The bar smelled like whiskey and old wood and also a mix of familiarity and regret. My hands worked on autopilot arleady, wiping down a glass that had already been cleaned twice over. It was 1 AM, and the place was quiet, just a few of the usual faces scattered at their usual spots, murmuring among themselves.

Business wasn’t booming, but it was enough to keep the lights on, enough to help my mom out with the bills. She wanted me to sell the place. I couldn’t.

Not because it was making me rich. Hell, I barely made enough to keep it running. But it was my father’s. The only damn thing he ever left behind before he walked out on us. It felt wrong to just throw it away, like admitting that he was right to leave.

I sighed, setting the glass down and leaning on the counter. My black shirt was slightly wrinkled, the top two buttons undone because I couldn’t be bothered to fix them. My pants? Beaten-up suit pants. Not exactly the height of fashion, but I wasn’t here to impress anyone.

Then, the door creaked open.

"Hello."

I didn’t have to look up to know who it was—the voice told me everything. I lifted my head. Mi Amore Cadenza.

She stepped inside, her dress hugging her waist just right. It wasn’t anything dramatic, not wedding-gown fancy, but it was enough to make guys turn their heads and wonder if she was looking for a little fun. She wasn’t. I knew her well enough to know that.

Cadance, no, Vice-Principal Cadenza made her way to the bar and took her usual seat in front of me, resting her head on the counter.

"Rough day?" I asked, already guessing the answer.

She sighed. Long. Deep. Tired. Sigh

"I'll take that as a yes." I grabbed a bottle from the shelf. "Let me fix you something."

"Just make it strong"

I arched a brow. That bad?

"Not what you're thinking," she said, rubbing her temples. "It’s not school, it’s... Shining."

Shining Armor. Her boyfriend, the guy she had been with for years. The guy who wanted to join the army.

I slid the drink toward her. "Damn. So, it’s final?"

"He’s serious about it," she said before taking a sip. "And I should be supportive. But... I don’t know. I don’t want to lose him."

I leaned on the counter. "Yeah, makes sense. You don’t want your guy running off to play soldier while you’re stuck at Crystal Prep babysitting rich kids."

She smirked. "And dealing with students who just disappear from class."

I scratched the back of my neck. "Yeah... about that."

"I didn’t see you today" she pointed out, raising a brow.

"Ehh. Sowy?"

She gave me a flat look.

"Look, I needed the extra cash, kay? And let’s be honest, that school? It sucks. I hate the way people walk around like they own the damn world. Makes me sick just looking at them."

"You’re really thinking about quitting, huh?"

"What’s the point? I got this place. I can make money without wasting my time at Crystal Prep. My mom’s the only reason I’m still there. She pays a shit-ton just to keep me in that school, and for what? So I can sit through classes with snobby assholes who think a bar is just a place to get drunk and make bad decisions?"

Cadance took another sip eyeing me. "You’ve got potential, James. You’re smart."

"And you sound like a teacher."

She smirked. "I am a teacher. Well, almost."

"Director."

"Vice-Principal" she corrected. "And you are one of my students, like it or not."

"Funny. Doesn’t stop you from drinking here," I shot back.

She grinned. "Touché."

Yeah, this was our dynamic. She came here often more than someone in her position probably should. But it wasn’t about the drinks. It was about the conversation. About stepping away from the polished, prestigious walls of Crystal Prep and sitting in a dimly lit bar where she could just be... Cadance.

And me? I didn’t mind. It was entertaining as hell watching the Vice-Principal of Crystal Prep get wasted in my bar while I reminded her that, technically, she was drinking under a student’s care.

She sighed again, staring at her glass. "You really don’t like Crystal Prep, do you?"

I scoffed. "I like you just fine. The rest of it? Garbage."

She laughed. "Flatterer."

"Just saying the truth, princess."

"Don’t call me that," she groaned, downing her drink.

"Yes, ma’am."

We sat in silence for a moment. The bar was quiet, the usual hum of conversation fading into the background. It was late, and we were both just two people stuck between expectations and reality.

She sighed. "I don’t know what to do, James."

I wiped down the counter. "You can’t stop him."

"I know."

