Leopard Spots - 8. Chapter 8

Charlie returned from the huddle at the close of the third quarter and, as he’d done all game, sat down next to Dave at the end of the interchange bench. They didn’t say anything to each other; at the start of the match, when Dave had taken the seat furthest from everyone else, Charlie realised that Dave was trying to distance himself from the team. Charlie knew his injury wasn’t all Dave’s fault, so he sat next to him to show his support.

It was a good game from the Leopards’ point of view. They led by more than forty points and showed no sign of slowing down. The forwards were busy trying to find scoring opportunities, and the defenders were not getting a lot of action as the Leopards’ midfielders were dominating their opponents, preventing the football from penetrating into the opponents’ forward zone most of the time.

“Look out behind, Jarrod!”

Charlie smiled as he glanced at Dave who had leapt to his feet to yell advice. He’d been doing that all game, though he wouldn’t talk to anyone face-to-face. Instead, he’d put on a sullen expression that stopped most of the players from trying. He’d tried that with Charlie, too, but since Charlie hadn’t tried speaking to him, it hadn’t had much effect.

“Great dodge! Ollie’s breaking clear. Look for Ollie!”

Charlie joined in the collective cheer when Jarrod kicked the ball to Oliver who then spun around his opponent and kicked his third goal of the match.

Dave sat down, his expression once again discouraging conversation.

While the football was being transferred to the umpire in the middle of the ground for the centre bounce that would restart play, Charlie glanced up at the grandstand. He caught Stacey’s eye, and she gave him a wave that he, though embarrassed, returned. Anne Flintlock, sitting next to Stacey, smiled knowingly and nodded her head to him, making Charlie turn his attention back to the ground. He didn’t want people thinking his mind wasn’t on the game.

Zach, the Leopards’ primary ruckman, knocked the ball from the centre bounce to Ryan, who immediately handballed it to Jim in an attempt to break it free from the mob of players in the centre of the ground.

Jim was slammed from the side by one of the opposition players but still managed to handball it to Jarrod who was running past. Jarrod kicked it toward the forward line, where it was marked by Roger just outside the 50-metre line.

Charlie’s attention was distracted by some action behind the play. He looked back to the far side of the oval where Jim and his opponent were tussling. Jim was thrown to the ground, but he dragged his foe down with him. Paul was racing up from the backline, as were a couple of opposition players. Jim’s opponent was the first to his feet.

Dave was staring in the same direction as Charlie. “Did he...? He did! That bastard just kicked Jim in the head!”

Charlie leapt to his feet and grabbed hold of Dave’s arm before he could run onto the field. “Wait, Dave! You can’t go on without a sub!” He glanced to the side to his nearest teammate. “Jai, help me!”

Charlie wasn’t sure if the umpires would turn a blind eye to an interchange player entering the ground illegally to help break up a fight. He also wasn’t sure that Dave would be stopping the action; he was just as likely to be contributing.

By the time Jai and Charlie had Dave seated again, there was a small mob of players on the far side of the ground. The impending fight appeared to be breaking up, with an umpire taking the number of one of the opposition players, and Jim jogging towards the interchange area.

“Dave!” Peter called out.

Dave jumped up and headed along the boundary line to the head coach. Charlie trailed behind. He was worried.

“Peter?” Dave said once he was next to his coach.

“You’re going in for Jim. You’re not there to break heads, and I want you to swap with Ryan. You’re to stay on this side of the ground and let him take the other. Understand?”

Dave’s eyes narrowed. “That bastard kicked Jim while he was down!”

“And he’s been reported for it. I don’t need you reported, too. You stay away from him, and you just do your job. We’ve got fifteen minutes of play left; don’t fuck it up.”

Dave scowled and then nodded. “Okay.”

“And if the brat tries to start anything, you’ve got my permission to tackle him as hard as you like. He should know better, but he might be out for revenge.”

Dave blinked. “Ty?”

“Yes, Ty. You’ve got double-duty, Dave. Control this side of the midfield and keep the brat from doing something stupid. Now, go!”

As Dave headed to the interchange area, Peter beckoned for a runner. “Tell Todd and Paul that they’re to keep Ty out of trouble. Tell Ty that Jim’s okay. Go!”

Peter glanced at Charlie. “Check on Dad for me, Charlie. I suspect he’s been sent off because of the blood rule, but I want to be sure. Be there while Jackie’s checking him out.”

Charlie nodded. “Sure, Peter.”

As Charlie jogged over to where Jim and Dave were slapping hands as one left and the other entered the ground, he realised that his head coach was a decent amateur psychologist. He hadn’t waited to check before telling Ty that ‛Dad’ was okay but sent the word off immediately in an attempt to short-circuit a potential problem. Charlie hoped that Peter was right and that Jim had been sent off the ground simply because he was bleeding.

Charlie arrived as Jackie had Jim leaning forward so she could examine the top of his head.

“Looks like a small cut above your left eye. Shallow enough that you probably won’t need stitches, but we’ll get Andrew to check you out to be sure.” She smiled. “It might leave a scar, but that’s not guaranteed.”

“Can I go back on?” Jim asked.

