Leopard Spots - 47. Chapter 47

“How are you feeling, brat?” Jim asked as he cut into his steak.

“Pretty good. I’m happy with how training went tonight, especially with Roger joining in on more of the exercises. It won’t be long before he’s back.” A grimace flitted across Ty’s face before being replaced with what looked like a forced grin. “I hope he won’t be as rusty as I was on Saturday.”

It was Monday night, and the four members of the Tenterfield Street household were having a late dinner.

Ryan snorted. “I didn’t notice anything from where I was playing. As far as I could tell, you played great.”

Ty winced. “I...”

“Enough, brat. You don’t need to go over it again.” Jim caught Ryan’s eye. “Yes, he made some mistakes. That’s to be expected after a few weeks off. It didn’t take him long to get back into the swing of things, though, and that’s all that matters. As for Roger...” Jim turned back to Ty. “...let’s wait and see. He doesn’t need any more pressure on him than he already has.”

“Deon will be glad for the help on the forward line, and I’ll be happy to go back to being a defender more often.” Ty shrugged. “But you’re right. It might take Roger a bit of time to settle back in, and we shouldn’t push him.”

Ryan chuckled. “I’m not sure Deon needs much more help. He’s doing great as he is. Even though he only kicked two goals on Saturday, he’s still sitting at the top of the goal kicker’s board.”

“True, but he shouldn’t have to shoulder most of the load himself.” Jim gave the quiet one at the table a quizzical look. “Are you okay, Deon? You’re not saying a lot.”

Deon kept his attention on the meal in front of him as he spoke. “Guys, I won’t be home for dinner tomorrow night.”

“Any particular reason?” Ryan asked. “A hot date, maybe?”

“Sort of.” Deon looked up, a sheepish smile on his face. “I’m meeting someone from the Western Bulldogs. They want to talk to me about how I’m playing.”

Ty pumped his fist. “Yes!” He grinned. “I knew it was going to happen. It was just a question of when.”

“Don’t build his hopes up too much, brat.” Jim smiled at Deon. “But that’s certainly good news.”

“Congratulations, Deon. I hope it all works out.” Ryan chuckled and turned to Ty. “It sounds like it’s going to get lonely here next year. What do you think, brat?”

Ty’s grin slipped for a moment before it reappeared. “Does that mean you and I will have to break in a new pair of rookies? I don’t know...if they’re anything like me and Deon, I’m not sure I want to take the job.”

Jim snorted. “There’s no one else like you, brat. And we’re not gone. I still think I’m only an outside chance to get drafted. You and Deon are both playing better than me at the moment.”

Ty waved a hand to dismiss the objection. “Carlton invited you to train with them. They just don’t do that for anyone – not during the season – so I think you’re a shoo-in there. The only question will be if another team grabs you first.” He cocked his head as he stared at Deon. “The Bulldogs, eh? I wonder if any of the other teams will be speaking to you, too.”

Deon shrugged. “Who knows?” His grin still had a sheepish edge. “Who cares? I’ll be happy to be picked by any AFL team.” He waved his hand at the food on the table. “How about we get back to eating? The brat’s cooking isn’t fantastic, but he did go to some effort.”

Ty snorted. “Not fantastic? I’ll tell you I slaved over a hot grill for minutes to do these steaks. As for the vegetables, waiting for the microwave to cook them was very stressful! If people aren’t going to appreciate what I put in front of them, I’m going to stop cooking.”

“Nice try, brat, but everyone takes a turn.” Jim smiled at Deon. “If you don’t want to talk about it now, that’s fine. Just keep us informed as to how it goes. We’re all interested.”

“Yeah, don’t be a big baby about the great news.”

“Brat...”

Ty ignored Jim’s warning growl and grinned at Deon. “And if you get picked by a different club from Dad, make sure you keep reminding him that it wasn’t his bedroom skills that got him into the AFL.”

Jim glowered as Ryan and Deon both laughed. “Brat!”

* * *

Liam smiled with relief when he saw Neil getting off the train on Tuesday morning. The incident the week before had reminded him that he couldn’t take it for granted that Neil would want to meet him. He still didn’t know what was going on, but Neil was easing back into spending time with him, and that was all Liam was interested in. There was still a feeling of distance between them, but Liam was patient. As long as Neil didn’t push him away completely, he could wait for things to improve.

“Hi.” Neil’s voice was soft, but he didn’t meet Liam’s gaze.

“G’day, mate.” Liam tried to put some enthusiasm into his voice. He wanted to show Neil that he enjoyed his company.

Neil looked up, his expression troubled. He opened his mouth and then shook his head without saying anything.

