Oppositional defiant disorder: A compulsive distrust and dislike of authority, having both genetic and traumatic links.
Rose Valley is a foal that goes to the Ponyville Schoolhouse at two grades higher than the cmc.
It was midyear and Rose was heading to the Ponyville Schoolhouse, she was tired as her little brother Little Bear was just born and it seemed like all of Ponyville wanted to meet him, including the ponies she really didn't want to be around ponies like her grandmother.
Rose had spent five hours at the park on a cold day, before a more well educated family friend picked her up and let her stay at her place. That was because her grandmother had been staying with them while waiting for Rose's mother to get out of the hospital, and she felt she was in charge and wasn't afraid to show it.
Rose did her very best to control herself, to the point of exhaustion, but failed. She blew up and to keep herself from doing anything too bad she stormed out.
Another piece of information that you will need to know to understand her predicament is that Rose had always struggled in school and was very behind anyway.
When rose made it to the school she entered like she always did, through the front door. When she stepped in, the class was gone. She choked back a tear or two, always struggling with change and fearing the worst.
Making herself breathe, she walked the school grounds, looking for them.
About half way around the school she found what she was looking for, her class was on the field for gym class.
She despised gym class. Not because it was hard for her, she had been in fights before, won every one of them, and was very strong. The problem was she could never figure out what was going on, as shown by the fact she had to look for it.
Rose took a seat on an old tire, and watched her class, hoping in vain she would figure out what the heck was going on. As you probably could guess, she didn't.
What she DID do, was accidentally drift off to sleep, and when she woke up her class was gone. They left her on the field. Now she was really having to work hard to hold in tears, as she hated desperately when ponies saw her cry.
She hobbled back into class, where English was being taught. She took the very back seat as she always did, hoping not to be noticed. Her head was thumping, and she was so tired.
As bad luck would call it, the teacher called on her.
"Rose, spell persimmon" The teacher asked calmly.
To rose it felt jeering. She was and always will be a terrible speller. The head thumping grew louder. Much louder. Tears were yet again forming in the corner of her eyes as she worked out, still desperately trying to control herself, "I don't know".
To the teacher, Roses attempted control sounded rude, though it definitely wasn't meant to be. "Rose, you could at least try to spell it, or control your attitude"
That was all Rose could take, "I'M FREAKING TRYING MY HARDIEST YOU WITCH, YOU TRY HANDLING YOURSELF FOR A DAY!" She was definitely crying now, and that fact made Rose all the angrier.
"YOU young lady can talk to the principle!" The teacher was angry now to.
"JUST SHUT UP!!!" Rose yelled. The other students were now all shrinking back, and for the best as with a loud CRASH Rose had thrown her lunch, including a glass bowl of spaghetti into the center of the room. Rose felt bad but was still angry.
"WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH YOU CHILD!" The teacher said angrily.
Rose shrank back, desperately trying to control herself, "I'm sorry..."
The teacher was still angry, "If you are going to act like that why do you even bother coming here everyday?!"
Rose lost the control she had gained, "You know what, YOU KNOW WHAT?! MAYBE I'LL TAKE YOUR ADVICE FOR ONCE! I'M OUT!" She stormed out of the classroom, not looking back. She was done with that place for good.
The teacher just stood there in shock.
Rose headed home, half hoping her teacher would run back and apologize, but she knew it wouldn't happen.
When she got home, she explained what happened to her mom. Her mom shook her head, because she was really hoping that Rose would push through school even though she hated it so, but ultimately let her make her decision. Rose's mother wrote a notice to the school of her withdraw.
For the next few days she hid in her home mostly, trying to figure out what to do next, while snuggling her dog. She knew that all of Equestria tended to look down on dropouts, she wasn't stupid, so she was also reluctant to spread the news. She spent much of the time just staring at her flank, hoping her cutie mark might give her a clue as what to do. Her cutie mark was two swords forming a V shape at the points, with another arrow going straight across, the point in the direction of her head.