Jackie shook her head. “Not with the amount of time left in the game. By the time we’ve dealt with it, the match will be almost over.”

“Fuck!”

Jackie laughed. “You’ve played well, Jim. Give someone else a chance to shine for the last few minutes.”

Charlie glanced back to where Peter was watching him and gave him a thumbs-up signal to indicate that there was no serious problem.

“I missed what was happening behind the play, so how did you get the cut?” Jackie asked as she indicated that Jim should sit down so she’d be able to treat the injury.

“My fucking opponent kicked me in the head!”

Jackie paused and peered into Jim’s eyes. “How are you feeling?”

“Sore, but otherwise okay.” He scowled. “I don’t have concussion, if that’s what you’re concerned about.”

She smiled. “That’s my call, not yours. You probably don’t, but I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t check it out.”

Jim sighed. “Okay, get it over and done with.”

Charlie headed back to Peter. He waited until Peter took his attention off the game and glanced in his direction. “Jim’s off because of the blood rule, and Jackie’s checking him for concussion. Jim says he was kicked in the head.”

Peter nodded. “Thanks, Charlie. Stay with Dad while Jackie checks him out unless there’s something else that I need to know.”

Charlie jogged back, glancing over the ground as he went. He saw Todd speaking to Ty, but with the ball down the other end of the oval, there didn’t appear to be anything else to worry about.

Jim looked up as Charlie arrived. “Back again? What did Peter say?”

Charlie shrugged. “To tell him if there’s anything else he needs to know.” Charlie cocked an eyebrow as he gave Jim a lopsided smile. “Do I need to go back?”

Jim grunted. “No.”

“Keep your head still, Jim. I can’t clean the cut if you keep moving,” Jackie said.

Charlie stared for a moment before deciding to see if Jim would give him more details. “What happened out there? It looked like he deliberately kicked you.”

Jim glared.

“Stop moving!” Jackie said.

“Well?” Charlie asked.

“It might’ve been an accident.”

“Oh?”

“What do you want me to say, Charlie? That the guy was a homophobic prick who couldn’t deal with being beaten by a poof? I beat him; that’s more than enough punishment for him being an arsehole.”

“Just because he kicked you doesn’t automatically make him homophobic,” Jackie said as she prepared to dab some antiseptic ointment on the wound.

Jim rolled his eyes. “He was making comments all game. I ignored most of them, but there’s no doubt in my mind: he’s a homophobic arsehole.”

“Anne told us that homophobia is against league rules. You should report it,” Charlie said.

Jim jumped to his feet, ignoring Jackie’s protests, and grabbed Charlie’s tracksuit top. “Don’t say a fucking thing, Charlie. I don’t need to complain about one guy. Last week there wasn’t a problem. This week there was one arsehole. Complaining would make it look like I’m a whinger who wants to hide behind the rules.”

Charlie tensed, not sure of what to say.

Jackie, on the other hand, knew exactly what to do. She took Jim by the ear and dragged him back to his seat. “Don’t be a bloody fool, Jim. You will sit and be still until I’m finished, or I’ll tell Peter that you’re obviously concussed and won’t be fit to play next week, either.”

“You wouldn’t!” Jim’s tone didn’t quite match the surety of his words.

“Try me. I can get Andrew to play things by my rules and back me up if I need to, so you’re going to sit there until I’m done. Now, are you going to do what you’re told?”

“Fine!” Jim grimaced and glanced up at his teammate. “Sorry, Charlie. I shouldn’t have grabbed you.”

Charlie waved a hand to dismiss the apology. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Sit still!” Jackie went back to treating the cut above Jim’s eye. “Obviously, neither of you guys has ever been bullied.”

“What?” Jim shifted his eyes to look at Charlie, silently asking if he knew what she was talking about. Charlie shrugged his right shoulder.

“You’re right that complaining about a single incident is not going to look good, but if it continues, the first incident that you do report is going to look like a single, isolated incident to everyone else. So what you’re going to do tonight when you get home is to start a log. Every time you get abused or attacked for being gay, you’re going to write it down. If it ever gets to the point where you think it needs reporting, you’ll have a log of all the incidents that have occurred before.”

Jackie rocked back for a moment so she could look Jim in the eye. “Bullying of this type is shown by a pattern of behaviour. You need to show that there’s a pattern when it comes to reporting it. Otherwise, the people you complain to will only see the latest incident and not realise the history that goes with it. Keeping a log will show that pattern.”

“How do you know that?” Jim asked.

Jackie sighed as she resumed treatment. “My younger brother was bullied at school. The first couple of times he snapped, the teachers only saw a single, isolated incident that didn’t warrant his response. We did some research and keeping a diary of incidents is one of the recommendations. When you’ve got names, dates, and places of bullying, the administrators have a hard time explaining it away.”

“Sorry to hear about your brother.” Jim’s tone was contrite.

“You can show how sorry you are by doing the same. If this was an isolated incident, no harm done. If he’s just the first of several, you’ll have a case to present to the league about stamping out homophobia.” She paused and narrowed her eyes at him. “You’re hopefully not stupid enough to believe you’re the only gay player in the league, so think about what the others are hearing.”

