Max glanced at the classroom clock. For the love of god I need nicotine, he thought, pretending to focus on 8-year-old Sarah’s story. Something about how she and Philip had pretended to be chickens at the trampoline place?
His usual trick was asking one of the aides to cover while he “went to the bathroom.” Nodding pleasantly at Sarah, he checked the hallway again; nobody in sight.
“…so the workers, they, they chased us, then they caught us, and they put, they put us in a cage!” She cackled maniacally.
He only had a few minutes before their long afternoon block began; memories of going 90 minutes without a fix made him grind his teeth.
Just as he texted one of the aides, he sensed a sudden motion behind him. Turning around, he saw Jimmy covered in barbecue sauce, his packet having apparently exploded when he most certainly used too much force opening it.
Max sighed, nodding; it was gonna be one of those afternoons.
“Ok buddy,” Max said tightly to the filthy child. “Why don’t you go to the bathroom and–”
He turned as the classroom door opened. Janet, one of the aides, popped her head in, her hijab framing her face like the angelic saviour she was. His heart sang.
“Hi Mr. Fisher,” she started. “I saw your text but couldn’t answ-”
She stopped as the heavily sauced Jimmy approached her..
“Oh, what..?” Janet looked at Max. “Do you want me to take him–”
“That’s okay!” he said, a bit too forcefully. He stepped to his bag, subtly palming his purple vape. “I needed to go to the bathroom anyway; can you just watch the kids for a sec?”
He ushered Jimmy out of the classroom, then stepped ahead of him and into the teacher stall of the bathroom.
He would savor this. Closing his eyes and leaning against the wall, he put the vape to his mouth and inhaled. A moment later, he resignedly opened his eyes to regard the ceiling, and reflect on his lack of foresight to charge the fucking thing last night.
Oh no.
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