//------------------------------//
// CHAPTER FOUR: Getting Schooled 
// Story: Bookends 
// by Stormbringer 
//------------------------------//

	Cheerilee sat at her desk, her heart wasn’t in it this morning.  She realized what it must’ve looked like to Twilight with her just bolting for the door the way she did.  She could’ve handled it so much better, she could’ve let Twilight know just how much the evening and morning had meant to her.  
Especially the morning.
For the two ponies who lay bare their souls to each other, finding they’d pretty much the same goals and hopes.  And then to share some new found affection.  Twilight deserved better than what she’d done.
Cheerilee had never felt this empty for a very long time.  Not since she had ‘that talk’ with her parents and was belittled into thinking she was some kind of a sick and morally deficient pony.
She had to keep a brave face for the kids, whom she’d given an extended study time to let them, so she said, catch up on any home work or reports.  
She decided to delay the reproduction lecture for another day, she’d left the book at the library and there was no way she could have talked about the subject of pony intimacy without thinking about Twilight and breaking down.
It was all she could do to not keep thinking of the purple Unicorn.  Her face was all she could see when she closed her eyes.  She couldn’t stop thinking of the kiss they’d shared. 
That wonderful, passionate, soul warming kiss.  
‘Twilight deserves better than me just running out on her,’ thought Cheerilee, heroically fighting back tears, ‘I find a pony that’s exactly what I’ve dreamed of.  A pony who obviously wants to be with me.  She even said that she found me attractive.
And I treat her like dirt!  
My father would be proud of how much like him I’ve become.’

“Miss Cheerilee?” said Apple Bloom.
The teacher came out of her funk.
“I’m sorry Apple Bloom,” said Cheerilee, “you have a question?”
“Well,” said Apple Bloom, “are you ’kay?  You were frownin’ awful bad.”
“Was I?” replied the teacher, a little bothered she let her feelings show this much in front of her students.  “Sorry, I was distracted, thank you for asking.  Please go back to work, it’s okay.”

‘I’ve never let anything bother me this much,’ thought Cheerilee.  ‘It just can’t be an infatuation.   It’s something more than I’ve ever experienced.  Something I’ve always wanted.  Something I find and then carelessly toss away!’ 
Cheerilee was about to ‘lose it’.  She had to get the children out of there while she tried to collect herself.
“Eyes up here children” said Cheerilee.
The class looked up at the teacher.
“I know it’s early, but why don’t you go and take an early extended recess.”
The kids murmured their pleasure and they all went out the door.

Cheerilee walked around her desk, and then awkwardly she hopped up to sit upright on the top so she could look out the window better.  Hopefully her students wouldn’t see her after all the times she’d warned them not to sit on their desks.  She relaxed her control enough to let the tears loose, but she made sure she didn’t totally break down in case one of the kids came back in.

“Am I here at a bad time?” Asked a voice, the sound of it made her heart skip a beat, it was Twilight.
Cheerilee tried to wipe her eyes as unnoticeably as possible.  It didn’t work.
“Hi Twi,” she said, “to what do I owe the pleasure?”
“You ran off this morning and forgot your book.  I thought I’d bring it to you.”
Twilight walked close, but not too close.  She levitated the book from her saddlebag to Cheerilee’s desk.  Then she turned to leave.
“DON’T GO!” said Cheerilee panicking, almost shouting.
Twilight turned around, it was the first she noticed the pain on Twilight’s face.  She’d hurt Twilight, Cheerilee’s tears started to come again.
“Twi, I’m so sorry about this morning.  It was thoughtless of me.”
Cheerilee could see the look on Twilight’s face, Twilight needed to hear specifically, Cheerilee would’ve wanted the same.
“I’m NOT sorry about sharing our stories, hopes and dreams. I’m NOT sorry about sharing the bed and I’m especially NOT sorry about the kiss.  
I AM sorry for running out without a proper goodbye, without telling you how much my stay with you meant to me.” Cheerilee paused, “without telling you how much you now mean to me.”
Twilight appeared to cheer up a bit.  It was what she was hoping to hear.
“Cheeri, I didn’t want to believe you could use me for emotional release and then cast me aside.” Said Twilight, “I wanted to believe there’s the start of something between us, something I’ve missed all my life.  
I’ve not been able to think of anything else this morning but you and the kiss we shared.  
I don’t care what ponies will think, if it makes me a mare-lover, then I’m all right with that.  As long as I can be with you, that is if you wanted to be with me.”
Cheerilee smiled.  Twilight wanted the relationship, as much as she did; Twilight had just confirmed it.
“Oh Twilight, I do want to be with you!”
Twilight walked close and looked into Cheerilee’s eyes.
“I did have another reason for coming here.” Said Twilight, actually starting to smile.  “I’ve another book I was hoping you might be interested in helping me do some research.”
Cheerilee looked intrigued.  Twilight levitated another book from her bag to Cheerilee.  The teacher read the title out loud;


"Answering Questions About Pony Sexuality; Mare With Mare.”


Cheerilee thought she’d cry again.  This time out of joy.
“If you come closer,” said Cheerilee, “I think we could do some preliminary research now.”
Twilight walked to the desk, reared up on her hind legs, put her forelegs around Cheerilee and kissed her even more passionately than earlier.  Cheerilee embraced Twilight with her forelegs and hind legs and drew her close.



“Scootaloo!” shouted Sweetie Belle, “the ball went over by the school house, will you go get it.”
“Sure thing Sweetie Belle.” Replied the Pegasus filly. Scootaloo ran over by the school to kick the ball back to her friends.  But what she saw through the window made her forget everything else.

Her friends wondered what was up with Scootaloo, she was just standing by the window looking in.  Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle walked over to see what was so engrossing.

“What’s up Scoot?” asked Apple Bloom.
Scootaloo pointed her hoof at the window;
“Look,” was her answer, “I think I know why we couldn’t get Miss Cheerilee to go out with Big Mac.” 
The friends looked through the window.  They were all as shocked as Scootaloo.  
There was Miss Cheerilee sitting on her desk, she was being kissed quite passionately.  

The pony kissing her was a bigger shock, it was Twilight Sparkle.

The friends walked away from the window giggling.
“Ewww!” said Scootaloo.
“I don’t know,” said Sweetie Belle, “I think it’s kind of sweet.”