Andrew, 3

(Well look who's in here!)

Cameron woke in the morning before the alarms went off. He was alone in the bed. He rolled over and saw Andrew sitting there, looking down out of the window, just sitting crying quietly. He looked so sad, lost and broken, that Cameron felt like crying himself. He felt so sorry for him, but didn't know what he could do.

Andrew turned, saw that he was awake and he forced a grin and wiped his tears. "Good morning, Cameron. Did you sleep okay?"

"Yeah, I did. You?"

"I've had better nights."

"You wouldn't want a worse one!"

"No," he grinned. "You got that right."

"It can only go up from here."

"Hope so."

"What are your plans for today?"

"I don't know. I guess I'll just sit here, rest the foot and try to think what I'm going to do about the train-wreck of my life."

"There must be some charity or church or something that would help you."

"I don't know of any. Do you?"

"No, I don't. Sorry."

"Ah well," he shrugged. "I'm all right for a couple of days. I've got a room and enough to eat for a while. Something will turn up. You helped me when I really needed it. You were brilliant last night, Cameron. Thanks for everything."

"Just wish I could've done more."

"You did plenty. What are your plans for today?"

"I've gotta get back to the hotel. We've got League to play today. It all seems a bit silly now, but I can't let the guys down, they'd never forgive me. Besides, Big Norm, our coach, will kill me if I'm not there. I'll come back and see you tonight."

"You don't have to do that."

"Maybe not, but I want to. I'll be here, I don't know when, probably after 6 o'clock. You'll be here?"

"I'll be here, I've got nowhere else to go. Thanks, Cameron. Do you want to get a shower before you go?"

"In this place?" Cameron shuddered. "I don't think so! I hate to think what their showers are like."

"Probably wise."

"Yeah. Okay, I've gotta go or I'll be late."

He slid out of bed, dressed quickly and left. He gave the boy a hug as he went out and he emptied his pockets. There was only about $5 in loose change, but it was better than nothing. He quietly left it on the bed and said nothing.

"Bye, Andrew. Keep smiling and I'll see you tonight."

"I'll try to. Goodbye then, go before you're late. See you tonight and thanks."

Cameron found his way back to the Excelsior Hotel, no trouble at all. Christchurch is an easy city to get around in, in the central area anyway. The streets are, mostly, in a square-grid pattern, the land is extremely flat - all the hills are shoved over to one side, which is a great idea, and the high-rise buildings are concentrated in one small area. Easy. He got back in plenty of time and even managed to grab some breakfast before going up to their room.

The bus took them all to the grounds on Hagley Park. This place was huge - bigger than their whole town! They played their games, won one and lost two and they were out of the tournament. At least they didn't disgrace themselves, they'd done about as well as expected and it was a good experience for them. For those who took it all seriously, that is. Cameron couldn't care less, he just wanted the day to be over.

There was a lot of time just sitting around, watching, talking and thinking. Cameron couldn't stop thinking about Andrew and his train-wreck of a life. What the hell was the kid going to do? He couldn't stop thinking and worrying about him. He seemed like a nice enough kid. No matter what he'd done, he didn't deserve this. He hadn't done anything anyway, he was just rejected for being who he was. How is that fair? It's bloody not!

And, it could've been him! He could've been in the exact same place that Andrew was, alone, moneyless and friendless and thinking about ending it all. He'd been there, not as far down, but he'd been low and he didn't want to think about what could've happened if Gabriel hadn't saved him and if his parents hadn't turned out to be so great about it all. He'd fallen, but he had a safety net to save him. Andrew had nothing, poor kid.

It was then that Giles showed what a good friend and a good guy he was. Cameron was sitting there thinking and watching a game that he could'nt care less about. Giles came and flopped down beside him.

"What's wrong, Cam?"

"What? Oh, it's nothing. I'm okay."

"Bollocks! If your face was any longer you'd be tripping over your own chin. Not like you to be such a misery. What's wrong? And don't try to tell me it's nothing."

"Yeah, well," Cameron sighed.

Okay, Giles knew all about what had happened with the bitch girlfriend, with Gabriel and his being gay and everything, and he'd never been anything but supportive and understanding. Giles was not gay but he was a good mate, so he told him all about Andrew and his troubles. He sat listening, wide-eyed. When Cameron finished, he said.

"This is that kid who was getting mugged last night? Yes, of course it is. Don't mind me, just having a blonde moment there. Cameron, that's fucking awful. What are we going to do for him?"

"We? Not your problem, Giles."

"Wasn't yours either until you made it yours. What can we do?"

"Don't know."

"There's a bank, on the corner across from the hotel. They'll have an ATM there. I'll draw some cash out when we get back and we'll take it to him. I haven't got a fortune, but I can spare a couple of hundred, no worries."

"You don't have to do that."

"Yeah I do. I'd do it for you, so I'll do it for your boyfriend."

"He's not my boyfriend."

"Not yet. Okay, maybe he's not but he's a kid in trouble and he needs help. We can help him so we will."

"You're a good mate, Giles.

"I am! Hey, we can do better than that too. Why don't you take him home to yours."

"To mine?"

"Yeah, you know - that crusty old place you live in, just north of Kaimoana."

"You think I should take him home?"

"Fuck, Cam! Stop being so thick. Of course you should take him home. Your 'rents are good guys, they'll give him somewhere to live. They obviously don't mind having gayboys in the house. Besides, your dad's always moaning about needing help around the place, and so is mine. They might give him work and pay him until he gets back on his feet."

"You think they would?"

"Sure they will. It'll be good for you and me too. If they've got a helper they'll stop leaning on us all the time and we'll be free."

