New Brother

Chapter 20

“I’d like to keep what she told us quiet,” Adam said, as we walked to our next class.

“Why?”

“It just felt like Sister Brenda was sharing something private. Telling others about it doesn’t feel right, somehow,” he explained. He looked across at me as we continued on our way, pleading without words for me to understand and agree.

I thought about it. During the first part of the conversation, Sister Brenda had been just giving advice, but I knew that wasn’t the part Adam wanted me to be quiet about. I wanted to know more about what Sister Brenda had experienced in Northern Ireland, but I couldn’t see how passing on the story she’d told us would help Adam. As he said, it was a personal bit of her history that she shared with us — actually, with Adam. I was just there because she allowed me to stay. The major bit of help she gave him was at the start of the class. She’d told everyone loudly and clearly how she expected us to treat Adam.

“Okay.”

Adam grinned. “Thanks, David.”

We soon arrived at the computer lab. Everyone fell silent as we entered the room. I saw Scott sitting by two empty workstations, looking worried.

“Sorry for being late, Miss Conlan,” I said, as I handed over the pass from Sister Brenda. Adam followed suit, mumbling his apology.

Our teacher looked unhappy at the interruption to whatever it was she was doing, but her mouth dropped as she read the notes. She snapped her head up and stared at Adam.

“Are you okay, Adam?” she asked quickly. The way she used his first name, instead of his last, showed that she was rattled. “Is there anything wrong?”

“Everything’s fine, Miss,” Adam replied, looking surprised at the teacher’s concern.

Lowering her voice, the teacher leant forward. “If Sister Brenda said something inappropriate, you know you can complain, don’t you?”

That was when her odd behaviour made sense to me. At least one teacher was concerned about what the elderly nun might do or say to Adam.

Adam smiled. “Everything’s fine, Miss,” he repeated. “Really!”

Miss Conlan stared intently into his eyes for a moment before nodding her acceptance.

“In that case, please find a seat. We were just reviewing some solutions to yesterday’s set of problems. You’ll have to pick up, later, what you missed.”

Adam and I took the seats on either side of Scott. As Miss Conlan started pointing at the computer code projected onto the large screen, describing how it worked, I saw Scott nudge Adam.

“What happened?” he whispered to his boyfriend.

“It’s okay. I’ll tell you later,” was the quiet response, before Adam focused his attention on the lesson.

I could tell that Scott wasn’t happy with that answer, but there wasn’t a lot he could do about it. Because Adam had partially turned away so he could watch the teacher, he didn’t notice his boyfriend’s worried expression.

“It really is okay, Scott,” I whispered.

He still looked concerned but he nodded his head, accepting what I was saying.

“I heard she kept him back. What did she say to him?” Scott asked me quietly.

Unfortunately, either Scott was not quiet enough, or his turning away from the teacher to talk to me attracted her attention.

“Mr. Wilson!” she snapped. “Please pay attention. You can gossip with your friends later. You do not do it in my class!”

“Sorry, Miss,” Scott mumbled, as he turned back to the face the front.

I could tell that he wasn’t going to be listening properly to most of the lesson. He clearly had other things on his mind, and even though Adam and I had both told him that everything was okay, he wanted details as soon as he could get them.

By the end of the class, Scott was a bundle of nerves. He barely waited for the end-of-period bell to stop ringing before he grabbed Adam by the arm.

“Okay, what happened?” he demanded.

Adam smiled, seeming to be amused at how distraught his boyfriend had become. While I also found it mildly amusing, I was concerned that Scott might say or do something that would result in his being outed. However, my promise to Adam restricted what I was able to say. I had to wait for Adam’s lead. I noticed that a few other students were hesitating on their way out, as they watched and listened for any interesting gossip.

“Sister Brenda was just giving me some advice on how to handle things if I ever meet another Mr. Martin. That’s all. She was polite and considerate the whole time. There’s nothing to be worried about.”

Adam reached down and picked up his bag before rising to his feet. He was ready to get going, but Scott wasn’t.

“That’s all?”

“Yep,” Adam replied, grinning.

Scott turned to me and asked, without words, for me to confirm that story.

“That’s right, Break. Don’t worry about it.”

Scott didn’t look convinced, but he got up to leave. I suspected he realised that Adam wasn’t going to say anything more in the classroom. Scott would probably try again that night, when he had some private time with his boyfriend. I hoped Adam would share things with him, but I felt myself bound by my agreement — it wasn’t my place to say anything.

As we walked to where the bus would be picking us up, I overheard bits of the conversations around us. Not surprisingly, the major topic was the lunchtime fight.

“I heard that Williams killed the guy.”

“James told me that the guy was sleeping with Williams’ sister. I didn’t even know he had a sister!”

“Mr. Landerfield said that Luke Williams’ll go to prison for what he did.”

“Steve said the guy who got bashed is only a poof.”

That last one surprised and frightened me. With the hatred he’d shown towards Adam, I couldn’t believe that Nick Tremen was gay, but it was the word “only” that hit me the hardest. “Only a poof” was something I could’ve said a few weeks prior. I snapped my head around to try to see who’d said that, but all I saw was the usual throng of students. I couldn’t pick who had said it.

