Unnecessary Roughness (25 page)

“I’m proud of ya, man.”

“Oh. That.” Connor glanced at Kyle for his reaction.

Gus continued down the hall. “Took guts, Worthington. I’m just glad you came out after you moved out.”

Connor cringed at his laughter but had a feeling Gus wasn’t being mean, just being Gus.

“Let’s get this over with.” Kyle tilted his head to the exit. “I’m not going to the locker room. Forget it. We’ll get are asses kicked in there.”

“Okay.”

His thoughts getting the better of him, Connor didn’t even realize Kyle wasn’t in a chatty mood either as they made their way to the intramural field in search of their head coach.

After a cursory look around the offices and the gym, Connor asked the custodian, “Do you know where Coach Banks is?”

“Did you check his office?”

“We did but it was locked.”

“He was in there on the phone a minute ago.”

“Thanks,” Kyle said and headed back to where they just were.

Connor leaned his ear to the door and tried the knob. “It’s still locked.”

“Knock.”

“He never locks his door when he’s in.”

Kyle rapped his knuckles on the door.

Nothing happened.

“See?” Connor said. “Let’s try the field again.

Just when they were about to leave, the door opened.

“Coach?” Connor thought he looked terrible.

“Coach, what happened?” Kyle asked, obviously concerned.

Coach Banks opened the door wider and signaled for them to enter. “Sit.”

Connor sat down in front of the coach’s desk as Kyle dragged a spare chair next to his. Suddenly Connor assumed his coach knew they were quitting the team, and dreaded someone else breaking the news to him. “Did someone tell you?”

“Yes.” He stood near them, his arms crossed.

“I’m sorry, Coach. It couldn’t be helped.” Connor felt like a heel.

Coach Banks appeared confused. “What the hell does that mean?”

At the nasty tone, Connor gulped and looked to Kyle for help.

“We should have told you, Coach. But we didn’t.” Kyle’s knuckles were white as he clutched the shoulder strap of his backpack tightly as it rested at his feet.

“When did you find out?”

Connor wondered if they were talking about the same thing. “Find out?”

“Yes.”

“About what, Coach?” Kyle asked.

“About Donald Mulhouse.”

Connor felt his heart beat faster and glanced at Kyle. But Kyle looked as confused as he was.

“Didn’t you come here to tell me about Donald?” Coach Banks asked.

“Did he quit the team?” Kyle bit his lip.

Connor’s skin went clammy and cold. Something was wrong. Very wrong.

“No.” Coach Banks rubbed his forehead.

Kyle mouthed, ‘What the fuck?’ to Connor.

“Sir?” Connor cleared his throat. “We didn’t come here to tell you about Donald. Did something happen to him?”

The coach collapsed in his chair and kept rubbing his jaw. “Late last night someone assaulted Donald. He was beaten very badly and taken to the hospital.”

“What?” Kyle gasped.

Connor’s knees began to shake.
No. No. Please don’t tell me what I think you’re going to tell me.

“He died of his injuries early this morning.”

Bile rose in Connor’s throat. In reflex he covered his mouth.

“No way.” Kyle was shaking visibly as well.

“If that’s not what you guys have come here to tell me, what did you come here for?”

Connor met Kyle’s eyes quickly. “We have to now, Kyle.”

“You don’t think—” Kyle said.

“Yeah. I do.”

“Please tell me what’s going on.”

“Coach,” Connor cleared his throat, “We came to tell you we quit.” Connor waited. All the coach did was scrub at his eyes roughly.

“Okay.”

“Okay,” Kyle repeated flatly.

“Yes. I understand. Now more than ever.”

“Oh God.” Connor’s worst fears were confirmed. “It was a gay bashing?”

Kyle choked loudly, as if he didn’t get it the first time.

“That’s not confirmed.”

“But it’s suspected?” Kyle’s voice cracked.

Coach Banks stood and closed the door. He leaned on his desk near them and said, “I tried. I tried to put a stop to the stupidity. I did everything in my power to get the team to treat everyone equally. I don’t know what more I could do. I’m not a cop. I’m not a babysitter. I punished the ones who I found out about. I kicked Ross off the team.” He opened his hands as if to say, “What else could I do?”

“Kyle.” Connor’s lips quivered. He was petrified.

“Did Donald ‘come out’?” Kyle asked.

“I don’t know. He was the object of speculation according to the locker room gossip. I get the idea you were threatened.”

