Leopard Spots - 29. Chapter 29

After the interview was concluded and the reporter had left the boardroom, Neil turned to Colin. “What happens next?”

Colin’s smile had a wry edge. “We pray.”

Neil stared, not sure if Colin was making a joke.

“I’m serious. The thing you have to always remember with the commercial media is that they’re there to make a profit. That means that they need viewers, so for current affairs they want something dramatic, something controversial. The situation you’ve found yourself in has, unfortunately, all the elements that they’re looking for.”

“But I’ve told them the truth! They know that my parents have lied and that no one here has done anything wrong.” Neil watched Colin, trying to work out what still had the Leopards marketing manager concerned.

“Neil, it’s not that simple. As I said, they want controversy. There are four basic options with this story. There could be no villains. They could make the club and Jim the villain. They could make your parents the villains, or they could make everyone a villain.”

“My dad hit me! How can that make Jim the villain?” Neil was feeling worried. He was wondering if he made a mistake by agreeing to do the interview.

“Sadly, the truth has nothing to do with it. It’s what the TV producer decides will make the best story. With suitable editing and selective quoting, they could spin it any way they want.” Colin smiled. “I doubt they’ll want no villains, and making everyone a villain won’t tug on the heartstrings, so I think those options are unlikely. It’ll come down to whose story they think will work best. That’s why I was happy when you agreed to do the interview. It gives the producer the most information and makes it more likely they’ll choose to make your parents the bad guys in the final show.” He shrugged. “But that’s not guaranteed.”

Neil stared. “I could’ve made things worse?”

“Possibly, but unlikely.” Colin grinned. “We’ve got an ace in the hole. I made sure we didn’t give them an exclusive, which means that if they spin things the wrong way, we can tell the other TV stations the truth, and they’d love to give the first show a black eye by telling a different story. I expect your parents won’t have that option. To get the media involved this quickly, they almost certainly signed an exclusive agreement. If they’re not happy with the way it’s spun, they won’t be able to go elsewhere without making things even worse for themselves.”

Neil gave Colin a tentative smile. “It’s going to be okay?”

“I think so, but we won’t know until something appears on TV. It’s also possible that they’ll decide they don’t have a story worth broadcasting, which is a win for us, too.” Colin winked. “Actually, that’s what I hope happens, because that’s the best result for you, but my gut feeling is that they’ll broadcast something. That’s why I said we pray. We want them to make you the good guy in the story.”

Neil dropped his eyes. A shudder ran through his body as he realised how much his life was out of his control.

Colin gave him a pat on the back. “Cheer up, Neil. There’s nothing more you can do, so we wait. In the meantime, let’s go back to the clubroom and join the team.”

* * *

Ty frowned as Peter closed the door to his office. The request for a private meeting while the rest of the team was still in the clubroom wasn’t completely unexpected, but Ty was nervous. He stood there uncertain as to what to do until Peter indicated he should sit down. “Is there something wrong?” He grimaced. “I know I stepped on your toes with that act after the game, but I wanted to kick everyone out of the way they were feeling.”

Peter smiled as he sat behind his desk. “Don’t worry, brat. I’m not upset by that. I’m guessing you’ve had that planned for awhile.”

Ty gave him a sheepish shrug. “Since the loss against Geelong. I went searching for something that we could use to try to turn a loss into something positive. Now, I have to find something else, because that’s not going to work twice.”

Peter chuckled. “It will, but only if it’s a few weeks before our next loss.” He cocked his head. “It was an inspired choice. Not only did the players take it to heart, but I sensed that Dave took the message onboard regarding his other problems. It affected Neil, too, which is why he’s currently up in the boardroom doing a television interview about his family problems.”

Ty grinned. “Thanks! I was beginning to worry about where he’d disappeared to. I thought his father might’ve snuck in and grabbed him.”

“Not a chance in hell of that happening.” Peter grinned back across the desk. “There are too many people looking out for him.” The grin slipped away. “You’ve played a part in that. Indeed, you’ve done a lot in the last few weeks.”

Ty hesitated, sensing something wasn’t quite right. “What have I done wrong?”

Peter smiled reassuringly. “Not much. There’s one thing I need to talk to you about, but first, I’ve heard back from Roger.” Peter frowned, his gaze unfocused. “He’s going to be out for somewhere between eight and twelve weeks.”

“Fuck!”

“Agreed. That leaves us with a problem. Roger will still be around, but we can’t go without a captain for that many matches. We’re going to need an acting captain, brat.”

Ty blinked. “Me?”

Peter leant back in his chair while keeping his gaze fixed on Ty. “Do you think you’re ready?”

“I...” Ty hardened his expression. “I’ll do whatever I need to.”

Peter smiled. “I never doubted that, but that wasn’t what I asked. Do you think you’re ready to be the team’s acting captain?”

Ty stared across the desk, trying to find some clues as to Peter’s thoughts. “You don’t think I am.”

Peter stared back. “I’m asking what you think.”

Ty sat back and thought. He knew Peter would give him time to work through the details so he let his gaze wander around the room while he considered the question. He took in the various pieces of Leopards memorabilia, including photos of past coaches and captains. After almost a minute he brought his focus back to his head coach. “No, I’m not, but I’ll try my best if that’s what you want me to do.”

Peter smiled. “Why don’t you think you’re ready?”

“I’m too inexperienced. If this was the TAC Cup, yeah, I could do it, but that’ll be because everyone else in the team would be the same age or younger. We’ve got players who are five years older than me. I’m only eighteen. How the hell am I supposed to tell those players how to play? I can do some of the job, but there are parts I’m not ready for.”