Jim chuckled. “I don’t have to think about it; I know. I’ve been called a poof and fag so many times over the last few years that it no longer means anything to me. It’s just another term of abuse my opponents use to try to rile me up. None of them knew I was gay.” His eyes moved towards Charlie. “What about you?”

“Yeah, I’ve been called names. It doesn’t mean anything.”

Jackie frowned. “It mightn’t’ve meant anything before, but now it does. It’s got no more a place in today’s game than racism. We’ve got AFL players complaining about too many racist remarks; you’ve got to be prepared to do the same about homophobia, Jim.”

Jim frowned for a couple of seconds while Jackie finished covering the cut.

“There...done!” Jackie smiled as she moved back.

“Thanks, Jackie.”

“Will you think about what I said? The diary and dealing with homophobia?”

“Yeah, I will.” Jim smiled. “If only to make sure you don’t drag me around by my ear again.”

Jackie laughed. “If it works...”

Jim grinned at Charlie. “Come on, mate. Let’s get back to watching the game.”

* * *

Sam hesitated at the door to the change room while Mandy, Teresa, and Jordan entered without hesitation. “Are you sure this is okay, Gary?”

Gary smiled. “The guys will be celebrating at first. Matt and I leave when they start getting ready for a shower. You can leave when we do and head around to the club room.”

“Come on. It’ll be fine.” Matt turned and walked through the door along with a small group of other supporters.

“It’s what you came here for,” Marcus said quietly.

Sam glanced around before taking a deep breath and entering the room. Marcus followed him in. After turning the corner, he saw the change room with a large open area where the players and fans were congregated. A couple of rows of lockers stood at one end, benches lined the walls, and there was an opening at the far end. The tiling in that area told Sam that it led to the showers. There was also a door on the right that he guessed led into the main building.

It didn’t take him long to spot Deon. Jordan was next to him talking at a million miles per hour. Sam smiled as he watched the two happy brothers interacting. The smile slipped away as he realised how much he had missed out on during those years in Sydney.

Matt and Gary were talking to Jarrod. They’d pointed him out to Sam and Marcus during the game, and it was obvious that they took a great deal of pride in the young man they sponsored.

Jim had an arm draped across Tony’s shoulders as the two talked with Ty, Charlie, a young woman, and an older couple that Sam didn’t know. There were other gatherings of people that Sam didn’t recognise, giving the room a generous hum of cheerful background noise. The occasional loud comment being flung across the room told Sam that this was a tight-knit group of which Deon was a solid member.

Marcus gave Sam a nudge. When Sam glanced at his partner, he received a well-get-on-with-it expression that was accompanied by a smile of encouragement.

Sam trudged his way towards his family. He saw Deon glance at him as he was partway across the room, but otherwise Deon gave no indication that his father was there.

“...and you’ll do even better next week!”

Deon laughed as he tousled his brother’s hair. “Next week is against Geelong, and they’ll be no pushover. I’ll be lucky to kick a couple of goals, let alone the dozen or more you’re expecting.”

Jordan rolled his eyes. “You’ve got to go in with the right attitude, Deon. You’re my big brother; you have to do great!”

Mandy took hold of Jordan’s arm. “Time to go, Jordan, and let Deon clean himself up. We’ll wait for him in the club room.”

“Ah...Mum! Why can’t I stay?”

“You’ll see him again soon. It won’t be that long...” She raised an eyebrow at Deon, asking a silent question.

“Twenty or thirty minutes, max.”

“See you then, Deon. Let’s go, Jordan.” Mandy nodded once at Sam as she collected her youngest son and led him and Teresa out of the room.

When Sam turned his attention back to Deon, he found him standing with arms crossed and a blank expression on his face.

“It was a good game. Well done with your six goals.” Sam’s voice was soft, almost apologetic.

“They won’t all be that easy.”

Sam nodded. He gave his son a tentative smile. “Jordan thinks they will be.”

That cracked Deon’s closed demeanour. He chuckled once as he smiled in the direction where his brother had disappeared. “He knows otherwise; he just won’t admit it.”

“He looks up to you.”

Deon scowled. “I’m the eldest male in the family. He doesn’t have anyone else to look up to.”

Sam winced.

Marcus, who had been hanging back, broke in. “That can’t be true. What about teachers, coaches, uncles, his friend’s fathers? You might be the one that’s there the most, but you can’t be the only one.”

Deon stared for a moment and then nodded his head as he acknowledged the point. “Okay, you’re right there. He’s got other male role models.” He glared at Sam. “It’s just the major male role model who’s been missing in his life.”

“That wasn’t all Sam’s fault. Your mother didn’t want him around, and Sam wanted to respect her wishes.” Marcus paused and caught Deon’s eye. “Are you saying you wanted Sam around when you and Jordan were growing up?”

“No bloody way! I...” Deon stopped as he saw people turning to stare because of the raised voice. He gritted his teeth and then raised a hand. “Ty! Over here. There’s someone I want you to meet.”

