Cheerilee sat silently at her desk, grading papers. This was possibly one of the last things she wanted to be doing right now. Normally, she'd save the paper-grading until after dinner. Today, however, she found herself left without much to do right after class, and she couldn't leave. In a way, when one of her students had detention, it was like she was being punished too. She loved her students and her job, but she still appreciated being able to go home on time. Yet here she was, stuck watching the latest student to have earned detention.
And this wasnt even the first time this week. She was stuck holding detention every day this week, and oddly enough, it was for the same pony each time. She wasn't sure what had gotten into Twist. Twist had always been such a nice filly. She rarely did anything wrong, always followed all the rules presented to her, and the like. Or at least she used to. Recently, she'd taken to not turning her homework in. When Cheerilee would ask her about it, she wouldn't even try to give an excuse. Cheerilee didn't like to punish her students, but she'd laid down a rule that every missed homework after the third would result in after-school detention. As much as she didn't want to punish Twist regardless of her own desires to go home on time, she couldn't just not deliver on a punishment she'd made a point of instating. And so she was stuck, and would be stuck for the next hour.
Cheerilee glanced up from her papers, looking towards her student. Twist's eyes quickly darted back down to the assignment in front of her. She'd been staring at her again. Cheerilee had lost count of how many times this had happened this week. It wasn't like Twist to be this easily distracted either. She was always so attentive in class, always paying attention to every word that Cheerilee said. Yet every time Cheerilee looked at the filly, her eyes were on her. Something was going on here.
"Twist?" Cheerilee said, setting her pen down. Twist looked back up quickly, eyes lit up.
"Yes, Miss Cheerilee?" Twist responded, giving her an eager smile.
"Would you come up here to my desk please?" the teacher asked. The filly moved as quick as a flash, sliding out of her seat and galloping up to the desk. Cheerilee was a bit taken aback by her speed, but let it slide, more concerned with the matter at hoof.
"Twist, is everything okay?" Cheerilee asked, employing her tried-and-true sympathetic teacher voice.
"Everything's super!" Twist replied, smiling up to her teacher. Cheerilee hummed to herself, trying to read Twist for any hints of duplicity. She found none, but was determined regardless.
"Are you positive?" the teacher asked. "I mean, it's just unlike you to end up in detention so often. If there's anything going on at home, you know that you can tell me."
"Everything's fine at home!" Twist replied cheerfully. "Mom and dad showed me how to make chocolate-mint candy canes the other day! I can bring you some if you'd like!"
"That's quite alright, Twist," Cheerilee said. As tasty as the prospect sounded, she had other things to worry about. "I'm just concerned over your recent behavior. This is the fourth time you've been in detention this week."
"Oh yeah...I keep forgetting my homework..." Twist said, smiling sheepishly.
"Yes, and that's not like you," Cheerilee repeated. "Twist, if there's something going on, you should really tell somepony. I'm not going to force you to tell me, but I'm here to listen if you want to talk."
"Everything's fine, Miss Cheerilee!" Twist said, a hint of indignance in her tone. "I don't mind staying after sch-" She froze up instantly, raising Cheerilee's suspicion.
"...Could you repeat that, please?" Cheerilee said, giving Twist a calm, yet authoritative look. Twist remained quiet for a moment, but Cheerilee's gaze was too much for her.
"...I don't mind staying after school," the filly said in a hushed tone.
"Most students don't like detention, Twist," Cheerilee said, tapping a hoof on the desk. "Why would you want to stay after school?"
"I can't say..." Twist said, even though she knew that simply saying that was saying too much. Sure enough, her teacher's suspicion was rising.
"Twist, is something going on that I should know about?" Cheerilee asked, her voice becoming stern. She didn't like to employ that tone much; she preferred to guide her students gently, rather than coming off as intimidating. When the situation called for it, though, she wouldn't hesitate to use it. Sure enough, Twist's defenses crumbled.
"I'm trying to stay away from Diamond Tiara..." the filly admitted. She winced after saying this, almost as if she expected Diamond to show up then and there, summoned by her tattling.
"Twist...is Diamond Tiara bullying you?" Cheerilee asked solemnly. Twist looked away nervously, her silence giving Cheerilee the answer she needed. The teacher got up from her seat and trotted around her desk, sitting on the ground next to where Twist was standing. "Twist, why didn't you tell me about this sooner?"
"She told me I couldn't tell anypony," Twist said quietly.
"Well, you did the right thing by telling me," Cheerilee said. "Don't worry. I'll personally make sure that nothing happens to you." Twist grabbed Cheerilee in a big hug, and the teacher hugged her right back. "Now go on. I think detention's just about done for today."
"Thanks, Miss Cheerilee," Twist said, giving her another squeeze before letting go. "You're the best teacher ever."
Cheerilee watched the filly bound out of the schoolhouse. She sighed and sat back down at her desk. She paged through her student index, searching for the addresses she needed. She had some letters to write.
