Alone • Liam Dunbar

Eight

When my last period finally ended I headed towards the field on campus to watch the tryouts. I only stopped to get myself a bottle of water and sneak into the teacher's lounge to get Coach a coffee. The locks at this school were almost too easy to pick.

The bleachers weren't as full as they usually were during normal practices since this was only tryouts, but there was a decent crowd that came to witness everything. Malia and Kira were seated together near the bottom. Malia focused on a textbook in her lap while Kira fiddled with Scott's spare lacrosse stick. He was wise and kept an extra one around on the off chance his strength would get out of hand and he'd break his main one. 

I scan the expanse of the field, spotting Scott and Stiles. They were in the middle of some warm-ups but waved when I got closer. Scott greets me with a smile, while a panting Stiles trails a few feet behind him. 

"You look disgusting," I tell him bluntly when he's done waddling over to us. 

Stiles leans on Scott's shoulder heavily, squinting at me through the sweat that pours down his face. He's covered in it, appearing as though he stepped out of the shower with all of his clothes on. He hates my comment, but he's also too tired to say anything back. 

I offer him the water in my hands and his eyes widen. He rips the plastic from my grasp greedily, as if he's reached an oasis in a desert, and quickly uncaps the bottle to pour half of the contents into his mouth and the rest on his face. The bottle is emptied in less than two seconds. 

Stiles hands the plastic back to me without any shame. 

"I hate you." I glare at him. 

Having some energy returned to him, Stiles holds his arms open wide and approaches me. He knows I'm not one for physical touch, so he often does this, taunting me with fake hugs. I quickly put an end to his antics as I reach into my jacket, as if moving to grab a dagger. 

Stiles stumbles behind Scott for cover and the Alpha simply laughs. 

"I'll be over there with Kira and Malia," I say, smirking triumphantly. "Try not to die, Stiles," I add before walking away toward the bleachers. 

Before heading toward the aforementioned girls, I make one last stop to Coach. He glares over my shoulder at the pair of best friends I've left behind. When I reach his side, I turn to see why and find Scott standing over Stiles who lies on the grass. Scott has one of his legs in hand and bends it toward his upper body, helping to stretch him out. 

They looked like absolute idiots.

"They're idiots." Coach voices my thoughts. I hum in agreement as I hand him his foam cup filled with coffee. He perks up as he accepts it, taking the lid off to deeply inhale the liquid contents, bringing a smile to my face.

I always felt a softness toward Coach Finstock. 

When I first came to the high school, I didn't go to many classes, but because I had to keep a close eye on Scott and Stiles, I often found myself on the lacrosse field. This brought me closer to the man beside me. He was brash, loud, and verbally abused most of the students here. He was practically my hero. 

After he took an arrow to the chest, I always found little ways to make his day better. Coach could be odd, but at the end of the day he always had the best of intentions, and that needed to be preserved. 

Coach lets out a satisfied sigh after gulping down a healthy portion of brew. 

"This is why you're my favorite, Knight." 

I only chuckle in response before walking away, finally joining Kira and Malia. 

"Really, Jac? Bribery?" Kira jokes, referring to my gift for Coach. I had done it out of the goodness of my heart, but if it also left him to be a little less gruff with Scott and Stiles, that couldn't hurt.