Help

Morning sunlight streamed through an open window at my bedside, its stinging glow rousing me from my sleep.

Groaning, I rolled to the left to escape the pestering light's path, only to reach the end of the mattress and fall to the floor with a thud, the blankets curling tightly around me. "Seriously?" I struggled to free myself, exhaustion filling up my head. I wouldn't have considered it the most pleasant of nights, what with the essay that I'd forgotten to finish over the weekend keeping me up well past midnight. Nonetheless, I knew there was no way I'd get back to sleep now. I dumped the blankets onto the bed, stealing a curious glance at my still-silent alarm clock.

Darn it.

With a much quicker pace than before, I snatched my usual outfit―dark pink shirt, black leather jacket, orange skirt, and pink-and-black knee-high boots―from the closet, throwing it on carelessly. I then pulled a brush through my hair once, deciding that was plenty. Without another thought, I was out the door with my pre-packed backpack slung over one shoulder.

Most days, the walk to school is casual and relaxing, but then again, I'm not usually late getting up. So although I want to enjoy the beautiful late-fall scenery, I quickly walk, almost jog, down the sidewalk towards Canterlot High School.

I can't help but smile as I inhale the pure smell of newly-fallen leaves and moist morning air, both of which I never really had a chance to appreciate before now. When I'm not scheming some evil plot for revenge, I realize that I can pay much more attention to the world around me.

The smile on my face faltered slightly at the thought. Not two months had passed since the whole Fall Formal fiasco and it still bothered me. I do really feel as though I've changed, but at the same time I know that my past actions were both inexcusable and unforgivable, as the students of CHS remind me time and time again. I'd gone from ruling the school to having it crush me like a bug faster than I even thought possible.

I was nearing the school's entrance, and as I did, my steps slowed. It wasn't difficult to imagine the huge, gaping hole that had been there before. No matter how hard I tried to dismiss it, the memory always returned, bringing with it a wave of guilt. Not only for the chaos I'd caused here in the human world, but also for the disappointment I brought my former mentor, Princess Celestia, all those years back.

A noise that sounded too rough to be considered a sigh escaped my mouth as I pushed the thoughts to the back of my mind and continued up the front steps. When I opened the door, I was met with silence. The hallways were near empty apart from a few stragglers who scrambled to get to their classes at the last minute.

Rather than going to my locker and wasting any more time, I start making my way to my first hour class, Ms. Cheerilee's homeroom. The bell rings just as I enter the chilly classroom. Why Cheerilee doesn't keep it heated during the Winter is beyond me, but I immediately wish I'd worn leggings or something underneath my skirt.

"Good morning, class," the teacher begins with a bright smile as I slide into my desk at the back of the room, ignoring the eighteen pairs of eyes on me the whole way there. I can feel the blush burning my cheeks even after I take a seat. And so my most-likely-going-to-be-terrible day begins.

I decide to