New Brother

Chapter 7

I was silent during the trip home. Randy and Mum chatted away the whole time, but after I spurned Mum’s initial attempts to involve me, they just ignored me. I knew I was being childish, but the fear of what else might happen was crippling me. It seemed that all weekend I had been trying to think things through, but I was still confused. Maybe retreating for a while would give me breathing space to sort it all out.

When we got home, however, I started to panic. Trevor’s car was parked in the driveway, which almost certainly meant that Liz was also there. I just wasn’t ready to face her.

“Mum, I’m going down to the dam for a while. I’ll be back later,” I said, as we all got out of the car.

“It’s almost lunchtime. Why don’t you go after having something to eat?”

Glancing at Trevor’s car and feeling my stomach churn, I answered, “I’m not hungry. I might get something to eat when I come back.”

Before I could get away, though, Mum stopped me. “David, when was your last decent meal?”

My stomach shifted into growling mode, as I realised yesterday’s breakfast was my last big meal. Knowing that my body had given me away, I slowly turned back and walked towards the house. Dreading an encounter with Liz, I didn’t expect to be able to eat lunch, but Mum wasn’t going to let me get away without trying to feed me.

Letting Mum and Randy enter before me, I waited at the door.

“Liz!” I heard Mum say. “It’s good to see you. Hello, Trevor. How have you been?”

“I’ve been fine, Mrs. Castle, but Randy looks like he’s been in the wars.” I waited anxiously for Liz to say something, but I heard nothing. Letting my curiosity overcome my fear, I walked into the house.

The scene I found when I entered the kitchen wasn’t quite what I had expected. Liz had her face buried in Randy’s shoulder, as he gave her a welcoming hug. Adam, Brett and Brian were sitting at the kitchen table with shocked stares as they looked at the damage to Randy’s face. Trevor and Mum were standing near the sink. Both looked concerned, but it seemed that Trevor was staring at Liz, not Randy.

Trevor was the first to notice me. The switch from concern to anger was quick. If he was angry with me, then I knew things were not well with Liz. Resigning myself to the worst, I ran down the hallway.

“David!” I heard Mum cry, but I didn’t stop. Slamming the door shut after I raced into my room, I threw myself face down on my bed. I didn’t know what to do or what to think. When I heard a tentative knock at the door, I looked up.

“Stick? Can we talk, please?” Liz asked.

Sitting up on the edge of the bed, I stared at the door. Was this going to be the end of our relationship?

“Stick?” Liz pleaded, as she knocked again.

Getting up was hard. My arms and legs felt like lead as I carried a sense of dread to the door. Opening it, I saw Liz with her arm raised, ready to knock again.

“Come in, Liz,” I said glumly.

Glancing around as she entered, Liz moved over and sat on the side of the bed. Not wanting to risk upsetting her, I chose to use the chair at the desk. Sitting on it backwards, with my arms folded on the top of the chair and my chin resting on my arms, I sadly looked at my girlfriend. Possibly my soon-to-be ex-girlfriend.

“What do you want to say to me, Liz?” I asked quietly.

Looking worried and puzzled, she slowly asked, “Stick, what’s happening between us?”

I felt like looking away, but I wanted to grab as many memories of her face as I could. I might not get many more chances.

“We’re fighting,” I said sadly. I didn’t want to be the first to mention the possibility that we might break up.

She waited until she realised that I wasn’t going to say anything more. I had put my foot in my mouth so often recently that I didn’t want to do it again, if I could help it.

“Is that all?” she asked.

Was she trying to get me to say it?

“I’ve done most of the talking recently,” I answered quietly. “I think it’s your turn to say what you think.”

She looked down at the floor as the silence grew. Just as I was reaching my breaking point and was going to say something, she started softly speaking.

“We’ve had some great times, Stick. New Years Eve at the Sorrento back beach was especially great.”