“Are you okay?” Liam asked.

Neil grimaced and turned away. “We should get going.”

The two strolled along, with Liam doing most of the talking, most of Neil’s replies being of one or two words in length. He slowed down as they approached the school gates. “Er...Neil, there’s something I should warn you about.”

Neil glanced across. “What?” He peered around anxiously while slipping his backpack off one shoulder. Liam guessed that was so he could drop it and run. It was something that Neil had done in previous years, as Liam was painfully aware.

“It’s Clarissa. She’s on the warpath.” Liam smiled to try to alleviate Neil’s obvious tension. “You skipped out on her after school last Tuesday, and she’s told me that she’s not letting you get away again without a really good excuse. If you can’t stay for coffee, I suggest you tell her early.”

“I...” Neil dropped his gaze to the cracked concrete paving. “I’ll be there, but...”

“Yes?”

Neil stumbled for a moment as his foot caught on a raised edge in the path. “Can you...”

“I’ll be there, too, if that’s what you want.”

“Can you not go?” Neil looked up, pleading with his eyes. “Can it just be me and her? At least this one time?”

Liam felt a sharp jab of fear, but he tried to keep it from his face. He smiled. “Sure, if that’s what you want.”

Neil dropped his head again. “It is. Just this once. There’s something I need to ask her.”

“Then that’s fine. I’ll go home with Doug. He’s been harassing me to play the new Xbox game he bought last week.” Liam was lying through his teeth about the game, but spending time with Doug was worth doing if he couldn’t be with his boyfriend.

Neil gave him a faint smile. “Thanks.”

“No problem.” Liam crossed his fingers that what Neil wanted to talk to Clarissa about was whatever was getting between them.

* * *

“Done,” Jim panted as he and Ty sprinted toward the walkway to the change room. Jim slowed down, preparing to stop, but Ty kept going.

“One more lap,” Ty said as he ran past Jim, though he slowed down to a more comfortable jog.

Jim quickly caught up. Jim glanced across the oval to where Deon was trailing them by almost half a lap. “Do you think we can catch him?”

“Let’s try.” Ty put on a burst of speed, though it didn’t last for long.

Jim ran with him for another ten metres and then started his own sprint. The two worked off each other as they pushed themselves around the bonus lap, but they were unable to catch Deon. By the time they returned to the walkway, Deon was already a third of the way into a new a lap.

Jim and Ty started their recovery while they waited for their teammate to finish. By the time Deon arrived, they were breathing easily.

“You’re a glutton for punishment,” Ty said as Deon collapsed against the fence. “But I like your commitment, doing that extra lap you didn’t need to do.”

Deon’s weary head lifted to peer up at him. “Didn’t...need...to...?”

Jim chuckled. “The brat insisted on an extra lap. If we’d caught up to you, we would’ve told you that you were finished.”

Deon tried to push himself upright, but fell back against the fence again. “I...didn’t...want to...get...caught.”

Ty grinned. “And because of that, you’re that much fitter than you were before. Well done!”

Deon managed to raise his middle finger in Ty’s direction, though the arm was shaking.

Jim and Ty were waiting for Deon to recover enough to head inside when Ty noticed someone standing at the edge of the grandstand. Ty jumped the fence and approached her. “Mary, how are you doing?”

Neil’s mother smiled, though Ty thought it seemed uncertain. “Ty, it’s good to see you again. Can I ask...” She screwed up her face.

“Ask away.” Ty smiled. “Neil was great when I saw him after training last night, if that’s what you’re worried about. He’s still working out in our gym, though he’s changed his days now that he has a part-time job.”

“Are you sure? You’ll tell me if there’s a problem, won’t you? You won’t try to hide it from me?” Mrs. Rosewood started to wring her hands.

“Neil’s fine. And, yes, I’ll let you know if there’s anything seriously wrong.”

“His friends seemed to think that someone is trying to hurt my boy...”

Ty frowned, almost glared. “Who’s trying to hurt him?”

“I don’t know. They didn’t know, either. But they were worried. Neil wouldn’t talk to me about it when I spoke to him on Sunday. He hung up as soon as I asked.” Mary’s lower lip started to quiver. “What’s going on, Ty?”

“I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.” Ty scowled, though he was careful to not direct it at Neil’s mother. “Who was it who told you there was a problem?”

“Liam. He and a couple of his friends came to see us on Friday, and–”

Ty’s shock didn’t allow him to wait for her to finish. He thought Liam and Neil had agreed not to see Neil’s parents without some of the Leopards in attendance. “He came to see you? He visited your house?”

