The wheels of the day began to rotate but Ruby felt like stepping off the ride. Her innocent children would latch onto someone else just as easily. They are like saints at this age— there’s nothing special about receiving love from saints— they love every scraggly mutt on the street just the same.

Ruby held the glittered star in her hand thoughtlessly, watching the kids run with frantic, stupid, exuberance. She had lost all passion for her work. She had lost all sense of importance for upholding her duties that morning.

The rest of the day limped on to an obscene end. The shrill of the bell sunk in Ruby’s mind, reverberating alongside her fleeting sanity— both fading to silence.

Well behaved children lined up for the bus. Packs of quiet children waited for their parents to scoop them up into their exhaust spewing SUV’s.

Each self important family polluted Ruby’s air. She viewed their possessions with internal disgust— managing an outward wave.

They departed to her pleasure.