“Ads! What’s this about you being kept behind in class?”

Gary, Mary and Liz intercepted us as we walked along. Gary was the vocal one, but both girls were looking concerned.

“It’s okay, Gazza. Sister Brenda just had some things she wanted to share with me in private, that’s all.”

Gary looked like he was going to ask more questions, but stopped when Mary put her hand on his arm and started to whisper into his ear. He seemed annoyed, but didn’t say anything more.

“Is he really okay?” Liz asked me quietly as she took up position next to me.

I nodded my head. “Yeah, he is. Sister Brenda is on his side.”

I didn’t think I was giving anything out with that statement, as she’d made that position clear during the class.

“Sister Brenda?” Liz remarked in disbelief, though she kept her voice down. Mary was asking Scott something, so I didn’t think the others heard Liz. “The Sister from Hell?”

“I know, but I really think she is on his side,” I replied quietly, giving Liz a gentle smile.

When she returned the smile, hesitant though it was, my heart gave a leap. I felt like I had felt when we’d first started dating and had both been tentative, but I knew we could get past that stage again, if we tried.

As we continued our walk down to the bus stop, Liz slipped her hand into mine. Neither one of us said anything, but it was another step forward in rebuilding our relationship. I didn’t know what brought that on, but I wasn’t going to question it. I was just grateful that she’d hold my hand.

After the awful way the day had started, with two vandalised lockers, it was ending brilliantly. I was waiting for something to go wrong, while hoping that things would keep going the way they were. Adam wasn’t telling anyone about the after-class conversation with Sister Brenda, though he was happy to recant the events from the start of the class, and I was following his lead. He was happy, and it showed. Having the support of an influential teacher had lifted him. The principal and vice principal had both previously indicated they were on Adam’s side, but since they’re members of the school hierarchy, they don’t have much direct contact with the students. Everyone knows and respects — or fears — Sister Brenda, and having her on his side gave a big boost to Adam’s confidence.

Randy, Stu and Kevin were wrestling again when we arrived at the bus stop, but this time several people, and not just their friends, were keeping an eye on their bags. It was all low-key; no one was making a fuss, they were just being cautious. Ian Ashton and Ty Roberts were hovering in the vicinity and their mere presence was providing a sense of safety.

The gossip around us was about the lunchtime fight. Adam, Randy and pink hair were subjects I didn’t hear. While most of the students seemed to have the opinion that Luke didn’t need an excuse for what he did, a number were trying to come up with a reason. There were several who seemed to think Nick was gay, or that he had said something to made Luke think he was gay. The worrying thing was how unconcerned many of them were about that. It was like it was just an intellectual exercise for them.

I was still wondering whether or not to say anything, and to whom, when Mary came over to Liz and me.

“Stick, Gary and I would like you, Ads and Giant to come around to my place for lunch on Sunday.”

I looked at Liz.

“I’ve already said I’m going,” she said, answering my unspoken question.

“We’ll need to check with Mum and Dad,” I said to Mary, “but I can’t see why not. It’s not like we have school on Monday.”

“Good,” she said, smiling, before handing me a piece of paper. “Here’s the address and phone number. Your parents can ring mine if they have any concerns.”

“Thanks, Mary,” I said as I took the paper, glanced at it quickly, and slipped it into a pocket.

I noticed Mary lives in Yarra Glen, which would make it easier. We could all catch the bus into town. If it didn’t go too late, we could catch the bus back, too.

As Mary returned to her boyfriend’s side, I wondered about her. Despite not knowing us well, Mary had, without hesitation, stepped into the crisis that had enveloped my family. She was there, offering support, when Liz had abandoned me in Yarra Glen just after Adam moved in with us. She’d been there calming Randy at our last basketball game. I was mildly ashamed that I hadn’t really noticed her previously. It wasn’t until she and Gary had started dating that we crossed paths.

There was no comparison between her and Liz, but as a worthwhile person to know, Mary was certainly up there near the top of the list. I was looking forward to that lunch.

“How well do you know Mary?” I asked Liz quietly.

“Until recently, not very well,” she admitted, making me feel better. I hadn’t been the only one.

“She’s quite someone,” I remarked. “But then she needs to be, to handle Gary.”

Liz dropped my hand. For a moment I thought I’d offended her, but then she slipped an arm around my waist and leant into me.

“She cares a lot. She doesn’t like people being hurt. Mary’s been really good to me over the last week,” Liz said softly.

The last week. The time over which Liz and I hadn’t been together. I felt a blow hit my heart, but I steeled myself not to show it. Adam had done his bit to get Liz and me back together, but it seemed Mary had also been doing things in the background. I wondered if she and Adam had been talking, but I decided I didn’t need to know.

When it was time to go, I hesitated before letting go of Liz. Steeling myself for rejection, I stretched down and gave her a small, practically chaste kiss on the lips. She didn’t fall into it, like she would’ve done before our fight, but she didn’t pull away. It was enough to make me smile as I boarded the bus.

I dropped into an empty seat near the back of the bus. Randy joined me, while Adam sat down next to an older girl a short distance away. I looked around and noticed that no one seemed to be paying any attention to either Adam or Randy. For the kids on our bus, life was settling back into a normal routine.

