how I almost got fired

My alarm clock went off and I listened to a few songs on the radio without opening an eye, as usual. After about three songs, I decided it was time to drag myself out of bed. I blinked and looked at the clock. 10:05 a.m. My heart almost stopped right there. I thought, "Holy shit! It is Monday and I am supposed to be teaching right now!" I wanted to throw up. How could this happen to me? It happened one time when I was student teaching, and I showed up to work an hour and a half late, but I was forgiven since a) I was not the actual full time teacher and b) I wasn't getting paid for it.

I scrambled to get ready in seven minutes. Why hadn't the school called me to see where I was? Did they have a substitute? I thought about how awful it would be to walk in to my classroom. Probably they couldn't get a sub that fast, and Mrs. Foster would be teaching, or J.P. would be in there trying to teach, or worse, the principal.

I figured I should call to let them know I'd be there in 20 minutes, and to tell them what to teach. My lesson plans were here at home with me, because I was planning for the week. To make it worse, the kids wouldn't even be able to tell any adult our schedule, because we have a brand new schedule this week that the kids don't even know about. Plus, they have a new seating chart and their stuff would be everywhere. And we have new math classes this week. It was the worst possible day to be gone.

I imagined that this would go on my record. If M.P. didn't fire me on the spot, it sure as hell would be my one and only warning. I went to the bathroom quick to wash my face. I heard Liz down stairs. "Liz!" I shouted. "Why didn't you wake me up?" She honestly didn't know I was still here. Sleeping my career away.

I started thinking about the lies I would have to make in order to save my ass. I had to take my sister to the hospital in the middle of the night, I was up with her, worrying about her, I fell asleep at the hospital and didn't remember to call in for a substitute. Or maybe, don't call the school. Call my mother and have my mother call the school and say I was in the hospital, that I had been in a car accident. That would be the only acceptable excuse for not showing up to work and not calling ahead of time. Oh my god I was going to vomit. If I made that lie, I wouldn't be able to go back for another three days, just to make it believable. And then I would have to do some Hollywood make-up to give myself fake bruises. Pay the doctor off to give me a fake cast and walk in with a crutch.

Just as I was trying to decide what to do, I started to feel funny. I got dizzy, and it became difficult to focus on anything in the room. I blinked a bit, and when I opened my eyes again I was lying down. As I gained consciousness, I realized I was wearing the same clothes from Sunday. I looked around my bedroom. I looked at the clock. My heart stopped. It was still Sunday! It was all a horrible dream! I still had a chance to save my future, to make it to work on time! The whole thing was imaginary. I had no idea it was a dream at the time, it all felt so real. Thank the good Lord above I had a second chance.

I still have a job. And I'm setting two alarms for the rest of this week, just in case. BTW, I arrived to work today 20 minutes before J.P., which is a record for me. Nothing like a dream that scares you shit less to motivate you to go to work.