Less Than Perfect

"Alright, everypony, spelling tests are back!" said Cheerilee cheerily. Feather Pen sat straight in her seat, a wide smile on her plum-colored face. The unicorn already knew her score - 100%, and A+, like it always was. Silver Spoon, one seat over, had gotten a 98% this time. She grinned evilly at Apple Bloom and began to mock the poor filly, who hadn't studied and gotten a 55%, horror of horrors. Then Cheerilee handed Feather her paper. "Good job, you got an A!" she said happily.  Feather concluded that she had forgotten the "plus" at the end, and looked down at her worksheet. Her content grin faded to an expression of disbelief as she looked at her paper.

97%. A solid A.

No. This couldn't happen. This was impossible. She had gotten a 100% her entire life. It was her special talent, for crying out loud! A scroll and quill, showing her gift for words and stories. Feather put her head in her hooves, her green eye twitching. Silver Spoon smirked as she  saw her paper. "Oh, only a 97? Too bad! I got a higher score than you, and I didn't even study. You're such a --" and was cut off by Feather Pen. At that point poor Feather had snapped and punched Silver in the leg, screeching. It was so surprising and yet so pitiful that Silver Spoon didn't even over-dramatize the tiny "wound" that had been inflicted.