“So, did you check out any Tonys, today?” Randy asked quietly.

I started at the sudden question. I’d been in a happy daze since my parting with Liz and hadn’t been paying attention to my brother.

“Well?” he asked.

It took me a moment to realise what he was talking about.

“No. I was too busy with other things. What about you?”

He shrugged. “I know two Tonys in my year, but I don’t think it was either of them that rang the other day. Their voices don’t sound right. I hope Adam can convince him to meet up. I’m dying to find out if he’s someone I know.”

“We’ll know soon enough. Just be patient.”

He made a face. “I don’t like having to wait.”

I looked away before smiling. I’d forgotten about that phone call, but my brother clearly hadn’t. In some ways, I was glad. Most of the signs of frustration and aggression he’d shown at the start of the weekend were completely missing. While a lot of that was probably due to a general decrease in the amount of abuse and comments he was getting, I couldn’t help wondering if some was also due to his being distracted by curiosity over who Tony was. Randy didn’t seem to think of the possibility that the guy may have given a fake name, and I wasn’t going to suggest it to him. As long as he didn’t drop back into that sullen state of his, I was happy to let him continue the way he was.

After we got off the bus, Randy pushed the pace as we walked home. Most of his contribution to the conversation was aimed at encouraging us to move faster. He normally has a relaxed pace, but it was clear to me that he was eager to get home and wait for a phone call from Tony. I found it amusing, but I was relieved that Randy had been upfront with Tony and said he’s not gay. Otherwise, I would’ve been concerned that my brother was following through with his threat to get himself a boyfriend.

Mum was outside when we walked up the driveway. As we approached, she stopped what she was doing and examined us carefully.

“Anything happen today?”

Randy grinned, snapped his heels together and gave an exaggerated salute. “Nothing to report, sir!”

Mum’s mouth twitched into a smile at Randy’s antics. She then turned her attention to Adam.

“A few things happened, but nothing to worry about. I’ll give you and Mr. Castle the story at dinner, okay?”

She nodded thoughtfully. “All right. I’ll be an hour or so, as I need to clean out the paddocks. You boys can go and do your homework in peace.”

With that, she turned her attention back to putting some gear into a wheelbarrow.

“Come on,” Randy insisted, as he headed towards the house, leaving Adam and me behind.

“He’s eager,” Adam remarked. “What’s got into him?”

Reviewing our walk from the bus, I realised Randy hadn’t mentioned Tony.

“He’s waiting for a phone call from Tony. He’s dying to find out who Tony is,” I explained.

Adam seemed startled at the explanation. As we slowly followed Randy, I didn’t interrupt his thoughts.

“Do you think it’s a good idea to try to meet him?” Adam asked me, hesitating with his hand on the door handle.

I turned and faced Adam. I hadn’t forgotten the discussion we’d had when Tony first rang. Randy’s comments at the time, and Scott’s support for my concerns, were still on my mind.

“I’m not happy, but I think it’ll be safe. I still remember Giant’s comments about how Tony will be needing friends,” I replied. After a moment, I gently added, “Randy makes a good friend when someone needs one.”

I wanted to say that I could be a good friend, too, but saying anything about being a friend would’ve sounded hypocritical, considering the way I’d acted on Adam’s first night in our house.

“Yeah, he does,” Adam muttered to himself as he opened the door.

Stepping inside, I saw Randy’s school bag thrown to the side. Sounds from down the hallway indicated he was busy getting changed. Adam and I headed in that direction.

“Do you have any homework to do?” I asked Adam just before we reached my room.

“Not much. We’ve finished our tests for the week, so I’ve only got an essay for English that’s due next week.”

“Same here,” I said. “Good! I could do with a break.”

Adam grinned. “I could do with a Break, too, but he won’t be here until later.”

I gave an exaggerated groan and went into my room. I smiled as I closed the door behind me. Adam’s joking seemed to indicate we were settling back into our old friendship. For some reason, I had the idea in my head that I wouldn’t be able to complete my reconciliation with Liz until I’d also gotten back into Adam’s good books. Liz had never said that, and her actions at the end of school that day had indicated it probably wasn’t the case, but everything had started going wrong when I had lost Adam as a friend, and it didn’t feel like things would be fixed until I got him back.

After quickly getting changed, I went to the kitchen to start my homework. Randy was already there, and he had placed the phone handset in the middle of the table. He’d started on his homework, but he kept glancing at the phone.

Deciding to not say anything, I sat down next to him and started on my essay. Adam joined us and started work, too. There was a quiet tension in the air as we all silently waited for a phone call. I knew it might never come, but I mentally crossed my fingers and hoped that Tony wouldn’t be too scared to call.

We were all working when the phone rang. Before Adam or I could react, Randy leant over and picked it up.

“Randy.”

There was a short pause before he smiled and looked over to Adam.

“Yeah, Tony, he’s here. Nice to hear from you again, too. I’ll put him on.”

With that, he handed to phone over to Adam.

“Hi… Tony?” Adam started hesitantly.