I remembered that night well. It had been a beautiful summer evening on the beach with Liz’s family, celebrating the end of the old year. Liz and I had disappeared into the sand dunes a little before midnight, and we had spent an hour or so of quality private time together before returning to the party. A magical night that I will remember fondly for a long time.

“But now we’re growing up. Real life is crashing in on us. The situation with Adam is driving us apart.”

So she felt it too. My only question was whether or not she wanted to let it drive us apart. I waited, afraid of what she would say next.

“I don’t want it to, Stick”.

My heart leapt. Things were going to be okay again!

“But you need to sort yourself out first”, she continued. “You need to understand Adam and what he’s going through.” For the first time since she had started talking, she looked up at me, pleading, “Help him, Stick. I know you can do it, but you’re not trying. You have a picture in your head of what he is that just isn’t true. Until you fix that, I don’t think the two of us will be able to keep going.”

My heart sank. She was using Adam as an excuse to break up with me. Sighing, I stood up.

“Okay, Liz. If that’s what you want,” I said dejectedly. Turning to stare at my desk, and the picture of the two of us from last Christmas, I added with a whisper, “I think it’ll be best if you leave now. I’m sorry.”

“Stick?”

“Please, Liz. Just go,” I said, not turning around. I didn’t want to see her walk out. It seemed like an eternity, but was probably only a minute of two, before I heard my door close.

I was standing by my desk, lost in memories of better times, when I was startled by a touch on my arm. I had been so distracted that I hadn’t even heard the door open.

“David, it’s time for lunch,” Mum said.

Nodding, I followed her back to the kitchen where she had laid out lunch. Dad, Randy, Adam, Brett and Brian had already started. Mum believes that people should serve themselves, so there was a wide collection of salad ingredients and a basket of fresh bread rolls. Adam and the twins were busy building huge salad rolls, but Randy was merely snacking on small pieces of meat and cheese.

“Randy, what’s wrong?” Mum asked.

“It hurts if I open my mouth too wide, so I can’t eat a roll. I’ll just graze on bits and pieces.”

Adam paused in the feeding frenzy and stared at me. “Maybe we should break David’s nose, too. It might help him keep his mouth shut for a change,” he said, sarcastically.

Everyone’s attention was immediately focused on Adam. The twins, in particular, looked surprised and a little uncomfortable.

“Adam! That was uncalled for. Apologise immediately!” Mum demanded.

“I’ve heard you say that to David several times this weekend, and he never has. Why should I?” he yelled back.

“While you live in this house, you’ll obey our rules,” Dad replied sternly. “We’ve been giving both you and David a lot of slack this weekend, but you’ve overstepped the mark, young man. Either apologise, or go to your roo… er… go to the living room until you’ve calmed down.”

Adam stared at me for a moment, before looking back down at his plate. “Sorry, David,” he muttered, grudgingly.

I thought Adam might be right. If I had kept my mouth shut a few times, things might have turned out better. Slumping down onto a spare chair, I started putting together some lunch.

In spite of Dad’s scolding, Adam was still in the mood to pick on me. “Liz said that you’ve broken up with her. Is that true?”

Staring at the lunch I was trying to make, I wondered what to say. I noticed that everyone had gone silent. Looking up, I found myself the centre of attention. Adam had an evil smile, but the twins had mirror imaged looks of concern. Mum half raised a hand, as if to interrupt, but dropped it as I watched. Dad was looking concerned, but made no effort to interfere. The distortions from the swollen nose and black eyes made Randy’s face unreadable.

“I suppose you could say that,” I forced myself to answer calmly. My stomach was churning, but I wasn’t going to give Adam the satisfaction of knowing he’d stung me.

“So, has this been building up for a while, or did you just dump her out of the blue?”

Mum interrupted. “Adam, don’t bait David. If he doesn’t want to talk about it, leave him alone.”

“Its okay, Mum. I don’t mind answering.”

