New Brother - 23. Chapter 23

We all stepped outside to meet Tony. He stopped his bike while he was still some distance away, probably put off by the sight of the crowd, but Tristan took a step forward and waved him on.

He cycled down, pulled up next to Tristan’s bike, dismounted, and removed his helmet.

Tony turned out to be a weedy young kid. He shared Tristan’s black hair, but his was more wavy than curly. He seemed fit and trim, like a smaller version of his brother, but a pair of gold-rimmed glasses distinguished him from Tristan.

Randy made the first move. Stepping forward, he held out his hand.

“Hi, Tony. I’m Randy.”

Tony grasped Randy’s hand hesitantly, and then smiled shyly.

“Hi, Randy. I’ve been waiting for this, though I’m disappointed you’re not gay. I’ve been watching you at school for the last week.”

Randy shrugged and grinned. “Everyone’s allowed a few flaws. One of mine is that I’m straight.”

I stiffened involuntarily, and then forced myself to relax. Tony was trying to hit on my brother, but Randy was able to look after himself. He was probably close to twice Tony’s weight and had a good six inches on him in height.

“What class are you in?” Randy asked, as he turned and lead Tony back to the rest of us. “I don’t remember you from school.”

“I’m in year 7, that’s why,” Tony explained. He then looked across at Adam. “Hi, Adam.”

“G’day, Tony,” Adam said with a smile as he a raised hand. “It’s good to finally meet you.”

“Hi, Tony, I’m Scott. Welcome to the family,” Scott stated with a half smile, stepping forward to shake hands.

“Hi, Tony,” I said, giving him a wave.

“And I’m Chris. Why don’t we all go inside where it’s warmer?”

I glanced over at Tristan. He was frowning slightly as his eyes flicked across the group. He was relaxing, but only slowly. I could tell he was deeply concerned for his brother.

“Come on, Tristan,” I said, as the others headed towards the house. “When you’re ready, I’ll show you where the shower is.”

Tristan nodded, though his eyes stayed focused on the guys surrounding Tony.

“What was that crack about welcome to the family?” Tristan asked as we followed the others.

I’d wondered that myself, and was guessing that Scott was referring to the extended family my parents were developing. They started with Adam, but I sensed that they placed Scott and Chris not too far behind him in the family stakes.

“It’s a bit complicated,” I answered. There was no point in trying to tell him everything. It was also not my place to tell Tristan about Scott, though I expected that issue would be resolved quickly.

When Tristan and I entered the house, Randy was already organising drinks for everyone. The rest were seated around the kitchen table. We joined them after Randy took our orders. “Chris is Adam’s boyfriend,” Tristan said to his brother.

Tony turned and looked across to where Adam, Scott and Chris were sitting.

“Can I tell him? Please?” Tony asked eagerly.

“What are you talking about?” Tristan asked, obviously puzzled and a little annoyed. I was puzzled, too.

“Sure, Tony. Go ahead,” Scott replied with a wide grin. He seemed to be the only one who knew what was going on.

It was only because I was aware of them that I spotted Scott reach across to Adam. I guessed that they were holding hands, out of sight below the table.

Tony turned to Tristan and grinned.

“Chris isn’t Adam’s boyfriend. Scott is,” he announced.

“What?” Tristan asked in disbelief.

“It’s true,” Scott said softly. His grin had slipped. He then just looked determined, like he was daring Tristan to make an issue of it.

“How did you know?” Tristan asked his brother.

I mentally echoed the question. Tony had just met Scott and had already worked out he was Adam’s boyfriend. Randy had told me about gaydar, but I’d never seen it in action. I frowned as I wondered why, if gaydar was that good, Scott and Adam hadn’t worked it out about each other earlier.

“Scott said, ‘Welcome to the family.’ He’s not related to either Randy or Adam, at least as far as I know, so he had to mean something else. I’m guessing he’s read some of the same stories on the ‘net that I have. ‘Family’ is sometimes used to indicate other gay guys. So, when he said ‘family’, I picked him as being gay. That would make him Adam’s boyfriend, especially as the two of them have been hanging out together at school all week.”

I looked over at the Scott, who was nodding his head. Adam looked a little surprised, so the explanation was news to him, as it was to me. I felt a little better. One code word had made it possible for Tony to reach his conclusion, but it had only worked because Scott set himself up.

“Then…who are you?” Tristan asked Chris, looking and sounding confused.

“I’m here to do the same job as you,” Chris stated cryptically, before he took pity on Tristan by adding, “I’m Scott’s brother.”

“So, how old are you, Tony?” Randy asked, as he returned to the table with the first of the drinks.