Mary shuddered and couldn’t look Ty in the face. “Phil’s not a monster! He’s sorry for what he did. Why can’t anyone forgive him?”

Ty forced himself to calm down. “Okay, Liam showed up at your place. Please go on. I want to know what’s happened.”

“It was Liam and that girl Neil was keen on at one point: Clarissa.”

Ty didn’t bother trying to explain that Neil was never interested in Clarissa, at least not in the sense that Mrs. Rosewood wanted it to mean. He waited impatiently for her to continue.

“They had another boy with them. Doug, I think his name was. They said that someone was trying to...” She looked away. “Anyway, they thought it was us, but it wasn’t.”

“What was someone trying to do?” Ty asked, trying to remain calm.

“They wanted Neil and...the other boy...to stop being...to not see each other.” Mary turned back to Ty and reached out to grab his arm. He allowed it. “We’re not doing anything like that. Even if that’s what I want, we won’t hurt Neil. He’s our little boy! He means the world to us. Please believe me!”

“I understand, Mary. I’ll see what I can find out.”

“Thank you, Ty. I know you’ve got my boy’s best interests at heart.” She gave him another weak smile as she let go of his arm. “Please tell him that we love him. I know I keep telling him that, but I don’t know if he believes me.”

Ty forced a smile on his face. “He believes you, Mary. He does. He’s just not ready to return home.”

Mary sighed and dropped her head. She reached into her handbag and pulled out a handkerchief. “You don’t have to lie, Ty. He’s ready. It’s we who aren’t.” She dabbed at her eyes and then looked up at him. “I can’t thank you and Todd enough for what you’re doing for Neil. I hope one day he’ll forgive us.”

Ty was still standing there watching Mrs. Rosewood heading to the car park when Deon and Jim joined him.

“What did she want?” Jim asked.

Ty let out the scowl he had been hiding from Neil’s mother. “She’s worried about Neil. Someone’s up to something, and I’m not happy.”

“What’s that someone doing?”

“I’m not sure, but whoever they are, they’re trying to break up Neil and Liam. I’ve got to stop them.”

“How?”

Ty turned towards the locker-room door. “The first step is to send a text to Karen. She’s got Clarissa’s contact details and should be able to ask what’s going on. Clarissa seems to know, from what Neil’s mum said. After that...we’ll wait and see.” He punched the wall next to the door as he approached and then shook his hand while berating himself for doing something stupid that could’ve resulted in an injury. “I’m pissed off. Neil’s been through enough. He doesn’t need any more drama.”

“Brat, don’t do anything stupid.” Jim’s tone was one of concern.

Ty put on an innocent expression. “Who me? I never do anything stupid.”

“Brat...”

* * *

Peter pushed two pieces of paper across the desk to his assistant coaches. “Here’s your list of activities for the weekend.” He smiled. “Sorry, even though we don’t have a game on, we’ve still got work to do.”

Julie spoke before she read what Peter had given her. “If it’s about that footy clinic on Sunday that the guys are putting on, I’ve already agreed to help.”

“Read! It’s not about that.”

Will was the first one to react. “You want us to check out these players? I thought that was normally something you did.”

Julie scanned her sheet. It was a list of twelve players from two of the TAC Cup teams: the Geelong Falcons and Eastern Ranges, along with the details of the match they would be playing on Saturday in Werribee.

“Normally, yes, but it seems almost certainly that we’re going to lose at least one player, and possibly two, to the AFL at the end of the season. I’ve given myself the biggest job – checking out both the game at Craigieburn and then racing down to Sandringham for the match between the Dragons and the Stingrays – but I want your opinions on those players. We don’t know which of them will still be available after the draft, so the more names we’ve checked out personally, the better position we’ll be in when it comes to filling any holes we have in the team.”

“Do we know what positions we’ll need to fill?” Julie asked.

Peter grimaced. “Of course not. I’m pretty sure we’ll need a new forward – the sharks are beginning to circle around Deon, so I’m hopeful he’ll be drafted – but I wouldn’t be surprised if we lost someone else, too.” He gave both of his assistant coaches a hard stare. “None of that leaves this room. I don’t want anyone getting the expectation that they will be drafted. We’ll continue to operate as we are, with everyone’s focus on the finals. Now that we’ve dropped to sixth on the ladder, a top-four finish is going to be difficult to achieve. That means we’re going to have to work our hearts out, because any mistake in the finals could be our last.”

Julie glanced at her printout again. “But in the meantime, we’re starting to plan for next season.” She snorted. “Without knowing who’s going to be gone or who’s going to be available. Nice.”

