Leopard Skin Cover - 14. Chapter 14

Football was his life. The demise of the Leopards was something he didn’t want to face, so he did the only thing he could think of.

He had hesitated before he sent the text message to Tony, but he could see no other option. He had been hiding in the closet so he could continue to play football. Staying in the closet wasn’t helping the club, but maybe coming out would.

He knew he was going to cause problems and that some people might react badly, but he was hoping that Tony would be able to use an openly gay VFL footballer to rally the gay community to help the club.

He was scared. What he was about to do went against everything he had been doing since his days as a junior footballer when he had first realised he was attracted to other guys. He didn’t want to be ‘that gay footballer’, but the alternative was to not be a footballer at all.

There really wasn’t any choice.

* * *

“Okay, Tony, what’s your plan?” Eric asked once they were in his office.

“I think there’s a way we can rally support from the gay community to keep the club going. It may only be a one-off thing, so we’ll need to organise either another sponsor or another source of revenue, but I’m reasonably confident we’ll get enough money to get us through the year.” Tony looked at Anne. “How much do we need to make that work, and when do we need it?”

She pursed her lips. “The Lyons Automotive shortfall will be $10,000 a month for the rest of the season. If the money starts coming in within four weeks and we can see that it’s going to be enough money, then yes. We can start work on some of the long-term options while Colin searches for another major sponsor.”

Colin frowned. “But how will you get the support? You indicated to me before that you didn’t think you’d be able to get any significant sponsors.”

Tony pulled a face. “That was when we were just a football club. The community would support us if...”

Tony stopped speaking when his phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID and quickly spoke to the others in the room. “Sorry, I’ve got to take this.”

Taking a half step away, he answered the call. “G’day, Ken. Are you sure you want to do this?”

“You don’t need to call me that anymore. I’m terrified of what it’s going to mean, but if it saves the club and I can keep playing, then yes, I’ll do it.”

Tony shook his head. “I need to keep using that name until we’re ready. If this falls through, you need to keep your life intact.”

“We can’t afford for it to fall through. I can’t afford for it fall through. It has to work, Tony. We need the club to survive.”

“I understand, but it’s a big step, Ken. I’m afraid you’re doing this for the wrong reasons.”

“I’m doing it so I can play football. That’s what my life’s about: playing football. I was hiding before so I could keep playing. Now I need to stop hiding so I can still be a footballer. I’m doing this because this is what my life’s about. Everything I’ve ever done is for that goal: to play football.”

Tony sighed and tried one more time. “You can still play football at the district level. You don’t need to play VFL.”

“Yes, I do! I’m aiming for the AFL. I can’t get there if I don’t play in the VFL. Please, Tony, I need to do this. Help me!”

Tony took a deep breath. “Okay, but there are people you need to tell before anything happens. They deserve to hear it from you, not from someone else. You know who I’m talking about.”

Tony heard a grunt over the phone. “Yeah, I know. I’ll try to do it tonight. Thanks, Tony.”

“Good luck, Ken. If you want me there, let me know.”

“Thanks, but I need to do at least some of this by myself. I’d better get that started now. I’ll talk to you later. Bye, Tony.”

“Bye, Ken.”

Tony hung up the phone and turned to the other people in the room.

“Who’s Ken?” Eric asked.

Tony took a deep breath. “He’s one of the players.”

Peter frowned. “We don’t have anyone called Ken on the team.”

“I know. It’s the alias he used the first time I met him. That was at a gay nightclub just before I started working here.”

Tony saw that Colin understood it first, with Anne not too far behind.

“So that’s how you’re going to get the gay community behind us,” Colin said, nodding slowly. “It might just work.”

Tony nodded. “But I need your help. We’re going to have to do this carefully, because if it’s not marketed to the media correctly, it’ll come over as a crass attempt at a money grab.”

Anne winced. “The only problem is that’s exactly what it is.”

Tony shook his head. “Not quite. He wants to play VFL football. The community will hopefully respect him enough to grant him his wish. Yes, we’ll be asking for money, but it’ll be for him more than the club. That’s why I said this might be a one-off thing.”

Peter looked confused. “What the hell are you guys talking about?”

Colin raised an eyebrow at Tony, who nodded his acceptance. Colin turned to Peter. “One of our players is going to come out of the closet. What we’re going to do is to use the fact that we’ve got the first openly gay VFL footballer in the team to encourage the gay community to save the club.”

