town and they give us the money we need.” Aria lied.
“And they pay you enough for food, too?” Sunset pressed. “What kind of ‘odd jobs’ give out that kind of salary?
Sonata and Adagio looked to Aria as she tried to think of a convincing lie that Sunset couldn’t or wouldn’t be able to check up on. Fortunately, she didn’t have to as the warning bell rang. All around them were students rushing past them, trying to make it to their classes.
“To be continued.” Sunset commented before gesturing for the trio to follow her.
“Alright, so if you’re so smart, then why are you still a student here?” Aria asked, earning a suspicious glare from Sunset. “I mean, even if you’re still learning about social skills or whatever…why would the school let you stay here?”
“Well, being smarter than most of the students here reflects positively on the school and the teaching ability of the staff, plus I’ve been offering to tutor other students who have trouble in certain subjects-which of course, subsequently improves their test scores.”
“Which helps explain why Luna and Celestia have allowed you to remain a student here, despite the latter’s obvious contempt for you.” Adagio concluded.
They entered the physics classroom, which was now filled with students sitting at long black tables. On matching counters around the edges of the room were a series of beakers and test tubes. The whiteboard at the front of the room held the scientific definition of Gravity Force along with its equation.
The teacher, a man with grey skin and light grey hair, wearing a green-yellow sweater vest with dark green patches on the elbows and white undershirt with a black necktie tucked into a pair of brown pants leading down to a pair light brown shows was standing at the front of the room. He adjusted his black, horn rimmed glasses as his blue eyes examined the trio of girls following Sunset. They looked vaguely familiar, but he was fairly certain that they weren’t any students of his.
“Hey, Bill.” Sunset greeted, grinning sheepishly. “These three are going to be auditing the class while Principal Celestia fills out the paperwork for them to be re-enrolled here.”
“Re-enrolled?”
“They were students here temporarily a while ago…the Musical Showcase and the resulting Battle of the Bands? That was them.” Sunset elaborated, gesturing to the Dazzlings behind her with a thumb.
“And your names are?” he asked.
Sunset stood back silently as they introduced themselves once more, it actually was a little helpful. The first time she had clashed with them, she only knew their band’s name. Now, she would be able to identify them more accurately than she was able to previously identify them as internally; the angry one, the stupid one, and the leader-former leader she corrected herself. Fortunately, she wouldn’t have to worry about that being a point of tension later, going through this roll call all day would probably hammer their identities into her head.
“Those are beautiful names.” He commented before turning back to Sunset. “It’s not that I don’t trust you, but you do realize that I will have to speak with Celestia later to verify this?”
“I am aware.” She replied, cursing at herself internally for forgetting to ask her for a slip so the other faculty members wouldn’t think she was pulling something.
With that, he gestured for Sunset and the Dazzlings to take a seat. As they walked, she gauged the reactions of the other students, some of whom had their mouths agape and others simply glared at the girls, while more than a few eyed Sunset herself, suspiciously. They found a table that was mostly empty before sitting down. As Bill began his lecture, Sunset took out her physics textbook when she caught Aria looking at her with a cocked eyebrow.
“What?”
“Bill?” She prompted.
“Yeah, he’s pretty laid back-he knows how to explain scientific theories and methods while connecting with students and he doesn’t really like the formality aspect of teaching.” Sunset lowered her voice, still finding it odd that the inhabitants of this world kept Equestrian names like Neigh. “I think it makes him feel old, besides he’s more enthusiastic about sharing his knowledge with others than enforcing the rules-“
She was cut off as there was the sound of something vibrating, causing all heads in the classroom to turn back to her direction. Sunset’s first instinct was to keep the book hidden from the Dazzlings, fortunately she had kept it under her physics book when she sat down. Unfortunately, the book was also eerily glowing with a light brilliant opal magical aura. Regretting the fact that Celestia channeled it to her own magical aura when demonstrating how it worked, she tried to keep it covered with her arms as Bill approached her.
‘Seriously, Twilight? Now!?’
“Uh-oh,” Sonata commented in an enthusiastic tone. “Someone’s in trouble!”
Bill stood in front of Sunset before extending his hand with his palm opened up as she looked up at him.
“Sorry, Sunset.” He sighed. “But, if I don’t crack down this trimester, Celestia and Luna will make my life difficult-especially since this can be considered a distraction for the other students. You know how parents can get during conferences when their kids are underperforming. Please give me your phone.”
Sunset hesitated as the vibrating continued. The light from the glow was barely visible thanks to the small cavern she had made on the table with her arms encircling the book, only for the light to be caught by the inner creases on leather from her jacket. But, the entire classroom was staring at them. Even worse still, were the Dazzlings sitting right beside her, if she removed just one of her arms to take the actual phone out of her jacket, then they would certainly see that there was something magical about the book.
“Sunset, I don’t like enforcing this rule any more than you, but it is a distraction-so I need you to hand over your phone.”
Adagio and Aria sat back in their chairs, watching smugly.
“Why won’t she just give him the phone?” Adagio whispered.
“Don’t know, maybe it’s a control thing?” Aria replied, glancing slyly back at Adagio and earning a glare from her.
Sunset let out a deep sigh before slowly moving away from the book and internally sighed with relief at seeing the glow finally begin to fade. Reaching into her jacket pocket, she pulled out her cellphone and placed it in Bill’s hand. He then returned to his desk at the front of the room to place it in one of the drawers.
“Thank you, you’ll be getting this back at the end of glass.”
‘Hopefully, Twilight won’t feel the need to contact me again before then…’