So this is how the world is going to end. Unable to breathe, lest your lungs be invaded by a deadly virus or be filled with smoke. We didn’t expect doomsday to come so soon, but we definitely expected it to look like this. Hurricanes, fires, and economic devastation spreading across the country. Our government incompetent at best and depraved at worst. 

But since the clocks seem to continue to turn, I suppose we should still go to school today. And as people die and forests burn we can still worry about the mundane, like what to do with ourselves during 15 minute passing periods. That would be nice. 

Sometimes, when you’re sitting in a class and magically forget for a moment that everyone’s faces are obscured by cloth, it seems like everything is normal again. But then you get hungry and aren’t sure what the protocol is for eating a snack inside. Just drop the Cheez-its into your mask? Or you look at yourself in the mirror and have to brush ash out of your hair, off your shoulders. 

As high schoolers, many of the recent worldwide events have felt unjust. We just got here; we haven’t done anything wrong but we’re the ones who have to brave the end-times? Because the world is finally getting back at humanity. Our karma is catching up to us and it’s anything but friendly. 

Since the earth is set to implode (or drown, or erupt, or choke) at a date in the very near future, even I, a studious teacher’s pet, have considered setting aside my responsibilities and living it up while I can. But then I remember I have limited gas money, and my dog needs someone to walk him. 

So I suppose that when the world’s last day is upon us, rather than going out with a bang, we’ll just sit back from our computers and close our eyes. Watch one last YouTube video, buy one last drink from Quench, and scoff at ourselves a year ago, when we thought living in an exciting era would be better than living in a boring one.