Chapter 4: Waiting for the Other Horseshoe to Drop
It was Friday, now. The week had been peaceful. Lark hadn’t seen hide or hair of any of the colts he trounced. He had seen a few of his classmates, but only at a distance. He was in no hurry to speak with them, mainly because he didn’t know what to do or say. All Lark did was bring his sisters to school, take his punishment, and upon retrieving Valley and Copper, make a beeline for the house.
Saying the week had been enjoyable was a stretch, but Lark wasn’t dissatisfied. Mr. Chippy ran him through all the coursework, they discussed a few interesting history topics (even the Equestrian Summits were absorbing when somepony could put things in perspective), and Lark got to run off his stiffness in the gym, feeling much better by the end of the week.
Come Monday, a decision regarding his status at the school would likely be made. He didn’t know what would happen; nopony was telling him much if they knew. Lark knew his teacher, Ms. Pearlshine would do what she could for him. He also knew Mr. Chippy would probably put in a good word for him, as well. It was strange to him how unworried he was. He could be facing expulsion, or who knows what, but he felt at ease.
His aunt and uncle, upon learning exactly what happened Monday, were no longer that upset with him. They weren’t happy, but they couldn’t exactly hold it against him. Throughout the week, Lark had gone from not liking them much, to appreciating and even liking them.
Even better, his sisters were fine. He had expected trouble for them, either being ostracized or given to some short-lived pseudo-popularity, but things seemed stable, at the least. His teacher, his aunt and uncle, and even the girls themselves informed him they were well.
Sitting by himself in the “utility” room, eating the unexpectedly good pizza the school apparently served for lunch most Fridays, he realized he would miss working with Mr. Chippy. He knew from the start it would be temporary, and that he might not be a student there anyway come Monday, but he had liked Mr. Chippy. But if he stuck around, he knew he would see Mr. Chippy, and he would be back with Ms. Pearlshine.
He even began to miss his classmates. Sure, he was avoiding them during his punishment, but he’d barely, if at all, gotten to know anypony, other than the fillies he’d had lunch with Monday. He wanted to know them. He wanted to be their friend, not just the fillies, but all his classmates. Just wait for Monday. It was all he could do.
Jostled from his thoughts, the door to the hallway rattled. He almost choked on pizza as the door burst open. What looked like a piece of lemon-meringue pie came tumbling through. It was Thunder Rider, her burnt cream-colored mane a mess. She was clutching a lunch tray.
“Ha! Didn’t spill!” she held the tray proudly, her citrusy countenance shining. “Stupid door, making me juggle stuff.”
She came up to the table, “Hey, Lark!”
Not much he could say to this, “Thunder! What do you think you’re doing here?”
Not looking hurt, she took a seat, digging into her lunch she'd smuggled in, “Thought I’d check up on our little unicorn slayer. Just see if you’re still alive and lickin’.”
“Of course, I’m alive. You’ve seen me getting led around, and I’ve seen most of the class. You even waved yesterday.”
She giggled, “Yeah, and you wouldn’t even wave back!”
“I was told to ‘not fraternize’ with other students. Now, what are you doing here?”
“Lark, I just said. I’m here to see you, buddy. Things have been… interesting since Monday. You wouldn’t believe some of the stupid rumors foals are spouting.”
This had him interested, “Like what?”
Unable to stop laughing, she sputtered, “That you got sent to mine for coal in a prison camp, somewhere… That you kicked the principal in the balls… Oh, oh! My favorite is you got expelled, your family kicked you out, and you were living under a bridge in the North Vanhoover Park with some stallion with no legs. Just stupid, considering you’re right here.”
Lark uttered, “Stupid…”
“It’s been… weird not having you in class. I think everypony misses you.”
Nonplussed, Lark mumbled, “I barely said a word, other than introducing myself, getting laughed at while doing so, and… yelling at Tux. And lunch with you, Medium, and Misty, I guess. I was in class half the day! What’s there to miss?”
At this, she looked a little hurt, “Lark… You were just so… funny. You seemed… interesting. We wanted to get to know you. Lots of other ponies do now, too.”
Lark grimly hoofed his now empty lunch tray, “A lot of good that does me, come Monday… Since you’re here… tell me what’s going on. I don’t know anything that’s been going on. What’s the deal with that panda-jerk? I feel like the only colt on Earth in here.”
With a little encouragement, she told him. Tuxedo hadn’t been to school all week. His parents accused the school of letting their little darling be brutalized, and they kept him home. He was supposed to have an in-school suspension, but it wasn’t acknowledged.
What a laugh.
His crew wasn’t really around, either. Most had out-of-school suspension, and they would probably be expelled next week. One was serving a term in-school, as Lark was, but was playing hooky. The dynamics around the school and playground were turned on the ear.
This answered what was going on, but not why things were the way they were. Lark wished to know that. She told him.
Tux’s parents were rich, and they had a lot of pull over the school system. Due to politics, Tux could run wild. Since 3rd grade, he’d gathered the strongest unicorns in elementary school and had pretty much been king of the playground. Even the students in middle school, now, feared him. Everypony feared him. And nopony would stop him. He hurt ponies.
