secret married teacher snippet
Because I wrote a bunch today and it’s nearly a long weekend and because I can. This is coming in September!
Three times a week, Harry is responsible for lunch duty.
It’s not a task he particularly enjoys, but it’s not miserable. There are less than a thousand students in their small private school, so there’s only one lunch service. Normally the students keep to themselves, scarfing down food like they’ll never see it again, and they’re relatively well-behaved. Most days, it’s manageable.
Some days it’s not.
“Mr. Styles, is it true that you and Mr. T were hanging out this weekend?” one of the ninth graders asks, standing in front of him with her hands clasped behind her back. Jesus, it’s Tuesday. They were spotted on Saturday. Don’t these kids have other dramas to analyze?
“Mr. T?” he asks, faking confusion.
“Mr. Tomlinson!” says the student. Harry’s pretty sure her name is Genevieve. “Come on. You guys are friends, right?”
“His classroom is across from mine, so I know him, yes,” he says with a wry smile. “What’s up?”
“Sophie told me that Annie told her that Mark said that Andrew told him Campbell said she saw you guys together!”
“Teachers are allowed to have friends,” he says. “Mr. Tomlinson and I are friends.”
“Right, but—”
“What’s going on here?” Louis asks. Harry turns to see him being dragged by the wrist by the aforementioned Sophie, who stops when he and Louis are three feet away from each other.
“Just trying to get you guys to talk to each other,” Genevieve says with a big grin. Harry wouldn’t be shocked if she pushed them together and told them to kiss.
Louis glances at Harry, and Harry glances right back.
Should we do it? Louis says with his eyes, and Harry gives the briefest of nods.
Let’s indulge them, he says without words.
“Alright. What do you want us to talk about?” Louis asks.
“Anything,” Sophie says quickly. “What you did this weekend. What you did over summer vacation. Anything you want.”
“Well,” Harry says with a flourish. “I went to visit my parents this summer. Went to a few movies. Went swimming at the beach. My friend got a terrible sunburn. Super glad I wasn’t him.”
Louis winces. “Sounds painful. Had something like that myself, actually. Well, I did a bit of traveling. Watched a lot of Netflix. Did some gardening.”
Sophie frowns. “That’s it? Sounds boring.”
“Yeah, gross. I don’t want to be a grown up,” adds Genevieve.
“Yeah, it sucks,” Harry says, and then the bell rings and the kids scatter away.
“Your friend got a bad sunburn?” Louis asks quietly, one eyebrow raised.
“What?” Harry sputters. “You’re my friend, aren’t you?”
Louis rolls his eyes. Harry can tell he’s fighting a smile. “You’re such an idiot. But yes.”