"But you also don’t have to like it."

"...Yeah."

I poured her another drink. "Then drink. Talk. You know I’ll listen."

Then, a loud crash rang through the bar. I already knew what happened before I even turned my head.

Cadance, a little drunk but still holding herself together, glanced to her right. "Huh? You hired someone?"

I sighed and looked over at my apprentice Sunset Shimmer.

She stood frozen and her eyes were filled with panic. At her feet, shattered glass and a small pool of spilled beer glistened under the dim lights. She was apologizing rapidly to an older man seated with his two friends at a corner table. They weren’t mad. If anything, they were laughing, shaking their heads as if this was the highlight of their night.

"No worries, sweetheart!" one of them chuckled "Just get us another round, and we’ll call it even!"

"Yeah, yeah, accidents happen" another added with a wink.

His eyes trailed lower than they should have.

Sunset quickly grabbed a rag and crouched to clean up the mess. She was flustered, clearly embarrassed.

"Fucking perverts," I muttered to Cadance under my breath.

She hummed in amusement, swirling her glass. "At least they tip well."

Sunset finished mopping up the spill and rushed to grab another beer for them. When she came back to the bar, she hesitated before looking at me, her hands gripping the bottle a little too tightly. She was scared. Not of the customers, not of Cadance of me.

I sighed. "It’s okay, Sunset. Just... try not to break anything else. In time, you’ll be paying me instead."

Cadance let out a soft giggle, watching the interaction with amusement. Sunset, however, just looked more awkward.

Cadance then tilted her head, curiosity started flashing in her slightly glassy eyes. "So, Sunset, are you still in school like James here, or did you flip your life on a coin too?"

"Funny" I muttered, rolling my eyes.

Sunset shuffled uncomfortably but forced a polite smile. "I go to Canterlot High, Miss Cadenza. I just work here part-time." She kept her tone formal, like she was talking to a real authority figure, which, technically, she was.

Cadance waved a hand. "Please, just Cadance.‘Miss’ makes me feel old."

Sunset gave a hesitant nod but still looked stiff.

Then, something seemed to click in Cadance’s head. She straightened, leaning across the bar with way too much excitement for someone who had been drinking.

"Wait a second! My aunts are the principals at CHS!"

Sunset blinked in surprise. "Oh. Really?" Her voice went up just a little, like something about that caught her off guard.

Cadance turned to me, and I immediately didn’t like the look on her face. "Oh, I have a perfect idea for you, you little quitter."

I scowled. "Hey, I didn’t quit. I’m just... thinking about it."

"Uh-huh." She gave me a knowing smirk, then straightened up and snapped her fingers. "A transfer."

"A what?"

"You should transfer to CHS!" She clapped her hands together like she had just solved all of my life’s problems.

"Cadance, you’re drunk."

"No, no, no, this is actually perfect!" she said, getting even more hyped. "I’ve heard nothing but good things about CHS! It would be a way better fit for you than Crystal Prep."

Sunset visibly tensed. Her fingers tightened slightly around the bottle in her hands. She looked at me, then at Cadance, then back at me again.

Something about what Cadance said clearly got a reaction out of her, but she didn’t say a word. Weird.

I shook my head. "Cadance, it’s almost 2 AM. Do not call your aunts."

She waved me off and pulled out her phone. "Oh, come on, just let me—"

"Cadance. Every time you start calling people at this hour, it ends with you making a mess and Shining Armor dragging your drunk ass home."

"No, no, no! This time is different!" she insisted, unlocking her phone, or trying to unlock it."I need to do this now! This is the perfect moment!"

I groaned. "You are so annoying when you drink."

Sunset still looked uncomfortable, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. Why was this bothering her so much?

I exhaled sharply. "Fine. Whatever. Just don’t be obnoxious."

Cadance grinned triumphantly and pressed the call button.

I leaned against the bar, thinking. A transfer?

Crystal Prep sucked. I hated the people there. I hated the way they walked around like the world owed them something. I hated the way I had to pretend to care about pointless assignments when I had a bar to run.

But transfer? To Canterlot High? Just like that?

Sunset’s reaction wasn’t helping, either. Why did she seem so uneasy about the idea? Was CHS really as great as Cadance claimed?

