New Brother - 24. Chapter 24

“You were in late last night,” Dad remarked as I sat down for breakfast.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to be,” I replied cautiously.

Having recently been grounded, I didn’t want to get into trouble again. I was prepared to argue if I had to, but I decided to wait to see what Dad said.

“Did anything happen to make you late?” he asked neutrally.

I hesitated for a moment and then simply told the truth.

“I ran out of money for the taxi, so I had to walk the last thirty minutes. The driver checked to make sure I was okay to walk before I got out, which I though was pretty good of him.”

Dad nodded. “Fair enough. I think it’s time we got you and Randy prepaid mobile phones for emergencies. I’d prefer to come out and pick you up, or know why you’re late, than to be left wondering.”

He returned his attention to his plate of food, effectively ending the conversation. I was surprised and pleased. Pleased that I wasn’t getting into trouble for coming in after curfew, and surprised about the mobiles. Dad has always been ultra-conservative on that subject. I’ve never managed to work out why, but it looked like he was softening.

Adam and Randy showed up soon afterwards. While Adam starting cooking some eggs, Randy reversed one of the chairs, sat down, crossed his arms over the back, and stared at me.

“Okay, spill!” he demanded. “How did it go?”

I gave him a goofy grin. I tried not to, but I couldn’t stop it.

“Really good,” I replied in an understatement. “No, absolutely fantastic! It was the best night ever!”

“Well? What happened?” Randy insisted.

I gave them a short summary of the night, on the assumption they really didn’t need a thirty-minute, blow-by-blow description of what actually occurred. I skipped over the reason why we didn’t see a movie and just told them that we decided to let Trevor see one by himself.

Mum was watching me as I talked. She had a faint smile on her face. When I looked over at her, she turned away and busied herself in one of the cupboards.

“What time do you think you’ll be home from Mary’s house?” Mum asked, after I’d finished.

Randy, Adam and I looked at one another. Randy shrugged and Adam looked helplessly at me. None of us had any idea.

“Not sure,” I said. “Scott will be there, so maybe we can get a ride back with Chris.”

“We’d already guessed that,” Dad replied dryly. “We were more wondering if you’d be home for dinner.”

“Probably,” Randy said, “but you’d better make it a late one.”

“In that case, you can reheat something from the freezer,” Mum replied. “Your dad and I are going out for an early dinner. We won’t be late, but we may not be here when you get back.”

“If you need a lift home, make sure you ring us before three,” Dad added. He pulled out his wallet and handed me a ten-dollar note. “Just in case you catch the bus,” he explained.

“Thanks, Dad,” I said appreciatively.

My parents were being a lot less strict than they had been in the past. I wondered if they were finally accepting that I was able to make my own decisions. I looked over at Adam. I suspected that it was something to do with him, but I wasn’t sure. Certainly, the change in attitude had happened since his arrival.

I mentally shrugged. It didn’t really matter. They were treating me more as an adult, and I wasn’t going to argue.

We finished our breakfast and got ready for church. I took the easy option of wearing clothes that were at the low end of what Mum would find acceptable for church, and at the upper end of what I’d want to wear out. That way I wouldn’t have to get changed before we went to Mary’s place. When I left my room, I saw that Adam and Randy had done the same.

The way things went at church was almost a repeat of the previous week. The sermon was, predictably, on the resurrection, but the minister was clearly staring at Adam when he emphasised that the Easter message is for all of us. He didn’t say anything specific, but it was apparent to me that he was including homosexuals in that statement.

We didn’t stay long after the service, but a number of people came up to speak to Adam and to ask him how he was. A couple of them seemed cautious and avoided a lot of eye contact, but most treated him as just another teenager. Even the two that appeared uncomfortable still made the effort to say hello.

We were all in a good mood when Dad dropped us off at Mary’s house. Randy, being his usual boisterous self, led the way up the path. Adam followed and I brought up the rear, carrying the cake.

Gary answered the door. “G’day, guys. You’re the first ones here,” he said as he ushered us in. “We’re going to be out the back.”

“Is Mary’s mum here?” I asked, looking around.

The house was neat and clean. Our house is normally clean, but neatness is a state that it only sees on special occasions that usually involve visits from friends of Mum and Dad.

“She’s in the kitchen,” Gary replied, pointing to a door off the living room.

“Come on,” Randy said, heading in that direction. Adam, Gary and I followed.

Mary’s mum was checking something in the oven when we entered.

“Good afternoon, Mrs. Bryant,” Randy said. “Thanks for having us around.”

“You’re welcome...” she replied, her voice fading away.

“Randy,” my brother said. Turning, he indicated Adam and me. “And this is Adam and David.”