Sam saw Tony say something to Ty before the young man moved through the crowd to where Deon, Sam, and Marcus were waiting. Ty gave Sam a searching stare before he turned and smiled at Deon.

“Great game, Deon. If you keep this up, I’m not going to be needed on the forward line.”

Deon grinned. “You’ll get your turn to shine. I suspect you’ll be busier next week than you were today.”

“An easy game once in a while doesn’t hurt.” Ty shrugged. “I can’t expect them all to be like that.”

“Ty, I’d like you to meet Marcus. He’s flown down from Sydney to see the game, even though he prefers rugby to real football. He’s flying back tomorrow afternoon...” Deon queried Marcus with a glance, and received a nod of confirmation.

“That’s right. We’re having lunch at Deon’s mum’s place and then catching a taxi to the airport.”

Ty narrowed his eyes as he stared at Deon for a moment. He then turned and smiled as he held out a hand. “G’day, Marcus. I hope you enjoyed the match.”

Marcus flicked a quizzical look at Deon before shaking Ty’s hand. “It was certainly entertaining, but I suspect I didn’t see a lot of the fine detail involved.”

Ty turned to Sam, the smile fading from his face. “Since he didn’t introduce you, you must be Deon’s father.”

Sam nodded once, his mouth too dry to say anything. It was clear that Deon wasn’t prepared to acknowledge him.

Ty stared; his eyes narrowed before he smiled. “Why don’t you and Marcus join Dad and me in the club room later? Deon hasn’t told me a lot about you.”

Deon crossed his arms. “I’ve told you everything you need to know.”

Ty frowned at his housemate. “You told me he’s a bastard. At the moment, there’s only one person here who’s being a bastard, Deon, and it’s not your father. You’ve met my old man; your father’s nothing in comparison.”

“Your old man is blatant.” Deon stuck a thumb in Sam’s direction. “This guy is subtle. He earns your trust, and then he betrays you. You can’t learn what he’s like in only a couple of minutes.”

“Deon, I don’t think–” Marcus stopped when Sam put a hand on his arm.

Sam’s shoulders slumped. “I think it’s time we left, Marcus. Deon’s made his position clear, so let’s join Mandy and the others. At least Jordan and Teresa will still talk to me.”

“Until you find a reason to break their trust.” Deon scowled. “Don’t worry, I’ll be warning Jordan about you, father. He’s not going to be easy meat for whatever scheme you’ve got planned.”

Sam turned away, feeling a heavy ache in his heart as he did so. He didn’t want to give up on Deon, but he didn’t see much hope, either.

* * *

Charlie had told Stacey that he’d see her in the club room soon, but he needed to do something first. He’d seen Dave’s glance in the direction of the showers, and Charlie knew that Dave wasn’t going to join the others. He’d also seen Roger’s frown as he’d looked in Dave’s direction, and he sensed a confrontation pending.

Charlie slipped over to where Dave was sitting. The rest of the players were in various states of undress, but Dave was still wearing what he’d worn in the game. Only his football boots had been removed.

“Are you heading straight home?” Charlie asked as he sat down next to his teammate.

Dave gave a small jump as if he hadn’t noticed Charlie’s arrival. “Yeah, I was thinking about it.”

“Why don’t you come back here after you’ve had a shower and gotten changed? I’m sure most of us will still be drinking.” Charlie smiled. “You can be my designated driver.”

Charlie knew that playing on Dave’s guilt with that last comment was unfair, but he didn’t want Dave to withdraw from the team any more than he already had.

“I thought Jarrod drove?”

“He did, but I think he’d prefer someone else to drive home. If he’s driving, he won’t be able to drink. If you’re there, he can have a few beers and pick up the car sometime tomorrow.”

Dave was still thinking about it when a shadow fell over both of them. Charlie looked up to see an almost naked Roger standing over them. Only a towel wrapped around his waist preserved his modesty.

“Time for a shower, Dave.” Roger’s tone made it clear he considered it an order.

“Dave’s just about to head home. He’s going to pick up something for me. I meant to bring it to the game to give to Stacey, but I forgot.”

Roger frowned. “What is it? And who’s Stacey?”

Charlie smiled as he stood up. “Something for uni. Stacey and I both go to RMIT. That’s where we met.” He glanced back down. “Dave, I’d really appreciate it you rushed back to get it for me. I don’t want to look like a complete idiot in front of her.”

Dave smiled warmly as he grabbed his runners from his bag and started putting them on his feet. “I’ll be back as soon as I can, Charlie.”

Roger’s lips were pinched as he stared at first Dave and then Charlie. “Okay. Charlie, can I have a word?”

“Sure, Roger.” Charlie allowed himself to be led away by his captain. As soon as they were out of earshot, Roger stopped and faced Charlie.

“Okay, what the fuck is going on?”

Charlie frowned, lowering his eyes. He hated confrontations. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I’m not an idiot, Charlie. You just lied through your fucking teeth to protect Dave. Why?”

Charlie looked up. “I can’t tell you. Please...just leave him alone. He needs time.”

Roger stared. “How long?”

Charlie shrugged as he dropped his gaze. “I don’t know. As long as it takes.”

