Isolation Play (Dev and Lee) (31 page)

The early game is Crystal City at Highbourne. The Sabretooths have only lost once, a fluky 20-17 loss at Pelagia when their left tackle went out with an injury. Still, coming into the high plateau of Highbourne Field is always a tough game, and the Rocs are doing well this year. We get them in two more weeks, so they’re the team we’re watching more closely.

It’d be futile to try to get Lee away from Charm. I do manage to grab a nearby seat, opting to sit next to Charm so the guys won’t razz me about sitting with Lee. Vonni takes the seat nearer Lee, at the end of the couch. His whiskers twitch, and Lee’s do too: a little bit of species familiarity between the two foxes. “How’d you break the paw?” he asks.

Lee shrugs. “Fell,” he says, and that’s that.

It’s trippy at first watching a game rather than a series of isolated plays, not knowing how it’s gonna come out, but I fall back into it easily enough. The Rocs get lucky early on with a turnover, turning it into a field goal, but the Sabres come right back with a field goal of their own. Neither team is in our division, so there’s no unified rooting, but everyone gets into the game. Fisher, the former Roc, roots for Highbourne, and because Crystal City beat us to open the season, I root for Highbourne too.

Fisher also entertains us with stories of some of the veterans on both teams that he’s played with. Gerrard knows a couple; the rest of us are too young. Lee stays quiet until about halfway through the second quarter, when he makes a comment about one of the rookies being busted for possession. “He should’ve been busted for stupidity,” Lee says. “He told the officer—a wolf—that his twenty pot pellets were ‘vitamin cannabis.’”

Vonni laughs; Fisher huffs. “Kids.”

“
I’d think a fox would be cleverer than that,” I say.

“
Yeah,” Lee says. “Not on pot.”

“
You follow football pretty closely,” Vonni says, turning to the other fox.

Lee hesitates. Probably wondering if it’s okay to say that he works for a different team. The guys won’t care, I know. I’m not the only one in the room who played for another team as recently as last year. “He’s a college scout for Hilltown,” I say. “The Dragons.”

He gives me a sharp look, which I meet with a smile. Fortunately, Vonni reacts just as I’d thought he would. “Cool.” The tall fox relaxes, letting his tail flop onto the couch as he calls down to the other end. “Hey, Charm, don’t tell him about your groin injury.”

Charm, who looks one size too big for the couch, grunts. “It’s just sore. I hooked up with two bunnies at this club last night.”

Laughter fills the room. Lee leans back in his chair and catches my eye, giving a small twitch of his muzzle in a smile.

Vonni, watching the game, says offhandedly, “You sounded like a reporter there for a minute.”

Lee grins. “I wanted to be one. But this way I get to study football without having to ask stupid questions.”

He shrugs, and Fisher and Vonni both laugh. I recall the Today Show and clench my fists. I don’t think Lee notices, until a big play grabs everyone’s attention on the screen and he slips his paw over to squeeze mine, briefly. I don’t squeeze back, or try to, but I flick my tail tip against his, then away.

Vonni asks Lee if there are any Dragons rookies he particularly liked and helped draft, and Lee rattles off four or five names. One of them happens to be a wideout who played on special teams. Vonni saw him in action, and was impressed.

“
That’s not all,” I say when he doesn’t show any sign of mentioning me.

He cuts me off. “You’re thinking of Novalo, but I didn’t scout him.” His eyes warn me not to say more.

“
Oh. Right.” I’m genuinely puzzled. If anything, it makes
me
look worse to have relied on him. Is he worried about my standing with the team? But I let it go.

Vonni and Lee talk football with the sharpness of foxes. They end up arguing about one of the formations Crystal City uses, enough that Norton comes over to see what’s going on. To Vonni’s annoyance and my delight, the cheetah takes Lee’s side.

By halftime, I’m really relaxed. It’s going better than I could’ve hoped. The game is exciting, Lee is fitting in, and the guys are all loose. We stick around to watch the recaps of the other games in progress, then follow the smell of corn chips and pizza to the living room or dining room, or, for all I know, Gerrard has a dedicated snacking room. It’s a small room off the main one, which is to say it’s only half as large as my apartment, but it’s got a high glass ceiling and large glass windows looking out onto Gerrard’s lawn and basketball court.

