E.C.H.O.

Stage 5 "Getting by"

Lucas didn't reply as he shot a look around. The field they were on was well kept. However, unlike the one next to it, it didn't have bleachers. Must be just a practice field, he noted. He took in the white markings. There was a line through the middle and a circle in the middle of that. The game starts from there...I think. He tried to recall the little he knew about football. Eyes darting from one end to the other, where there was a goal with a net, he kicked the grass. The aim is to try and get the ball in the net guarded by the other team...

"Here," Nathan called.

Lucas looked up just as Nathan kicked the ball towards him. Somehow, Lucas reacted just in time to stop it with his own foot. Use of hands isn't allowed by anyone other than the player in the goal, he remembered. A fellow ECHO member he had worked with for one job had been obsessed with football. Lucas regretted not listening more when he had babbled on about the sport.

Nathan was watching expectantly, as though waiting for Lucas to either do something incredible with the ball and then pass it back.

"Is that part of Bel?" Lucas pointed behind Nathan.

As soon as Nathan turned to look, Lucas tapped the ball with his toe, sending it rolling towards Nathan. It went so slowly that Lucas scowled. Got to hit it harder next time.

Nathan, however, didn't even notice as he turned back to look at Lucas only to find the ball had reached him again.

"Yeah, that's their gym," Nathan told him. He used his foot to roll the ball to himself, flicked it into the air, and began to bounce it up in the air with his feet and knees. "Sometimes they have practice out on their fields at the same time as we do." He continued to bounce the ball with little effort. "Get's everyone here super distracted. Coach hates it." He grinned.

Lucas didn't reply as he watched Nathan's every move. He displays perfect control of the ball. Analysis: this is definitely something that cannot be acquired without a lot of practice. Conclusion: I should probably never attempt that particular move while I'm here.

"Of course," Nathan flicked the ball higher and it landed on his forehead where he kept it balanced, "Coach gets distracted too." He moved back, causing the ball to fall. It landed perfectly on one foot before he dropped it to the ground and kicked it over to Lucas again.

He kicks with the inside off his foot. He did so last time too, Lucas noted as he stopped the ball again. Is that the way to do it?

"Hey!" Nathan called out.

Lucas turned to see two guys heading over to them.

"Yo," the first, with brown hair and grey eyes, greeted Nathan.

The other, who was slightly shorter and stockier and had black hair and brown eyes, nodded.

"Lucas, this is Jordan," Nathan pointed at the brown haired guy, "and Rick." He nodded at the stockier one. "Guys, this is Lucas."

"Was sup?" Jordan greeted Lucas.

Accent suggests he's from England, Lucas noted right away.

"Lucas? The new player?" Rick asked.

From within the country, Lucas thought.

"The one and only," Nathan replied.

"I hear you have quite some skill," Rick told Lucas.

Looks like ECHO made quite some name for me, Lucas thought dryly. "I'm okay," he told the two newcomers.

"Rick plays right wing defense, Jordan is our starter goalie," Nathan told Lucas.