Leopard Spots - 35. Chapter 35

“Friday, and just over a week until your party.” Clarissa smiled at Neil as they strolled towards the train station. School had finished, and Neil was heading to his house. “Looking forward to it?”

Neil grinned. “Am I ever! Todd said they’ve organised a spit roast, and Ty’s told me that they’re hiring a DJ, and they’re going to clear a space in the Leopards club room for dancing.” He chuckled. “I think that’s because Karen’s going to be there, though. I’d love to dance, but I don’t expect there to be anyone I can do that with.”

“What’s wrong with me, Mary, and Evelyn? It’s only slow dances that you require a partner.” Clarissa stopped in her tracks and stared at Neil. When he paused and looked back at her, her eyes opened wide. “Seriously? You thought you needed a partner to get out on a dance floor?”

Neil glared. “How the hell am I supposed to know? I haven’t been to a party since I was twelve!” He winced. “Sorry, Clarissa. I didn’t mean to yell.”

She slipped her arm into his. “That’s okay. You surprised me, that’s all.” She gave him a quizzical smile. “Do you like dancing?”

“Yeah, though up until now it’s been in my room by myself, dancing to music videos.” He sighed. “I’ll probably make a fool of myself.” He smiled at Clarissa. “But I don’t care. Ty’s trained me well. It’s my party, and I can do what I want. That’s what he keeps telling me...usually just before he instructs me on what it is that I’ll be doing.”

Clarissa chuckled. “He sounds like quite a guy. I’m looking forward to tomorrow night.”

“Tomorrow night? Why?”

She gave him a faint frown. “Didn’t I tell you? Karen invited me to join her and Ty for dinner.”

Neil’s brow wrinkled. “Ty invited me to dinner, too. He didn’t say you’d be there as well.”

She grinned. “Either they’re not talking to each other or they’re expecting us to work it out. At least we know now.”

The two continued their conversation until they arrived at the Ringwood East train station. That was where they usually separated, but this time Clarissa hesitated, biting her lower lip while she gave Neil an uncertain look.

“What’s wrong?”

She pulled a face. “I’ve decided to bring a date to your party. I hope you won’t be too upset.”

“Why should I be upset? There’s only one person I don’t want...” Neil took a half-step backwards while staring in horror. “You haven’t! Not him!” He glared. “I don’t want that bastard at my party!”

Clarissa sighed and then crossed her arms. She stared down her nose at Neil. “Finished?”

“You know how I feel about Jerk Face! Are you trying to ruin the night for me?”

She smiled. “Relax. I haven’t invited the village idiot. I found someone better to ask. Someone I think you’ll approve of...eventually.”

Neil narrowed his eyes. “Who?”

“He’s our age. He’s single. You and he have a number of things in common, one of which is that you’re both gay.”

Neil stared for a moment and then grinned. “Matchmaking? I didn’t think you were into that.”

She shrugged. “Normally, I’m not, but I’m making an exception for the two of you. I want both of you to be happy, and I think you’ll suit each other.”

“Does this paragon of wonderfulness have a name?”

Clarissa smiled. “He does.” She turned and strolled away, leaving Neil on the train platform.

“Well, what is it?” he called out.

She paused at the exit and smiled over her shoulder. “Alf.”

* * *

Todd was assaulted as soon as he stepped into the house.

“About fucking time! Now he’ll have someone else to complain to.” Oliver placed his fists on his hips and glared. “Get your gear, and let’s get going. I don’t want to be late on top of everything else.”

Todd glanced at Paul, who gave him a wry smile. “You’ll get the story in the car. You’ll get the whole story then in probably way-too-much detail.”

That was enough to tell Todd that there was a problem with Neil. Since there wasn’t a lot of time before training started, he rushed to his room and found Neil lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

As he stripped off his tool belt and dumped his work bag, Todd scanned Neil, taking in the red eyes and clenched fists. “Something wrong, mate?”

“That fucking bitch! She...” Neil gritted his teeth.

Todd grabbed the sports bag he had packed that morning. “Let’s go, Neil. We have to get a move on or we’ll be late. You can tell me about it on the way.”

Neil rolled off the bed and wearily picked up his own bag. While the guys trained, he would be working out in the gym.

Todd listened to Neil’s complaints as he drove to the football stadium. Oliver and Paul were mercifully quiet during the trip. As they arrived, Todd made a quick decision. “You guys go ahead. I’ll catch up soon.”

“You’re going to be late.” Oliver gave Todd a warning look and then smiled. “Your choice, mate. I hope Peter goes easy on you, but don’t expect it.”

Neil frowned as he watched Paul and Oliver head inside. “What did he mean?”

“He means that I’m going to get laps, at a minimum, as punishment for being late for training.”

Neil’s head snapped around to focus on Todd. “Shouldn’t you be going?”

Todd smiled. “Are you going to be okay? If you want to talk about Clarissa and Liam, I’ll risk Peter’s anger.”

Neil frowned up at Todd and then sighed. “Go. I’ll be fine.”

Todd smiled and gave Neil a friendly slap on the back. “Great. I’ll see you when we’re done, and we’ll talk then.”

