Leopard Spots - 9. Chapter 9

Sunday morning, Neil caught his mother getting ready to go to church. He had carefully waited until his father wasn’t around.

“Mum, I wanted to let you know that I’ve applied for, and gotten, a job for the school holidays.”

Mrs. Rosewood gave Neil a quizzical look. “When did this happen?”

“I was told I got the job on Saturday while I was out. It’s at a sports store in Lilydale, so I can catch the train there each day. It’ll be good money.”

“I don’t know, Neil. We really want you to concentrate on your schooling this year. You only get one chance at your VCE. And what about your weeknight job at the supermarket? Two jobs will be too much for you.”

Neil smiled while thinking that the Victorian Certificate of Education wasn’t a priority for him. “I’ll make more money at the sports store, so I was going to quit the supermarket job. That’ll give me nights and most of the weekend to do any homework, though I’m not expecting a lot. And there’s Easter at the end of the holidays, too, for anything I don’t get finished before then. It’s not like I’m going to be working during the school term.”

“But that will mean no job during the school term. You’ll have no spending money of your own if you do that. You’ve just started seeing that girl you went shopping with yesterday. You’ll need cash to pay for dates and things.”

Neil smiled as he started lying through his teeth. “I won’t need a lot – Clarissa doesn’t have expensive tastes – so what I make during the term holidays will be enough to keep me going during the school term as well as freeing up more time for study. I’ll actually be better off than if I kept working at the supermarket.”

Neil mentally crossed his fingers as he watched his mother consider the situation. She usually wasn’t as harsh or strict as his father, which was the main reason he decided to break the news to her. If she accepted the situation, he wouldn’t feel obliged to mention it to his dad.

“Well, I suppose it’s okay.” She smiled. “I’m impressed by your initiative. Getting out and doing something like this without prompting is great. You’re going to need that sort of thing when you’re looking for a fulltime job after you finish uni.”

Neil stepped forward and gave his mother a hug. “Thanks, Mum!”

After a couple more pleasantries, Neil retreated to his bedroom to do the homework he hadn’t done the day before while his mother headed to church. Neither he nor his father were church-goers, though his mother insisted that they go for Easter and Christmas. Mrs. Rosewood, however, went every week and was active in several church committees. While she never showed the homophobia that his father exhibited, Neil was sure that she was just as anti-gay; she just hadn’t shown it.

* * *

Marcus sat down next to Sam. They had almost an hour to wait until their flight back to Sydney. “Want to talk about it?”

Sam grunted. He was staring across the gate lounge, but his eyes were unfocused. “I don’t know what’s going on. It’s almost like he’s trying to give me hope just so he can crush me.”

“Yeah.... I had the shock of my life when he and his girlfriend showed up at Mandy’s house offering to bring us here.”

“He told us in the car that it was because he wanted to personally make sure I’ve gone back to Sydney, but...” Sam shook his head.

“I think he’s confused. He’s harboured a hatred of you for such a long time that he’s having trouble getting past it. Despite that, he came here to pick us up on Friday night, he spoke to you after the game even if it wasn’t for long, and he showed up at his mum’s place to bring us back here today. I wouldn’t read too much into the conversation in the car; the fact that he was still speaking to you even if it was just to argue and insult, shows that he’s no longer cutting you off.”

“At least, it gave me a chance to get to know Deon’s girlfriend a bit better. She seems a nice girl.” Sam turned to Marcus. “Did you get the impression that there’s a problem between them? She didn’t seem happy with him several times. Was it because of how he was treating me?”

Marcus nodded. “I had the same impression, but I think there’s something else going on. There were times they didn’t seem too comfortable even though I didn’t see any reason from the topic of conversation.”

Sam slumped in the seat as he dropped his gaze to the floor. “That’s all I need – for Deon’s girlfriend to dump him and for him to blame me for it.”

Marcus put a hand on Sam’s arm. “Don’t be that way. As I said, I think he’s confused. He wants to see you again, but he won’t admit it to himself.”

Sam looked across, though he stayed slumped. He tried to smile, but it wasn’t very effective. “You’re just saying that to try to cheer me up.”

Marcus smiled. “No, that’s honestly what I think. It could be that he’s trying to torment you as some sort of revenge for the past, but I don’t see it. If that was the case, he wouldn’t’ve been so nice to me.”

“Unless he’s trying to split us up.”

Marcus laughed. “Now you’re getting into weird conspiracy theories. I can’t see how talking to me is going to split us up. I’ve made it perfectly clear to him that I’m sticking with you. I’m not going to let some eighteen-year-old piece of shit tell me who I’m allowed to love.”

“Do you really think of him that way?”

“No. Deep down, he’s a good kid. He’s just fixated on someone in his past, and he can’t see that same person in the present. When he’s fixated on the past, he’s a piece of shit. The rest of the time, he’s a respectable and very likeable young man.”

Sam gave Marcus a weak smile. “Thanks, mate. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Rather than thinking about what you’d do without me, why don’t you think of what you’ll do with me?” Marcus grinned as Sam stiffened and glanced around nervously. “And not that. I’m thinking we should plan our next trip down to Melbourne for a weekend.”

“We can’t afford to fly down every week.”

“No, but we’ll still be able to see Deon play next week because I’ve been told that their game against Geelong is the match of the round and will be broadcast live on the ABC. We can watch it even if we can’t get to the game. As for the future, if we cut back on a few things, we should be able to fly down every two or three weeks for at least the next few months.”