“Yes. I was cornered in the locker before the UC game.” Kyle’s Adam’s apple moved as he swallowed.

“You never told me.”

“Coach,” Kyle replied, “Connor and I knew you couldn’t do anything. And obviously we were right.”

“Do…do the police have any suspects?” Connor needed to puke.

“They have one witness. I don’t know if they’re implicating any of the guys on our team. They won’t say. Not yet.”

“Should we tell the police what happened to us?” Kyle asked.

“Up to you. It may shed some light on it. Again, I don’t know what the witness saw.”

Connor stood, his hand over his mouth. He knew he couldn’t make it to the bathroom.

“Shit.” Kyle panicked and looked around the room. “He’s going to be sick, Coach.”

Coach Banks grabbed his trashcan and held it in front of Connor.

Connor retched into it. Kyle cuddled him and helped him ride it out. “Okay. It’s okay.”

Bile stung Connor’s throat. He sat on the floor and tried to fight back the urge.

Coach Banks crouched in front of Connor. “I’ll get you a bottle of water. Hold tight.”

When he left the room, Kyle held Connor’s hair in a ponytail in case he did eject his stomach contents. Connor was coated in sweat. “Oh, God, Kyle. Those homophobes killed Don.”

Kyle’s mouth tightened to a thin line.

“They would have killed you or me if they caught us out on our own.”

Kyle said nothing, rubbing Connor’s back and neck gently.

“Here.” The coach returned, holding out a bottle of water.

Connor rolled it on his forehead first, then opened it and drank it down thirstily.

“You feel any better?”

Connor nodded and used Kyle to stand back up, making his way to the chair.

The coach shut the door again. Once they were all seated, he leaned on his desk as if speaking in confidence. “I think we all know who was capable.”

Connor nodded.

“We should tell the police, right, Coach?”

“I assume they would respect your anonymity, Kyle, but if it goes to court, you may have to testify.”

“I will. No problem.”

“Did any of the guys threaten to kill you?”

“No.” Kyle glanced at Connor. “They didn’t. They just wanted me and Connor to quit.”

“Connor?”

Connor shook his head. “No one threatened to kill me. Oh. I got one anonymous text message, that’s it. Nothing verbal.”

“Like I said. I can’t tell you what to do. I can’t even advise you. I’m not a lawyer.”

“Who told you about Donald?” Kyle asked.

“The dean. He got a call from the Los Angeles Police.”

Kyle nodded. He addressed Connor, “You okay?”

“Yes.” Connor had nightmarish images of Donald’s last few moments on earth. Of Kevin and the good ole’ boys kicking his head in once he was on the ground. Of them shouting nasty, foul things at him. It made him shiver.

“I’m having the campus psychologist come out to talk to the team,” Coach Banks said. “I suggest you get some help on your own.”

“Yes, Coach.” Kyle kept looking at Connor.

“Don’t clear out your lockers now. The team will be in there changing. Call me and I’ll get you in another time.”

“Okay. Thanks.” Kyle touched Connor’s arm.

At Kyle’s touch, Connor felt like he was waking up from a stupor.

“You’ll be okay. I think now that you’ve quit you don’t have to worry.” Coach Banks stared at Connor. “My guess is that Donald didn’t agree to quit.”

“I’m not even sure he was gay, Coach. The guy was engaged.”

“I know, Kyle.”

“We didn’t tell anyone we quit either.” Kyle inhaled deeply. “I didn’t want to let them intimidate us. But now they sure have.”

Connor couldn’t talk about it anymore. He gathered up his backpack and brought it to his lap.

“I’m here if you need me.”

Kyle stood, helping Connor to his feet. “I know. Thanks, Coach. Sorry it worked out this way.”

“You’re not the only one. I’m considering resigning. I can’t support a team who did this.”

Connor had to get out of the room. He couldn’t breathe. He stumbled towards the door.

“See ya, Coach.”

“Bye, Kyle. Take care of Connor.”

“I will.”

A ringing came to Connor’s ears. Kyle held him upright, gripped to his arm, helping him walk. Connor heard men’s voices and panicked. “We can’t go that way!”

“It’s away from the locker room. It leads directly to the parking area by the intramural field. Trust me.”

Connor was shaking so much he could barely function. Kyle’s grip tightened. They pushed through the exit to daylight. Connor scanned around. Police cars were everywhere.

“Holy shit.” Connor froze.