Todd didn’t look back as he headed off, though he sneaked a quick glance as he entered the change room through the car-park door. As he had hoped, Neil was heading to the main entrance of the building on his way to the gym. Todd had wanted to show Neil that he was willing to put him above the team. Todd had hoped that that would help his young friend start to sort out his priorities and to put his problem into perspective.

* * *

Neil found the gym already in use. He put his bag to the side so it would be out of the way and then took the treadmill next to Tony. Neil knew he couldn’t use the change room on training nights, so he had developed the habit of bringing his bag into the gym.

“G’day, Neil. How’s school going?”

Neil grunted. He started up his machine and then gave Tony a wry smile. “It’s school. What do you expect?”

Tony chuckled. “Fair enough. Jim told me that there were a couple of guys at the clinics this week that didn’t seem to want to be there, but overall he was impressed by how hard everyone worked.”

“They all went well? I only saw the Year 12 clinic because I was helping Roger.”

“Jim told me. Yeah, they did. At least he hasn’t told me otherwise.” Tony grinned at Neil. “Roger said you disappeared at the end of the clinic on Wednesday before he had a chance to thank you. Did he catch up with you afterwards?”

Neil smiled at the memory. “He did. I actually enjoyed it. I even had a couple of the guys who were in Roger’s group talk to me afterwards. Just chitchat, but that’s more than they’ve done for years.”

“Things are looking up, then?”

Neil scowled as he looked at the wall in front of the treadmill. “Apart from one thing.”

Tony slowed down his machine. “What’s that?”

Neil sighed. “Clarissa’s invited Jerk Face to my party.”

Tony frowned. “I take it you don’t like him, whoever he is.”

Neil hesitated as he realised he had never told Jim or Tony about Alf. He jogged for several seconds before answering. “It’s complicated.”

“I’m here if you want to talk.”

Neil thought about it while he ran and then decided to unburden himself. Over the next ten minutes, he spilled out the story of how he’d been contacted by Alf, how he’d started to fall for him, only to find out that Alf was Liam. He finished with the news that Clarissa was bringing Alf to the birthday party.

Tony stopped his treadmill and then reached over to hit the cool-down button on Neil’s machine. “I don’t think this is something we can discuss while we’re both exercising. How about we cut things short tonight and have a chat?”

Walking steadily as the treadmill slowed down, Neil grimaced. “I’m so confused.”

Tony smiled. “I’m not surprised, but sometimes talking it out can help. I won’t pass on anything you say to anyone else, not even Jim, unless you say I can, but I’m a good listener.”

“Why are you being so nice to me?” Neil slapped the stop button, cutting the cool down short. “I tried to break you and Jim up!”

Tony rested a hand on Neil’s shoulder. “As you said, you’re confused. You didn’t want Jim. You wanted someone, anyone, who could get you out of your home. Jim was just the person you picked.” He chuckled and gave Neil a sheepish grin. “I’ll admit I was jealous at the time, but Jim and I hadn’t been going out for that long, and I was scared he’d leave me. It wasn’t rational, but when it comes to the heart, few things are.”

Neil dropped his head. “Yeah...”

“So...do you want to talk?”

Neil looked up. “I’ve already told you everything.”

Tony smiled. “You’ve only told me what’s happened. You haven’t told me how you feel about it.”

“I hate him!” Neil held onto his anger for a moment and then let it go. His shoulders slumped. “I’m just not sure who I’m talking about: Jerk Face or Alf.”

Tony frowned. “But aren’t they...”

Neil sighed. “Yeah, but sometimes I wish they were two different people.”

Tony smiled, put a hand on Neil’s back, and applied a gentle pressure. “Come with me. It’s my turn to tell you a story. It’s about a guy I used to date. I met him a few months ago, just before I started with the Leopards.”

The two sat on adjacent exercise benches. “This was the guy before Jim?” Neil asked.

Tony shook his head, still smiling. “No, but I don’t want to get ahead of myself. I met him one Saturday night when Ethan and Alex took me out to a nightclub, and we hit it off almost immediately. We danced: slow, fast, anything in between. We kissed...and I invited him back to my place afterwards. He told me his name was Ken.”

Neil frowned. “Why are you telling me this?”

“Because once we were outside, out of the dark nightclub, I recognised him. You see, I was due to start working here at the Leopards the following Monday, and I’d done my research. I knew who all the players were, and the guy who walked out of that nightclub with me was one of them.”

Neil’s eyes widened. “Jim.”

Tony nodded. “That’s right...and wrong.” Tony sighed and glanced in the direction of the football oval outside. “At that point in time, Jim was officially straight, while Ken was gay. They were two different people who happened to share the same body.”

“Split personality?”

“No.” Tony screwed up his face as he thought. “The best way of describing it is that they were two parts of the same person. Jim was the straight-acting guy; Ken was the gay one. The two lived different lives. Most of the time he was Jim, but sometimes he needed to be Ken to stay sane. They were both him, but neither was the full picture. Jim wasn’t gay, and Ken wasn’t a football player. Because I met Ken at the nightclub, I was the only person who knew them both. I was the only one that both of them could talk to. But I had to keep the two separate in my mind. Jim was the player at the club I worked for. Ken was the gay guy who was desperate for a friend. As I said, I had to treat them as being different people or I would risk outing Jim by accident.”