“Thirteen.”

“Isn’t that a bit young to know you’re gay?” I asked.

I realised I’d put my foot in it again when Adam’s face went stormy. Tristan saved me, though.

“I’ve been that saying to him, too.”

Scott shook his head. “No, it’s not. I knew before then, though I didn’t have a name to put to it until later. Some people realise earlier than others. Thirteen isn’t too young.”

“Same here. I spent two years, from thirteen to fifteen, trying to prove myself wrong, but I couldn’t,” Adam said, his stormy look having dropped away.

I breathed a sigh of relief. I had been afraid that he was going to shoot me down, again, but when Tristan showed the same opinion, Adam must have realised I wasn’t being unreasonable.

“I knew it when I was twelve,” Randy said.

When everyone stared at him, he just looked back innocently. “What? I’ve known I’m attracted to girls since I was twelve. If I could work that out, surely a gay guy could know at the same age.”

He stared down at Tristan and asked, “When did you know you like girls?”

Tristan gave a short, sharp bark of laughter. “Okay, you win on that one. I knew around that age, too.

“Tony’s never had a girlfriend. Maybe he’s straight and just doesn’t know what he’s missing.” he suggested.

Tony snorted at Tristan’s comment, but kept quiet. From the way he crossed his arms and glared at his brother, it looked like that was a discussion they’d had before.

“Have you ever had a boyfriend, Tristan?” Scott asked. “If not, maybe you’re really gay and just don’t know it yet.”

Tristan opened his mouth, but closed it without saying anything. I could appreciate how he felt. Scott, by turning it around, had made it obvious that that argument wasn’t going to go anywhere.

Tristan’s eyebrows narrowed as he looked across at Adam and Scott. “What about the idea that it’s just a phase that some guys go through?”

Adam and Scott exchanged glances. Scott dropped his gaze to the table, while Adam sighed heavily and shook his head sadly.

“That idea can really mess us up,” Adam said. “I tried for two years to believe it, and just made more problems for myself.” He looked over at Tony. “Do you feel it’s a phase? Do you have any interest in girls?”

“No and no,” Tony replied firmly. “I know what I feel and I’m sure it’s not a phase.”

“What’s your position in all of this, Tristan?” Chris asked cautiously. “You’re here, so you care for your brother, but you’re sounding like you’re not sure about the whole thing.”

Tristan looked down. There was a long pause before he raised his head and answered.

“I don’t know what to think. He’s my brother, that’s number one. I just don’t understand this ‘gay’ thing and I can’t work out what it means.”

“It means I like guys,” Tony replied, exasperated. It was clear to me that he’d tried explaining that to Tristan many times before.

“It means he’s going to need his family to support him when outsiders get abusive,” Adam added.

“And friends to tell him there’s nothing wrong with him,” Randy stated, serious for a change.

“It means that, unless he’s lucky,” Scott said, flicking a smile at Adam, “he’s going to have trouble finding a partner.”

“And he’s going to have to put up with ignorant arseholes who yell abuse because they don’t know anything about gays,” I put in, thinking back to the fateful night when I found out about Adam.

“He runs the risk of losing friends and family because of something he has no control over,” Chris said quietly, “so keeping the ones he has is even more important to him.”

Tristan and Tony were looking wide-eyed at all of us, as their heads jerked around to catch whoever was speaking. They mustn’t have expected the responses they were getting.

“You had some issues on the religious side, too, didn’t you, Tristan,” I stated, rather than asked. “Did Sister Brenda help you there?”

He nodded slowly. “Yeah, she did. I’m still not sure, but I’m giving Tony the benefit of the doubt in that area.”

“Tristan, I’m glad you don’t understand this ‘gay thing’, as you call it,” Adam said. “You don’t want to. Can you imagine what it’s like to be constantly hiding a part of you that sets you apart from all your friends? To be so afraid of saying something that might reveal you’re gay that you try going too far the other way? Having to worry about which friends you’re going to lose when they finally learn the truth, and being desperate to keep that day as far away as possible, but always knowing that today could be that day?”

I caught the way his eyes flicked to me as he mentioned losing friends. I made a face, and then forced myself back into a neutral expression as I mentally crossed my fingers that I was fixing that mistake.

Scott was staring into space, his eyes unfocused. “To be so depressed by all of it that you sometimes wonder if life is still worth living? To actually have to go searching for something that makes you want to be alive?” he asked in a distant tone.

Adam and Chris both stiffened in shock when Scott said that. He’d said something similar when I’d chatted with him the night he came out to my family. I just hadn’t realised how bad it had been.

“Is that how you feel?” Tristan asked Tony quickly, almost panicky.

