Page 1 of New Beginning

Chapter One

WELCOME BACK, CLASS OF 2017!!!!

Teddy thought the four exclamation marks felt less like a greeting and more like a threat. But he still followed his three friends into the school.

After ten minutes, he was already three lies deep.

Yes, he recognised Mr Watson. He didn’t. Mr. Watson was just a weird Hawaiian shirt with a face attached.

Yes, he was “doing well, thanks!” Because that was all anyone expected to hear. The truth was he hated his job, didn’t much like his colleagues and he wanted a complete career change.

The third lie went to the bartender who asked if he was married. “Not yet,” Teddy had replied, a bizarre choice of words that made it sound as if a husband was currently tracking through a DHL delivery hub, delayed in transit near Swindon. He wished you could order them like that, though knowing his luck, he’d get a message saying unable to deliver after he’d spent the entire day waiting impatiently by his door.

The three friends he’d driven here, Piotr, Gio and Jon, had abandoned him moments after they’d walked in. They had the ruthless speed of gazelles spotting a cheetah. Teddy could see them currently cackling with the rugby lads, reliving the glory days of 2015. Teddy had not played rugby or football. Well, not unless you counted being used as a human goalpost in torrential rain. The only thing he’d been any good at was running.

Twenty-seven was an absurd age for a school reunion. It felt as if they’d hardly left school. But everyone already seemed to be doing something important with their lives. Teddy felt the best he could have on his name badge was Teddy Doyle: Hasn’t Died Yet. There was nothing more likely to make him feel a failure than an event like this. He really hadn’t wanted to come. Around him, people were performing the aggressive, competitive sport of performative adulthood. For retail transaction specialist read I work on the till at Sainsburys. For mass transit operations officer read I’m a bus driver. The two nearest him were talking about interest rates with the solemnity of air traffic controllers. Every level of job was exaggerated. As was the salary. Because…how would anyone know?

“Hi, Teddy. You haven’t changed a bit.”

Teddy turned and flashed a brief smile at Daniel Jones. Who had changed. Massively. Daniel had lost half his hair, gained two-thirds of a torso, and acquired a set of blindingly white veneers that looked like they were trying to escape his mouth.

“I’m in property now,” Daniel announced, unprompted, staring at Teddy like a man waiting for applause.

“No longer living in a tent?” Teddy quipped.

Daniel didn’t get it.

“What kind of property?” Teddy asked, praying for a sinkhole to swallow the gym floor.

“Commercial,” Daniel whispered darkly.

“Right.” Teddy had no idea what Daniel was implying with that look but he wasn’t going to ask.

It didn’t matter.

Daniel lunged into an agonizing breakdown of square-footage yields in the M25 corridor. Teddy fixed a look of rapt attention onto his face, the same expression he used when listening to his boss as he tried to plan an escape.

Suddenly, a heavy, meaty arm dropped across Teddy’s shoulders, nearly crushing his collarbone.

“Hi, Teddy. You haven’t changed a bit.” It was Charlie. And since Teddy had only seen him two weeks ago, it wasn’t surprising he looked the same.

Teddy smiled. He liked Charlie.

“Charlie!” Daniel said. “What are you up to these days?”

“Sorry, Daniel! Need Teddy for a corporate emergency!” Charlie barked, physically hauling Teddy backwards.

Daniel looked immensely relieved to be saved, which mildly offended Teddy, though he was profoundly grateful to Charlie for the rescue.

“Thanks,” Teddy wheezed, adjusting his flattened spine.

“Don’t mention it. Jesus, Daniel’s turned into a walking LinkedIn profile, hasn’t he?” Charlie glanced at Teddy’s empty hands. “Why aren’t you drinking? You can’t be at a thing like this and not drink.”

“I’m the designated driver. I’m taking Piotr, Gio and Jon back home.”

“Mark’s coming to get me later,” Charlie said. “Or earlier, if someone tries to explain a tax haven to me. Or if someone else insists I look at a binder of their child’s milestones. Oh my God. So many little geniuses. Who’d have thunk it?”

Teddy laughed.