“You don’t have to put up with them.”

“Let them come,” I said.

“I want them to see exactly what an average future looks like.”

I stood up and walked over to my desk.

The official pronunciation guide lay next to Rachel’s teacup.

The thick form asked for a phonetic spelling so the commanding officer wouldn’t stumble over any difficult syllables during the live broadcast.

I clicked my pen twice and wrote my first name in block letters.

Then I wrote my last name.