Turning to face Adam’s smirk, I replied flatly, “One. I didn’t dump her, she dumped me. Two. It was sudden. Three. You’ll be happy to know that it’s all because of you. Congratulations, I don’t think you could’ve ruined my life any better if you had tried.” I had the pleasure of watching the smirk disappear from Adam’s face. It was the only pleasurable thing I felt — the rest of me was in pain.

In the silence that followed, I stood up and grabbed the salad roll I’d made. “I think I’ll eat this in my room. Bye, everyone.”

As I turned to leave, I saw Adam drop his eyes to the table. Brett and Brian were exchanging looks in one of their silent conversations. Mum and Dad just looked stunned. Randy was the only other person to move, rising to his feet.

“David, wait,” he said. His broken nose gave his voice a strange sound.

Without stopping, I answered sullenly, “If you want to say something, I’ll be in my room.”

Entering my room, I left the door ajar. If anyone wanted to come to me to talk, then okay. If Adam came, I was prepared to bite his head off. How dare he say that I’d dumped Liz!

Pausing in my rage, it suddenly struck me what he’d said. Liz had told them that we’d broken up. Had she said anything else? Had she told them the reason?

As I sat down at the desk to eat my lunch, I mentally withdrew my offer of protection for Adam at school. He hadn’t accepted it anyway, and I hated his guts too much now to help him.

I had finished eating and was sitting staring at the pictures of Liz and me on my desk, when I heard a knock at my door. Turning around, I saw Brian standing there looking uneasy.

“Can I come in?” he asked.

“Sure,” I sighed, standing up. Offering him my chair, I sat down on the bed.

He sat down on it backwards, in an eerie repeat of the pose I’d taken when Liz was here.

“Stick, Liz told us some of the things that are going on between you two. If you want to talk, even if it’s just to get it off your chest, you can come to Brett or me at any time. You know that, don’t you?”

“Did Liz tell you why we’re fighting?” I asked.

“Just that it has to do with the way you’re treating Adam. She didn’t say exactly what. To be honest, she was really telling her brother — we were just in the room at the same time. She was really upset.” His embarrassment at having heard it was obvious.

So Adam knew before he started picking on me. That just strengthened my resolve to not help him out at school. It also confirmed that I was right not to trust him. I was furious!

“What did Trev say?”

Brian grimaced. “He said he was going to rip your fucking balls off. Liz held him back and asked him to take her home instead.”

Turning to look out the window, I sighed. Would telling Brian the full story help? Probably not. I didn’t think he’d understand. After all, he and Brett seemed to have accepted Adam pretty easily.

Turning back to look at Brian, I asked, “How come you and B1 aren’t concerned about Adam being a poofter? The first thing I heard you ask him after he told you, was whether or not he had a boyfriend!”

Brian looked up at the ceiling as he thought about the question. Without looking back down, he started to respond.

“I’m not really sure. We’ve known Adam for a few years now, but it was certainly a surprise to find out he’s gay. I think the answer is partly that we don’t think we have anything to fear from him. We trust that he won’t try anything with us, and even if he did, we’re sure he’d stop if we told him to. If he had a boyfriend, in a funny sort of way, that would make it even safer.”

He shook his head as he dropped his gaze back to where I was sitting. “I’m not saying this very well. Basically, it’s because we still think he’s a decent human being. As far as we can see, his being gay isn’t going to make any difference. It’s like if he told us that he had always been a stamp collector. It’s just something that won’t impact on us.”

As I started to reflect on what he was saying, he continued, “Having said that, we’ve advised him to not tell our parents. They’re both strong Catholics and I’ve heard Dad go a bit rabid on the subject of homos. How it’s a sin, and so on. Brett and I don’t think it is, so that doesn’t bother us, but we’re sure our parents would go ballistic if they knew. They will probably find out soon, anyway, but we don’t think Adam needs to tell them.”

He looked at me with a question in his eyes, “You’ve got a problem with Adam being gay, don’t you, Stick? Will it help if you talk over your concerns?”

