Report Card Day

Nightcloud stood in the kitchen, wearing a bright pink bedazzled apron tied around her waist. Holding a tray of freshly-baked vanilla cupcakes in one paw, the she-cat studied her frosting selections. She set the tray down on the marble counter and opened a container of purple buttercream frosting. Swirling the thick, sweet cream on the tops of her cupcakes, Nightcloud began looking for an icing dispenser so she could put writing on the top of the treats. Finishing the base of her frosting, she took the dispenser and filled it with red frosting. She began writing large letter As on the cupcakes.

"Perfect for report card day!" the she-cat meowed, staring down at her creation proudly. "Just like my perfect kits and their perfect grades!"

The family sat around the dinner table, finishing a bowl of Nightcloud's homemade spaghetti. The kits gleefully slurped down their noodles, spraying marinara sauce everywhere.

Scourge set his water glass down and gave his daughters a serious look. "Now I do believe we got report cards in the mail today, right?" he asked.

"Yes we did!" Tutu exclaimed happily. "I'm so excited to see what I got in all my classes!"

"Me too!" Misery mewed sweetly. "I hope I got good grades."

Lollipop bit down on a piece of garlic bread. "Who cares about grades? I'm going to get a football scholarship for college. I don't need all As or anything."

Nightcloud jumped up from the table, going to get the day's mail. "Let's look at the report cards before we eat dessert. I just can't wait to see what grades you all got! I'm sure you'll make Scourge and me very proud!"

The black tom took the top envelope out of his mate's paws. "Misery's report card," he growled, glancing at the gray kit. "If you don't have straight As, you will be severely punished, young lady!"

He ripped the envelope open and pulled out a thin yellow sheet. "Hm…Advanced English- A+, Advanced Calculus- A+, Advanced Biology- A+, Advanced World History- A+, Advanced Painting- A+, Advanced Government- A+, and Advanced Drama- A+. Let's see what comments your teachers left…" He turned the sheet over to read the list of comments. "Pleasure to have in class, respectful, a wonderful student, and does exceptional work."

"Oh, good for you, Misery!" Nightcloud gushed, handing the kit a cupcake.

"Yes," Scourge growled, "good for you. You'd better keep it up, though."

Misery unwrapped her cupcake neatly. "I will. I promise," she mewed. "I'm also on the Quiz Bowl team, Chess team, the scrabble team, and the debate team!" She sighed dreamily. "I love school…"

Nightcloud opened the next envelope. "Tutu's report card," she meowed, studying the yellow sheet. "Advanced English- A+, Advanced Calculus- A+, Advanced Chemistry- A+, Advanced World History- A+, Advanced Sculpting- A+, Advanced Creative Writing- A+, and Advanced Psychology- A+."

"Yes, I got all As!" Tutu cried, clapping her paws. "What did my teachers say about me?"

"Hm…you are a pleasure to have in class, you are an excellent student, you are respectful to teachers and students, and are just overall wonderful," Nightcloud read, studying the report card.

The kit nodded proudly. "I thought so. School is just amazing! That's why I joined the Math Bowl, the Science Bowl, and the Spell Bowl! I wish I could live at school!"

Lollipop snorted, glaring at her sister. "Weirdo."

"Well, let's take a look at Sparkle's report card," Scourge meowed, opening another envelope.

The tortoiseshell kit groaned. "Mine won't be as great as Misery's or Tutu's! Please don't me angry with me!"

Her father gave her a stern look before reading her grades. "English- B+, Pre-algebra- A-, World History- B, Biology- A-, Sewing and Textiles- A, Cooking- A, Orchestra (first chair Violin)- A+." Scourge paused for a moment before reading the comments. "Well, this is still a decent report card. You didn't do that badly."

Sparkle sighed heavily. "But I didn't get straight As!"

"That's fine," her father meowed. "At least you're trying. Now let's see what your teachers say about you…Pleasure to have in class, studies well, always pays attention…now these are good comments, Sparkle!"

The kit brightened at her father's praise. "Thank you!"

Nightcloud handed her and Tutu each a cupcake. "I'm so happy to have such smart kits!" She meowed, preparing to open Shimmer's envelope.

"My grades are going to be like Sparkle's," the second tortoiseshell meowed. "I did okay, I guess."

The black she-cat nodded, studying the grades. "English- A-, Pre-algebra- B+, History- B+, Biology- A-, Sewing and Textiles- A, Cooking, A-, Orchestra (first chair Cello)- A+."

Shimmer straightened up in her chair. "Yes! I got an A+ in orchestra!"

Sparkle gave her identical twin a high five. "Aren't we wonderful?" she asked. "We're also in the exact same after school activities! We are both in the Society for Proper Young She-cats, the quilting circle, and in the journalism club!"

"Why are almost all of my six kits failures at being evil?" Scourge grumbled. "Who joins a society for proper she-cats, anyway?"

"We do!" Shimmer meowed. "We're learning how to serve tea properly, waltz, dress like proper Victorian she-cats…"

Her father cut her off. "That will be quite enough. Let's just take a look at Lollipop's report card."

Lollipop's eyes widened. "You don't really want to see that, Dad."

"Why not? Are you trying to scare me?" Scourge asked, opening the envelope. "Let's see here…English- D-, Pre-algebra- D, Chemistry- D+, World History- C-, Advanced Physical Education- A+, Advanced Health and Wellness- A+, and Advanced Sports Medicine- A+. What kind of grade are those?"

"I did well in three classes…" Lollipop mewed, sliding down in her seat.

Scourge slammed the card down on the table. "In the classes that don't count! What about English? History? Math? The ones that will get you somewhere in life? You'll never get into Dark Forest University with grades like those!"

"At least I participate in school," the kit meowed. "I'm on the football team, basketball team, volleyball team, and the wrestling team. I'm the only she-cat on the football and wrestling teams!"

Nightcloud shook her head sadly. "But the school will put you on probation for grades like that," she meowed. "No cupcake for you."

Hashtag pulled her envelope out of Scourge's paws. "I want to read my own report card!"

"You better have good grades, Missy!" her father growled.

The kit shrugged. "Whatever. English- C+, Pre-algebra- B-, World History- B, Chemistry- C-, History of Villains- A+, How to be Evil for Beginners- A+, World Domination for Beginners- A+." She paused, studying her report card. "Those are good enough."

Scourge nodded. "You could get into Dark Forest University with grades like that, I guess. You're doing wonderful in your evil classes."

"Mr. Tigerstar says I'm his favorite student in World Domination, and Ms. Mapleshade says I'm shaping up really well in How to Be Evil," Hashtag mewed. "She even helped me start E.C.U. - Evil Cats United!"

"You started an alliance for evil cats?" Scourge gasped. "There's hope for you yet! I'm so proud of you!"

Nightcloud gathered up the report cards and stuck them on the refrigerator with pink heart-shaped magnets. "Well, five out of the six of you did really great! As a reward, we are all going to Build-a-Bear!"

"Except for Lollipop," her mate meowed. "She has to go to Brackenfur's Better Student Learning Center."

"Dang it!" the kit cried.

Hashtag smiled evilly. "Brackenfur won't tutor her if for some odd reason the school loses her student report…"

"What are you suggesting?" Nightcloud asked, stuffing a cupcake into her mouth.

The kit laughed, rubbing her paws together slowly. "Let's just say the school computers are going to have a bit of an…accident."