As they entered the locker room, a scream tore through the room.
“Stop! Stop!”
“You could kill him, Ethan!”
Caleb and Brandon ran toward the voices and came upon a horrifying scene in the showers. Austin lay on the floor, curled into a ball, while Ethan kicked him. Jamie screamed at him to stop, pulling at Ethan’s arms.
“Faggot!” Ethan shouted. “You have no right to be part of our team. Fags are worthless!”
Caleb wrapped his arms around Ethan’s waist, lifted and swung him to face the other side of the showers.
“Get your hands off me! Those fags were kissing! Disgusting,” Ethan spat, his lips curling into a snarl.
“Stop it, Ethan! Now!” Caleb ordered as he shoved the teen to his knees and put his hands on his shoulders. “Don’t fucking move!” He turned back to see Jamie in tears, kneeling next to Austin, while Brandon bent over him, murmuring questions, trying to assess his injuries.
“Call an ambulance,” Brandon said.
Caleb saw several teammates—both professionals and teens—standing there. “And get security,” he added, then turned to Ethan, who’d slumped down on his ass and started shaking. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” he practically screamed.
“I don’t know,” he cried, dropping his head into his hands. “Oh, my God! Did I kill him? Is he okay? Oh, God!”
Caleb, unsure what to do with him, was relieved when two security guards showed up and took Ethan off his hands. By this point, the kid was sobbing uncontrollably.
Brandon stood and stuck his finger into Ethan’s face. “You asshole! You’re lucky he seems to be okay. We’ll see what the EMTs say, but he’s definitely bruised. What the hell happened?” He shook his head when he realized Ethan was crying so hard, he wasn’t paying attention. “I don’t think the other kid has anything broken,” he said to Caleb.
Security removed Ethan, saying they would call the police.
When the ambulance showed up a short time later, as well as the team doctor, they took Austin out on a stretcher, with Jamie following close behind.
“Jamie,” Caleb called.
The young man stopped, but the look on his face said he felt responsible.
“Hey, it’s okay,” Caleb said. “You can see him in a minute. We need you to tell us what happened. You’ll have to talk to the police and our security, too.”
He nodded, and his welled up tears spilled over. “I shouldn’t have kissed him,” he whispered. “It’s my fault.”
Brandon grabbed his arms. “Hey! Stop it. The only one at fault is Ethan. Now, tell us exactly what happened.”
Jamie wiped his eyes and sniffled, but he seemed to pull himself together. “It started off innocently enough. I was showing Austin the locker room, and when we reached the showers, it was private and we chatted. I reached for Austin’s hand, and he smiled, so I…I leaned in for a light kiss.”
Caleb could imagine that, with teenagers being teenagers, the kiss had probably grown heated.
“Ethan walked in on us and started screaming, calling us names, and he shoved Austin to the ground. He had just started kicking him when you guys walked in.”
After a moment, Caleb and Brandon let Jamie go down the hall to the medical office, while they went to brief the manager and coaches. What had been an amazing day had ended in hatred, and Caleb wasn’t sure what to do. He passed Lucas as he moved toward the manager’s office, but he was so focused on the situation, he barely nodded at him.
He let Brandon explain to the administration staff what had transpired, and was pleased when the coaches decided to still hold the meeting and turn it into an open discussion on diversity and anti-bullying.
Thoughts tumbled around Caleb’s brain. Would this happen to him someday? Was this what he had to look forward to? He found a chair in the meeting area and slumped into his seat. His head hurt, and he couldn’t stop imagining what could have happened if he and Brandon had not reached Austin in time.
And where did Ethan get all that anger? All that hatred had to have been taught. Certainly no one was born with that much.
Coach Newberry stepped in front of the group. A heavy weight hovered in the air, and everyone seemed shaken.
“Okay, let’s get this started,” Coach said, drawing their attention. “Look, we do not tolerate hatred here. Or bullying. Ever. I’m sorry this took place today.”
Caleb scanned the room for Lucas, finally finding him seated against the side wall, staring back at him. His breath caught in his throat and his heart fell into his stomach. He broke into a cold sweat and his gaze darted around the room. Would these men treat him as Ethan had treated Austin? Surely not. Would he lose Lucas if he didn’t come out? Was not coming out even worth the dream? If he couldn’t be himself, did he really want to pursue it?
This was supposed to be a safe zone. These men were his friends. His family. Hell, they were his brothers. He tuned back into what Coach Newberry was saying and glanced at Lucas again. His heartbeat sped up and he suddenly knew his dream. It was Lucas. It had always been Lucas; he just didn’t know it until they’d met. Was that love?
“There are many athletes who are gay. Musicians, artists, teachers, coaches. Even students. No one should have to hide or be ashamed of who they are. I don’t care who a person dates. I care if they follow the rules, give one hundred percent to a game, and treat others with kindness, because that’s what matters.”
Caleb knew what he had to do. He smiled at Lucas before jumping up. Suddenly, his inner struggle became resolved.