I lay down on my bed and stared at the ceiling. “I don’t think so, Brian,” I said softly. “That’s what started my problems with Liz. I don’t want to go through that again, if you don’t mind.”

“Okay, Stick. Just remember we’re not far away if you want to talk.”

Still staring blankly upwards, I replied, “Sure, Brian. Thanks for the chat. I think it’s helped.”

“That’s what mates are for, Stick. I’ll leave you alone now. Brett and I have to get home.”

As I heard Brian leaving, I started going over, yet again, what my problem is with Adam. My first reaction to the news hadn’t been good, and I’m still ashamed about that. My only defense is that it had been a big shock and I’d reacted without thinking. I’ve grown up with jokes about poofters, and about how you have to watch yourself around them. Then there are the occasional comments I’ve heard at school from a few students and teachers, about how it’s a sin. Add in examples such as the news report last week about some guy molesting a twelve-year-old boy. Even the occasional TV show with gays in it often implies that they’re all sex crazy. I haven’t had any real-life experience with a homosexual to teach me otherwise. So when Adam told me he’s gay, I freaked out.

I’m over that now, I think. His being gay still makes me want to throw up, but Adam’s not acting gay, and has never acted gay, so I can ignore that part of him if I want to. As several people have said to me, he’s still the same person I’ve known for years.

So what’s my concern? I know it has something to do with Randy. Am I afraid that Adam is going to molest him? Turn him gay? Part of me says yes, and part of me says no. There is something there that is bothering me, but I don’t know what it is. Maybe I’m just being a bit too protective of my younger brother. But is Randy mature enough to know where to draw the line with Adam?

Eventually I decided that I wasn’t getting anywhere. Needing some fresh air, and feeling a bit guilty about the chores that had been neglected all weekend, I changed into some old clothes suitable for working in the paddocks.

Walking past the living room, I saw Dad, Randy and Adam talking. “Dad, I need some fresh air, so I’m going down to check the fences.”

“Okay, David. Take your time. There’s no rush to do anything today. We’re having a roast for dinner tonight, so bring back an appetite,” he said, grinning.

Waving a hand in acknowledgment, I headed off to the garage. Picking up the electric fence tester, I headed down to the paddocks. Mum was busy with her horse in the first paddock, so I skipped that one and headed further down.

Testing the electric fence is monotonous. Stick one end of the tester into the ground, and then touch the other end to the electric tape. The tester then shows if there’s a current going through the fence. If there isn’t, backtrack until the break or short is found.

I’ve tried convincing Mum and Dad to switch over to using a wire, which requires less maintenance, but they prefer to use the tape. They claim it’s easier for the horses and other animals to see, and easier to replace when needed. It’s also more flexible. They often use it to make temporary paddocks or to block off part of a paddock if they don’t want the animals to get in there. Of course it has a tendency to stretch, and when that happens, the wires inside the tape break and it needs to be either replaced or repaired.

Most of the time it’s the wind that stretches the tape, but occasionally a kangaroo gets caught up in it and stretches it before it gets away. We don’t have a strong electric unit, so it doesn’t cause any permanent damage, but you can still get a big shock if you touch it.

Normally I hate testing the fence but there are times when the fresh air and quiet atmosphere can be soothing. Taking my time, I fixed a couple of places where the tape had caught on the fence and was shorting out. There were also two places where the wires in the tape had broken. Marking those, I made a mental note to go back later to fix them. As they were in paddocks that were not being used, there was no rush.

I still had two paddocks to go when I noticed the storm clouds coming in from the west. Glancing around, I noticed that Mum had already gone inside. Picking up the pace, I quickly tested the far corners of the paddocks. When there is a charge there, the odds are that the rest of the fence is okay. If there wasn’t any charge I would have to keep checking. As it turned out, the fates were with me. Quickly moving back to the garage, I put the fence tester away.