My thoughts were cut off by the sound of someone picking up the call.

Cadance grinned. "Luna! Hey! Guess what? I have a student who needs a transfer!"

I dropped my head onto the bar.They surely wouldn’t come here just to talk about me wanting to transfer, right? Oh no, no, no. The second Cadance ended the call and started typing something, I just knew. I fucking knew. They were going to show up. And they did. At around 2:38 AM. The doors swung open, and in walked the infamous duo Vice-Principal Luna and her sister. Celestia looked like she had been dragged out of bed, her golden hair a little messy, her face tired, but she still had that natural elegance. She was wearing a tight white skirt with a matching long-sleeve top, simple but classy. Luna, on the other hand, looked way more put together, dressed in a deep blue dress similar to the one Cadance was wearing—except, you know, blue instead of pink.

I recognized Luna immediately, and when her eyes landed on me, I smirked. “Welcome, Miss Drunk.”

“Oh, don’t even start,” Luna groaned as she walked toward the bar.

“No, no,” I said, shaking my head. “You did say I could call you that after you vomited right in front of the bar, and I had to clean it up at six in the morning.”

Celestia, despite looking half-asleep, gave her sister a look of pure judgment. “Luna” she started, her voice sharp, “have you been drinking before going to school again?”

Luna looked at me with wide eyes, silently pleading for help. I just shook my head. “Nuh. Only on weekends.”

Yeah, right. Like Luna wasn’t one of my best clients. And unlike Cadance, who at least had some restraint, Luna went for the strong drinks.

They both sat in front of me, and without needing to ask, I slid them both a martini. Luna took hers almost in one go, which made Cadance giggle, and Celestia roll her eyes.Before we could say much more, Sunset walked up to the bar, grabbing some straws for a table. The moment she looked up and saw who was sitting in front of me, she froze. A tense second passed before she awkwardly greeted the two principals with a small, “Uh… hello, Principal Celestia, Vice-Principal Luna.”

Her body language practically screamed please don’t acknowledge me, please don’t talk about me.

Celestia raised a brow. “Well, at least you’ll know someone at school,” she said with a small smile.

“Hihi…” Celestia giggled. “Sunset knows the school very well, let’s say.”

Wait, what? That was a weird way to phrase it. Of course she knew the school, she went there. But Celestia’s tone made it seem like something more.

Before I could think too hard about it, the conversation moved on.

Luna and Cadance continued drinking, though Celestia took her time, already fully aware that she would be the one dragging their drunk asses home later.

And then the inevitable topic came up. My transfer.

Celestia wasted no time listing all the benefits how Canterlot High had a much healthier environment than Crystal Prep, how the school took part-time jobs into consideration, how their whole philosophy was about nurturing students instead of crushing them with competition. “The atmosphere is much better now,” Celestia said, taking another sip of her drink.

That made Sunset shriek. Not loudly, not like a scream, but a sharp, surprised sound.

“Okay, can you both,” I said, looking between Celestia and Luna, but mostly Celestia since Luna was already getting drunk, “explain what this is really about?”

Celestia sighed, setting down her glass. “James, Crystal Prep isn’t the right place for you.”

“Tell me something I don’t know.”

“You hate it there.”

“Again, not exactly breaking news.”

“You’re wasting your time there.”

I leaned back, narrowing my eyes. “That one’s debatable.”

Celestia gave me a look, the kind of look adults give when they know they’re about to drop something they think is profound. “What’s your plan, James? You don’t want to be at Crystal Prep, you’re considering dropping out, and yet, you won’t make a move in either direction. So what’s the plan?”

I exhaled through my nose. “I have a plan.”

Celestia waited.

“I want to be a bartender” I said simply. “Not as some part-time job to get through school, not as a temporary thing. I want to do this for real. I like it. I’m good at it. And I have the opportunity. So why waste my time in school?”

Luna, despite being tipsy, hummed in approval. “He’s got a point.”

Celestia shot her a quick glare before focusing back on me. “James. Do you really think school is for losers?”

“Yeah.” I shrugged. “Losers who don’t know what to do with their life. Me? I know exactly what I want. I have a clear goal, I have a way to get there, so why would I waste time on something that doesn’t matter?”

