Graded in Red

Chapter One

I thought about that famous saying, "The best-laid plans..."? Yeah, 18-year-old me didn't believe our plans would go sour. I closed the last moving box in my small overly expensive apartment in the city and thought back on all of the decisions I had made since I was 18 years old. As a new graduate, I thought that I had the world in my hands. I remember always being told growing up that as long as I worked hard, got good grades, and graduated with a degree, I could be anything that I wanted to be.

I didn't realize back then that life's recipe for success had a few secret ingredients scribbled in invisible ink. You know, those ingredients like luck, chance, and a sprinkle of 'knowing the right person at the right time.' Unfortunately, my life felt more like I was handed a cookbook missing half the pages.

So here I am, with a degree in education and history, ready to conquer the world, or at least a classroom. But reality hit me like a rogue dodgeball in gym class. Turns out, finding a teaching job was like chasing a unicorn in rush-hour traffic - elusive and nearly impossible.

Instead of molding young minds and inspiring the next generation, I found myself in a cubicle, selling the next big thing that would save humanity from boredom. Corporate life was as thrilling as watching paint dry, only with more coffee and fewer moments of existential dread.

Then there was Giles. Ah, Giles. He wasn't just a boss; he was a smooth-talking enigma, a mix between a motivational speaker and a used car salesman. His compliments were smoother than the corporate elevator's jazz playlist. I fell for it, hook, line, and stapler.

But as it turned out, Giles wasn't just married to his job; he was married, period. Talk about a plot twist that made my life seem like a bad rom-com with a tragic ending. Note to self: never trust a guy whose marriage is a secret rivaling Area 51.

Cue the cosmic laugh track. Here I was, contemplating my life choices, feeling like the underdog in a rom-com where the heroine keeps stumbling on her way to love and success. It was time for a reset button, a cosmic mulligan.

So, when my childhood friend Victoria rang about a teaching gig in my old stomping ground, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, I thought, "Why not? It's not like I had a plan anyway, might as well go back to where the Wi-Fi connects automatically to save money on data."

And oh, the cherry on top? Moving back in with Mom and Dad. If past-me knew this was in the cards, she'd probably scream louder than at a Hanson concert.