Twilight returned home from school and sighed. "It's good to be home," she said. She smiled when she heard little claws tapping on the tiled floor, meaning Spike was coming to greet her. He ran up to her, tail wagging furiously. He barked several times in excitement and Twilight knelt down to pet him. Spike immediately launched at her face and assaulted her with puppy kisses, causing her to giggle as she was tickled. She scratched him behind the ear, then got up.

"Twily," a voice called out. Shining Armor came into the foyer and gave Twilight a hug. She returned the hug with a smile. "How was school today," he asked.

Twilight sighed as she broke the hug. "Would you mind if I waited to tell you, Mom and Dad during dinner?"

Shining smiled warmly. "Not at all, sis," he said. "Speaking of which, dinner should be ready soon."

"Great," Twilight said with a smile. She went upstairs to her room, put a "Do Not Disturb" sign on her door and closed it. If one were to get close enough to her bedroom door, one could hear sighs that gradually turned into soft moans. Several minutes later, a barely audible squeak came from Twilight's room.

Twilight sighed in contentment, then cleaned up after herself and changed into regular clothes. Feels nice to finally be out of that stuffy uniform, she thought. She stretched, then yawned. She checked the clock on her phone. Too soon for a nap. She walked up to her bedroom door and opened it, removing the "Do Not Disturb" sign from her doorknob.

Twilight walked downstairs and into the kitchen where dinner was waiting. She smiled and greeted her parents, then sat down at the table. "So," Shining Armor said. "How was your day at Crystal Prep?"

"Well..." Twilight told her family everything that happened that day, even the encounter between the two students and the lewd video. Once she finished, she turned to Shining Armor. "Were things ever that bad when you were a student?"

Shining cupped his chin in thought. "Not as bad as things seem right now."

"Was Cinch Principal when you were a student?"

"Yes."

Twilight thought for a moment. "How long has Cinch been Principal at Crystal Prep, anyway?"

"Not sure. Dean Cadence might know, though. You should ask her."

Twilight smiled. "Will do." She enjoyed the rest of her dinner, then cleaned up with her family.

After dinner, Twilight went to her lab and sighed. I wish I could have taken some of school's equipment with me, she thought. I can't measure the fluctuations from here without the proper equipment. She rested her head on her hands for a moment, then checked her phone's clock.

Twilight's eyes widened briefly. She didn't realize it was that late in the day! She cupped her chin, thinking of something to do before turning in for the night. She could do some wet chemistry, but cleaning it up might take too long. She could look up videos of scientific lectures, but she'd seen pretty much all of them by now.

Twilight sighed heavily. Boredom at Crystal Prep was one thing, but being bored at home was another! She grunted in frustration, then banged her head on the desk she sat at.

It was at that moment that Twilight Sparkle came to a sad epiphany: she was lonely. She didn't just want a friend. She needed a friend. All the years that she had been studying and accruing knowledge meant nothing to her if she didn't have a peer to share it with.

Twilight felt a lump in her throat as further thoughts followed. Had she been wasting time in her endless pursuit of knowledge, when she could have been socializing and making friends? Is the Everton Independent Study Program worth the isolation? She banged a fist on her desk.

No, Twilight thought. This isn't something worth crying over! I still have plenty of opportunities to make friends! She clenched her teeth and fist in determination. If I can recite the complete Periodic Table of Elements on command, then I can damn well make a friend!

Feeling re-energized, Twilight shot over to her computer and searched 'how to make a friend'. She watched videos, read articles online, and bookmarked a few websites for future use.

"Ahh," Twilight said with a smile. "Nothing like a little research to keep the brain active."

As confident as Twilight felt, she still had a hint of doubt. Research is one thing, but actually practicing what one researches is another thing entirely! She shook her head rapidly. This is no time for worry! Finding and making a friend could very well lead to a pivotal moment in her life!

Twilight's mind was made up. She vowed that starting tomorrow, she would no longer be friendless! As to how she would go about doing it...she'd figure it out tomorrow morning. She took out her phone and checked the time.

"Yikes," Twilight said in surprise. Had that much time really passed? She pocketed her phone and made a beeline for her bedroom, saying goodnight to her brother and parents as she went up the stairs. She opened her bedroom door, then grabbed and placed her "Do Not Disturb" sign on the doorknob.

Twilight smiled as she changed into her pajamas. For the first time in recent memory, she was looking forward to go to Crystal Prep! Suddenly tomorrow had endless possibilities! She was so excited that she had to calm herself down by listening to classical music!

Twilight took a deep breath, then exhaled. Now that she felt relaxed, she took off her glasses, then crawled into bed. She felt herself slowly fall asleep...then her eyes shot open. Who would she make friends with? Nearly everybody there has given her a nasty look at least once! She paused for a moment, then rolled her eyes with a sigh. Worry about it tomorrow, Twilight, she thought to herself. Worry about it tomorrow. It was then that she finally allowed herself to fall asleep, eagerly awaiting the next day.

Author's Note

I know I skipped a masturbation scene here, but that's because the last time I showed nearly every sexual act that happened in a story it took nearly three freaking months to complete!

Don't worry though, I won't skip all of them. I promise.