“AJ, my office, now.”
Well, fuck.Gaffer Elmstrom sounds pissed.This is it.He’s going to tear up my contract.Send me to some League Two side where I’ll rot, and that’ll be it.My dreams are over.Crushed.All because I dared to love someone of the same sex.
The gaffer’s office feels smaller than normal.The usual welcoming feeling is gone.I try to stay positive.Try to say it’s all in my head, but the face that is staring back at me is less than friendly.In fact, he looks pissed, too.
He slides me the now-familiar picture of Kyle and me, staring intimately at each other.
“What is the meaning of this?”he asks.Before I can decide if it’s a rhetorical question or not, he says, “Fighting with fellow international teammates?I know he plays for the rival club, but I can’t have my players drunk and fighting.Your wages will be docked and you will be doing door to door community service for the next week.You’ll also be suspended for two games.”
My head is spinning.My heart is relieved.I don’t want to say anything.This is the best possible outcome for now.If the gaffer thinks this is a picture of us fighting, maybe everyone else does too.He gestures for me to leave.I nod my head to him and exit, clawing my phone out of my pocket as fast as I can.
Kyle picks up on the first ring.“Are you okay?”he asks, sounding panicked.
“Yeah, fine, more than fine.Where are you?”
“I’ve been called into the manager's office, heading there now.No prizes for guessing what it’s about.”
“Well, if it’s anything like the meeting I just had, I think you’ll be okay.”
Kyle scoffs, and I can practically hear him roll his eyes.“Stop looking on the bright side all the time.I get it, you want to come out and show the world how gay we are for each other, but this is my career.My dreams are about to go up in smoke.”
“Just, listen.Okay?Go in there, take the punishment, and call me when you’re out…out of the office, I mean.”
He grunts something and hangs up.
I head out of the training lodge and jump into my car.When you’re suspended, you can’t train with the team.With no destination in mind, and not wanting to be in my house alone, I headhomebecause, all of a sudden, I want my mum.
“My baby!”Mum says, embracing me at the front door.She’s a vision in an elegant pashmina and dark purple hair.She is absolutely where I get my fashion sense from.Bold and eccentric.She holds me at arm’s length, and then hits me in the arm.
“OW!”
“Fighting?Did I really bring you up to be a fighter?Now get inside before you’re paparazzied again.Goodness me, child.”
I do as she says, because a) she’s my mum and b) she’s bloody terrifying when she’s like this.
“Where’s Dad?”I ask, hoping he isn’t around.I can’t deal with his energy right now.On a side note, she thinks I was fighting with Kyle too, which means Dad hasn’t spoken to her yet.Okay, great.This could be the best or the worst thing.
“He’s out, probably trying to fix your mess, young man.You’re not too old to be grounded, you know?”
“Mum, I don’t even live here,” I say, hoping to lighten the mood.
“Oh, yes, before you were a fighter, you abandoned your poor mother.”
I laugh, because what else can I do?
“Kitchen.Now.Kettle is on.We need a proper catch up.”
This can’t be good.But yet, my heart feels warmer.Mum will fix this.She always does.
I make my way to the marble kitchen island and take a seat on one of the stools.Mum places a cup of tea next to me, and says, “Okay, out with it then.”
I blink at her, suddenly forgetting all the words I know.
“Well, come on love.I haven’t got all day.”
I adjust myself on the stool and clear my throat.
“I wasn’t fighting.”
