9

He inhaled deeply and reached for his phone, and, in his emotionally groggy state, turned off the raging alarm.  Instead of drifting back to sleep he chronicled his dream so he could remember later.  He had asked if he really had to take the pill and the aliens, disguised as handsome blonde men with strong jaws and GQ style, rushed over to catch the pills as they fell from his hand.  Then there was just one standing in front of him.  It pulled out a gun�"was it a flare gun?  Chad wondered where he had seen something similar.  Anyway it fired the gun at Chad’s hip and Chad slumped over in his chair, unable to move anything but his head.  Every inch of him tingled like it was violently asleep, but without the promise that he would wake up.  He saw a girl he used to know sitting nearby and told her he still loved her.  He didn’t mean a word of it.  Then he woke up.  He hadn’t thought of that girl in a really long time, and really he knew more of her more than anything he personally gathered.  What makes you think of someone like that?  And how strange to tell lies because you’re dying.  He rolled over and the sun shined dully on his face�"the first glimpse of sun on a hot day, he thought with a sigh.  Suddenly he jumped up�"he remembered where he was supposed to be and felt a deep pang at the consequences.

 

Staff met the first Monday of the grading period to…well, to go through the motions of a staff meeting, really.  At least there was coffee, though Chad never drank it�"he was just glad that they gave them something.  Looking at the time, he decided to skip the shower and head straight for the ironing board.  His dryer was full of clean but wrinkled clothes and while he could get away with messy hair, wrinkled clothes wouldn’t fly at a staff meeting.