“No, but I know what he means. It’s never been that bad for me,” Tony answered with a shake of his head.

Scott turned and smiled at Adam, who looked like he wanted to ask something but was afraid to. “Those days are gone, now, Adam, but yes, I went through times like that. That’s why I’m fighting so hard to keep you in my life.”

“Fighting?” Tristan asked, perplexed at the strange reference.

Chris was gnawing at his lower lip, trying to work out if he should say anything. Scott noticed that and nodded permission to his brother.

“Scott came out to our parents a couple of days ago,” Chris explained. “His relationship with Adam is a bone of contention with our mum.”

“It’s also why Chris and I have spent the last two nights here,” Scott added, still smiling at Adam. “We’re hoping we’ll be going home later today.”

Adam leant forward, as if he was going to give Scott a kiss, but backed off when he realised where he was. Instead, he turned to look across the table at Tony and Tristan.

“All of that is why Scott was willing to come out to you and Tony today, Tristan. He’s willing to risk you outing him at school, so that Tony doesn’t have to go through some of the things we’ve been through. Tony needs to know there are other gay guys out there, and that he’s normal.”

“Gays aren’t the norm, but they’re still normal,” Randy stated firmly.

“That’s from one of your web sites, isn’t it?” I asked him.

“Well, they’re not mine, but yeah. It’s part of some notes on how to help your parents understand. A lot of people get confused between the norm and normal. Left-handed people aren’t the norm, but they’re normal. Gays are the same,” Randy explained.

Tristan nodded his head slowly. “Okay, that makes sense. Thanks, Randy.”

“How long have you been out to your brother, Tony?” Chris asked.

“A couple of months. I told him because I thought he’d understand.”

We all heard the hurt tone in his voice. When Tristan made a face and refused to make eye contact with anyone, I guessed how it’d turned out.

“If Tristan came up here to check us out first, then things must be going okay,” I said hesitantly.

“I found out about the phone call after he rang Randy,” Tristan growled through clenched teeth, glaring at his brother. “He didn’t give me a lot of choice in the matter.”

“I had to ring then, or I wouldn’t’ve had the nerve to do it later. It took me three tries before I did it, as it was! You didn’t have to come here; that was your decision.”

“As if I’d let you out yourself to someone without me being there, just in case! If I didn’t come with you, you would’ve just snuck off while my back was turned,” Tristan snapped.

“Easy, you two,” Chris said quickly. “It’s done and it looks like it’s all worked out fine in the end. Tristan, if you have problems or questions, you can talk to me. I’m in the same boat, having a gay brother, and I’ve known about Scott for around the same amount of time.”

There was a war of expressions on Tristan’s face as he stared at Chris. Chris just sat there patiently, waiting for Tristan’s response. Everyone else held their breath.

“Can you give me advice on obnoxious little brothers, too?”

Everyone cracked up at the wry tone with which Tristan asked his question.

Chris laughed. “Yeah, sure. Just don’t expect me to know what to do with them. Sometimes I think they should’ve been drowned at birth.”

“Hey, that’s not fair. I’m the one who has to put up with a big brother that snores so loudly he keeps everyone else in the house awake,” Scott complained.

“I don’t snore!” Chris growled.

“Yes, you do!” Randy and Scott chorused.

Everyone relaxed as the tension was broken.

I invited Tristan and Tony to stay for lunch, but they decided against it. Tristan said he already had a lot to think about. Tony looked disappointed, but he didn’t contradict his brother. I showed Tristan where he could have a quick shower, and then I returned to the others.

While his brother was gone, Tony turned to Randy. “Do you mind if I start hanging out with you and your friends at school?” he asked eagerly.

Randy hesitated and flicked a concerned glance to the others around the table.

“That may not be a good idea for now,” Adam said. “Wait until things calm down. We don’t want you to get caught up in anything.”

“Randy will be there to make sure I don’t get hurt,” Tony pointed out.

“I can’t be there in your classes,” Randy said. “Anyway, if you start hanging out with me, some people will suspect you’re gay.”

“But… I am!”

“Yeah, but we don’t want everyone to know it, do we?” Randy pointed out gently.

Tony’s face fell. “I suppose not,” he muttered. He then brightened. “What about going to a movie together, though? That’d be okay, wouldn’t it?”

“Maybe,” Randy replied, looking uncomfortable.

“I don’t see a problem with you and Tristan going to see a movie with all of us,” Scott said, a faint grin playing across his face.

“What’s this about movies?” Tristan asked as he came back in, looking refreshed and more relaxed.

“Tony was just asking about going out,” Adam explained. “We’ve already told him it wouldn’t be a good idea to hang out around us at school, at least not yet.”