“Do you know what’s going on with him?”

Charlie shrugged again. “He’s told me some stuff.... I can guess, but I don’t know.”

When Roger didn’t say anything for a couple of seconds, Charlie looked up to see Roger glaring at where Dave was getting ready to head outside.

“Is it going to be worth it?” Roger asked.

“I hope so. Even if he never plays again, it’ll still be worth it.”

Roger’s head spun around. His mouth had dropped open as he stared at Charlie.

“Never plays....” Roger grunted. “Okay, Charlie. I’ll leave it with you. Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.”

“Just give him space. Don’t pressure him.”

“If you say so.” Roger sighed. “Time for my shower and then rescuing Steph from the kids.” He grinned. “She’ll need a drink or two after dealing with them for the last few hours.”

Charlie smiled as he watched his captain head off. Hopefully, he’d bought Dave enough time to get himself sorted out.

* * *

Neil shuffled nervously as he waited in the corner of the club room. He’d seen Lorraine and Sean, along with a young girl, on the far side, but he didn’t feel comfortable going up and forcing himself into their company. She’d said it would be her and Todd that would invite him, and the tall footballer player hadn’t arrived. While he watched, the young girl stormed off after what appeared to be an argument with Lorraine. Neil wondered what was going on but didn’t want to interrupt to find out.

Charlie had arrived a couple of minutes earlier and had immediately settled in next to Stacey. Neil was surprised that they hadn’t kissed or held hands, but then he wasn’t sure of the nature of their relationship. They were talking to the older man and woman whom Stacey had sat with during the game.

Neil continued to scan the room, picking out the groups he recognised. He gritted his teeth as he saw his rival, Tony, talking animatedly to a couple of middle-aged men, one of whom was already on his second beer after sculling the first. He considered edging over to eavesdrop and hopefully discover some titbit of information that would allow him to discredit the blond bastard, but Neil was reluctant to abandon his position. From where he stood, he was aware of anyone entering the club room and was in a good position to intercept them, if needed. He still hadn’t decided if it was a good idea to speak to Jim as soon as he arrived or to wait until Todd could introduce him, but staying where he was gave him the choice.

While he observed and considered his rival, a middle-aged woman, a girl who looked a few years older than Neil, and the young kid who had been boasting before the game about his brother kicking a ton of goals, joined Tony and the two men. One of the men gave the woman a kiss on the cheek in greeting. Neil looked away. He couldn’t see that anything useful would be said with such a large and diverse group, so there was no point trying to listen in.

Neil sighed with relief when the players started to arrive. Todd was one of the first ones to enter, and Neil had to admit that he was an attractive sight. Dressed in a tracksuit, similar to the one that Charlie wore, and with damp hair and a broad smile, Todd was a beacon of masculinity. When he swept Lorraine into his arms and spun around once, he attracted the attention of most of the room.

“Stop it!” Lorraine’s complaint, loud enough for everyone in the room to hear, was spoilt by the tremor of laughter that accompanied it.

Neil grinned as he wondered what it would be like for Jim to do that to him. It would be uncomfortable, because it would make him feel a little girly, but the way it would show how much Jim cared for him would more than make up for that. Neil didn’t mind Todd’s obviously deep affection for Lorraine; he just wanted the same between him and Jim.

After a short wait to give the two a chance to speak in private, Neil approached.

“Neil! I’m glad you came.” Lorraine turned to Todd. “Neil’s the one who lifted up Sean as you ran out onto the ground.”

Todd grinned as he shook Neil’s hand. “Thanks for that, mate. Sean would’ve been really disappointed if it hadn’t been for you.” He frowned as he glanced around. “Speaking of which, where is he?”

“Shit! He was right here...”

Neil caught a glimpse of the elusive youngster behind a stack of chairs on the side wall. He pointed. “Over there.”

Todd nodded. “I’ll be right back.”

Lorraine flicked Neil a small smile before she stared after Todd. “Thanks, Neil. I don’t know what happened. Sean usually doesn’t wander away; he’s very shy.”

“I noticed that before the game. Maybe there’s too many people and he’s trying to hide?”

Lorraine shook her head. “No. He’d cling tight to me if that was the case...” She frowned as Todd returned without the young boy. “Where is he?”

Todd grinned. “He’s found himself a playmate. Steph will keep an eye on him while he plays with Kylie.” When Lorraine frowned, Todd explained. “Kylie is Roger’s girl. She’s four. Steph is Kylie’s mum.”

“Are you sure it’s okay...?”

Todd grinned and pulled Lorraine into a hug. “It’s fine. Steph’s great, and she won’t let him get into trouble.” He chuckled. “At least no more trouble than any four- or six-year-old can get into.”

“If you think she won’t mind...”

Todd smiled as he rolled his eyes. He released Lorraine, though he kept one arm around her. “Anyway, thanks again, Neil. We really appreciate what you did for him.”

Neil dropped his eyes. He knew his face was going red, because he never liked being the centre of attention. “That’s okay. I’m glad I could help.”

“I haven’t seen you around before. How long have you been a Leopards fan?” Todd asked.

