Chapter 14
Chapter 14
Silver Spoon stared aghast at her butler. That was the first time any of the house personnel had ever dared telling her what to do. Or, in this case, what not to do.
She glared back at him, anger building up inside her. “My father would have told me about putting you in charge, Stickler!”
“He did.”
“No, he didn’t!”
“Lady Silver Spoon, do you remember the day your parents departed for their vacation?”
“Of course I do.” In fact, thinking about that day only made her anger flare up even more.
“Then maybe you also remember how you deliberately were not listening to them saying their goodbyes?”
“Well, um…” She did remember, of course.
“That’s when your father told you about my additional duties during their absence. If I recall correctly your answer was along the lines of ‘Yeah, yeah, whatever’.”
She stared at him at a loss for words. Back then she had simply wanted to punish her parents for leaving her behind. They didn’t seem to care about her, so she showed that that she didn’t care about them either. And now…
“And, not to mind that this is a discussion we will not have,” the butler said while opening the door to the mansion, “this wouldn’t be the time for it in any way. You are to go to bed immediately. I wish you a good night. Though it will be rather short, I am afraid.”
She glared at her traitorous servant, for a moment considering showing him if they would have that discussion or not. But she did feel the wish for sleep taking over her mind and so she decided to let this be for now.
Grumbling a “Good night.” at him, she stomped up the stairs and made her way towards her room. There she tossed her baggage besides her bed. Then she slumped onto the blanket.
Staring at the canopy above her she took a deep breath as if to exhale her anger. The past two days had been filled with too much joy to let it all end on a sour note. She really had made a new friend. Not only that, it was the one filly she had hated more than any other. But that seemed like a lifetime ago.
She had even met her family. And they all liked her too. Not because her parents were rich. And not even despite her parents being rich. They just seemed to genuinely like her. For who she was.
For the first time ever since she could remember she was actually excited about the prospect of going to school the next day. Of course, it was still school. Summer school on top of that. But she would see Apple Bloom again. Maybe – and that was a huge maybe, she assured herself – her butler could keep her away from the Apple Farm, but he couldn't prevent Apple Bloom from coming to school. Having a friend by her side for at least the last lesson of the day made it all seem a lot more bearable. Not to say, joyful. Perhaps.
Yet all this didn't change the fact that she would have to deal with him again about it. There was just no way she would take orders from the house personnel. But that had to wait until tomorrow. She was too tired now to even think about thinking what she was going to do.
Unfortunately, she wasn't any less tired when tomorrow came. Which happened way too soon. It seemed even sooner than usual that a maid mercilessly pulled the curtains aside. The joyful “Good morning, Miss Silver Spoon.” didn't make the morning sunlight from flooding the room any less annoying.
The brightness uncomfortably intruding on the filly's eyes, she slowly sat up. Still drowsy and rubbing her eyes with one hoof, she reached with the other for her glasses. Still drowsy she placed them on her nuzzle and blinked away the last wades of sleep. Then the filly saw that she had been woken up by the same maid that had been in her room when she and Apple Bloom had picked up her stuff for camping.
Silver Spoon groaned, not even bothering to cover her mouth. Then she crawled out of her bed and said: “I'm going to take a shower. Have breakfast ready when I'm done.”
Already turning towards the door she stopped and thought for a moment before adding: “Please.”
She saw the maid's eyes widen for a moment. Then she smiled. “Of course, Miss Silver Spoon.”
“Oh, and a good morning for you too.” With that she finally scuffled out of her room.
The way to the shower seemed even longer than usual. And all the way she felt like she had slept on the ground again. But at least that told her that the last two days hadn't just been a dream.
A few minutes of refreshing hot water and pleasantly smelling shampoo later, Silver Spoon sat at the large dining table. As usual she found herself surrounded by a wide array of bread, cheese and fruits. And, as usual, everything tasted wonderfully. Yet still, despite knowing that a few of these culinary intricacies were worth more than some ponies earned in a day, she was already missing Fluttershy's pancakes.
