“Just when you think you’re done, you realize there are still five more things to do,” June muttered, and tossed her pen into the air.

“Oh, that doesn’t stop,” a faintly southern accent replied. “Sam. Appalachian folklore, mostly.”

She leaned back and tried lean back in the tiny office, bumping into the bookcase. “June. I talk to myself, obviously. But since you’re here, tips are very welcome.”

He grinned and ran a hand over his white-blond Mohawk. “Go with the flow, mostly, especially for your first term.”

“Does it get better?”

“Oh, no.” He shook his head emphatically. “I’m about to fail half my class for using AI. If you time it right, tomorrow you’ll see a whole lot of sad puppies trailing through the hallway.”

“All to tell you how it’s not their fault.”

He shrugged, and adjusted the pink pocket square tucked into his vest. “You get used to it, sort of, but it helps to focus on the ones who’re actually here to learn.”

June snagged a precariously perched coffee mug and winced at how cold it had become. “Sam, it’s good to meet you.”

***

Prompt trade this week with Leigh Kimmel – check it out over at MOTE!