“Not that long.” Neil hesitated because he understood the consequences of what he was about to say. He almost chickened out, but he knew he would have to take some risks if he was to get what he wanted. “Only since Thursday of last week.”

“Ah...” Todd glanced across the room as if looking for someone before returning his attention to Neil. “Would you like to meet Jim later?”

Neil looked up and grinned. “That’d be great!”

“It might be a little while; he’s rather popular at the moment.” Todd smiled. “I presume you’re gay?”

Neil flinched, even though he’d known the question was probably coming. Swallowing once, he nodded his head. “I’ve never told anyone.”

“No one? Does that mean...”

Neil nodded. He glanced at Lorraine, who was frowning slightly. “You two are the first I’ve told. I’m not ready to tell everyone, but I was hoping, with Jim’s help, I might be able to...”

Neil’s voice trailed off. Exactly what he might be able to do wasn’t clear in his mind. He just knew Jim could help him...somehow.

Todd took Neil by surprise. Letting go of Lorraine, Todd wrapped his arms around Neil and pulled him into a hug. “It’ll work out. I’m sure of it.”

After an initial involuntarily stiffening, Neil found himself relaxing. To his surprise, for the first time in many years he experienced an emotion that he had almost forgotten.

He felt safe. Someone cared about him.

* * *

Tony spotted him first. “Deon’s here.”

Mandy frowned. “I hope he doesn’t make a scene.” She glanced at Sam. “I’m sorry it hasn’t worked out.”

“Deon!” Jordan immediately left the small group and headed towards his big brother.

Sam shrugged before downing yet another beer. “I can’t really blame him. I fucked up, and he’s letting me know it.”

“Still.... He should at least appreciate the fact that you’ve come all this way to see him.”

Sam gave her a weak smile. He glanced first at Teresa and then towards where Jordan had intercepted Deon. “It’s not just to see him. I wanted to see Teresa and Jordan again, too.” Sam frowned. “Who’s the girl?”

Mandy looked around and then smiled. “That’s Pamela, Deon’s girlfriend. I didn’t realise she was already here or I would’ve introduced you.”

Sam shook his head. “Not now. I’m going to the bar for another beer. If Deon wants to talk to me, he can find me there.”

“Sam...” Marcus said.

“No, I don’t want to spoil things for Deon. Let him enjoy the rest of the day without me. You can stay here; Deon doesn’t mind you.”

As Sam took a step away, Teresa moved in and slipped an arm around his. “I’ll have a beer, too, Sam.” When Sam hesitated, Teresa smiled. “I don’t need to see Deon immediately. I’ve seen him enough over the years. You, I haven’t seen much of, and I think it’s time to correct that.”

Marcus frowned at Sam’s back.

“He’s going to get rolling drunk.” Tony sighed. “In his shoes, I’d probably do the same.”

“Sometimes it helps. Sometimes it makes things worse.” Mandy grimaced. “I’ve had both happen to me since he left me.”

The three were interrupted by a voice behind them. “Marcus, I’d like you to meet Pamela. Pamela, this is Marcus. He’s the bastard’s better half.”

Marcus turned and smiled, but Mandy spoke before he could say anything.

“Deon, despite everything that’s happened, Sam’s still your father. He flew down here because of you, and you’re acting like a complete jerk. Yes, I heard what happened in the change room, and no, it wasn’t from Sam. Smarten up, young man, because at the moment you’re making me ashamed to be your mother.”

Deon rocked back as if he’d been slapped. His eyes opened wide, and his mouth dropped open.

Mandy gave Deon’s girlfriend an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, Pamela, but I thought I’d raised him better than this.” She glared at her oldest son. “Much better than this.”

“Mum, you don’t know what... Don’t you remember what it was like when–”

She glared. “I still remember, but I’ve moved on. I can see Sam a lot clearer now than I could back then. You’re still blinded, Deon. Yes, he’s a bastard for what he did, but he’s not as bad a bastard as you seem to think. He’s got good points, but you’re refusing to see them!”

Deon scowled. “I don’t own a microscope.” He glanced around. “Where is he, anyway?”

Tony took a half step forward, attracting Deon’s attention. “He didn’t want to ruin your celebrations, so he’s moved over to the bar. He’s leaving it up to you as to whether you want to talk to him.”

Deon sneered. “Typical. Life gets tough and he runs away.”

“That’s enough!” Mandy glared at her son. “Sam is trying to do something right by you, and all you can do is to take offense. I don’t believe you care what he does. Whatever it is, you’re going to find a way to twist it so he’s wrong. If that’s your attitude, I don’t want to stick around to see it.”

“Mum, I...” Deon’s confusion was evident to everyone.

“I’m going to have a drink with Sam and Teresa.” Mandy turned to Marcus. “Come on, I’ll buy you a drink.”

Marcus frowned momentarily, then, with a quick glance at Deon, smiled. “Thanks, Mandy, but I think I’ll stay here. I don’t know why, but Deon doesn’t seem to mind me.”

“Okay.” She scowled at Deon. “Look after Jordan. He’s your responsibility.”

“What?” Deon glanced down at his younger brother who gave him a shrug in reply.