“That’s what I thought, too. You could do the job but at a cost, and I’m not happy paying that cost.”

Ty frowned. “What do you mean?”

“When Roger went off today, you tried to step into the gap. You worked your butt off trying to inspire your teammates. The intent was great, but you did it the wrong way.” Peter smiled. “You’re not in trouble, but I wanted to make sure you were told.”

“This is what you meant before about doing something wrong?”

Peter nodded. “To inspire your teammates you tried to do too much. You started to revert to your habit from the start of the year where you would do everything yourself rather than give the other players a chance to show what they could do.” Peter held up a hand to stop Ty’s protest. “The reason’s different. Then, you did it because you were selfish and didn’t trust anyone. This time, it was because you were trying to lead by example. But if I let you do that for the next few weeks it might become a habit which will hurt you as a player and will also threaten the synergy that’s developing within the team. You need to trust your teammates that they will do the job required and not try to do it all yourself.”

Ty frowned as he thought back over the game. He nodded slowly as several examples of what Peter was telling him came to mind. “I fucked up.”

“Not badly, and it didn’t make a difference to the result, but that’s why I don’t want you as acting captain. Not yet, at least. Your game will suffer if you try. Keep doing the parts you did with Roger, but the tactical side and the on-field leadership need to go to someone else...for now.”

“Who?”

Peter smiled. “We’ll discuss that with Roger after training on Monday, but you might want to give it some thought. I’m sure you’ll think of someone.” He stood up. “Time to get back to the rest of the team. You did well today, brat. I’m proud with how you tried to step in and fill Roger’s shoes.”

“I didn’t succeed.”

“No, but you did your best. You were thinking of the team, which is what I was happy to see. It was only the execution that let you down.”

* * *

Neil fastened his seat belt and waited for Todd to start the engine. “Are you going to Lorraine’s place tonight?”

“No.” Todd turned his head to smile at Neil in the back seat. “We discussed it, and we both agreed that it was more important that you don’t spend tonight alone.”

“I wouldn’t be alone. Paul, Ollie, and Helena will be there, too.”

Paul, sitting in the front seat, chuckled. “I’ve got to work tonight, Neil. Once we get home, I’ll be getting changed and heading out. As for Ollie and Helena, they may be in the same house, but they won’t know if you’re there or not.”

Todd grinned. “Paul and I have been sharing a house with Ollie for a long time. He can occasionally surprise us, but he’s generally predictable. Once he and Helena return from wherever they’ve gone for dinner, they’ll disappear into his bedroom, and that’ll be the last we’ll see of them until tomorrow morning.”

“Of course, it won’t be the last we’ll hear from them. I still think Ollie needs to get his room soundproofed.” Paul twisted around so he could grin at Neil. “Be thankful that Todd’s got Lorraine. When he used to bring girls home, he was almost as loud as Ollie.”

“Hey, that was a long time ago!”

Paul stared down his nose at Todd. “Really?”

Todd chuckled as he turned onto the main road through Lilydale. “Anything and anyone pre-Lorraine is a long time ago.” He flicked his eyes up at the rear-view mirror to smile at Neil. “When you meet someone like her, you’ll understand. Paul had that with Rochelle, but she stuffed it up. I’m looking forward to when he finds someone new.” The silence from the passenger-side seat made Todd glance to his side. “Paul?”

“I’m not ready for another relationship.” The tone was uncertain.

“You’ve met someone?”

Paul grimaced. “She met me. I...” He gritted his teeth. “I can’t afford a girlfriend.”

“Who is it? Do I know her?” Todd asked.

“It doesn’t matter. I won’t be going out with her.” Paul stared out the windscreen at the early Saturday evening traffic. “It wouldn’t work.”

“Paul...”

Paul glared at Todd. “It’s Deon’s sister, okay! She asked me out, and I turned her down. End of story.”

* * *

“You’re quiet tonight, Teresa. Is something wrong?” Sam asked when he noticed that his daughter was only picking at her food. He and Marcus had taken the family out to dinner.

Jordan smirked. “She asked a guy for a date and he turned her down.”

Teresa glared at her little brother. “Bastard! Were you following me?”

Jordan, safely on the other side of the restaurant table, grinned. “It was almost time to go. I was trying to find you so we could go out to eat, but I almost lost my appetite when I heard what you were saying to him.” He put on an affected tone. “Oh, Paul, you’re so big and strong. Would you–”

Unfortunately for Jordan, his mother was sitting next to him. “Enough!” She narrowed her eyes at her youngest son. “Apologise or you can say goodbye to that skateboard you want.”

Jordan cringed. He glanced hesitantly across the table. “Sorry, Teresa.” He flinched when she glowered back at him.

“Paul’s a nice guy,” Deon said, “but he only broke up with his last girlfriend at the start of the year. He’s not ready to date again, Teresa.”

She gave him a weak smile. “I’ll admit I was worried about how you’d feel about it.” She sighed and dropped her head. “I thought that after four months, he’d be open to the idea...”

“He’s still not over her. Even though he’s the one who broke up with her, he’s still got feelings.” Deon found himself the centre of attention. He grimaced. “Everyone at the club knows the details, but no one speaks about it. We all pretend not to know so he can think it’s still private.” He sighed and turned to his sister. “I’ll let you know later, but only if you promise to not tell anyone.”

There was a moment of silence, before Mandy spoke, clearly trying to distract attention away from Teresa. “Speaking of girlfriends, what’s Pamela up to tonight?”

