Shooting Star

Friends and Family Day

It was Friends and Family Day. Not the best timing for an argument.

Smolder and Yona got into a heated argument about yaks being 'best at everything,' and Gallus certainly wasn't helping. He took the heat of the moment to turn to Sandbar.

"This could've all been prevented if it weren't for you namby-pamby ponies!" Gallus snapped. "A fucking set of textbooks isn't going to solve everything!"

"Don't look at me!" Sandbar flinched. "I didn't invent these textbooks! Maybe the school isn't the problem, maybe it's you and Smolder terrorizing everyone with your sharp attitude!"

"What the hell did you just say?!" Smolder turned around, slapping Yona with her tail. "I, FUCK!"

"Yona is best at biting tails," Yona smirked, still holding the dragon's tail with her teeth. "Think twice before you insult yaks."

"Hey! What's goin' on here?"

"Shit." Yona spat out Smolder's tail, hearing Applejack's hoofsteps behind her. "I was just lifting my friend's tail to keep it off the ground. Keep it from collecting dirt."

"Like hell you were!" Smolder growled. "This dumb cow-whore bit my tail!"

"You dragons may love your vulgar swears, but we don't," Applejack scowled. "Come to my office, now. Both you and Yona."

Smolder kept hissing profanities when Ocellus whispered something to her. Smolder stopped talking, took a deep breath, and nudged Ocellus away.

"Fine." Smolder sighed. "Let's go."

"What are you guys still doing here?" Rainbow Dash flew over Gallus and Sandbar. "Go to your classes!"

"Thank Celestia your loud mouth didn't get us in trouble." Sandbar sighed as soon as their teachers left. "I'm sorry this school isn't what you want it to be. But I'm trying to make the best of it, that's all I can do."

"Can't you drop out?" Gallus asked.

"Can't you?" Sandbar retorted. "I know Griffonstone isn't the friendliest of places, but you don't have to be here if you don't want to. Right?"

"I..." Gallus opened his mouth, struggling to find the words. "There's really bad griffons there. I won't go back there if I can help it."

"Bad? How bad?" Sandbar said softly, looking at Gallus. "Wha...what did they do to you?"

"It's a shit-hole, that's all you need to know," Gallus frowned. "And Grandpa Gruff is visiting today, so nopony can tell him about the dropping grades."

"You told me you had a B minus in most of your classes," Sandbar smiled. "That's not too bad."

"I also have a D minus in Kindness class; no surprise there," Gallus huffed. "I'm a piece of shit anyway."

"Whoa, hold up." Sandbar stopped walking, standing in Gallus' way. "Don't you ever call yourself that."

"What? A piece of shit?" Gallus scoffed. "What does it matter if I'm calling myself that? I'm not insulting anybody else."

"Then why would you say that about yourself?" Sandbar frowned. "It's hurtful to you, and I'm not okay with anybody hurting my friends. Not even yourself."

"I'm your friend?" Gallus pointed at himself. "But I thought you couldn't stand me."

"I can't stand how we've been talking to each other," Sandbar admitted. "But this is new terrain for all of us, especially you. Of course I'm your friend, you can't scare me off that easily."