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Staring at ined I spentjunk food while snuggling up with Whiskers Ugly bruises shaped like that asshole’s fat sausage fingers marks my cheek My top lip is puffy and sore Makeup can’t cover that which is shit luck for me I start my new job today

Applying ht with a biker Hand touchingoff my airway I close my eyes and take five deep breaths I remind myself it could’ve been worse Some women aren’t as lucky as ht out with aup for that app Nicholas never would play into my fantasies I wanted to experience it at least once What I got didn’t meet expectation

Applyingsound Hiss The action forces a wince out ofwill be fun today Not In the bedroos froh the holes as I strut down the stairs

“Good , Mr Puss” I bend to scratch him behind his ears

“Meow” He rubs againsthis breakfast Half wet, half dry, I fill his food bowl and change out his water I snagthat reads: Black Like My Soul, by the handle and fill it to the brim with coffee I don’t have tiranola bar on the drive One luxury ICreek has a Dairy Bar, that’s great but they don’t serve breakfast and the diner in town, as I discovered last week is always crowded

I pause in front of the alcove between the dining rooer’s phone number stares back atI wouldn’t ain if he hadn’t been present for one of theexperiences of my life He was cool about it but still no one wants alike that I snatch the post it and tuck it in my purse Not that I expect to use it, but one never knohen a psycho bikerhis ass handed to him in front of a crowd

“Be a good boy today,” I call out to Whiskers as though he understandsthe door behindunusual Before I unlock h the rear passenger s I’ht tingling sensationmy throat and I s

This is stupid I enter in my first day as the replacement for Mrs Wild She had a heart attack last week and won’t be back for this semester I had accepted the position to be her assistant but noill be taking over the class My bank account is healthy Nicholas didn’t askin the divorce, but to be fair he kept the house, and I had my inheritance from my father

Parking in ine and look over my appearance in the visorthe bruises Buses are already at the loop dropping kids off I grab et this over with

In the teacher’s lounge I clock in and grab a donut I forgot to grab a granola bar when I left the house

“Good reets me

“Hey”

“You nervous? First day and all”

Inside I’ position After college I never entered the workforce My ex-husband wanted to start a fas that eventually drove us apart He respected h to come to e and he had met someone When he told ave hi, but he waited until the divorce was final Nicholas is a good e while relatively easy, it hurt I lost my best friend

There’s three sets of parents and their kids standing outside of my door I stick my white powdered donut between et the door open and tear off a bite of the sugary goodness, then down it with my coffee as they file into the classroom behind me I place my purse in the bottom drawer of the desk