His classroom smells the way it always has.

He asks me to sit at his desk and grade freshman papers.

I say nothing.

Just take the red pen

mark everything wrong.

I should be in Mrs. Fisher’s class failing

Algebra II

but I’m here

and he’s here

and his classroom door is closed

and maybe I’m supposed to write

about what happens next

but maybe if I pretend

none of this is real

it won’t be.