Philip sighed as the rude wail of an ambulance pierced the morning air. That could be one of his neighbours, he thought, and he wouldn’t have even noticed. Still, he’d rather an ambulance siren to that of a police car any day. He felt for his glasses in a semi-visual state and upon grasping the elusive spectacles he considered their worth. They were black with wide square rims but not in a trendy way. They were held together in the centre by a band of electrical tape. The embodiment of geek culture, he decided.

He stood facing the mirror and made his daily attempt at brushing his unruly knot of hair. The hair remained in its prior state and he relinquished, defeated. He dressed himself in his uniform and then loosened his tie and rolled up his sleeves. This was his personal retaliation at his unfashionable glasses and hair. Sloppily, Philip ate his cereal. He caught sight of a stray Cheerio, stowing away on his chin, and rid himself of it with a flick of his pale finger. He shut the door with a clang, continuing down the street with his bag slung over his shoulder.

A car splashed past, showering him with dirty gutter water. An elderly man too fell victim to the car’s spray. He looked down at his clothes and shakes his head slowly. He ambled past a bakery, aromas of pastries and breads filling the air. He used to come here when he was younger with his mother. He’d strain his neck trying to peer over the seemingly huge counter as he deeply considered his morning treat. Rows upon rows of fresh, warm goods would line the shelves. He looked at it now, with its discoloured tiles and absent “b” on the bakery sign, and wondered if it had always been like this. Perhaps he’d never noticed.

Then he turned the corner to his school. A large, sad brown building sagged at the end of the street. It looked like it didn’t want to be there anymore than he did. Layers upon layers of inarticulate graffiti were thankfully rendered illegible by the flaking paint. It seemed all the teachers who worked here had either never cared or had given up on caring long ago. Philip continued towards the entrance, his heart heavy in his chest. A jagged fence ran along the schools perimeters. Then Philip passed through the gates and disappeared in the sea of students in the same grey uniforms.