Everypony in Miss Cheerilee’s classroom was a blank-flank, and there was nothing wrong with that. They all had the opportunity to find out who they were, and, as an added bonus, nopony was ridiculed for having a blank flank. Of course, that didn’t stop a pony like Diamond Tiara from feeling superior to all of her peers, and she’s very good at being mean to those she feels superior to.
This is how things worked with Diamond Tiara. If you’re her friend, you’re safe. If you aren’t her friend, you’re miserable. Silver Spoon understood this, and she had no intentions of being miserable. She complimented Diamond Tiara whenever she could, she went along with her everywhere she went, and she even had Miss Cheerilee change the seating arrangements in the classroom so that she could sit directly behind her. She was the ideal follower. Her reward was peace. Diamond Tiara had never bugged her, or made fun of her nerdy glasses like she would do to Twist.
Of course, if Diamond Tiara was being half decent to one pony, she had to be twice as mean to another one to make up for it. That other pony was named Apple Bloom. Apple Bloom was the perfect victim for bullying. She had ridiculous country accent and always wore that silly pink bow in her hair. Clearly, she didn’t know the first thing about being popular!
Miss Cheerilee was giving some math lesson to the class. Nopony was really paying much attention to it. After all, math is boring. Diamond Tiara was hastily scribbling something down on a piece of notebook paper, letting out a faint giggle every now and then. When she was done, she dropped her pencil and raised one hoof.
“Miss Cheerilee!” Diamond Tiara called out.
Miss Cheerilee was pleased to see that somepony in her class had a question, that must have meant they were paying attention. “Yes, Diamond Tiara,” She replied, “Do you have a question about today’s lesson?”
Diamond Tiara lowered her hoof and sunk back in her seat. “Well, not exactly…” She said.
Cheerilee’s pleased face quickly vanished. “Can you please wait until after class?”
“But this is important!” Diamond Tiara insisted. She quickly worked up two fake tears. “You told us to report strait to you if somepony was being a bully!” She sobbed.
Miss Cheerilee’s eyes widened in shock. “Bullying!” She exclaimed, “What happened?”
Diamond Tiara panned around the room with a fake look of nervousness. Most of the ponies, including Apple Bloom, weren’t paying any attention to what was happening. She picked up the paper she had been writing on and quickly handed it to Miss Cheerilee. The note had a crudely drawn picture of Diamond Tiara on it. She was drawn with an oval shaped body, a circular head, and stick-like legs. The picture was labeled ‘Diamond Tiara: Fat ‘n ugly on the inside and out! (And Miss Cheerilee is ugly too!)’
Miss Cheerilee was shocked when she first saw the picture, but soon became very skeptical. “Who gave you this note, Diamond Tiara?” She asked.
Diamond Tiara kept up her victim act with tears streaming down her face. “It was, **Sob** Apple Bloom!” She announced dramatically pointing at the yellow farm girl.
Apple Bloom woke up from her daydream when she heard her name. “Huh? Uh… What? What was me?” She asked absently.
“Don’t act like you don’t know!” Diamond Tiara said accusingly with more tears streaming down her muzzle as she held out the picture for Apple Bloom to see.
“I didn’t draw that!”
“Do you have any proof to back up your claim?” Cheerilee asked.
“Proof of what claim?” Apple Bloom asked nervously.
“Yes I do! I have a witness!” Diamond Tiara said confidently, “She tried to be sneaky about it, but Silver Spoon saw the whole thing! Isn’t that right?”
Silver Spoon had been planning not to get involved and let the incident play out on its own; but now she had been roped into it by her so called friend. She looked at her friend, then her teacher, then her desk, avoiding eye contact with Apple Bloom. “Yes, Miss Cheerilee, it’s true,” she said guiltily, “Apple Bloom made the note and passed it to Diamond Tiara. I saw the whole thing.”
Cheerilee didn’t believe Diamond Tiara alone, but now it was two stories against one, and Silver Spoon was a very respectable member of the classroom. “I’m sorry, Miss Apple Bloom,” Cheerilee said, “But I’m afraid you’re going to have to meet me after class!”
After the school bell rang, all of the ponies in Miss Cheerilee’s class filed out of the door, but Apple Bloom stayed behind.
“Come on, Silver Spoon, let’s go to my house.” Diamond Tiara commanded as she and Silver spoon began their walk down the sidewalk.
“Actually, I think I left something back in the classroom… I’ll be back as soon as I can.” Silver Spoon promised. She turned back to the schoolhouse and began trotting back.
“Say hi to Apple Bloom for me!” Diamond tiara snickered.
Silver Spoon got back to the schoolhouse and swung the door open, interrupting a conversation between Apple Bloom and Miss Cheerilee.
“But it isn’t fair! I didn’t do it!” Apple Bloom was saying.
“It’s true!” Silver Spoon stated, grabbing both Cheerilee and Apple Bloom’s attention. “It wasn’t Apple Bloom! It was… It was me and… and somepony else.”
“I suspected as much,” Cheerilee said happily, “I appreciate your honesty. Do you think you could tell me who else did this with you? I think I already know who it was.”
“No ma’am, I can’t tell you. Silver Spoon said.
“You understand that by doing this, you take on full responsibility for what happened?”
Silver Spoon nodded. “Yes, Miss Cheerilee, I understand.”
Cheerilee smiled at Apple Bloom. “You’re free to go,” she said, “As for you, Silver Spoon, I was going to have Apple Bloom write the phrase ‘Bullying is not acceptable in any way, shape, or form’ on every inch of my chalk board, but I believe that punishment is better suited for you.”
Silver Spoon slowly approached the chalkboard and picked up a piece of chalk; it had already begun to make white marks in her well groomed coat. She turned to Apple Bloom before she left and said, “And if you ever tell Diamond Tiara I was nice to you, you’re -like- going to regret it! You hear me?”
Apple Bloom smiled lightly and nodded. “I understand. Not a word!” She said, and then she opened the door and left the classroom.
Silver Spoon started writing on the board, but was very quickly interrupted by Miss Cheerilee.
“Congratulations, Silver Spoon! It looks like you’re the first student in my class to earn a cutie mark!”
“Huh?!” Silver Spoon looked down at her flank to see a silver spoon with a heart pendant in the handle decorating it.
“That’s an awfully strange mark to earn in a situation like this.” Cheerilee said.
Silver Spoon immediately recognized the spoon from her mother’s jewelry box. ‘This is called a Welsh Love Spoon,’ her mother had said to her, ‘Most of them are carved out of wood, but your father had one made for me out of pure silver! See the little heart pendant? It symbolizes love and kindness. It’s buried deep inside the handle because it’s the kind of kindness that only shows when it needs to be, not like that mean girl act you put on to be cool. It’s what’s inside that counts.’
Silver Spoon smiled, “It’s perfect,” she said.
