Sunny Flare had gone through her morning classes that day, working her mind as she tried to take in everything her teachers were explaining to the class. Her hand was busily scribbling on her notepad, jotting down anything worth noting for the upcoming exams.

She had paid extra attention in Ms. Script’s class, hoping to improve on her English. The others had been making fun of her less since she had resumed her usual self, but after the Friendship Games, some of the others would constantly remind her of rhombuses, which Sunny responded to by blushing deeply and looking away.

That was enough of motivation to try and work on her worst subject.

Sugarcoat and Sour Sweet tried especially hard to help her with her work, but Sunny figured there was still plenty of progress to be made. So even when class broke to have lunch, Sunny kept her notes by her side and went over them with her friends while they ate.

“Looks like you’re taking this very seriously, Sunny.” Indigo patted her on the back, maybe a little too hard. “That’s very good! Maybe you’ll actually get a decent score for your English exam.”

“It’ll be more than just decent,” Sunny said, in good spirits. “Maybe I’ll actually ace the exam.”

“Just don’t get too overconfident,” Sugarcoat advised. “That’s one of the worst things you can do while studying.”

“Yeah, I won’t.” Sunny placed her textbooks on the table. “I’m going to keep up the studying.”

“So will we!” Lemon Zest gulped down a mouthful of roast chicken. “I even put my mathematical formulas on a track so I can listen to them on my headphones.”

Sunny looked around at the others around the cafeteria as she chewed on her food, hoping to see how they were doing.

Jet Set and Upper Crust were on the neighboring table, studying something together, their shoulders pressed against each other. It must be nice to have a special someone to study with like that.

Trenderhoof didn’t look particularly stressed and he was busy reading off his notes and a magazine.

Sunny also spotted another table of six students crowding over a single textbook as they ate. That didn’t look like a good way to work, but if it got them good results, then good for them.

Then she looked over to the other side of the cafeteria and spotted Silver Rose sitting with Canvas Splash, Sound Wave and Neon Lights. The four of them didn’t look like they were studying, with Sound Wave listening to music and Canvas looking at something on her phone. Silver Rose, however, looked a little depressed about something. She was looking down, her shoulders slumped and a finger tapped away on the tabletop.

“Hey,” Sunny said to Indigo. “What’s up with Silver Rose?”

“Huh? I dunno. Maybe she’s just exhausted from all the studying,” Indigo yawned widely. “I know I am.”

“I don’t think it’s that…”

“Well why don’t you go ask her then, if you’re so concerned?” Sour Sweet piped up, sticking a straw into her juice box. “I’m sure she’ll tell you.”

“Well…” Sunny rapped her fingers on the table. Then she stood up and straightened her blazer. “Sure, I’ll be right back.”

Sunny left her things with her friends and strolled over to where Silver and the other three were sitting. “Hey, guys. Mind if I sit?”

“Hey, not at all, go ahead.” Neon Lights scooted over slightly to give Sunny some room. Then looked over at whatever Sound Wave was looking at on his phone.

“Thanks.” Sunny sat herself down and looked across at Silver, who didn’t look like she noticed she had joined them. “Silver, something wrong? You look a little gloomy today.”

“Hi, Sunny…” Silver sighed and managed a smile. “Nothing’s wrong, I’m just… tired, I guess. Yeah, tired.”

“Up late at night studying, huh?” Sunny said sympathetically. “I can relate.”

Silver nodded listlessly. “Yeah. Studying. That’s right. This will be my first exams. I have to make sure I do well.”

“Right, but don’t push yourself too hard, you know?” Sunny watched her friend’s morose expression. Was studying the only thing making her feel like that? Maybe she needed a little cheering up.

“Mmhm.”

“Umm, hey, Silver…” Sunny pulled at her mulberry hair. “You know, if you’re not busy, we could… uh…”

She didn’t say anything for a while, instead getting a weird look from Canvas across the table.

When she didn’t continue, Silver looked up at her. “Yeah?”

