"Oh my god." Mason said in disbelief as he squinted from the sun, catching a look of a certain someone. Liam turned to him in questioning, "What is he doing?"

Liam followed his gaze, freezing as his eyes landed on Eli. He'd been attempting to take a picture of a bird it seemed, running backwards to follow it but ended up falling down and rolling over his own shoulders, "Oh my god."

"Should we-"Mason began.

"Yeah, we better." Liam nodded as the duo walked over, hearing a string of groans and 'ow's coming from the boy, who's now laid like a starfish on the ground, "Did you get it?"

"Get what?" Eli looked up at him with squinted eyes from the sun.

"The picture." Mason said back. Eli gasped, sitting up as he held his camera. Liam looked around to see if anyone had been watching, giving awkward smiles at the odd looks they'd been receiving.

"Are you joking with me?" Eli spoke up in disbelief as he stared done at the photo.

"Why do you have to say that? Why can't you just saying 'are you kidding me?' or 'are you messing with me' like a normal person?" Mason asked him with a sigh, hearing the phrase so many times and it getting under his skin each time.

"Mason." Eli turned his camera to face it at him, "Look at that."

Indeed, are you joking me, he'd gotten a terrible picture of the bird. It just looked like a blur across the camera screen. Liam reached down to pull him up, a pat on the back, "Maybe you'll get a good one at tryouts."

"Nope, i'm playing this year." Eli said confidently, grabbing his bag from the ground, "Freshman year was not my year. Sophomore year? I'm gonna play, I know it."

"We know." Mason patted him on the back, sharing a look with Liam behind his back.

Eli hit the field ground harshly, the whistle blowing as he groaned. Couch gave a look of disbelief at the boy, laid across the field after being tackled, "Foxx! What the hell was that?"

Eli rolled over, pulling his helmet off as he squinted from the sun, "My attempt to block, Coach."

"Well, you aren't doing a very good job." he called back toward the young teen with a wave of his hands, "Do you not even see it coming?"

"Well, my eyes usually only focus forward. Like with horses. You put those blinders on them so they just see for-" Eli began before he was tackled yet again, flying forward now rather then backwards. His lack of helmet caused a minor nose bleed, he didn't even feel it at first. Coach whistled loudly as Eli looked up, grass spread across his face, "I know, I know!"

Liam hurried over to help him up, "You'll get it next time."

Eli held his bloodied nose, "Maybe I shouldn't have started talking about horses."

Liam shoot his head with a squint, patting his back, "Maybe not."

Eli held his head low as he walked over toward coach, helmet in hand. Coach huffed as he looked at him, shaking his head as he walked past. Eli laid his helmet on the bench, where he'd return too, and headed toward the locker room. He pulled the athletic wear over his head before he walked in, the locker he was using in the front. Grabbing his bag to pull, gasping and stumbling backwards as the spare lactose stick fell.

Eli hit the ground again, huffing in disbelief as he leaned against the bench, "What is wrong with you?"

"Carful there, Eli." a new voice rung, making him jump and turn his head. Garrett leaned on the lockers as he looked down at him, "Wouldn't want you to get hurt before the teams even selected."

"I'm fine." Eli said back, standing up as he searched for a shirt. Garretts, not so subtly, eyeing him made him oddly uncomfortable suddenly.

"See you on the bench." Garrett patted his shoulder as he left, Eli waiting for the locker door to shut to start fighting with the air.

"See you on the bench." he mocked, attempting to preform Daniel Larussos iconic crane kick, only to loose his balance and fall backwards, "What is wrong with you? Oh my god."

Eli and the bench were friends.

They'd been friends since last year. He went to tryouts last year too, didn't make the team then either. Yet, he still sat on the bench to take pictures. It wasn't so bad, he'd grown to like it here. Especially when it was cold, because he liked the cold.

"Terrible." Coach commented as the boys ran past him after the mile sprint, timing them on his stop watch, "Horrifying. Pathetic. Unbelievable."

"Terror-stricken." Eli added in from behind him.

"Terror-stricken." Coach added as more freshman ran past him now, getting to the end, "Is that everyone?"