“Too right!” Tristan stated forcefully. He stared down at his brother. “Are you trying to get yourself into trouble?”

“Randy won’t let anyone pick on me,” Tony blustered back.

“But it’s still not a good idea,” I added. “Wait a few weeks, at least, and let’s see how things go.”

“Okay,” Tony sighed, getting to his feet. “Randy, will you show me where I can have a shower?” he asked, picking up his backpack.

While Tony was gone, I asked a question that had been bothering me.

“Tristan, Tony rang back on Wednesday night to talk to Adam. Did you know about that beforehand?”

He nodded. “Yeah, I did.”

“If you were that concerned, why did you let him ring?”

He gave a short, bitter laugh. “As if I could’ve stopped him.”

Sighing, he looked over at Adam before continuing. “However, I didn’t mind. I know you, Adam, and, strange as it may sound, I trust you. I don’t understand you, but I don’t understand my brother, either. If he needs to talk to someone, as he keeps telling me, I’m happy for that person to be you.” After pausing for a moment, he added, “And, you too, Scott.”

“Thanks, Tristan,” Adam replied simply. He didn’t really need to say anything more.

We talked for another hour before they left. It was clear to me that while Tristan wanted to protect and help his brother, he was still uncertain about his being gay. He seemed keen for Adam and Scott to be good role models for Tony, expressing concern about what sort of life Tony would be living as he grew up. There was only one thing that spoiled Tony and Tristan’s visit, and Randy mentioned it as soon as they had left.

“Adam, Scott, I need your help. I think Tony’s got a crush on me, and I don’t know how to let him down gently.”

Chris grinned. “You think so?” he asked sarcastically. “What gave it away? The constant ‘Randy said it, so it must be true’, in all its variations, or the ‘Are you sure you’re not gay, Randy?’, or was it the ‘Can I hang around with you Randy? Just the two of us?’ Or was it something else?”

“This is serious, Chris,” Randy shot back. “I don’t want to hurt him.”

Chris relented. “Okay, how would you handle it if he was a girl?”

“The idea’s the same, Giant,” Scott said. “Just make sure it’s clear you’re only friends, and don’t confuse him by crossing that line.”

“Of course, you could just give in to the inevitable,” Adam suggested with a grin.

“Don’t even joke about that!” I exclaimed. “Giant’s not gay and Tony doesn’t need to get messed up.”

Adam scowled at me for a second, before relaxing into a wry smile. “Yeah, you’re right, David. Sorry, Giant.”

Randy waved a hand to dismiss the apology. “I just need to be careful, I suppose. It’ll be easier if I don’t spend too much time with him,” he mused.

“I think we convinced him not to hang around you at school,” I said, a little uncertainly. “We’ve put him off for a few weeks. He might be over it by then.”

“Maybe you can ask Maria for advice,” Adam suggested, ingeniously.

I kept my grin to myself. If Maria did have a crush on Randy, that would get her going. There’s nothing like the suggestion of a rival to make someone act.

“But I can’t tell her about Tony,” Randy pointed out.

“No, but you can say that someone is hitting on you and you want advice on how to let them down without hurting their feelings,” Adam replied.

I could see the risk that Maria might think Randy was referring to her, but I doubted that was likely. As far as I could tell, she hadn’t made her feelings obvious, assuming Mary’s comments were correct in the first place.

We continued to talk about Tony and Tristan until Dad came home. When he asked a question about the state of the house, we realised that we hadn’t tidied up in preparation for the arrival of Scott’s parents that afternoon. We spent the rest of the morning cleaning the lounge room and making things neat and tidy.

Lunch was rushed. We didn’t have a lot of time before the Wilsons showed up, so everyone just grabbed whatever they wanted.

Scott and Chris went outside to welcome their parents. The rest of us, including Adam, stayed inside. Adam and I couldn’t resist looking out the window. Mr. Wilson gave Chris and Scott warm handshakes, but I thought Mrs. Wilson’s greeting to Scott looked too formal. If there’d been an improvement overnight, it wasn’t immediately apparent.

When they came inside, Mum and Dad said hello and started to take them into the lounge room, but Mr. Wilson stopped them.

“I don’t think this will be necessary, Kevin, Yvonne. While there’s a lot to talk about, we don’t think here is an appropriate place to do that. We do have a few things to say, though.”

He turned to Chris and Scott. His face was set in a gentle smile.

“We love you both and we want both of you to be happy. There will be times when we’ll say something to upset you, and we’d like to apologise in advance. This is going to take us some time to get used to, and we just ask that you be patient.”