Sunny suddenly felt warmer and she pulled at her bowtie. “Uhhh… we co-could… you know… go hang out…?” Canvas continued to look at her with a weird look, so Sunny quickly turned to her and frowned. “Quit it, paintbrush.”

“Fine.” Canvas pulled out her sketchbook and began drawing.

“Um, hey, I’d like to, Sunny,” Silver answered rather downcasted. “But you know, I’ve got some extra tutors coming in before the exams to help me with my work.”

“Oh… well, okay then.” Sunny watched her. No wonder she looked so down. Then she cursed to herself, unsatisfied with the response. She had worked up the courage to maybe get Silver to go out with her, but she was busy. She still wasn’t a hundred percent sure on all this, but she thought maybe going somewhere with Silver would show her what needed to be done. “So… umm… I, uh… happy studying, Silver. I better get back to the others, see what they’re up to…”

Silver nodded to her as Sunny left the table, walking back to hers. The pink haired girl still looked so dour that Sunny really wanted to find some way to cheer her up, but she was busy with tutors after school, so that was a plan that went out the window.

“So, why is Silver Rose so upset?” Sugarcoat asked the first thing Sunny returned to her table.

“She’s just tired. She’s got special tutors coming in before the exams or something,” Sunny explained as she sat herself down. “Maybe she’s being worked too hard.”

“Tutors, huh?” Indigo said. “Wish I had tutors. I don’t get this chemistry stuff at all.”

“I think you need tutors for all your subjects, Indy!” Lemon Zest giggled.

“Oh, shut it…”

Back at the other table, Silver Rose sighed to herself again, her food quite untouched. She hadn’t had the chance to contact Home Run since her date, trying to keep up her persona identities. The best excuse she could come up with was message him that she was going to be uncontactable for the next few days, because of extra tuition her mother was getting for her to study for the homeschool exam. She had never taken a homeschool exam before, but it was a decent enough excuse for Home Run to not message her, which wasn’t something she was okay with, but it had to be done.

Even right now, as Silver Rose, the young changeling still felt the tug at her heart that she had to do this to Home Run.

“Remember,” Ivory’s voice came. “Food.”

Silver sighed again, more deeply than the first few. It hurt to distance herself from him, but she knew she had to. It was for her own good, like her aunt had said. That was the plan for now, at least until exams were over.

“Hey, you’re still not touching your food, Silver,” Canvas Splash said from beside her, a picture of Sunny’s face now sketched out in her sketchbook, with her pencil now scribbling down the word, ‘rhombus’, in a speech bubble near her mouth. “Really, what’s wrong, Silver?”

“Nothing,” Silver said, starting on her lunch with no enthusiasm. “Home stuff.”

“That’s not nothing,” Canvas said comfortingly. “Come on. Tell me what’s wrong.”

“Oh. I, uh, asked my mother if we could get a puppy,” Silver lied. “She said no.”

“Aw, that’s a shame.” Canvas flipped the page on her sketchbook and put a spoonful of corn in her mouth. “Puppies are cute. You must really want one, huh?”

I really want to see one, yeah, preferably Home Run’s dog… Silver put on a small smile and nodded. “Yeah, I want one. But… my mother’s word is law, so I guess I have no choice.”

“What’s she like at home?” Canvas scooted closer. “Your mom. Is she as cool as she is when she’s filming? Or what?”

“My mother has… high expectations of me,” Silver said carefully. “I’m not sure how nice she is on set, since I’ve never been to one of her filming sessions, but she’s all right at home. She just expects her wishes to be obeyed is all.”

“A high and mighty mom, huh?” Canvas began doodling a mountain and some clouds. “No wonder you’ve got extra tutors and not able to get a puppy.”

“She’s not that bad…” Silver said, taking a bite of her food. “I’m more or less used to it by now.”

“Hmm, yeah, I guess…”

“Man, your mom is awesome!” Neon Lights suddenly spoke up. It seemed he and Sound Wave had been listening for some time. “You see the way she acts in all her films? She’s so diverse!”

“And she’s never been involved in any of those scandalous, uh… scandals!” Sound Wave nodded to something on his headphones. “Famous actors and actresses usually let it all go to their heads and they do something stupid. Your mom’s good enough to keep herself in control.”