Tony jumped in before anyone could say anything. “It’s not going to work, though, if the team rejects him. That’s why I wanted you here, Peter. Will the team support one of the players coming out as gay? He knows that some of them will think of it as a betrayal – that he’s been lying to them all this time. If he’s rejected, we won’t be able to get the community to support the club. They’ll support him, but not the club.”

Eric’s jaw had dropped as his gaze alternated between Tony, Colin and Peter. “One of the guys is a poof?”

Anne flicked a glance at Tony before she frowned at Eric. “One of our players is going to tell the world something very private and personal in an attempt to save the club. I don’t want to hear that word again, Eric, and neither do the players. We’re only going to get one shot at this, and the wrong word could ruin it for everyone. Especially for Ken, whoever he is. He’s putting his personal life on the line for the club. The least we can do is respect him by not using terms that he would probably find offensive.”

Eric winced. “Sorry, Tony.”

Tony waved a hand dismissively. “While Anne’s right, I’m not that upset by words. I don’t know if Ken would be offended, but I’m not.”

Peter frowned as he stared at Tony. “Who is it?”

Tony shook his head. “I’m not saying until we’re further along. Colin has to work out how to manage the media, and you need to be ready to deal with the team. The guy in question also has some people he needs to tell first, because at the moment I’m the only one who knows he’s gay.” Tony silently ignored the fact that Alex and Ethan knew; they weren’t relevant for this discussion.

Peter’s brow was wrinkled as he thought. “I think the team will react well – at least mostly. There may be a couple of problems, but once everyone realises this is the way to save the club, I think they’ll rally around.”

Tony grimaced. “I understand, Peter, but if the team is doing this for the wrong reasons, that’ll get out eventually, and that’ll mess up what we’re trying to do. Ken is doing this because he wants to play football. He’s never wanted to be known as ‛that gay footballer’, but he’ll do it if it means he can keep playing. That works for him, and the gay community will accept that that’s why he’s coming out now. They won’t accept it if the team is only supportive because it’ll save the club. They have to do it because they honestly support him.”

“Can I tell the team the plan?” Peter asked. “I can talk to them about it before whoever it is tells everyone.”

Tony glanced at Colin for advice.

“Sorry, Tony, this is your call. I really don’t know.”

Tony went with his gut feeling. “Wait for now. You can tell Roger and Zach – I’m sure both of them are safe – and I’ll tell a few others that I trust, but we don’t say anything to the team as a whole just yet. He’s going to tell some people tonight or tomorrow. The rumours will start at that point, especially if someone takes it bad...and I’m expecting someone to do so. Let him tell the people important to him, and then we can talk to the team.”

Anne narrowed her eyes. “Why do you expect someone to take it badly? Peter was just saying he thought the team would be fine.”

Tony flinched. “I don’t think his girlfriend will take the news that he’s gay particularly well.”

* * *

“Do you think Tony can save the club?” Oliver asked Roger.

The team captain shrugged. “Who knows? I can’t even think of how he’ll do it, let alone whether he’ll succeed.”

“Eric said that Colin and Tony have been ringing around, trying to get extra sponsors, but with no luck. Why does Tony think we can get the sponsors now?” Owen asked.

Jarrod caught Charlie’s reaction to that statement. “Charlie, do you know?”

Charlie went red when he found himself the centre of attention of the large group of players and club staff members. There were several such groups in the room as everyone argued about what they’d been told.

Charlie dropped his eyes. “I don’t know exactly what Tony’s got planned, but I think I can guess what he’s intending to do.”

“Well, spit it out. Even if you’re wrong, it might help,” Roger said.

Charlie sighed, still not lifting his head. “Almost all of Tony’s contacts are in the gay community. He has to be looking to them for the support he’s after. The only way I can see that he’ll get that support is if there’s something in it for the community...like a gay football player.”

There was silence for a moment.

Roger frowned. “We’re going to get a new teammate?” He glanced around the gathered group. “I can live with that, but I don’t think the idea will work. Adding a gay player to the team at the same time the club is in financial trouble will look too much like a gimmick.”

Deon shook his head in agreement. “Roger’s right. It won’t work. I hope that’s not Tony’s plan, because that’s a shit idea. No offence, Charlie, it’s got to be something else.”