Stiles Stilinki, a boy Eli avoided because he seemed to point out the obvious too much and it was kinda scary, barley made it past coach as he gasped for air and hunched over, then taking a fall. Eli pulled on his sweater vest as he looked down at him from at the bench, wondering if it would be inappropriate to throw his water bottle his way, "Yup, thats everyone."

Scott helped Stiles up with encouraging words, patting his back as they clearly spoke about Liam. Eli clapped his hands, giving a thumbs up toward his friend, "You did great from the view on the bench!"

Liam gave him a thumbs up from where he'd been doing push-ups, smiling as he did so. Eli missed Scott and Stiles sharing a look, didn't even notice they'd been eyeing him until both slide on either side of him. Eli's eyebrows went up, looking between them, "Fellas, how was that sprint?"

"Liam seemed to have it down." Scott spoke gentle, he wasn't looking at him though, his head turned slightly to make it appear he hadn't been listening to his heart, "Has he always been this good? You two seem close."

"No, we just met over the summer, he's a year younger then me." Eli looked at him rather then Stiles, though he could feel the stare on the other side of his face, "He was running through the woods, didn't see me I guess, and ran straight into me. I fell over, he didn't, but you know."

"What was he running from? Something big? Something large? Something loud?" Stiles listened on, the young boys head turning his way with, what appeared to be, an offended look, "No?"

"Morning jog, I think. He'd been training for tryouts, with his stepdad, all summer long so, just an early bird I think." Eli shrugged as his foot tapped slightly in the grass, not realizing Scott listened to his heart rate increase, "Why, ha, why are you asking? Do you wanna be good at tryouts too?"

"Oh." Stiles laughed through his anger, "This little-"

"We were just wondering how a freshman got this good." Scott spoke, taking Eli's attention back before Stiles could offend him, "What happened over the summer? With you and Liam? You guys hung out a lot?"

Eli shifted, his fingers coming up and chewing on his fingernails, "I mean, yeah, most days."

"Most days, not all days?" Scott asked, his eyes flickered down to Eli's chest, hearing how fast and rapid his heartbeat was. Eli took a breath, biting his nails again, "Do you live close?"

Stiles flicked Eli's hand, making him drop it from his mouth.

"Sorta kinda. Mason lives between both of us so we just usually hang out there." Eli shook his head, running a hand through his hair with a nod, "You could ask him whatever you want, he's up in the bleachers."

"Right." Scott looked at his state again with a nod at the panic across his body, "You're not trying out?"

Eli shook his head but didn't answer.

"Why? Did Liam-" Stiles began before Scott cut him off.

"We have to get back out there. It was nice getting to talk to you." Scott smiled at Eli, who nodded him head with a forced grin behind his hand, that was up by his mouth and biting at his nails. Eli leaned on his knees as they stood up, taking a breath and feeling like he could breath finally.

"He was clearly lying, I could even tell his heart was about to fly out of his tiny little, shit head chest." Stiles commented as he looked back at Eli, the pair walking onto the field more, "That comment he made about us wanting to be good like Liam? Nope, nu-uh, somethings weird about that kid."

"He wasn't lying." Scott looked back at Eli, a faint look of softness in his eyes, "He's got anxiety."

Stiles looked back with a odd look, "Are you sure?"

"Positive, I know the difference by now." Scott nodded his head, checking on Eli one more time. He seemed to be doing better, his heart rate slowing down and instead of biting on his nails, he'd began chewing at the chapped skin on his lips.

As tryouts went no, Eli snapped pictures of Liam, completely showing up the rest of the guys. Coach was eating it up, clearly stoked that Beacon Hills had a good player for once. Even Scott McCall, the lacrosse captian, was lacking after he couldn't make the goal. Eli wouldn't say it out loud, but he wished he was out there. He began regretting not taking up Liams offer on training with him and his dad over the summer, his faith and the growth spurt all he really had going for him.

And his lucky sweater vest.