Sam sighed. “A lot of money for something that might be a complete waste of time.”

Marcus frowned. “What the fuck do you mean? There’s Teresa and Jordan to come down for. Even Mandy. Don’t try to hide the fact that you still care for her. I could see it and...” he held up a hand to forestall a protest. “...I don’t mind. Your affection for her is different from what you feel for me. I’m not jealous or concerned. I might’ve been if I hadn’t been here to see it for myself, but now that I have, I want you to keep seeing them. Deon will come around eventually, I hope, but he’s not the only reason for flying down here to Melbourne. He was the trigger for it, but you’ve got other reasons to be here – as much as we can afford it.”

Sam stared for a second and then a stronger smile appeared on his face. “Have I ever said how much I love you?”

Marcus grinned. “You have. You just don’t usually say it with words.”

* * *

“I give up! You’ve worn me out.” Todd grinned down at Sean and handed him the football. “You go off and kick it around by yourself for a bit.”

Sean grinned up at his hero. “I’m going to practise kicking goals!”

Todd chuckled. “Then off you go!” He watched for a moment and then headed over to join Lorraine at the edge of her local football oval. They’d walked there to spend a couple of hours on what was turning out to be a pleasant Sunday afternoon.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

Todd gave her a quick kiss. “Nothing. I told Sean he’s worn me out, but I wanted a quiet word with you while Becky’s gone for a walk.”

Lorraine winced. “If you going to tell me that you’ve found someone–”

Todd let out a small growl of frustration as he gathered her in his arms. “I’m not leaving you! Can you please get it into that sweet little head of yours that I’m here for the long term. No, this is about something else.”

“You know I’ll understand if–”

Todd used his favourite method not only to shut her up, but also to boost her self-esteem: he kissed her, long and slow. When he stopped to take a breath, he grinned. “Not quite the quiet word I had in mind, but I enjoyed that.”

She smiled up at him. “I still don’t know what you see in me, but–”

Todd shut her up again. This time, when he finished, he let go with his right arm and turned so the two were side by side watching Sean kicking the football. “What did you think of Neil?”

“Neil? The young boy from last night?”

“That him, though he’s more a young man. There’s something about him that worries me.”

Lorraine leant against Todd, resting her head against the top of his arm. “What sort of worry?”

“That’s it: I don’t know. I was hoping you might have an idea.”

“Is it something to do with him being gay?”

Todd pulled a face. “Maybe. When he told us, he seemed so...vulnerable.” Todd gave his girlfriend a squeeze with his left arm as he reflected that she was also vulnerable, though not in the same way. He frowned as he considered that insight. “He didn’t have a lot of confidence, and that was painfully obvious when I introduced him to Jim. He couldn’t even look Jim in the eye.”

“He needs someone like you to build up his self-esteem.” She chuckled sadly when Todd’s head spun around to look at her. “I’m not blind, Todd. I know what you’ve been trying to do, but I also know reality. I’m old. If you can’t see that, then I’m grateful, but it doesn’t change the truth.”

“You’re not old. You’re only thirty-two.”

“And you’re twenty-three. My big, strong, and incredibly handsome, boy toy.” She stretched up to give him a light kiss on the lips. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but for as long as you can put up with me, I’ll be eternally grateful.”

“If I have any say in the matter, you can be eternally grateful for the rest of your life, at least.” Todd blinked as he realised what he’d just said. He didn’t have a good record with long-term relationships – something he’d warned Lorraine about when they started dating – but he could no longer see himself without her. It had only been a bit over a month, but his heart was committed.

“I won’t hold you to that.” Lorraine rested her head on his arm again.

“I’ll hold myself to that.” He gave her another squeeze, trying to transfer his feelings for her through the tactile contact. “But I think you’re right about Neil. He needs to know there are people who will help him.” Todd grimaced. “You weren’t there when he said he didn’t have any friends. No one. It didn’t feel right. He even indicated that his parents would kick him out if they learnt he’s gay.”

Lorraine frowned. “I can’t understand how anyone could do that. I know Becky’s a handful, but there’s no way I’d reject her no matter what she said or did.”

“I don’t understand it, either, but I saw Tony’s face when Neil told us, and he flinched. It may not be his parents, though he hasn’t mentioned them when I’ve been around, but Tony certainly knows of parents like that.”

Lorraine turned in Todd’s arm so she was facing him rather than at his side. “So...what are you going to do about it?”

“Would you mind if we had an extra person on some of these family outings?”

Lorraine smiled. “No.”

“Then how about I text Neil and we set up something for next Sunday? I’m glad we exchanged numbers with him before we dropped him off last night.”

“You must’ve been thinking about this back then. Neil seemed surprised when you suggested it. In fact, you practically insisted.” She put a hand behind Todd’s head and pulled him down for a kiss. “You’re such a sweet person.”

“Eww...gross!”

Lorraine broke away from Todd and glared at her daughter. “Don’t sneak up on people!”

Becky crossed her arms. “I didn’t sneak. You were too wrapped up in that...that...” The ten-year-old threw up her hands. “I give up. You can’t see he’s just using you. He doesn’t care about any of us.”

“Don’t you use that tone of voice–”

Lorraine stopped when Todd put a hand over her mouth. She turned to glare at him, but his smile melted her momentary anger.