“Yeah she does, huh?” Silver rubbed the back of her neck, then muttered under her breath, “Not at home though.”

Silver was sure that screwing one’s own sister would be considered scandalous. It was just that her mother had the sense to do it behind closed doors so that no one ever documented it.

“Man, wouldn’t it be great if I was dating someone cool like Ebony Wings?” Neon Lights leaned back and stretched his arms out. “You think so?”

“Never gonna happen.” Sound Wave shook his head. “Keep dreaming.”

“I will keep dreaming, thank you very much. She was so hot in Topview. She’s my favorite character, even if I’m no good at playing sniper. Man, Snowstorm Entertainment sure knows how to make them.”

“She’s not the same character in the game, nerd.” Sound Wave lifted one side of his headphones. “She’s only the portrayal in the Topview movie.”

“Well whatever. Viper is really hot in game, and she’s even hotter on the movie screen. Man, Silver, your mom sure is the bomb. The director really got a lot of good shots of her during the movie.”

“They did, didn’t they?” Canvas said. “Though the movie was a bit heavy on the fanservice, in my opinion. Too many butt shots.”

“Well, I love me some good butt shots!” Neon Lights said unabashed. “Especially from Ebony Wings and Spark Burns. She’s not half bad as Tracker either. Almost makes me wish the game was in third person so I could stare at their butts while I play.”

“You’re kind of a pervert,” Canvas giggled.

“Kind of? He’s a huge pervert!” Sound Wave looked at his friend. “The game isn’t for staring at butts. I wonder what your teammates will say if you do that.”

Silver Rose couldn’t help but smile. At least her friends here could still find something to be happy about during the exam prep. If they could, then she could too.

“And hey, it’s my mother you’re talking about, Neon Lights.” Silver finally decided to join in. “She might be pretty, but have a little bit of decency, you know? Ha ha.”

“I’m just admiring the assets your mother has.” The grey-skinned boy shrugged. “No harm done. And I haven’t even started about her R-rated movies yet. Man, that scene in The Cabinet Forest where she takes her clothes off-”

“Okay, I think we better finish up our lunch and head over to class.” Sound Wave cut him off and finished the last of his chicken. “Don’t want to be late, do we?”

“Yeah, especially not during exam season,” Canvas agreed. “They might be handing out study guides.”

“I could always take yours.” Neon Lights adjusted his shades and finished his juice. “Done. Time to go. See you later then, Silver Rose. And you, paintbrush.”

And Sound Wave and Neon Lights were off, leaving Silver alone with Canvas at the table, along with her almost full plate of food.

Food…

Even looking at her lunch reminded her of Home Run right now, and normally, that would’ve made her happy, but right now, when she was trying to get her personas in line, it was distracting and painful.

“Ugh, why? Why?” Silver muttered to herself, feeling really depressed.

“You really need to cheer up, Silver.” Canvas packed up her sketchbook. “And it’s almost time for class. Are you going to finish that?”

Silver looked at her plate again and dumped her fork down on it and pushed it away. “I guess not. Why don’t you go ahead first, Canvas. I’m just going to sit here for a while.”

“Oh, um, okay, Silver.” The artist stood up and brought her tray off with her. “If you need anything, just message me, okay?”

“Thanks, Canvas.” Silver sniffed and found the thin trail of compassion from her friend. At least she still had friends.

As the cafeteria crowd began to dwindle, Silver sat there by herself and looked up at the tiled ceiling, just wondering if there was anything she could, anything at all that would let her be with Home Run. It was a silly thought, she knew that, but was there even a chance?

“Unlikely…” the girl exhaled. “Aunt Ivory is right. I need to get things under control. Moonglade loves Home Run. Silver Rose and Chrysidea do not… should not. Am I Moonglade right now? No, no I’m not… I’m not.”

And Silver continued to sit there, thinking about how unfair life was to her. Since things weren’t looking so good here, there was always the doorway to her imagination.

And so that is what she decided to do till the bell rang.