As sprinkles of rain pelted against the classroom window, Lyra sighed. The teacher droned on relentlessly about mathematical equations while Lyra's eyelids began to droop.

Thoughts about performing onstage in front of hundreds of ponies drifted through her mind. Becoming famous, having adoring fans, and most of all, being able to create and perform beautiful music, that was the life.

Looking over at the teacher, Lyra found that the only thing coming out of her mouth was gibberish. Try as she might, Lyra just wasn’t interested in learning about math. Steadily, she could feel her face sagging as she did her best to block the teacher’s lecture out of her head. Instead, she dreamed about becoming one of the best musicians in Equestria.

Bam!

A sharp pain thrust through Lyra’s head.

“Lyra!” Miss Notation glared at her.

“Huh, what, what?” Lyra’s head had slipped, slamming into the desk. Her forehead throbbed, her heart racing at a hundred miles per hour as Lyra looked back at the scowling teacher.

“Err, sorry.”

“What did I tell you about sleeping in my class?”

“I… I wasn’t sleeping. I was just resting my eyes and my hoof slipped.” Lyra beamed at Miss Blank with the most innocent smile she could muster.

Miss Notation sighed and shook her head. “Nice try. See me after class.”

Lyra shrugged.

Miss Blank turned around and continued her lecture. “Now then, could somepony tell me the answer to this question?” She glared at Lyra again. “Somepony’s that been paying attention, perhaps?”

Lyra rolled her eyes and looked out the window again. As she watched a single droplet slide down the window, she sighed.

---

“Is something wrong?” After class, when everypony had left, Miss Notation came over and sat next to Lyra. She stared at her with a piercing gaze.

“No.”

“Then why do you keep falling asleep in class? Do you find me boring?”

Lyra remained silent.

“If you don’t pay attention, you won’t be able to get good grades, or a good job, or—”

“I don’t care!” Lyra stood up, surprised by her own sudden bravado.

“Excuse me?”

“I said I don’t care. Who needs it anyway? I’m going to become the best musician in Equestria!”

Miss Notation’s mouth gaped open for several seconds before she came to her senses. “Hmpf.” Miss Notation stood up and towered over her. “You? Don’t make me laugh.”

“What?” Lyra gasped.

Miss Notation squinted her eyes. “Lyra, you’re nearly failing this class. At the rate you’re going, you won’t be able to become a musician, let alone the greatest anything.”

Miss Notation walked to the front of the room and sat at her desk. “If you can’t even make it through a simple math class like this, how do you think you’ll be able to make it in the real world? You may as well kiss your dreams goodbye if you don’t shape up.” She sighed as she added, “You’re dismissed.”

Lyra’s ears lay flat on her head and she raised a hoof, but she thought better of it and remained silent. Her shoulders deflated as she stared at the floor. Grabbing her bookbag and throwing it over her back, she drifted towards the exit.

As Lyra put her hoof on the door, Miss Notation spoke up. “You have a lot of potential, Lyra. Don’t waste it.”

After shutting the door behind her, Lyra paused for a minute. Looking back, she saw Miss Notation cradling a picture in her hooves. Instead of her trademark scowl, her face was sullen. A tear streamed down her face.

“I won’t. You’ll see.”