Celestia crossed her arms. “Because maybe, just maybe, you don’t know everything.”

I rolled my eyes. “Oh, that’s original.”

“James.” Celestia’s tone was firm. “Education isn’t just about finding a career. It’s about experiences, connections, growth. Yes, you could just drop out and bartend. But if you transfer to CHS, you get to meet new people, be in an environment that actually cares about you, and maybe, just maybe, you’ll learn something valuable along the way.”

I stayed silent.

Cadance, despite being a little drunk, leaned toward me and smirked. “And come on, James. Think about it. Crystal Prep sucks. You hate those elitist assholes. At CHS, you’d have a fresh start. A new rep. People who aren’t constantly looking down on you because you don’t fit their ‘standard of excellence.’”

I drummed my fingers against the bar. She wasn’t wrong.

Celestia pushed a little further. “If you want to run your own bar, James, you need business skills. You need to know how to handle people. You need to know how to adapt. You’re good at bartending, but are you good at managing? Are you good at bookkeeping? Are you good at marketing? At CHS, you wouldn’t just be stuck in a box like at Crystal Prep. We actually encourage individuality.”

Damn it. She was making good points.

I exhaled, rubbing my temple. “I need to think about this.”

Celestia nodded. “That’s all I’m asking.”

Luna, meanwhile, downed the rest of her martini and slammed the glass down with a satisfied sigh. “Cadance,” she slurred, “you always take me to the best places.”

Celestia groaned. “Oh, for the love of—”

I just shook my head. This night was going to be long.

And it was.

The last three hours and twenty-two minutes of my life were an absolute mess. A chaotic, drunken, migraine-inducing mess. Luna and Cadance took over my bar, making a disaster out of everything while Celestia kept going on and on about transferring to Canterlot High. Somewhere in the middle of all this, Sunset got dragged right in, and for whatever reason, she didn’t immediately run away.

“Sunset, tell James how wonderful CHS is” cadance slurred, leaning over the bar with the grace of a collapsing tower. “Tell him... tell him how coooool Vice Principal Luna is.”

Sunset, who had been diligently cleaning a glass despite not needing to, stiffened. “Uh… well… I mean, it’s… nice?”

“‘Nice?’ That’s all you’ve got?” Luna gasped, dramatically placing a hand on her chest like Sunset had just personally insulted her bloodline. “You wound me, Shimmer. Deeply. Deeply.”

Cadance waved a hand in front of Sunset’s face, her coordination completely gone. “No, no, tell James… tell him that CHS is, like… super-duper awesome, and so much better than Crystal Pfff—Crystal—whatever that school is.”

“Crystal Prep” I said dryly.

“Yeah, that place,” Cadance said, pointing a little too aggressively at me. “Total hellhole.”

“You work there.”

“Doesn’t mean I like it,” she huffed. “Listen. Listen, James. You—you—are a bartender, right? You listen to people, yeah?”

“Yeah, unfortunately.”

“So listen to me,” she said, poking my chest. “Crystal Prep is garbage. Absolute. Garbage. Principal Cinch? She’s the worst! She—she—she takes bribes, James! Straight-up money from parents so their precious little spawns get good grades.”

Sunset’s head snapped up at that. “Wait, what?”

“Oh, please” I said, rolling my eyes. “You’re telling me this like it’s some big revelation. At Crystal Prep, you could probably kill someone, pay Cinch a hefty sum, and poof! security footage mysteriously disappears.”

Cadance let out an exaggerated gasp. “See?! Even you know! That’s how bad it is!”

Luna, who had been playing with the tiny umbrella in her drink, suddenly perked up. “Wait, wait, wait! James! You should transfer just to witness the greatness that is me.”

I gave her a blank stare. “Your greatness?”

“Yes.” Luna dramatically flipped her hair, nearly falling off the barstool in the process. “I am the superior vice principal. Everyone loves me. I am adored.”

Sunset coughed. “You suspended me three times.”

“Because you were evil back then” Luna waved off. “And in my defense, you deserved four suspensions.”

