010

010She swiftly retrieved a hairbrush from her backpack and spent a moment smoothing out her hair. After returning the brush to her bag, she picked up her pencil from the table and readjusted herself in her seat. When she glanced at the clock, she realized that time had stood still and waited patiently for me to be ready.

As I turned back to look at her, she met my gaze with a smile and said, "Take your time."

I grinned at Jennifer's playful banter and returned my attention to my own work. As I began to scribble notes on my paper, the sound of pencils scratching against paper filled the room. It was a familiar sound, one that I had grown accustomed to over the years.

Jennifer found it amusing and let out a chuckle, but her moment of levity was quickly silenced by a nearby student who shushed her. Jennifer didn't take kindly to being shushed and retorted with a sassy comeback.

Despite the mundane task at hand, I couldn't help but feel a sense of contentment as I concentrated on my w