There was a long pause while Adam just listened. I was curious as to what was being said, but I expected Adam to fill us in on any relevant details, so I schooled myself to be patient.

“Tony, I know what you’re going through. I’ve been there myself, and I want to help you out as much as I can,” Adam said, obviously trying to be supportive, “but I have to tell you that I’m already seeing someone.”

Randy lifted his hands up and crossed his fingers. I didn’t do the same, but I hoped that Tony wouldn’t hang up.

“No, it’s not Randy,” Adam said with a smile. “My guy’s not out, so you can understand how careful I have to be.”

There was another pause, during which Adam wrinkled his forehead as he concentrated on what he was hearing.

“Don’t go,” he said, suddenly sitting up straight as he appeared concerned. He then relaxed and slouched back into his chair.

“He said he’d like to meet you. Why don’t you come here to the Johnsons’ place sometime over the Easter weekend? Everyone here will be discreet.”

As he listened to the response, Adam smiled gently and started to go red.

“Yeah, that’s the address. Just a second while I check,” Adam said, before lowering the phone and addressing Randy and me. “Any problems with Tony coming up here on Saturday morning?”

“Not that I can see,” I replied as I glanced over at Randy to see if he could think of anything. When he nodded his head, I looked back at Adam and added, “Why doesn’t he stay for lunch?”

Adam lifted the phone back to his ear. “Yep, Saturday morning is fine. You can stay for lunch, too, if you want to.”

Adam smiled. “Yeah, same to you. Look forward to meeting you then.”

With that, he lowered the phone and pushed the button to disconnect.

“He knows where we live?” Randy asked.

“Yeah, he does,” Adam said, frowning slightly. Shaking his head, he added, “Probably not surprising, really. He knows who I’m staying with, and just looked up the address before he rang.”

“So?” Randy asked.

Adam looked puzzled for a moment, before grinning.

“He sounds like a nice guy. He was disappointed that I’m already seeing someone, but I think just speaking to another gay guy was a lift for him.”

“And the reason you started blushing?” Randy prompted.

Adam went red again and looked away. “Do you really want to know?” he asked, not allowing any eye contact.

“I don’t think so,” I jumped in before Randy could say anything. “Shall we just leave that one as something personal?”

Adam flashed me a grin of thanks.

“Not fair!” Randy pouted before smiling. “How am I supposed to learn about these things if you don’t tell me?”

“You could always ask your parents,” Adam suggested.

“Ask them what?”

Adam paused for a moment before asking, “Hasn’t your dad given you that talk?”

It was Randy’s turn to blush as he nodded stiffly.

“And did he talk about gay sex?”

Randy just shook his head. As Adam gave him a wicked grin, Randy threw up his hands. “Okay, you win. I don’t need to know!”

We all laughed, releasing the tension we’d been feeling while waiting for Tony’s phone call. While we relaxed, I reflected on the easy way Adam and Randy had interacted at the end. The two of them had gotten pretty close during the time since Adam had joined our family.

That night, over dinner, Adam filled in my parents on the events of the day. He mentioned the graffiti on the lockers without giving details, apart from it being abusive, and didn’t say anything about what had been sprayed inside. He emphasised that he’d been given a new locker just outside the staffroom.

The fight at lunchtime had both my parents concerned. In response to a look from Dad, Mum told him she’d ring the school the next day for details. I wasn’t sure what it was they were worried about, as Luke wasn’t going to be coming back, but I let it slide. No one else questioned them on it, either.

Adam was grinning as wide as he could while he told everyone about Sister Brenda’s class. There was a noticeable difference in him as he talked about that. The episode had seemed to lift him. It was as though no matter what else happened, he had a very strong, positive memory to support him, and he wasn’t letting it go.

He didn’t say anything about what was said after that class, though. I hoped he would tell Scott when he arrived later that night. Not only did Scott deserve the full story, but if Sister Brenda’s support meant that much to Adam, Scott should share in that, too.

“While I remember, Tony will be coming around on Saturday morning,” Randy remarked after Adam had finished.

“Who’s Tony?” Mum asked.

“A friend from school. He’s one of the guys who didn’t mind when everyone thought I was gay,” Randy explained nonchalantly.

I frowned. Randy was making it sound like Tony was an old friend, when he didn’t even know what he looked like. He also wasn’t mentioning that Tony’s gay. I glanced across at Adam to see what he thought of that. Adam appeared to be uncertain, but he didn’t say anything. If there was one thing that I’d learnt, it was that I shouldn’t out anyone without his permission.

“Okay,” Mum said, clearly dismissing the subject from her mind.

“Mary and Gary have asked the three of us to lunch on Sunday at Mary’s place,” I said, once it was apparent that neither Adam nor Randy was going to say anything more on the subject of Tony.

“If you take a change of clothes, I can drop you off after church,” Dad offered. “Where does she live?”

“In Yarra Glen,” I answered, surprised at the total lack of questioning. Dad had met Mary at some of our basketball games, but my parents usually like to know more about someone we’re going to see. All I could think of was that either Mary must’ve made a strong impression, or Dad just trusted Gary’s judgement in choosing a girlfriend.

“Is Scott going to be there?” Mum asked.