“Becky, I’ll make you a deal.” Todd went down on one knee so he was closer to the suspicious young girl’s height. “You tell me how long I have to be going out with your mum for you to believe that I want to spend the rest of my life with her. We’ll work it out on the calendar, and we’ll mark that date. On that day, we’ll have a big celebration. I’ll take you all out to a fancy restaurant, and after we’ve finished eating, I’ll ask your mum to marry me. How does that sound?”

Becky blinked, and Lorraine gasped. Todd kept his attention on the girl who he hoped would eventually become his daughter.

“I...”

Todd smiled and stood up. “Think about it, and let me know. Take your time; I’m not going anywhere.” He said the last phrase while smiling into Lorraine’s wondering eyes.

* * *

Oliver glanced up from the steak from which he was trimming the fat, wondering who was whistling. It was his turn to cook dinner, and he had decided a simple barbecue was appropriate. Oliver grinned when he saw an obviously happy Todd enter the kitchen carrying a bottle of sparkling wine.

“What’s got you so happy, and what are we celebrating?” Oliver asked.

Todd grinned as he plonked the bottle of Domaine Chandon on the kitchen bench. “Becky and I have set a date.”

Oliver’s eyebrows rose. “Becky? She’s only ten. What sort of date have you two set?”

Todd’s grin widened. “The date when she agrees that I’m not going to run out on her mum – and the date when I’m going to propose to Lorraine.”

Oliver’s mouth dropped open. “Pr...propose?”

Todd nodded. He started to whistle again as he headed to the cupboard to get out the cheap plastic champagne flutes the guys had bought for New Year’s Eve.

“When’s this going to happen?”

Todd sighed, though the smile didn’t fade. “Becky drove a hard bargain. I’ve got to wait a year, but she said if I’m still around at that time, she’ll accept I’m not going to leave Lorraine like the previous boyfriends did.”

Ollie frowned. “Let me get this straight. In one year’s time, if you’re still going out with her, you’re going to propose to Lorraine?”

Todd’s smile disappeared. “There’s no ‘if’, Ollie. In one year’s time, I will be proposing to Lorraine.” He shrugged. “I would’ve preferred it to be earlier, but it wasn’t really my decision. Becky needs to be onside before I can marry Lorraine, and that’s how long she wants us to be going out before she’s sure.”

“Wait a fucking minute. When did marriage start to get discussed? You’ve only been going out a few weeks!”

Todd narrowed his eyes. “I’ve told you before, Ollie, this is my life. Don’t interfere.”

“But marriage!”

Todd grimaced. “Okay, I suppose it’s pretty sudden, but it struck me while I was out this afternoon that I can’t imagine being without Lorraine. I’ve never felt like that before. I want to spend the rest of my life with her, and while I know that it’s only been a short time, I’m sure she’s the one.” He laughed and his grin returned. “Becky probably agrees with you, but she’s set the goal. After twelve more months of dating Lorraine, Becky will accept that I love her mum, and she’ll stop hating me. I don’t think I’ll have any problems with doing that, but it’ll guarantee that this isn’t a spontaneous decision that I’ll later regret.”

Ollie shook his head as he tried to make sense of what he’d been told.

Todd chuckled as he placed three cheap champagne flutes next to the sparkling wine. “Is Paul here, or should I hold off on opening the bottle?”

“He’s in his room. He won’t be going to work for another couple of hours.”

Todd moved over to the corridor that led to the bedrooms. “Paul! Get your arse out here.”

Oliver focused his attention on Todd while the big guy carefully opened the bottle, holding the cork so it wouldn’t go flying off. He knew that since Todd had started going out with Lorraine, his best friend had been happier than Oliver had ever seen him before. This latest incarnation took that happiness to a new height. Having put his foot in his mouth about the Todd-and-Lorraine relationship when they’d first started going out, Oliver resolved to not make the same mistake again. He would be happy for his best friend, despite sensing that it wouldn’t be long before Todd moved out of the house and in with his girlfriend.

“What’s the big deal?” Paul paused when he spotted Todd pouring the sparkling wine. “What are we celebrating?”

“Todd’s pre-engagement,” Oliver said.

Todd paused and stared at Oliver. “Pre-engagement?”

Oliver grinned as he shrugged his shoulders. “What else are you going to call it? It’s not an engagement because you haven’t proposed yet. All you’ve done is to set the date for when you do propose.”

Todd laughed. “Okay, that’s as good a term as any, I suppose.” He smiled at the obviously perplexed Paul. “In one year’s time, on the 30^th of March 2015, I’ll be proposing to Lorraine. Becky and I agreed on the date today. That’s what we’re celebrating.”

Paul grinned. “Sounds good to me.” He lifted the plastic flute that Todd had given him. “To Todd’s pre-engagement. May Lorraine say yes when he proposes.”

The three house-mates touched their drinks together and then took sips.

Even though he knew Todd was going to move on without him, Oliver was content. Todd was happy, and that was enough for him.

* * *

Charlie was reading one of his textbooks in preparation for the class the following day when he heard the knock on the door. “Come in!” he called out while narrowing his eyes to re-read the last paragraph. The distraction had been enough for him to lose the context of what was written.

He turned and then froze. Jarrod was the one most likely to come in to see him, so he was startled to see Dave closing the bedroom door behind him.

“Dave! What’s up?”

Charlie’s housemate wouldn’t meet his eyes. “I just wanted to say thanks for yesterday.”

“I didn’t do anything.”

