Good Morning, Class

"Ok, just calm down...you're a teacher now, a professional..." Spike said to himself, standing outside the door to Cadance's office. "Just explain things calmly...I can do that." He reached up and knocked on the door. "...I hope"

"Yes?" Came the response from inside. He steeled himself and entered. Cadance was at her desk, doing what looked to be last minute paperwork. "Spike, what brings you here at this hour?"

"Well...I...ah..." He scratched the back of his next nervously. 'What a time to get stage-freaking-fright!'

"What's wrong? You look like you're going to hyperventilate."

"Um...G-Gilda...thing...attendance offer...I-I..." He stammered, his mouth running on autopilot.

"Spike, calm down." Cadance spike up, stopping him. "Just start at the beginning and go slow."

Spike took a long, deep breath. "W-well, I was at the store, getting a few things..." He recalled hearing Gilda's scream and finding her being accosted by the thugs. She quickly turned concerned when he mentioned seeing her foot bleeding. "I already dropped her off at the infirmary to get the cut taken care of, so that's one thing." He added, seeing relief show on her face. He then got to getting her out of the alley...and finally the offer she made. "I-I mean, I knew it was only a matter of time before they'd start figuring out I'm older, but this is the last reaction I expected!"

Cadance was silent on the matter, so he continued. "I mean, she's attractive; I'll admit that...hell, they ALL are, but I'm a teacher! I'm doing whatever I can to show I'm a professional and that I'm taking the job seriously! Not to mention the fact this is a student propositioning a teacher about academics!" He whined as he scratched his head in frustration. "I'm worried enough about how the rest of them are going to react when they finally do find out my age-!"

"Haahaha!" Cadance's sudden laughter caught him off guard, and put him off a bit as he saw her leaning on her decks, shaking with a massive case of the giggles.

"Cadance, I'm almost ready to puke from nerves about this! What the heck is so funny about any of it??"

"You...*gigglesnort* you didn't read the guidelines about *squeak* student/teacher interactions, did you?"

"Guidelines...?" He faltered, indignation evaporating into being befuddled.

"Spike, you are the homeroom teacher. You don't actually handle a subject. Outside of moments like with Svengallop, at least, but you don't handle any actual tests, exams, or grading." Cadance smiled. "So, there's no question of academic indiscretions. And as for the guidelines, it's a regulation that homeroom teachers are trusted to use whatever method they think their students will respond best to that encourages them to achieve academic excellence." Her smile turned more than a little cheeky. "...so if you think giving her a ride will get her in class and paying attention, then by all means have fun. That's between you and her."

"H-hoovahebewu?" He responded inelegantly.

"Gilda's offering to improve her attendance, not exchange sex for grades; so there's no issue there. If the girls are willing to improve themselves academically for a chance to ride those twin-Ds you're packing, then it's more of an incentive system. Yes, I've seen pictures of male dragons; I know what you're armed with." She licked her lips a little to tease.

"I...I-da...eda..." He wrapped his tail around himself to try and hide the tent forming in his pants.

"Like you said, she's attractive, right?"

"Well...y-yeah, but-"

"So, she knows you're older, and she didn't start screaming 'pervert' or 'liar' or anything. Right?"

"Yeah..."

"So, I don't see any real problem. Hell, you've already proven you take the job seriously more than once. I'd say you've earned a little...extra credit. Also, I've seen a couple of the teacher have been eyeing you as well...Miss Yearling, for instance?"

Spike flushed when he remembered the way she kept showing off to him during her lessons. Along with the fact she didn't have any worries,either. He was still unsure about the whole thing. "Um...can-can I think it over first?"

"By all means...but, I'd recommend not thinking too long if you're worried about rumors at all."

"Rumors...?"

"About why she's acting like she is towards you. I can imagine what the students might speculate."

Spike winced slightly. "Yeah..." Given the griffon's 'tough girl' image, it wasn't hard to guess what they'd assume.

"Here, go and get some sleep. Maybe settled nerves'll help."

A quiet, almost empty campus greeted Spike as he left the main building, his head spinning slightly from what he'd just learned. "Ok, ok. Spike you've had to make choices like this before...well, not on the same level. J-just gotta weight out the pros and cons..."

Pros: He'd be hooking up with a hot girl, one who's actually interested in him. His boss is surprisingly fine with it, even telling him to go ahead. And like she said, he's the homeroom teacher, therefore he wasn't involved in their tests or exams, so that was a non-issue.

Cons: He couldn't really think of any, to be honest. Gilda'd figured out his age on her own, yet instead of calling him out, went with getting his attention.

'All-in-all, aside from nerves, I don't really have any reason not to.' He thought, with plenty of reasons to say 'yes' as an image of a naked griffoness formed in his head.

His trek took him to the outside of Gilda and Ember's dorm room. Thankfully, Ember was currently pulling an all-nighter study at the library with Maud for their geology test, so that saved him from a rather...awkward explanation. 'Here goes.' He gave a quick knock on the door. "Hang on...I left her with Redheart."

"Come in." Gilda's voice sounded out from inside.

He steeled himself and slowly began to open the door, only for his jaw to slacken at the look she was giving him as her face became visible.

"Nurse Redheart said the cut was thankfully shallow, so she let me head out with some bandages and painkillers. I was hoping you'd make up your mind, tonight, Mr. Drake." She purred in greeting. "I'm afraid I've been a very bad girl."

As the door swung open, the knob slipped away from his nerveless grasp. The sight that greeted him caused the dragon to swallow convulsively...