For a moment she pondered asking for pancakes to be served tomorrow. But in the end she decided against it. As much as she had liked some, they were linked to this exciting weekend she has had. And she wanted them to stay a special part of that for as long as possible. Besides, she still had her favorite hot cocoa topped with sprinkles of white chocolate as a consolation for not having pancakes.
While she savored a long sip of her cocoa, the maid who had woken her up asked her dutifully if she needed something else. And as usually Silver Spoon replied that she didn't. But unlike usually, then the maid had another question: “May I ask how your weekend was?”
At first Silver Spoon didn't know what to say. Of course, the weekend had been great, so she knew what she could say. But she wasn't used to being asked that. Not by the maids or butlers. Yes, they always tell her they hoped she had a good day whenever it was time for supper. Yet none of them had ever asked her about it with genuine interest. Or asked her at all, for that matter.
As she just sat there, staring blankly at the pony showing unprecedented interest in her, the maid interpreted the silence in her own way. She gave Silver Spoon a sympathetic look. “Oh, I am sorry if it hasn't went as you had wished, Miss. It was just that you had been gone the whole weekend, so I thought-”
“No, no,” the filly interrupted her. “That's not it. On the contrary, it was the best weekend I had in a long time. Maybe even the best ever.”
“Really?” The maid's face lit up. “I am glad to hear that.”
“Thanks,” said Silver Spoon, still irritated. “But why are you asking?”
Now the maid looked like Silver Spoon felt. “Is it wrong for me to ask?”
“No, I don't think so. And that's not what I meant. Why are you interested in how my weekend was?”
“Because I hoped it was good. And I'm glad to hear that it was.”
“Is that really important to you?”
“Of course. I know how much you, well, didn't like having to go to school during summer.”
“You do?”
The maid chuckled. “It was quite obvious. And with your friend, I mean, best friend gone, I was afraid you would start to feel lonely on top of that.”
“Then why did you try to stop me?”
“Well, you see, at first I honestly thought your parents wouldn't want you to go. But then I thought about what you said, Miss. And I think in some way you're right. I mean, you do not have the right to disobey your parents just because they have put you in our care during their vacation. But if your parents trust us with taking care of you, that means they trust our judgment, right?”
“Er, right. I guess.”
She nodded. “So that means, what mattered was what I thought about you going camping in that moment. And I thought it was a wonderful thing that you actually found a new friend and wanted to enjoy your vacation with her.”
“Yet I think,” sounded a dry voice from behind them, “you have been overstepping your authotity quite a bit.” Stickler was standing in the door. “To clarify this matter, the Lady has been put under my personal authority. And had you, like it had been and still is your responsibility, informed me about the matter immediately, I wouldn't have given my permission.”
“But why?” the two of them asked in unison.
“Like I explained to Lady Silver Spoon last evening, that Apple family are not the adequate acquaintance for a pony of her standing.”
Silver Spoon wanted to reply something but lost her words as she saw the look of outright shock from the maid. Her eyes grew wider and wider, and she covered her mouth with a hoof as she said: “You can't be serious. Please, don't tell me, that just because they are farmers and not-”
“This is not about how they earn for their livelihood,” he cut her off. “And to answer your next question, neither about their general income. Let me tell you, I am afraid I know more about that family than you do. At least I do know more than enough about that Applejack character.”
“What do you know?”
“I am sorry, but it is not my place to talk about it.”
“Then whose is it?”
“Is it my sister's?” Silver Spoon asked, having finally found her words again.
“How do you know?” asked the butler with a rare instance of a bit of surprise in his voice.
“Applejack told me that she and my sister had a fight once.”
Silver Spoon was certain she saw a hint of resentment wander over Stickler's face. But he quickly regained his posture. “I guess I should have figured that mare would brag about what has happened between her and Lady Marecedes.”
“Brag? She didn't brag,” Silver Spoon objected. “Actually, she seemed more ashamed than anything about it.”
“Was she now?” Obviously he didn't believe that. “Yet she still told you about it?”
“Not really. When she found out that Marecedes is my sister she did say that the two of them have had a fight sometime in the past. And that she is really ashamed of it and it isn't something she would want to talk about with me.”