“What happened?”

Tony sighed. “The club fell into financial trouble, and Jim faced losing football. Ken was the one who found the solution. Jim came out of the closet, the two became one, and Ken faded into the background.” He gave Neil a faint smile. “I think you understand my point.”

Neil grimaced. “Jerk Face and Alf.”

Tony raised an eyebrow. “What do you think? Are they both real? Is Alf make-believe or a part of Liam he doesn’t normally show?”

“I don’t know!”

Tony smiled. “Do you think it might be in your best interest to find out? Let’s see if the person who shows up at your party is Alf or Liam.”

Neil scowled. “It had better not be Jerk Face.”

* * *

Todd didn’t join the team in the change room after training. Instead, he headed into the gym, hoping to find Neil. He frowned when he found the room empty apart from Neil’s bag. His anxiety levels rising, he headed to the club room, the site of Neil’s upcoming birthday party, and then breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Neil talking quietly with Tony.

He paused in the entrance, wondering if he should interrupt or leave them, when the decision was taken out of his hands.

“Todd!” Neil stood up and headed in Todd’s direction. He was smiling.

“G’day, mate. I was just checking that you were okay before I had a shower. You were pretty upset before training.”

Neil gave him a wry smile. “Yeah, but Tony’s sorted me out. It doesn’t matter if the bastard comes to the party. It’s not for him, it’s for me, and if I want to ignore him for the night, I can.”

“Great!” Todd glanced down at the dirt on his jumper, arms, and legs. “Time I went back and cleaned up, then. I’ll see you here after the team meeting?”

“Sure. I’ll be here with Tony.”

In a much lighter frame of mind, Todd returned to the change room and had a quick shower. He wasn’t the last one to finish, but he was the second to last to sit down in the meeting room where Peter would go through the game plan for the next day’s match against the Box Hill Hawks.

“Okay, guys, listen up.” Peter gave the players a hard look, silencing the scattered conversations. “The Hawks have won six of their first seven matches and drew the other one. As befitting last year’s premiers, they’re playing well, and tomorrow’s game isn’t going to be easy. We played them in one of our practise matches, though, and I believe we can beat them.”

The players called out their enthusiastic agreement but quickly settled down.

“Last week against the Tigers and three weeks ago against the Bulldogs, we let the opposition get a jump on us. The Hawks will do the same if we let them. So we’re not going to. We’re going to start with a strong defensive structure, and we’ll push forward after we’re sure we’ve got them contained.” Peter nodded to Ty and then Jarrod. “The brat and Jarrod are going to both start on the backline. Jarrod, you’ll be sweeping. Your job is to pick up those loose balls and feed them into the midfield as fast as you can. Dave, Charlie, Dad, be ready to move quickly. I expect the Hawks will flood their forward line, looking for opportunities, so if we can get a fast turnaround, their backline will be sparse. Ollie, you’ll be helping there. Use your speed to keep breaking free of their defenders and get them rattled. Keep an eye out for Deon. If it’s one-on-one, send it his way. Otherwise, don’t be afraid to go for a goal yourself...”

Peter continued for the next twenty minutes, going through a detailed plan and highlighting key opponents the Leopards would need to beat to win the match.

Near the end, Peter glared. “Deon, you don’t need to keep looking at the clock. I know when your father’s flight gets in, and you’ll be there in time to meet it. Pay attention!”

Deon went red as most of the room grinned at him. Peter continued for another couple of minutes and then smiled. “Okay, get going. Roger, brat, I’ll see you in my office. The rest of you can go enjoy your evening. Deon, don’t speed on the way to the airport. If you’re late, I’m sure your father will wait for you.”

Todd, as well as a number of other players, chuckled at Peter’s exasperated tone. Deon’s rapid departure put smiles of amusement on many faces.

“Todd, before you go...”

Todd turned, surprised at Ty’s serious-looking face. “What is it?”

“Neil. How is he? Ollie told me about him being upset, and I saw you head off to see him before the meeting. Do I need to have a chat with him tonight?”

Todd smiled. “No, it’s fine. Tony’s sorted out the issue somehow. I don’t know what that means, but Neil seems okay. He’s in the club room with Tony. If you don’t drop in before we leave, I’ll let you know if he’d like a call.”

“Thanks, mate. I want this birthday party of his to go off smoothly. He deserves to have a good time.” Ty gave Todd a nervous smile. “I wasn’t sure about Clarissa inviting Liam, but Karen said she thought it would be good for Neil. She and Clarissa seem to think there’s a chance the two will sort out their differences and that the party’s the best time to do that.”

Todd blinked, but Ty was gone before he could say anything. He hadn’t realised that Karen and Clarissa had been talking, let alone discussing Neil and Liam.

* * *

Deon smiled and gave Sam a firm handshake as the two met in the airport lounge. “Thanks for coming down, Dad. Thanks for changing your plans, too.”

Sam shrugged. “You needed me, so I came. Marcus was going to come down with me this week, but when you suggested that we come down next week for Neil’s birthday party instead, we changed things around.” He smiled. “I think Marcus is a little disappointed. Despite what he says, he was looking forward to seeing you play.”