Peter grinned. “Welcome to the VFL. The AFL poaches our best players as well as those youngsters coming up through the junior competition. All we get are their leftovers to pick from, and even there we’ll be competing against the other VFL teams for those players.”

Will chuckled. “Though sometimes we get lucky. Last year, the AFL overlooked Deon and the brat. Now we have to wait until November to see who they overlook this year.” He cocked his head. “But you didn’t really answer my question before. This is normally your job. Why are you asking us to help?”

“Because I trust both of your judgements. Because I want someone else to be across what’s going on. And because I want a second opinion on those players.” Peter grimaced. “We were lucky last year, and that luck is going to push us into the finals. Next year I want us to make our own luck, and to do that I need help.”

Julie couldn’t help notice that Peter didn’t quite meet their eyes when he said that last piece. She suspected there was more to it than what her head coach had said, but it wasn’t her place to ask.

* * *

Clarissa reached across the coffee-shop table and put her hand on top of Neil’s. “You know you can talk to me if you’ve got problems. I can be a good listener, and I might even be able to help.”

Neil sighed. He slipped his hand free and used it to pick up his coffee and take a sip. “I can ask anything, right? That’s the deal?”

“Anything.” She smiled. “There are some subjects that I won’t talk about, but as much as I can, I’ll answer any question you ask.”

“How did you feel when Liam broke up with you?”

Clarissa’s jaw dropped. Her eyes then narrowed. “Why do you want to know?”

“Please...?” Neil couldn’t tell her that he wanted to know how someone in a relationship felt after the other person dumped them. He wanted to know how much pain he would be inflicting on Liam if he did as Rod had instructed.

“Hmm...” Clarissa took a dip from her cup before settling back in the chair. “I was angry – mad, even. I wanted revenge on the jerk for humiliating me the way he did.” She smiled. “That didn’t last. It wasn’t long before I realised that it would’ve been even more dishonest for him to have continued the relationship, but that didn’t stop it from hurting.”

“But at the time, you could’ve done something...wrong.”

She frowned across the table for a couple of seconds. “Possibly, but I’d like to think I would only fantasise about it. What is it that you’re after, Neil?”

“Nothing.” He couldn’t tell her that she’d just told him that if he broke up with Liam, even if it was what Doug and Rod wanted, that Liam may take it out on him afterwards. Since Doug still disliked him, Doug would probably join in, maybe even encourage Liam in taking revenge. Neil grimaced as he forced that concern to the back of his mind. He was still trying to gauge how much he would hurt Liam if they broke up.

“Don’t lie to me.” Clarissa glared at Neil. “I know that someone is interfering. They’re trying to get between you and Liam. Who is it?”

Neil swallowed and dropped his gaze. “Nobody.” He wondered how she knew even that much.

“Bullshit!”

Neil stood up without looking at her, collecting his school bag in the process, and leaving behind a half-empty cup of coffee. “I should be going.”

“Neil, wait!” Clarissa rose, too, and took the step needed to grab Neil’s arm. “I’ll shut up, I promise. Don’t go.”

Neil stared at her, uncertain as to what to do. After a moment he nodded his head and sat back down. Clarissa did the same and grimaced across the table. “I’m worried for you, Neil, but if you won’t talk to me about it, okay.”

“It’s not that I won’t...” Neil pulled a face. The more people he told, the more chance the story would get back to Liam, and Neil didn’t want him to find out about what Doug and Rod were up to from anyone else.

“You’ve got friends who can help you. I know you’re not used to that, but please...”

Clarissa’s pleading expression almost broke Neil’s resolve. He picked up his cooling coffee and took a large gulp. As he put the cup back down, he sighed. “Are you still coming to the party on Sunday?”

She smiled, though with a strong hint of concern. “Sure! I don’t exactly know what I’ll be doing, but I’ll be there.”

“That’s great.” Neil tried to push his own problems to the side. “By the way, Ty said to tell you that Deon is meeting with a scout from the Western Bulldogs tonight.”

Her brow wrinkled. “Why are you telling me that?”

“Ty told me that you might be interested.”

“Well, I’m not.” Clarissa grimaced for a moment. “Okay, I am, but that’s just because I think it’s great news for anyone from the Leopards to be approached by an AFL team, but I’ve got no special interest in Deon.”

Neil noticed that she didn’t look him in the eye when she said that. He smiled as he realised what that might mean. Ty had asked him to pass on any information that might show that Deon’s interest in Clarissa might be reciprocated.