The wives who bothered to come have been hanging out here, sitting at small tables by the windows. Gena gives me a hug, then Angela introduces me and Lee to a shapely vixen, Vonni’s wife, and a cheetah who’s engaged to Norton.

Lee and I are there with Fisher and Gena when two coyote cubs burst in, both screaming with delight. The younger coyote is clutching a regulation football to his chest, dodging around guests as his older brother gives chase. Just as Angela calls, “No running!” the two of them come to a halt before Charm.

“
You’re big,” the younger one says.

“
He’s the kicker,” the older says, and shoves his brother in the shoulder.

Charm squats down, even then not getting close to their eye level. “I’m Charm,” he says, and sticks out a hand.

“
I’m Mike!” The younger coyote’s paw disappears into Charm’s huge mitt.

“
Jaren,” says the older cub, affecting a cool attitude even though his eyes are wide. When Charm holds his hand out, Jaren just slaps it.

They notice me and Fisher next, and come over for introductions. When I say my name, Jaren’s muzzle wrinkles in concentration. His eyes light up at the same time Mike’s do, but while his reaction is to grab at his younger brother, Mike’s is a proud smile at having made a connection. “Oh!” he says. “Homo-ski!”

“
Mike!” Jaren’s ears flatten, his eyes wide. He drags his younger brother back a step, watching me warily.

Mike’s high voice carries throughout the room. Angela comes hurrying over, but not before Lee, with a glance at me, drops to his knees. I’m still processing the remark; it was delivered with such innocence and joy that I can’t take it badly.

“
Did you hear that at school?” Lee says, his large ears attentive to the cub.

Mike, catching his big brother’s concern, just nods slowly, showing white in his eyes as well. Lee gives him an encouraging smile. “Do you know what it means?”

Angela’s made it to the boys just as Mike shakes his head. “We talked about this,” she says. “I’m so sorry. Michael Gary, you know better than to say that.”

“
It’s okay,” I manage to choke out. “He doesn’t know.”

Lee tilts his head to include Angela, still talking to Mike. The cub jerks back to listen to him as he starts. “Now, I’m sure your mom would say that you shouldn’t use words you don’t understand. You should ask her about them and if they’re okay to say. I always went and asked my mom.”

Angela’s eyebrows lift, just a bit. “That’s right,” she says slowly. “Mikey, do you remember what we told you about that?”

“
You didn’t tell him about that,” Jaren says. “You just talked about ‘faggot.’”

Gerrard’s come up behind Angela. “That’s right, we did,” he says, and the cubs both stiffen, ears and muzzles pointing straight up at their father. Lee stands, gracefully, making way for the older coyote. “And what did we say?”

Jaren says, “That it doesn’t matter what else someone is as long as he’s a good football player.”

“
And what do we call good football players?”

This time, Mike and Jaren answer in unison. “Sir.”

“
That’s right. Now, I think maybe you boys better go upstairs.”

I hold up a paw. “Don’t make them leave on my account.”

“
They’re being rambunctious,” Angela says. “We told them they’d have to behave themselves.”

The cubs clearly don’t want to go upstairs, but they’re not protesting. “They look okay now. It was a simple mistake,” I say.

Angela and Gerrard look at each other. Gerrard shrugs, and looks sternly down at the cubs. “If we have to come over here again, it’ll be to take you upstairs.”

“
Yes, sir,” they say.

“
And thank Mister Miski.”

They turn to me. “Thank you, sir.”

Jaren runs over to talk to Carson, who I only now notice is watching with amusement, and Gerrard and Angela follow. But Mike pulls on Lee’s shirt until the fox drops to one knee again. “What is it?”

The little coyote puts his little muzzle up close to Lee’s ear. “Are you a football player?”

Lee smiles. “No, I just watch football.”

“
He’s very good at watching football,” I put in.

Mike’s ears droop, just a bit. “I was hoping you play football, because you’re little and Jaren keeps telling me I’m too little to play football.”