Checking the time, I noticed that I’d been out for almost two hours. Normally I would’ve finished in an hour, but today I just hadn’t felt like rushing. Still reluctant to go back inside, I picked up a few carrots from the bin at the back of the garage and headed down to say hello to Mark.

Smiling as I watched him trot up to see me, I thought about how little it takes to make the horse happy. Feeding him a carrot, I moved to the side of his head and started scratching his chest.

“Hello, Mark. I’ve been neglecting you, haven’t I?”

Receiving a small nicker in response, and a nudge from his head, I gave him another carrot. I smiled at how eager he was. Mum had obviously been keeping him on a diet. He was keener than usual for the carrots.

“Mum’s going to a dressage competition next weekend at Yarrambat Park. If everything is still crazy, how about we go with her and have a ride around the park? She won’t let us do any of the cross-country jumps, but it’s still a nice place to ride. What do you say?”

I suspect the nudge I got in reply was more a request for another carrot than an acceptance of the offer. Still, I was sure he’d enjoy the ride if we went. He hadn’t been taken anywhere in a long time.

All too soon, the winds picked up and rain started to fall. Rushing back to the house before it got heavy, I felt calm after my time in the paddocks. I’m definitely more an outside person than an inside one. I still had a small smile on my face as I opened the door and when inside.

“Hi, David. Thanks for doing the fences,” Mum said as I took off my boots. She was sitting at the table, cleaning her horse’s bridle.

“That’s okay. I needed the fresh air.” I hesitated, then decided to ask her about the idea I’d had about next weekend.

“Mum, if things are still crazy next weekend, I may need to get out of the house for a while. Do you think you could take Mark and me with you to Yarrambat? A ride there is usually pretty relaxing.”

She looked up, surprised. “I don’t see why not. Jacque and Mark have traveled together in the horse float before. You just have to promise not to try any of the jumps if there isn’t anyone around.”

I gave her a huge grin. “Thanks, Mum. I’ll let you know near the end of the week if I still want to go for a ride.”

Smiling back, she said, “That’s fine, honey. Now why don’t you get changed and say hello to Scott. He’s with Randy and Adam in the living room.”

“Break’s here? I didn’t see a car when I came up.”

“He and Chris came by to check on Randy. Chris had to go, but he’ll be back after dinner to pick up Scott. Now go and get changed. You might want to take a shower, too!”

As I headed off to my room, I glanced into the living room. Scott was sitting on the couch next to Randy, with Adam slouched on a nearby chair, one leg hanging over the armrest. Everyone looked very relaxed and happy. Moving on before they noticed me, I was glad that Scott had come to visit. It’s good that Randy gets to see how many people are concerned about him.

After a shower and a change of clothes, I was feeling good. While I couldn’t be called happy, I felt relaxed and ready to start socialising again.

About to enter the living room, I heard Scott and Adam laughing, and stopped in the doorway. Scott was nestled in the corner of the couch, one leg stretched out along its length. Adam was still slouched in the same chair. Randy, on the other hand, was standing up, posing in front of the fireplace. “What’s so funny?” I asked.

“Hi, Stick,” Scott said, still laughing. “Giant has just been trying to do Looney Toon impressions, and his broken nose is really making them hilarious.”

As Randy is not known for his impressions, I looked at him with raised eyebrows. When he gave a wry smile and a shrug in response, I grinned.

“I think they’re better than they normally are,” he said.

“They certainly couldn’t be worse,” I retorted.

“You have no taste!” he replied, indignantly.

“I know,” I responded. “After all, I like you.”

After struggling for a moment to come back with a reply, Randy gave up. Grinning widely, he conceded the exchange. “Okay. Maybe you have some redeeming features.”

Sitting down in the spare chair, I smiled. Things were getting back to normal with Randy.

We spent the next hour chatting like typical teenagers. With a conversation that ranged over movies, music, sport and school gossip, I’m sure Randy didn’t notice that Adam and I never spoke to each other. We’d respond to comments by Randy and Scott, but neither one of us spoke or responded to the other. It looks like, by mutual agreement, that we will ignore each other as much as possible. I caught Scott looking strangely at Adam at times, when Adam wasn’t watching, so maybe he had spotted something.