Mrs. Bryant smiled. “Hi, boys.”

“Hi,” Adam said hesitantly.

“Hello, Mrs. Bryant,” I said, stepping forward. “We’ve brought you a cake.”

I put the cake box on a bench nearby.

“Thanks, David,” she said. She didn’t move to check it, though. Instead, she smiled at Adam. “Mary’s told me some of what you’ve been going through, Adam. I just want to say you’re welcome here at any time.”

“Hey, that’s not fair,” Gary protested. “I’ve got restrictions on when I can be here, but he gets to come over at any time?”

“You’re not allowed here while Mary’s got homework to do, as she wouldn’t get it done. I don’t think Adam will distract her as much as you do,” Mrs. Bryant pointed out with a smile.

“That’s not my fault,” Gary retorted with a grin.

“No, but you still have to live with the consequences,” she said. “Now, how about you take everyone outside, so I can finish fixing you boys something to eat?”

“Okay,” Gary said. He turned and waved us on. “We’re having lunch in the pergola out the back.”

Outside, we found ourselves in a very small back yard. At least that’s the way it felt to me, but I’m used to wide-open spaces. I have the same reaction when I visit any of our friends who live on standard housing blocks.

There was a decent sized pergola in one corner of the yard, with some sort of vine growing up each of the eight main posts. An octagonal wooden table occupied the middle. Mary was busy putting things on the table as we approached.

“You’re early!” she said, as we joined her.

I shrugged. “Dad dropped us off after church. We can help set up, if you like.”

“No, I think we’re just about done,” she replied, frowning down at the table. Lifting her gaze, she gave us all a warm smile.

“I’m glad you could all make it,” she said. “Have a seat and Gary’ll get you something to drink.”

“We’ve got soft drinks, fruit juice and water,” Gary announced, before lowering his voice. “I tried to sneak in some beers, but I got stopped.”

“And a good thing I did, too,” Mary stated. “I want to have people around again, but I won’t be able to if Gary abuses my mum’s hospitality.”

Gary reddened as he grinned nervously at his girlfriend. He quickly took our drink orders and headed back into the house.

We chatted with Mary about what she’d been doing over the long weekend. The conversation shifted to football when Gary returned, only to stop when we heard the doorbell ring.

“I’ll get it,” Gary shouted, getting to his feet.

“I’ll come with you,” I said. “I need another drink.”

I went to the kitchen while Gary headed to the front door. I’d just asked Mrs. Bryant for a jug that I could fill with water and take back out with me, when I heard Gary greet the new visitor.

“G’day, Scott. Are you okay? You look shocking!”

There was a muttered reply that I couldn’t make out. I headed over to the doorway.

“Well, come on out the back and join the others. Maybe all you need is some fresh air,” Gary suggested to Scott.

“Hi, Scott, Chris,” I said.

Scott looked exhausted. There seemed to be a tension present that drained his energy. He had a bunch of flowers for Mary’s mum, but they were held low, almost forgotten. As he trudged past, barely acknowledging me, I noticed that Chris seemed concerned.

“What’s wrong with him?” I whispered to Chris once Scott and Gary were out of earshot.

“He had a big fight with our parents last night and another one this morning. I don’t think he got a lot of sleep,” Chris whispered, eyes fixed on his brother’s back. “If it wasn’t a chance to get out of the house, I doubt he would’ve come today.”

He glanced over at me. “Keep on eye on him, Stick. He’s running on empty and he might snap if he gets a bit more stressed.”

I nodded. Scott had been through a lot in the previous few days. I hoped that getting out amongst friends, especially Adam, might give him some balance and a chance to relax.

“I’ll be back to pick him up at about four,” Chris said as he turned to go.

“Is there any chance you could give the rest of us a lift home?”

He looked back at me and then glanced in the direction where Scott had disappeared.

“Yeah, sure. I think going to your place might be a good idea, anyway.”

Chris waved and headed out to his car. I returned to the kitchen, filled the jug with water, and then headed back outside. I mentally crossed my fingers that Scott would be able to get through the afternoon.

He seemed a bit better when I rejoined everyone. He was sitting next to Adam. I sensed he wanted to collapse against his boyfriend, but had to restrain himself. He still didn’t look great, but he had a half-smile on his lips and was participating in the conversation, if only sparingly.

Liz showed up about ten minutes later. I stood up and give her a quick kiss before seating her on my right. She slipped her hand into mine beneath the table, but otherwise just joined in the chat.

Mary’s mum had prepared several trays of finger food, so we spent the next hour eating, talking and generally having a good time. Once he’d finished eating, Randy began rocking his chair onto its back legs, a bad habit of his when he’s trying to stretch out.

