Jim stepped through the door just before six, wiping the mud from his boots and hanging his hat on the peg. He cast his eyes across the room, letting it pass over El reading a book on the sofa only stop on Mike, splayed out facedown on the floor. He looked back to El, one eyebrow raised as she spoke without looking up from the book. “He says high school is both stupid and terrible.” Mike groaned, unmoving with his eyes tightly shut. El continued in a sing-song voice, one hand lightly turning a page “The students are too tall, the classes are too far apart and none of the teachers are as good as Mr Clarke.”

Jim nodded he walked over to the kitchen, saying “That sounds about right, from what I remember.” He opened the fridge and pulled out some vegetables before looking down at the boy. “I hope you’re not expecting pity food” he remarked. He pulled out a pair of plates and started making a meal. “You have your own house, and family, and dinner to go to. Why not go complain at them, and give my poor ears a rest?” he asked, before muttering “Lord knows I get enough complaints to deal with at work.”

Mike rolled over onto his back and opened his eyes. “I tried talking to my family about it, but Nancy just laughed and said everyone feels that way, mom was busy with Holly and all dad said was to keep my complaining at a ‘reasonable volume’!” he complained, making air quotes before his arms dropped back to the ground with a pair of thuds. “Aren’t you being a bit dramatic?” El asked between giggles, her focus finally pulled away from her book. “Dramatic? You come deal with it and say that again!” Mike glared at her in mock outrage while raising himself up on his elbows as he replied, voice cracking which caused even more giggles from El and a single muffled chuckle from Jim.

Putting the utensils down, Jim walked over and sat down next to El. “She will be next year” he said, glancing between them as he spoke “And I’ll be expecting you, Wheeler, to make sure she has a better time of it than you seem to be having. Because it does get better. You’ll get taller, you’ll learn the shortcuts to get between classes faster, and I’m sure even Mr Clarke took some time to get used to. You’ll either get along with your new teachers or you won’t, but either way it’s something you have to deal with.” Mike slumped back down to lie flat and let out another groan “Very helpful, thanks Chief.”

“You’re welcome. Now what’d I just say about having your own home to go to?”