This is a spin off to one of my previous stories - Super Bowl MVP - though the only returning character is Henry Miller, one of the guys who took part in that gangbang. I don't think it's an absolute necessity to read it to enjoy this one. The backstory is referenced at various points in this story to provide context. I just thought I would make it clear for anybody who wanted to dive a little deeper into the character and his past experiences.
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"It's been a pleasure, guys." said Henry Miller, offering a final toast to one of his favorite classes. A-level geography was rarely a popular choice, so the group was only nine strong, but every single one of them had been a joy to teach. They were a creative and inquisitive bunch, with passion for the subject. They worked hard and always behaved themselves. There was little more he could ask for. The fact that all nine of them had stopped by after their final exam to say their goodbyes was an acknowledgement to the bonds formed between teacher and student. "Enjoy the summer. Make the most of your break. Enjoy university. Enjoy the rest of your lives, what else can I say? If you ever see me in the pub, no you didn't. Don't do drugs. You know the rest of it."
The geography test was one of the last of exam season. Henry still had about a month of work before the summer with the younger year groups, but after their exams the year 13s are released into the wild to enjoy a longer summer before university starts. They may well be nine close friends now, but university and then life itself would take them all off into vastly different directions. It was nice to appreciate moments like this, at least that's how Henry saw it.
"I appreciate everything you have done for me." said Tom Waites, one of only two males in the class. He stretched his arm out and shook Henry's hand. In that moment, Mr. Miller could almost see the young lad become a man.
"You didn't need much help, did you?" Henry said, before greeting and then waving off some more members of the class. A couple of the girls hugged him, and there were even some tears. It happened every year so it was nothing new to the experienced teacher, but it was tough to say goodbye to the really good classes.
Soon there were only three left, all still sat at their desks and in no rush to leave yet. Lila, Freya and Ruby. Best friends since Henry first met them, and a constant in his life ever since. He had been their teacher for every year of their stint at Parkview High School, and watched them grow into the smart young women they were today. He was going to miss them.
Lila Kumar was his prized student. She was intelligent well beyond her years and it had been a pleasure to watch her flourish in confidence as she grew up. "It's pronounced 'Lee-lah'. Like Futurama." Henry vividly remembers her telling him, the first day they met. A few weeks later he made a Futurama reference that she didn't understand, and she had to tell him she didn't actually watch the show but that it was a good reference point when people pronounced her name as if it was a diminutive of Delilah.
There were high expectations of Lila from the start, and she passed every test along the way with flying colours. She was expected to get into Oxford or Cambridge and become a doctor. She had been born in England to Indian parents, both of whom were in medicine. He worried that she might be under a lot of pressure to follow in their footsteps, but the first time he met her parents at an open day he got the impression the medicine they were in was medicinal marijuana. Total hippies. It was a funny revelation. He had the sense that Lila didn't indulge.
Freya Francis was typically seen as the mouthpiece of the group, primarily because she was incapable of shutting up. In a classroom sense that could be annoying, given she was constantly whispering to her friends. But as she grew up she directed that constant need to talk at her work, becoming a curious and persistent learner who was full of questions and never left Henry's e-mail alone when she was passionate about a report she was writing.
Henry got in trouble with the head teacher for calling her posh once after her parents complained, but her accent spoke for itself. She had become slightly distracted by boys since the turn of the year, but that was to be expected and she usually focused back on her work after a stern reminder.
Ruby Crawford was arguably the most popular girl in school. She was athletic, talented and conventionally attractive without being a cunt about it. It was as simple as that for Henry. She had struggled with her identity early in her time at secondary school, but Henry often viewed that as a result of being skilled in so many departments and not yet having decided which one she wanted to pursue.
She often seemed second in command to Freya, so her higher popularity surprised some, but Henry knew that was simply because Freya can be loud and annoying and that rubbed some people the wrong way. Ruby by comparison was quite relaxed, so everyone liked her. She still harboured ambitions of competing at the Olympics. She was a talented heptathlete, though some national coaches suggested she focus on the high jump given her elite potential in that discipline.
Henry knew that none of the girls were pursuing geography at university. This had essentially become their fun class. A passion but not a career. He didn't hold it against them.
"Can't get rid of you three, can I?" Henry said, returning to his desk and taking a seat.
"We can stick around for another year if you want." said Freya.
"God help me." Henry joked. "You should go and enjoy your summer. It will be cold again before you know it."
"Do you have any holidays planned, sir?" Freya asked.
"I've got a week in Snowdonia to look forward to."
"Scared of flying?" asked the loudmouth.
"I'm saving up for when I retire. It's expensive to holiday as a teacher because we share our days off with everyone else. I'll check out Cancun when it costs half the price."
"I'll probably see you there."
"What about you?" Henry asked. He wasn't pushing them out of the door but he knew he wouldn't get them out of the door without quenching Freya's appetite for talking.
"We're going to Magaluf."
"That sounds... truly awful."
The girls laughed, before Freya turned and eyed them up one by one before returning her gaze to her teacher. "We have a surprise for you, but it's also a request."
"No we don't." Lila butted in. She looked ready to leave, quite suddenly.
"Okay we don't because she's a coward." said Freya. It was only her and Ruby who laughed this time around.
Henry had no idea what that could mean, but he didn't know how keen he was on a surprise that was also a request. A request sounded like he had to do something, and he would prefer his surprises to come without work. "No need for any gifts. I do what I do for the love of education, and also for the salary."