* * *

“Thanks, Karen. It sounds like I should speak to Ollie before I confront Neil.” Ty used his spare hand to gather his keys and wallet in preparation for heading out. He had already decided that he needed to see Neil in person rather than speak to him over the phone as he was doing with his girlfriend.

“Sorry I didn’t get back to you earlier, but Clarissa and I kept missing each other, and she didn’t want to fill me in via text. Be careful, Ty. Remember, everything we know is third- or fourth-hand. We could have everything completely wrong.”

“Neil retreating back into his shell isn’t misinformation.” Ty paused as he realised that even there he had the information via other parties. “Okay, maybe it could be, but I’m still heading over to find out what’s going on.”

“Don’t push him too hard. He might have a good reason for what he’s doing.”

“And he might just need to be reminded that he’s a Leopard now and that he’s part of a larger family who can help with any issues he might be having.” Ty glanced around his bedroom one more time but couldn’t see anything else he needed. “I’m off. I’ll call you once I’ve spoken to Neil.”

“Take care, Ty, and good luck.”

A few minutes later, Ty was on his way. As he drove the short distance to Bronson Avenue, he mentally prepared a plan of attack for how to get Neil to open up to him.

Neil was the one to answer the door when Ty rang the bell. His eyes widened, and then he grinned. “Brat! Have you heard how Deon’s meeting with the scout went?” He stepped aside to let Ty into the house.

“Not yet, but he’s been told he has to contact me as soon as he’s finished.” Ty chuckled as he strolled inside. “That will be after he rings his mum and dad, of course.” He looked around. “Is Ollie here?”

“He’s in his room getting ready to go to work.” Neil winked. “Helena’s not here, so it should be fine to go in and see him.”

Ty knew that Oliver worked as a barman on most Tuesday and Thursday nights. He didn’t need to, but the extra spending money was useful. “Thanks, mate. Are you sticking around? I wouldn’t mind catching up after I’ve spoken with Ollie.”

“Sure. I’ll be in the kitchen.” Neil glanced at his watch and grimaced. “It’s about time I got back to my homework. I was taking a short break, but that’s over.”

“Homework’s important. Just don’t ask me for any help...” Ty grinned and then headed down the hallway. He knocked on Oliver’s bedroom door and then entered when he heard a positive response.

“Brat! What brings you here?” Oliver was slipping on a clean shirt.

Ty closed the door behind him. “Trying to get the story straight as to what’s going on with Neil before I talk to him. His mum came to the club today. She was quite distressed. I heard enough to know that Clarissa was involved, so Karen spoke to her and was given your name. Is someone picking on Neil?”

Oliver grimaced as he sat on the edge of his unmade bed. “I don’t know. I thought it was his parents, but I’ve been told that’s not the case. All I really have is that Neil told me he was thinking of breaking up with Liam, but he didn’t want to. I took that as meaning he’s being pressured; his parents are the obvious suspects, but Clarissa’s told me she doesn’t think it’s them.”

“It’s not.” Ty dropped into the seat next to the desk that Oliver used to hold his spare-clothes pile. “Neil’s mum came to see us at the club today. She’s worried because Liam and Clarissa went to see her on Friday, and Neil wouldn’t talk to her about it on Sunday.” He scowled. “I’m not happy that I’m only finding out about this now.”

“Neil won’t talk to us about it.” Oliver frowned. “That’s not quite true. He won’t talk to Paul and me about it, but I believe he’s told Todd. Todd told us to butt out until Neil asks for help.”

Ty pushed some of the clothes aside so he could drum his fingers on the desktop. “Maybe I need to talk to Todd...”

“Wouldn’t hurt. Maybe you can get him to tell you what’s going on. All he’s told us is that it’s up to Neil.”

Ty stood up. “I’ll get the info. Either from Todd or from Neil. One of them will tell me.”

“Good luck with that! Todd thinks of Neil as his little brother and protects him accordingly. Neil can be a real stubborn son of a bitch when he wants to be. I think that’s from putting up with bullies for years. He mightn’t have stood up to them, but he endured everything they threw at him and kept on going.” Oliver grinned. “He can be an annoying little shit at times, but he’s also one gutsy guy. Don’t underestimate him.”

* * *

Todd glared. “Stay out of it, brat.” The two were in Todd’s bedroom, while Neil was doing his homework at the kitchen table.

“No.”

“Neil doesn’t need you interfering. He’s got a problem – probably one of the biggest he’s ever encountered – but he’s told me it’s up to him to solve. If he wants help, he’ll ask for it.”

“Maybe it’ll be easy to solve if someone else had a look at it?” Ty shrugged. “All I’m asking is to be told what the hell is going on!”