We all thanked Mrs. Bryant on her last trip out to see us, as she helped Gary and Mary collect the empty plates and take them inside.

When Gary and Mary came back, Mary sat down, but Gary just stood there nervously.

“Uhm… Adam?” he started, dragging everyone’s attention to himself. “I know I’ve said some of this to you over the last couple of weeks, but I want to apologise for the way my mum and I treated you that night you stayed with us. I should’ve known better and I just want to say we’re sorry. Mum says you’re welcome in our home at any time, though she’s still not sure about you staying the night.”

“What about you?” Randy challenged. “Would you be comfortable having Ads stay the night?”

Gary grinned and sat down. “Yeah, I would. Stick and I talked about it a couple of weeks ago and I’m cool with the whole idea. Ads is a good friend and I’m ashamed that I didn’t treat him right when he needed me.”

“Thanks, Gazza,” Adam said. “That means a lot to me.”

That upset me, but I was careful not to let it show. I’d been apologising for ages, and he hadn’t said anything like that to me. Scott had told me that it was because I’d really hurt Adam with what I’d said, and to just give him time, but it was beginning to annoy me that he didn’t seem to accept that I was sorry for what I did.

A gentle squeeze of my hand reminded me that there was someone there that I have trouble keeping secrets from. I forced myself to relax, and gave Liz a soft smile.

“I still don’t understand it, though, Adam,” Gary continued. He grinned at Mary and put his arm around her. “How can you not want someone like this?”

“I like Mary, but just not in that way. I just don’t have…” Adam struggled to find the words to convey what he was trying to say. “…the same reaction as you do. She’s a great person, but there’s no chemistry there.”

“So, who does give you that sort of reaction?”

“Gary!” Mary exclaimed.

“What?”

“You don’t ask things like that!”

“Why not? He’s just another guy. He knows what I mean.”

“It’s okay, Mary,” Adam said, while his face was going pink. “I like someone with a trim body. Not overly muscular, but just in good proportions. I prefer someone shorter than me, too. I think that’s because I’d like to hold him in my arms, more than the other way around.”

Scott was looking away. He seemed uncomfortable with the conversation. Adam had been very careful not to look at his boyfriend sitting next to him, but it was clear to me who he was talking about.

“But that’s only a physical attraction. I also want a friend, someone I can spend quality time with. I don’t see that as being any different to you.”

Gary and Mary exchanged smiles. Liz and I did the same. I gave her hand a squeeze and she leant against my shoulder for a moment. I knew what Adam meant, and I knew he was right. His relationship with Scott, while different in many ways, had the same emotional attachment that I shared with Liz.

“Okay, I can see that,” Gary said. “But you’re so…limited…in what you can do. You and another guy just don’t have the right parts to do things properly.”

“Gary!” Mary repeated, showing her exasperation.

“What did I do now?”

“You can discuss this with Adam in private. I don’t want to hear it, understand?”

Gary shrugged. “Well, okay, but how am I supposed to know how to treat him right if I don’t have some of the details?”

“If he wants to tell you, fine, but I don’t need to know.”

Liz whispered in my ear, “That goes for me, too.”

Randy laughed and rocked back in his chair again. “Just treat him as another guy, Gazza. Why do you need to know more?”

“Well, that’s fine while he’s single, but what am I supposed to do when he finds himself a boyfriend? I need to know what I can talk about, don’t I?”

“Just treat them as two guys, most of the time, and give them the privacy they deserve when they want to be a couple,” I suggested.

“I suppose so,” Gary mused. “That brings up the subject of boyfriends. How are you going to go about finding one, Ads?”

Adam went red and looked away. Scott just sat there staring down at the table.

“I’ll worry about that later,” Adam muttered. “Can we drop the subject, please?”

Gary shrugged and looked at Scott.

“You know, Break,” Gary said idly, “David and I have girlfriends, but you don’t. Some people are going to think any unattached guy who hangs around with Adam could be his boyfriend. You don’t really want them to do that, do you?”

“You’re right, I don’t want people to know,” Scott sighed.

I sat up straight, in shock. Randy tried to do the same, but he’d rocked too far back and his chair toppled over backwards. That turned out to be lucky, as it drew all the attention to him and away from Scott, who’d gone pale when he realised what he’d said.

Adam and I looked around, but everyone else was watching Randy pick himself up.

“I’m okay,” my brother announced as he stood up. His shirt was all wet from the drink he’d spilt when he fell over.

“The first time in years, if that’s the case,” I said, trying to move the conversation off what we’d been discussing.

“Well, it’s the first time in years that I’ve had an elder brother I can respect,” he retorted, grinning at Adam.