Lark was mildly disgusted. Not much of a story. They let somepony like him push them around? Even big kids were afraid of him? It sounded like horse apples to him. He’d wiped the sand with those candy-asses. Once he was loose, they crumpled like paper. Lark had dealt with some unpleasant foals over the years, and these guys were cake to do in.
She finished, “Monday was the first time anypony ever stood up to him.”
Lark put idly, “I didn’t stand up to him… He said something smartass, so I gave it back to him. Nothing…”
“But you put him against the wall! What did he say to you?!”
Lark looked in deeply, “…”
A little dismayed, she asked, “What? Not gonna tell me?”
He answered in a low voice, “I won’t.”
This put her off a little. What was it?
What’s Lark hiding?
The colt, noticing her manner, waved a hoof, “Don’t worry about it. It wasn’t a big deal… I just let him know…”
“B-b-but Lark! Nopony ever stood up to him or his gang! And you just put them in their place, like pow! You were so brave. It’s like you weren’t even afraid!”
She went on about this. Lark sat there, listening, but not enjoying it.
Thunder finished with, “You’re a hero, Lark.”
After listening to her, he couldn’t help but hide his growing contempt, “A hero? Me? I don’t get it… How could anypony let him push them around? He’s nothing…”
She looked at him, slightly stricken. He didn’t notice. And went on. Sometimes Lark forgot he wasn’t just some ordinary colt…
“I’m no hero. I’m nothing special… But… those guys were nothing. They had magic! There’s no way I should’ve stood a chance. I thought I was done! Like, seriously done… But afraid? No…”
Thunder felt the atmosphere in the room change. It was… chilling.
“I’m not brave. There’s just not much I’m afraid of anymore. Those assholes just wouldn’t let it be. It was nothing; it was stupid. Stupid… And they attack me?! They had magic, and they ran like babies!”
Still tied up in his rant, he failed to notice how upset Thunder was becoming, “I hate ponies like them… Don’t even have the guts to stay for the party they started. Cowards… And they ran the show around here? For 3 years?!”
He had worked himself up to the point he couldn’t really talk anymore. He felt… powerful, like nopony could stop him. But Thunder could. He finally noticed her expression. And did she ever put a damper on his fighting spirit.
“Thunder?”
She had a look he’d never seen before. She looked terribly sad, but at the same time... hopeful. It was the oddest expression he’d ever recalled.
“Lark… you are a hero. You don’t know what it was like here… You’re… you’re my hero.”
Thunder began to cry. It was almost dumbfounding to Lark, this pretty, confident, outgoing, seemingly hyperactive filly, crying. And it took him from… whatever he was, back to the pony his sisters loved and admired so much. The pony the girls had talked to on Monday. Back to Lark.
Lark moved in, putting a hoof on her shoulder, “Thunder…”
She considered his eyes, hers puffy and bloodshot, “He… hurt me, Lark. He and those other colts… hurt me badly, more than once. And lots of other ponies, too… We were… scared to do anything. And then you show up one day, and just stop him?”
Crying harder, she couldn’t go on. Moved by her brokenness, he moved in closer, and hugged her. She clung to him, and he let her stay that way a moment. Then, she began to calm down.
Then, the door burst open. Mr. Chippy entered, munching on a slice of pizza. He saw the extra foal in the room and the scene to boot.
“Ah ha! Look at you, Lark! What a heartbreaker you must be!” he joked.
Thunder pried herself loose from Lark, reddening a little, wiping at her tears. Mr. Chippy did a take.
“Thunder Rider? Ha, ha! What are you doing here? As far as I know, you don’t have a detention yet, and it’s after school, anyway.”
Twiddling her hooves, “I, uh, just wanted to see Lark… I’m sorry, sir.”
He chuckled, “Take a look Lark! We got to know each other pretty well, last year. We called her the “Detention Queen”. She got sent at least once a week, it seemed. I get stuck with detention duty sometimes…”
She blushed, “Lark! Don’t listen to him. ‘Detention Queen’…”
Lark hadn’t done or said much since Mr. Chippy came onto the scene. He shrugged.
The old stallion ruffled her hair, “Well, if you don’t want detention, I suggest you hurry outside before somepony sees you here. Lunch is getting out, so go. I’ll take your tray.”
With that, she nodded, and looking at Lark, blushed, “Goodbye, Lark… Thanks.”
She swiftly exited and merged with the crowd of foals, going unnoticed by them.
Mr. Chippy laughed, “She’s a good filly… Just goofs off too much, sometimes. We never called her queen of anything, but she did spend a lot of time clapping erasers after school…”
He looked to Lark, who was flummoxed, “Okay there, Lark?”
Lark came to, “Uh, sure.”
“You made a pretty good friend if she’d sneak in here to see you.”
“We had lunch with a couple of her filly friends on Monday.”
Mr. Chippy was amused. This colt was unreadable, sometimes. Hadn’t he noticed all the blushing?
