The remainder of Cheerilee’s weekend had been uneventful. This was perhaps due to her having locked her door, closed her windows, and ignored the insistent knocking at her door. If she had to guess, it was either Big Mac or Ditzy, or the both of them. She had steadfastly refused to open the door, or even acknowledge that she was home.

By the time Monday came, she was happy to have something else occupy her thoughts. Teaching such a rambunctious group of foals would not let her mind time to linger; so when class started she enthusiastically dove into the day's lessons.

The lesson’s were going well; the two normal instigators of trouble, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were oddly quiet in the morning. They had laughed between themselves, but their normal antagonising of the other students was pleasantly absent. Without those two creating problems the morning went by smoothly.

Cheerilee was hurrying to finish her daffodil sandwich when the bell rang. She hadn’t gotten overly a lot of grading done on the weekend, as a consequence, she had to grade assignments while she ate. As the bell rang, students poured back into the class, returning to their seats.

The entire class seemed to be on edge. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom were throwing dirty looks at Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, both of whom sat there with smirks across their muzzles. Sweetie Belle and Dinky were looking downtrodden. Cheerilee blew out sharply at the fringe of her mane. No doubt something had happened while she had been grading the assignments. So much for a nice, peaceful day.

“Truffle?” Cheerilee called to the grey colt sitting in the front row. “Would you hand these back?”

“Yes ma’am,” Truffle answered, collecting the stack of assignments off of Cheerilee’s desk. Cheerilee couldn’t help but notice the foal avoiding her eyes. Normally Truffle was eager to help his teacher, but today he seemed to avoid her gaze. He shuffled between the desks placing the papers on each student's desk. While they were distracted reading their grades, Cheerilee began writing on the board.

When everyone had their papers, Cheerilee spoke up. “I would like to take some time going over this assignment, a few of you had trouble in a few spots.”

Cheerilee spent the hour covering most of the more common grammatical mistakes. For the most part, the students remained silent. It was beginning to unnerve the teacher.

“Does anypony have questions?”

“Excuse me, Miss Cheerilee.” Diamond Tiara put on her sweetest voice. “I have something I would like to share with the class.”

“No!”

Cheerilee was taken aback by the shouts of four fillies. Scootaloo was holding a book, ready to throw, as Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom and Dinky Doo struggled to keep the orange pegasus in check.

“Scootaloo,” Cheerilee barked, “put that book down now and return to your seat!”

Turning to Diamond Tiara, she whispered, “I will not allow you to interrupt class to bully your school friends. No you may not share whatever you have with the class.”

A malicious grin spread across Diamond Tiara’s muzzle, as she pulled from her bag a copy of the Canterlot Times and unrolled it. “Oh, they’ve already seen it.”

Cheerilee looked down in horror at the page before her. Her most embarrassing moment, caught on film, and printed for all of Equestria to see.

Loyalty Questioned

Whilst visiting Ponyville last Friday, decorated Wonderbolt First Lieutenant Rainbow Dash was seen on a date with local school teacher, Cheerilee. The pair were spotted by local freelance photographer Shutter Speed. The Canterlot Times have reached out to the Wonderbolts regarding this flagrant public violation of the controversial Silent Wings policy, but Major General Storm Fury declined to comment. More pictures page 6.

“Why?” Cheerilee looked at Diamond Tiara, hurt etched across her face.

“The Foal Free Press, that’s why!” Diamond Tiara sneered, loud enough that only Cheerilee could hear.

Cheerilee snatched up the newspaper, and walked back to her desk. Diamond Tiara was a handful, but she could not believe one of her students could be so vindictive.

“Open your mathematics books to page sixty two, and solve problems one through to twelve.”

As the afternoon went by, the class continued to work silently. Or at least, Cheerilee was aware, were pretending to work silently. She had shut the newspaper away in her desk, and stared absent–mindedly at the lesson plan in front of her. The words blurred before her eyes, she could feel her cheeks becoming moist. She desperately hoped that none of the foals had noticed. Looking to the clock, she was glad to see there was only twenty minutes to go.

Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were whispering to each other and laughing obnoxiously. Cheerilee chose to ignore them until a high-pitched shriek filled the air.

Cheerilee looked up to see what had happened, four different foal horns we lit, glowing with their owners aura. Many angry eyes turned towards Diamond Tiara. And for the second time in almost a year she found Diamond Tiara soaking wet, Cheerilee’s glass conspicuously missing from her desk.

“Mr Rich, if I might have a word?” Cheerilee asked the tan stallion. Filthy Rich was consoling his daughter.

“Go play outside sweetie, while Daddy talks to your teacher,” Rich told his daughter.

“I would advise against that,” Cheerilee gestured towards four fillies, two of which were glaring at Diamond Tiara with more venom in their eyes than a manticore tail. Cheerilee did not want to spend any more time in the presence of the small pink and grey monster, but she still had a duty of care regardless of the desire to leave the filly at the mercy of the Crusaders.

“Ms Cheerilee,” Filthy spoke, an undercurrent of anger in his voice. “I am becoming tired of the constant harrassment my daughter has received at this school. What type of teacher would–”

Cheerilee cut him off, pulling the paper out of the drawer she had kept it in.

“Were you aware your daughter brought this in today?”

He looked down at the paper. He was certain it was his, as it had gone missing earlier that morning.

“Were you aware she shared this with all of the foals in the play yard?”

Cheerilee’s voice broke, she felt herself on the verge of tears. “And were you aware she shared this with me, in front of the entire class?”

“Wh–what?” Filthy managed to stammer.

“Were you aware of her plan to humiliate me in front of all the students?”

“My daughter would never–”

“She admitted it herself! All because I took away her job as editor. And I only did that after she was blackmailing other students!

“You ask me what kind of teacher I am? Well I ask you, what kind of Father are you?” Cheerilee could not stop herself shaking. “You have raised a vindictive monster! And you dare criticize me?”

Filthy Rich turned to his daughter. “Is it true?” he asked, barely more than a whisper.

“Daddy–” Diamond Tiara whined.

“Is it true?”

“She’s a filly–fooler!” Diamond Tiara spat with disgust. “Mother says they are–”

“Diamond Tiara!” Her father shouted at the top of his lungs. “You do not speak that way about your teacher.”

“But Mother says–”

“You will apologise to Ms Cheerilee,” he glowered at his daughter. “Now.”

Diamond Tiara looked nervously at her father. It was a rare sight to see his animosity directed toward her. His cheeks were flushed with barely contained anger. Today had not gone as planned. Her mother was supposed to pick her up, not her father. And her father was supposed to agree with her.

“Why should I say sorry to an abomina–”

Tiara’s words were cut short with a sharp pain on her flank. Her father stood above her, hoof raised.

“Never say that again! We will talk about this when we get home.”

The stallion and his daughter made their way to the door. Filthy Rich turned, his face etched with both anger, and sorrow. “Ms Cheerilee, I will talk to my daughter… and my wife… about her behavior today.”

“And for what little it may be worth,” he sighed, “I am deeply sorry.”