As the morning sun rose, Pinkie Pie bounded Sugarcube Corner, humming with each bounce. Taking in an atmosphere-worth of breath, she leaped into the foyer, and started to shout a welcome to the day—but stopped when she heard an agitated quill scratch. She scanned the restaurant, only to find Cheerilee sitting near a window, head stuffed into a pile of papers. A deep frown was etched onto her face, and every few moments she would growl and rub her eyes. Pinkie trotted over and peered over her shoulder.

“Oh!” Cheerilee piped after a minute, recoiling away. “Pinkie, I didn't even notice you.”

“What’s up?” Pinkie asked, offering Cheerilee a smile. “Is something wrong? You’re redder than one of my sister Maud’s pascoite piles!”

Cheerilee sighed and turned back to her papers, which were smothered in red ink. “It’s this student of mine, Sticky Note. He’s amazing at math and science, but his writing is… ugh!”

Pinkie winced. “Is it really that bad?”

“You have no idea.” Cheerilee picked up a sheet. “This paper is supposed to be about the Griffon-Pony War, but instead he writes about how his brother is a skywriter. And here: in one sentence, he switches between the future and present perfect tenses five times. He’s the worst writer I’ve ever seen!”

"Cheerilee!" Pinkie gasped. “That’s mean!”

“Oh, I know!” Cheerilee covered her eyes. “And I know that it’s not his fault—it’s mine. I feel like an absolute failure. A professor of mine once told me that teacher is a doctor, curing their students of ignorance. But it feels like I’m just injecting Sticky Note with poison!”

“Don’t say that.” Pinkie wrapped Cheerilee in a hug. “You’re a fantastic teacher. Who taught me where babies come from?”

Cheerilee sniffled. “Me…?”

“Uh-huh! And now I’m best friends with the Stork! You just gotta stay positive. Sticky Note will come around eventually.”

“Maybe.” Cheerilee’s eyes fell. “But recently, he’s stopped coming to class altogether! I don’t know what to do.”

Pinkie elbowed her in the side. “You know, I don’t start my shift for another hour. Do you want me to find him and talk some sense into him?”

“You’d really do that?” Cheerilee asked. When Pinkie nodded, she clapped her hooves. “Wonderful! I think he lives on the west side of town.”

“Roger!” Pinkie saluted. “I’ll catch that class dodger!” She bounded away, out the door and into the horizon.

---

It took about ten minutes for the leaping equine to find her target. Sticky Note was standing under the West Side Fountain, in the shade of the massive titanium dragon statue. He wore a jacket with the number ‘25’ on the front. “Hiya!” Pinkie chirped, landing next to him.

He flicked a glance up at her. “Hey.”

“Whatcha doin’?”

“Breathing.” He snorted. “Why, is that a crime?”

“Uh, no, I don’t think so.” Pinkie put on another grin. “I have something that I think you’ll like!”

“I wouldn’t be surprised,” the foal muttered, turning up his nose. “I’m a fan of most everything. Even the things society tells me I shouldn’t be a fan of.”

Pinkie giggled. “Me too, I think! Hey, do you like doctors?”

Sticky Note cringed, but nodded, a small bead of sweat running down his neck.

“Then why don’t you ever go see them?”

“…What?” Sticky Note took a few quick glances around. “Is this a trick question?”

“Nope, no tricks here. My nose is twitchy, which means I’m being serious.” Pinkie sat down next to him. “How come you haven’t been going to school lately?”

“Huh? What does that have to do with—whatever.” Sticky Note rolled his eyes. “School is for brainwashed sheep.”

“Oh, I get it—my sister Marble used to say the same thing. But you have to go to school!”

“Why? It’s not like I can learn anything useful there.”

“Sure you can.” Pinkie wrapped a leg around his shoulders. “How are you gonna write your anti-establishment manifesto if you don’t ever learn how to write well?”

“…Huh. I never thought of that!” Sticky Note chuckled and looked up at Pinkie. “And I did want to start an underground magazine called Bad Horse…”

“That’s the spirit. And Miss Cheerilee is the best pony to teach you how to write!”

“You’re right!” Sticky Note ran away, head high. “I’m getting an education! Viva la revolución!”

Pinkie Pie beamed, a blazing inferno of warmth settling over her heart. She walked back home, knowing that the world was a little brighter.