“You seem to understand the idea of responsibility, so it’s time you got in some practise.” Mandy marched off before anyone could react.

“Yippee! Does that mean I can stay at your place tonight, Deon?”

“Jordan, I...” Deon gave Pamela a helpless look.

Marcus smiled down at Jordan. “I wouldn’t get your hopes up, mate. Your mum may’ve only meant that Deon’s looking after you while you’re here at the club.”

Jordan scowled before giving Deon a hopeful grin. “But I’ll be able to stay at your place at some stage, right? Maybe during the school holidays?”

Deon seemed uncomfortable. “Maybe, but I can’t promise it.”

Tony was confused as to what was going on between Deon and his mother, so he was glad when he saw Jim entering the room. He waved a hand to attract his boyfriend’s attention. Looking to change the topic, he smiled at Pamela. “Has Deon told you yet that Jim and I would like to take the two of you out for dinner soon? Maybe next Friday?”

“No, he hasn’t” She raised an eyebrow at Deon who responded with a sheepish grin.

“I was going to, but Tony only mentioned it last night. I was waiting until tonight when we’re having dinner.”

Jim glanced at Marcus and Jordan as he arrived. He smiled at the younger guy and stuck out his hand. “Hi, I’m Jim.”

Jordan frowned and didn’t take the hand. “I know who you are. You’re the poof.”

Jim glanced at Tony, clearly uncertain what to do. Tony pulled a face. Dealing with a homophobic comment from a young teenager who happened to be the brother of one of Jim’s teammates wasn’t something he had an immediate response for.

Deon grabbed his brother’s arm and gave him a sharp shake. “Apologise! Jim’s a friend of mine, and I don’t want you talking about him like that.”

Jordan looked frightened. He visibly swallowed, his eyes never leaving Deon’s face. “But...”

“No buts. Jim’s gay. He’s also a bloody good footballer. He’s a good and loyal friend, and I’d trust him with my life. Now...apologise!”

Jordan looked up at Jim. His eyes were wide. “I...I’m...I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it.”

Jim smiled. “It’s okay. Just try not to use that word in the future, okay?”

Jordan nodded. He glanced at his brother, who let go of his arm. Jordan took a half step away. “I...I think I’ll go see Mum.” He raced off before anyone could speak.

“I’m so sorry, Jim. I didn’t know he’d react like that.” Deon wouldn’t meet Jim’s eyes.

“Don’t worry about it. I’m just going to have to get used to being called names like that from time to time.”

“Don’t.” When everyone looked at Marcus, he pulled a face. “Don’t get used to it. People won’t change if you let them get away with things like that.”

Jim grimaced. “Yeah, I’ve already been read the riot act about that. Okay, I won’t get used to it, but I’ll forget that this one happened. I’m not going to go off on a kid.” He smiled at Deon. “How old is he, anyway?”

“Fourteen. Old enough to know better.”

“He seems a young fourteen-year-old.” Tony turned to watch Jordan’s slumped figure next to his mother.

Deon shrugged his shoulders. “Mum’s protected him a lot. So did I when I could. Maybe we’ve protected him too much.”

Marcus smiled. “I don’t think so. Some kids mature later than others. He’s not that much different to the sons of some of my work colleagues.”

“At least you’re big enough to shake some sense into him, Deon.” Tony cocked his head and gave him a half smile. “They eventually get too big for that.”

Deon shrugged as he slipped an arm around Pamela. “I don’t remember the last time I had to do that. I probably shouldn’t have done it this time, but I saw red when he called Dad a poof.” He pulled a face. “I should go over and apologise to him before he goes home tonight.”

Tony noticed Marcus’s brow wrinkling. “He means Jim. ‘Dad’ is Jim’s nickname, given to him by the brat, who’s also known as Ty.”

Deon chuckled. “And the brat really is a brat. He insists on everyone calling Jim ‘Dad’. The only person who gets away with not calling him Dad is Tony.”

Jim rolled his eyes. “I, on the other hand, am happy to be called Jim.”

“In that case, Jim, hi, I’m Marcus.”

“Glad to meet you, Marcus.” Jim caught Tony’s eye and asked a silent question. Tony tilted his head towards the bar, trying to pass on to his boyfriend the location of Deon’s father.

“Marcus is my father’s partner. He seems a cool guy.” Deon grinned. “His only major flaws I’ve detected so far are that he likes rugby and he likes my father. Other than that, he’s been great.”

Marcus’s smile faded. “Deon, don’t you think you’ve gone on about that enough? And I don’t mean the crack about rugby.”

Tony jumped in before Deon could reply. “Marcus, we all heard Deon tell Jordan that he trusts Jim with his life. How do you feel about Sam?”

“The same.” Marcus caught Deon’s eyes. “I love him, and he loves me. He’s in a lot of pain at the moment, and he’s not at his best, but that doesn’t change how I feel about him. It also doesn’t change the fact that, in his own way, he still loves Mandy and his kids.”

Deon glared. “He doesn’t show it very well, staying in Sydney for the last nine years.”

