“Settle down, settle down…” Mrs. LoveLane called out to the class as she entered. She made her way to the desk at the front, a folder in one hand and a coffee in the other.

  Her features weren’t particularly unique. Blonde hair twisted into a bun, thin glasses, and a standard secretary’s skirt. She looked like the stereotypical librarian type—just as strict, but in teacher form.

  “Come on, Miss! We all wanna pass this!” someone shouted from the back as she sat down.

  “What did I get?!” another called out, and within seconds, the whole class joined in, erupting into a chorus of questions and demands.

  “Open the folder, Miss!”

  “They had to have accepted me, my resume’s flawless!”

  One student off to the side sat with their fingers crossed, eyes closed in silent hope. Another had clasped their hands together like they were praying for divine intervention.

  Mrs. LoveLane let out a long, heavy sigh before finally opening the folder she’d walked in with.

  “Oh, shut up, you damn brats!” she snapped.

  The class immediately began to settle, voices dropping from excited shouts to scattered murmurs, then to barely audible whispers. Finally, silence.

  “Okay…” she began, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “Since this is the final period of the day, and the last day of the semester, I’ll read through this, and then you can leave—or do whatever it is you lot do after this.”

  She took another sip from her coffee, grabbed the folder more firmly, and stood up. Moving to the side of her desk, she opened it fully. Inside were four sheets of paper.

  “By now, you all should’ve memorised your assigned resume number,” she said. “So I’m only reading out numbers and placements. You should all get an email that confirms your start date.”

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  She cleared her throat as she scanned the first page.

  “34221—Your initial application was denied, but you have been accepted under Princelly’s Pizza & Parties.”

  A student near the front sighed dramatically, then slumped forward, burying his face in his arms.

  “22313, 54712, 32111, 88897, 42571, 25416, and 98971 have all been accepted to join Elvalum Entertainment,” LoveLane continued.

  A small group of students—mostly the ones you’d expect—exchanged nods, awkward smiles, and a few celebratory handshakes.

  “45352, 89372, 42552, 78789, 12421, 89823, 43442, and 49990 have gotten internships with Hemsannic’s Productions,” she said, flipping to the second page. “There was a note attached to the letters of acceptance. Apparently, their recruiter was impressed… Somehow…”

  Scattered among the desks, a few students whispered “yes…” under their breath, trying to keep their excitement quiet.

  “22312 and 33332—Jim’s Janitorial.”

  She paused to take another sip of her coffee.

  “90900, 55465, and 54345 have been redirected to Otto’s Lamps,” she concluded.

  She shut the folder with a soft snap and looked out over the class.

  “This concludes the first section of your work experience course and marks the beginning of the second. All those listed will begin their placements tomorrow and will continue for the next twenty days. Don’t get fired, and you pass the subject. Sound easy?”

  The class nodded, some murmuring quietly to each other in agreement, their earlier energy now replaced with a mixture of relief and resignation.

  Mrs. LoveLane gave a small nod to herself, then flipped one of the pages in the folder. She looked at it with all the emotion of someone scanning a grocery list.

  “Oh—also, Ace. Your application to Whelmen was rejected. Along with every other one of the school’s potential recruiters.”

  A heavy silence followed.

  Ace stared at her, dumbfounded. The words didn’t register at first. His mind searched for meaning, but nothing came. He was completely lost, speechless.