Deon winced. “She...we...” He grimaced and looked down at his food to avoid meeting anyone’s gaze. “We’re taking a break from each other.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry.” Mandy gave her middle child a look of compassion. “I hope it all works out.”

Deon sighed and looked back up. “Dad...I mean Jim...worked out what was going on. I’ve been concentrating more on football than on her, and she didn’t like it. The situation with Jim’s ex got messed up in it, but the real issue we both now recognise is working out where football fits into our relationship. We’re giving each other a week to think about it.”

“Relationships need work,” his mother said. “They just don’t happen.” Her eyes drifted to Sam and Marcus. “And sometimes it’s better if you call it quits before someone gets too badly hurt.”

Sam flinched. Marcus stared impassively back at Mandy and then inclined his head to acknowledge her point. “She’s right, Deon. Relationships involve compromise. You need to work out what you’re prepared to compromise and what you’re not, and then you need to sit down with the other person and decide if you can make things work.”

“What compromises have you made?” Teresa asked, lifting her head from her food. She seemed interested in the answer.

Marcus chuckled. “Besides trying to understand this silly game that Deon plays?” He grinned as he dodged the napkin that Deon threw at him. “Seriously, there’s been lots of examples. The latest was an easy one to make because Sam needed to reconnect with his family. Deon was the trigger, but Sam’s coming down here to see all of you. We’re both giving up some things so we can afford to be here.” He swept his gaze around the table, pausing on each of Mandy, Deon, Teresa, and Jordan. “He loves more than just me, and I accept that. How he loves each of you is different, but I know I’m not the only one in his heart. We’re making sacrifices because of that.”

Sam put his knife down and then placed his hand on top of Marcus’s for a moment. The smile on his face showed the strong affection he had for his life partner.

Marcus smiled back and then turned to Deon. “Your mum’s comments apply to other types of relationships, too. You asked us for a favour. Sam and I have discussed it and the answer is a tentative yes. From what you’ve told us, we’ve got until the end of the year to confirm, but it’s looking positive.”

Deon grinned. “Thank you!”

Mandy frowned. “What’s going on? What’s this favour that Deon’s asked for?”

Sam raised an eyebrow at Deon and received a nod in reply. He turned to his ex-wife. “Deon’s asked for our help with Neil, the young guy who’s been having problems with his parents. He’s just left home, but he doesn’t know where he’ll be living next year. He wants to become an engineer, but he can’t go to uni without somewhere to live.”

Marcus continued. “Deon’s asked us if we’ll give Neil a place to live while he goes to uni. It’s dependent on getting to know him better first, but our initial impressions are good.”

Mandy frowned. “What does Neil think about moving to Sydney to live with a gay couple?”

Deon answered before his father could respond. “He doesn’t know yet, and I was going to wait before I suggested it. He still has to finish Year 12 and do well enough to get into whatever course he applies for, but if Dad and Marcus are willing to take him, I’m sure he’ll jump at the chance.”

“Sydney’s a long way away. He won’t know anyone...”

Sam smiled. “And that’s another reason why Marcus and I will be down here as much as we can. We can get to know Neil, and he can get to know us.” He turned to face Deon while continuing to speak to Mandy. “Deon’s effectively asked us to be the parents Neil doesn’t have. It’s a big ask, but if Deon trusts us enough to request it, Marcus and I will do our best to live up to that expectation.”

* * *

Liam pumped his fist as soon as he saw Neil login. “Yes!”

Alf: G’day, mate! You’ve had me worried.
Neil: Sorry. Life’s become complicated.
Alf: I can imagine. How are you settling in at your new place?
Neil: Still settling in. I had to spend last night somewhere else. That’s why I wasn’t online.

Liam frowned as he typed away.

Alf: Why’s that? Did Todd kick you out?
Neil: No. It was for my own safety. There was a TV cameraman hanging around Todd’s place, waiting for me.
Alf: WHAT?!?

Liam leant forward, willing the words to come through faster so he would find out what the hell was happening.

Neil: My parents are bastards.
Neil: I don’t know what they said, but the reporter accused Jim of doing something to me. She practically accused him of seducing me.
Neil: I gave the reporter my side of the story after the game today.
Alf: Are you okay?
Neil: LOL. Yeah, I’m fine. They left us alone after I spoke to them.
Neil: Of course, then Todd told me the bad news...
Alf: What?
Neil: That I’ll be going to prison soon.

Liam swallowed as he stared at his computer screen. He blinked, but the words were still there.

Neil: I have to cook dinner for the guys on Mondays and Wednesdays. I told him that I can’t cook. He told me I’d better learn fast, because he doesn’t want me to kill him.

Liam grinned while giving the computer screen the finger.

Alf: You’re a bastard. I almost had a heart attack.
Neil: LOL. Sorry, but I couldn’t resist.
Alf: Maybe we can share a cell. My parents have started making me cook meals, too.
Neil: That would be nice. Hopefully it doesn’t come to that, though.
Alf: Sometimes, with my parents, I’m not sure, but yeah, I hope I don’t kill them.
Neil: Oh, and one more thing. I told the reporter, so I thought I should tell you.
Neil: We’ve got something else in common.
Neil: I’m gay, too.

Liam pumped his fist again. Another hurdle had been passed. It wasn’t the right time to ask Neil out, because that would require telling Neil who he really was, but it was time to start developing a closer relationship.

* * *

The next morning Neil frowned at the bowl of cereal in front of him.

“Something wrong?” Todd asked in between bites from his own breakfast.

“No, but I’m going to need to contribute to buying food, aren’t I?”