“
You’ll get bigger,” Lee tells him. “You’re only, what, eight?”

“
That’s what Daddy says.” Mike glances over to where Gerrard is and then looks up at Dev, “I’m sorry I called you a homoski. Is it a bad thing?”

Lee grins, widely. “It’s not a good or bad thing,” he says, getting the cub’s attention. “It’s just a thing. But it’s not polite to call people that.”

“
It’s like having a secret,” Mike says. He stares across the room at his brother and then whispers, “Can I be a homoski?”

Caught between choking and laughing, I end up coughing harshly. Lee makes a strangled sort of noise as well, and then says, “I think that’s another thing you have to be bigger to be. Ask your father when you’re older.”

“
Aw,” Mike says. “How much older?”

“
About ten years,” I mutter.

His big coyote ears catch that. “Ten
years
?”

“
Maybe not that long.” Lee smiles and ruffles the fur between his ears. “But it’ll be a while yet. You just go on thinking it’s a good thing. But don’t call anyone else that, okay? They don’t want you to tell their secret. If they want you to know, they’ll tell you.”

“
Like you did.”

“
Uh-huh.” Lee stands and puts his paws on his hips. “You want to learn something about playing football?”

Mike brightens immediately, jumping a few inches in the air. “Yes,
sir
!”

“
Okay,” Lee says, “I’m gonna tell you a secret, so listen up.” He leans down and drops his voice to a stage whisper. Mike’s big ears strain toward him. “Being a good football player starts with your feet. You gotta make sure you keep your balance. Take strong, sure steps. Always think about where you’re putting your toes.”

Mike’s eyes are big and round. He nods vigorously. Lee’s expression is serious. “You got that?”

“
Yes, sir!” Mike starts to run away, still carrying the football, and then he stops. He places one paw carefully in front of the other, flashing a smile back at Lee. His tongue sticks out of the side of his muzzle as he focuses on each step.

Lee sighs, watching him. “If only college kids were as easy to train.”

“
He’s got a chance,” I say.

Lee’s ears flick. “Hm?”

“
He’s got a chance,” I repeat. “He’s a good kid.”

“
Ri-ight.” He lifts his unbroken paw to rub at his whiskers. “And that makes you sad?”

“
Nah.” I shake my head. Mike steps carefully past Gerrard, who looks fondly down at him. “Gerrard’ll be a good teacher. He’ll probably coach his kids in high school, if he doesn’t end up coaching in the bigs.”

“
That’s not always a good thing.” Lee names a two-time champion quarterback. “F’d up his kid’s career pretty badly, interfering in the high school team.”

“
At least he cared enough. Gerrard’s smart, though. He won’t mess up his kids.”

“
He’ll probably be tough on ’em. Realistic about their chances. He’ll make sure they get an education, so they have something to fall back on.”

I look over to where Jaren is talking to Carson. It looks like he’s telling the big leopard a football story. “He probably won’t favor Jaren over Mike.”

Lee grins. “Well, we don’t know that. But for a pro career, I mean, come on. Who could resist Mike Marvell? Way better than Jaren Marvell. Jaren’ll have to get a nickname.”

I can’t match his jokiness. Perversely, it just makes me feel blacker. “Jaren doesn’t really want to play. Not compared to Mike.”

“
Mike’s got it bad, all right,” Lee agrees. “But maybe Jaren just needs someone to bring it out in him.”

I wave a paw. “Maybe. It won’t matter, though. He won’t care what they want to do. He’ll make sure they’ve got what they need to have the best chance to succeed.”

“
Now you sound like a coach.”

“
I sound like Gerrard.”

“
Same thing.” Lee squints at me. His ears are still up, but the corners of his mouth have straightened out, the lift gone from his smile. “And if Mike brings home a boyfriend one day, how do you think Gerrard’ll take it?”

“
Lion Christ,” I say. “What does
that
mean? He’ll make it work somehow.”

“
Right,” Lee says. “That’s what families do. Just some do it in different ways. You didn’t get Gerrard as a dad. You got Mikhail. So we’ll make it work.”