Dave glanced up for a moment, showing Charlie a wry smile. “You did lots.” Dave dropped his head. “Not only covering for me with Roger, but earlier, when you sat with me during the game. I appreciated it, and that you didn’t push me. Thanks for all of that, Charlie.”

Charlie shrugged, unsure of what to say. He didn’t know what to make of Dave’s problems, though the nightmare Dave had described still sent shivers of fear down Charlie’s spine whenever he thought about it.

“I’m...” Dave growled and shook his head. He took a deep breath. “I’m scared, Charlie.”

Charlie swallowed. He was, too, but he didn’t want to tell Dave that. “What are you scared about?”

“That I’m going crazy. That one day I’m going to crack and really hurt, maybe kill, someone.” Dave glanced at Charlie’s sling. “I’ve already hurt you. What will I do next?”

“You’re seeing the psychologist on Friday, right?” When Dave nodded, Charlie smiled, hoping to pass on some encouragement to his older housemate. “Tell them what you’ve told me, and let them guide you. That’s their job; I’m just a simple science student. If you really need to discuss this with a friend, talk to Karen. She’s doing psychology; she may be able to help.”

“No!” Dave took a step forward, hands raised, then visibly fought to stop himself from going any further. He turned his back on Charlie. “I can’t...”

Charlie waited a moment before responding, letting the adrenaline dissipate that had shot through him when Dave looked on the verge of an assault. “If I’m the only one you can talk to, okay, but I’m not sure how much I can help you, Dave.”

Dave’s shoulders slumped. “I don’t know if anyone can help me, but you’re the only one who cares, Charlie. I’ll...I’ll try to hold out until Friday, but I don’t know if I can.”

“Others care, Dave. I’m not the only one. I know Roger does.”

Dave spun around, his face a mask of anger. “Roger? That bastard keeps pushing me. You know; you held him off yesterday! All he cares about is Jim and the team. He doesn’t care about me!”

Charlie slowly leant back in his chair, though the extra distance from Dave was meaningless if he attacked. “If you say so...”

It was as if a switch was thrown. Dave slumped to the ground, his face in his hands. “What am I doing?”

Charlie didn’t know. Deciding that the risk of violence to himself was worth it, he stood up and slowly moved towards his distressed friend. He knelt down and tentatively placed his right hand on Dave’s shoulder.

Dave flinched and then rolled away. He looked up, his expression worried. “I’m going crazy, aren’t I, Charlie?”

Charlie thought it was likely, but didn’t want to say so. “That’s not my call, Dave. Let the psychologist talk with you first.”

Dave pushed himself back to his feet. He stared down at Charlie for a second, then turned to the door. “I’ve got to go.”

“Don’t do anything rash, Dave. Wait until you’ve seen the doctor before you make any decisions.” Charlie slowly rose enough to allow him to sit on the edge of his bed. “Please, promise me.”

Dave grunted, his back still to Charlie. “For you...okay. I’ll wait until after Friday.” He left the room, the door slamming shut behind him.

Charlie stared at the door for several seconds while he considered his options. He quickly narrowed them down to only two possible courses of action. Reluctantly, he decided to take one of them. Charlie picked up his phone and went through his contact list.

“Karen, I know you’re at work, but have you got some time? There’s something I need to discuss with you, and it’s got to stay absolutely confidential. Not even Ty can know.”

* * *

“God, I hate Mondays” Liam kicked a stone that was lying on the footpath.

Doug chuckled. “Everyone does. Well...almost everyone. I’m sure there are few nerds around who think school is the greatest thing since sliced bread and can’t wait for what everyone else thinks is the worst day of the week. At least it’s going to be a nice day. It’s almost like it’s still summer.” He paused. “The weekend went well?”

Liam smiled. “Yeah. No problems with the parents, aunts, or uncles. One cousin was a shit, but he was taken care of by his big brother. I didn’t have to lift a finger.”

“So, you’re out to all of your extended family now?”

“Everyone except my aunt in Queensland, but that’s not a big deal. I’m sure she’ll have heard by the time we go up there to see her.”

“Cool!” Doug grinned. “Life’s looking up for you, then. Do you still want me hanging around you at school this week?”

“Nah, it’ll be fine. I didn’t get any real hint of a problem last week, and I can’t see what that’ll change.” Liam shrugged. “A couple of the guys have been avoiding me, but when I caught up with them, they seemed more uncomfortable than homophobic. I’m going to give them time, and if they want to stay away, it’s no skin off my nose.”

“If there’s any hint...”

“I know: come and get you.” Liam rolled his eyes. “It’s good to have backup, but I think I can handle things by myself from here.”

The two stepped through the gate and into the schoolyard. They had only gone a few metres when they were stopped.

“Hello, Doug. Just the person I wanted to see.”

Doug scowled. “What the hell do you want, Clarissa?”

“I want you, Rod, and your boyfriend to leave Neil alone.”

“Liam’s not my boyfriend! And why the fuck should you care about Four-Dork? Don’t tell me you’re actually smitten with him!”

Clarissa frowned. “I don’t butt into the private lives of you and your boyfriend. You can stay the fuck out of mine. This is a warning. Stay away from Neil.”

“And what are you going to do if we don’t?” Doug smirked. “Throw a temper tantrum?”

Liam felt a cold sensation at Clarissa’s nasty smile. He knew in his heart that Clarissa was still out for revenge for the humiliation of her now ex-boyfriend being gay.