Sunset groaned. But she was clearly taken back, huh? rough topic. But i've heard worse here.

Celestia, who had been the only somewhat composed one in the room, sighed and turned back to me. “James, I know you’re stubborn, but you’re considering it, aren’t you?”

I didn’t answer right away. I wasn’t sure how to answer.

Truth be told, I had been thinking about it. Celestia was right about Crystal Prep, about how I was stuck in limbo, about how I wasn’t doing much here except making mistakes and trying to fix them. I liked bartending. I loved bartending. But I wasn’t exactly thriving, was I? The bar wasn’t successful, I wasn’t learning anything new, and I was constantly struggling just to keep things afloat.

Meanwhile, Cadance was now dramatically slumped over the bar. “Ughhhh, I hate Cinch,” she moaned. “If I ever get to be principal, I’m gonna make Crystal Prep actually worth something.”

“Big words, Miss Drunk 2 ”

“I mean it” she whined. “I could so do a better job than that old hag. It’s just a matter of time.”

Celestia sighed and checked the time. “Speaking of time… it’s six. We should go.” She pulled a napkin from the holder, wrote something on it, and slid it toward me. “Call me when you’ve gotten some sleep and thought about it.”

I glanced down at the napkin. A phone number.

Celestia then stood up, gathering Luna under one arm and Cadance under the other. “I apologize for my sister and niece,” she said. “But, uh… we do tip well.” She pulled out a bill and set it on the counter.

A hundred dollars. My stomach grumbled.

Finally, I can eat something other than instant noodles.

They staggered out the door, Luna waving dramatically as she left. “Farewell, James the Bartender! We shall meet again!”

Cadance, already half-asleep, just muttered, “Mmm… Shining…” before disappearing out the door.

Finally. Silence.

I turned around and found Sunset barely standing, exhaustion written all over her face as she continued sweeping. “Sunset, you can go home now. I’ll close up.”

She shook her head. “No, no, I can—”

“I’ll pay you for the full hour. You don’t need to stay those extra twenty minutes.”

She hesitated, clearly wanting to argue, but in the end, exhaustion won. “Alright,” she sighed. “But it’s not about the money.”

I nodded, watching as she grabbed her bag and waved before heading out. I let out a long breath.

Alone at last.

Celestia’s offer wasn’t something I could just brush off. CHS wasn’t Crystal Prep. It wouldn’t be full of entitled rich kids who laughed at me for actually working. I wouldn’t have to deal with people sneering at my job like it was beneath them.

And, if I was being honest with myself… maybe I could learn something there. Something that could actually help me keep this bar alive.

I sighed, glancing at the napkin with Celestia’s number.

“Guess I’ll have to think about it.”

The bar was finally clean. Floors mopped, glasses washed, tables wiped down, and the ice machine stocked up. I sighed, stretching my arms over my head until I heard a faint pop in my shoulder. My body ached from standing all night and day, my brain felt like mush, and my eyelids were heavy as hell.

I walked outside, locking up the bar with stiff fingers, making sure the damn door was actually closed. The lock was old, finicky, and had a nasty habit of pretending to be locked when it wasn’t. I jiggled the handle a few times.

“Alright, you stubborn piece of shit, don’t make me come back here”

Satisfied it was secure, I turned toward the parking lot where my car was waiting. And by "car," I meant my barely-functional, dying junk heap of a Ford. The old beast sat there, rusting proudly, its chipped paint and duct-taped mirror making it look like something you’d find abandoned on the side of the highway.

I got in, rubbing my gloved hands together as I shoved the key into the ignition. First try nothing. Second try still nothing. I let my forehead rest against the freezing steering wheel, muttering, “Come on, don’t do this to me.”

On the third attempt, the engine coughed, sputtered, and finally came to life.

“Nice, New record.”

Usually, I had to sit in the cold for thirty minutes, coaxing the damn thing to wake up like a stubborn old man refusing to get out of bed. The heating didn’t work, of course, because why would it? I gave the dashboard a pat, pretending it could hear me. “You got spirit, I’ll give you that. But push it past three kilometers, I know you’re giving up on me.”

