My Secret Love Song #TransPRIDE

06: Eli's Masculinity

~Elias POV~

"Can you even sing?" 

Thomas asks as we kick the ball back and forth to come down the heavy workout we got during practice.

"I guess we'll soon see," I answer. I can sing in the shower but I don't know if that applies here. I miss the ball and my foot goes flying forward, distracted by the feeling of having a certain set of eyes burning into the back of my head.

"I think I can, but I can rap if anything," he shrugs and I think of the song we were assigned.

"Does New Rules even have a rap line?" I ask and he scratches the back of his head.

"I don't think so," he groans and I give him a gentle pat on the back.

"Really Eli! Are you just going to pretend I don't exist? I'm on your fucking team!" Thomas and I stop at the sound of Ryan's voice and I slowly turn on the turf.

"I'm just giving you space," I tell him honestly but he walks straight up to me and slaps me across the face.

"I don't want space! I want you," He pouts and I hold my cheek in pain.

"Well, that's one hell of a way to try to get me back. What the fuck is wrong with you?" I ask in a calm soft voice that takes him by surprise.

"I can't believe I wasted three years with you! I could have had so much better but I didn't want to hurt you, little did I know you were planning on stabbing me this entire time!" He yells and I stand up straight.

"Good luck finding someone else who can put up with all that," I say, waving my hand in his face.

"I already have," He smirks but it doesn't affect me in the slightest bit.

"Doesn't surprise me considering how many times you cheated on me, why else I refused to fuck you unless I saw the clean STD receipts. You disgust me," The untold truth slips out and he raises his hand to bitch slap me once more but his wrist is caught halfway. 

My brother stands beside him in his football uniform and twists Ryan's wrist until he screams out in pain. Matty tugs his wrist until their faces were only an inch apart.

"Try to touch my twin again and I will twist your arm until it breaks so I can shove it up your ass while stomping on your dick with my cleats. Now fuck off!" Matty yells down to Ryan and releases him. Ryan quickly walks in the opposite direction and pretends it never happened. My brother aggressively growls as he watches Ryan walk off before turning back to Thomas and I.

My heart skipped a few beats, but it wasn't because I was afraid of Ryan. It's because not once in that sentence did he use the word brother, he, him, or his.

"Eli!" I look over to see Milo running towards us. Milo's shaggy brown hair bounced in the wind and his hazel green eyes stood out to me in the direct sunlight. He was still in their school uniform with their maroon sleeves rolled up. I felt something strange as he quickly approached, suddenly getting nervous.

"Hey, are you okay? I saw what he did, was that Ryan? Oh no, your cheek is all red," He grabs my face in his soft palms and tilts my head to the side to assess the damage. As his skin touches mine, my heart started to beat against my ribcage and I could feel the rest of my face start to redden. He suddenly lets go of me as if he just not realized the fact we didn't know each other that well.

"Sorry, my mother is a nurse so I've been trained to help the wounded," He says with a small smile that took my breath away.

"Haha...that's o-okay. I guess it's karma for hitting you with the car," I nervously giggle and instantly wanted to hit myself from the embarrassment. What was wrong with me? For some stupid reason, Milo somehow managed to break my protective masculine barriers down without even trying.

"Oh god, don't say that otherwise, Matty's going to get it next," he jokes and I carefully hold my scrawny twig-like arms, suddenly feeling shy.

"Ahem, are we going to get going on this project or are you going to keep flirting?" Thomas coughs and I turn back to them.

"What project?" Matty asks.

"Ah, our teacher wants us to create some kind of boyband for class. Care to join?" I ask and he shrugs.

"Sure, why not. You know the key to fame is having attractive people right? You're definitely going to need me," he scoffs as he starts walking back toward the school.

"Did he just say we were ugly?" Milo asks as we start walking behind Matty.

"I believe so, and we were not flirting!" I shove Thomas to the side and he almost trips.

"Looked like flirting to me," He laughs and I kick his ass.

"Find your own way to my house then!" I threaten and he rolls his eyes.

"Actually, do any of us have recording equipment?" Milo nudges in and Thomas looks at me. We both shake our heads simultaneously.

"Cancel that then, you can find your way to Best Buy,"