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Alicia

“Can we quit now?” Maria’s voice breaks through the quiet inup the points on a chemistry quiz “Give me permission to quit now Or kill me I don’t care any toi up your count? Aht, two, three thousand and twenty-four…”

Laughing, I write the score at the top of the sheet and glance up Maria’s leaning back against the frareen and leafy out of a huge Tupperware container, and looking gloriously frazzled—dress shirt untucked fro out of her French braid, cat-eye glasses perched at the tip of her nose as if pushing theth than she has left

“Only three more days,” I remind her

“Three more days of classes,” she emphasizes “But another week for us So you knohat unfresh hell will continue?”

“Lauren reheating fish in the microwave?”

I h the teacher’s lounge is on the opposite side of the building, I can snore it Trying so hard, thoughBecause the so Instead it just ry

But everything ry

“Yessss,” Maria hisses, then shoots a furtive glance around toLauren I dashed to the fridge but my shirt still picked up that stink Whichto teach seventh grade boys who think they’re real damn clever with their fish jokes”

Seventh grade girls are usually worse More vicious They’re just sneakier with the jokes, a little quieter I hear them, anyway

I shakeLauren”

“And—and—as if that wasn’t enough bullshit today”—she takes a huge bite of salad and then chehile saying—“Ava’s rade she earned on her last essay On the phone”

“Which Ava?”

“Chase-Carroll,” she says withoutwhat smells like sunflower seeds and kale “On the phone What’s wrong with e- a phone call over e-mail? Even face-to-face is better than a phone call—and I hate people So if I’d rather be face-to-face? You know it’s bad”