“Just as well you didn’t say ‘look up to’, because no one would believe that,” Adam replied. “Thanks for the compliment, though.”

“Are you sure you’re okay, Giant?” Gary asked.

“Yeah, I am.”

“Gary, why don’t you go inside and get a cloth and a towel so Randy can clean his shirt,” Mary suggested.

“Okay.”

As soon as Gary left, Mary turned to Scott. She chewed on her lower lip before looking over the rest of us. I tried to school my expression into one that wouldn’t reveal how worried I was. A quick glance around showed that Adam and Randy were also concerned. Liz was frowning faintly, staring at Scott. It was clear both she and Mary had heard what Scott had said. The question was whether or not they were going to say anything.

Mary broke the silence. “Should we forget what you just said, Scott?”

Scott dropped his face into his hands. No one said anything for several seconds.

“No, I suppose you can’t,” Scott whispered. He looked up. “Can you keep it quiet, though?”

“Of course, Break,” Liz said gently. “Won’t we?” she added, giving me a nudge.

“Yeah, sure,” I said uncertainly, before realising that Liz didn’t know that I already knew.

“So…are you and Adam a couple?” Liz asked.

Scott nodded. He dropped his head down again, as if he was too tired to keep holding it up. Adam put a hand on Scott’s shoulder, his face showing concern.

“How long has this been going on?” Mary asked softly.

“How long’s what been going on?” Gary asked as he came back. We’d been concentrating on Scott so hard we hadn’t noticed Gary’s approach. He handed Randy a damp cloth and a towel, but his concentration was on the rest of us. He looked puzzled.

Scott took a deep breath and stood up. He faced Gary and squared his shoulders.

“She was asking how long Adam’s been my boyfriend.”

Gary laughed. “I was only joking, Break. No one is really going to think you’re gay.”

“But I am,” Scott said, calmly but firmly. “Adam’s been my boyfriend for almost two weeks, now.”

Gary laughed once more, but stopped when he realised that Scott was being serious.

“You’re not joking,” he said in disbelief. He collapsed into his chair.

Mary looked at Randy and me as Scott sat back down.

“You guys aren’t surprised,” she said cautiously. Snapping her fingers, she smiled. “Of course! Scott’s been going to your place to visit Adam.”

“Is this right?” Liz asked me in an ominous tone.

Adam saved me from answering. “David, Giant, and their parents have been great with Scott. They even let him stay overnight a couple of times.”

“Does your family know?” Liz asked Scott.

Scott rested his head on Adam’s shoulder. When he didn’t respond, Adam answered for him.

“That’s why he and Chris spent a couple of nights with us. Chris already knew, but Scott told their parents on Thursday and it didn’t go well. He didn’t move back home until yesterday.”

“You and I are going to have a talk about keeping secrets,” Liz told me. As I started to worry, she smiled and added, “But you did all right with this one.”

She leant over and kissed me on the cheek.

“‘I can’t have a gay son!’” Scott quoted in a falsetto voice. “Mum hates me and she hates Adam.”

“I thought she’d gotten past that,” Randy stated in surprise. Adam looked startled, too.

Scott shook his head. “I don’t really know if she has or not. She came up with some more restrictions last night. She’ll be happy if I never see Adam again.”

Adam put his arm around Scott and pulled him close.

“Restrictions? What are you talking about?” Gary asked.

“Scott’s mum came up with a set of rules for him yesterday. They sounded like they came from the time of the Inquisition,” I explained. “No kissing, no touching, no signs of affection allowed. He can’t have Adam in his room unless the door is kept open. Basically, Adam’s not allowed to be Scott’s boyfriend while he’s in their house.”

“No phone calls with Adam longer than five minutes. If I don’t go straight home from school, I have to let her know where I’ll be,” Scott added in a monotone.

“What?” Randy asked angrily. “That’s total bullshit! I thought your dad was better than that, even if your mum isn’t.”

“How can she do that?” Adam growled. “You’re sixteen, for God’s sake! When’s she going to start treating you like an adult instead of a little kid?”

“Dad tried arguing with her, but she was firm. Dad told me he’d speak to her privately. I left them alone before I said anything more. I thought I’d said enough, as it was.”

“Chris said he’d take us all back to our place,” I said. “Mum and Dad will be out, so we’ll have the place to ourselves for a few hours. You and Adam can have some private time.”

“Thanks, Stick,” Scott said. Adam nodded his appreciation. I could see him muttering something under his breath.

“Uh… Mary? I think you should go see your mum. She looks like she’s wondering what’s going on,” Gary said, staring back towards the house.

Scott and Adam sprang apart as the rest of us turned to see Mrs. Bryant watching from the kitchen window.

