Chapter 162

Karina

February

I'm watching the kids that just filed into my classroom. On Friday afternoons, typically everyone is hyped up, not paying attention and ready to go. This afternoon, I notice one person in particular, is pretty far off that game.

Caleb has a seat at the desk he normally occupies and puts his head down, burrowing deeply into the hoodie he wears, pulling it up over his head. I try to catch his eye, but he keeps his head down, eyes closed.

"How's it going today?" I ask the class as a whole.

"Long day, Ms. H," one of the guys sighs as he shakes his head. "Really long day. I can't speak for the rest of the class, but I had a freakin' pop quiz in Calculus that I'm ninety-nine percent sure I bombed. Happy Friday to me."

Reaching into my desk, I grab a chocolate bar. "Here ya go, Maddox. Bury your sorrows in chocolate, works for me."

He gives me a smile before he rips it open and eats half of it in one bite. "Anybody having a good day?" I prompt them.

There's a