All the same, “Have a good lunch, Lark?”
Lark thought, “It was… enlightening.”
Such a word to use, mused the old timer, “Well, I guess it’s time to continue. This may be our last day together, before the other horseshoe drops. Ready?”
Lark grinned at the teasing, “Sure. I have my summary of the Recapture of Midnight Castle, right here…”
They finished the afternoon, and they even shook hooves, each eager to see the other again, hopefully not in detention.
Again, Lark sat alone, waiting for Ms. Pearlshine to show up. Looking back on the day, it had been okay. He managed to finish everything, so unless his teacher sprung something on him, all he had to do was be ready for a quiz or two the next week. The spelling test had been easy. And working with Mr. Chippy had ended well enough.
He did have to think about Thunder, though. What that must have been like, the school the way it was. He really did miss a lot of things, things that should have been obvious to him. Her sadness, and then happiness at his triumph. That many foals felt the same way. The fact he’d done something heroic? He didn’t feel heroic. He had been scared when panda-douche mentioned his sisters, but it wasn’t bravery or fear that propelled him to do what he did to those stupid foals. That was to save his hide. It was impossible to even put a name to what he felt when he fought. He didn’t particularly enjoy it, but… it was something.
Whatever it might be, thinking about it would have to wait. Ms. Pearlshine walked in. Lark had noticed throughout the week that her youthful, pretty face looked more and more haggard. He was under no delusion what she must be going through. If panda-suck’s parents were steamed enough to treat their son like a princess and hold him at home, screaming Lark was some kind of monster, it must have been a hassle, to say the least, for his teacher.
As she had every day, she tried to marshal a smile for him, “How was your day with Mr. Chippy?”
“It was fine. I’m happy to say I finished all the work, so that opens up the weekend. Spelling test seemed okay. That just leaves a little time to study up for next week’s quizzes… if I’m around come Tuesday.”
She looked grim, but somehow reassuring, “Try to stay positive… But, yes, the board will be meeting on Monday to determine your status here. Perhaps you haven’t heard, but the board met today regarding the colts that were given out-of-school suspension... and the colt serving his punishment as you have been.”
“Can you even tell me how it went? That stuff secret until Monday?”
She shook her head, “I can tell you. It’s been published. All the colts who have been serving out-of-school suspension have been expelled.”
Lark felt a chill rise in him. Sure, the guys were assholes, but he could sympathize. More importantly…
“What about the one in my horseshoes? I heard he’s been skipping.”
Thinking, she said, “Well, I’m not sure. They can’t expel him or do anything else until he appears before the board with his parents, the principals, and his teacher. Things don’t look good for him, though.”
That answered the question. But the elephant in the room had yet to be addressed.
“What about Tuxedo Parade?”
She winced, “I guess I can tell you. It’s… complicated. The board really let those foals have it. It’s no secret they’ve been trouble, and with their records, the board had an easy choice. But with Tuxedo… his parents have managed to keep him out of most trouble. I really shouldn’t talk politics with a student, but they might have us over a barrel. They’ve lodged a formal complaint against the school and…”
There was a knock on the door.
Ms. Pearlshine let off, “Come in.”
In came Aunt Fairy and Uncle Star. They sat down. Lark was a bit shocked to see them.
His teacher sighed, “I’ve been talking with your aunt and uncle, Lark. This could be bad. Mr. and Mrs. Parade have lodged a complaint against the school… and you.”
This sure didn’t sound good. Lark couldn’t think of much to say.
Moving on, she said, “They’re claiming the school let you assault their son, and that the school, and his teacher, didn’t punish you harshly enough. That’s about the size of it. They’ll be presenting their case on Monday during your board hearing… which may also hold pivotal for me. They... took offense at me trying to lessen their recommended punishment. They wanted you expelled outright.”
Uncle Star put a hoof on Lark’s shoulder, “Just remember, Lark, we’re not upset with you anymore, but… oh, boy.”
Aunt Fairy tried to put it a better way, “We’re going to do what we can come Monday. Your teacher and the two of us will do our best.”
Lark fretted. Ms. Pearlshine was putting herself in harm’s way for him?
The colt blathered, “Ms. Pearlshine! Why’d you do that?! It’s not your fault I fought anypony! I’m not worth-”
She interrupted him, “LARK, you are worth it. Don’t ever say that. It’s so sad… You’re my student and you’re worth it. I said I was proud to have you in my class and I meant it. Your classmates want to see you again. So, we will fight.”
Lark felt drained. That sure was something to hear... and see. She'd been moved near to tears.
His aunt added, “We love you, Lark. And we’ll do what we can."
Lark may have felt drained, but he also felt satisfaction. Maybe he was worth something, after all.
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Lickin'? Not kicking?
And a Heavyweights reference, I see?
9089949
It was a mistake but I thought it was funny and left it in.
9089951
Heavyweights is a movie every kid needs to see.
Is your profile pic Thunder Rider? You should have called her Lemon Meringue. I love her “burnt” tips!
9289093
I think there's already a pony called that. But maybe there's one called Thunder Rider too.