“Charlie’s on the right track, though,” Roger said. “It has to be something to do with the gay community.” He smiled, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “Is everyone happy to change the club colours to pink?”

Ryan rolled his eyes. “If it means we keep playing, then, hell yeah, I’ll do it.”

Jarrod’s eyes narrowed as he thought. “What can we, as a club, offer the gay community in exchange for their help? There’s that anti-homophobia campaign that the AFL’s involved in. Can we do something for that?”

“That’s more the AFL Players Association than the AFL itself, though I think the AFL CEO is behind it, too,” Roger said, his gaze unfocused.

“Andrew Demetriou? Do you think we can appeal for help to him?” Deon asked.

Owen shook his head. “Not a chance. The AFL isn’t going to prop up a VFL club. They’ve let others fold, so there’s no way they’ll support the Leopards.”

Jarrod scowled. “Then what’s the plan? How does Tony think he can save the club?”

* * *

Ty frowned down at his mentor before sitting down next to him. “Dad?”

Jim looked up, grimaced and then dropped his head again. “Ty.”

“Are you okay?”

Jim lifted his gaze and stared across the noisy room. “I’ve just rung Denise to tell her what’s going on.” He shook his head. “It’s all fucked up. We just want to play football. Why do these things happen to stop us?”

Ty sighed. “That’s what I was going to ask you. You’re the one with answers. I’m just a brat who knows how to kick a ball.”

Jim snorted. “You’re a lot more than that, and I don’t have the answers, Ty. To be honest, I don’t know what the future’s going to hold for any of us. Things have changed, and none of us will ever be the same again. We never thought that the club could fold. Even if Tony pulls off a miracle and saves the Leopards, things still won’t be the same. We all know now that things can end at any time. Is this the end of our football careers? I don’t know. I’m not sure if I want to know.”

Ty spotted Deon and Ryan heading in their direction. He waved a hand to indicate he’d like them to stay away. His housemates nodded, and Ty returned his attention to Jim.

“You’re the one who taught me about trust, Dad. Trust and teamwork. I don’t know how it’ll work out, but I trust Tony to do his best. He’s part of the team, and so are we. At the moment he’s the most important part, and if he needs something from us, then we’re there to support him. Come on...you’re scaring me, Dad. You’re the guy I need to tell me when I’m doing something wrong – and to smile and nod when I’m doing something right. I need you...don’t give up!”

Jim stared at Ty for a moment, then sighed. “Okay, brat. You’re right. Thanks.” He glanced around the room. “And what you need to do now is to make sure everyone knows what you’ve just said. We need to support whatever it is that Tony’s got planned, because he said he was going to need a lot of help to get whatever it is to work.”

Ty sat still, waiting.

Jim frowned. “What’s wrong? I just told you what you need to do.”

Ty smiled. “No...you told me what we need to do. I’m not doing this alone. I’m part of a team, and that includes you.” He stood up. “Coming, Dad?”

Jim’s expression was unreadable for a second, and then he smiled and stood up. “Okay, brat. Let’s see if we can get the team ready for whatever comes next.”

* * *

Colin and Tony were in Colin’s office, thrashing out the myriad details they needed for an effective media campaign. Tony was learning a lot from Colin’s comments and suggestions.

“Okay, Tony. You’ll contact Keith Sutherland from Pride FM and ask him to come to the club sometime tomorrow. If he can’t come, or seems reluctant to make the trip, the two of us will go see him instead.” Colin frowned as he mentally ran through the upcoming events. “In the meantime, I’ll ring some of my contacts with the mainstream media to start priming things for the big announcement. Pride FM will be the one to break the news, but we need to get it picked up by the television channels and newspapers as soon as possible afterwards.”

“Thanks, Colin. I’m sure there are ways to improve the roadmap, but we’re rushed for time. It looks doable and will hopefully give us some quick, positive exposure.” Tony sighed. “Now, I need to see Ollie and Jarrod and get them prepped. It’s going to be a late night.”

Colin raised an eyebrow. “Not just for you, young man. I’ll be working until midnight, too.” He paused. “You’re not seeing Ken tonight?”

Tony shook his head. “No. He knows he needs to tell some people, and he needs to be left alone to be able to do that. He knows I’ll come and help him if he needs it, but I’m waiting for him to ask. He hasn’t, so far.”

