Simplifying Fractions

The Beginning of the Lasts

After a refreshing break, the time had finally come for year 12 to begin. After waking up early, I begin my usual routine of showering, putting on my school uniform and having my cup of tea. After battling with public transport, I finally made it to school. As I walked through the school gates, I was greeted by my various friends, and just people in my year level who I shared a friendly hello with.

"Hey Georgie, here comes your best friend."

Judging by the tone of her voice, and a few laughs from the others, it had to be Mr. Sumner who was making his way over. As if on cue, his voice rang through the courtyard.

"Georgie!"

"Mr. Sumner!" I greeted back, equally as happy to see him as he was to see me.

"Walk with me to my office so we can catch up."

Without hesitation or even so much as a goodbye, I left my friends and followed Mr. Sumner to his office, chatting away happily about our various events that took place over the break. As we reached the door to the music rooms, where his office was I grabbed his keys from his hand, as he was having difficulty juggling all his things and trying to unlock the door. I opened the door and held it open for him, before heading over to his office door and doing the same thing. As he put his belongings away in his office, I sat on his desk, continuing our conversation.

"So, final year of high school, hey?"

"Whatever will you do once I'm gone, Mr. Sumner?"

"Finally have some peace around here." He said as he looked around his office. I laughed.

"Aha. And who will help you set up all the music stuff for assembles and other school functions?" I raised my eyebrows at him, amusement dripping from my voice.

He paused in thought for a moment as his eyebrows knitted together. Then the goofy smile that I fell in love with appeared, followed by a single "ha".

"Alright, alright, you know I'll miss you Georgie."

"And you know I'll miss you too, Mr. Sumner."

He looked up from rummaging around in his bag on the floor to meet my gaze. He stood up and was now directly in front of me sitting on his desk, but this time, I was the one looking up at him. He had a serious look in his eyes, and I looked back just the same. Testing the waters. The sound of the door to the music rooms broke us from  our trance and brought us back to reality. We merely nodded at each other in recognition of our situation as he stepped back.

"I'll catch up with you later Mr. Sumner."

"Yes, come by my office after school if you've got time."

I nodded once more as I departed his office. The person who had entered was another teacher so I left to head to homeroom, as it was almost time anyway. Once I had dropped my things off in my locker I was again joined into the discussions of various class mates as they re-told their tales of the summer break. Before to long our homeroom teacher instructed us to go over to the hall for assembly. We all began our scattered slow walk across the school, bumping into more people and exchanging 'hello's and 'how was your break'. It felt good to be back in my stomping ground. The whole time I kept my eye out for Mr. Lenz, as I hadn't seen him yet. 

Upon entering the hall, filed with a wall of sound of close to 1000 people talking, I spotted Mr. Sumner at the front of the hall by all the music equipment in a panic. 

"I'd better go over and help him out." I said to my good mate Emma. 

She just nodded and shuffled along tot find a seat behind everyone else.

"Hey, whats up?"

Mr. Sumner looked up from the control box plugging in the piano into the PA.

"Can you give me a hand please?"

"That's why I'm here. Why didn't you ask me this morning?"

"I didn't know about it this morning, you know how it is."

"Oh, I know I do, you've only got five minutes notice to put a bunch of songs together."

We were both now crouched down running leads across the stage and tapping them down. Mr. Sumner and I worked well together when it came to setting up, we had done it together enough and knew what we were doing, that we didn't even have to discuss what to do next.

"So what have you been roped into play this time?"

"Just the usual, school song and the national anthem."

I looked over Mr. Sumner's shoulder to finally see Mr. Lenz up the back of the hall. He beamed a bright smile at me, and I couldn't help to reflect it back to him. I stuck my left hand in the air to do our signature wave, and he gave it back to me. I smiled once more, feeling content, and got back to work, as time was running out.

"Hey, fancy playing with me? Its never fun without having you play with me."

"Yeah of course, although, judging by the guitar and amp set up, I'm assuming that was going to happen anyway." I said with a laugh.

"Yeah, well I knew you would, so..." He just drifted off mumbling while going bright red in the face.

"Alright, done." I said standing up straight, and rubbing my back.

"Ah your back, sorry Georgie, I should not have asked for your help."

"Are you serious? Just shut up and lets go and sit down." I smiled at him.

He and I sat up the front next to each other, having to get up every now and again to play. The ridiculously long assembly finally finished. Everyone left to head out for recess, except Mr. Sumner and I. We stayed back to begin packing everything up. Mr. Lenz was one of the last to leave the hall, not before making eye contact with me first. I nodded at him, as I knew exactly what he meant. I mouthed to him "lunch" and he smiled and nodded. As I still had not caught up with him, I made sure to go and see him at lunch. 

"Hey thanks for your help."

"Anytime mate."

"And thanks for playing with me too."

I smiled before saying, "anytime mate" once more.

"Hey, we've got music next don't we?"

"Pfft, I think so. Shouldn't you know, you're the teacher."

He laughed.

"So what will we do in class?"

"It's the first day, I was just going to let you guys amuse yourselves for the period."

As the first two periods were taken up by the assembly, there were only two left for the day, and my last period was a study. Hopefully Mr. Lenz had his free period then too, like last year. Having the same free periods as him came in handy, it gave me someone to hang out with. 

"Sounds good. Well I'll see you over there soon, I'm just going to grab a few bits from my locker." 

By now, recess was nearly over.

"Great, bring whatever you were going to eat, and we can eat in my office."

"But sir!" I gasped. "You're not allowed to eat in the music rooms!"

We both laughed at that.

"Being in with the music teacher has its perks." He said as we left the hall. I just shook my head and we went in our separate directions.