Todd grimaced and shook his head. “He’s got a problem where there’s no good answer. Something bad is going to happen no matter what he does. He understands that. He’s trying to work out how to minimise the pain he’s going to cause.”

“I don’t understand.” Ty stared for a moment, attempting to discern what Todd was talking about. “What pain?”

Todd looked away. “I can’t tell you. I promised Neil I wouldn’t. He’s going to get hurt, too, and he knows it, but he still has to do what he has to do. He just hasn’t worked out what that’s going to be.”

“I’m completely confused. Are you saying you’re going to let Neil get hurt?” Ty scowled. “I thought you were going to protect him!”

Todd sighed, and his shoulders slumped. “I can’t. Not for this. He’s already made one decision – one that I didn’t like, but I had to admire him for making it.” Todd turned and caught Ty’s eye. “He’s decided that protecting Liam is his priority – over his own safety. I couldn’t tell him that he’s wrong.”

“Protecting Liam from what? From what I can understand, he’s planning on breaking up with Liam. How the hell is that protecting him?”

Todd shook his head again. “Sorry, brat, but I can’t tell you. Please trust him. You’ve played a big part in who he’s turning into. Now’s the time to step back and let him make his own decisions.”

Ty grimaced and dropped his gaze. He heard the echo of Jim’s voice in Todd’s words. Despite every instinct telling him to interfere, he had to do what Todd asked and trust Neil, just like Jim had done when he stepped back and trusted Ty.

“Okay.”

* * *

Ty took the seat opposite Neil. He shuddered at the collection of textbooks and notes scattered across the kitchen table. “Better you than me, mate.”

Neil chuckled as he pushed his new laptop to one side. “It looks worse than it really is, but I could do with another break. What did you want to talk to me about?”

Ty grimaced. “Todd’s told me to stay out of things, but I thought you should know what’s been going on. Your mum was at the club today. She’s worried about you.”

Neil gulped. “Why?”

“Did she tell you that Liam, Clarissa, and Doug went to see her on Friday after school?”

Neil looked away. “She told me it was Liam and a couple of others. She didn’t say who the others were.”

“She also said you hung up on her as soon as she asked what’s going on.” Ty tried to keep his tone soft. “She’s concerned because they’re concerned. That’s why I came here tonight, but Todd’s told me that I have to leave it with you.”

“Ty, I...” Neil’s head and shoulders slumped.

“What have I told you about calling me that?” Ty smiled, hoping his gentle chiding would indicate support and not admonishment. “Todd told me I have to trust you. And I do. If you need help or someone else to listen to you, then I’m here whenever you want. If you want to do this by yourself, then that’s okay, too. Just let me know if you need anything from me.”

Neil looked up. His distraught expression almost made Ty break his promise to Todd, but he steeled his resolve. “It’s okay, Neil. You don’t have to tell me what’s happening. Just remember you can call me at any time.”

Neil grimaced before smiling. “Thanks, brat.”

Ty sat there for a moment, waiting to see if Neil would open up. When it became apparent that he wasn’t going to, Ty waved a hand towards the textbooks. “Need any help with finding the wrong answers? I’m good at that.”

Neil’s chuckle had a slight hysterical edge but quickly evolved into a full-blown laugh. “No, I think I can manage that all by myself.”

Ty stood up. “Well, if you ever need help with getting things wrong, let me know.”

Neil’s grin looked natural to Ty. Whatever his problems were, they didn’t appear to be dominating everything. “Thanks, brat, but I think I can manage.”

Ty shrugged. “Your loss. Doing well at school is easy. Making a complete balls-up of it takes skill and practise. Trust me; I’m an expert.” He winked.

Neil chuckled again. “Brat.”

* * *

Deon pushed the plate away, picked up his napkin, and wiped his mouth. “Thanks, Caleb, that was fantastic.”

Caleb Davidson laughed. “You’re easily pleased. My wife needs at least a four-star restaurant and a three-course meal before she says it’s fantastic.” He looked across and caught the nearest waiter’s eye and then smiled across the table. “Coffee to finish up?”

“Sure!”

Once their orders were taken, Caleb leant back in his chair. “We’ve talked a lot about your football, but what are your interests outside of the club?”

Deon shrugged. “To be honest, not a lot at the moment. I’ve got my part-time job, but other than that, I’m spending all my time at the club or with my teammates.”

“No girlfriend?”

“I had one...” Deon grimaced and glanced away for a moment. He looked back and caught the recruiter’s eye. “She couldn’t handle football being my priority. That was only a couple of months ago. There’s another girl I’ve asked a couple of times to go on a date with me, but she’s playing hard to get.”