“Really?” This time the butler actually did seem mildly impressed. “I have to admit that is a surprise. At least she does have a certain degree of unexpected decency as it seems.”
Silver Spoons face lit up. “So does this mean you changed your mind?”
“No.”
Silver Spoon's small spark of hope died as fast as it had flared up.
“I still stand by my decision. You are not to go near that farm. But you are to go to school. So I suggest, Lady Silver Spoon, you rather hurry up with your meal and be on your way.”
Without waiting for as much as a blinking of an eye he turned around and left. Still Silver Spoon had already opened her mouth to shoot off some protest, yet the maid raised a hoof to stop her. “Don't worry, Miss. I'll talk to him. But he has a point, you better start eating or you'll be late for school.”
“I guess you're right,” Silver Spoon admitted grudgingly. “But thank you for your help, um... er... I am really sorry, but what was your name again?”
“Rosy,” answered the maid, not showing even a hint of indignation. “Have I never told you?”
“No, but I think I never asked before.”
Silver Spoon spoke more to her plate than to Rosy. Rather to have something to do than actually being hungry she finally ate her breakfast. Afterward she grabbed her schoolbag and left the mansion. Sooner than she had intended to. And her still lingering anger over Stickler made her walk faster than usually.
Her plan for today had been not to spend more time at school than absolutely necessary. After all, Apple Bloom wouldn't be there before the third period. But now she wasn't actually there just early. She was there first.
Except for Cheerilee.
Her teacher regarded the filly with surprise as she entered the classroom. But she still greeted her joyfully. “Why, good morning Silver Spoon. I have to say I would have not expected you to be here already.”
The filly didn't know what to answer. How was this mare able to say things so kindly that would have been a mocking taunt from anypony else?
“But I sure am glad you are,” she continued. “There is something I have to talk to you about. But of course, please, first come in and take your seat.”
She had no idea what Cheerilee would have to talk about with her. Silver Spoon hadn't even had any chance to get into trouble.
Sitting down on her chair she placed her bag besides the desk and waited for her teacher with a mix of curiosity and confusion.
Cheerilee closed the notebook she had been writing in and came over to her student. There she sat down on the chair across the desk.
Silver Spoon tried to read something from her expression, expecting to see disappointment or maybe even anger. That's what was usually written all over Cheerilee's face whenever she had needed to talk to her. There was still that friendly smile. But also something else...
“What am I going to do with you, Silver Spoon?”
The filly blinked. That was definitely not what she had expected.
“Why are you always so distracted in class? Is there anything troubling you?”
This was even less what she had expected.
“I mean, you haven't started out that bad in my class. Your grades were good and you were always paying attention to me. At first I thought you were just having a bad time when your grades started slipping. That is nothing unusual, you know?
“But when they kept getting worse, I tried to see if there was anything I could do to get you back on track. I tried motivating you, I reseated you towards the front of the room, I tried to pair you with other students who I hoped could help you in group work. I even tried scolding you for your grades, but that also obviously didn't work. I was already starting to wonder if you had problems with your classmates.
“When your parents told me you would participate in the summer class I was really glad. But you seem to be as absent-minded as during normal class. So now I am wondering, is there something not related to school that is on your mind? Or do you really have a fight or any other problem with one of your class-mates?”
Silver Spoon began wondering as well. Mostly if she was still asleep and if all this was a dream. But the longer she looked at her teacher who was obviously waiting for an answer, the more she came to the conclusion that this had to be really happening.
“Well, um...” she started, still not knowing what she should say. “No, it is not something aside from school. It is, uh, I don't know how to say that...”
The more she tried stalling the answer, the more wrinkles appeared on Cheerilee's forehead. “Don't tell me it really is your class-mates?”
“No... Um, you see, it's...” Her voice trembled off again.
“Silver Spoon, please listen to me. If it has something to with another foal, tell me. If there is a bully in our class, you have to tell me.”
Now Silver Spoon lost any idea how to answer. She wasn't even able to look at her anymore. She lowered her gaze, staring the wooden desk in front of her.