I looked at Adam who shrugged. “Don’t know,” I replied.

“I’ll ask him when he comes around tonight,” Adam promised.

“It’s a long weekend, so you can stay there late if you want to. If you give me enough notice, I should be able to come around to pick you up,” Dad said.

It was a night of surprises. Mum and Dad typically try to make sure they don’t end up running a taxi service for Randy and me. I wondered if it was the addition of Adam, or if there was something going on that I didn’t know about. Either way, I wasn’t going to risk messing up the offer by asking questions.

“Thanks, Dad.”

“On the subject of the long weekend, what are you and Scott planning on getting up to, Adam?” Mum asked.

Adam stiffened and looked startled.

“Uh… we haven’t discussed it,” he said lamely. He looked concerned at the oversight.

“With all the time you two’ve spent together, what have you been discussing, then?” Randy asked sarcastically.

Adam didn’t answer. He just went red and looked down at the table and concentrated on his dinner.

Randy grinned cheekily at Adam, while Mum and Dad just smiled knowingly. I felt sorry for Adam, but I couldn’t keep a grin off my face. Adam’s reaction was amusing, even if the reason was understandable.

“How about you invite him around for dinner tomorrow night?” Mum suggested. “Chris can come, too.”

Adam sighed and looked up. He seemed upset about something.

“Scott and Chris have a family dinner tomorrow night, so they can’t come over,” he said, sounding lost.

My first reaction was that he was just going to miss his boyfriend, but then I realised he’d put a faint emphasis on the word “family”. It wasn’t just being away from Scott for a night that was a downer, but also that Scott still had a family to be with, and Adam was being excluded.

I mustn’t have been the only one who picked up on that, as Mum reached over and patted Adam gently on the hand. No one else made a comment. Dad just looked sad, and Randy shook his head silently.

When Chris and Scott showed up that night, Mum and Dad retired to the study. The rest of us settled into what was becoming a routine: Adam and Scott were draped around each other on the couch in the lounge room, while Randy and I took a couple of chairs and Chris brought in one of the kitchen chairs so he could join us.

It turned out that Scott had also been invited to the lunch at Mary’s on Sunday, and that made Adam happy. Scott mentioned that he was going to pick a bunch of flowers from their garden for Mary’s mum, which made Adam, Randy and me look at each other, alarmed. Our garden doesn’t have a lot in the way of appropriate flowers, being mainly Australian native plants. They look great in their natural state, but are totally unsuitable as cut flowers.

Randy suggested that we take a cake. He then stared at me with a wide-eyed, innocent look.

“Okay,” I sighed.

“What?” Adam asked, flicking a glance between my brother and me.

“Randy wants me to bake a chocolate cake,” I explained, giving my brother a mock glare. “He knows Mum and Dad won’t do it, so one of us has to. If it was for someone we didn’t like, Randy would do the cooking, but since we don’t want to upset them, I’ll do it.”

“Hey!” Randy exclaimed, looking offended. “My cooking isn’t that bad!”

“What colour was that cake you cooked last year?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Black was the ‘in’ colour last year,” he replied sagely.

“Black?” Chris asked.

“As in charcoal black,” I said, grinning. “He put it in the oven, and then went to play games on the computer and forgot about it.”

“What were you doing baking a cake, anyway?” Scott asked.

“It was for the Lilydale show,” Randy replied enthusiastically. “We enter things each year. It’s just a bit of fun and nothing to take seriously. It doesn’t matter if we win or not, we just enjoy getting our entries together and then going around the show to see how well they did.”

I smiled. “Says the person who hasn’t won anything for a long time.”

“Just because you got a third place — once — you think you’re pretty good,” Randy retorted.

“Careful, or I might take back my offer to make a cake.”

“I’ve been to the show a few times, but never considered entering anything,” Adam remarked.

“That’ll change, this year, if Mum and Dad have anything to do with it,” Randy stated. “She goes in the horse competition, Dad puts in some of his photos, and we do either cooking or handicrafts.” He looked over at me. “We’ll need to find last year’s programme so Ads can work out how he’s going to humiliate himself.”

“Isn’t cooking a bit of a girl thing?” Chris asked. “Men don’t cook.”

Randy and I turned to stare sternly at him. We waited a couple of seconds until Chris began to squirm.

“Or a gay thing?” Randy asked rhetorically, which made Chris go red. I think it was Scott I heard chuckling quietly, but I kept my attention on his brother.

“I didn’t mean it that way,” Chris protested. “It’s just that cooking is normally done by women…” His voice trailed off as he realised he was just digging himself into a deeper hole.

“I would advise against saying that where either Mum or Dad can hear you. Dad enjoys cooking, and Mum’s view is that if we like to eat, we should learn to cook,” I added.

“We’ve both been cooking things and entering them into the show since we started school,” Randy stated, before turning to me. “Scones.”

I considered it. “He’ll have to lie on the entry form, but I think that’s a good idea.”

“What the hell are you two talking about?” Adam asked.

I looked at him thoughtfully. “Giant’s suggesting you cook some scones for the show. The only problem is, you’ll have to lie on the entry form.”

