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“Mr Ajayi!”
“Charlie Spring!” Nathan looks up from where he's placing random objects on the tables ready for year nine to tackle ‘still life’ immediately after lunch. “What brings you trolling in here?”
The boy in question gives the art teacher a squinty look. “What?”
Nathan sighs, as yet another attempt in his one-man campaign to preserve a treasured part of queer history falls at the first hurdle.
“To what do I owe this pleasure?”
Charlie hesitates and Nathan tries to gauge his mood. Anxious? Intense? Excited? Possibly a mixture of all three. He places an empty coke can next to a glass and turns his full attention to the boy.
“Is everything okay? Nothing I need to sort out?”
Nathan considers his next move. Should he bring up the events of Sports Day or wait to see if Charlie mentions it. Charlie Spring and Nicholas Nelson have spent enough lunch times in his art room since Easter for Nathan to have observed the embryo of a romance between the two boys. Surely, he can’t be the only person in the school to suspect that the Rugby King did not abandon the game mid match in order to drag Charlie Spring into the sports hall to ‘discuss tactics’, whatever some of the more oblivious school pupils (and teachers) might think.
“No bullies rearing their ugly heads again?”
“No, it’s all fine… good actually.”
“Okay, but you would tell me, if anyone was causing you… or anyone associated with you… issues.”
“Yeah.”
Charlie picks at a blob of dried paint on the table next to him with his fingernail, before looking up at the art teacher again.
“My mum’s signed my application form for the Paris trip. I’ve got it with me.” Charlie roots around in his bag and produces two pieces of folded A4 paper.
“That’s great Charlie, but really it needs to be given to the bursar’s office.”
“I’ve got Nick Nelson’s too… he… I mean… we… were busy before form, there wasn’t time to go to the office.”
Nathan hides a smile. Busy?
“We’re going to Paris, together… I mean not just on the same trip, but together together…as in boyfriends.”
He can see Charlie savouring the word. Ah, so he wasn’t wrong. Nathan is a little surprised, by the confidences rather than the confirmation. His gaydar may not be up to much but he does have eyes in his head.
“Mr Nelson doesn’t mind you telling me this? As far as I am aware it isn’t known about in school.”
“He doesn’t want to make a big public announcement, but he told his mum on Sunday… he said it went really well. I told my mum and dad this morning; my sister had already guessed.”
“That’s sisters for you. How did they take it?”
Nathan knows that Charlie’s parents are generally supportive, but at the same time fifteen is a little young to be ‘going steady’.
The words ‘hanky’ and ‘panky’ immediately play on a loop inside Charlie’s head and he blushes furiously. He closes his eyes and scrunches up his face in an attempt to banish his dad’s voice. It is only partly successful. Nathan looks on in amusement at Charlie’s high colour and wonders what was said. He can probably guess.
“They were okay, a bit surprised, but they know Nick and like him already…”
Nathan nods sympathetically, he supposes that if the only gay schoolboy you know is your fifteen year old twink, then it is going to be hard to make the rugby-playing jock Nick Nelson fit in with that stereotype. Nathan who has been out and about in the world since art college could teach them a thing or two. But it sounds like the parents behaved admirably, so he gives them kudos for that.
“He, that is Nick, said he wanted to tell the people who matter to him, and that I should be able to tell the people who matter to me too...”
Nathan can see that Charlie is building up to say more. He waits, patiently. When Charlie does speak again, the words tumble out in a rush.
“Um… that’s why I am here. I mean I needed to hand in our forms, but I wanted to tell you about Nick… Last year… with the bullying and everything, you were the only teacher who really cared enough to do anything about it. I mattered to you… and you are one of the people who matter to me.”
Nathan is undeniably moved; he is aware of just how great a compliment Charlie has just paid him. A lump forms somewhere deep in his throat and he is momentarily reminded of why he went into teaching. Thankfully they are saved from further display of emotion by the sound of the bell for afternoon lessons.
“Thank you, Charlie, for trusting me.” He holds out his hand, “Give me the forms, I’ll drop them in at the office.”
Charlie thrusts the papers into Nathan’s open hand, grabs his bag and skedaddles.
Nathan stays, lost in thought, looking down at the two sheets of paper in his hand, signed forms for the up and coming Truman/Higgs year 10/11 trip to Paris, until the raucous arrival of class 9B, brings him back down to earth.
“A little less noise, please.”
He isn’t jealous, he doesn’t have it in him to be jealous of two schoolboys in love, but perhaps the younger, closeted schoolboy Nathan, is little envious of Nick and Charlie, out, proud, and off on a Parisian adventure together.
Paris, City of Lovers. He’s been there enough times over the years, both with friends and on his own. Not for him the romantic stroll along the Champs-Élysées with someone special, or to wander hand-in-hand around Montmartre with the one person who makes your life complete.
Nathan sighs, inwardly giving himself a strongly worded talking to... It’s a school trip for heaven's sake, the last thing on his mind should be romance…