“You mean he’s finally coming to his senses regarding which game is better?” Deon grinned.

Sam chuckled. “I’m not sure I’d go that far, but he’s certainly spending a fair amount of time trying to learn more about Aussie Rules football.”

“It’s a start.” Deon hesitated and then stepped forward and gave Sam a quick hug. “Thanks, Dad.”

“For what?”

Deon stepped back. “For not being who I thought you were.”

* * *

“But, Dad...” Liam couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He thought by waiting until Saturday morning to tell his parents about Clarissa’s invitation, they would be in a good mood and would allow him to go. Up until then, they had been supportive of anything he did that had to do with Neil.

“No buts, Liam. After your behaviour in last week’s football match, I’m not inclined to be lenient. If – and it’s a really big if – if we allow you to go to Neil’s party, you’re going to need to be on your absolute best behaviour.” Bruce Bellweather frowned. “However, at the moment I think the best thing for Neil is for you to not be there.”

“But, Dad...” Liam stopped and took a deep breath. “What do I need to do to show you that it’ll be okay for me to go to the party?”

His father scowled. “At this point in time, I can’t think of anything. You’re lucky that I managed to placate the parents of that guy you hit enough that they’re not going to push for the police to charge you. We – and I really mean you, somehow – will be picking up any out-of-pocket medical expenses they have. For your sake, I hope they won’t have too many because they’ll be coming out of your hide.”

“The guy was a homophobic bastard. You didn’t hear what he was saying to me all game!”

Mr. Bellweather took a step forward and poked Liam in the chest. “Nothing, absolutely nothing he could’ve said justifies what you did to him. And it’s that attitude why I don’t think you should go to Neil’s party. If anyone says anything to you, or if Neil rejects you – because I know that you’ll be hassling him to try to get him to go out with you – then I don’t trust you’ll keep your temper under control. I’m sorry, Liam, but you’ve burnt too many bridges.”

Liam glanced at his mother, who had been silent up until that point. “Mum? Please?”

“I’m afraid I have to agree with your father, Liam. There will be other parties, other chances.” She smiled sadly. “But we don’t feel you should go to this one.”

Liam glared. “Fine!” He spun on his heels, putting his back to his parents. “Neil only gets to turn eighteen once, and I’m going to miss it. Thanks a lot!” He marched out of the room, not waiting for a response. His mind was already busy trying to work out how he could get to Lilydale without his parents knowing.

* * *

Peter smiled as he walked out onto the oval at the end of the first quarter. The Leopards had surprised Box Hill with their disciplined defence and the lightning quick turnarounds. They had opened up with three quick goals as a consequence, and while the Hawks had recovered some ground, the Leopards were still nine points in front. Box Hill had had more scoring shots, but the Leopards superior accuracy – five goals to only two behinds – was keeping them in front.

He glanced around at the attentive players. “A good first quarter, guys, but this is only the start. There are three more to play, and if there’s one thing we can be sure of, they’re going to put pressure on us the whole time. What we need to do is to return the favour and keep the pressure on them, too.”

Peter turned to Ty. “At the start of the next quarter, I want you moving up to the forward line. Deon’s three goals caught their attention, and they’ll try to find a way to stop him. Your job is to give them someone else to worry about. Break their spirits.” He smiled at Oliver. “Keep up that pressure, Ollie. Not only does Box Hill have to try to stop Deon from marking the ball, they also need to be concerned about you anytime there’s a loose ball. As I said last night, don’t be afraid to go for a goal yourself. You’ve kicked one, let’s see a few more.”

Deon grinned as he gave Oliver a slap on the back. “Lots more, Ollie.”

Peter frowned. “Jarrod, you’re doing a great job, but I need you to try to stop number 3 for the Hawks. He’s giving us the same hassles that Ollie’s doing at the other end. He’s small and quick. I need you to shut him down.”

Peter turned to the midfielders. “Jim, I need you to tag 39. Woodward is running too freely out there, and he’s doing too much damage.” Alex Woodward, one of the Box Hill Hawks AFL-listed players coming back after a knee reconstruction, had a good first quarter, and Peter didn’t want that to continue.

The instructions continued until the siren sounded, heralding the imminent start of the second quarter. As the coaching and support staff returned to the sideline, Will stepped up next to Peter. “Are you sure about moving the brat out of defence?”

Peter nodded. “The Hawks were coming back. If we left things the way they were, they’d fight their way past us. We need to keep them on their toes, and that means taking a few risks.” He smiled. “Of course, they need to take even bigger ones to try to catch up, so hopefully we can take advantage of any mistakes they make.” He glanced over his shoulder at his forwards for a moment. “Deon’s on fire today. He couldn’t’ve picked a better time to find some accuracy.”

Will chuckled. “True, but I think Julie can take the credit for that one. She’s the one who got him to change his technique. It seems to be working.”

* * *

Clarissa glanced up at the scores as the half-time siren sounded. “Only two points separating the teams. At least the Leopards are still in front.”

Karen grimaced. “If it wasn’t for that last minute goal by the Hawks, it would’ve been a lot nicer score line.”

