God, that last class was so boring. thought Lemon Zest as she walked the halls for the last time that day. Sometimes I think classes are a form of punishment...at least the day's over. I can't wait to get home!

"Lemon Zest!" a voice called out from behind her.

Lemon turned around to see Dean Cadence. "Yes, Dean Cadence?"

Cadence caught up with Lemon. "Before you go, I just wanted to check in with you. Did you speak to someone like I asked?"

Lemon smiled. "Yeah! I spoke with Radiant Hope. It was great talking to her! I made another appointment to see her."

Cadence smiled back. "That's good to hear, Lemon."

Lemon sighed. "If only more people around here were like her...or you."

"Who knows?" said Cadence. "Maybe that'll change one day."

"I wouldn't hold my breath, Dean Cadence. I wouldn't hold my breath." said Lemon Zest as she headed for the exit.

"Have a good rest of your day!" Cadence said.

"You too!" said Lemon Zest as she waved goodbye before turning her back.

Lemon boarded her bus home, looking to avoid her so-called "friends" like the plague. Fortunately, they were nowhere to be found. She sighed in relief and found a seat to sit in. She picked a tune on her phone and closed her eyes, letting the music take her away to a plane of relaxation and bliss.

As it played, she felt all the stress of the day wash off her like dirt in a shower. She sighed in contentment, knowing that she had a loving and supportive family waiting for her. Gotta count your blessings when you can., she thought. If not for my family, who knows what kind of hellish life I'd have?

Once the bus reached her stop, she jumped out of the bus. "Whew! Glad that's done and over with."

Lemon Zest walked up to her house. It was located not far from Canterlot City. Her house was a dark shade of blue with two stories. She entered the house through the front door. The foyer was well lit by the sun, its rays coming through the windows of the front door. To her left was the dining room where a table sat in the center of the room with chairs that matched the color of the table itself, and a classy-looking light fixture just above the table. To the right was the living room where she and her parents would sit and watch movies together.

"Mom! Dad! I'm home!" she called out.

"Hi, honey!" Answered her father. He walked into the foyer to give Lemon a hug.

Lemon Zest's father, Citrus Splash, was a man who loved a good laugh, but could also be taken quite seriously when given the chance. His lime green hair was in need of a haircut, slightly shaggy as it moved along with his head whenever he turned it. His eyes were amber, which Lemon had inherited. His skin was a very light shade of crimson, and he almost always wore a baseball cap with lemon, lime, and tangerine slices under an ocean wave. In addition, he was wearing a dark blue tank top and navy-colored shorts.

Despite being a Crystal Prep alum, he didn't pressure his daughter to go to the same school as he and her mother did. He always assured Lemon that no matter which school she went to, they'd be proud of her.

"How's my little bundle of energy?" he said as he gave her a hug.

"Oof." said Lemon Zest.

"Oof?" asked her father. "That bad, huh?" he said as he broke the hug.

"Yeah. The competitive environment can really drain me. I'm surprised you're not as crazy hostile as the majority of the school is." said Lemon.

"Well, I was fortunate enough to be a student before Principal Cinch took office. Principal Amore...now she knew how to run a school!" said Citrus.

Ah, Principal Amore. Her father had told her many stories of the former Principal. She was everything Principal Cinch should be but wasn't; compassionate, humble, giving...how Principal Cinch became her successor was beyond her and her parents.

"Where's Mom?" she asked her dad.

"Oh, she's outside. You know how she can be with her garden." he said with a smile.

Lemon smiled. "Yeah, I do." she said as they both walked out to the back porch.

Citrus opened the sliding-glass door to their backyard. Like most houses near Canterlot City, their backyard was fenced in with the exception of the garage. In the near back of the backyard was Lemon Zest's mother, Florid Abundance. "Hey, Mom!" said Lemon.

Florid Abundance was an avid gardener and had won a few local competitions. She had all of her ribbons proudly displayed in the living room. Sweat glistened off of her pale amaranth skin, and her favorite gardening hat covered her light pistachio hair. She turned around to face her daughter with her light gold eyes. She always wore her pin of a bouquet of roses wherever she went. "Lemon, sweetie!" she said as she walked over to hug her daughter. "How was school?"

"Just another day at the madhouse, Mom." said Lemon as her mother gave her a hug.

"Oh, I know. Cinch can be such a hardass sometimes. Ooh, just thinking about her makes my blood boil!" Lemon's mother always found Cinch to be, as she would put it, a "contentious, pretentious bitch".

Florid broke the hug. "Are you hungry? Dinner won't be ready for another hour or so."

"I'm good, Mom. I can wait." Lemon smiled. She went back inside with her father to watch a movie.

----------------------------------------------

After dinner and a movie with her parents, Lemon Zest was exhausted. She kissed them goodnight and went up to her room. She changed into her pajamas and flopped onto her bed. "One day down, several more to go." she said to herself. "Here's hoping tomorrow will be better." she crawled into bed and turned off the light on her nightstand.

Author's Notes:

One week until the Friendship Games.