Todd smiled. “Yes, but for now you only need to pay for what you’re going to cook.” He poked his spoon in Neil’s direction. “And baked beans on toast is not going to be a satisfactory dinner. We’ll be hungry after training, and we’ll need something decent as well as reasonably healthy.”

Neil chuckled. “Damn. There goes that idea. Any suggestions?”

“The traditional meat-and-three-veg is fine until you’re ready to get adventurous. Don’t try pasta; Ollie’s fussy when it comes to anything Italian. If it’s not as good as what his mother makes, it’s not good enough.”

Neil laughed. “Let me guess. No one can cook as well as his mum.”

Todd grinned across the table. “Got it in one, though he claims his cooking is close. I’d suggest grilled meat – lamb or pork chops, or maybe chicken breast with the skin removed – mashed potatoes, and some frozen vegetables zapped in the microwave. Quick and easy. Later on, you can try adding a sauce or gravy to the meat, but for now keep it simple.”

“Gotcha.”

The two finished their breakfast at about the same time. Todd was about to get up when he sensed that Neil wasn’t finished with the conversation. “Is there something else, Neil?”

“I...” Neil grimaced. “I told the reporter why I ran. Not only about being hit, but why I feared worse.”

Todd smiled sympathetically. “You outed yourself.”

Neil nodded. “I also told Alf last night, but I’m worried about what’s going to happen at school tomorrow.”

“You don’t have to go. We can keep you here for another day if you like. An extra day isn’t going to make a lot of difference to your schoolwork, but if it helps you get ready...” Todd raised an eyebrow.

“No. I think I need to get it over and done with. Waiting is just going to make me more anxious.” Neil gave Todd a wry half-smile. “And if I’m still anxious tomorrow night, you might get burnt offerings for dinner. I don’t want to do that to you guys.”

“Okay. I’ll let my boss know that I’ll be starting late on Monday, and I’ll make up the time on Tuesday.”

Neil frowned. “Why are you starting late?”

Todd smiled. “You didn’t think I’d let you go to school by yourself, did you? I want to make sure the school is fully aware of the situation so they don’t allow your parents any opportunity to take you away.”

Neil swallowed. “You don’t think...”

“I doubt it. Your mum and dad are not stupid. Ignorant, yes, but not stupid. If the school tells them they can’t take you out, then they’ll go away.” Todd frowned. “They may wait for you after school, so it might be a good idea for Ollie to pick you up, at least for the first few days. We don’t want them to know that you’ll eventually be taking the train each day.”

Neil scowled and muttered something under his breath. Todd raised an eyebrow, to which Neil pulled a face. “I was just thinking that all I want is to be left alone. How long will it take them to understand that?”

Todd shrugged. “We can’t control them...just like they can’t control you. Remember that, Neil. You’re standing on your own two feet now. It might be just under four weeks until you’re eighteen, but as of Thursday night when you decided how you wanted to live, you’re your own man.”

* * *

Clarissa was relaxing in the lounge room on Sunday afternoon, flipping through the pages of a new issue of her favourite magazine. She was only paying partial attention to the television when the advertisement for an upcoming current-affairs program caught her eye. A picture of Neil was being shown. She immediately turned up the volume.

VOICEOVER: ...kids dream of running away to the circus, but what made this young man run away to a football club?

The picture changed to the footage of Jim’s interview on the day he came out as the VFL’s first openly gay football player.

VOICEOVER: And not just any football club, but the Lilydale Leopards, the club of Australia’s gay footballer, Jim Henderson. What’s the connection?

The television showed a middle-aged couple sitting side by side. The woman looked distraught, the man angry.

PHILLIP ROSEWOOD: That poofter did something. Before he got his claws into our son, Neil was a decent young man. Afterwards, he became rude and disrespectful. It’s all that bastard’s fault!

The picture changed to show Neil running out of the Leopards change room at the start of the game on the previous Saturday. Neil was scowling as he brushed past an outstretched microphone.

VOICEOVER: What really happened will shock you. The story of what caused this young man to turn from his family and run away from home will be revealed Monday night at seven. Don’t miss it.

Clarissa stared in shock until her phone rang. She answered it without looking at the display.

“Yes?”

“Clarissa, did you see the ad on TV?” Evelyn’s voice was fast and excited.

“Just saw it.” Clarissa shook herself into gear. “What do you think it means?”

“Neil’s going to be famous!”

“Fuck that!” Clarissa saw her mother’s head appear through the doorway, and she knew she was about to be blasted for swearing. She scowled. “Neil’s in trouble and all you can think of is that he’s going to be on TV? Neil’s father hit him; that’s why he ran away. I don’t know what garbage that TV report is going to tell, but it’s likely to hurt him.”

“But he’s going to be a TV star!”

Clarissa glowered, ignoring her mother, who was waiting silently. “At what price? He’s got enough problems in his life. He doesn’t need lies being spread on national TV.” She hung up, not wanting to talk to her friend any more.

“What’s going on, Clarissa?” her mother asked, her tone unexpectedly mild and supportive.

Clarissa sighed. She stared at the television for a moment longer and then looked up. “It’s complicated.”

“If you come into the kitchen, I can listen while preparing dinner.”

Clarissa stood up and followed her mother out of the room. “It all started when Liam broke up with me, though there’s parts that go back even further than that...”

* * *

Ty scowled at the television and then turned to Jim. “Can Tony do something about this? He’s got contacts in the media, doesn’t he?”

Jim shook his head. “Colin’s the one with the contacts. Tony could talk to his old boss at Pride FM, but that’s the limit of his influence.”