Mr. Wilson peered at Scott. He looked stern.

“We’ve discussed things in great depth and we’ve decided that we have to accept that Adam is part of your life, for the moment. We won’t stop you from seeing him, but there are some rules we need you to observe when he’s visiting in our home.”

He paused and gave his wife a sidewise glance. Her tightly-pressed lips and narrowed eyes indicated her disapproval of the whole situation, but she stayed silent. Mr. Wilson turned back to Scott. Scott was looking relieved at the news that he’d still be able to see Adam, and that Adam would be able to come to visit.

“The first is that while you’re together in our home, we don’t want any overt signs of affection. No holding hands, no kissing, no cuddling. You are to act like two good mates, like you have in the past.

“Next, whenever the two of you are in your room, we want the door to be kept open at all times.

“We also want no discussion of homosexual matters in front of us unless we ask. You can talk about it between yourselves, and with Chris, if he doesn’t mind, but we don’t want you pushing it in our faces.

“Lastly, we don’t want the rest of the family to know. You are not to say anything to your cousins, aunts or uncles, is that clear?”

Scott’s relieved look was slowly being wiped off his face with each instruction. By the time his dad had finished speaking, his expression was one of stubborn defiance.

Adam started to say something, but Scott stopped him.

“You’re just trying to make things impossible for me and Adam, aren’t you?” he accused.

His dad shook his head. “No, Scott, we’re not. What we are trying to do is to give ourselves time to understand and accept. You have to let us work this out at our own pace.”

“Those rules don’t apply to Chris when he brings a girlfriend home!”

“They will from now on,” Mr. Wilson replied, startling everyone.

“Now, Phil...” Mrs. Wilson started to say something, but her husband turned to her.

“Carol, if these rules are fair to Scott, they’re fair to Chris,” he stated firmly. “If they’re unfair to Chris, they’re unfair to Scott. We have two sons, and we will treat them as two sons. Not one gay son and one straight son, but our two sons.”

“You mean that now, when I bring a girlfriend home, I can’t even hug her or give her a goodnight kiss?” Chris asked in disbelief.

“That’s correct.”

“That’s not fair!”

“If Scott can’t kiss his boyfriend, you can’t kiss your girlfriend,” Mr. Wilson stated firmly.

“If that’s the way you’re going to be, don’t expect me to bring anyone else home,” Chris said heatedly. He glared at his brother. “Nice one, Scott,” he added in a sour tone.

I thought I knew what Mr. Wilson was doing. Mrs. Wilson must’ve come up with the instructions, but had never dreamt her husband would apply them to Chris. By doing so, he was forcing her to back down. It might not happen immediately, but sooner or later she’d have to relax her rules. When I looked over at Scott, he seemed calmer, though still defiant. He knew that things would change. Until then, the rules at our house were more reasonable. I expected to see a lot of Scott in the coming weeks.

“Why can’t you just let us be ourselves?” Scott asked sullenly. “With these rules, what makes you think I want to come home?”

Mrs. Wilson gasped. I tensed up and I think everyone else did, too. Scott had just raised the stakes, and I wasn’t sure it was a smart thing to do.

“How long have you known you’re gay, son?” Mr. Wilson asked gently.

The sudden change in direction threw Scott off balance.

“A couple of years, maybe three,” he replied, hesitantly, as if he was wondering if that was a trick question.

“They why didn’t you tell us back then?” his dad asked, still in that soft, gentle tone.

“I wasn’t ready. I wasn’t sure,” Scott admitted. “I was afraid of how you’d react,” he finished, glowering.

“So, you’ve had two or three years to get used to the idea. We’ve had two nights. We need more time, son, and these rules are to give us that time.

“We still have a lot to talk about, but don’t I think we should do that here. We’d like you to come home now, son,” Mr. Wilson said gently and lovingly. His strong feelings for Scott were shining through.

“Am I permitted to say goodbye to my boyfriend first?” Scott asked bitterly.

“Of course,” Mr. Wilson replied with a nod and a smile.

“Come on, Adam. Let’s go outside where we can kiss without someone fainting in disgust,” Scott said, turning away.

“Scott!” my dad said suddenly, anger showing in his face and voice.

Scott stopped and looked over at Dad in surprise. He hadn’t expected my dad to intervene. Neither had I, especially in front of Scott’s parents.

“There are two things this household is based on. They are trust and respect. If you can’t show respect for the other people in this house, and that includes your parents when they are visiting, then don’t expect us to show respect in return. Unless you want us to enforce the same rules in this house that your parents have imposed for your home, you will behave as a mature young gentleman, and not a spiteful brat who’s upset because something hasn’t gone his way.”