“Tomorrow morning the rumours will start, then.”

Tony shrugged. “Maybe. Ken knows he’s under pressure, but it took me a couple of attempts before I was able to tell my family. I hope he says something tonight, but he may not be able to. He only made the decision to come out of the closet at the meeting. It wouldn’t surprise me if it’s tomorrow before he tells anyone.”

* * *

The car was uncharacteristically quiet as Todd drove Oliver and Paul back to their Bronson Avenue home. Even the radio had been turned off.

It was only as they were pulling into their driveway that the silence was broken.

“If the club folds, what happens next? Do we need to find a new place to live? If we do, how long have we got?” Oliver asked.

Paul shrugged. “Don’t know, Ollie. That’s another set of questions for Anne, I suppose.”

“I’m not thinking about it,” Todd said as he stopped his station wagon and turned off the engine. “I’ve got to believe Tony can do what he said he’d do.”

“He only said it was a chance,” Oliver said. “It’s not a certainty.”

The three sat, each lost in his own thoughts, until Todd grunted. “We’re not getting anything done by sitting here.” He opened the door and clambered out.

Oliver was the last one out of the car. He saw Paul waiting for him at the front door, but he didn’t want to go inside. He was almost glad when his phone started ringing, giving him an excuse to do something else.

Oliver’s eyes widened when he saw who was calling him. “G’day, Tony. Tell me what I have to do, and I’ll do it.”

Tony chuckled. “If things weren’t serious, I’d tease you about that statement. Are you at home?”

“I’m just about to go inside. Why?”

“Can I come over? I’d like to talk to you about what’s going to happen and get your views on how we can make it work.”

Oliver stared at Paul, who was still waiting by the front door. “Paul and Todd are here, too. Did you want all of us or just me?”

There was a pause before Tony responded. “Paul can keep secrets. If Todd can, too, then yes, all three of you. I don’t want the news to spread because we’ve got to get the timing right on this. I’ll be there in ten minutes. Is that okay?”

“Ten minutes? Yeah, that’s fine. I’ll let the guys know.”

“Thanks, Ollie. You’re one of the guys I’m hoping can help to make this work.”

Oliver frowned at his phone and then marched up to Paul. “Tony’s coming over to talk about his plan. He wants our advice.” Oliver didn’t wait, but stepped into the house and yelled. “Todd!”

Todd appeared at his bedroom door. “What is it, Ollie?”

“Tony’s coming over. He wants our advice on what’s going to happen, but we’ve got to keep it to ourselves until he’s ready.”

Todd frowned for a moment then nodded. “Thanks. I’ll be there in a couple of secs.”

Ten minutes later, the three housemates were sitting in the lounge room with Tony.

Oliver was perched on the edge of his seat. “What do you need from us?”

Tony pulled a face. “Your support more than anything else. What’s about to happen is going to cause a lot of waves, and we need to minimise the disruption inside the club. Peter believes things will be fine, but I’m paranoid enough that I want some backup prepared.”

Paul frowned. “What exactly is going to happen?”

Tony looked at each of the guys in turn before answering. “One of your teammates is going to announce to the world that he’s gay.”

Oliver rocked back. “Charlie was right!”

Todd glanced at him. “What’s that about Charlie?”

“At the club, after the meeting, Charlie said that we’d be getting a gay teammate. Roger didn’t think that would work.” Oliver frowned as he racked his memory. “Charlie never said it would be a new teammate; that was Roger. Charlie just said that to rally support from the gay community, we’d need someone who’s gay on the team.” He looked at Tony. “Is it Charlie?”

Tony shook his head. “I’m not saying. It’ll be up to the guy in question as to when and how he tells his teammates. Or even if he tells them. This is why I need you guys to keep it to yourselves. I don’t want speculation going around about who it may be.” He frowned. “Why did Roger think it wouldn’t work?”

Oliver waved a hand dismissively. “Irrelevant, mate. He thought it was hiring a new player that’s gay. An existing player coming out is different and an option we didn’t consider. You obviously think it’ll work.”

Tony grimaced. “It may work, but it’s got to be presented right. I’m working with Colin on how to manage the media, but we think the best approach is for it to be announced next Thursday on Pride FM’s breakfast show.” He turned to Paul. “You should plan on being at the radio station for longer than necessary, because I’m sure they’ll want to do some interviews afterwards.”