Ty pulled out his phone. “You call Tony. I’ll ring Colin. We need to stop that show.”

Jim stared. “Do you really think they’ll pull an advertised report because of a few phone calls? That’ll create an even bigger stink!”

“As long as they leave Neil alone, I don’t fucking care!” Ty glared as his phone before he threw it onto the couch. “Fuck! Why do you have to be so realistic?”

“Call Colin to let him know what’s happening, while I speak to Tony. We probably can’t stop the show, but there might be something we can do.” Jim grimaced. “Even if it’s just to protect the club.”

“Neil takes priority!” Ty snatched up his phone and accessed his contact list. “There has to be something we can do.”

Before he could ring Colin, his phone beeped. He brought up the text message and scowled. “Roger’s seen the ad.”

Jim and Ty fielded text messages and phone calls for the next few minutes. At the end, Ty glared at Jim. “Colin already knows, but unless someone else has told Tony, you’d better call him.”

Jim nodded. “While I do that, I think you should call Neil. Todd may be onto it, but Neil relies on you, too.”

Soon afterwards, Ty was glaring at his phone again. Neil wasn’t answering. He thought for a moment, and then tried Todd.

“G’day, brat.”

“Todd, have you seen the ad on TV?”

“The one with Neil? No, but we’ve had a few calls about it. We’ve got the TV on so we can see it for ourselves when it comes on next.”

“Is Neil okay? I got his voicemail when I tried calling.”

Todd chuckled. “He’s been keeping his phone off because he doesn’t want to speak to his parents, but I’ll ask him to give you a call. Ollie’s said he’ll get Neil a new SIM card and phone number tomorrow. Once he’s done that, he’ll keep his phone on.”

Ty gave a sigh of relief and started to relax. “How’s he doing?”

“We’re still getting him settled in, but I don’t think it’ll take long. Currently, he’s in the kitchen with Ollie, learning to cook. We haven’t worked out his share of the expenses, but it won’t be too high.”

“If you need extra to cover him, let me know. I’ll chip in some if it helps.”

“No need. We’ll be fine.” Todd paused. “What I’d prefer you to do is to plan for a birthday party. He turns eighteen at the end of the month. We need to show him he’s not alone.”

Ty grinned. “I can do that.” He frowned. “Damn! Strippers aren’t really an option for him, are they?”

Todd laughed. “Not ones that we’d like to see, at least. And Karen mightn’t be too impressed with you if you organise a female stripper. Don’t go overboard; just make it enough for him to know that people care for him. Saturday night would be best. Luckily, we don’t have a game that weekend.”

“Leave it with me. I’ll get things started, but I’ll run it past you before I finalise anything.”

“Thanks, brat. I knew I could trust you.”

It was only after he had hung up that Ty realised that Todd had neatly distracted him from Neil’s current problems. As he was expecting a call from Neil, he didn’t put his phone away. He glanced at where Jim was waiting patiently. “What did Tony say?”

“He’s coming here to spend the night. He thinks it’s going to be an early start tomorrow for both of us.”

Ty frowned. “What will we be doing?”

“Not you. Me and Tony. Tony’s told me to go into Pride FM tomorrow. They’ll probably want me on the breakfast show to start fighting fires. He’ll be doing the same from his office at the club. He’s already had a text from Colin asking him to be in by eight.”

“What will you say when you’re on the radio?”

Jim shrugged. “The truth. One of the things Tony wants to discuss with the two of us is what I’m not to say. He’d like me to talk about it with Neil, too, but I need to wait to see if Neil’s got some spare time tonight.”

“Why does he want to discuss that with me?”

Jim smiled. “Because apart from Todd, you know more about what’s going on than anyone else in the club. Tony made the point that any mistakes I make are likely to be picked up and highlighted by Neil’s parents. I have to make sure I only comment publicly on things I know are true.”

The conversation was interrupted by Ty’s phone ringing. He glanced at the caller ID and immediately answered. “G’day, Neil! How’s my newest favourite TV personality doing?”

“Hi, Ty. Not too good really. That ad doesn’t sound too promising.”

“Hey, what did I tell you about calling me that? Use the right name, or I’m hanging up.” The depressed tone from Neil had made Ty decide to try to lighten Neil’s mood.

A nervous chuckle came through the phone. “Okay, brat. Have you seen the ad on TV?”

Ty grinned as he tried to instil confidence into his voice. “Yeah, I saw it a little while ago. You looked good in the photo they were showing. Best of all, though, you looked great in your Leopards jacket. Good advertising for the club! Well done, mate.”

“But my parents...”

“Don’t worry about them. We know what they’ve said is a pack of lies. They’ll end up looking like fools.”

There was a pause before Neil responded. “Colin said the TV producer may spin the story to make Jim and the club look like the bad guys.”

“His name’s ‘Dad’, Neil. As for the TV show, there’s nothing we can do, so how about we do something that’s much more important. After yesterday’s loss, the team needs a morale boost, and you’ve been nominated as the person to do it.”

“What?”

Ty grinned at the puzzled tone, this time naturally. “We’ve got four weeks to organise the birthday party of the century. I’ll do a lot of the legwork, but I need a list of names of people I don’t know that you’d like invited to your eighteenth. It’s a big date, so we need to make this a big event.”

“What the...?” There was another short pause. “I don’t need a party, Ty.”