“Nope. Just spread some juicy gossip about what your boyfriend gets up to in his spare time.”

Doug gave Liam a worried look, but Liam’s focus was on Clarissa. She lifted a finger and beckoned. Hesitantly, he took the two steps needed to reach her.

She leant forward to whisper. “Melbourne Cup Day, last year. I still have the video.”

Liam went ashen. He knew exactly what she was talking about. He had been drunk at the time, but it would still be extremely humiliating if it was made public. “You promised you wouldn’t...”

“I’m a bitch. It comes from finding out that I’ve been played for a fool by my ex.”

“Please, Clarissa, you can’t. I’ll be ruined!”

She scowled. “Is that supposed to be a good enough reason for me to keep quiet? Well, fuck you! I’m only slowly starting to realise how much you, idiot-features over there, and the other fuckwit have ruined Neil’s life. If you three don’t stop the harassment, you’ll get a little – just a little, mind you – taste of what you’ve done to him!”

Doug scowled. “What the fuck are you talking about? We haven’t ruined Four-Dork’s life. He’s done that himself by being such a loser. All we do is have a little fun.”

Clarissa’s eyes narrowed. “Really? Well maybe that’s what I should do, too. I’m sure that if Jerk Face’s life is ruined, it won’t be my fault; he’s such a loser that my having a little fun won’t be the cause.”

“No!” Liam sped across to Doug and grabbed him by the arm. “Do what she wants. Please...”

Doug hesitated, his eyes flicking uncertainly between Liam and Clarissa. “If your precious new loser of a boyfriend is so important to you...”

Clarissa grimaced. “Neil’s not my boyfriend. All I want at the moment is to be his friend.” She glared. “Well?”

Doug pulled a face. “Okay.”

“Now, that wasn’t so hard, was it?” Clarissa’s smug smile transformed into a glare. “But if you break your word, Jerk Face gets it.” She turned and marched towards the school buildings.

Liam turned to Doug. “I’ll be back.” He started running. “Clarissa, wait up!”

Her expression was stony, but she waited for him. “What do you want?”

“Please, you can’t use that video. I never did anything to you to justify that.”

She frowned. “I know, but this isn’t about me. This is about Neil.”

“I don’t understand. What we’ve done to him isn’t that bad.”

Clarissa glanced back at where Doug was frowning at the two of them. “You don’t get it, do you? The guy has no one. No one knows him, what he’s like, how he thinks. All because you and the rest of your gang decided years ago that he shouldn’t have friends.” She sighed. “I’ll admit that I didn’t object when you were doing it, and so I’m partly to blame, too, but when I tried to get to know him, I started to see how much damage has been done.”

“Damage? How?”

Clarissa caught and held Liam’s eye. “How strong, emotionally, do you think he is?”

Liam shrugged while he gave it a quick thought. “Not much. Why?”

“No friends, emotionally weak. Picked on regularly by Doug and yourself. He’s at the point of pushing people away rather than letting them get close. He’s probably paranoid that they’re really just out to get him.” She narrowed her eyes. “How far off from committing suicide do you think he is?”

Liam’s mouth dropped open. “You can’t be serious!”

“Deadly serious. That’s why I played the video card. I’m worried. There’s something going on inside Neil’s head, and I don’t like what I think it is. I’m hoping I’m wrong, but I’m not going to take the chance that that’s the case. I’m going to try to show him that he can still have friends...before it’s too late.

“I don’t hate you, Liam. I’m annoyed and pissed off at you, but I don’t hate you. I just didn’t see any other way of getting Doug to back off. Neil needs some space to let him regain some mental balance. At the moment, I don’t think he has any. He certainly doesn’t appear to be acting completely rational. The last thing I want to happen is to come to school one day and find out he’s gone. I’d never forgive myself if I could’ve done something but didn’t.”

* * *

Jim had just entered the small staff room at the back of O’Grady’s Sports when Mr. O’Grady poked his head in. “When you get a chance, Jim, can I have a word?”

“How about now?” Jim placed his bag in its usual spot in the corner where it would be out of the way until lunchtime.

“If that’s all right with you.” Mr. O’Grady started making himself a cup of tea. “Tea or coffee?”

Jim was about to refuse, as he’d had a drink just before he left home, but he sensed that there was something important going on. “Coffee, please.” He didn’t specify how he’d like it; his employer had a mind like a steel trap for details like that and knew Jim’s preference.

A minute later, the two were seated across from each other at the tiny table.

“How are things with your new sponsorship?”

Jim smiled. “I’ll hopefully find out later today. Tony’s confident, but it’s just a case of making sure that the Pride FM commitments won’t interfere with the school-clinic program.”

“So you’ll be finishing up soon. Any chance you can continue working until the end of next week?”

“If you need me to. I’ll send Tony a text to let him know so he can organise it with the radio station.”

Mr. O’Grady nodded his head slowly. “That would be good. I’ve got someone new starting next Monday, and I want you to show him the ropes. He’s a young kid, still in school...and I’d like you to have a chat with him.”

Jim frowned. “Sure, but about what?”

“About his home situation. He’s planning on dropping out to work fulltime, which I think is a stupid idea. I wouldn’t’ve given him the job because of that, but he said he has to move out. He can’t stay at home, though he didn’t say why. If he really does have to leave home, I’d prefer to give him the job so he’ll be able to afford to have a roof over his head.”

Jim hesitated, but he was sure he was right. “Is his name Neil, by any chance?”