Oliver stared at Paul. “You’re gay?”

Tony rolled his eyes. “Ollie, stop it! Paul will be there with someone else. It’ll be the other person who’ll be interviewed, though they may want Paul to talk about it, too.”

Paul frowned. “I’ve got no problem with staying longer, but what will I need to say? That’s why you’re here, isn’t it? To make sure we’re ready?”

“Not really. The main reason I wanted to talk to you guys was simply to make sure that when your teammate comes out of the closet, he’s got support in the team. He’s afraid that some of the team will treat his coming out as a betrayal of trust. He’ll need teammates there on his side.”

Todd nodded. “We can do that.” He glanced at his housemates, his expression determined. “We can all do that.”

* * *

“Hi, Tony. Come in,” Jarrod said, holding the front door open.

Tony stepped into the house. “Thanks, Jarrod. I can’t stay for too long, but I wanted to alert you to what’s going to happen.”

Jarrod frowned slightly. “Just me or all of us? Owen and Dave have gone to the Crown. Charlie’s studying...or at least trying to. This has gotten us all pretty shaken.”

Tony cringed. “Yeah, and there’s more in store, which is what I wanted to talk to you about.” He paused for a moment, his lips tight and his brow wrinkled. “Why don’t we go see Charlie? I can tell you both at the same time. I’ll leave it to your judgement as to whether you tell Dave and Owen, but for now I want to keep the numbers down.”

Jarrod led the way to Charlie’s room where the door was slightly ajar. He knocked and then pushed it open. “Charlie, have you got a few minutes?”

“Sure. I can’t concentrate, anyway.” Charlie turned the chair around and then stiffened as he saw who was with Jarrod. “Oh, hi, Tony.”

Jarrod walked in and sat on the edge of the bed. Tony remained just inside the door.

“Sorry to bother you, Charlie, but your name was mentioned earlier, and I thought you should know why.” Tony ran a hand through his hair, not looking at anyone in particular. “I’ve been told what you said at the club earlier, and I wanted to tell you that you’re right. If things go to plan, the Leopards will have an openly gay player by the end of the week.”

Jarrod frowned. “Roger said that wouldn’t work, and I agree with him. People will see right through that as a cynical ploy for money.”

Tony nodded, focusing his attention on Jarrod. “That’s true if it were a new player, like Roger assumed. It won’t be. One of the existing team will be announcing that he’s gay.”

Jarrod’s jaw dropped open. He looked at Charlie, who was staring at the floor.

“Also, because he made the suggestion in the first place, someone asked me if the player in question was Charlie. I replied that I didn’t want speculation as to who it is. What I’m asking is for people to be ready to support whoever it is when he comes out. He’s going to need teammates to stand up for him, because some are going to find the news hard to take.”

Jarrod glanced back at Tony, who was watching him, and then at Charlie. A complex set of emotions and thoughts were churning through his mind, but the one at the top of his mind was how vulnerable Charlie appeared at that moment.

“He’s got my support, whoever he is. If it’s Charlie, that’s fine with me.” Jarrod noted Charlie’s shocked expression as his head snapped up. Jarrod smiled before returning his attention to Tony. “Thanks for telling us, but there’s someone else you need to tell straightaway. That’s Ty.”

Tony frowned. “Ty? I wasn’t intending to – at least, not yet.”

“Ty needs to know. He was telling everyone tonight that we have to help you with whatever you’ve got planned and that we have to pull together as a team. He’s got a lot of influence, and he can make or break what you’re planning. You need to give him time to think about what’s going on, because if he reacts badly, he could rip the club apart.”

“Jarrod’s right,” Charlie said, his eyes downcast again. “Ty’s a key player now, and he needs to know. Not who it is, but what’s going to happen. Give him time to get his mind around it, and don’t let him react on instinct.”

Tony sighed. “Okay, one more visit to make tonight. Thanks for the advice, guys; I really appreciate it.”

After escorting Tony out, Jarrod returned to Charlie’s room. He stopped just inside the doorway and watched Charlie staring at the textbook on his desk.

“It’s not me,” Charlie said, not looking up.

Jarrod let out a breath. “I wasn’t sure, but I would’ve been there to support you if it was.”