“You didn’t use the correct name, so your objection is overruled. You’re having a party; you don’t get a say in the matter. The only thing you can control is who gets invited. How about some of those girls who you’ve been hanging out with at school? Tell them that there will be a number of hunky footballers at the party, and I guarantee that they’ll accept. If you want to be nice, you can even tell them that some of the players are single, but I’ll leave it to you to decide if you want to do that. You need to take some responsibility for your own party, after all.”

“I don’t want a party, brat. I just want a quiet night with a few friends.”

“Better...and since I was thinking the same thing, I’m glad we’re on the same page. A few friends being everyone in the club, their partners, and a few of your friends from school with their dates. Based on Dad’s 21^st party, we should be able to keep the numbers under eighty. Of course, with that many people, quiet may be challenging, but I’m sure I can find you a set of earplugs if you really want quiet.”

“Ty, brat...”

“Yes?”

Neil’s tone was resigned. “I’m not going to get what I want, am I?”

“That depends. Are you going to give me a list of things you want as presents? I’ll send it out and we’ll see what happens. As long as you’re not looking for a Ferrari, I’m sure you’ll get most of what you want.” Ty winked at Jim. “Just a second, Dad’s signalled me to say that he’ll get you the Ferrari, so you can leave that one on the list.”

Jim grinned as he yelled out. “The brat’s lying, Neil, unless you’re happy with a picture of one.”

Ty smiled. “Ferrari...tick. What else do you want for your birthday, Neil?”

Neil chuckled. “You win, brat. I’ll get you a list later this week. I’ll speak to Clarissa and the other girls sometime tomorrow. Where’s the party going to be?”

“Still working on that one. I’ll let you know as soon as I find somewhere.” Ty dropped his tone to one of concern. “How are you really doing, Neil? You didn’t say much when I asked before.”

There was a snort of disbelief. “When did I get a chance? I’m better now. Thanks, brat. I...I really appreciate everything you’ve done for me.”

“Just remember, you deserve it. The rest of your life starts now, so ignore the things from before and look forward to the good times still to come.”

* * *

Keith Sutherland, the Pride FM Sales and Marketing Manager, smiled at Jim. “Thanks for coming in. I know it’s early, especially on a Monday morning.”

Jim gave him a wry smile in return. “I was expecting your call. Or rather, Tony said you’d be calling and asking me to be here.”

Keith chuckled. “Tony knows me well.” His expression sobered. “This is a potentially very bad situation, Jim. I’m afraid your sponsorship is in jeopardy. Pride FM can’t afford to be associated with anything unsavoury, especially when there’s an implied allegation of child sexual abuse.”

“Yeah, I know. The Leopards are in the same boat. We all know that we’ve done nothing wrong, but that won’t stop us from being scarred by false accusations.”

Keith grimaced. “I know I should take it on trust, but can you prove that the accusations are false?”

Jim shrugged. “I can’t prove anything, but Neil indicated last night that he’s willing to be interviewed by the station to give his side. It’ll need to be after school today, though. The same goes for myself and the other Leopards involved. We’ve all spoken to the TV reporter, so we’ll just be telling you what we told her.” He gave Keith a half-smile. “Of course, you’ll be able to broadcast any stuff that the TV producer cuts from his show. That may help, especially if you have it recorded before the show airs tonight.”

Keith raised an eyebrow. “Tony’s suggestion?”

Jim grinned. “Yep. He also said you’d guess that.”

“Tony and I worked closely together for a couple of years. We got to know each other extremely well.” He paused and took in Jim’s faint frown. “In a purely professional sense, of course.”

“Of course.” Jim smiled. “Tony’s got a lot of respect for you and Pride FM.”

Keith sighed. “Can you give me a quick synopsis of what’s going on?”

Jim hesitated. “This is just between the two of us? Most of it you can share, but there’s one part that’s not my place to say. I have Neil’s permission, but if it’s going to be spread, it should come directly from him, not me.”

Keith nodded slowly as Jim’s statement fired up his intuition.

“In short, Neil’s parents are homophobic. His father hit him when he found out he had a gay friend: me. Neil ran away before anything else could happen. A couple of the guys in the team have been helping him, and he’s staying with one of them. Neil’s parents are claiming that I’ve corrupted their son and he only ran away because of me.”

“Neil’s gay but in the closet?” Keith asked, trying to confirm his guess.

“You can’t tell anyone, because he’s not out to many people...but yes. He was afraid that one hit from his father for being friends with me would become a lot worse when his father found out the truth. That’s why he ran. His parents came to the club to try to get him back, and Neil told them there. That’s when his father effectively accused me of turning his son gay.”

“Who else knows?”

Jim shrugged. “At the moment, the team and most of the support staff, his parents, and the TV reporter. It may or may not come out in tonight’s show, but I don’t want to be the one to out him, which is why we can’t say anything publicly until he’s ready.”

“Agreed.” Keith made a face. “That makes defending ourselves against the allegations difficult, though.”

“We can tell everyone how Neil’s father hit him and that’s why he ran. We can also say that the club has rallied around to protect him, which is why we won’t let his parents near Neil without supervision. We can even say why his father hit him. Can you stall on the rest, maybe by saying that Neil is at school, but you’ll try to get an interview tonight? He’ll be at the club while we’re training, so that would be a good time to speak with him.”

Keith considered it and then slowly nodded. “That will also mean that we’ll see what appears on TV. That’ll allow us to be able to address the exact issues raised rather than blindly trying to fight vague allegations.” He cocked his head. “Are you ready to be interviewed now?”

Jim nodded. “That’s one of the reasons I’m here.” He scowled. “I don’t like this any more than you do. It’s Neil’s parents who are at fault here, not us, and we’re not going to abandon him.”

