Friday afternoon, a time of the week where the hump of the week has passed, the weekend is just a day away, and school only has you for a few more hours before you're free. It's a wonderful time for all ages. But, in Miss Cheerilee's classroom on this beautiful weekday, it's even more exciting. Tucked within the red wooden confines of the school house perched on top of the hill just outside of town, Miss Cheerilee led her students into the last part of the Friday class: Show-and-tell.
It didn't matter how old you were; everyone always had something to show off and tell others about. That's why at the end of every Friday class, Cheerilee would let whoever had something to show off do just that. In all her years of teaching she had seen lizards, corn chips shaped like someone famous, family heirlooms, you name it. Children just loved bringing things in to show off to their fellow students; and Miss Cheerilee as well. Her students loved to see what their teacher thought of what they brought in. To the point that to some students it was a challenge to see who could impress her more. Which Cheerilee herself just adored.
However, on one particular Friday afternoon, just before school let out, three students brought something that maybe brought the biggest reaction out of Cheerilee in all her life. For better or for worse.
"Thank you again, Rumble for your..." Cheerilee clicked her tongue inside her mouth once, pausing before finding the right word she needed, "'Exciting' rattlesnake fang collection."
Rumble looked up to his teacher, holding his glass case of organized snake fangs close to his little chest before heading off to his seat. The rest of the class gave a short clap for Rumble as they were always to do no matter what since 'they would like it too if they showed something', as Cheerilee taught them. Miss Cheerilee herself readjusted in her seat behind her desk and cupped her hands together while scanning over the faces of her class. "Now... We have time for just one more show-and-tell before the bell rings. Does anyone have something they really want to show to the class?" Her voice was as sweet and guiding as one would expect from a molder of minds.
The students of her class all shifted about in their seats, each looking to see if anyone actually did have something they 'really wanted to show'. They knew that when Cheerilee said that, it was code for 'does anyone have something new to show'? It was a little embarrassing, but most of the kids would just bring in things they already showed off in class once before. They were just kids, it was at times hard for them to bring in something to really wow the rest of the kids every week. Even though Miss Cheerilee didn't really mind if they did or didn't bring something in. It was all in good fun, really.
Cheerilee swept a glance over her students' faces once more, judging out that none of them did have something to show. She smiled gentle and took a calmed breath of air as she unclasped her fingers from one another. "In that case, class is--"
"Wait!" From the front of her class, not one, not two, but three students shot their voices and hands up into the air.
Cheerilee mentally staggered back and looked somewhat surprised at the sudden burst. However, when she traced it to its source, she could only smile and dismiss her surprise seeing just who it was. If there was ever to be anyone that would present something on show-and-tell right under the wire, it was Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle. Cheerilee offered the trio a gesture for them to come up to the front of the class and show what they had to show.
Apple Bloom led her two friends close behind her to the front of the class and pulled Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle into a makeshift huddle. The class and Cheerilee watched the three curiously as they whispered amongst one another, as if deciding on what exactly they were going to say. When they finally did pull apart, Apple Bloom tucked her hands behind her back, clearly hiding something while Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle inched a small bit foreword, ready to address the class and Cheerilee.
"Ladies and gentleman!" Sweetie Belle swung her arms out to her sides, flaring her dramatics like none other, "Today, we present to you... Uh..." Sweetie Belle nudged her elbow quickly into Scootaloo's rib.
"Oh! Uh... We present..." Scootaloo trailed a bit, looking back towards Apple Bloom, "We... Don't really know WHAT we present, but... Yeah, we're presenting it." The class laughed at Scootaloo a little bit, resulting in her huffing back and retreating with Sweetie Belle behind Apple Bloom.
Cheerilee herself smiled a little chuckle as well while she watched the three's little show. She loved all her students equally, but Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo were always a little special to her. Crafty, cute, and carefree; what wasn't there to love about them? Apple Bloom stepped up to meet the entire class, shuffling her show-and-tell behind her. "Ah' ain't right sure what it all is... But, found it in mah' sister's room when ah' was sweepin' up," Apple Bloom explained, "Take a look."