Charlie spun the chair around and caught Jarrod’s eye. “And I don’t have a crush on Ty.”

Jarrod stiffened. “How...?”

“That’s why you asked Tony to talk to Ty, isn’t it? You thought I’m gay and that I had a crush on Ty.” Charlie scowled. “Wrong on both counts, Jarrod.”

Jarrod winced. “Sorry, Charlie. I just jumped to conclusions.”

Charlie kept his scowl for another second before sighing and dropped his gaze. “It’s okay. I’ll admit to admiring Ty and wishing I could be as self-confident and outgoing as he is, but that’s all.”

“Was it a mistake to tell Tony to talk to Ty?” Jarrod asked.

Charlie shook his head. “Ty’s still a key person. His opinion will sway at least a quarter of the team, maybe a third. I’m guessing Roger has already been told, but Ty’s more influential with the younger players. Whoever it is will need Ty’s support.”

“Do you know who it is?”

Charlie shrugged. “I can guess, but I won’t.” He looked up. “You have no idea how I felt when I realised you thought it was me. I’m not going to do that to someone else. I’ll let him come out in his own way, in his own time.” He grimaced. “Though I’m not sure how I’ll be the first time I’m in the shower with him.”

Jarrod flinched. “Yeah, me, too.”

Charlie looked up. “But we’ll get through that. I got through it with Tony, and I can do it again. As Ty said tonight, we’re a team. We need to keep being a team or we’re finished.”

* * *

Ryan blinked when he answered the door. “Tony! Come in.”

Tony stepped into the foyer. “Thanks, Ryan. I was hoping to catch Ty. I tried calling, but his phone was engaged.”

“He’s probably on the phone to Karen.” Ryan waved a hand towards the living room. “Have a seat and I’ll let him know that you’re here.”

Ryan headed down to Ty’s bedroom and knocked once. After a short pause, he knocked again. “Ty, Tony’s here to see you.”

The door half-opened, revealing a slightly dishevelled Ty. “Who?”

“Tony. He said he tried to call, but you were on the phone.”

Ty frowned and glanced down the hallway towards the living room. “Can you tell him I’ll be with him in a couple of minutes?”

“Sure,” Ryan said slowly, wondering why Ty seemed flustered.

At that single word, Ty’s door closed. Ryan wandered back to Tony. “Ty said he won’t be long.”

Tony smiled. “Thanks. Is there somewhere we’ll be able to speak privately?”

“Either his bedroom, or I can disappear to mine and you can talk out here, but we’ll have to tell Deon and Jim, too, to make sure they don’t come out unexpectedly.”

Tony nodded. “Thanks, Ryan. I really appreciate this.”

Ryan glanced towards the bedrooms, but there was no sign of Ty. “Any chance you can tell me about your idea to save the club?”

Tony sighed. “Sorry, but not yet. You’ll know soon, but we’ve got to manage this right, and if too many people know, things may get messed up.” He looked past Ryan. “G’day, Ty. Sorry to bother you, but is there somewhere we can go to talk privately? It shouldn’t take too long.”

Ty glanced at Ryan, then shrugged. “How about outside?”

Ryan watched the two disappear out the back door. He went into the kitchen and filled the kettle with water. There was something going on, and while he was curious, he accepted Tony’s word that it was too early for him to be told.

The kettle had just boiled when Deon wandered in. “Whose car is that out the front?”

“Tony’s. He’s here to see Ty.”

Deon frowned. “What’s it about?”

Ryan shrugged. “No idea. Tony said it was private. Coffee?”

At Deon’s nod, Ryan made two coffees. Handing one over, he sat down at the kitchen table. “How are you doing, Deon?”

Deon grimaced. “Confused. Worried. Angry. Helpless. Generally, not happy.”

Ryan gave him a wry smile. “I’m the same. I think we all are. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Tony can save the day.”

Deon sighed. “Me, too. I wonder what Ty’s got to do with it, though.”

“Ty will either tell us, or he won’t. If he’s reluctant to tell us, you can try recruiting Jim.”

Deon snorted. “That’d be a waste of time. Dad won’t ask the brat to betray a confidence unless something large is at stake. My curiosity doesn’t rate.”

Before Ryan could say anything, Ty and Tony came in from the back yard. Ty’s expression was closed, but Tony seemed happy, if tired.