“Yes. Neil Rosewood. How did you know?”

Jim’s lips were pursed as he thought furiously. “He was at the club yesterday after the game. One of my teammates introduced him to me. His parents are homophobic, and he needs to get out before they find out he’s gay.”

Mr. O’Grady drummed his fingers on the table. “He told me they wouldn’t let him leave until he’s eighteen. That’s not quite what you’re saying.”

Jim shrugged. “Until he’s eighteen, he’s not a legal adult. I’ve never looked into it. Could his parents make him do something he doesn’t want to before then?”

“I don’t think so. For many things, he’s an adult at sixteen. He just can’t vote or get a driver’s license until he’s eighteen. If he wanted to move out now, he probably could. In fact, I’m sure he could.” Mr. O’Grady gave Jim a sad smile. “Of course, he may not know that.”

“Do you still want me to have a chat with him about his home and parents?”

“I think so. Maybe there’s another option that will allow him to stay in school. Staying with friends until the end of the year.”

Jim winced. “He said he doesn’t have any friends.”

“Hmm...” The drumming fingers created a steady level of background noise while the old man mused. “I’ve supported the club for a long time. Maybe it’s time for the club to give a little back.” He fixed his eyes on Jim. “How about you ask around and see if there’s someone willing to put up a teenager until the end of the year? That way he can stay in school and finish Year 12.”

“That’s a big ask, especially since none of us really knows him. We don’t know what he’s like.”

Mr. O’Grady smiled. “You’ve got the two weeks of the school holidays to fix that. He’ll be working here fulltime over that time on a trial basis. After that, he’s back at school for a month before he turns eighteen and drops out. That’ll be when he starts here as a permanent employee unless we find another solution.”

Jim chuckled and gave his boss a wry grin. “Okay, you’ve got yourself a deal. I don’t know how I’ll do it, but I’ll see if I can find somewhere for him to stay.” He shrugged. “I’ll have to check with my housemates, but if there’s no other option, maybe he can stay with us. He wasn’t a big kid; he could probably sleep on the couch.”

* * *

Neil had been in a good mood until he arrived at school. The buzz from the set of text messages he’d exchanged with Todd on Sunday had kept in a happy mood until the school gates came into sight.

He had seen Doug, Liam, and Rod before school near the entrance and had successfully eluded them by heading further up the road and then jumping the fence. That took him past the teacher’s car park, which was technically out of bounds, but he didn’t care. Being in trouble with the school administrators was nothing when compared to the torments Doug and Co. could inflict on him.

Clarissa had tried to catch up with him between home-group and his first class, but he rushed past her before she could speak. Overall, the morning had gone well until chemistry, when Liam had sat next to him.

Neil glanced around, looking for an empty seat to move to, but he had cut it too fine; the teacher had arrived, and the class was about to start.

“Relax, I’m not going to do anything,” Liam whispered as he brought out his books.

“Yeah, sure.” Neil loaded the two words with as much sarcasm as he could muster.

“No, really.” Liam glanced to the front of the room where Mr. Brown had started to talk.

Neil didn’t believe him, with the result that his attention was only partly on the teacher. Neil jumped at every little movement that Liam made, expecting it to the start of some cruel practical joke that would make him the laughing stock of the class.

“Get it over and done with!” Neil whispered.

“What?” Liam seemed startled.

“Whatever you’re going to do, do it!”

The two were interrupted by the deep voice from the front. “Mr. Rosewood, is there something you’d like to share with the class?”

“Yeah. Could I sit somewhere else, please?”

The teacher frowned at Neil and then Liam. He glanced around the room when several students sniggered before he settled his gaze back on the two guys. “I’m sorry, but the answer is no. I see no reason why Mr. Bellweather is an inappropriate person to sit next to. And in case it’s necessary...” He scanned the room as he spoke. “...I will remind everyone that discrimination based on sexual orientation is strictly prohibited by school policy. I’m also very disappointed with you, Mr. Rosewood. I wouldn’t have picked you as someone who had homophobic tendencies.”

Neil’s mouth dropped open. That wasn’t the reason he wanted to move, but by the time he recovered enough to retort, the teacher has resumed his monologue lecture.

Neil glared at Liam. It was all his fault, and having the teacher berate him for homophobia was probably what Liam had intended all along.

* * *

“G’day.” Charlie sat down opposite Karen at their favourite coffee shop. It was early in the afternoon, and he had an hour before the first of his two lectures for the day. He had come in early just to talk with her, and she was skipping a class to be there with him.

Karen’s smile was forced. “Hi, Charlie. I’m not happy with what you’re asking of me.”

Charlie pulled a face. “I’m not happy with it, either, but I didn’t see a lot of options. Dave doesn’t see a psychologist until Friday, and I don’t believe he’ll be ‛fixed’ – whatever that means with something like this – in a single session. He’s going to need support, and the only person he seems to trust is me.”

He gave her an imploring look. “I need your help. I don’t want to fuck him up by saying or doing the wrong thing.”

“I’m not qualified...”

“And I am?” Charlie ran his right hand through his hair in frustration. “He needs me, and I need you. And you can’t tell Ty any details because that’s not fair to Dave.”

“I know, I know.” Karen grimaced. “How confident are you about what you think is wrong?”

Charlie shrugged. “I’m not a psychologist. I told you everything I know. What do you think?”

