Chapter Text
The sound of cutlery clinking together fills the small dining room. Kids talk excitedly with each other, the adults talk about the kids' development and work. Simon Riley just turned 45 years old, and he hates it.
Joseph talks about his last year at college. He will be off to university soon, be a proper young adult. Simon still thinks about the days he sat in his mum's old rocking chair trying to get him to sleep. He misses those days, so full of stress but somehow still simpler.
Emily starts college in summer, also on her way to move out, even if it still takes some years. She used to be so full of energy, spend hours every weekend playing football with her friends, it hurts to see her be melancholic about those days. Like she is the one turning 45 and not 16, still so young and full of potential.
But Simon knows how she probably can't see it. He couldn't either at that age, after all.
Ben is still the most innocent of them all. Although he's already in secondary school as well. None of them are little kids anymore, they're growing up, becoming adults. Simon feels the time slip away from his fingers, and he's only their uncle, he can't imagine how Tommy and Beth feel about them growing up.
It's his first birthday without his mother. She died pretty young with only 62 years old but at least she had a peaceful death. He misses her.
They have lived together for a long while now, and they only really had each other. Simon doesn't have a lot of friends, and his brother has a family of his own.
During the day, he's at work at least. He loves being a teacher, he's glad he followed his dream to become one. But his coworkers aren't really friends for life. The only ones he can actually spend time with are Kyle and Farah. The kids are great though. He always wanted to have some himself, but that sadly never worked out.
Price is the only coworker he also sees outside of work. They've known each other for 20 years now, always worked at the same school. Now, Price is the principal and Simon is glad that he is, or his coworkers might have done more things to get rid of him. They don't like him, and he doesn't understand why.
John is his only friend, and luckily, one that will probably stay forever. He also really likes his husband and his son, it's nice to spend time with other people outside his family every once in a while.
To an outsider, he looks like someone who doesn't want to be around people, but that's not the case. He hates being alone, it makes him nervous. If he at least was in a relationship. But that never worked out for him. Ever since he started dating every man just left him after a couple of months. He got cheated on by more partners than not.
Of course that makes him think he is the problem. Why else would everyone he is with want to escape and look for someone else?
"He's sooo cool! He's from Scotland" Ben's enthusiasm rips Simon out of his own thoughts and back to reality. His nephew is talking about a new student in his class. It looks like they're already friends.
The evening goes over well. Soon most of the guests are gone. The only one left behind is his little brother standing in the doorway glancing back at his wife.
"Will you be okay?"
Tom asks with concern. Simon smiles at the question. He protected Tommy all throughout their childhood, he guesses he can take a little help every once in a while.
"I think so. Now go or Beth will drive off without you"
The two men laugh before hugging. Tom waves before climbing into the car and driving to their own house. Simon closes the door behind him. The house is empty, has been ever since his brother moved out, ever since his mother passed away. He tries to shake those thoughts away and goes to bed.
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / /
The next morning he wakes up with a call from Price. With still mostly closed eyes he picks up.
"Mornin-"
"Simon, Farah is sick can you take over her classes today?"
The man sounds overly panicked, but they have been understaffed lately, so it's understandable.
"Sure, but you owe me"
Price thanks Simon a thousand times before hanging up. Simon glances over at his clock, it way too early to be up, but also too late to go back to sleep. Maybe he'll do a little work-out, he should be fit when he has to teach PE the entire morning.
He arrives at school earlier than usual. He puts his things into the teacher's room and makes his way to the gym. First class in the morning is his nephew's class. He groans. Those boys are the absolute worst, 13-year-olds don't know what an appropriate amount of deodorant is.
He looks over Farah's notes. Organized and clean, how he likes it. He sets everything up and changes into more comfortable clothes and waits in the gym for the boys to arrive. There were some causing a ruckus in the hallway, but they stopped as soon as they saw Simon.
Although he was a well-loved teacher in the school the students knew not to get on his bad side. Simon was always fair, but some are still trying their luck thinking there wouldn't be any consequences because he was so nice usually.
"Where is Mrs. Karim?" One of the boys ask.
"Good morning to you too Lucas. Mrs. Karim is sick, I will be taking over in the meantime."
The boy nods before he leaves to talk to his friends. The students slowly come into the gym. Then his nephew comes in with his new friend supposedly.
The boy has dark brown hair and blue eyes. Nothing special but Ben is completely focused on the other boy he doesn't even notice Simon being there instead of Farah. When the time has come for him to start the lesson Simon claps two times to get everyone's attention.
"Alright good morning everyone. Mrs. Karim is sick, in the meantime I will be taking over your PE. Don't think you can slack off now, I will give her a report when she comes back"
The boys all make affirmative noises in some way, and Simon starts the lesson. He follows Farah's instructions but promised the boys that they would play football in the end if they participated nicely. Simon hit a spot and everyone was working twice as hard. In the last half hour, to put up two improvised nets and started playing. Everything went well until it didn't.
One of the more rowdier boys got dribbled by the new kid and the other boy promptly decided to tackle him and make him fly onto the gym floor face first. Simon reacted immediately. He stopped the game and ran to the boy.
"Hey, are you alright?"
The boys didn't answer and Simon panicked a little. Why does this have to happen now? It's already enough that he has to take over this class, it would be nice if everything goes over smoothly. But of course it doesn't. He checks the boy's pulse just in case. It's there. Of course, it is. He knows why he doesn't teach PE, this is way too stressful.
"Ben, bring me my phone and the class list."
His nephew who came running to his friend as well now runs of to get his uncle's stuff. Simon looks over the other boys still in the gym.
"Class is over, enjoy the longer break."
He dismisses the other students, and they slowly leave, Simon puts the boy in the recovery positions and sees blood covering his face and the floor. It looks like he lost a tooth. Ben comes back with his phone and the first thing Simon does is call Price.
He's so anxious he's trembling, why did this happen in his first period of the day and why to the kid he didn't even know the name of yet. Price quickly picks up.
"Price I have a situation here. One of the students is unconscious." Simon can hear the sharp intake of breath from the other side.
"I'll send the nurse your way, stay put okay?" Simon hums before the Price hangs up. He looks over at his nephew. He is worried and shuffles around on his feet. It certainly isn't nice for Ben either. He stands up and swings an arm around his shoulders.
"Will he be alright uncle Simon?"
The boy presses close to his uncle and Simon tries not to gag at the stench of pubescent boy. He reassures Ben that everything will be alright. He reassures himself as well, everything will be okay, this is not his fault, he did not cause harm.