Chapter 10 -- Rebirth
*****
Dan stood outside the door to the changing rooms, his gear bag hanging over his shoulder. He could hear the banter of his teammates inside as they chatted and joked with each other before training, catching up on each others' personal lives or thirsting over any gossip.
The smell of sweat and deodorant permeated through the air, even at the other side of the door where Dan stood. Oddly, it was a welcoming sensation; the buzz of the chatter and the familiar odours welcomed him back.
He sucked in a deep breath and held it, bracing himself for what was to come once he walked back into the changing rooms. His feet had gotten him this far, just a few more steps, he told himself.
Nudging himself on, he pushed open the door and into the loudness of the team changing room. He looked left and right as he passed his teammates who were undressing from their everyday clothes and into their rugby gear.
Expecting stares or hushed whispers, he was surprised to find there was no big hubbub, no angry faces or pointing, just a few 'Hey's or 'How are you's. He was glad for the anticlimactic atmosphere in the room. People were getting on with their day. They were happy to see him, but it was just another day at training. Of course, everyone had their own lives to live. The universe didn't revolve around him, and a few weeks of his missing sessions probably went unnoticed for many of his teammates. That was what he'd hoped for so he could just slip back in like nothing had happened.
That was the case until he got down to the back to where his closer friends were. Pete, Martin and Felix practically jumped on him when they saw him strolling in. They cheered and jostled him as if he were their long lost prodigal son returning after being away for eons.
'He's back!' Pete hugged Dan before he'd even had a chance to drop his gear bag and greet them.
'We missed you man,' Martin squeezed his arm.
'It's good to see you, Dan,' Felix patted him on the back.
'I missed ye all too,' Dan told them after the three guys had finished their cuddly onslaught on him, smiling from ear to ear. He felt as though it had been ages since he'd felt this elated, he was practically beaming at being back with his friends on familiar turf.
He laughed and chatted with ease with them as they got dressed for their session.
'I'll follow ye out,' he called after them as the rest of the team made their way out to the pitch.
He was pulling his knee-high socks on when he heard a familiar haunting voice.
'There he is,' Tyler peeked around a corner.
Dan exhaled and looked away from his teammate.
'We missed you - me and the lads. That night at Eric's, things got a bit out of hand, but we've been really horny lately and in need of a good bitch to serve us,' Tyler cooed, his voice slithery and slimy.
That's what pushed Dan over the edge. He got to his feet and looked Tyler straight in the eyes, mere feet away from him. 'Listen. I have no interest in being with you guys ever again. I have no shame about who I am or what I like, but know this: I will never do anything with you or the other guys again over the way you treated me. I'll be cordial with you on the team, but outside the club don't ever speak to me again. Got it?' Dan stared at Tyler, letting the words hang in the air as his voice bounced off the tiled walls. He didn't break the silence or the stare, holding firm as his teammate took in his firm words.
Tyler was stunned, his eyes round like saucers. Finally he held his hands up and said, 'Sorry, man. Understood. I'll leave you be.' He walked away and exited the room.
Dan's heart was beating fast. He let out the breath he had been holding, hardly believing what he had done but proud of how he had cleared Tyler and stood up for himself. He knelt down, tied his runners and followed his teammates out to the training session.
*****
Spring rolled into summer as the weeks flew by. The sun beamed down on the promenade by the sea. A light breeze blew over the waves and onshore to where children played in the shallow waters of the sea and on the sandy beach. People bought ice-cream from a van parked up by the top of the beach.
Dan strolled up the promenade at a leisurely pace, passing by beach-goers in their shorts and tank tops. His sunglasses blocked the glare of the hot sun.
There was a man at the ice-cream van holding out his arms to grab two ice-cream cones. They were each topped with strawberry sauce and a chocolate flake. Something about hot weather made them even more delectable-looking.
The man turned around; it was Isaac.