“You could say that about all their goals.” Clarissa grinned. “If the other team never scored, it would be so much easier.”

“True.” Karen chuckled for a moment and then sobered as she watched the players leave the ground. “I heard that Neil didn’t take the news about Liam going to his party very well.”

“That’s more than I heard. I’ll admit I left as quick as I could after I told him. I knew he’d blow up.” Clarissa sighed. “You were right, though. It was better to tell him now and give him a week to get over it rather than spring it on him as a surprise on the night. Thanks for that.”

“Did you tell Neil it was Alf and not Liam?”

“I did. I’d spotted the same thing: Neil hates Liam, but he doesn’t hate Alf. That just goes to prove that guys are crazy.” Clarissa cocked her head. “Who did you get the gossip from?”

“Ty. Todd told him about it during training last night, and then Ty had a quick chat with Neil before they left the club. Neil seems to be planning on ignoring Liam for the night.”

“Leave that to me. Neil apparently likes dancing, and I know Liam does, too. I’ll get them both up on the dance floor.” Clarissa grinned. “Liam’s quite capable of being charming. If we convince Neil that he’s Alf, not Liam, I think things will happen.”

Karen frowned. “I’m beginning to have second thoughts on all of this. Is it healthy for Neil to think of Liam as Alf?”

“No idea, but at the moment he’s fixated on the past. He needs to look to the future, and Liam’s a definite possibility for that future.” Clarissa grimaced. “Okay, you’ve got a point. All we can do is to make Neil look at Liam – really look at him – and then it’s up to Neil. If he doesn’t want to take it further, then that’s his decision. Once he’s done that, we step out of it.”

Karen stared for a moment and then chuckled. “And do you believe that?” She grinned. “You’re as much a hopeless romantic as I am.”

Clarissa gave her a mock glare. “Please! I’ve got a reputation to uphold. I’m not a hopeless romantic.”

“Yeah, right.” Karen’s smile faded away. “I hope we’re not making things worse. When I heard him talk about Liam and Alf, I could see that he was conflicted, but maybe it would’ve been better if we’d just let him walk away.”

“Too late now. I’ve already told Liam he’s invited, but only as Alf.” Clarissa frowned as she spotted someone she half remembered in the crowd. “Who’s that older guy over there by the players’ entrance? He looks familiar.”

Karen stared in the indicated direction. “Sam? That’s Deon’s father. He comes down from Sydney from time to time to see Deon play. He usually brings his boyfriend down with him, but he’s down by himself this weekend.”

Clarissa’s head snapped around. “Boyfriend?” She suddenly recalled where she’d seen him before. “Would that be Marcus?”

“That’s right.” Karen gave her a quizzical look. “Why?”

“No particular reason. I’ve only just remembered that they’re the couple that Neil stayed with just after his father hit him.”

Karen smiled. “Deon organised that. You should get a chance to speak to Sam tonight before dinner if you want. Deon’s one of Ty’s housemates, and Sam’s staying with him for the weekend. They’re heading out later, but that’s well after the time you and Neil arrive.”

“Is Deon gay, too?”

Karen sighed. “No, but he’s just broken up with his girlfriend. That’s why Sam’s down here: to give Deon some support. Ty’s done his best, but Deon’s now the only single guy in the house, and he’s feeling a bit left out. The other single guys on the team invited him to go nightclubbing with them tonight, but he turned them down. He’s not ready for anything like that. So he’s going out with his father, instead.”

“Speaking of single guys, Neil’s been reluctant to provide names. Evelyn, in particular, wants all the details of who she should be chatting up at Neil’s party.”

Karen laughed. “I’m not surprised that Neil’s not saying anything. Deep down, he’s still very much introverted and uncertain. He doesn’t want to make any social mistakes.”

Clarissa gave Karen a hard stare. “Names? Or are you also introverted and uncertain?”

Karen grinned. “Not me. Okay, first, there’s Ward. He’s one of the defenders. I’ll point him out when the players return. Then there’s Paul, another defender, though I’d probably suggest you don’t tell the girls about him. He’s not ready to date again after a rather nasty breakup at the start of the year. Jarrod’s one of the rookies, he’s only a year older than you...”

* * *

Paul and his opponent jostled each other in the Hawks goal square. Box Hill had levelled the scores a few minutes earlier, and the pressure was back on the Leopards. If the Hawks player marked the ball that was on its way, the momentum would have decidedly shifted in the Hawks’ favour. With the third quarter due to end soon, Paul didn’t want the Hawks to start the last quarter on a positive note.

With a last second shove to put his opponent off balance, Paul leapt forward and up and grabbed the incoming football at full stretch above his head. Normally, he’d take his time to find a free teammate to kick it to, but he saw Jarrod break away, and Paul wanted the ball away from the Hawks goal as fast as possible. A quick stab pass to Jarrod started the process.

Jarrod played on, breaking towards the middle of the oval. After a quick glance over his shoulder to see how close the opposition players were, he kicked the ball long to the open area on the right hand wing where Jim was sprinting. The kick was inaccurate and hit the ground before Jim could get to it. The bounce was unfavourable, and Jim’s opponent snatched it up. Before he could do anything, though, Jim had swung back and tackled him hard, throwing the Box Hill player to the ground.