Marcus shook his head. “You don’t want to listen, Deon, and that’s fine, but don’t expect me to play along with you. You’ve been told why he stayed there. Pretending you don’t know makes you as mature as Jordan...and that’s not a compliment.”

“He’s right,” Tony said quietly. “Even your mum agrees with him.”

Deon’s expression seemed to fluctuate between anger and contriteness. After a moment, he turned to Pamela. “Let’s go see a few people and then head out to dinner. I still want to celebrate the win.”

Tony felt Jim put an arm around him as he stared after the confused young man. Tony sighed and rested his head against Jim’s shoulder. “He’ll get there in the end, but he’s got a long journey ahead of him.”

* * *

Neil glanced at his watch one more time. He didn’t mind getting into trouble for being late home since it was for a good cause, but the later he was, the worse it would be, and the harder it would be in the future to slip away.

“I’m sorry, Todd, but I’m going to have to get going. I’m going to be late for dinner as it is.”

Todd frowned. “Where do you live?”

“East Ringwood, not too far from the Maroondah Hospital. Why?”

“Lorraine, the kids, and I will be leaving soon, too. Why don’t we take you home? That’ll save you a bit of time.” Todd smiled. “It’ll be much quicker than walking to the station and waiting for the next train.”

Neil grinned. “Thank you. Yeah, it will.” He glanced in Jim’s direction and sighed. He’d have to wait for another opportunity to meet his future boyfriend.

Neil stiffened when he felt an arm across his shoulders. He only relaxed when he realised that it was Todd.

“I’ve been waiting for Jim and Tony to be alone, but obviously that’s not going to happen. Let’s go, and I’ll introduce you now.”

Neil allowed himself to be shepherded towards Jim and Tony and the older couple they were talking to. His heart started beating faster and his hands went clammy as his mind went into meltdown. He didn’t know what to say even though minutes before he’d had a prepared speech for the first time he spoke to Jim.

“Jim, Tony, there’s someone I’d like you to meet. Neil’s one of our new supporters, and he’s been dying to say hello to you, Jim.” Todd smiled as he gave Neil a small push forward.

“G’day, Neil.”

Jim’s smile and outstretched hand did nothing to alleviate the panic that was rising up within Neil.

“Er...hi.” Neil grabbed the hand and jerked it up and down once before letting go. He couldn’t lift his gaze up high enough to see Jim’s eyes.

“How long have you been a Leopards fan?” Jim asked.

“Not long.” Neil swallowed and flicked a glance at the older couple that had been talking with Jim. He hoped he wasn’t going to put his foot in it, but he needed to let Jim know he’s gay. “Only since you...er...” Neil dropped his head.

“Ah...”

“Are you still at school, Neil, or are you working?” Tony asked.

Neil brought his head up to look at his rival. He hoped he could keep the antagonism from his face, because it was too early to show his real opinion of the broad-shouldered blond, especially in front of Jim. “I’m still at school. Ringwood East Secondary.” He flicked a glance at Jim, trying to calm his nerves. “I’m in Year 12, but I’m thinking of dropping out soon to get a fulltime job.”

The older woman frowned. “You’ll be better off completing Year 12 if you can. It’ll give you much better job opportunities for the future.” She smiled. “I’m Anne Flintlock, by the way. I work here at the club.”

“I know I should stay but...” Neil swallowed again and made himself continue. “My home life isn’t good. I have to get out before I’m kicked out. My parents don’t know about me...yet.”

Anne grimaced. “You don’t think you can keep it from them until the end of the year.”

Neil flicked his eyes towards Jim again. “I don’t think so. I...” He clamped his mouth shut. He didn’t want to say what he wanted in front of Tony.

“Stick it out for as long as you can. If you can complete Year 12, it’ll be better in the long run,” Jim said.

“I know, but I can’t go to school if I don’t have somewhere to live. I’m better off having a job now rather than wait until it’s too late and trying to find a job while living on the streets.”

Tony pulled a face. “Neil’s right. I know a couple of guys who were in a similar situation. They eventually finished their VCE, but it was a couple of years later. They were couch-surfing for several months while they looked for a job.”

The older gentleman looked thoughtful. “Could you stay with friends until you finished school? Couch-surfing, as Tony said, until after the VCE exams, and then get a fulltime job?”

“No. I...” Neil paused, not sure what to say next.

“Sorry, I didn’t introduce myself. I’m Jonathan Flintlock, Anne’s husband.”

Neil nodded his acknowledgement but couldn’t quite force a smile on his face. He also couldn’t make eye contact with anyone. “I don’t have anyone I could stay with.”

“No one?” Tony was the one who said it, but Neil saw the others had a similar reaction.

Neil shook his head.

“But you’re not out...?”

Neil shook his head again. He didn’t really want to talk to Tony, but he couldn’t make his mind work fast enough to find a way to talk to Jim instead. He glanced at his watch. “I’ve got to go.” He spun around, ready to flee.

“I’ll take you home,” Todd said. “Give me two minutes to collect Lorraine and the kids.”

Neil nodded. “I’ll be outside.” Not waiting for a response, he fled the room, silently berating himself for fucking up his chance to create a good first impression on his idol.