Karen stared glumly at the top of the table. “That you’re right. Sometime in the past – who knows how recently – Dave was sexually assaulted. He probably doesn’t remember it, but something has been triggered, and it’s started to affect him. That nightmare you described is based on a real event, merged imperfectly with current people, which is why he sees Jim as his attacker.”

“What’s the prognosis? I spent part of last night searching online, but I couldn’t work it out.”

She sighed. “I don’t know. That’s something for a professional. I’m just a second-year psychology student. We haven’t covered things like this, and we won’t for a long time. If I had to make a decision, though, I’d be saying he shouldn’t be seeing a psychologist; he needs a psychiatrist.”

Charlie frowned. “What exactly is the difference?”

Karen chuckled, though it was a trifle forced. “There’s a huge difference, but the main one is a psychiatrist is a full medical doctor and can prescribe drugs...and would have admitting rights to a psychiatric hospital if Dave needs it. A psychologist can’t do either.”

“Should I suggest that to Andrew, the club doctor? Dave said he’s the one who referred him to the psychologist.”

Karen shook her head. “Not without more information than we have. Hopefully, if Dave opens up enough, the psychologist will recognise what’s going on and will refer Dave on himself. I just hope he doesn’t clam up. If he doesn’t talk, the psychologist can’t make a good diagnosis.”

“So...what do I do?”

“What you’re doing. Talk to him. Support and encourage him. Don’t let him think that you’re not there to help; if you did that, he’d be all alone.”

“Can I keep talking to you about this? Maybe get some suggestions on how to handle things if he keeps confiding in me?”

Karen cringed. “Yes...and I hope I give you good advice.”

Charlie sat there for a few seconds worrying about Dave. He was a long way outside of his comfort zone, and, selfishly, he knew he needed Karen’s help even though that wasn’t fair to her.

“How’s the shoulder? Any idea of when you’ll have your arm out of the sling?” Karen asked.

“Later this week, hopefully. I’m getting physio at the club daily, and Jackie’s happy with the progress. She’s going to test it on Wednesday, and if it passes, she’ll take the sling off me then.”

Karen smiled. “So you’ll be right to play this weekend.”

“Er...no.” Charlie shrugged. “Once the arm is out of the sling I still need physiotherapy until I regain full movement in the arm. I can’t play until that happens. If I’m lucky, it’ll be the following weekend. If I’m not, the weekend after that.”

“Ouch. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you, then. I know how much you want to play.”

Charlie raised an eyebrow.

Karen grinned in response. “I know Ty, and when it comes to football, I don’t think you’re much different. He’d be going nuts if he had to sit out a couple of weeks. You must be the same.”

Charlie laughed. “I’m not as bad as Ty, but, yes, I want to play. I’ve been in the practise matches, but I’m yet to play in my first real VFL game.”

* * *

Neil’s sigh of relief for getting through the day almost unscathed was premature. He had just emptied his locker when he turned around and found Clarissa standing behind him, her arms crossed.

“You’ve been avoiding me all day.”

He shrugged. “I’m glad you noticed. In case I wasn’t clear enough on Saturday, I’m not your pet project!”

“No, you’re not.” She pulled a face. “That doesn’t mean we can’t be friends.”

“Friends? Why would you want to be friends with a loser like me?” Neil was quite pleased. He felt he’d delivered that with just the right level of sarcasm to make her cringe.

“You’re not a loser.” She uncrossed her arms and reached out a hand towards him, but he scuttled back against his locker to try to avoid her. “Neil, I’m sorry for all the years when I should’ve done something but didn’t. I’m making up for that now. You shouldn’t have any more problems with Doug, Rod, or Jerk Face.”

Neil swallowed as he replayed her words in his mind. “Wh...what have you done?”

“I’ve spoken to them and told them to leave you alone.”

Neil snapped “You fucking bitch! You fucking, conniving, inconsiderate bitch! Have you any idea what you’ve done!” He stepped forward as he spoke, noting but not paying any real attention to the look of fear on her face as she edged away from him.

“All you’ve done is to make them more determined to make my life a misery! Don’t you know that you can’t tell them to do or not do anything? They’ll just take that as a challenge to do something else, instead!” The anger faded, and he sank to his knees. “My life is over.”

“It’s okay. They really will leave you alone. If they don’t, just let me know and I’ll deal with them.”

“You?” Neil looked up at her. “You deal with that trio? They’d make mincemeat out of you. That’s probably what they’re about to do to me!”

“They’ve left you alone all day, haven’t they?”

Neil scowled as he levered himself back to his feet. “Apart from Liam. He got me into trouble with the teacher in chemistry this morning. That was probably just a forerunner of what they’ve got planned.”

Clarissa’s eyes narrowed. “That bastard. He’s...” She looked past Neil and pointed. “You. Here. Now!”

Neil glanced around and then quickly grabbed his bag and backed away. Liam was approaching.

“Neil was just telling me about what you did in chemistry.” Clarissa’s glare at Liam had the guy’s eyes opening wide.

“I didn’t do anything!” He glanced at Neil. “Tell her; all I did was sit next to you!”

“Why the hell did you do that?” she asked.

“Because I wanted to make sure nothing happened to him. I thought if I sat with him, everyone would leave him alone.” Liam’s expression was one of panic. “Please, Neil, tell her. That’s all I did.”

“Then how did he get into trouble?” She flicked her eyes towards Neil before returning her attention to Liam.

