The classroom was silent, save for the faint hum of the fluorescent lights overhead. Billie Eilish, the new substitute teacher for the semester, stood at the front of the room with her arms crossed, a clipboard in one hand and a no-nonsense look on her face. Her usual laid-back persona seemed to evaporate entirely in this role. She was Ms. Eilish, a stern, rule-obsessed authority figure who wouldn’t hesitate to call someone out in front of the entire class.

Her black blouse and baggy jeans gave her an almost intimidating presence. She scanned the room, her piercing eyes making it feel like she could see right through every excuse you might come up with.

“Alright, listen up,” she said, her voice low and commanding. “I don’t care what you’re used to with your regular teacher. In my classroom, you follow the rules. Phones? Gone. Late work? Zero. Talking while I’m talking?” She raised an eyebrow. “You’ll regret it.”

She flipped through her clipboard, stopping to jot something down. “And before you ask—no, I don’t do extra credit. If you can’t handle the assignments, that’s on you. I’m here to prepare you for real life, not to hold your hand.”