“I’ll be back,” Mary said, rising to her feet. “Don’t worry, Scott, she’ll be fine.”

“So, what are we going to do about this?” Gary asked, looking around the table.

“Just don’t tell anyone, please?” Scott whispered, drained of energy.

I watched him and felt sympathetic. In the course of one long weekend, he’d gone through hell by outing himself to his parents and then accidentally outing himself to his friends. At least, his friends were handling it well. There was a chance that would help him regain his emotional feet.

“Scott and Adam can be themselves at our place,” I said. “We just need to help them out where we can, especially at school. I know you were joking, Gary, but some people will wonder about Scott. We’ve been trying to make sure they aren’t seen together too much, but any help would be appreciated.”

“Why are you worried about them being seen together?” Liz asked me.

“Because of what Gary said,” I explained, surprised that she didn’t see the problem. “If Scott hangs around Adam too much, people will suspect he’s gay, too.”

She laughed. “Don’t be stupid. Scott’s been Adam’s best friend for years; everyone knows that. All they’ll see is a best friend who hasn’t abandoned his mate just because he’s gay. If anyone makes a comment, just tell them that they’re best mates and Adam’s being gay won’t change that.”

“That’ll work,” Randy remarked, nodding his head. “I should’ve thought of that myself.”

Mary and her mother came out soon afterwards. Mrs. Bryant offered Scott the same reassurance that she had given Adam: that he was welcome there at any time. Scott just nodded his head and gave her a weak smile.

An unspoken consensus resulted in everyone except Adam and Scott moving indoors. They’d have some privacy outside as the trees and bushes would prevent the neighbours from seeing them.

We sat down in the lounge room and started talking again.

“How long have you guys known about Scott?” Gary asked Randy and me.

“Almost two weeks,” I said. “We found out on day that Scott came out to Adam. It was a few days after that basketball game.”

“Why did he tell you two and not the rest of us?” Gary asked, sounding peeved.

“Well, he didn’t tell us. I walked in on him and Adam when they were kissing,” I admitted sheepishly.

“Stick was out of there in a flash,” Randy laughed. “Scott followed him. When those two came back, the rest of us found out what was going on.”

“I still don’t know why he didn’t feel he could tell us,” Gary complained.

Randy and I looked at each other. When my brother shrugged, I turned to Gary to try to explain it.

“It was a few days after Adam had been kicked out of his home, and Randy had been put in hospital by Aiden’s dad. With something like that potentially waiting for him, Scott wasn’t ready to tell anyone. He told me that while it may be turn out okay, he only gets to tell anyone once. If it doesn’t work out, he can’t take it back. I think the only reason he told his parents was so that he’d be able to have Adam come over, but that hasn’t worked. Do you blame him for being slow to tell people?”

Gary nodded his acceptance. He looked thoughtfully at the wall, as if he could see through it to the two guys outside.

“Where does Chris fit into the picture?” Liz asked. “His name’s cropped up a couple of times so far.”

“Chris is on Scott’s side,” Randy said. “So much so that he threatened to walk out of home if their parents didn’t accept Scott. He found out a few months ago, by accident.”

“Who else knows?” Mary asked. “I don’t want to make the mistake of telling someone who isn’t supposed to know.”

“Scott’s brother and parents, our parents, and you guys. That’s it,” I answered.

“Plus two others that we can’t say,” Randy added.

“Oh, yeah,” I agreed, blushing. I had forgotten about Tony and Tristan.

“Why can’t you say?” Liz asked.

“Because one of them is gay and not out,” I explained. “The other is a friend of his.”

I could see she was going ask for more information, so I quickly added, “And that’s as much as I can say. Sorry.”

She frowned slightly but didn’t say anything.

“What about the twins?” Gary asked. “Surely he can tell them. I heard how they reacted to Adam when he told them.”

I shook my head. “Scott’s not ready. I agree, I think they’ll be cool. In fact, I think they’ll be really happy for both of them, but Scott’s still nervous.”

“Let him tell people at his own pace,” Mary told Gary. “David’s right: this is not something you can take back once you’ve told someone.”

Gary shrugged. “Okay.”

We talked for another hour, giving Gary, Mary and Liz the bare bones of what’d been going on, especially over the previous few days. Adam and Scott came in part way through, but they let Randy and me tell the story.

When Chris arrived, he got a surprise. Gary answered the door and invited him in. As soon as he appeared, Liz stood up, walked over and grabbed him in a big hug.

“What’s that for?” he asked. “Not that I don’t appreciate it,” he added with a grin.

When Liz released him, Mary grabbed him and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

“For being a good big brother to Scott,” Liz explained.