Apple Bloom whipped her arms out forward, revealing her find to the entire classroom. The class gasped and chattered away among themselves at what they saw. They had never seen anything like it in their lives. It was a purple, plastic-looking statue sort of thing they all thought. In fact, just by the way one end of it looked, it sort of looked like a Popsicle. Apple Bloom smiled broadly at the reaction her show-and-tell was getting and looked back to her friends for reassuring thumbs-up. Then Apple Bloom looked to Miss Cheerilee, who was as white as a ghost except for the hot red burning against her cheeks. 'Wow' Apple Bloom thought, 'this thing was so amazing, it took Miss Cheerilee's breath away'. She couldn't have been happier. "Any of y'all wanna pass it 'rou--"
"NO!" Miss Cheerilee shot to her feet and cracked her chair against the wall behind her in her sudden burst of motion. Everyone looked at her surprised, no one more than Apple Bloom and her friends. "C-Class is dismissed! Go, go! All of you. It's an early out," Cheerilee hurriedly encouraged her students to leave while she pointed a shaky finger to the exit.
The students muttered a little bit, but finally took their chance to leave school a little early as it was. As each student filed out of the single room school, Apple Bloom and her friends started out as well. "Apple Bloom," Cheerilee called out to the one student in particular, causing the little redhead to flinch where she stood and look back to her teacher, "Not you... I want to have a little word with your sister, Applejack, this afternoon... Would you mind telling her I'll be on my way?" As friendly as Cheerilee sounded, there was this flustered air to her voice while she looked away from her exiting students all together.
"Uh... Sure... Ah' guess. Whatever ya' say, Miss Cheerilee," nothing left to say, Apple Bloom bolted back towards the exit once more, only to be stopped once again by Cheerilee's voice.
"Also... Please leave that 'thing' you found in your sister's room on my desk..." Apple Bloom looked at it for a second, still really curious about what it was. Still, she put it on Miss Cheerilee's desk with a small thump and silently left the classroom before she could be stopped again.
Cheerilee stood where she was for a good minute, shivering on the inside from a mix of feelings before she looked to her desk and the foreign object she requested be put there. She sat back down into her seat and pulled it up to tuck under her desk. Her fingers moved down and touched the sex toy one of her students brought it before letting out a quivering sigh. "I need a drink..."
Friday afternoon, a time of the week where the hump of the week has passed, the weekend is just a day away, and you might find yourself walking the most awkward mile of your life. That was the walk Miss Cheerilee now walked; from the school house, through town, and in a beeline for Sweet Apple Acres. Not a moment was spared to greet the people she passed that waved her down. Not a second given to any student that she had who were now playing in the streets of the town. Nothing at all existed by the arrow shot direction she traveled, and the hot sensation of a fluster burning inside her face. She had no plans for after school, to be honest. But in no way did she expect she would be going to one of her students' houses to talk with their guardians today.
Meeting with parents or guardians wasn't that strange for her. At least once a week she would meet with a parent or guardian for one reason or another. Your son has been pulling this student's hair. Your daughter is not doing that well in math. I have never seen a student do so well at such a young age. Meetings could always be about something good or bad. But, this one... This meeting would definitely be a first for her. Embarrassing, a tad humiliating, and even a bit frustrating... And she was only now walking through the gates of Sweet Apple Acres!
The fresh, ever-present scent of home grown apples wafted into her nose and against her taste buds the moment her heels met against the soft sod lining the ranch road. For just a moment, she took in the smell of the land and the bustling sound of farm work being handled to clear her head. What task was set out before her was going to be 'interesting' to say the least, and she had to unwind her nerves before she took for the farm house down the road. Cheerilee placed her hands against the fence lining the outside of the apple orchard, allowing for the crisp and smooth apple seasoned air to fill her lungs. "It's only a meeting, Cheerilee. No reason to stress over it," the grade-school teacher verbally prepped herself up.
"All you're going to do is walk up to their house..." Cheerilee took a single step back from the fence, stood up straight and folded her hands at her waist, "...Knock on the door..." She mimed out the action, running through her plan before carrying it out, "...And tell Applejack -very candid- that she may need to... Keep a better watch on her possessions..." Though her face was a beet red and her knees a bit shaken at the knee, she finished with a little smile and took in a final breath to calm herself.
"That why Apple Bloom's in trouble?" Cheerilee felt a sudden shock run up her spine and jumped when she heard the abrupt sound of another person from behind her. She quickly spun around, hand to her heart and gasping for air at the sudden loss of her composure. When she did look around, she saw Big Macintosh -the older brother of her student, Apple Bloom- standing at the other side of the dirt road leading to the house. He was a strong, well muscled man that didn't need the help of his red tank-top to make him look any stronger.