Dad’s threat hit home. Scott didn’t say anything, but his pale complexion showed his understanding. He just nodded his head and silently led Adam out of the room.

“Scott...” Mr. Wilson started, as his son disappeared, but Dad interrupted him.

“Let him go, Phil,” he said quietly. “I think he’s learnt his lesson.”

I heard the door to the veranda open and close, so I knew they’d headed outside. They’d have some degree of privacy out there.

“So, what are they permitted to do here?” Mrs Wilson asked, frosty disapproval shining through in every line of her face.

Mum looked at her calmly, almost sympathetically.

“Exactly the same things as David and Randy. We don’t distinguish between them,” she answered. “Just like you aren’t distinguishing between Scott and Chris.”

“Humph,” Mrs. Wilson snorted, but she didn’t say anything else.

Mum, Dad and Mr. Wilson started chatting about various things while waiting for Adam and Scott to return. Mrs. Wilson maintained a cold silence until Chris spoke to her.

“Umm... Mum? About these rules...” Chris began hesitantly.

She smiled gently, completely transforming her face. “Don’t worry about it, Chris. We won’t really make you follow them.”

He shook his head. “No, Dad’s right. If they apply to Scott, then they apply to me. That wasn’t what I meant. It’s just that I’ve got a date tomorrow night, and I was going to bring her around before we go out, but I can’t now. It’s not that I don’t want you to meet her, but I don’t want to risk upsetting her by not showing affection in my own home.”

His tone had started out apologetic, but there was a steel edge to it when he finished. He was making it quite clear whose side he was on, and what he thought about the rules.

Mrs. Wilson scowled at Chris and turned away. She knew what he was doing. If, as I suspected, her husband also thought the rules were too harsh, then she was going to be under a lot of pressure to relax them.

I was making drinks for everyone, with Randy hovering nearby.

“Uh-oh,” he said suddenly. “This could be trouble.”

I turned and saw him staring out the kitchen window.

“What is it?” I asked.

“B1 and B2 are on their way. They’ll be here in a couple of minutes.”

He and I exchanged worried glances. I made a quick decision.

“I’ll get Adam and Break. You delay the twins,” I told my brother.

As I passed him, I saw my dad nodding his approval. I quickly stepped out onto the veranda. After hesitating a moment to think, I slammed the door behind me.

“Adam?” I called out, louder than necessary. “Are you out here? B1 and B2 have come to say hello.”

I cautiously walked around the corner of the house. I found Adam and Scott busy checking each other, as if they were making sure that there was no sign of whatever it was they’d just been doing.

Adam looked at me as I approached. He seemed panicky. “Where are they?” he whispered quickly.

“On their way up the driveway. We’re lucky. Yesterday’s rains must’ve made the paddocks too muddy. If they’d cut cross-country, like they normally do, they would’ve spotted you two. If we move fast, we can all be inside before they get here.”

Scott and Adam both nodded. “Thanks, Stick,” Scott said.

We beat the twins by less than a minute. They came in, accompanied by Randy.

“Hi, guys,” Brett said cheerfully as soon as he saw us. “I hope we haven’t come at a bad time, but since there’s no game today we were hoping for a bit of practise.”

I looked over at the Wilsons and my parents, unsure of what to say.

“We were just leaving,” Mr. Wilson said. “It was nice seeing you again, Kevin, Yvonne.”

He paused and looked over at where Scott was standing. With the stress he’d been going through over the last couple of days, Scott was having trouble controlling his emotions. His anger was still shining through.

“If Chris is willing to wait, why don’t you join the others, Scott? Just don’t be too late. We have things to do at home,” Mr. Wilson suggested.

Scott looked surprised, then grinned. “Thanks, Dad!” He turned to Chris and asked, “Is that okay?”

Chris smiled. “Sure, Scott. I can stick around for maybe an hour or so.”

“Okay, I’ll go get changed,” Scott replied, clearly happy as he headed off to my room.

“We’d better get changed, too,” Randy said to Adam and me.

“We’ll meet you outside,” Brian said.

When I got to my room, Scott was standing there, frowning.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“How are we going to explain the bags to the twins?”

I thought for a second.

“You’ve got a few options. You could just say that you stayed the night, sleeping in my room. Chris might be able to sneak the bags to his car while the twins aren’t looking, or you can just leave them here until the next time you visit. There’s nothing in them that you really need, is there?”

“I suppose not. The last option is probably the simplest,” he said, before grinning. “It also gives me an excuse to come back again, soon.”