Kyle backed him against the wall of the building so they could watch.

Radios crackled in the still air. Black and white patrol cars, unmarked cars with blue lights whirling on their dashboards, K9 dogs, LAPD and campus police were gathering, conferring.

Connor’s eyes felt dry. He didn’t want to blink.

The crowd of officers moved quickly into the locker room.

“Did Coach Banks know this was happening?”

Connor didn’t answer. He was petrified.

The voices of the officers commanding people echoed even outside the entrance of the building. Kyle dragged Connor to the corner for a better view.

The door was held open by an officer who had his hand on his holstered gun.

“Holy shit!” Kyle said quietly.

Moments later, four of their teammates were escorted out in handcuffs. Among them was Kevin and the mouthy junior, Dick, who had antagonized Connor and Kyle.

“Those are the same guys who cornered me in the locker.”

“Where’s Ross? I bet he was a part of it.”

“Me too. But they have to look somewhere else for him.”

“Hang on.” Connor spotted two cops standing near a patrol car. “There’s someone in their back seat.”

“Let’s look.” Kyle made like he was going to approach.

“I can’t.”

“Let me.”

“Don’t leave me.”

Kyle held onto Connor, narrowing his eyes. “Bet they already got Ross.”

“It has to be him.”

“The ringleader. Good. Rot in jail, you assholes.” Kyle’s jaw muscles twitched.

Once the other players were locked in the back seats of four patrol cars, Connor breathed a sigh of relief. “We need to talk to them.”

Kyle removed his mobile phone and turned it on. It beeped, indicating messages, but it appeared he ignored them. “Yes, hi, I’m trying to get the number for UCLA campus police. Can you look it up for me?” Kyle stared into Connor’s eyes as he spoke. “Yes, dial it for me. Thank you.” Kyle waited.

Connor’s attention was back on the large-scale arrest. It had begun to attract attention from the student body, media, and spectators.

“Yes, hello. My name is Kyle Baker and I’m a student at UCLA…”

Connor tried to listen to Kyle but his focus kept being diverted to the chaos.

“Yes…uh huh…” Kyle flicked Connor’s hair back playfully, as if trying to get his attention.

Connor gave him a smile, though it felt forced.
Poor Donald. Poor thing. My God. Beaten to death. No. How horrible. I can’t deal with this. What if it was Kyle? What if something happened to Kyle?

“Yes. I’m actually at the scene,” Kyle said, “I haven’t approached anyone…right. But what about our anonymity? To be honest, Sergeant, the last thing either me or my friend want is to be on some hit list.”

Connor jolted in terror, shaking his head.

Kyle grabbed his wrist, making eye contact. “Could we? It would be better. Yes. I know where your headquarters are on campus. The Kinross Building.” Kyle checked his watch. “As long as it takes to get there from the intramural field.”

Connor tried to inhale deeply a few times.

“See you soon.” Kyle shut off his phone. “We have a private interview.”

“Okay.”

“We have to do this. For Donald.”

“Yes.”

“And to make sure those Nazi skinheads rot in jail.”

Connor nodded, but he was scared to death.

“Come on, babe. We can do this.”

“You’re my hero. If anything happened to you—”

“It won’t.” Kyle gestured for Connor to start walking.

Kyle put his arm around Connor’s neck and held him close as they made their way across the campus.

It was scary. Kyle couldn’t deny that. Telling the police in a statement that you were threatened by the same “possible” suspects who had beaten to death a man who they “thought” was gay, was a nightmare.

Two hours later, Kyle and Connor emerged from the office. Kyle checked the time. It was nearly six and his stomach was complaining, though he felt sick.

“We need to eat.”

“I’m not hungry.”

“We’re still going to eat something.” Kyle adjusted his backpack on his shoulder. “This is going to be a major scandal. Don’t you think? A huge media thing?”

“I don’t know.” Connor brushed his hair out of his face as the breeze blew it. “Where are we headed?”

“I was thinking the sports bar where Hannah works. She’ll give us beer.”

“Okay.”

Kyle was glad Connor agreed. He craved booze.

Knowing the parking was brutal on the boulevard, they walked to the bar. He spotted Hannah and waited to catch her attention.

Another waitress said, “Just sit anywhere.”

“Thanks.” Kyle nodded, waving at Hannah.

She rushed over. “Oh my God! I heard someone from the team was beaten up last night! Don’t you ever check your text messages, Connor?”