Closed starter for @elijahsmalls
Daniel was leaving the school on time–for once– at 3:06 p.m. exactly. He’d decided to give himself a break from excessive grading and lesson planning today; it had been a long morning and he was exhausted. This was a good thing, Daniel’s way of making space for himself to rest. Self care, or whatever.
Waving at coworkers and students, Daniel descended the sides steps of the school; he tended to avoid the front of the building if he was trying to slip out. Plus, he parked his bike on the side, as it was closest to his classroom. Ducking out of the fluorescent lights, Daniel recognized a young man standing by the sidewalk. He’d seen him here a few times, but didn’t think he was a student.
Based on who this mystery man was hanging out with, Daniel had a few concerns. Tucking his phone into his back pocket, Daniel approached him. “Hey, man. Can I help you find something– or someone?” he smiled, genuinely wanting to help.
