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Description
Settling into middle school was not exactly the huge deal it was made out to be for Seaweed Swirl. There was the initial adjustment period of moving to a new school that any foal went through, finding her way around the school and trying to get caught up with the curriculum and all that.

But ponies weren’t mean to her like her dad feared, and she hadn’t really done anything extraordinary like her mom seemed to think she would. It had only been a couple weeks but so far ponies hardly batted an eye at her presence. And while she was kind of lonely not knowing anypony, she kind of liked the anonymity. It was better than the alternative.

That didn’t mean she didn’t have struggles, though.

Middle school was loud. More than elementary school, even. The halls were filled with ponies who still had the maturity of children but were charged with the hormones of adolescence, making for an almost constant, unbridled racket.

Seaweed tried to deal with it as best she could, but it was hard when she was trying to learn.

She was trying to listen to the teacher but her hearing aids picked up fragments of some other conversation, making it all the more difficult to focus.

“Oh my gosh, did you hear what happened at Clementine’s birthday party?”

There was whispering too quiet for Seaweed to hear.

“No way!”

The voices burst out giggling, high-pitched and highly annoying.

Did they not learn how to be quiet and pay attention in elementary school?

Seaweed whipped her head around every which way, searching for the source of the sound. Then she spotted the culprits directly behind her.

“Hey, um, can you guys maybe be quieter?”

One of them rolled their eyes.

“Sure, whatever.”

But they only continued giggling, barely any quieter than before.

Seaweed turned back around to face the teacher and noticed that he’d put on a video. There were no subtitles! How was she supposed to listen and follow along when there was so much going on?

“Excuse me!”

She shot her hoof up.

“Can you turn on subtitles?”

Her teacher peered down at her over his glasses rather condescendingly as he made a note in his folder.

“Speaking before you’re called on, strike one.”

Seaweed felt absolutely ashamed. She tried so hard to be a good and patient student but this was something that couldn’t wait. This was her accommodation, she needed it to be able to learn. She knew her mom would give that teacher an earful later but for now she was too overwhelmed to think of that. Only two weeks in and she was already falling behind! And the chatter behind her didn’t help at all.

So she buried her head into her desk, fighting every urge to just rip her hearing aids out right then and there.

“Hello?”

Suddenly she felt a tap on her shoulder. So she looked up.

“Hi. I’m Thistle.”

The filly next to her smiled warmly at her, speaking in a hushed voice that was just loud enough for Seaweed to hear.

This was the first time anypony had really looked at her this week, it was a welcome change.

“Can I help you take your notes?”

Oh Gaiawinkle, it was like this filly knew exactly what she needed all along.

Before Seaweed could nod in approval, Thistle slid her desk up against hers almost without invitation. She passed her own notes over to Seaweed and quickly started writing on a new sheet of paper.

“I know it’s hard to hear so I got you! Don’t worry about taking your own notes, just enjoy the movie. I’ll even do the worksheet for you afterwards.”

Seaweed chuckled at what she took to be a joke from Thistle before she turned her full attention to the movie, which the teacher had begrudgingly put on subtitles for. Thistle offering to take her notes was such a small gesture but it meant so much to her. Just being accommodated with no hesitation.

With this kind of support she could actually learn with no barriers, like everypony else. This was what school should have been from the very beginning.

~~~~~~~~~~

Previous: Training
Next: Vicariously Through Me

Description
Settling into middle school was not exactly the huge deal it was made out to be for Seaweed Swirl. There was the initial adjustment period of moving to a new school that any foal went through, finding her way around the school and trying to get caught up with the curriculum and all that.

But ponies weren’t mean to her like her dad feared, and she hadn’t really done anything extraordinary like her mom seemed to think she would. It had only been a couple weeks but so far ponies hardly batted an eye at her presence. And while she was kind of lonely not knowing anypony, she kind of liked the anonymity. It was better than the alternative.

That didn’t mean she didn’t have struggles, though.

Middle school was loud. More than elementary school, even. The halls were filled with ponies who still had the maturity of children but were charged with the hormones of adolescence, making for an almost constant, unbridled racket.

Seaweed tried to deal with it as best she could, but it was hard when she was trying to learn.

She was trying to listen to the teacher but her hearing aids picked up fragments of some other conversation, making it all the more difficult to focus.

“Oh my gosh, did you hear what happened at Clementine’s birthday party?”

There was whispering too quiet for Seaweed to hear.

“No way!”

The voices burst out giggling, high-pitched and highly annoying.

Did they not learn how to be quiet and pay attention in elementary school?

Seaweed whipped her head around every which way, searching for the source of the sound. Then she spotted the culprits directly behind her.

“Hey, um, can you guys maybe be quieter?”

One of them rolled their eyes.

“Sure, whatever.”

But they only continued giggling, barely any quieter than before.

Seaweed turned back around to face the teacher and noticed that he’d put on a video. There were no subtitles! How was she supposed to listen and follow along when there was so much going on?

“Excuse me!”

She shot her hoof up.

“Can you turn on subtitles?”

Her teacher peered down at her over his glasses rather condescendingly as he made a note in his folder.

“Speaking before you’re called on, strike one.”

Seaweed felt absolutely ashamed. She tried so hard to be a good and patient student but this was something that couldn’t wait. This was her accommodation, she needed it to be able to learn. She knew her mom would give that teacher an earful later but for now she was too overwhelmed to think of that. Only two weeks in and she was already falling behind! And the chatter behind her didn’t help at all.

So she buried her head into her desk, fighting every urge to just rip her hearing aids out right then and there.

“Hello?”

Suddenly she felt a tap on her shoulder. So she looked up.

“Hi. I’m Thistle.”

The filly next to her smiled warmly at her, speaking in a hushed voice that was just loud enough for Seaweed to hear.

This was the first time anypony had really looked at her this week, it was a welcome change.

“Can I help you take your notes?”

Oh Gaiawinkle, it was like this filly knew exactly what she needed all along.

Before Seaweed could nod in approval, Thistle slid her desk up against hers almost without invitation. She passed her own notes over to Seaweed and quickly started writing on a new sheet of paper.

“I know it’s hard to hear so I got you! Don’t worry about taking your own notes, just enjoy the movie. I’ll even do the worksheet for you afterwards.”

Seaweed chuckled at what she took to be a joke from Thistle before she turned her full attention to the movie, which the teacher had begrudgingly put on subtitles for. Thistle offering to take her notes was such a small gesture but it meant so much to her. Just being accommodated with no hesitation.

With this kind of support she could actually learn with no barriers, like everypony else. This was what school should have been from the very beginning.

~~~~~~~~~~

Previous: Training
Next: Vicariously Through Me