We played three-on-three for an hour. Simple, clean exercise always helps clear my mind and gives me a break from any stress that I’m feeling. From the way we settled into our old routine, I thought everyone else was the same. We were disappointed when Chris walked out and announced it was time for Scott to go. The twins headed off at the same time.

I then started getting ready for the night. It would be like a first date again, only worse. I took so much time that I became concerned I was going to be late. Dad took pity on me and drove me down to Eastland in Ringwood. He warned me, though, that getting home was my responsibility.

I waited outside the cinema for twenty anxious minutes before I finally saw Liz coming towards me. I smiled with relief and moved forward to intercept her.

I took a gamble and opened my arms to offer her a hug, and she accepted it.

“Glad to see you,” I murmured in her ear, as I enjoyed our first embrace since we’d had our fight.

“Me, too,” she whispered back.

Reluctantly letting her go, I smiled down at her. “What do you want to see?”

“Honestly? Nothing.”

My surprise must’ve shown, as she grinned up at me. “I just want the company. I don’t care what we see.”

We headed in and started looking at the options available to us. We were close to picking a movie when Liz suddenly frowned.

“What are you doing here?” she asked accusingly.

I turned to see who she was talking to. Trevor was standing there, scowling at me.

“I’ve come to see a movie,” he replied to his sister, though his glare never left me.

“Hi, Trev,” I said, trying to be polite. I offered him a hand, which he ignored.

“Hi, wanker,” he growled.

“Trevor, I’ve told you to butt out. I’m capable of making my own decisions, and I don’t need you telling me what to do,” Liz stated firmly.

Trevor shrugged. “I’ve given up on that. I’m not here to tell you you’re making a mistake. You’ll have to work that one out on your own. I’m just here to watch a movie. I’m allowed, aren’t I?”

“All right then, what are you going to see?” Liz asked, suspicious.

“I don’t know yet. What are you going to watch?” he asked cunningly.

“Why can’t you just leave us alone, Trev?” I asked him, getting angry. When Liz stepped close to me, I slipped an arm across her shoulders. Her arm around my waist showed I’d made the right move.

Trevor leant forward, trying to use his bulk to intimidate me. “Listen, wanker. I can’t stop my sister from seeing you, but there’s nothing that says I have to approve or to make your life easy. I don’t want her to make the same mistake again, and that’s what you are: a mistake.”

I started to say something, then rejected the idea. Despite everything, he was still Liz’s brother. If things worked out, I’d be seeing a lot of him in the future. I couldn’t afford to burn too many bridges.

“Come on, Liz,” I said, turning my back on Trevor. “Let’s pick a movie.”

My suspicions were confirmed when Trevor bought a ticket to the same movie we picked. I expected that he would be sitting near us, no matter where we were.

“Trust me,” Liz whispered as we waited for the current session to finish. I looked at her for a moment and she gave me a wink, tilting of her head slightly towards her brother.

I didn’t know what she planned, but I nodded my acceptance.

When the crowd streamed out, I knew it wouldn’t be long before we’d be able to go in. We just had to wait for the theatre to be cleaned.

“Come on!” Liz said suddenly, grabbing me by the hand.

I followed, but I didn’t know what was happening.

“Trevor’s gone to the men’s room. Now’s our chance to escape,” she explained quickly, as we headed for the nearest exit.

Just before we left, I gently pulled her to a stop. She looked surprised, and then glanced anxiously over her shoulder.

“Just a sec,” I said, and headed to a group of kids who had just entered.

“Excuse me, but I heard you say what you wanted to see. Here’s two tickets for it. Have fun!”

With that, I forced the tickets into one kid’s hand and then headed out of the cinema with Liz.

“That was nice, Stick”

I shrugged. “Someone should enjoy them. There’s no need to just throw them away.”

She paused and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. “Now, let’s find somewhere to hide.”

While I regretted the wasted money, the whole point of the night out was to spend time with Liz. I wouldn’t have been able to do that with Trevor breathing down our necks, probably literally, so the money would’ve been wasted, anyway.

We ended up sitting in the back of a coffee shop for a couple of hours. Liz soon found out that I was short of cash. She insisted on helping to pay for the coffee and sweets we ordered and I reluctantly had to accept.

We giggled together at what Trevor’s reaction might’ve been when he realised we’d given him the slip.

“You know, I’m going to have to thank your brother the next time I see him,” I remarked absently.

“Why?” Liz asked.

“His showing up broke the ice. I’m not sure we’d be chatting like this if he hadn’t forced us.”

She giggled again. “You’re probably right. I didn’t know what he had planned when he offered to give me a lift here tonight. When he came into the cinema, I saw red. I couldn’t stand the idea of him forcing himself on me as a chaperone. I’m sixteen; I don’t need one!”

