The only lab in the city was Wendell's. If they wanted to work at another, they'd have to make an even longer commute than usual, and they didn't have the energy to do that. They'd need multiple jobs if they wanted almost any other job nearby.

Lin was constantly reminding them about the teaching job - it was close by, and they already knew one of the teachers. It was a science-related job. To Lin, it was perfect.

The two were on a walk, resting at a bench in the park when Lin brought it up again.

"Aiden's certain you'd get the job."

"Stop talking about my unemployment to your boyfriend," Lance sighed, leaning back. "It's weird."

"It's not weird," Lin argued, "I-I just want you to be able to do something you enjoy."

"So you talk to Aiden about my unemployment?"

"You act like this is the worst thing I've said about you." Lin's tone was teasing. Lance wondered what they had said to Aiden about them. "I'm serious, though. Have you considered it?"

"Not really," Lance admitted, lowering their voice, "I'm not sure if I want to teach."

"You do tours all the time! It's a lot like that, just in a classroom."

Lin had a good point.

"I don't know."

"Let me give you Aiden's phone number," Lin suggested, "You can talk to him about it. He'll give you more information than I could give."

"Lin-"

"You don't ever have to use his number, but you should at least have it."

Lance didn't have much say in the matter. Lin pulled their phone from their pocket and unlocked it, entering Aiden's phone number in record time. Lance barely had time to react.

"There! Now you can ask him anything!"

"Thanks," Lance sighed. They knew Lin wasn't going to let it go. "I'll think about it. I actually will, this time."

The two made their way back to the apartment, silent the entire walk. Lin unlocked the door and opened it grandly, bowing dramatically as Lance walked in.

"Stop being weird." Lance shoved Lin playfully. "It's bad enough you talk about me to your boyfriend."

"You're an interesting topic!"

"I'm going to take a nap. Don't bother me." Lance made a face at Lin, who mimicked the expression. "See you in a few hours."

"Bye-bye!"

Lance closed their bedroom door, locking it behind them as they went to close his blinds. They stood in the middle of their room, enjoying the quiet for a few moments before crawling under the covers. They leaned their phone against their pillow and looked at Aiden's contact, unsure of what to do.

Hey. It's me, Lance. (Lin's roommate.) They gave me your number so we could discuss what the teaching position would be like a bit more in detail. If you don't want to talk about it, would you send me somebody who would?

Lance sent the message and buried their face in their arm. A few seconds later, their phone pinged.

Hello! I'm glad you're messaging me about this!

Would you prefer to continue over text (we could also email if you'd like) or call?

Calling works. Thanks.

Lance's phone rang soon after. They pressed the green button and put the phone on speaker.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Lance!" Aiden's voice rang clear. "How are you?"

"I'm doing well. You?"

"Pretty good," Aiden replied, "I'm a little busy right now, so I'll just get straight into things - Do you know if you want to take the job or are you curious and don't have a certain answer yet?"

"I don't know," Lance admitted, sighing. "I want to at least hear it out."

"Alright! Lin told me you don't have a license, so you would have to be taking teaching classes while you're teaching."

"Of course they did." Lance pinched the bridge of their nose. "That's fine. I don't mind that much."

"Sounds good. I can send you some different courses you can take and give you some more information on that over text." Aiden sounded as though he was moving around. Voices echoed in the background. "As for the actual job days and standards, you'd be teaching six classes a day during the school week, and it's recommended that you offer tutoring for those who -  Isra! Back off!"

"What?"

"I'm at my parent's house," Aiden explained, sighing lightly. "My sister's bothering me. Sorry about that."

"It's alright. You were talking about tutoring."

"Right. Principal Kay recommends that every teacher has a tutoring session at least once a week for those struggling, but it's not required for specialty classes. You could also make up your schedule on the go - only have sessions a few times a month or the day changes depending on your personal schedule."

"Alright. That sounds reasonable."

"There are certain criteria you have to meet as a science teacher," Aiden continued, his voice becoming muffled for a second. "Sorry, I'm trying to clean the sink. I don't know the specifics of your standards, but Principal Kay would discuss it with you. From there you'd have to do regular teach things - Friday morning meetings, teacher-parent conferences, room upkeep, etcetera."

"I think I understand. It seems pretty straightforward."

"Yeah, that's what I said too." Aiden's voice was light, but his words held weight. "Do you need anything else?"

"Nah, I'm good. You sound pretty busy, anyway."

"This sink is surprisingly dirty."

"Good luck," Lance laughed, "Talk to you later."

"Bye!"

Lance hung up and set their phone face down. They sat up and stared at the wall blankly, wringing their hands.

Being a teacher didn't sound easy, but it sounded doable.