Overlooked
Manehattan was still a bustling urban scene when Babs Seed came back to it. After her visit to Ponyville, she had learned a bit about herself. She learned that she was too naive, too easy to manipulate. She was so eager to not be bullied that she became a bully. But now she was back in Manehattan, back at her school. Maybe she could apply what her cousin and her friends had taught her.
Even with the hope of making things easier at school, Babs wasn’t excited. With a sigh, she walked past the entrance to the school grounds. It was a two-story building, settled between short apartment complexes that stood at the same height as the school. To any passerbys or tourists that were not paying attention, it probably didn’t even look like a school at all.
Babs did her best to avoid everypony as she beelined straight for the classroom. There was still a bit of time before the bell rang, but seeing as how her friends all abandoned her once they got their cutie marks, she preferred to sit alone in the safety of the class than sit outside in the playground.
Despite her best efforts to avoid the other foals, someone walked right into Babs before she could reach the steps to the school. A light pink unicorn filly scoffed at her as if it was the orange filly’s fault. “Watch it, Blank Seed,” she hissed.
Babs frowned and blew her mane out of her eye. Yeah, she definitely hadn’t heard that one before. “Hey, you’re the one that walked into me.”
Another one of the lessons she learned in Ponyville was the upside of calling out bullies. She made Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon retreat from teasing her cousin and her friends, even if it was just for that day. It felt good. Unfortunately, Manehattan was not like Ponyville.
The filly, who Babs recognized as Candy Snap, turned around to face Babs directly. She was a year older, and so she was a little taller than Babs. Despite the pink fur and white mane, Candy Snap could be intimidating when she wanted to be. “You sure? Nopony will believe you.” Her horn sparked blue for a moment, which caused Babs seed to snort in amusement. “What’s so funny?”
She shouldn’t have laughed, but she did. Babs smirked. “Can’t control your magic there, huh Snap? Guess that’s why your parents called you that. You snap too easy.”
It seemed as though the pink filly might have actually snapped right then and there. Her nostrils flared and her eyebrows lowered even further. Babs had never seen anyone look so furious over nothing. She felt a bit bigger. That is, until Candy Snap fell backwards as if she had been struck and whined.
Apparently, it was her plan to appear as if she had been struck. “Ow! Babs why did you hit me?” she whined loudly as she sat back on her haunches. How did she manage to make her eyes tear up that quickly?
Babs took a step back and looked around as all eyes rested on her. “What? But I didn’t touch you.” She knew there was no point. No one ever listened to what she had to say anyway.
Candy Snap had the nerve to shoot her a tiny smirk before continuing her act. She sniffled and looked up at an approaching mare. Of course it had to be Mrs. Carrot. The one teacher that didn’t completely dislike her. “What’s happening here, Candy Snap?”
And of course she had to ask Candy Snap what was happening. Candy Snap could never do anything wrong. The other foals could never do anything wrong. It was always her. Babs snorted and looked away from Mrs. Carrot’s disapproving glance. She could handle upsetting her teachers, but it was always worse when she disappointed them. Babs didn’t say anything, they wouldn’t listen.
“Babs hit me,” Candy Snap whimpered. Babs had to give her credit where it was due; she was smart enough to recoil at the glare Babs shot at her. Snap was really selling it. The wrapped sweet on her flank should be replaced with something to indicate drama.
Mrs. Carrot turned to the saffron filly. “Why did you hit her, Babs?”
She didn’t even ask if Babs did it. She went straight to asking her why because why should any of them believe that Babs was innocent? Still, she had to try to defend herself. “I didn’t. She’s lying.” Well, that was pathetic.
Mrs. Carrot shook her head slightly as Candy Snap ducked behind the mare’s hooves. Babs Seed sighed and looked away again. Her mane fell into her eyes again, but she didn’t bother to blow it away. Before Mrs. Carrot could even say anything, Babs walked away and continued her path to the classroom. She was expecting a reprimand for being rude but surprisingly got nothing. Curious, Babs turned around. Nopony was looking at her or even acknowledging her. They were all focused on Candy Snap and whether or not she was okay.
Whatever. Babs was used to it. Her parents would get a call from the school about how she got into another fight, and they would be upset. She would explain it to them, and then they wouldn’t believe her. Babs would be sent to her room to do her homework, and then Babs would cry where nopony could see her. Even though nopony paid attention to her, she still had to be tough.
Finally, she reached her destination. The classroom door was unlocked, so she walked in. The lights were on, which was strange because usually, she was the first one in. She blew the hair out of her face to get a better look. There was a dark gray pegasus sitting in her seat chatting with another colt in the seat next to him. Babs eyed them both, trying to figure out what to do. That was her assigned seat, and she’d get in trouble for sitting elsewhere.
“Uh, that’s my seat, y’know.”
Icy Thunder kept talking with his friend. Unsurprising. Babs rolled her eyes and took the seat where the colt was supposed to sit. She wouldn’t disturb anypony else that way. There was nothing to do, so she rested her chin on the table and rolled the quill on top of it with a hoof. At least the commotion outside had used up some of the time left before class. The rest of the seats filled up with foals eagerly waiting for their teacher.
Mrs. Carrot walked into the class, followed by Candy Snap who was still sporting a hurtful look. She avoided eye contact with Babs, who wasn’t actively trying to catch her eye anyway. Mrs. Carrot cleared her throat. “Babs, please go back to your seat.”
Babs looked up and blinked. She looked behind her at her regular seat, ready to complain about how Icy Thunder had taken it, but of course, he was gone. Instead, the colt stood next to Babs and waited for her to leave his seat. What else could she do but oblige? “Sure thing, Mrs. Carrot. My bad.”
Before she could even sit in her seat, Mrs. Carrot introduced the day’s lesson. Babs sat down reluctantly and looked out the window, not feeling in the mood to listen to the class anymore. Maybe she had earned her cutie mark after all. Her special talent had to be being invisible.