Coming Out for Athletes - 4. Out of the closet, out on the sheets

I love curling, and I love my new team. The boys and I already know each other really well, or at least I know most of them pretty well from having played with them in past years, though never all together. The only one I don’t know was this Brady guy, but he’s a friend of Adam, so he can’t be that bad. It’s weird to be playing with Charlie again. He’s changed a lot since we first played together and I’m actually excited to be on a team with him; he’s gotten way better as a player, and actually a lot better as a human being.

This is my team. Not someone else’s team that I skipped or threw ahead of my age on. These are my guys, my team and my name on the schedule. It’s my team that’s bringing everyone to their feet and getting people to take notice of us. My team, and the other kids who are joining the league this year as well. All of us young guns are taking charge, we’re good, better than most of the older guys who dominate the club and we’re looking forward to making our mark on the season.

I’m supposed to be stretching right now. I am. Like I’m stretching my fingers by responding to Angus’ text messages. I keep asking him to just show up at one of my games, but he’s always working evenings and I don’t want him to reschedule his work shifts just to come see me play. That’s selfish, and he needs the money really badly so I don’t mind. He’ll show up one day, he can’t avoid it forever.

I’m typing away, minding my own business and making at least some kind of effort to get ready for our game that starts in ten minutes. My rapid pace typing is interrupted by the sound of Charlie, and just as suddenly as he’s arrived he’s reaching into my hands to check out what I’m doing.

This should be good. I know Adam already knows I’m gay, or he better know, since he got me that awful pink shirt the last season we played together, and he spent half the season with the rest of the team quizzing me on all things fashion, like I know anything about fashion. Charlie doesn’t know, and no one knows about me dating someone right now, so this could be an interesting way to start the season and Charlie’s first game with us, after missing the first week to injuries.

“So, who’s this Angus guy? Seems like you’re a little more than friends.” Charlie says, trying to figure out what he’s supposed to say.

Poor Charlie, I can tell he’s trying so hard to figure out what to say and do. We’re both adults now, but we first played together when he was a high school freshman and I was a senior. I still remember how I could rest my chin on his head and survey the whole sheet of ice without having to move. It was great, and it sort of bonded us like siblings because of how similar we were. I mean, we even have the same ethnic mix, with Asian mothers and Caucasian fathers, so we inherited the same permanently tanned skin tone and the black hair.

He’s also inherited a healthy respect for me since I used to be his coach immediately after graduating high school. So I can see he’s trying to think of a polite way of asking me why I’m texting my boyfriend things like ‘I’ll see you after the game, I hope you’re ready for some fun tonight.’

Adam and Brady were inching closer to the conversation, and of course Adam’s the one that gets the conversation going. Not even thinking about how I might want to keep this conversation private, he grabs the phone and reaches his own conclusions almost instantly.

“Well look at that! Hunter’s got himself a boyfriend! Who’d have figured.”

I can’t think of anything to do other than stare at him for his complete lack of tact. Not to mention the fact that he’s basically yelling it out for everyone to hear.

“Adam… I had hoped that you’d have learned subtlety in the past few years. I can see that my hopes were wasted.”

He’s nodding at me and laughing his ass off, while Brady and Charlie are still trying to process everything. Brady in particular doesn’t seem to know what to do right now, and a lot of that is because I’ve known him for all of a week, so we’re strangers, except now someone’s blurted out that I’m gay in the most blunt way possible.

Charlie’s just looking at me as well, like he’s almost on the verge of saying something. I’m going to put all three of these guys out of their misery. Besides, the other team’s starting to head out on the ice and we do have a curling game to play, or at least that’s why I’m at the rink.

“Yes. I have a boyfriend. I was trying to have a conversation with him, but that’s obviously not happening anymore. Let’s go. You three can prove how gay you are and gossip with me about it, AFTER the game is over. Try to focus tonight boys, we lost our last two and do need to actually win one at some point this year.”

Looking at each of them, I yanked my phone out of Adam’s hand and tossed it in my bag, swapping it out for my broom and gloves. I’m followed out of the lobby and onto the ice by my team, who’ve finally woken themselves from whatever slump or funk I put them into by admitting what one already knew and the others couldn’t have been too surprised about.

