EMMA&MIKE’S TALE Book 2- Chapter 7 — Effects

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One month later…

The aroma of burnt coffee and stale doughnuts hangs in the air of the teachers’ lounge, a familiar, comforting scent that’s become synonymous with survival.

The coffee machine — a relic from the Stone Age — gurgles and splutters, spilling a steaming cascade of caffeinated goodness into my favorite mug — the one with the dancing flamingos and the slogan “ Keepin’ it Real.”

The last bell has rung, the halls are empty, and the only sounds are the distant hum of the copy machine and the occasional chatter from the teachers’ lounge.

I add a splash of creamer and head back to the relative quiet of my desk in the staff room, my heels clicking on the linoleum floor like a metronome keeping time with my weary thoughts.

I’ve just finished shepherding my little flock of first-graders out the door, the chaotic energy of twenty-five six-year-olds leaving me feeling drained but strangely energized. It’s a feeling I never experienced in the corporate world, a mix of exhaustion and exhilaration that’s both addictive and a little bit terrifying.