Taking It All For Us

Chapter Two

Aubri

I woke up to the sound of the loudest alarm in the world. I looked around for my phone, but I remembered I started to plug it in the kitchen instead of by my bed. I tell myself that I do it to live a better, more fulfilling lifestyle, but in actuality, I just don't have an outlet next to my bed, and I always prefer my phone not to be at 3% when I wake up.

I slowly dragged myself out of bed and to the kitchen to turn my alarm off. I arrived in the kitchen to realize that my phone wasn't making that noise, nor was my phone showing any signs of life, which means that that annoying ass alarm that had just woken me up four hours early just, unironically, saved me from being late to my first day of work. I need to thank whoever set that alarm later; they are a literal lifesaver.

I unplugged my phone and went to my tiny dining room. My dining room is a cramped little 33 inch by 33-inch space by a big window. I am in denial about not having a dining room table; I am trying to go for the more minimalistic approach. In other means, I am poor and can barely afford my bills and food. So I only have a bed, television that I had found in a dumpster, a mini-fridge, two boxes of cereal, and a small toaster oven. But I mean, hey, what else do you need in life!

I grabbed the Cinnamon Toast Crunch off the floor and went to my bed to eat it while watching my new favorite anime on Netflix, 7 SEEDS. The plot of 7 SEEDS can get a little strange, but I think the apocalyptic setting is a story more animation companies should consider. I looked over at my phone, and I realized it was already 8:55, which meant I had an hour before my first class started.

I finished the episode I was on and then turned off the television, put the cereal away, and went to my closet. Since I had already prepared three different outfits, I decided which one to wear the most. After blanking out the three outfit choices, I had concluded. I don't know why I took so long. I picked option three.

It only took seven minutes to dress; it was only the hair and makeup I hadn't decided on. I always lost track of time as I started to brush out my hair. The best first impression on my new group of students was to style my hair that matched my curl pattern exactly. The best way to do that was to put my hair in half of up, half-down style. I knew damn well from the day I picked my job until now I feel like the time I have spent on my appearance will show my students how much I work to value their education. I will try my best to form intimate and personal relationships with every one of my students, so they will not have to worry when coming to me for any help. The strict teacher-student friendship is not very common in Lechico. It is mostly just nothing but a romance between the two parties, and it has tarnished the school district's reputation.

I mean the good old town of Lechico, where can I even get started. Lechico is a small town that sits on the outskirts of Italy. From the outside view of this town, it looks to be the most peaceful, quiet town in all of Italy. But let me tell you that everyone and everything in this town is never quiet or calm. When I had decided to move here, it was not only for the remarkably cheap rent but also the aspect of community that I couldn't get back home in Chicago. But since I moved here for the new university professor position, my experience hadn't necessarily been remarkable.

For starters, the local news, especially near Bilberry Road, where I just so happened to live, has the worst crime, suicide, and homicide rates I think I have ever seen. A guy had overdosed in his apartment just two weeks ago, which is two doors down from mine. His name was Saejin Wu. from what I knew; he was a great man. I only knew him for a week, though, because I never saw him come out of his apartment when I had first moved in. I just assumed that no one lived there.

Three days before his suicide, he gave me and locket and told me to keep it. When I asked why he told me I needed to have it for safety reasons. He also gave me his cellphone number and a package; the package came from the police after his death.