She paused, then leant over and gave me a light kiss on the lips.

“Thanks for giving those tickets away. That was the Stick I originally fell in love with.”

I shrugged, embarrassed. “It was nothing,” I muttered.

We had to duck down at one point, when Liz spotted her brother passing by the shop, but we had the rest of the night to ourselves. By the time we both regretfully agreed it was time to go home, I knew Liz and I were back to where we had been. I suspected we’d still have the occasional rocky time, but we were solid.

We took the train back to Lilydale. We made the trip in silence, but that was because we were enjoying each other’s company and just didn’t need to speak. Liz rested the back of her head on my chest as I sat in the corner of the seat with my arms wrapped around her. There was a cocoon of warm quietness around us that neither of us wanted to break.

Liz finally spoke as the trained was pulling into Lilydale station.

“You know, I feel sorry for Adam. It’s unlikely he’ll ever be able to do this without being abused,” she murmured.

“Yeah. You’re probably right, though if his friends are around, hopefully he’ll be able to relax. I can’t imagine what it could be like to not be able to show someone that you care for them.”

Mrs. Wilson’s rules suddenly seemed a lot harsher than I’d first imagined. Rather than making me angry they made me sad, and also thankful for what I was enjoying with Liz. At least Adam and Scott would be able to be themselves in our home.

I had a small argument with Liz outside the train station.

“I can walk, Stick. I’m not an invalid,” she said, starting to get cross at my insistence on escorting her home.

“It’s more than thirty minutes’ walk from here, and it’s cold,” I pointed out. “And Trev is likely to be waiting outside for you, if I know him.”

She giggled. “Probably. That’ll serve him right.”

“So, can I take you home in a taxi?”

She thought about it for a couple of seconds before giving up. “Okay, David,” she said, giving me a kiss.

There were two taxis waiting, and we climbed into the back of the first.

“Where to?” the driver asked.

I gave him Liz’s address and then added mine.

He frowned. “That’s a long trip. Have you got the money for that?”

“Sure,” I said, snuggling up with Liz in the back seat.

“I’m sorry, but can you prove it? We’re allowed to ask for proof,” he said, pointing to a sticker indicating the conditions of fare.

I reluctantly let go of Liz and pulled out my wallet to show the driver the last of my cash. He hesitated a moment, then nodded his head and started the engine.

The trip was too short. As we turned into Liz’s street, I asked the driver to pull over.

Just in case Trevor really was waiting outside, I wanted to properly say goodnight to Liz. She reluctantly got out of the taxi about five minutes later.

“I’ll walk from here, Stick, just in case,” she said. “I’ve had a really good night. Thanks.”

“I have, too,” I replied quietly, grudgingly allowing her to leave.

“Night, David.”

“Night, Liz.”

I slumped back in the seat as I watched her walk down towards her house.

The driver started to pull away, but I quickly asked him to wait. I explained that I just wanted to make sure she got home safely. He smiled condescendingly, but didn’t say anything.

As soon as Liz disappeared from sight, I told the driver we could go. I reconfirmed my address and then just gazed mindlessly out the window.

The intermittent moonlight peeking through the clouds gave fields and vineyards a mystical feel as I watched them pass by. At some point the driver had switched on the radio and soft, romantic music was playing in the background, and that completed the mood for me.

When the driver pulled over to the side of the road, I dragged myself out of my happy-dazed state to look at him.

“Sorry, kid. Your money’s just run out,” he said, pointing to the meter. “It’s probably a twenty minute walk to your place from here. Are you going to be all right?”

I glanced outside to see where we were. My house was more than thirty minutes away, but walking that far wouldn’t be a problem.

“Yeah, I’ll be okay,” I replied, as I dug out my wallet and handed over my money. I was broke, but the night had been worth it.

Getting out, I took a deep breath as the cold of the night hit me. Shivering, I pulled my jacket tight and started to walk.

Striding out, I wasn’t even annoyed when a light, misty rain began to fall. My clothes may have been getting soaked, but my spirits were still on a high. The exercise in the clear air also helped, refreshing and cleansing at the same time.

I got home well after my curfew. The kitchen light had been left on, but there wasn’t anyone around. I guessed Mum had done that, so I’d see where I was going when I came in. As I headed off for a warm shower before bed, I glanced across at my parents’ bedroom door. There was a faint light coming from underneath, which went out while I looked. One or both of them had been staying up to make sure I arrived home safely. Despite it being late, they didn’t come out to see me. I was sure I’d be questioned the next morning, but for the moment they were giving me my privacy.

The trust they were showing just capped off a brilliant evening.