Eventually she knew that she would have to venture out again, so she did. The apple farm was still in harvest season for the fall, so she applied for at least temporary employment. Applejack was out of town on an adventure, and apple bloom was at school, so it would be just her and Big Mac harvesting apples.
Working on the farm was hard work for her, but doable. She was a strong pony. Big Mac kept on giving her looks, but said nothing until lunch break, over an apple pie.
"Uh, Rose, why aren't you in school?" Big Mac asked.
"Don't worry about that, Big Mac. They don't want me there and I don't want to be there." Rose gulped down a little pie.
"But I AM worried, and I will be until either you go back or you tell me why you ain't."
"I said, they don't want me there and I don't want to be there." Rose was getting a little irritated.
"I don't want to start a fight, but I WOULD like to know"
"Big Mac, you don't want to start a fight right?"
"Nope"
"Then let's leave it"
Big Mac sighed as he took another bite of pie, but finally said a reluctant, "Yep."
After a week of working on the farm, Rose needed to buy food for her dog and was given her first ever pay check. She headed up to Fluttershy's cottage, with Piff (Her dog) by her side .
Rose knocked on Fluttershy's door.
Fluttershy opened the door and looked slightly surprised, "Shouldn't you be in school?"
Rose had forgotten that school was taking place at all at that time, but calmly responded, "No"
Fluttershy opened her door and motioned for Rose to come in, Rose came in with Piff hopping beside her. Fluttershy put a teapot on the burner, and sat down at the table.
"So, why aren't you going to school?" Fluttershy asked calmly, with a little concern in her voice.
"They don't want me there, and I don't want to be there" She responded, at this point almost automatically.
"Why do you feel they don't want you there?" Fluttershy responded thoughtfully, taking a sip of tea.
"They just don't, the kids don't really like me much, the teacher gets mad at me, and even when I'm overdone and using as much self control as I can, they tell me I should try even harder." Roses breathing got much heaver, of which Fluttershy took notice.
Fluttershy waited a few minutes before responding, to allow Rose to calm down, and then asked another question, "And why don't you want to be there?"
"Because I'm so tired of it, I suck at school anyway, and people always act like I'm not trying hard enough. The teachers, they drive me to anger and I don't want to be angry...
...and I don't feel safe there"
Fluttershy finished her cup of tea and then refilled both, before speaking again, "Let me tell you something I haven't told many people at all, I dropped out of school.
I was getting bullied, and only rainbow would defend me, and I was failing in my classes anyway. So one day I just stopped going. It wasn't easy, to build up a business as a dropout, but it isn't impossible and I did it.
I'm just telling you this so you know it's possible to be okay, but it will be harder. It's up to you, and it sounds like you're having a hard time either way, but don't give up hope."
"Thanks Fluttershy, I need to go now." Rose took a few steps out the door, before turning around suddenly and saying "I need dog food."
Fluttershy giggled, went into the back and threw Rose a bag of dog food. Rose threw her some bits.
The next morning, before Rose headed out to work on the farm, she heard a rap on the door. It was Fluttershy.
"Um, you are being summoned to the castle" Fluttershy said shyly.
Rose was suspicious but agreed to go. The walk was long and quiet.
They both walked quietly up to the room with the map-table where twilight sparkle was waiting.
When she looked at the table, an anger swelled up in her, and she muttered, "Is this some kind of joke".
Her cutie mark was hovering over the Ponyville Schoolhouse. For her, this was like a nightmare, as she was being called to the one place she never wanted to see again.
"No joke," twilight started, "This map shows places with friendship problems, and who can solve them. It is calling you."
Rose was angry as she said, "Why would I ever go back there, just because some princess tells me to?" Twilight could hear her growl.
"Look, it's up to you, no one can make you go. Not even me." twilight said.
As Twilight and Fluttershy turned around to leave the room, Fluttershy turned back and said, "Just think about it, okay?"
Rose stepped to the corner of the room and cried, occasionally looking up at the map and her cutie mark hovering forebodingly.