“Thanks, Ty. I’ll be in touch.” Tony nodded to the guys at the table. “Thanks, Ryan. G’day, Deon. I’m guessing I’ll see you at the club tomorrow or Wednesday.”

Deon grimaced. “I think most of us will be around the club as much as possible just in case there’s something we can do. I don’t suppose you’ve got any suggestions...”

Tony glanced at Ty. “I’ve got to go. Sorry. There’s still a lot of things I have to do yet tonight.”

Ryan and Deon both said goodbye, but Ryan realised that Ty didn’t notice that Tony was leaving. He seemed to be preoccupied with something.

“Ty?” Deon asked. When there was no response, he rose out of his chair and stepped up to his housemate. “Ty, are you okay?”

Ty started. “Oh...sorry, Deon. I was thinking...” He grimaced, then looked around. “I’ll get Dad. I think everyone needs to hear what’s going on. Wait here.”

Ryan glanced at Deon, who shrugged. “Don’t ask me, I’m confused, too,” Deon said.

A minute later, Ty led Jim back to join the others. “Sit, Dad. Tony’s told me what’s going on, and he said I could use my judgement as to whether I told you guys. He’s asked that I not say anything to anyone else until it becomes obvious that it doesn’t matter anymore.”

Jim’s eyebrows rose, and he flicked a glance at Deon and Ryan. He looked back at Ty and sighed. “Okay, brat.”

Ty grimaced. “This is going to be tough for some of us, especially you, Deon. I hope it all works out in the end, though.”

When everyone glanced at Deon, he shrugged. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Ty.”

Ty sighed and looked out the kitchen window. “As Charlie guessed after the meeting, Tony’s going to get the help of the gay community to support the club. The problem is there’s only really one way that will happen, and that’s if we have a gay teammate.” He glanced over his shoulder. “This is a heads-up, Deon.”

Ryan frowned. “I thought we all agreed that that wasn’t going to work. Anyone the slightest bit cynical will spot hiring a new gay player will be just to try to get some money, and they won’t give it to us.”

Ty’s shoulders slumped. “Charlie was on the right track. It won’t be a new player, though. It’ll be one of our teammates. It seems that someone already on the team is gay.”

“Who?” Deon asked.

Ty turned around to face them. “Tony said it wasn’t his place to tell people. He wasn’t going to say anything to me, either, but Jarrod and Charlie both told him to speak to me.” He stared down at Jim. “Apparently, I’m some sort of a leader type, and they think it’s my job to encourage the other guys to support whoever it is that’s gay.”

Jim had a faint smile on his face. “Do you agree?”

Ty pulled a face. “Yeah...though I don’t know if it’ll work out the way they think. This is a time when it’s not that easy to lead...”

Deon frowned. “Tony told Jarrod and Charlie, but he wasn’t going to tell us? Why not?”

Ty shrugged. “I asked the same question. Tony was telling a handful of people he trusted so they’ll be prepared. He didn’t intend to tell me because he doesn’t know me as well as he knows Jarrod and Ollie – who he said he’s also told. Peter was going to tell Roger and Zach, but that’s it for now. Tony expects the news to be common knowledge within two days, but he wants the gay guy to be the one to tell people. He’d prefer it if there’s no speculation beforehand.”

Jim frowned. “Then why are you telling us?”

“Tony said he’s leaving that decision to me. I decided Deon and you needed to know. It didn’t seem fair to exclude Ryan, so I’m telling all of you.”

Jim nodded, his eyes never leaving Ty. “And what are you going to do now?”

Ty grimaced and turned to look out the window again. “I don’t know. It’s...” He shook his head. “Sometime in the next day or two, we’ll all learn who on the team is gay. When that happens...”

Jim stood up and moved next to Ty. He put a hand on Ty’s shoulder. “I’ve got faith in you, Ty. You’ll do the right thing. It might take you a little while to get there, so it’s good that Tony’s given you advanced notice, but you’ll get there in the end.”

Ty turned to face Jim. His face was distraught. “I can’t fucking do this, Dad! I can’t!”

Jim frowned. He glanced at Deon and Ryan and tilted his head, indicating that he wanted them to leave. Without a word, they did so. They heard Jim speaking to Ty as they left.

“Ty, talk to me. What is it that you can’t do?”

* * *

Deon took a deep breath and dialled home.

“Hello?” a young voice asked.