Jim rolled and, while still on the ground, kicked the football to where Charlie was running forward. Charlie scooped up the ball and then pivoted to his right, avoiding his opponent who had assumed he would turn the other way towards the Leopards forward line. Charlie did a left-foot snap pass to Oliver who had given his Hawks defender the slip.

Oliver paused and scanned the ground. The Box Hill players were sprinting down to flood the backline, but only a handful were in position. Not waiting to give them a chance to settled, Oliver kicked the ball down the ground to where Deon was being guarded.

There was a short tussle as the ball approached, but Deon held off the Hawks defender long enough to allow him to take a simple chest mark. He was only twenty metres from the Leopards goal on a forty-five degree angle.

Deon strode a few steps away and then turned. He waited while the umpire positioned the defender at the point where Deon had taken the mark and indicated the line that Deon had to take. Deon could move off that line if he wanted, but that would free the defender to move forward.

After looking at the ball and then the man on the mark, Deon lifted his gaze and focused on a point beyond the goal posts. As Julie had instructed him and as he had been practising for a few weeks, Deon kept his eyes on that target as he accelerated towards the man on the mark. Three metres short of the defender, he kicked the ball. Smiling to himself, Deon watched the ball sail effortlessly over the defender and between the goal posts for Deon’s fifth goal of the match and his third in a row without a miss. The Leopards were back in the lead.

* * *

“Congratulations, Deon,” Sam said quietly. Deon could barely hear him over the raucous celebrations in the Leopards change room.

“Thanks, Dad.” Deon grinned. “That was easily my best game this season, even if I didn’t score in the last quarter.”

“All the attention you were getting from the other team left opportunities for your teammates.” Sam smiled. “Matt and Gary are convinced you’re on your way to the AFL.”

Deon grimaced and dropped his head. “I don’t want to get ahead of myself.” He looked up. “Only a handful of players get drafted from the VFL each year. Last year was my best chance to get picked, and I missed out.”

Sam closed the small distance between them and gave Deon a short hug. “Whatever happens, happens.” He smiled. “I’ll let you get changed and relax. I’ll be in the club room.”

“I’ll see you there shortly.” Deon watched him leave and then stripped off his football jumper. He glanced around and then decided to wait. He knew better than to expect Angela, Zach’s girlfriend, to leave, but he preferred for most of the supporters to have left before he had his shower.

Deon spotted Ty, Karen, and Neil talking on the other side of the change room with a girl that Deon didn’t recognise. He was about to head over to join them when Roger hobbled forward. “About bloody time, mate!” Roger’s grin showed his comment wasn’t to be taken seriously.

“Yeah, I’m happy, too.” Deon’s smile morphed into an expression of concern. “I just hope I can be consistent.”

Roger gave him a slap on the back. “You’ve done it once. That’ll give you the confidence to do it again. Five goals from seven attempts; that’s all you need to do to make the other teams scream with frustration.” He glanced down at the walking boot on his ankle. “Speaking of frustration, we need you to keep doing it because I’m going to be out for awhile. This thing is better than crutches, but not by much.”

“Any word on when you’ll be returning?”

Roger grimaced. “Best guess is August. Hopefully, I’ll be able to play the last few games of the season before the finals start.” He grinned again. “Because the way we’re playing, we’re going to make it this year.”

Deon winced. “Another nine or ten weeks, then.” He straightened his back and hardened his expression. “I need to keep practising. I’m getting there, but I can still improve.”

Roger gave him another slap on the back. “Exactly right, mate. The other teams aren’t going to know what’s hit them.”

* * *

Ty grinned at Neil and Clarissa while he kept half an eye on the barbecue. “It’s about time we started talking about why Karen and I invited the two of you to dinner tonight.”

Neil hesitated, uneasy as to what Ty was going to say. “What do you mean?” The four of them were outside in the backyard while Ty cooked. The two girls had taken seats; Neil leant against one of the verandah posts.

Ty gave an exaggerated roll of the eyes. “While a lot of the planning has been done, there are still things to be organised for your party next weekend. We’ve got the venue and a DJ booked, a spit roast has been organised, and other food and drinks have been arranged, but we still need to organise the setup of the club room, when we’re going to cut the cake, and when the strippers show up.”

Neil’s eyes widened. “Strippers?”

Karen sighed. “Ignore him, Neil. There will be no strippers.” She gave Ty a smile that had more than a hint of steel. “Right, Ty?”

“Of course. I only said that to see if anyone was paying attention.” Ty paused while taking in Karen’s expression. “What? Don’t you believe me?”

Karen chuckled. “Nope.” She turned to Neil. “He’s been pushing for strippers since Todd first mentioned the party. I’m still not sure if he’s serious.”

Clarissa glanced up and down Ty’s body and then laughed.

Ty frowned. “What’s so funny?”

She grinned. “I was just thinking that you’re lucky my friend Evelyn’s not here. Knowing her, if you want a stripper at the party, she’d suggest that you take the job. Having said that, I have to be honest and say that I wouldn’t mind getting a good look,” she smiled at Karen, “even if I can’t touch.”