I slowly pulled out of the parking lot and started driving home, half-asleep at the wheel. The streets were mostly empty at this hour. The streetlights cast an orange glow on the pavement, making everything feel oddly surreal. I kept the radio off. Not working btw. No music, no background noise. Just the hum of the engine and the occasional creak of the car like it was complaining.

By the time I pulled into the driveway of my house a small, old thing with chipped paint and a front porch that needed fixing I saw my mom’s car already parked. She was home. That meant her double shift was over.

I turned off the engine, opened the door, and stepped out into the freezing night air. I locked the door out of habit, even though the locks didn’t actually work. Not like anyone would want to steal this thing anyway. If anything, I’d pay someone to take it off my hands.

Pulling my coat tighter around me, I hurried inside, rubbing my arms to keep warm.

The moment I stepped into the house, I was hit with the familiar smell of cheap coffee and exhaustion.

Mom was sitting at the small kitchen table, a steaming cup of coffee in front of her. She looked tired, hell, more than tired. Dark circles under her eyes, her hair pulled back messily, wearing one of her old sweaters that had seen better days. She must’ve gotten home not too long ago, but instead of going straight to bed, she was here, drinking coffee, staring at nothing in particular.

She looked up when I came in. “Hey, sweetie”

“Hey, Ma” I said, toeing off my boots and shrugging out of my coat.

I moved to the kitchen, grabbing a cup from the cabinet and pouring myself some of the leftover coffee. It wasn’t fresh, but I didn’t care. Caffeine was caffeine.

Mom watched me, her tired eyes softened. “Long night?”

I scoffed, taking a sip. The coffee was bitter, but it kept me awake. “You have no idea. I had to deal with a drunk vice-principal, a drunker Luna, and a Celestia who was very serious about getting me to transfer.”

Mom raised an eyebrow, amused. “A drunk vice-principal?”

“Cadance. She and Luna made a mess at the bar. I had to practically babysit them. And Celestia… she just kept going on about Canterlot High.”

Mom hummed, taking a slow sip of her coffee. She wasn’t saying anything, but I knew she was thinking.

I took a deep breath, gripping my cup tighter. Now was my chance.

I had to say it.

I had to tell her.

I pulled out the chair across from her and sat down. “Mom, I… I want to quit Crystal Prep.”

She blinked. Once. Twice. Like I had just spoken another language.

I swallowed, forcing myself to keep talking before she could react. “I’ve been thinking about it for a while, and… I just don’t see the point. I don’t fit in there. Those rich kids laugh at me because I have a job. They think I’m pathetic because I work instead of living off my parents’ money.And yeah, they’re assholes, but… they’re not wrong. I don’t belong in that school.”

Mom still didn’t say anything.

“I know you’ve been working yourself to the bone just to keep me in Crystal Prep. And I get it. It’s a prestigious school, a good education, better opportunities, all that. But what’s the point if I already know what I want to do? I want to run the bar, Mom. Not as a part-time gig. Not as some side thing. I want it to be my job.”

She was still staring at me, her hands curled around her coffee cup. Speechless.

“You and I both work our asses off just to afford food. I know how hard you work, I know how much you sacrifice. But school isn’t going to change anything for me. I don’t need some fancy diploma to run the bar. I don’t need to waste more time in a place where I don’t belong.” I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “I just… I just want to stop pretending like Crystal Prep is the right place for me.”

“DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU WANT TO DO?!” she yelled, her voice shaking the quiet of the house.

I opened my mouth to respond, but she wasn’t done—not even close.

“Are you aware of what you’re really saying?” she continued, her voice was rising with every word. “Ruin your life? Oh my God, James, you are this close to a better life closer than I ever was, closer than this!”

She waved her hands around, motioning to the tiny, dimly lit kitchen. The chipped counters, the old table, the second-hand fridge humming in the background. The life we had scraped by in for as long as I could remember.

“I taught you to pursue your goals,” she went on “But is this really what you want? You want to throw everything away for a bar? A BAR?”

I clenched my fists, trying to hold my ground. “Mom, I—”

“You’re stabbing me in the back,” she snapped, her voice breaking for a second before she forced it steady again. “My money, my time, my sweat in the trash!”