Cheerilee checked herself quickly and adjusted her stature and trying to not look as off-put as she should be. "Oh. Hello, Big Mac, it's always a pleasure to see you. And, what do you mean Apple Bloom is in trouble?"
Rolling his shoulders and stepping closer to the teacher, Big Mac nodded once as he thought back on what happened before Cheerilee showed up. "Eeeyup. Applejack was throwin' a fit 'bout somethin' when Apple Bloom came home. I was pickin' apples when it happened... But she was madder than I've ever heard," Big Mac easily towered over Cheerilee as he stood before her, making the teacher slightly lean back to keep an eye to his face... Rather than his abs.
A blush still held against Cheerilee's face, though a small swell of relief went through her. At least now she wouldn't have to dance around the subject of what Apple Bloom brought to class when she talked to Applejack... But, she still had a feeling the giving of the lost item would still go over with some tense air. "Oh, well then... Good, I suppose. I hope Apple Bloom wasn't punished too harshly."
When Cheerilee said that, Big Mac took a step away from the woman and pointed off down the road, in the direction of an untilled field past the house. Or rather a field slowly being tilled by a lone Apple Bloom swinging a hoe and apparently grumbling at having to work the field at all. When Cheerilee saw the far off sight, a small smile came to her which she had to cover before Big Mac noticed. "I can't say it's my idea of punishment, but I will admit it's effective," Big Mac made for a broad grin when Cheerilee spoke, patting one of his thick palms against her slim back.
The pat to Cheerilee's back nearly toppled her over, making her stagger against the tips of her heels before rebounding back and looking up at Big Mac. "Well... I guess everything is in order now. I just have to..." Cheerilee froze up on her words, putting together who she was talking to and what she was keeping in her purse.
She instinctively clenched her fingers around the handle of her purse and brought it firmly against her hip; the red tints of embarrassment spreading back against her cheeks. Big Mac raised one of his blonde eyebrows up at Cheerilee's sudden change in body language. "...Ya' have to...?" He tried to lead Cheerilee back onto what she was going to say, but her top lip was buttoned now to her bottom lip.
Her nerves were racked once again, at a loss for words and now pinned at a juncture where she couldn't escape talking about it... It was her high school prom all over again, she thought. "I have to... To talk with Applejack about the... Matters at hand. And... Those matters are... Personal, to an effect," She chose her words very selectively, not wanting any landmines going off under her at this delicate point, "So... If you would excuse me..."
"Applejack?" Big Mac scratched at the back of his neck, "Nnnnope. She left a minute ago," For the love of... "Some kinda meetin' with a friend. Said she'd be back late... Sorry. If'n ya' need to talk to someone 'bout Apple Bloom--"
"NO!" Cheerilee nearly screamed in Big Mac's face, quickly covering her mouth when she saw Big Mac with the most surprised look about him, "I mean... That's fine. It's something I really need to talk to Applejack about."
"Right. But, like I said, Applejack said she'd be home late... Sorry."
This news was a big relief to Cheerilee, but also put a knot in her gut. For now, she wouldn't have to talk to anyone about the 'show-and-tell fiasco'; but at the same time, she now had to keep the 'show-and-tell' item with her. She cleared her throat and gave a genuinely polite smile to Big Mac, bowing her head a bit in thanks. "No, that's alright. I'll just wait until tomorrow. One of the blessings of being an elementary teacher: plenty of free time when not at work," Cheerilee chuckled a little, but ultimately started to groan a bit when she realized how lonely that sounded.
"Naww. Ya' don't have to wait until tomorrow," Big Mac assured her.
"Maybe. But, knowing me, I'll go home and fall asleep on the couch reading a book," Once again, she chuckled before groaning, "I... Tend to nod off when I don't have anything to do."
Big Mac put a hand against his chin, tapping a finger at the corner of his lip with thought. Suddenly, he spoke with a frank and genuine tone about what he said, "'Bout done workin' here... How's'bout you and me go out to town together? Keep you awake to talk with Applejack when she gets home."
Was... Was she being asked out? To be honest, Big Mac was very handsome; not to mention sweet. Maybe going out would--No, this wasn't a date offer! No. It's just a friend offering to help her. Simple as that. And... Really... She wasn't going to do anything else this evening. Cheerilee gave a sided giggle and ran a single finger through her hair, still a bit off-guarded by this sudden offer. "I'll have to see if my schedule is clear... But, sure, It's a date."