“Why? What do I have to lie about?”

Randy answered him. “There’s a section for ‘Scones made by a gentleman’ that we used to enter. As long as you’re prepared to lie and say you’re a gentleman, there usually isn’t a lot of competition. We got away with it for years, so you shouldn’t have any problems,” he finished with a grin.

“Ads is a gentleman,” Scott said, before smiling and adding, “Most of the time.”

“If I’m entering scones, so are you,” Adam said firmly, staring at his boyfriend. “I’m not doing it by myself.”

“You know, I’ve just realised something,” Chris remarked before looking at Randy. “You asked me if I thought cooking was a gay thing, didn’t you?” When my brother nodded, Chris continued, “But you didn’t mean it as a homosexual thing. You meant it as an effeminate thing, didn’t you?”

“I don’t think of cooking as being either, but yeah, you’re right.”

Chris stared at Adam. “How many comments do you get that imply that being gay means you’re a girl?”

“Lots,” Adam relied bluntly.

“Is that part of the problem? People mixing up gay as homosexual, and gay as effeminate?”

We all looked at one another. Chris had a valid point. I know that I’ve done that in the past, myself. Strangely, a lot of the other terms that are used, like “poofter”, don’t have that double meaning. But “gay” is the term that the homosexuals seem to prefer for themselves.

“Could be,” Adam shrugged, “but I don’t see what I can do about that. I’m who I am and I can’t change that.”

After that, we talked about some of the things we’d seen and done at the show in previous years. It didn’t seem long before Chris told Scott that they’d soon have to go. Adam and Scott disappeared outside to say goodbye to each other. I excused myself at that point and headed to my room. I had problems with seeing those two guys embracing, but I was beginning to think that was partially because I was missing doing the same with Liz. Each time I saw them, memories of my times with Liz would float across my mind. Two guys kissing looked odd to me, and still made me somewhat uncomfortable, but that wasn’t causing the sadness and regret I felt each time I saw it.

The next morning, I was up early. As it was the last day of school before the Easter break, I didn’t expect it to be a difficult day. Some of the teachers would be giving us coursework to try to keep us busy, but it was unlikely to be too much.

I went through my wallet and worked out that I had enough money to take Liz to the movies, with just enough for a taxi home afterwards. Good Friday would be mainly a family day, and I knew my parents wouldn’t let me stay out late on Easter Monday, so it would have to be either Saturday or Sunday night. I was leaving it late to ask her, but with two days to choose from, I was hopeful Liz would agree to go out with me. It was so much like when we first started dating, but with the advantage of knowing her tastes.

That day, I felt like things were almost back to normal. There were a handful of comments or dirty looks from a few students, but Randy and Adam seemed to breeze through without noticing. At lunchtime, I saw Liz leaving the building with Fiona. I nervously approached them. I hadn’t been so concerned about asking Liz out for a long, long time.

“Hi, Liz, Fee,” I said, as I started walking next to them.

Fiona gave me one hatred-filled look before turning her attention back to Liz.

“As I was saying, Leo and I are going into the city on Saturday. Why don’t you join us? Leo said he could ask his friend Greg to come along, to make up a foursome. Greg’s a really nice guy, you’ll like him.”

“Hi, Stick,” Liz said, before turning back to Fiona. “I’ll think about it, Fee, but I want a word with David, now.”

Fiona sniffed. “If you want to stick with that loser, then I can’t stop you, but you can do a lot better.”

After that, Fiona departed, nose in the air. I hadn’t minded her before, but I was developing an intense dislike for that girl. The only thing I would allow in her defense was that she didn’t like Liz getting hurt. She’d decided I was going to hurt Liz again, and was making her opinion clear. What I didn’t like was how she didn’t want to let Liz make up her own mind.

“Don’t be angry with her, Stick. She’ll come around, eventually.”

I was startled. “Am I being that obvious?”

Liz smiled. “Not really, but I understand both of you. As a favour for me, can you just let her comments slide?”

“Okay,” I sighed.

With the knowledge that Fiona was pressuring Liz to go out on Saturday, I took a deep breath and made my pitch.

“I was wondering if you’d like to go to see a movie with me, on the weekend.”

I waited for her response, feeling hopeful, but my heart started to sink as she looked away and didn’t answer.

“Saturday or Sunday, afternoon or evening, and I’m not fussed about what we watch. You can pick the movie,” I added in a rush. As soon as the words left my mouth, I cringed at how desperate I was sounding.

Liz sighed and looked down at the ground. After the longest couple of seconds I could remember, she looked up. I’d been hoping for a happy face, but she was maintaining a neutral expression.

“Trevor won’t pick us up. He still thinks you’re the scum of the earth,” she stated without inflection.

“That’s okay. I was going to use a taxi to take you home,” I answered.

She seemed surprised at that. After a startled glance, she looked away again.

“That’s a lot of money to spend to see a movie,” she remarked as she looked over the schoolyard.

“I’m not spending it to see a movie,” I said with heartfelt honesty. If we’d only just started going out, I wouldn’t have taken the risk, but I knew she’d take that statement the right way.

After another silence that seemed to stretch for an eternity, she turned back to me and smiled.