I saw the exhaustion in her face, in the deep lines under her eyes, in the way her shoulders sagged—but she still wouldn’t stop.

“I’ve been working my ass off every night until seven in the morning so you could have food, an education, a bed to sleep in! Everything I never had, I gave to you, and this is how you repay me?!”

She took a shaky breath, but it wasn’t to calm down. She wasn’t done.

Her voice dropped, but the words hit even harder.

“I’ve been scrubbing floors since before you were born just to make sure your future would never be torn. Every shirt you've ever worn? That’s me. Every loss you've never mourned? That was free. Because I made sure you’d never have to worry about it. I killed myself so you wouldn't have to live like this.”

Her hands clenched at her sides, and I saw the tears starting to form in her eyes.

“Do you really want to end up like me?” she whispered, her voice trembling now. “It’s a hard life, James. Can’t you see?”

I knew what she meant. I knew. She was afraid. Afraid I’d end up overworked, underpaid, stuck in the same endless cycle she had been trapped in her whole life.

But I couldn’t stop now.

I had to make her see.

“Whoa, Mom!” I said, raising my hands. “If you’d just listen for one second just one second you’d see! I’m too stressed going to that fucking Crystal Prep! This isn’t for me! I feel like a prisoner there, not a student! But the bar the bar is the solution!”

I reached into my coat pocket, pulling out the notes I had stuffed in there some days ago. Slipping papers, scribbled-down ideas, notes on new drinks I had been experimenting with things I had worked on for weeks.

I spread them out on the table.

“Look!” I said, pointing to the recipes. “These are new drinks! Every single one every single one releases dopamine! Do you get it?! I’m not just serving alcohol, Mom. I’m creating something. Something that makes people happy!”

She blinked, still trying to process what I was saying.

I pressed forward.

“With my bar, I can make people smile! I can make something real while I’m earning a financial gain! I’ve created the perfect drink, Mom!” I jabbed my finger at one of the papers. “Everyone who tried it loved it!”

For the first time, she wasn’t yelling.

She was staring.

But I wasn’t done. I had to make her understand.

Then—she played her last card.

Her eyes darkened, her lips trembled, and her voice came out quiet but sharp enough to slice through my chest.

“…What would your father say?”

The papers slipped from my fingers, falling to the floor like dead leaves.

We had promised.

We had sworn never to use Dad against each other.

She knew it.

She knew.

Tears were rolling down her cheeks now, but her voice didn’t waver this time.

“You promised you would never make the same mistakes as your father…” she whispered.

I clenched my jaw so hard it hurt.

Then I looked at her—really looked at her.

Her shoulders were hunched like she was carrying the weight of the world. Her hands trembled slightly as she wiped her face.

She was hurting.

But so was I.

I took a deep breath, my voice cracking as I spoke.

“Well…I believe he’d never stop me from going down this road.”

Mom slowly looked around the room at the table, at the notes scattered across the floor. She looked drained, utterly exhausted.

“…You wouldn’t know.”

Something inside me snapped.

I slammed my fist on the table, making her flinch.

“HE WOULD LET ME GO!” I yelled.

Mom stared at me. Then, softly, she asked,

“…How would you know?”

Tears pricked at my eyes, blurring my vision, but I refused to back down.

“I know because of you!” I shot back. “Every memory of him every story you ever told me! He loved that bar! You said it yourself his bar, his style, his craft, it was everything to him! The one thing that always made him smile, no matter what!”

She didn’t say anything.

But I wasn’t finished.

“…But,” I swallowed hard, my voice faltering, “I can never speak for him. I can never know for sure.”

Then, with a deep breath, I steadied myself and said the words I had never dared to say before.

“Maybe this is what he left.”

Mom’s eyes widened.

“Maybe this is why he left!”

She shook her head, looking at me with pure sadness. “James, no…”

I ignored her.

“Maybe he was done!” I pressed on. “Done with this never-ending cycle, done with breaking his back for something he never wanted, done with—this!”

I gestured around wildly, at the cramped kitchen, at the life we had barely managed to hold together.

Mom just looked at me, her lips parted like she wanted to say something—but nothing came out.