Caleb raised an eyebrow. “A challenge. What are you doing about it?”

“She thinks I’m still on the rebound.” Deon shrugged. “I’m trying to convince her otherwise.” He grinned. “My next attempt is on Sunday at a birthday party I’m attending.”

“Not yours, I take it.”

“No, a friend of a friend’s. Liam’s having a football-themed eighteenth, and a number of us are going there to run a clinic for the guys. I asked Neil if he’d make sure she was invited.” Deon grinned. “Neil came through for me.”

“Neil’s the friend, and Liam’s the friend of a friend?”

“That’s right.” Deon hesitated for a moment. “Liam’s Neil’s boyfriend.”

Caleb blinked, and his eyes darted to the side. “They’re taking longer than usual with the coffees. I wonder what’s the holdup.”

Deon frowned. “You do know that Jim Henderson is not only one of my teammates, but also one of the guys I share a house with, don’t you?”

Caleb winced and then gave Deon a wry smile. “Sorry, but I’m from a generation where some things were just not discussed. I don’t have a problem with anything you’ve said. It just makes me...uncomfortable.”

“Neil’s a friend of mine. Indeed, he’s a friend of the entire team. He’s almost like our mascot. Jim’s an even better friend. If homophobia is a problem at the Bulldogs, please tell me now before we go any further.”

“No...not that I’m aware of.” Caleb’s brow wrinkled as he frowned. “I’m trying to think of any incidents...” He shook his head. “There’s been the occasional comment – things like ‛that’s so gay’ – but there’s been nothing serious from any of the players or staff that I’m aware of.”

Deon narrowed his eyes. “Just for the record, my father’s gay.”

Caleb blinked and this time his jaw dropped. “But then how...?”

“He and Mum were married for almost fifteen years before they divorced and he moved to Sydney with his boyfriend.” Deon chuckled. “I don’t mind admitting I had a hard time dealing with that. It’s only really been this year that I got over it. Jim helped with that, but my dad’s started coming down here to see me play, and we get along great now.”

Caleb nodded slowly. “And if you get drafted, he’ll be coming down to support you.”

“Yep.”

Caleb smiled. “We encourage our players to get involved with community activities, to have interests outside of playing football itself. Would I be mistaken in thinking you might be interested in doing some work with the gay community?”

It was Deon’s turn to sit there stunned. “I...” He shook his head to clear his thoughts. “I don’t know. I’m certainly happy to do what I can.”

“Great! It’s important for AFL players to have balance in their lives. Some of the guys focus too much on just playing football. They’re the ones that tend to crash and burn early. You need to have a life outside football.” Caleb cocked his head and gave Deon a half-smile. “Something for you to think about.”

* * *

On Wednesday morning, Neil’s reactivated bully alarm allowed him to spot Doug lounging against the wall in the school hallway up ahead. Doug caught his eye and nodded once. The way that Doug kept watching informed Neil that Doug was waiting for him.

Neil hesitated, not sure if he was better off turning around or if he should find out what Doug wanted. As the other students pushed past him to enjoy the recess break between periods two and three, Neil stood and stared. When Doug didn’t move, Neil decided violence was unlikely, so he edged his way cautiously closer.

Doug waited patiently, reserving his scowl for the handful of students who were still lingering around. By the time Neil reached him, they were alone.

“Neil.”

Neil swallowed at the flat tone. “What is it, Doug? I’m doing what you want.”

Doug frowned. “I don’t think so.” He tilted his head towards the nearest classroom. “We need to talk.” He stepped in, not waiting for Neil to respond.

Neil stood in the hallway for a moment, and then followed. Doug hadn’t tried to force him into the room, but all that meant was that Neil had the illusion of choice. He knew that if he tried to run, Doug would hunt him down. It was better to let Doug do what he wanted rather than aggravate him further.

Doug stood by the teacher’s desk. “Liam’s giving you until the end of the week, but I’m more impatient. He doesn’t know I’m talking to you, and if you know what’s good for you, he’s not going to find out.” He glared. “Now what the fuck is going on?”

Neil’s eyes widened. “But...” He glanced back at the open door, wondering if he would be better off running. He had thought he knew what this was about, but he was no longer sure.

“Run if you want, but I’ll find you and I’ll get the answers out of you even if I have to beat them out.” Doug grimaced. “For Liam’s sake, I hope I don’t have to go that far.”

“I’m doing what you asked me to do!”

Doug narrowed his eyes. “Don’t fucking lie to me. I told you to do what Liam wanted. He doesn’t want whatever the fuck you think you’re doing.”