Coach decided to put Stiles and Scott with the long sticks, covering goal. Eli snapped a photo of them, cringing slightly at the panting face Stiles was still managing to make. Garrett was first, seemingly doing well but Scott managed to knock his stick, the ball dropping.

Eli didn't realize he was doing it until Garrett was shooting him death glared, blinking and coming to the conclusion that he stood up and was cheering loudly. Eli, red in the face, sat down quickly, crossing his legs, and leaning into his elbows.

"That's my boys." Coach spoke about the duo, looking back at Eli, "Those two are like sons to me."

"Me too." Eli agreed, getting a odd look in return. The duo managed to take down two more players, Coach yelling and cheering them on each time. Stiles and Scott did a chest bump, Stiles flying backwards and hitting the ground. Eli took a picture as soon as he fell, smiling.

Liam was next, clearly radiating more of a arrogant vibe then the others. Eli didn't blame him though, if he had done as amazing as Liam did, he'd probably be arrogant about it too. Eli moved to the edge of his seat, putting his camera aside as he watched closely. The whistle blew, Liam running forward as he dodge Stiles, swerving around Scott and making the goal.

"Woo!" Eli did a quiet cheer, more so to himself then anyone else.

"That was luck!"

The new voice from the bleachers had him frowning in confusion, turning his head and finding a girl he had one class with, yelling as she stood up. Eli turned around completely to see what she had to say, "Do-Over!"

Eli let out a snort, he didn't think it had been loud, but her head turned his way with possibly a glare, or maybe a look of confusion. Eli panicked, red in the face, and tried to turn around quickly but his legs were stuck in the hole of the bench, making him fall off.

"Sweetheart, there's no Do-Overs. This is a practice." Coach waved her off.

"Ten bucks on Scott and Stiles." Malia announced. Malia, that's what her name was. He'd heard it being called by their shared teacher multiple times.

"I'll take that action." Coach nodded, Malia smiled and sat back down. Eli peaked over his shoulder at her once more, looking to see if she had confidence in her decision or if regret began to set in. Her eyes met his, and he turned back around quickly. Thankfully, not falling.

"Hey, Sweater Vest!" Malia called, throwing her pen as it hit him in the back of the head. Eli flinched with a small "ow" before turning back to look at her, "What's so funny?"

Eli didn't want to yell like she had, standing up and walking toward the end of the fence. He leaned on it and looked up at her, "Sorry?"

"You were laughing at me." Malia crossed her arms as she stared at him, "So what is funny?"

"Not you!" Eli spoke quickly, embarrassed and red in the face, "What you said! The Do-Over thing, that was- it was funny."

"Why?" Malia asked dumbfounded.

"Malia." Kira nudged her with a small smile, "Let's leave Eli alone."

Eli and Kira spoke once. Mr. Yukimura let Eli host his study group in his classroom one evening, Kira showed up because she'd forgotten her phone and told Eli how cool she thought it was that he was trying to help people in school more. He got all mushy, had a crush on her for a week and a half, and never spoke again, so he let it go.

He'd probably had fallen in love with her again just now if he wasn't too busy saving his self from the scary, but very pretty, junior girl.

"I'm Eli!" he had to blurt toward Malia, because it seemed like a ice breaker to avoid her coming after him, "I like your sweater."

It was a cardigan, actually. But Malia didn't know that, and neither did he. She looked at him oddly, "Wish it was fur."

Kira nudged her harshly.

Eli nodded his head, "I like fur too, faux fur anyways. In some counties they just take the fur right off live animals. Very sad, my mom and donated three dollars to anti animal violence."

Malia gave a stupid look, "Animal don't need money, they can't buy things."

"Malia." Kira spoke quickly with wide eyes.

Malia looked at her, sighing as she nodded her head in realization, turning back to Eli, "Why are you still standing here, Sweater Vest?"

"I'm not!" he spoke quickly, backing up quickly and nearly stumbling over his feet, "I'm not, i'm not, nope."

He sat down quickly after that.

•

kylie speaks

*googles how to be
any girl that eli has
had a crush on*
*gets in starfish
position, 1,2,3*
*googles how to be
malia*

take a shot every time
eli falls over.