Our discussion was eventually interrupted by Dad calling from the kitchen.

“Randy, can you please set the table for dinner?”

“Okay, Dad!” he responded. As Randy headed out the door, Adam rose to his feet.

“I’ll help, if you don’t mind, Giant. I should start learning where everything’s kept,” he said.

“Come on, then. It shouldn’t take too long,” Randy replied.

After watching them leave, I turned back to Scott. He was still staring after the other two. I thought he looked concerned, but it was hard to be sure. I don’t know him well enough to pick up on subtle clues.

“Break, can we talk privately for a bit?” I asked.

Swinging his attention to me, he looked a little curious. “Sure, Stick. What do you want to talk about?”

“It’s about Adam,” I said. “I’m still a bit concerned about him being a homo, and what it all means. You’re his best friend. Did you have any clue?”

“Hell no! He’s never done anything to make me think he’s gay.”

“I didn’t suspect either. It was a big shock when I found out,” I said. Leaning forward in the chair, I continued, “You were a bit shocked as well. You must have some reservations about him, too. Can you tell me what you think?”

Straightening up, he swung his leg down from the couch and looked down at the floor. There was a long silence before he replied.

“I think it was just that it came completely out of left field,” he began slowly. “It isn’t the sort of thing you expect to be told on the basketball court. It took me a little time to process it.”

Looking up at me, he continued, “I don’t think I have any reservations. He’s still my best friend, though this does change things a bit. I’m just not sure how.”

“But aren’t you afraid that people will think you’re gay too?” I asked.

He looked uncomfortable. I heard a note of fear in his voice as he answered, “Yeah, I’m concerned about that. I’m not sure what to do. I don’t want people to think I’m gay. But I don’t want to abandon Ads, either. Do you have any suggestions for that?”

“All I can think to do is ignore it. Even I’m going to catch it, as I’m sure that some idiots will link my breakup with Liz to Adam, and think it’s because I’m gay. I’ll deny it whenever it crops up, but I doubt that’ll stop the rumours.”

Thinking for a moment, I added, “If enough of Adam’s friends stick by him, people would be stupid to think they’re all gay. I just don’t know how many will do that.” Looking away, I added quietly, “I know I won’t.”

Scott was obviously surprised. “You won’t?”

“No. Adam and I aren’t speaking. We’ve been fighting since he got here. Some of that is my fault, but he’s rejected every apology I’ve tried. Some of it’s his fault, and part of that is linked to his being gay. I don’t really know how we got to this point, but I know it’s partly because Liz and Randy are both involved. I suppose it gets down to the fact that I just don’t understand Adam anymore.”

“What is it that you don’t understand, Stick?” Scott asked.

As I tried to work out how to answer that question, Randy stuck his head in the door.

“Dinner time! Mum says to wash up, then come to the table.”

I didn’t get a chance to continue that conversation with Scott. I wished I could have, as everyone I’d spoken to up to that point had added another perspective to the situation. If I get enough views, maybe I’ll be able to sort out the mess.

Traditionally in our house, Dad cooks the weekend dinners. He happens to like cooking, and he’s pretty good at it. We usually have a roast every couple of weeks, so the dinner wasn’t anything special. By the time we got to the table, Dad was putting down the tray of roast lamb slices. The roasted vegetables and the jug of gravy were already on the table.

Serving ourselves took care of the first few minutes of the mealtime. By unspoken agreement, the conversation was limited to safe matters; the weekend sporting results, schoolwork, and the upcoming basketball finals.

Near the end of the meal, a random remark from Randy sent my mind into a tangent. He mentioned that the police had interviewed him while he was in hospital. It was only then that I wondered how Aiden was doing. After all, it must be pretty devastating to have your dad arrested for assaulting one of your friends. I felt guilty that I hadn’t considered it before, so I resolved to ring him immediately after dinner was finished. If his dad answered the phone I’d hang up, but otherwise I wanted to find out how he was doing.