“Please, Silver Spoon,” Cheerilee went on. “Trust me. I can help you. I will help you. But you have to talk to me. If you won't tell me who it is, nothing will change.”
The last words echoed in Silver Spoon's mind. Nothing will change. Finally, she knew what to say.
“No!” she exclaimed, making her teacher flinch. “That's not true. Things can change. They will change. They already have changed!”
“They have?” Cheerilee asked as if that wasn't even a possibilty.
“Yes, they have. In fact, I would say, Apple Bloom and I are already good friends.” Silver Spoon stared for a moment at her perplexed teacher. Now it was the mare who seemed to be at a loss for words. “And I am sure, when Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle come back, we can be friends too.”
“Apple Bloom?” Cheerilee's audibly had to force every single word out of her throat. “Scootaloo? And Sweetie Belle too?”
“Yes!” Silver Spoon nodded eagerly, feeling a little surprised how convinced she sounded. “And when she is back, I will help Diamond Tiara to become friends with them as well.”
Cheerilee's voice was shaking. Whatever it had been that she had expected, most certainly, this wasn't it. “I can't... I can't believe it. Those three were the last I would have expected to harass their class-mates.”
Silver Spoon blinked. “What?”
“And they did it to Diamond Tiara too?”
“No, no, no!” The filly hastily waved her hooves. “They didn't to anything. It was... it was...” She fell silent again, realizing what she was about say.
Cheerilee on the other hand still looked at her student with a raised eyebrow.
Silver Spoon took a deep breath and looked her teacher straight into the eyes. “It was the other way around.”
“So, what you're saying is that you and Diamond Tiara...”
“...are – no – were the bullies. But like I said, things changed.”
“I am glad to hear that,” Cheerilee said mechanically. Then she shook her head. “At least, that things have changed now. But, what has been going on between you fillies?”
“Nothing that big. It was more, like, stupid. All we did was making fun of them because they still don't have their cutie marks. And yes, I know that was wrong. But, I told you-”
“Things changed, yes.” Cheerilee nodded. “Okay, I will believe you. For now. But that still doesn't explain what I wanted to know. In fact, now that I know the truth, I am even more confused why you are the one with the lower grades. Why are you never paying attention?”
Once again, Silver Spoon wasn't sure what she should say. Or this time, it was rather if she should say it. But hadn't things gone quite well with saying the truth the last days? Even just a moment ago? Yes, she had to admit, all in all it had proven to be the best solution.
So she said: “Because I am bored.”
“Bored?” repeated Cheerilee. “By school or do you mean by me?”
“No, not you. Just by school. I don't think it would be any different with somepony else as a teacher.”
“And why exactly are you bored?”
“Because I don't see the point. I don't need school.”
“What do you mean, you don't need it? Everypony needs to go to school. How else would you ever learn anything?”
“I wouldn't. But that's it. Why do I have to? I don't need math, we have calculators. I don't need Equestrian, I can already read the books I want to read. I don't need art, I can buy any work of art I want. I don't need music, I can visit a concert or hire musicians anytime I want. And sports, well... I just don't need that.”
Cheerilee had listened patiently. Her smile seemed to grow more and more into a suppressed grin. And just when Silver Spoon started to think she had convinced her teacher, the mare asked: “Aren't you talking about your parents?”
“What?” That question caught the filly completely off-guard.
“They can hire the musicians, buy the concert tickets or works of arts, and they also have the calculator, don't they?”
“Of course, but where's the difference?”
Cheerilee dismissed the question by simply shaking her head. “Silver Spoon, what do you think why they can buy you all those things?”
“Because we are rich.” Why weren't her usual questions so easy to answer?
“Okay, but why do you think your family is rich?”
Was that a trick question? “Because my father earns a lot of money.”
“Yes, he does. And why do you think he is able to earn so much money?”
Was she making fun of her or did Cheerilee really not know this? “Because he has his own company.”
“And what does this company do?”
Silver Spoon didn't know why this mattered, but that was no reason not to say it. “They are building and selling carriages.”