Adam and Brady are playing well, they don’t seem to be overly lost in thought about me being gay, though Brady’s not talking to me much today. I don’t think that’s too weird though, he hasn’t been talking to me much this season anyways. The only one who seems a bit put off is Charlie, and I’m not sure if that’s because he’s out of shape from being injured and missing the first week, or if I’ve actually broken his brain a bit by telling him I’m gay.

Every end, Charlie got to come down to my end of the sheet and discuss things with me so that he could hold the broom for me during my shots. I figure this is as good a time as any to see if he’s okay, so as soon as we figured out my prospective plans and set up any potential shots I could make in this pretty simple situation, I laid it out.

“Charlie, let’s talk. You’re off your game today, is everything alright? I know that you weren’t quite expecting that to happen when you grabbed my phone.”

“Yeah, it’s fine. Just a lot to think about. We’ll talk about it after the game, like you said. Here, let’s go, we’re on the clock and you know it’s just an easy draw. Let’s do it.”

Smiling at him, I slide myself down the sheet and get myself through my routine for throwing a rock. I love this space, it’s only a few seconds of my game each time I shoot, but it’s a chance to speak with my front end and see how they’re doing too, and keep them focused.

“Alright ladies, let’s do it. Just a draw, top eight foot’s good enough. How’s the ice, looking the same as the last couple ends?” I ask, looking back between Adam and Brady.

Brady doesn’t’ say anything to me, but Adam’s all over it.

“Yep, you got it boss, and you can’t call us ladies considering you don’t even like them.”

Jerk. I shoot him a dirty look and go back to my routine. Now that I’m all set, I go through the sliding motions and think about keeping my balance. Hips up, shifting the weight back, now bringing all the weight forward and pushing off with my foot. Considering it’s so early in the year, I’m happy that I’m able to keep such a well-balanced slide, and I can tell that my aim is good at least. Can’t tell anything about whether it’s got enough weight for the job, but at least I’m not missing wide or narrow.

We’re playing really well, and before I know it the game’s actually over and we’re all heading back into the locker room to change. Now that the secret’s out, I’m a little bolder about where my eyes wander, and holy, am I glad they do. Charlie’s FIT; these are rock solid abs and he looks great, even if he’s still half a foot shorter than me. Perfection, all in a straight guy.

Charlie turns around and we just look at each other. Thankfully it’s just my team that’s changing right now. I shrug at him and give him a look that says ‘what? Just what did you expect?’ and we both move along with changing into our street clothes.

Once we get upstairs Adam kindly goes to buy the first round of beers. This is why I love curling. The sport itself is great, but the club has its own on-site bar. This is what we’re here for, the socializing and the drinking!

We’ve all got our drinks now, and everyone’s just looking at me again. God, they’re always staring at me today. Do I have something on my face, or are they just painfully afraid of what to say?

I sigh loudly and dramatically at them, hoping to play up the stereotypes just a bit to get their attention.

“Ask your damn questions and get it all out of your systems, may as well do it now so we’re not bombarding me with more questions throughout the year.”

My mistake. I’m opening Pandora’s box here, and right on cue they’re all pelting me with questions, apparently forgetting that I’m only capable of answering one question at a time, and that I won’t bother if they won’t silence themselves long enough to get answers.

Holding up my hand, I start answering each question as they come up, which almost always leads to spinoff questions. I’m clutching my beer and taking drinks as needed to get through this crazy gay interrogation, and by the time I’m finally exhausted and the boys are silent, it’s after midnight and we’re all out of beer.

“Everyone going to be alright to get home?” I ask. I don’t want anyone doing anything foolish, but I feel pretty good and we all just had the one beer, so everyone gives their assent and we head back to our various homes.

Two days later, the boys are back and we’re getting ready for our next game. Not a single thing changed, except Adam is back in great form, asking me all sorts of gay questions that I have no idea how to answer without scarring him for life. His fault, maybe he won’t ask anymore if I give him the really graphic answers.

Like I said. I love this team.