COTE\OC Unpolished Diamond Year 2

Volume 5: Dark Clouds

Chapter 5

Chabs Pov:

Brrrrrr-ing!

TAP

Chabs: ...

The same alarm clock I've had for the last ten years was ringing in my ears. I quickly and silently reached for it and violently slammed the button to stop the alarm without a single care. The excess force caused the alarm clock to fall off the nightstand, letting out one final ping!

My alarm clock wasn't so weak a partner that this level of abuse would break it though, not after all the training it had been through at my hands.

Chabs: It's already six o'clock...?

I muttered those words realizing I had only gotten about two hours of sleep before morning came.

I took off my pajamas, wondering why I'd even bothered putting them on in the first place, and walked over to the washbasin in my underwear with heavy, plodding steps.

As I crossed the room, I picked up my alarm clock off the floor and realized the cover had come off. Specifically, the latch that kept the cover in place had popped out. It had broken before and I had patched up with tape. On top of that, one of its batteries was loose on the floor.

Chabs: Looks like I was a little too rough with you...I'll be more careful tomorrow, so forgive me, okay?

I put the alarm clock on my nightstand, and I walked over to the mirror. 

Chabs: Ugh, I look awful...

I supposed it wasn't too bad, but there was no way I could show my face to my students the way I looked right now. The dark circles under my eyes were even more pronounced because I'd been having a particularly hard time sleeping the past few nights. After carefully washing my face, I lined up my cosmetics, which I typically didn't use at all. 

Well, I supposed it was just because I didn't want my students to know how stressed out I was. I reached for the container of lotion and took it in my hands, but I suddenly caught sight of myself in the mirror. 

Chabs: I certainly look terrible.

Without really thinking, I reached up and touched my cheek. The feel of my skin under my fingertips probably couldn't begin to compare to what it was like during my school days. 

Chabs: I guess I'm getting old too...

It's only been a little over ten years since then, but still, ten years. Just feeling my face was enough to remind me that so much time had passed, whether I liked it or not. 

Chabs: Well, I guess that's probably a trivial problem now...

It wasn't as though this was the first time I was confronted with the passage of time. I always had a firm grasp of the concept. I resumed my previously halted movements, opened the lid, and silently began applying lotion to my skin. 

I knew this would be coming someday. I knew it from the moment I decided to become a teacher. But even so...I wasn't really prepared for it. I couldn't be. 

Chabs: Calm down...This is not my fight. The situation now is different from the way it was then too. The way the class is now, I bet they'll make it through without incident. Yes, they should be able to do just that. There's no point in me being nervous...right?

As I felt my heart beating faster and faster, I tried to tell myself that this was essentially not my problem. Such shallow thinking was useless though, and my heart started to pound in my chest. At this rate, I wouldn't be able to keep myself together before the special exam ended. I was worried about the future.