Imperfect Harmony by Jay Northcote Page A

“Come on then, Starry, time for walkies !” He said it with the exact intonation he knew would drive her crazy. “Get your lead. Go on.” She bounded off, wagging her tail, and returned with the lead in her mouth, looking pleased with herself.
    “Okay, see you later,” Rhys said once Starry was ready to go.
    “Have a nice walk.”
    It wasn’t quite such a beautiful morning as last weekend. The sky was grey rather than clear blue, but it was dry and mild. By the time Rhys reached the playing fields, he was sweating inside his padded coat and had to take his hat off and put it in his pocket. There was no sign of John yet, so he let Starry off the lead and started to walk the path around the edge of the fields, heading towards the woods. As he walked, he noticed the delicate white bells of snowdrops where they’d pushed up through the earth and bloomed.
    Rhys’s heart lifted at the sight. Spring was coming.
    The sound of excited barking caught his attention and he turned to see Billy and Starry sniffing each other and wagging their tails, before tearing off in a game of overexcited chase. He looked back along the path, and there was John walking purposefully towards him. Rhys raised his hand in greeting and John waved back. Rhys tried to ignore the nervous little flip in his belly, squashing it down with reason.
    He’s just a friend , he told himself. Nothing more .
    “Morning,” Rhys called when John was within earshot.
    “Hi.”
    The smile on John’s face did nothing to calm Rhys’s nervous excitement. Something about John drew him in, made him want to burrow past John’s shyness and reserve.
    “How are you?” Rhys asked.
    “Good, thanks.”
    John reached him and paused, arm’s length away. Rhys wished he had an excuse for a greeting that involved physical contact—a hug, or just a handshake. Instead they stood staring at each other, smiling for a moment before John turned away to look at the dogs where they were play-fighting over a stick.
    “Billy’s happy to see his friend,” John said.
    “He’s not the only one.” Rhys suppressed a wry smile at the double-layered truth in his words. “Starry too. Do you want to walk, or sit and let the dogs wear each other out?”
    “I could do with some exercise,” John said. “I’m on my feet a lot of the day during the week, but that doesn’t really count. How about we do a loop through the woods? Then, if Billy and Starry are still going strong afterwards, we can sit and let them run about a bit more.”
    “Okay.” Rhys raised his voice. “Starry, come on. We’re going this way!”
    She raised her head at the sound and then ran towards him, with Billy hot on her heels. He couldn’t quite keep up with his shorter legs, but he did his best.
    “So, what do you do?” Rhys asked as they made their way towards the trees.
    “I’m a supply teacher—secondary.”
    “Wow. Rather you than me. Sorry,” he added as John chuckled. “I just remember what we used to be like in lessons with substitute teachers. It can’t be much fun being on the receiving end of that.”
    “Yes, well, it pays the bills. I used to teach music… but after I had some time off, I ended up doing supply, and it’s convenient for now. I might look for something more permanent again, eventually.”
    Rhys didn’t ask why John had taken time off. He could guess. Feeling bad for bringing up painful memories, he let the topic of conversation slide, wondering how to get back onto safer ground.
    They were in the woods by then. The path was narrow as it wended its way between the trunks of the trees. Most of them were winter-bare, but the occasional evergreen added a splash of colour. John led the way and Rhys followed.
    John was the one to break the silence. “So, I had a look at those books you lent me.”
    “Yeah?” Rhys brightened. He’d wanted to ask, but was afraid of pushing John too hard. He’d sensed John’s reluctance when Rhys first brought up the subject of playing