“Saturday night sounds good to me. How about we meet at the cinema around sixish so we can decide what to see?”

I grinned foolishly back at her. “Sounds fine to me!”

She slipped her hand into mine and we strolled slowly over to where our friends were sitting.

I decided I didn’t need to know if Liz would be going into town on Saturday with Fiona and Leo. The important thing was that she would be going out with me on Saturday night.

The rest of the school day went quickly. With the four-day Easter weekend starting that night, there was almost a party atmosphere amongst the students. The teachers seemed to understand, and were generally tolerant of the more exuberant displays of high spirits.

Walking home from the bus, we stopped in to see the twins, and Mrs. Ricardo made her usual fuss over Randy and me. She then gave Adam a critical stare. With a sudden move, she reached over and pinched his upper arm. Adam flinched and automatically raised his other hand to rub that spot. He looked more surprised than upset.

“You’re too scrawny, Adam. How are you going to find yourself a boyfriend if you’re that thin?”

With that, she shoved a plate into his hands. I think it was only reflexes that allowed him to grasp it, as he looked shell-shocked.

Before he could do or say anything, Mrs. Ricardo was piling an assorted collection of food onto the plate while giving a constant stream of instructions.

“Now these will help you put on some more muscles. Gay boys like muscles, don’t they? I know the girls do, so it’s a good idea for you to build yourself up. Eat some of these, too; you’re all skin and bones. You’ll want to give your boyfriend something to hold onto. You don’t want to go overboard, but you’re so far from being overweight that you won’t have to worry about that. Just eat them all up, and you’ll have the boys all over you before you know it! Now that reminds me, I’ve being asking the girls at golf if they know anyone who’ll make you a good boyfriend. You deserve a good Italian boy — everyone knows they make the best lovers — so I’ve started asking around. You leave it to me, and I’ll find you someone appropriate before you know it.”

While Adam had met Mrs. Ricardo several times at barbeques after basketball matches, that was the first time he’d experienced her full attention. Randy and I were both so relieved at not being her focus that we couldn’t help him. She’s told me enough times that, while Liz was a lovely person, I really should find myself a loving Italian girlfriend. Randy once tried the cheeky comeback of asking for two girlfriends, and was quickly told that that was too many — he wouldn’t be able to keep both of them happy. So far, she hasn’t suggested anyone, though we don’t know if that’s because she hadn’t been serious when she’d talked about finding someone, or just that she hasn’t met anyone good enough.

Brett, smothering a laugh at Adam’s embarrassment, managed to get Adam away from his mum.

“Mama, we need to go outside. That’s enough food for now; the plate is full. We can always come back and get some more.”

“Okay, but Adam, if you’re hungry, just yell. I’ll have some more out to you before you know it. I don’t want you to faint from starvation.”

Adam seemed glad to get away.

“Is she always like that?” Adam asked as soon as we were out of earshot.

“Always!” Randy and I chorused.

“She’s serious on the boyfriend thing, too,” Brian remarked. “I overheard her talking to one of her golfing friends.”

Adam looked horrified while he shook his head. “Please, no!”

Brett grinned and nodded his head. “Sorry, yes!”

Randy and I exchanged glances. Neither of us had expected that, and I wondered what it would mean for Adam and Scott. Scott didn’t want anyone to know, but maybe there was a way we could let the twins know that Adam was already taken.

“Don’t worry. She’s really fussy about these things, so it’ll probably take her a while to find someone who’s up to her standards. You should have time to grab some camping gear and disappear into the hills,” Brian helpfully suggested, though he spoiled it when he couldn’t help laughing at the end.

“What’s your dad’s reaction to that?” Randy asked.

Brett frowned. “I don’t know. I don’t think he’s happy, but he’s not interfering. He’s keeping his promise about that.”

“Do you think I should find myself a boyfriend before I have one given to me?” Adam asked. I knew he was trying to make it sound like a joke, but we could all hear the underlying worry.

The twins shrugged in unison. “Wouldn’t hurt,” Brett said.

“She won’t be offended?”

“Nah. As long as he comes up to her standards, you’ll be fine,” Brian stated. “Of course, most people don’t come up to Mum’s standards, but… hey, you can’t have everything.”

“Liz doesn’t come up those standards, but she’s still welcome here and Mrs. Ricardo loves her to bits. She keeps trying to give Liz advice on how to fatten Stick up,” Randy told Adam with a chuckle.

“You know, I’ve always had a suspicion that Mike at school is gay,” Brett mused, looking at his brother. “What do you think?”

“Maybe, but how do we find out?” Brian replied. “I was thinking of Colin, myself.”

Adam was beginning to look more and more terrified as he stared at the two guys. I thought it was time to step in.

“Don’t you think you should let Adam pick his own boyfriend?”

The twins gave me innocent-looking gazes, but showed hints of devilry in the twisting of their lips. “Of course! We’re just helping him find candidates.”

Randy burst out laughing.

When he regained his voice, he waved a hand in Adam’s direction. “Sorry, but the look on your face was priceless, Ads.”

