At least Alina was feeling cooler by the time the bus reached her stop, the air conditioning of the vehicle having done wonders for her mood. Without her black skirt and plain cream blouse sticking to her skin, she felt more ready to go home... and continue the endless grading of papers and planning of lessons. She had only been teaching for a few months, a newbie compared to some other teachers, but she was definitely sure of one thing. It wasn't easy. And she wasn't sure it ever would be.

But then, what had she been expecting? She hadn't signed up for the job so it could be easy, she had signed up because she had wanted to make a difference. Was she making a difference? With a sigh, Alina made her way to the front of the bus. Made sure to smile at the bus driver. Swiped her card and got off.

As she stepped out, the humidity hit her once more. At least it wasn't as bad as before, now that the sun was about to set. About to set. With a sinking feeling, Alina realized she had spent too long over at the school. She still had to make dinner, prepare for tomorrow, wash and iron her clothes, make sure she actually [i]had food to last her through the week[/i], and a whole lot more. Lately, she felt like she wasn't in control for enough of the time. 

Beginning to walk the well known route back to her apartment, Alina allowed her smile to drop and her shoulders to slump, tired eyes becoming more vacant as she allowed her mind to wander. She was alone now. This section rarely had more than one or two people walking it at a time, and now it was just her. [hr][@Dracorex]