"That'd be perfect, but what about the car you're saving for?"

"What about it? I'm nearly there anyway and it'll be no use having a car if I'm never free to use it. C'mon, Cameron. This'll be good for everyone, and you know it."

"Yeah, it'd be great if it works, but how are we going to get him there? Kaimoana's a long way and he's in no state for walking."

"He doesn't have to walk, he can go on the bus. Better yet, he can come on our bus. There's plenty of room, half the seats were empty on the way down."

"Well not half, but a lot. You think we could sneak him on?"

"We can. We'll put a League jacket and cap on him, sit him down near the back and Big Norm will never know the difference."

"That could work. We'd have to get the other guys on the team to help."

"They will, we're a team. We'll ask them and thump them if they won't."

"Yeah! You're a good mate, Giles!"

"Yeah? You too, Cam."

"Sometimes. That's a plan then. I'll go and see Andrew later and tell him he can come with us if he wants to."

"He'll want to. He hasn't got much choice, has he? I'll come with you and we'll take Grant and Stevie too. We won't let him say no."

"I guess they might come if we ask them to."

"Sure they will. They're good guys."

"They are. Not as good as you though."

"Couldn't be, could they? I'm the best!"

"Shut it, Townsend, but you are. I love you, you know."

"Eww. Shut up, Gayboy. I'll go and get them now and we'll tell them the plan."

Giles went to find Grant and Stevie and Cameron sat smiling. He really was a brilliant mate, he was so lucky to have him. Now they just had to convince Andrew that they had the answer for him. He would agree, wouldn't he? He didn't have much choice anyway, he had nowhere else to go. If he didn't, Cameron wouldn't be surprised if Giles kidnapped him. He'd be capable of that.

Andrew wasn't keen on their scheme, but they convinced him to, at least, come and see what it'd be like. He could always leave if he didn't like it there and, well, he couldn't be any worse off than he was now, could he? So, embarrassed but grateful, he checked out of the New City Hotel. It was a relief to walk away from the place.

The bloody thieves wouldn't give him a refund for the rest of the week either. He was ready to argue about it, but Cameron and the others told him to let it go. He didn't need it and it wasn't worth the hassle.

They took him back with them to stay the night in the Excelsior Hotel where the bus would be leaving from in the am. Giles and Grant carried his two bags and they stopped for a feed in the mid-city Maccas on the way. Andrew hadn't eaten a thing all day. ("Amazing!" "And dumb.") He had no cash at all, apart from the $5 that Cameron had left and he'd already given that back to him. The others all chipped-in. Maccas was cheap and they made sure that he ate plenty.

They put Cameron's League jacket on him and Cameron and Giles helped him up the stairs to their room. Stevie and Grant brought the bags and crutches up after. Andrew met all of the guys during the evening. He slept the night in Cameron's bed and, with a brilliant bit of teamwork, they snuck him on to the bus in the morning.

Most of them wore their uniform jackets and caps, with visors to the front. Andrew had his long hair tied back and tucked into the collar of Cameron's jacket with Grant's cap pulled down over his face. They all went out together and boarded the bus in a boisterous milling group and Andrew sat down near the back, by the window and next to Cameron.

Big Norm got on and stood next to the driver and looking down the bus. "We all ready for home? Right then. Cowsend, come up here and talk to me."

He sat down and Giles came forward. "Everything okay, Norm?"

"I'm not sure, Master Townsend. Explain to me why I see too many heads."

"Do you, Coach?" Giles looked back down the bus. "Oh, yeah. That'll be Alastair. He came down in a car, his uncle's staying here for a few days, so he's coming back with us."

"He is? He did? I thought he was with us on the way down."

"No, he wasn't He came down with his uncle."

"Hmm," Big Norm looked at Alastair who gave him a big cheesy grin. "All right then. I'll believe you, I think. No-one's going to get in trouble here, are they?"

"No. No troubles, Norm."

"There'd better not be. I wouldn't put anything past you Little Shits. Go and sit down, Giles. Ray, let's get this lot home."

The driver closed the door and started the bus. There were relieved sighs and grins as they started on the road home.

They arrived back in Kaimoana and the bus stopped at the sports ground where a group of parents stood waiting to collect their offspring. Big Norm got out first and he stood studying each one as they came down the steps. When Andrew came out, trying not to limp, Big Norm bent down and pointedly looked at his foot. He straightened and looked at his face.

"I knew you Little Shits were up to something. Who are you, Boy?"

Andrew blushed and stammered, so Cameron lept in. "Norm, this my, ah, my cousin, Andrew. He's come to stay for a few days and he's just hitching a lift. There was lots of spare seats."

"Well, I don't know. In fact, I think I don't want to know."

Giles said, "My Mum's here. She's taking us home."

"Well," Norm looked at Mrs. Townsend, standing by her car. "I suppose we're here now. I'll believe you, but if I hear about any runaways, I'm telling Rodney Lowrie."

"The cop?" said Cameron. "No worries, Norm. There's no runaways here."

"There bloody better not be. Go on then, go home!"

"Cheers, Norm."

"Yeah, thanks, Coach."

They collected their bags. Cameron and Giles each took one of Andrew's so he could cope with the crutches, and they went over to the waiting car.

"Hey, Mum. How's it going?"

"I'm fine, Giles. Did you win?"

"Nah, not likely. We beat Collegiate though, so we didn't do too bad."

"That's good, I suppose. Hello Cameron, and who is this?"

"This is my friend, Andrew, Mrs. Townsend. He's come to stay for a while."

"I see, and he needs a lift? In the car, Boys, and we'll go home."