Deon grinned. “Hi, Jordan. It’s Deon. How have you been?”

“Deon! I’ve been great. I’m really disappointed that they didn’t show your last game on TV. It would’ve been fantastic to see you score all those goals. I’ve already told everyone at school that you’re going to be an AFL star as soon as they see how well you’re doing. When are you coming home for a visit? I know you can’t drop in very often because of your football, but can you come around sometime? Maybe come to my school and say hello? I’d really like to see you again.”

Deon winced. He tried to keep his voice calm and cheerful. “I’ll do what I can, Jordan, but can I speak to Mum? It’s really important.”

“Okay, I’ll just go find her. Don’t go away.”

Jordan’s rapid chatter had put Deon on edge. His younger brother didn’t understand the pressure he was piling on Deon – pressure that was exasperated by the situation at the club.

“Deon, is that you, honey?”

“Hi, Mum. How have you been?”

“I’m fine. Jordan’s a handful, but that’s not unusual. I know you, though. You wouldn’t be calling like this unless something’s wrong. How can I help you, honey?”

Deon closed his eyes. “Mum, did you ever forgive my father?”

“Deon...you haven’t asked about him since you were nine. What’s happened?”

“Please, can you answer the question? Did you ever forgive him?”

There was a long pause. “Deon, forgive’s not the right word. I’ve largely forgotten him; I’ve pushed him to the past where he belongs. What he did was wrong, and no, I’ll never forgive him for that. I eventually came to the realisation that it was something he couldn’t help, but that doesn’t excuse what he did. I can pity him that he was so weak that it took him so long to stand up for who he was, but I can’t condone what he did to our family.

“Is that what you were after?”

Deon frowned as he thought about what she said. “I think so. Someone asked me recently if it made any difference that he ran off with another guy instead of a woman. I’m still trying to work that one out.”

“Honey, it doesn’t make a lot of difference to me anymore. It used to because I didn’t understand it, but now it means I feel a little bit of sympathy for him. Not a lot. He should’ve broken things off with me before he started looking for someone else, but it was leaving me that hurt the most.

“Okay, who he left me for hurt an incredible amount at the time, and you probably heard all of that, but I’ve learnt a lot since then. I believe your father tried as long as possible to be there for his family. It was only when circumstances got too much for him that he walked out on us. I will not forgive him for that, but I forgave a long time ago the fact that he walked out with another man.”

Deon sighed. “Thanks, Mum. That helps a lot.”

“Do you want to tell me what’s happened, honey?”

“I can’t go into a lot of detail because they’re working on something that will help, but the club’s about to go broke. There’s a chance that they’ll be able to save the club by appealing to the gay community, but...”

His mother completed his sentence. “But, you’ve still got problems with who your father ran off with. Or, rather, the fact that it was another man.”

“Yeah, sort of.”

“Deon, honey, your father’s gay. That’s just the hand we’ve been dealt, and we have to live with that. I don’t hate gay people, and I don’t want you to do so, either. Your father is still a bastard, but he’s a bastard who happens to be gay. That wasn’t what made him a bastard.”

“He left you, Mum, because he’s gay!”

“No, honey. He’s a bastard because he left me and because of how he did it. The fact that he’s gay helped him leave me, but that’s not the reason he’s a bastard. If anything, that’s one of the pluses on his side; it was something he couldn’t control. It took me almost three years to come to that conclusion, Deon, but I know in my heart it’s right. Being gay didn’t make him a bastard; it’s the lies and cheating that did that.”

“You don’t hate gays, Mum?”

“No dear, I don’t. If anything, I feel sympathy for them. They still don’t have things easy. I don’t like the gay guys who marry unsuspecting women, but I eventually learnt that even that’s more the fault of our society than theirs. What they do is wrong, but I can’t hate them for what they’ve been almost forced to do.”

“Thanks, Mum. That’s helped a lot.” Deon felt his body slowly relax as a smile crept its way onto his face.

“Anytime, honey. Is there anything else you want to tell me?”

Deon sighed. “Not at the moment, Mum. I’ll probably have some news for you in the next day or two, though. Love you!”

“I love you, too, Deon. Take care, and I hope everything works out with the club.”

Deon lay on his bed, thinking hard. One of his concerns had been relieved, but there were still other things he needed to sort out – things he’d let slide for too long.