Chris’ head snapped around to locate his brother. Scott gave him a bit of a smile.

“I slipped up,” Scott said with a shrug.

“He outed himself by accident,” Randy clarified, “but everyone’s cool, even Mary’s mum. We’ve been filling them in on what’s been going on.”

“So, this is another safe house for you two?” Chris asked his brother.

“Yes, it is,” Mary answered for Scott.

Chris grinned at her. “Thanks,” was all he said.

* * *

“Time for another week of school,” I sighed as we got off the bus.

“It’s only four days, though,” Randy pointed out. “We got to relax, yesterday.”

“True.”

After the emotional stress with Scott and his family for the first two days of the Easter break, and then Scott’s accidental coming out on the Sunday, it had been good to have a quiet Easter Monday. We spent it just hanging out, talking, listening to music and playing ball. I think everyone was happy with the fact that nothing out of the ordinary happened.

Going back to school was a shock to the system. It was amazing how quickly we could fall out of the normal school routine during a four-day weekend.

“I know I’m paranoid, but can we check the lockers early today?” Adam asked.

“Sure, I don’t have a problem with that and I don’t think you’re being paranoid. You’re just being cautious,” I replied.

“Fine with me. Why don’t we do that now?” Randy suggested.

We visited Adam’s new locker first. It was untouched. I privately wondered if Randy would be getting a new locker that day, but there wasn’t any point in mentioning it. My brother didn’t know that Adam and I had asked Swampy to change Randy’s locker.

As it turned out, all three lockers were fine. We still had a fair amount of time before school started, so we headed back to see if any of our friends were around.

Randy spotted his classmates and went to join them. I felt nervous about that, but I realised we couldn’t spend the rest of our school lives being afraid of an attack. Staying in a large group during the initial hysteria had been sensible, but I thought things had calmed down since then.

I saw Liz before she saw me. Leaving Adam, I snuck up behind her.

“Hi.”

I grinned as she jumped and spun around. She gave me a small punch to the arm.

“Don’t startle me like that!”

“Sorry, I couldn’t resist,” I replied, not very apologetically.

She smiled. “How’s things? You told me last night that you had a good day yesterday.”

“Yeah, we did,” I said. “I can’t think of anything more to add. I’m just keeping my fingers crossed that nothing is going to happen this week.”

“I’m doing the same,” she admitted, her smile slipping away.

She looked past me. I turned to see what she was looking at and saw Adam, Gary, Mary and Scott talking nearby. We headed over and joined them.

“Hi, Stick,” Gary said. “I was just saying I’ve heard that Luke’s been expelled and Nick Tremen is back at school. He’s got two black eyes and he’s hobbling around on crutches, but he’s here.”

“I'm glad he’s okay,” Mary said. “I wonder how much of the Easter break he missed.”

I still felt that Nick was bad news, but I had no evidence, just a hunch, so I stayed quiet.

“I heard he got out of hospital yesterday morning,” Gary said.

“There seems to be a lot of sympathy for Nick,” Mary added. “He’s a bit of a hero for being the one to get Luke expelled.”

“Anyone who can get that bully kicked out of school is okay in my books,” Scott said.

I frowned and opened my mouth to respond, but Liz got in first.

“Nick is the guy who threatened Giant, Scott,” she pointed out coldly. “You weren’t there, but there’s no way I’m going to forget that in a hurry.”

“That goes for me, too,” I said.

Scott was startled. He dropped his eyes to the ground and seemed to shrink.

“Sorry, I’d forgotten about that,” he muttered. “Yeah, you’re right. He may’ve gotten Luke kicked out, but that doesn’t mean he’s a good guy himself.”

“Don’t feel too bad, Break. That’d slipped my mind, too,” Gary said.

Gary turned to Liz and me. He started to say something, but stopped and flicked a glance at Mary. Returning his attention to us, he nodded his head.

“Okay, Stick, Liz. I’ll keep an ear out for any word on what that guy’s doing. I’ll let you know if I hear anything.”

“Thanks, Gazza,” I replied appreciatively.

The conversation ended at that point, as the others still had to go to their lockers. I went with Liz to hers, along with Adam and Scott. Fiona was hanging around Liz’s locker, but she left as soon as she saw me. I made a mental note to talk to Liz about that. I didn’t think Fiona and I would ever get along again, but I didn’t want Liz and Fiona to have a falling out over me.

The morning passed without incident. Our classmates seemed to be equally divided between those who were subdued from the long weekend and those who were bursting with energy after the break. I was firmly in the subdued camp.

When we left our Maths class and started our lunch break, I noticed that we were getting some odd looks, and the occasional hostile glare, from complete strangers. It was almost the same as the first day that Adam had been out at school.