Liam started speaking quickly. “He thought I was going to do something, even though I told him I wasn’t, and he spoke too loudly. Mr. Brown heard him and asked him if he had something to share with the class. He asked to be moved. The teacher said no, and then accused Neil of being homophobic for not wanting to sit next to me. That’s all. It was just a misunderstanding, honest!”

She turned to Neil, her lips pinched. “Is that right?”

“He set me up! He knew I’d ask to be moved and that the teacher would think it was because he’s gay. He did it deliberately!”

Clarissa stared, her expression softening. “Yes, Neil, it’s his fault. I don’t think he meant for it to happen, but it’s definitely his fault.” She turned to glare at Liam “Jerk Face shouldn’t have sat next to you.”

Liam flinched. “I won’t do it again.”

“You’d better not, mister. You leave Neil alone. You don’t speak to him; you don’t even look at him unless he tells you it’s okay. Understand?”

Liam nodded. He pulled a face. “Sorry, Neil.”

Neil stared and then backed away. He didn’t know if they were playing some sort of complex game, but he didn’t want anything to do with it. As soon as he thought it was safe, he turned and ran away.

As he was leaving, though, he couldn’t help overhead Liam’s final comment to Clarissa. “I’m sorry. You were right about him.”

Neil felt scared. What was it that Clarissa had said that Liam was agreeing with?

* * *

“Are you ready to tell me what Clarissa’s blackmailing you with?” Doug asked as he and Liam strolled home after school. The day had been hot, unseasonably for that time of year, and they were both sweating lightly.

Liam grimaced. “Not really, but I suppose you should know.”

“If you don’t want to...”

“I don’t, but...” Liam shook his head. “It’s not really that bad. It’s incredibly embarrassing and humiliating, and that’s why she’s got me over a barrel. If it were revealed, the rest of my school year would be a nightmare, but in ten years’ time I’d probably be laughing about it.”

Doug snorted. When Liam glanced to the side, he saw a wry smile on Doug’s lips.

“You’ve got me intrigued.”

“You can’t tell anyone else. Just knowing about the video will probably be enough to ruin me. If anyone actually saw it...”

Doug’s jaw dropped. “You and Clarissa made a sex tape?”

“No! I’d never...” Liam shuddered. “You know that Clarissa’s saving herself for marriage. She’d never go along with something like that, and neither would I, at least not with her. No, it’s worse than that.”

“Worse than a sex tape...” Doug grinned.

Liam punched him in the arm. “It’s not funny!”

“You said you’d be laughing about it in ten years’ time. If it’s not a sex tape, what is it?”

Liam gritted his teeth while he worked up the courage to bare his soul. He knew he could trust Doug – his best friend had kept the secret about Liam being gay until he decided to come out – but it was tough to admit to what he’d done.

“It was Melbourne Cup Day, last year. We were at Clarissa’s place. Her folks were having a party while waiting for the race to start. Her father had a few slabs of beer for the guests, and I had a few. A few too many, as it turned out. I’d started drinking at lunchtime, so by the time the Cup was about to be run, I was plastered.”

“You threw up over everyone?”

Liam grimaced. “Can you fucking well let me tell you? You’re not going to guess, so don’t interrupt!”

Doug held up his hands. “Okay, okay.”

“Anyway, Clarissa suggested we have a bet on the big race. Just between the two of us. I was so cocky – absolutely sure I knew which horse would win – that I agreed. We each picked a horse and whoever’s horse crossed the line first would be the winner.”

“You lost.”

“I lost.” Liam took a deep breath. “It didn’t seem like much at the time, but I was drunk. After losing, we slipped up to Clarissa’s room and locked the door....”

Doug frowned. “You told me you didn’t make a sex tape.”

Liam grimaced. “We didn’t. What I had to do was.... God, this is so embarrassing!”

“If you don’t want to tell me...”

“I’ve told you this much, I might as well finish it.” Liam took a deep breath. “What I had to do was dress up as a girl. I then had to do a little song and dance while she filmed me. She promised no one else would see it.”

Doug stared. “Is that all? That doesn’t sound that bad, especially since you can claim you were drunk at the time. You’ll get ribbed for a bit, and then it’ll all blow over.”

“Doug, you’re forgetting one thing: I’m gay and out of the closet. A lot of the guys won’t take it as a drunken dare. They’ll assume that that’s what I’m really like...” Liam shuddered. “I’m not a girl!”

“Oh, shit. I didn’t think of that. But still...it wouldn’t be that bad.”

Liam sighed. “If it was just the story of what happened, okay. But if they actually saw the video.... It wasn’t an innocent little song and dance.”

Doug bit his lip but couldn’t keep the smirk from his face.

Liam glared. “I know what you’re thinking, and no fucking way!”

Doug tried to keep quiet, but couldn’t manage it. He laughed. “How much do you think Clarissa will want if I ask to buy a copy?”

Liam tackled Doug and brought him down onto the nature strip alongside the footpath. “Don’t! Whatever you do, don’t!”

Doug was laughing too much to put up much of a fight. Liam soon had him pinned to the grass. “Promise me you’re not going to ask!”

“Okay, I promise. I’ll just dream, instead.” Doug continued to chuckle while Liam helped him up.

“Thanks, mate,” Liam said as the two picked up their school bags. “I really don’t want anyone else to see it.”

Doug grinned. “Maybe I can steal a copy. I wonder if she keeps it on her phone.”

Doug was still laughing when he was knocked to the ground again.