Keith smiled. “I understand. You’ve learnt from the lesson of Arron Light.”

Jim frowned. “Who?”

“You don’t know the story?” Keith cocked his head. “I suppose you were a bit young at the time. Arron Light died in 1997. He was murdered shortly before he was due to testify against a man accused of sexually abusing him. The body wasn’t found until four years later. You know who Ian Roberts is?”

Jim nodded. “Who doesn’t? Australia’s first major sportsman to come out as gay while still competing.” He frowned. “Are you saying that Ian...”

Keith shook his head. “No. Arron Light knew Ian Roberts before he died, but Ian wasn’t the one who abused Arron. Arron even lived with Ian for a period of time, but he didn’t stay. The police investigated Ian but cleared him of any involvement. Indeed, they turned to Ian to help them with Arron, as Ian appeared to be the only person that Arron would trust. Ian appeared on Australian Story after Arron’s body was found and said that he regretted not taking Arron with him when he moved away from Sydney. The police had asked him to, but he refused. Part of the reason was he’d been afraid of what it would look like; he’d only come out shortly beforehand and to then have a fifteen-year-old boy living with him.... Ian wasn’t strong enough at the time to handle those accusations.”

Jim stared. “You think I am?” He grimaced. “It doesn’t matter. Neil’s not staying with me, anyway. He’s staying with Todd.”

“In that case, I think both you and Todd should have a look at that show. It’s available on YouTube and you might learn some lessons from it.” Keith smiled. “Then again, it may be that you don’t need those lessons.”

* * *

Liam and Clarissa stood side-by-side near the main school entrance, hoping to catch Neil when he arrived.

“In the past I’ve seen him sneak in via the teachers’ car park,” Liam said. “He might be doing that again.”

“And how do you know that?” Clarissa’s question had a sharp edge.

Liam gave her a sheepish shrug. “He looked like he was trying to avoid Doug, Rod, and me. We weren’t waiting for him, so we ignored him.”

“You weren’t waiting for him...that time.” She continued to scan the arriving students.

Liam grimaced. “Yeah...” He put a hand on her shoulder for a moment to attract her attention. “And I’ll never be waiting for him again. At least not to torment him.”

“Liam...” Clarissa scowled. “You proved to me when we were dating that you can be a nice guy. You’re going to need to do all that and more, if you want any chance with him. As far as he’s concerned, you’re a bastard.”

Liam smiled. “I’ll do whatever it takes.”

She shook her head. “I still think I’m crazy for even considering helping you.”

The two turned as one when they heard someone call out. “There’s Four-Dork!”

Without saying anything, Liam and Clarissa jogged in the direction of the call. They weren’t alone, as a significant number of students were doing the same. When they arrived near the school car park, they found a milling crowd of mainly younger students around two figures. Liam couldn’t make out the second figure because of all the people in between, but he recognised the larger guy. “It’s Todd from the Leopards.”

Clarissa nodded. The crowd were either calling out questions, or were trying to take photos with their phones. “Back off!” she yelled as she pushed her way into the crowd.

“Leave him alone!” Liam yelled as he followed Clarissa.

Both glared at the other kids. Most of the younger students took the hint and moved away, though they didn’t go too far. By the time Liam and Clarissa reached Neil and Todd, there were only a handful of students in close proximity. Liam couldn’t help notice that Neil looked shaken.

One of the remaining students was Steven Anderson, the Year 12 student that had almost come to blows with Doug when Liam had come out. “We weren’t hurting him, Clarissa,” Steven said.

“No, but you weren’t giving him room to breathe, either.” Clarissa glared at Steven.

“We only wanted to find out what that current-affairs report is going to be about.” Steven smiled at Neil. “Sorry if we came over a bit strong. We’re just curious, that’s all. It’s not every day that we find out someone we know will be on TV.”

Neil swallowed again and nodded. Still apparently distressed, he glanced at Todd.

Liam glowered at Steven. “You’ll find out tonight, like the rest of us. If Neil wants to tell us beforehand, then that’s up to him. Don’t pressure him. In fact, just leave him alone!”

Steven sneered. “Like you, Doug, and Rod have left him alone all these years? You’re a bloody hypocrite, Liam.”

Liam crossed his arms and glared back. “I don’t like what I’ve done, but that’s in the past. I’m trying to make up for it, and if you have the slightest bit of human decency in you, you’d do the same.”

Steven narrowed his eyes. “Why do I have to make up for your actions?”

Liam held Steven’s gaze for a moment before responding. “We might’ve been the main tormentors, but you’re just as guilty of excluding and privately ridiculing him.” He jabbed a finger in Steven’s direction. “Don’t try and deny it. We’re all at fault for how Neil’s been treated for the last few years.”

Steven frowned but didn’t immediately reply.

Todd stepped forward, attracting attention as easily the largest person in the area. “Neil needs to get to the office so we can inform the school admin about what’s going on. So, if you’ll excuse us...”

Steven looked up at Todd for a moment. He gave Neil a single nod and Liam a suspicious stare, and then he turned and walked away, taking the remaining students with him.

Clarissa turned to Neil. “Would you like us to accompany you? You don’t have to tell me anything; I was thinking more in case you get mobbed again.”

Neil’s eyes flicked towards Liam. “Do you mean him, too?”

Liam shrugged. “I can wait outside. I know you don’t really want me hanging around, but I should be able to keep most people away from you.”

Neil glared. “Yeah, you’re good at that. You’ve been doing it for years!”

Liam winced. It was a painful reminder of how far he still had to go before he’d be able to ask Neil out.

