Jan. Week 4: Tuesday morning--Leah declines to see Mr. Howard during her planning (Tenure: -25, Luck+10)

Leah's planning period came. Mr. Howard wouldn't--not with Leah's help at least. She retreated to her classroom, the fluorescent lights humming overhead like a judgment. Leah closed her classroom door and locked it as the last student exited and the halls turned quiet. Leah got comfortable behind her desk and pulled out her lesson planner, the crisp pages a stark contrast to the grimy reality waiting in the janitor’s closet and the principal’s office. Her fingers traced over tomorrow’s schedule then pulled out a stack of ungraded quizzes, and clicked her pen open. The hollow tip of it tapped against the first bubble sheet—once, twice—as if trying to puncture the silence. She would plan. She would grade. She would do the job she was actually paid to do.