“But Rod said that you...”

“Rod!” Doug turned his head to glare in the direction of the school yard. “So he’s the one!”

Neil just stood there. He had no idea as to what was going on, but for some reason Doug appeared angry with Rod. As long as he didn’t get caught in the crossfire, Neil didn’t care.

Doug turned back and nodded his head. “Okay, thanks for the info. I’ll get this sorted out. Ignore anything Rod’s told you and go back to keeping Liam happy. If Liam’s happy, I’m happy.” Doug leant forward and scowled. “Currently, he’s not happy. Fix it.”

“So, you don’t want me to...” Neil couldn’t help smiling at the realisation that Doug didn’t want him to break up with Liam.

Doug frowned. “What is it that Rod told you?”

“That you and he wanted me to break up with Liam. That you were giving me until his birthday.”

“The fucking bastard.” Doug’s angry scowl scared Neil, even though he knew it wasn’t directed at him. When Doug’s focus did return to him, Neil gulped. “Okay, Neil, I understand. You’re lousy at following instructions, even when they’re the wrong ones, but go back to being the boyfriend that Liam wants. You’ll never be the boyfriend he deserves, but there’s nothing any of us can do about that.”

Neil’s head jerked up and down in a frantic nod of agreement. He started to edge away. When Doug didn’t react, he turned and took a few quick steps towards the classroom door.

“Wait.”

Neil froze and then glanced nervously over his shoulder.

“Why didn’t you tell Liam?” Doug asked.

“I couldn’t.” When Doug gave him a hard stare, Neil expanded on his answer. “I couldn’t make him choose between you and me. I couldn’t do that to him. It would hurt him too much.”

Doug’s eyes widened, and his mouth hung open. Neil took advantage of Doug’s inaction to exit the room. Once he was out of the building, he grinned. With a weight of worry off his shoulders, it was time to get back into Liam’s good books.

* * *

Doug watched Neil, Liam, and the girls from a distance until he was satisfied that things had changed. The five were enjoying their lunch, and Liam had a smile on his face that Doug suspected would be visible from orbit.

He approached them, snorting to himself when Neil edged away so Liam would be between him and Doug. He smiled at his best friend. “Mate, I need to borrow your boyfriend for a few minutes.”

Liam glanced at Neil and then back at Doug. “What’s it about?”

“Your birthday present. You’re about to turn eighteen, after all.” Doug grinned. “I’ve got some ideas for presents from him that I’m sure you’ll like.”

“Doug, I told you: we’re going slow!”

Doug raised an eyebrow. “Is that all you gay guys can think about? Sex? Tsk, Tsk. I thought you were better than that.”

Liam’s face went through a number of expressions before settling on a grin. “You could drop the word ‛gay’ from that sentence and it’d still be true. Don’t tell me that you’re not thinking of sex all the time!”

Doug put a hand to his heart. “I don’t!”

Clarissa gave him a dirty look. “Let me guess. You don’t think of sex when you’re asleep. Otherwise...”

Doug scowled. “Stay out of this.” He smiled at Liam. “So...can I borrow Neil for a few minutes? I promise to return him unharmed and still a virgin. Assuming he currently is one, of course.”

Liam and Neil had a whispered conversation. Neil peered at Doug for a second and then stood up. He smiled down and rested a hand on Liam’s shoulder. “I’ll be back soon.”

Doug raised an eyebrow as Neil nodded once to him and then started to walk off. There was an aura of confidence about him that hadn’t been there before. Doug scowled as he realised that he would be the one following Neil and not leading the way. He quick-marched a few steps until he was slightly in front.

“What did you want to talk to me about?” Neil asked, not looking at Doug.

“I’ve had words with Rod. He’s going to pull his head in and not say or do a thing without my permission.”

Neil nodded. “Thanks.”

“I’m not doing it for you.”

Neil stopped. Doug took one more step before he did the same and turned to face Neil.

“Thanks, anyway, Doug. I don’t want Liam to know what’s been going on. Is that okay with you?”

Doug frowned. He was going to tell Neil to keep his mouth shut, but he had been beaten to the punch. “Telling him would only cause problems. No one says anything.”

“Deal.” Neil waited a moment. “Is that it?”

“For now.” Doug scowled again. “Keep him happy. That’s all you have to do.”

Neil smiled. “That’s all I want to do.” Not waiting for Doug to respond, Neil headed back to Liam and the girls.

Doug stared as Neil moved away. He was finally beginning to see what Liam saw in him. He grimaced and turned away. There was no way he’d ever tell Liam though. He had a reputation to uphold.