“Your call, Neil.” Clarissa smiled. “In this particular case, I think you can trust Jerk Face, but it’s your decision.”

Neil gave Todd an uncertain look. Todd smiled down at him. “Let’s get to the office. We can worry about things after we’ve spoken to the staff.”

The four continued the rest of the short distance to the school admin area. A number of students approached but veered off when Liam glared at them. He took up position outside the door. “I’ll wait here.”

Liam was able to keep everyone away...except one.

“What’re you doing?” Doug asked.

“Neil’s inside, explaining things to the school. Todd from the Leopards is with him.”

“And you’re...?”

“Stopping him from being harassed. When he arrived, everyone swamped him.”

“Why? Is it Pick On a Loser week?”

Liam stared, trying to determine if Doug was being obstinate, or if he honestly didn’t know what was going on. “Did you see the ads on TV?”

Doug frowned. “Ads for what?”

“Neil and his parents are going to be on TV tonight at seven. I don’t know what’s going to be said, but everyone wants to ask Neil what the story will be about.”

“How come you know this, but I don’t?”

“Clarissa rang me last night to let me know. As for you, you don’t watch much commercial TV, and no one thought to tell you.”

Doug crossed his arms. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Liam stared and then grinned. “Do you really want me to keep you informed as to what’s going on with Neil?”

“Hell, no!” Doug hesitated and then chuckled. “Okay, fair enough. The next question is do I care why Four-Dork is going to be on TV?”

Liam scowled. “I told you to stop calling him that.”

Doug shrugged. “And most of the time I do. It still wants to slip out from time to time because the name suits him, but I’m trying to keep you happy, so I usually resist.”

“Try harder.” Liam grimaced. “Sorry, Doug, that wasn’t fair. You’ve been great, mate, and I can’t ask for anything more. You’ve done more than enough for me.”

Doug gave Liam a critical look. “You’ve got another favour to ask, and it’s something to do with that loser.” He sighed. “Okay, hit me with it.”

Liam glanced around to make sure there were no other students in earshot. “I’m pretty sure Neil is about to come out. He told Alf last night, and it might be mentioned in tonight’s TV show. Can you...do you think you could try to protect him, like you did for me when I came out?”

Doug stared. “You’re asking a lot, mate.” He turned and looked at the various students hanging around, though none were close to where he stood with Liam. “I’ll think about it.”

“Thanks, mate. If you can’t do it, that’s okay. As I said, I can’t really ask for anything more from you.”

Doug sighed and then smiled at Liam. “You can ask, mate, because you’re my best friend. I just don’t know if I can do what you want. I mean, we’re talking Four-Dork here. It’s not like it’s some stranger. This is the guy we’ve spent years laughing at. To suddenly come out and start defending him...” Doug shrugged. “I don’t know if I can do it.”

Liam grunted. It was pretty much the reaction he had expected.

Doug smiled. “I haven’t said I won’t. Give me some time to get used to the idea before you give up on me.”

Liam gave Doug a playful punch in the bicep. “Thanks, mate.”

The door behind them opened, and Neil stepped out. As soon as he saw Doug he immediately backed away, running into Todd who had been following him out. “What’s wrong?” Todd asked.

Doug glanced at Neil and then turned to Liam. “I think that’s my cue to leave. I’ll catch up with you later.”

“What did he want?” Neil asked Liam as Doug moved away, his tone showing his suspicion.

Liam tried to smile reassuringly. “Believe it or not, he didn’t know about that ad on TV. He was asking what was going on.”

Clarissa, who had followed Todd and Neil out of the school administration building, narrowed her eyes. “And what did you tell him?”

“The truth.” Liam kept his attention on Neil, even though he felt like an utter hypocrite in making that simple statement. “Neil’s going to be on TV tonight.”

Neil stared back, a faint sense of puzzlement on his face.

Clarissa touched Neil’s arm to attract his attention. “We should get to our homeroom.” She glanced at Liam. “Are you coming?”

“Sure.” Liam gave Neil a tentative smile. “That is, if you want me to. I’ll try to keep too many people from bothering you.”

Before Neil could answer, Todd took a half-step forward. “You two head on. I want a quick word with Liam before I leave.”

Neil narrowed his eyes at Liam before he nodded to Todd. “I’ll see you tonight. Thanks for everything, Todd.”

Todd smiled. “No problem, mate. I hope you have a good day.” He nodded to Clarissa. “You, too.”

Liam waited nervously as Neil and Clarissa headed off. He couldn’t decide if he should be watching Neil or Todd.

Todd gave Liam a hard stare once they were alone. “I believe you’re another Leopards fan.”

Liam stiffened, unsure if Todd had put a faint emphasis on the last three words. He hesitated before responding. “Yeah, I really like the Leopards. Jim Henderson, in particular.”

Todd glanced around before stepping closer to Liam, looming over the teenager in the process. His expression was hard as he lowered his voice. “Whatever you do, don’t hurt Neil. I won’t be happy if he gets hurt. Neither will the other Leopards. Understand?”

Liam swallowed. He nodded.

Todd smiled, though there was no warmth in it. “In that case, it’s time I went to work. Bye, Liam. It was good to meet you.”

Liam stared after Todd until the tall Leopards player was out of sight. He frowned, wondering if Todd’s choice of words was merely a coincidence. When his phone beeped, Liam pulled it out and checked the email he’d received without thinking.

The blood drained from his face as he read the short message. It was from Todd Underwood, and it simply repeated that it had been good to meet him. What chilled Liam was that the message had been sent to the email account for Alf.