Ty held up both hands, the left still holding the barbecue tongs. “Hey, you heard Karen. No strippers! End of discussion.”

Karen tapped her lips. “I don’t know. That suggestion isn’t that bad...”

Ty poked the tongs in Neil’s direction. “The girls are going off on a tangent, and we need to get back on track. I was thinking we’d clear the tables and chairs from one end of the club room to leave an area for dancing. We could do it either Friday night after training or early on Saturday. There will be more people there on Friday, but most of us will be tired.”

Neil’s eyebrows rose. “Is Peter making you train, even though there’s no game?”

“Yeah...” Ty turned his attention back to the barbecue and turned over the steaks. “He doesn’t want us slacking off.” He winked at Neil before starting to rotate the chicken kebabs. “After the way we beat Box Hill today, I don’t think any of the players want to slack off, either. They were top of the ladder before they played us. If we can beat them, we should be able to beat any team in the competition.”

Deon and Sam appeared at the door from the house. “We’re just about to head out,” Deon said. “We’ll be back late, probably.”

Ty glanced up from where he was tossing the sliced onion. “Have fun!”

“Hey, before you go, we could do with some advice.” Karen waited until Deon and Sam had stepped outside and then grinned at Ty. “Ty’s been pushing to have a stripper at Neil’s birthday party and–”

“Don’t listen to her! She’s making all of this up.” Ty stepped away from the barbecue and tried to put his hand over a giggling Karen’s mouth.

“Clarissa, take over!” Karen grabbed Ty’s arm and held him back while Clarissa edged away, chuckling.

“Karen was thinking Ty could be the stripper for the night. What do you guys think?” She paused to give Deon an obvious onceover. “Additional volunteers are also welcome.”

Deon grinned as he shook his head. “Leave me out of this! It’s Neil’s party. He should get to decide, not me.”

Clarissa raised an eyebrow at Neil. “Well?” Her imperious pose cracked when she saw a frightened expression on his face. “Neil?”

“No!” Neil took a step away. “No!” Before anyone could react, he pushed past Sam and Deon and ran into the house.

Karen and Ty immediately stopped their playful wrestling. Ty looked perplexed. “What the fuck just happened?”

Sam sighed. “You don’t know?” His shoulders slumped. “Stay out here, please. I’ll go see him.”

Deon grabbed Sam’s arm. “Dad, what’s going on?”

Sam glanced back at Ty and grimaced. “None of you understand, but you’ve just hurt Neil...badly. He needs friends. He doesn’t need those friends to be sexualised. Unless Ty’s secretly gay, suggesting Ty strip for Neil is just playing with his head. You’re inviting Neil to think of Ty as someone he could have sex with...when you all know that that’s not going to happen. It’s not something he should be even considering.”

Ty summed up the feeling of everyone with his glum response. “Fuck!”

Sam shook his head sadly. “I’ll go see him. I think you lot should stay out here until he’s ready to return.”

* * *

Neil had almost decided to run home, thinking to flee to Todd’s bedroom, but he paused once he was out the front door of Ty’s house. He had been invited for dinner, and he couldn’t just run out on them. Instead, he dropped down onto the front step and pulled his knees up to his chest and buried his head. He had successfully avoided thinking of Ty as anything except a mate until Karen and Clarissa had made the suggestion of Ty stripping at his birthday party.

He felt disgusted with himself. He had fantasised about Todd. He had fantasised about Ollie. Now, he was fantasising about Ty. It wasn’t something he felt a normal person would do. He was becoming a monster, a pervert, someone who couldn’t be trusted.

Neil stiffened when he felt an arm across his shoulders. He had half expected Ty to follow him out, but he didn’t want to be near his friend while his desires were edging out of control. He resisted the gentle pressure for several seconds before giving in and letting himself collapse against the person holding him. He heard some indistinct murmuring, but it was only when he realised he didn’t recognise the voice that he looked up.

“Feeling better?” Sam asked, a soft smile on his face.

“What...?”

“Their hearts may be in the right place, but they don’t understand what it means to be a gay teenager. You’re already doing better than I did, but you’re scared now – about the thoughts they put in your head, right?”

Neil scowled. “I’m a monster.”

Sam sighed and pulled Neil into a full embrace. “No, you’re not. If it makes you feel any better, I think Ty’s one hunk of a guy, too. But I won’t be acting on that thought, and I don’t think you will, either. Straight guys are just not worth it.”

“But why do I want...?” Neil screwed up his face, unable to finish.

“Because you’re a normal, healthy teenager.” Sam chuckled as he let go, keeping only one arm around Neil. “At least you can talk about it. I had to keep everything hidden away in the deepest crevices of my mind. I couldn’t even let the faintest hint seep out. You’re normal, Neil. It’s whether you choose to act on those fantasies that determines if you’re a monster or not.” Sam smiled. “The fact that you’re afraid of the possibility tells me that I don’t think you’ll do anything. You shouldn’t be ashamed.”

Neil tried to smile but he didn’t think it worked. “I’ve just made a fool of myself, haven’t I?”

Sam shrugged, his arm still around Neil. “I don’t think so. I gave them a blast after you ran off, and I think they understand now. At least as much as they can. They will never truly understand, but I do, and I suspect Jim will, too.” He raised an eyebrow. “Do you think that Jim never had fantasies while he was still in the closet?”

