it was just another ordinary day at abbott elementary—or so everyone thought. suddenly, the lights flickered and then went out, plunging the school into darkness. whispers of confusion spread like wildfire among the students and teachers.
ava, always ready for chaos, leaped into action. she ran down the halls with a camping lantern strapped to her head, the beam of light bouncing around as she yelled, "we going into the end times, y'all! this is not a drill!"
janine peeked out of her classroom, squinting into the darkness. "ava, what's going on?"
"well, what does it look like, janine?" ava shot back. "it looks like you might actually have to teach without your fancy smartboard! get ready for the apocalypse, girl!"
meanwhile, inside janine's classroom, the students were buzzing with excitement. "this is just like a horror movie!" one kid shouted, clinging to a flashlight as if it were a life preserver.
barbara, trying to maintain order, stood up with a hand on her hip. "everyone stay calm! we just need to find some light sources. remember, we're teachers; we can improvise!" she quickly pulled out her phone, illuminating the classroom with its screen.
"great idea, barbara!" jacob said, holding up a handful of glow sticks he'd somehow produced from his bag. "who wants to turn this into a dance party?"
"no dancing in my classroom!" barbara warned, but a few kids had already started busting out moves to an imaginary beat.
gregory, peeking out of his room, saw the glow sticks and groaned. "what are you doing, jacob? this is a crisis, not a rave!"
"relax, gregory! this is a great teaching moment!" jacob replied. "we can teach them about bioluminescence or something!"
"i don't think this is how that works," gregory muttered, shaking his head.
ava dashed past janine's classroom again, and she was still hollering, "somebody call 911! the lights are out, and so is my social media presence! if i don't get a post in the next hour, my followers will riot!"
"is that really your biggest concern right now?" janine asked, exasperated.
"obviously!" ava exclaimed. "how else will i show everyone how brave i am in the face of danger? i need my followers to know i'm a beacon of light in this dark world!"
just then, melissa emerged from the supply closet, where she'd been searching for candles. "i found a few! but they're all scented! who wants a whiff of lavender in the dark?"
"sure, let's distract the intruders with the smell of lavender," gregory deadpanned.
"it's calming!" melissa shot back, lighting a candle. "plus, if we're going to be in the dark for a while, at least we can have a pleasant atmosphere!"
ava, still standing by mr. johnson's classroom, decided to act like she was helping him find a flashlight. in reality, she was more interested in getting the power back on so she could start posting her "survival" photos. "mr. johnson, have you found anything? we need a light source!"
"i have a solar-powered flashlight, but it's useless right now," he said, rummaging through his desk. "why do you care so much? it's not like you teach science."
"because, mr. johnson, my image depends on it!" ava replied dramatically, waving her hands as if she were in a soap opera. "i need the lights back on so my followers can see how brave i am during this disaster!"
the lights flickered back on just as she finished her sentence, illuminating the classroom and the chaos around them. "thank goodness! finally!" she shouted, striking a pose for her imaginary camera. "everyone, act natural; the light is back!"
as the teachers gathered around, barbara shook her head with a smile. "you are truly one of a kind, ava."
"and don't you forget it, barbara!" ava replied, grinning widely. "now, who's ready for a post-apocalypse dance party? glow sticks optional!"
the teachers couldn't help but laugh, relieved that the power was back and ready to embrace whatever ridiculousness came next at abbott elementary.