“What’s going on?” Peter Papadopolous asked us, more annoyed than puzzled. He was walking next to Adam, Scott and me. We were all heading in the same general direction after the class, talking about the Easter break.

“I don’t know,” I replied. “You’re supposed to know what’s happening around the school. Surely you have some idea.”

He shook his head. “None, sorry. I’m going to have to find out. If there’s anything to worry about, I’ll let you know.”

With that, he jogged off.

“What do you think?” Scott asked Adam and me.

“No idea,” Adam remarked with a shrug. “Probably just another anti-gay rumour of some sort.”

“Probably, but we’ll have to wait and see,” I said.

We reached our usual spot for lunch and were joined soon afterwards by Liz, Mary and Gary. We asked them if they’d heard anything.

“I did hear something,” Mary said reluctantly.

“What?” Gary asked.

“It didn’t make sense to me, but it was something about the gays in the school being the reason that Nick Tremen got bashed by Luke Williams.”

“I don’t understand,” Gary said. “What has Adam got to do with Luke bashing Nick?”

“Maybe Nick’s gay, too,” Liz suggested. “I’ve heard that some of the worst homophobes are secretly gay.”

“Yeah, but why would he tell Luke? It still doesn’t make sense,” Gary said.

“Michael had a theory that Nick was the one who got Luke to use those water balloons on my brother,” I mused. “As that’s what got Luke in trouble with the cops, maybe he attacked Nick because of it. To a twisted mind, Randy’s the reason Nick got bashed.”

“Speaking of the devil,” Gary remarked with a smile, pointing across the yard.

Michael O’Conner was heading in our direction.

“I think we’re about to get an update on the situation,” Adam said dryly.

“Hi, guys, Liz, Mary,” Michael said as soon as he reached us. “I’ve got some bad news.”

“Nick’s spreading rumours,” Scott guessed.

“Yeah,” Michael said, nodding his head. “Giant and Adam are being blamed by Nick for Luke going crazy last week. The guy’s clever. He never explains why they’re being blamed, but he’s managing to imply that either Randy or Adam, or both of them, did something to Luke to make him go mental. Nick says that all he did was mention Randy’s name, and Luke went crazy. People are making their own conclusions. The mildest version I’ve heard is that Randy made a pass at Luke,” he finished with a grimace.

“But Randy’s not gay!” I protested.

“Nick’s saying he is.”

I felt frustrated. We’d gone to a lot of effort to try to stop Randy from being a target, but that guy was aiming the homophobes right back at him. We had to stop it quickly, but I wasn’t sure how.

“Do you know where Nick is?” I asked Michael. “I think we need to go see him.”

“I think he’s on the other side of the school,” Michael replied.

I glanced around. Everyone seemed keen to do something.

“Let’s go,” I said, and we all headed off.

We found Nick under a tree, surrounded by a mixed group of students. They were listening intently as Nick was speaking.

“... And if it wasn’t for those fucking poofters that they’re allowing to run around the school, none of this would’ve happened. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’d been messing with Williams’ mind for years, until he finally snapped last week.”

“That’s a lie and you know it,” I said as I stepped into the centre of the circle surrounding Nick.

The rest of our group followed.

Nick had been sitting on a bench, but he pulled himself up on his crutches when we approached. He seemed contemptuous, though with the bruises on his face it was hard to be sure. He had a plaster cast on his left leg and bandages on his right upperarm. Dark purple splotches marked his left arm, though they didn’t seem to be bothering him.

“What would you know?” he sneered.

“Certainly more than you,” I retorted. “I know Randy’s not gay, and you obviously don’t. That makes you the one who doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”

“In that case, you’re lucky. I hope you’re right about that, because otherwise you can kiss him goodbye,” Nick said. “I know poofs and what they’re like. He’ll be off trying to fuck anything that moves, if he’s a faggot. He’ll forget all about friends and family, just so he can bed another guy.”

He seemed to notice Adam for the first time.

“Ah, the other poofter. How long will it be before you catch AIDS from sleeping around too much?”

“What do you know about it?” Adam snarled back. “And what makes you think you know that much about gays?”

Nick scowled. “I used to know one for several years. I thought he was a great guy until I found out the truth. There’s no way I’ll ever trust another poofter. All they want to do is to have as much sex as they want, and they don’t care if they wreck their family in the process. They don’t understand what love is, only sex.”

I wondered who that person was. I guessed from the way he was saying it that it was probably a brother or cousin, though it might’ve been a long-term friend, but I doubted he’d say much more in the middle of the schoolyard.

“Just because one guy did something wrong, that doesn’t give you the right to tell lies about me and my friends,” Adam said.