After we’d put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher, Randy, Adam and Scott returned to the living room. Telling them that I’d be along shortly, I grabbed the phone and retreated to my room.

Taking a deep breath, and crossing my fingers that his dad wouldn’t answer the phone, I rang Aiden.

“Trent residence, Aiden speaking.”

“Hi, Aiden, its Stick.”

“G’day Stick!” Aiden replied. The pleasure in his voice was obvious. He wasn’t keeping his voice down, so I knew he wasn’t afraid of being overheard. “How’s Randy doing?” he asked anxiously.

“He’s quite happy at the moment. He’s got a broken nose and two very black eyes, but he’s otherwise pretty good. He doesn’t appear to be in any pain.”

“That’s good. Can you please tell him how sorry I am for what happened?”

“Sure thing, Aidy. Anyway, I was ringing up to see how you are. I haven’t heard what happened afterwards, just that the police interviewed Giant at the hospital. Are you okay?”

“Things are pretty tense here,” Aiden said seriously. “Dad’s still locked up. We can’t get the bail money until tomorrow. Mum’s such a wreck that she’s staying with my aunt tonight. Because of school tomorrow, I convinced her that I was better off staying here, so I’m home alone at the moment. I just don’t know what’s going to happen when Dad’s released.” I could tell he was worried.

“Is there anything I can do?” I asked. I didn’t expect there to be, but there’s no harm asking.

“No,” he answered sadly.

“What do you think is going to happen?”

There was a long pause.

“Aidy?” I asked.

I heard him sigh.

“Normally I’d say that it’s none of your fucking business, but I suppose your family is all tied up in this now,” he said. “I’m pretty sure that Dad will pull me from the team. I can’t see that he’ll let me keep playing after this. If you could warn your dad, it’d be appreciated. What I’m worried about is what else he’ll do.”

A sudden thought came to me. During one of last year’s classes, we’d studied the topic of child abuse. Given that Mr. Trent had shown he is capable of assaulting a kid, and Aiden’s customary reluctance to talk about his personal life, I wondered whether or not he was in danger. Given Aiden’s last statement, I decided I had to ask.

“Uh, Aidy,” I started hesitantly, “I’ve got a personal question I need to ask you. I’ll understand if you tell me to go jump.”

“What is it, Stick?”

“You said you don’t know what your dad will to do. Is there any chance he’s going to take this out on you?”

The silence that followed dragged on for too long. If he wasn’t worried, he would have answered quickly.

“Thanks for asking, Stick, but no, I don’t think he’ll take it out on me.” Aiden sounded distant, as if his mind really wasn’t on what he was saying.

“I’ve got to go now. See you at school tomorrow.”

He hung up before I could answer. Knowing I was out of my depth, I went looking for my dad.

I found him in the study, working on the computer.

“Dad? Can we talk?”

He turned away from the desk and gestured towards the spare chair. “Sure, David.”

Sitting down, I nervously looked around the room, avoiding meeting Dad’s eyes. I wasn’t sure how to say what was on my mind.

“I’ve just got off the phone to Aiden. I wanted to see how he was coping,” I started.

“That might not have been a smart thing to do,” Dad said gently. “What if his dad had answered?”

“I would’ve hung up. As it is, Aidy’s at home by himself tonight. His dad’s still at the police station and his mum’s staying with his aunt.”

Not hearing a response, I glanced across at Dad. He was just sitting there, waiting patiently for me to continue. Looking down at my feet, I decided to give him the easy news first.

“Aidy said that he’s expecting his dad to pull him from the team. He wanted you to know.”

“I sort of expected that. But it was kind of him to pass it on,” Dad replied, quietly.

Taking a deep breath, I looked up and met my dad’s gaze. Nervously, I spat out the bad news.

