Gemotions

He watched from the car, hands clenched on the steering wheel. The parking lot was filled with cheerful parents, their faces alight with anticipation. David’s stomach clenched. Mr. Henderson. The name, spoken aloud, tasted like ash. He remembered the monotonous droning, the condescending lectures, the utter boredom.

He should be happy for Leo, of course. A good teacher, they said. But the thought of Leo enduring the same glacial pace, the same soul-crushing assignments, filled him with a cold fury. He tapped his fingers impatiently against the steering wheel. He’d told the wife to handle the meet-and-greet. He couldn't.