Neil stared.

Sam chuckled. “No, I don’t know, but I’ll be surprised if he didn’t. Don’t expect him to give you any details, but if you asked politely and explained why you want to know, he might tell you how he coped.” Sam stood up and tilted his head back towards the house. “I think your dinner is just about ready, unless Ty’s let everything burn while he’s been worried about you.”

Neil flinched. “I ran away. He’s going to think I’m a coward.”

Sam sighed and sat back down. “You’ve been alone for so long, Neil. You’ve hidden yourself away so much that when something unexpected happens, your first reaction is to run and hide. In some ways, I was the same when I was your age. I was hiding from who I am, and the way I dealt with things was different, but it was still running and hiding.” He gave Neil another gentle smile. “That’s something else I understand. While Ty and Deon are great guys, I doubt they’ll ever truly understand what it’s like to be gay and to try to deny it. Neither will the girls.”

“I’m not denying it!”

“But that’s still fairly recent, right? I’m guessing it’s still a struggle for you at times. Being open about it, I mean.”

Neil nodded, a faint frown on his face.

“I’ll make a prediction. When you’re ready, go back there, and I think you’ll find that no one will mention what happened. They’ll express some sympathy, but no one will say about what.”

Sam stood up again and held out his hand. Neil hesitated and then accepted the help. He let himself be pulled to his feet. “Thank you.”

Sam put his arm back across Neil’s shoulder and smiled. “Just getting in some practise. It’s been years since I’ve been a real dad, and now that I’m back in the role with Deon, Teresa, and Jordan, I’m finding I’m enjoying it.” He raised an eyebrow. “Ready to go back and see everyone?”

Neil nodded, still not sure what was going to happen, but decided he needed to face his fears. Some of them, at least.

The two returned to the backyard, where Deon was chatting with Ty, Karen, and Clarissa. The four stopped and stared at Neil and Sam. Neil hesitated, trying to discern what his friends thought of him.

Ty stepped forward, an unhappy look on his face. “Sorry, mate. We weren’t thinking when we started playing around earlier.”

Neil dropped his gaze. “It’s okay.”

He found himself being pulled into a firm hug. “No, it’s not.” Ty released him and smiled. “Just so you know, you’re in good company. Karen and Clarissa think I’m hot, too.”

Karen raised her voice. “Also egotistical, narcissistic, self-centred, and an all-round brat.” She grinned. “But I think you already knew that.”

Neil’s head snapped around to look at Sam. “You said...”

Sam shrugged sheepishly. “Okay, I was wrong. I didn’t think they’d talk about it directly.” He narrowed his eyes at the other four. “Let him be. He needs time.”

Ty frowned at Sam and then at Neil.

Neil lowered his eyes. “Can we talk about something else?”

“Sure, mate.” Ty returned to the barbecue. “Dinner’s just about ready, so why don’t you head inside and sit down. I’ll be in with the food shortly.”

Clarissa intertwined her arm with Neil’s. “Let’s go. I’m hungry, and we’ve still got some planning to do. We all want next weekend to be the best party ever.”

* * *

“Doug, I don’t have long, but I need your help.” Liam glanced at his bedroom door while keeping his phone to his ear. He was expecting one of his parents to open that door at any time. They seemed to be going out of their way to make his life a misery, and Liam didn’t see any reason they wouldn’t continue.

“For you, mate, anything. What do I need to do?”

“My parents have vetoed my going to Neil’s party, so I need to come up with a way to get there without them knowing.”

“Hey, what?” Doug’s tone was one of confusion.

“Clarissa’s invited me to Neil’s birthday party as her date. My parents have said I can’t go. I’ve been trying to come up with a way to get there all day, but I’m stuck. I need your help. How do I slip out without tipping them off? They’re not stupid. If I just disappear, they’ll know where I’ve gone.”

“Maybe they’re right. Maybe you shouldn’t go.”

Liam glared at the phone. “Fuck you!” He hung up before Doug could respond. Immediately afterwards, his phone rang. Liam glowered for a few seconds and then accepted the call.

“Sorry, Liam. Yes, I’ll help.” Doug’s tone was contrite.

“Thanks, Doug.” Liam grimaced. “Sorry for yelling at you. I’m just so frustrated. Mum and Dad are being completely unreasonable about this. I’m trying to do the right thing, and they won’t let me!”

“It’s okay, mate. Let me think about it overnight and I’ll let you know tomorrow if I’ve come up with any ideas. It sounds like you need an excuse to be out of the house that night, so that’s what we need to work out.”

“I’m grounded, remember. I can’t just tell them I’m heading to your place. They won’t let me.”

“As I said, let me think about it. I’ll call you tomorrow.

“Doug, I...” Liam screwed up his face. “Thanks, mate. I don’t deserve you. I know I’m being high maintenance, but life’s really fucking me around.”

Doug chuckled. “I think high maintenance is an understatement, but you’re my best friend, Liam. I’m here for you. I’ll do what I can.”

“Thanks, Doug.” Liam felt a weight off his shoulders. The one person he could truly rely on was there to help him.