While I was tempted to let them continue teasing Adam, I changed the topic by asking for suggestions on what movie I should take Liz to on the weekend. While the twins started going through the options, Adam gave me a thankful glance.

We didn’t stay long with the twins, but it was good to catch up with them again. They mentioned they may drop in over the Easter break, but they had a big family get-together with their relations on Sunday, and would probably be away all of that day.

When we walked in, Mum told us we’d be having a late dinner, as Dad was delayed at work. He had some things that had to be finished before the Easter break, and he was staying behind to get them done.

After getting changed, we went outside and played some basketball for an hour or so, before going back inside and doing our homework.

Dinner was a very relaxed affair. Dad opened a bottle of wine and offered each of us a glass. He was obviously pleased about something at work and was in a mood to celebrate. Our report of a quiet day at school just seemed to top things off.

We were finishing dessert when the door was suddenly flung open and a distressed Scott flew in. Adam leapt to his feet as he saw the emotional state of his boyfriend.

“What is it, Break?” he asked, shocked concern flicking across his face.

Scott collapsed against Adam’s chest, a huge shudder erupting from his body. Adam wrapped his arms around his boyfriend as he gave Randy and me a worried glance, before focusing his attention back on Scott.

Scott’s muffled whisper escaped from where he was pressing his face against Adam.

“They both hate me!”

Lifting his head momentarily to look at Adam, he added desperately, “Just hold me, please?”

The agony in his voice was painful to hear. There was a large red mark on one cheek. Another shudder ran through him while I watched. I could hear him crying, his shoulders shaking as each sob forced its way out.

I just sat there, wondering what had happened. My mind had gone numb with shock.

“Take him into the lounge room, honey,” Mum said quietly to Adam, as she rose out of her chair. “You can look after him in private there.”

Adam nodded and led Scott away. The arm around Scott’s back was more than just comforting; it seemed to be holding him up. I wasn’t sure Scott’s legs could support him.

The door opened again, and we all turned to see an ashen-faced Chris walking slowly into the house.

“What’s going on, Chris?” Mum asked, showing concern.

“Can I have something to drink, please?” Chris responded, ignoring the question as he sank heavily into a seat at the kitchen table. I could see that he was also distressed, though not to the extent that Scott was.

“Tea or coffee?” Mum asked, not pushing her initial question. She headed toward the kitchen.

Chris raised his right hand and held it in front of his face. We all saw it shake, as if he couldn’t control it.

“Could you make it something stronger?” he asked quietly, almost dispassionately, examining the trembling limb as if it was some strange creature that wasn’t part of him.

“Bundy and Coke?” Dad offered.

“That’ll be great. Thanks, Mr. Castle,” Chris said, looking up. His eyes were wide open, and his face looked blank. It seemed that he wasn’t really focusing on what was about him.

Dad caught my eye.

“David, can you please go and get the rum from the drinks cabinet and make him a drink?” he asked me quietly. Pausing, he grimaced at the sight of Chris, who was again staring at his shaking hand. “Make it a strong one,” Dad added.

I was rattled as I poured the Bundaberg Rum into the glass. Whatever was going on, it seemed pretty serious, to disturb Chris that much.

I put the Bundy and Coke in front of Chris and then stepped back to let my parents handle him. They looked like they could deal with whatever was happening.

Chris gulped down half the drink in one shot. He put the glass back down on the table and just stared at the tabletop.

“Can you tell us what happened, Chris?” Mum asked again, keeping her tone gentle.

He looked up at her, a quiver in his lips.

“Scott told our parents tonight,” he said simply. “It didn’t go well.”

My parents exchanged glances before returning their attention to Chris. Dad opened his mouth to say something, but then just shut it and slowly shook his head from side to side. I could appreciate that; I had no idea on how to respond to that statement, either.

Before the silence dragged on too long, Chris focused his gaze on the glass in front of him and started speaking again.

“Dad was a little reserved, but Mum was the real surprise. She slapped Scott across the face and told him that no son of hers could be gay,” he started. With a shake of his head, he added, “Neither Scott nor I had expected that. We thought Dad would be the one with a problem, if either of them had one.”

He picked up the glass and took a small sip that time. He seemed a bit calmer and more animate. I realised he’d been in shock and had been operating on automatic.

“Just in case, Scott had packed a couple of bags, and we’d put them in my car ahead of time. I honestly didn’t expect things to get that bad, but Scott had insisted. I suppose after what Adam went through, he had a right to think the worst.

“When Mum went off and said she couldn’t have a gay son, Scott ran out and jumped in the car. I stood up and gave our parents an ultimatum before following him out and driving him here,” he finished sadly.

“What did you say?” Dad asked carefully.

Chris looked up at him. A shudder went through his body as tears he’d been holding back started to run down his face.

“I made this decision some time ago. I also packed a bag and it’s in my car now.”

The pain in his voice seemed to be coming from deep within him. I sensed he’d been badly hurt by what had happened.

“I told them they can have two sons… or none,” he stated firmly.

Dropping his eyes, he picked up the glass and swallowed the rest of the drink in one gulp.

Putting the empty glass down harder than necessary, he continued in a faint, despairing tone.

“I just pray they make the right choice.”

NEXT CHAPTER