Then, finally, she whispered,

“You want a life full of uphill battles? Because that’s what you’re getting sold. I worked myself to the bone so you wouldn’t have to struggle like me. So you could get a real education, so you could get a real job, and now you want to throw that away?! For what?! You think running a bar is some kind of dream? It’s a grind, James! A lifetime of late nights and stress! I for one wanna retire—not die working old!”

Something inside me snapped.

“STOP TALKING ABOUT ME LIKE I’M JUST AN INVESTMENT TO YOU!” I roared.

Her breath hitched, but I wasn’t done.

“I want to live! I want to feel! I don’t want to be some lifeless Crystal Prep graduate with a degree I don’t care about, getting a job I hate just so I can follow some perfect little plan that you want for me! I want to gain something for myself! I want to do something I actually love!”

Mom squeezed her eyes shut and exhaled shakily, like she was trying to hold herself together.

“Well, I’m sorry your life sucks,” I continued, my voice trembling with rage and something deeper—something wounded. “But I am tired of dealing with all the shit that you regret!”

Her eyes snapped open, wide and full of emotion.

Then, she said the words that broke me.

Words I never thought she’d say.

“I’m ashamed to have you as a son.”

Silence.

Pure, suffocating silence.

I just stared at her, feeling my heart shatter into a million unfixable pieces.

She covered her mouth the second the words escaped, like she hadn’t meant to say them. Like she wanted to take them back.

But it was too late.

The damage was done.

I took a slow, shaking breath, then said, in a quiet, deadly voice,

“You know what? Remember these words.”

Mom’s face twisted in regret, but I didn’t care anymore.

“Remember the look on my face,” I continued, “because this hurts.”

Tears blurred my vision, but I held them back.

“The next time we meet,” I said, my voice shaking, “will be your reimbursement. And the whole world will know you didn’t support me first.”

Mom reached for me, but I stepped back.

“So screw you!” I choked out. “I don’t need you. I’m living my life. I’m leaving.”

Mom let out a soft, broken sob. “James, wait—”

But I was already moving.

I turned and stormed out of the kitchen, my feet pounding against the floor as I grabbed my keys. I heard her footsteps behind me, heard her whisper my name—but I didn’t stop.

I couldn’t stop.

Not anymore.

I threw open the front door, stepping into the cold air. I barely heard the sound of Mom crying behind me as I ran to my car.

My hands were shaking as I fumbled with the keys, my vision blurred from tears that I refused to let fall.

I climbed into the driver’s seat, slammed the door shut, and turned the key.

The engine roared to life. Good that at least you belive in me oldie.

With one last look at the house—at everything I was leaving behind—I pressed my foot to the gas and sped off into the night.

My hands gripped the wheel tightly.

I wasn’t sure where I was going.

No.

That was a lie.

I knew where I was going.

To the bar.

To my future.

To the only thing I had left.

I pulled into the empty lot, skidding to a stop in front of the bar. The neon sign flickered weakly.

I stumbled out of the car and made my way to the entrance.

A stranger was standing there, peering inside.

“Hey, are you guys open?”

I didn’t answer.

I just pushed past him, stepping inside and slamming the door shut behind me.

The lock clicked into place.

I leaned against the door, breathing hard. My whole body felt heavy.

Then, slowly, my eyes drifted to the trash can in the corner.

I walked over.

Reaching down, I dug through the crumpled napkins and discarded receipts until my fingers brushed against something familiar.

A napkin with Celestia’s number.

I pulled out my phone.

I hesitated but only for a second.

Then, before I could talk myself out of it, I dialed the number.

It rang once.

Twice.

Then, finally—

“Hello?” a warm, familiar voice answered. “Who is this?”

I took a deep breath.

And just like that, a new chapter of my life began.

Author's Note

Hello new and old folks, i really wanted to write something like this, annnnnd its my first story where main character have a name! Meet james, a young men who wants to follow his dreams, but will he succed? Who will belive in him when even own mother didn't, maybe his only worker? Maybe the Celestia luna and Cadenza? hmm we will see, i hope you will like something diffrent, i want to write something that doesnt have a lot of fighting, powerfull entites, just normal slice of life. ( and this takes place around 1-2 weeks after battle of bands )