“And who tells them what carriages to build and how they should build them? Who manages all the sales and keeps an eye on all the money that company makes?”
“My father.” Silver Spoon didn't even attempt to keep her voice free from pride.
“And what do you think why your father can do all that?”
“Because he is the best father in the whole world.”
Her answer came promptly and with absolute certainty, yet much to Silver Spoon's irritation Cheerilee's response was an amused chuckle. “I guess every foal says that about their daddies. But I am sure you have a fantastic father. Otherwise you wouldn't be here right now.”
Silver Spoon felt like somepony had emptied a can of ice-water directly into her stomach. Was Cheerilee serious? The way she sounded she had to be. Or was she actually so good at mocking others that she could do it with so much restraint it looked like honesty? What she had to hear made Silver Spoon rethink her opinion of her teacher. And silently cursing herself for forgetting to be angry at her father for not taking her to their summer house.
Oblivious to her student's mood-shift – or just ignoring it – Cheerilee continued: “But that is not what helped him doing all we talked about. What I meant is: How does he know how to do it?”
Silver Spoon had already opened her mouth for another quick and simple answer. But she had to admit that such an answer eluded her. There she sat, her mouth agape and her eyes fixiated at the still amused teacher in front of her.
Her mind did its best to finally dig up the answer. The one fact that she was obviously overlooking. But instead it delivered a conclusion. She now saw what Cheerilee wanted her to say. What this had been all about since her first question.
She closed her mouth in defiance. She would not say it. Not that. Not to a teacher who so openly made fun of her for having to go to school during summer.
Still Cheerilee, for inexplicable reasons, knew exactly what was happening in the filly's head. “Exactly, Silver Spoon. Because he worked hard to learn how to do it.”
“Let me guess,” Silver Spoon commented, making sure she put as much sarcasm into her words as possible. Now it didn't matter anymore. She could say it after all: “He learned it here in school? From you?”
“From me?” repeated Cheerilee with a hint of indignation. Yet she still kept her smile. “Your father finished school some time before I even started teaching. And no, he didn't attend this school. But still, he went to school. And he must have worked hard for it, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to go to a university. And there he worked even harder to learn everything he needed to know to start his company.”
“So? Now we already have the company. Then I don't have to do all that again.”
“You are missing the point, Silver Spoon.”
“Why? He always says he is working hard so we don't have to worry about anything.”
“Yes, but not so you would never have to do anything.”
Still the filly couldn't see the difference.
“Okay, Silver Spoon, maybe I have to try this another way: Your dad wanted to achieve something in his life. He had a goal. And he worked hard to get it.”
The filly nodded. So far, this was obvious.
“So, do you have a goal?”
“A goal?”
“Yes. Do you have anything you want to do when you're done with school?”
“Well...” The filly hadn't anything more to offer. She had never given any thought to that. She had never even considered asking herself that question. Naturally, now that she had actually been confronted with it, all she could do was stare helplessly at her teacher.
“Oh, don't worry. If you don't, that is nothing bad. Most ponies at your age don't know what they want to become. And nopony at your age has to. I just hoped that if there was anything, that could be a motivation for you to take school more seriously. So, I would like you to take some time – after school – to think about this. And if you should have an idea, we can work on it.”
Despite Cheerilee's scheduling advice, Silver Spoon's head had already started working. Slowly a shadow of an idea was crouching around the edges of her mind. Something she might, maybe, want to do.
Before this spark could ignite into speech, Cheerilee continued: “So, for now, you will have to pay attention in class just for the sake of learning. Okay?”
Silver Spoon nodded before she realized what she had just agreed to.
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Man, I was thinking "Run away, that'll show 'em. maybe.." thruout the home part.
4205561 Silver Spoon is playing it smart. She's a smart filly. She's weighing her options. School is a safe place where she has a chance to meet Applebloom and she has yet to be prohibited from visiting Fluttershy or Bon Bon. Running away would only cause more trouble for herself and those around her. We don't want Stick-In-The-Mud-ler escorting her to and from school like a prisoner, do we?
I like the jetsons reference with the maid named rosy (who is not a robot)