“Lies? I heard Williams talking about a cocksucker at school. What did you do? Blow him a few times and then tease him too much by holding back?”

“I never blew him! I’ve never blown anyone! I’d never even spoken to him until he started threatening me!”

“Yeah, likely story,” Nick sneered. Addressing the crowd around us, he added, “You can’t trust poofs.”

“Well, I trust him!” I said, taking a step forward. “I’d trust him with my life. He’s already saved it once, and I know he’d do it again if he had the opportunity.”

“Probably because he wants you,” Nick snapped back. “What are you going to do when he slips his hand down your pants?”

“I know he’s not going to,” I stated firmly. “You seem to think that all gay guys want to sleep around. Well, I know a few straight guys who boast about sleeping with a different girl each week. Some straight guys are like that, but most of us aren’t. Adam’s not like that, either.”

“Really? What makes you the expert on gay sex? You’ve had more experience than you’re letting on? I can tell you for sure that they don’t have the faintest idea of what love is. They just want as much fucking as they can get.”

I needed to respond, because otherwise too many of the students listening would spread Nick’s opinion. I sought furiously for an answer I could use that wouldn’t mean outing Scott. I smiled when I had what I thought was the answer. The first move would be to see if Michael’s theory was right.

“You’re talking about not trusting poofs. Well, that’s great, coming from a guy who’s such a coward that he has to vandalise lockers because he’s too scared to face someone in person.”

Nick rocked back on his crutches. From the expression of surprise on his face, I was sure I’d scored a hit.

“Yeah, and then you manipulated Luke Williams into attacking my brother. What a big man you are!” I said sarcastically. “Getting an eighteen-year-old and two of his goons to attack a fourteen-year-old. Why didn’t you join in? Didn’t you have the guts to take on a younger kid when he’d only be outnumbered by four to one?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Nick blustered.

“I saw you talking to Luke before he attacked Randy,” Michael said, drawing Nick’s attention for the first time. I gave him a nod of appreciation for the support.

“What’s wrong with that?” Nick snapped back.

“You know, I wonder what’s the real reason you got bashed,” I mused out loud. “Was it because Luke blamed you for talking him into attacking my brother, and because of that he’s in trouble with the cops? You know, I think that’s it,” I said with a snap of my fingers. “You’re blaming Adam and Randy because Luke stuffed up and then took it out on you because you talked him into it in the first place.”

“Fucking poofs deserve everything they get. Luke was trying to do everyone a favour.”

I smiled. Nick was too flustered to think of denying it. With a bit of luck, my version would get around the school and counter any of his anti-gay stories.

“All Adam and his kind want to do is fuck anything that moves,” Nick added, spitting on the ground in disgust.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about. You don’t know Adam and what he’s like.

“Yes, I do know Adam, and just like me, he wants someone special. He wants a boyfriend as much as I want a girlfriend. We have the same values of what’s right and wrong. If I can commit to someone I love, and stay faithful, then I know Adam can do the same and not sleep around like you’re saying all gays do. Some guys can’t stay faithful, but that’s nothing to do with whether or not they’re gay. There are lots of straight guys who can’t commit to a relationship.

“I know that the story about Ian working at a hostel last Christmas has gone through the school. Did you listen to it? I was there, and I did. He told us about several long-term gay relationships. About couples that were so normal that the only thing different about them was that they were both guys. Couples whose love was so strong that it survived one of them lying in a bed, dying. If you can’t see that that means they can love just as strongly and deeply as the rest of us, then I don’t think you know what love means.

“So take your hate and get out of here. Don’t make my friend into something he’s not, just because you knew someone who wasn’t like him.”

Nick scowled at me for a couple of seconds.

“You’ll learn. I just hope for your sake he doesn’t wreck too many lives before you find out what he’s really like,” he snarled.

“I already know what he’s really like. You’re the one who doesn’t,” I snapped back.

“Argh… You’re not worth wasting my time on,” he growled, and then limped away. Some of the crowd followed him, but a lot just milled around, talking about what they’d heard.

After Nick had gone, I felt a hand slap me on the back.

“Way to go, Stick!” Gary said cheerfully.

“Yeah, well done,” Michael added. He looked over at Adam. “I hope you find yourself a boyfriend soon, Adam. With the hassles you’ve been going through, I think you deserve it.”

“Thanks, Mike.”

Adam turned and contemplated me for a long moment before holding out his hand.

“Thanks, Stick. I really appreciate what you said.”

Wondering if the use of my nickname was a just a slip, I grasped the offered hand. I saw Liz blow me a kiss from behind Adam.

“No problems, Adam. I meant what I said.”

He smiled. “My friends call me Ads, Stick.”