“Dad, I was wondering if Aiden might be in trouble. His dad has already put Randy into hospital. What happens if he blames Aiden for what’s happened? Do you think he might hit Aidy?”

Dad looked away. Holding his chin in one hand, I could tell he was thinking hard, and that it wasn’t about happy things. After a minute of silent contemplation, he turned back to me.

“Thanks, David,” he said thoughtfully. “I don’t know if your concern has any merit, and I sincerely hope it doesn’t, but I think I’ll ring the police. This is a matter for them and the magistrate that set the bail. Hopefully they’ll tell me it’s already been considered, but there is no harm in alerting them.”

Rising to his feet, he smiled and added, “It was good of you to think of Aiden. I’m very impressed by your concern on his behalf. I’m proud of you, son.”

Relieved that it was now out of my hands, and appreciative of the compliment, I smiled in return. “Thanks, Dad.”

In a happier frame of mind, I joined the others in the living room. As I sat down in the only empty chair, Randy gave me a questioning look.

“David, who did you call?” he asked.

“Aidy,” I replied. “I wanted to find out how he’s doing. He asked how you’re doing, and said to say he’s sorry.”

Randy looked surprised and a little guilty. “Thanks, David. I hadn’t considered how Aiden might be doing. He’s in the middle of his own family mess now, isn’t he?”

“Yeah. He’s expecting to be pulled off the team, but I think he’s worried about what else his dad will do when he’s bailed.”

Scott interrupted, “He’s not bailed yet?” He sounded surprised.

“No. It seems they can’t get the money required until tomorrow.”

I could tell from the grimaces on all three faces that none of them were looking forward to Aiden’s dad getting out. No one, however, appeared to have anything to say on the matter.

Visibly shaking himself from whatever was on his mind, Scott turned to me.

“On a completely different topic, can I ask a favour, Stick?”

I was about to give my automatic response, that you can ask but I can’t promise, when it struck me that Adam had started with the same question on Friday morning. My mouth temporarily frozen, I just nodded my head.

“The English test is coming up next week. Do you think you can help me study for it? We both know that you’re a lot better at English than I am.”

Relieved that it was something as simple as that, I smiled.

“Sure, Break. And I want you to help me study for Computer Studies. Some of the things the teacher talks about just go straight over my head.”

“Deal!” he grinned in response. “I’ll talk to Chris about bringing me over after dinner a couple of times a week. How does that sound to you?”

“Sounds fine to me. I’m pretty much free any night, since my parents won’t let me get a job.”

“Why is that?” Scott asked curiously.

“Because we live so far out of town,” I answered, disgruntled. “Until I have my own transport, or can organise guaranteed rides, I’m not allowed to take a job. They don’t want to end up being a taxi service on weeknights. At least not any more than they are now. I’m allowed to take a job during the day on Saturdays, but to make any sort of reasonable money, I’d have to work all day. That’d mean no basketball, so that’s out as well.”

Showing his sympathy for my plight with a consoling look, he said, “Okay. I’ll discuss it with Chris on the way home tonight and I’ll let you know at school tomorrow what nights he can give me a lift.”

After a short silence, the conversation restarted on more neutral topics. We chatted away for almost an hour, before Chris showed up to take Scott home.

Knowing that continuing a conversation with Randy and Adam was going to be impossible while Ads and I weren’t speaking, I excused myself and went to my room. It had been another long and eventful day.

Since just before lunch, I had walled myself off from anything to do with the breakup with Liz. Now, at the end of the day, I couldn’t hold it in anymore. After eight months together, we had suddenly broken up. It wasn’t as if this had been building up, so I could’ve prepared myself. Instead, because of Adam, we found ourselves staring at each other across a wide difference of opinion. One wide enough that we didn’t appear to know how to bridge it.

Like a little boy, instead of the sixteen-year-old that I am, I cried myself to sleep.

NEXT CHAPTER