Brown Eyed Boy

Try Outs (Jessie POV)

By the time I had picked up Cassie and we rushed back to school, the football try outs had already begun. Sitting on the bleachers and watching as they warmed up, it was easy to spot Jared. He sat on the bench with Nick and a few others, watching as the first line ran through suicides. Unlike others around him, he wasn't stretching and preparing for his run. I shook my head at his arrogance, silently hoping he would be cut from the team, and scanned the field until I found where Carlos and Emmett were stretching. “Cassie, there's Carlos,” I told her as I pointed in his direction.

“Carlos!” she screamed and waved happily when he looked over. He smiled over at us and waved before going back to his stretches. Unfortunately Cassie's call got more than Carlos' attention; Jared looked up at me blankly before looking over at Carlos and glaring. I didn't entirely understand what that look was for but I knew it was trouble for Carlos.

“Second line, let's go!” the coach bellowed and I watched as all who remained stretching around the field began to line up for suicides. Emmett and Carlos lined up next to each other as Nick and Jared fell into place next to them. Jared leaned around Nick and said something to Carlos that made him give Jared a dirty look before looking away. He quickly looked up at me and winked before focusing back on the field as the coach blew the whistle to begin. The second it did, Carlos seemed to launch himself forward, faster than I expected. It must have been faster than Jared expected too because a stunned look crossed his face and he faltered in his own speed before his face grew angry and determined and he pushed himself forward.

“Carlos is really fast, right?” Cassie smiled up at me.

“He is,” I replied, sounding slightly awed.

“I taught him how to be that fast,” she said matter of factly as she continued to watch him run.

“Oh really?” I laughed.

“Yup,” she said. “He had to be fast to catch me.” I laughed again, believing that much. Looking back at the field, I realized that Carlos was on his last suicide while Jared was one behind him. The anger was clear on Jared's face and I couldn't help but smile as Carlos crossed the line one final time, grabbing a drink of water with a smug smile of his own. Looking over at the coach, I saw that he was equally impress by Carlos' speed.

*          *          *          *          *         

Coach Rosser tested their stamina some more after the suicide runs and then the real try outs began. Carlos was trying out for quarterback and paired up with Emmett to toss the ball. When the coach came over to watch them, a look of determination came across Carlos' face and I could see he was going to give all he had. The coach nodded and said something to them both when they were done and they walked off the field as the try outs continued. Carlos approached the bleachers where we sat and I could see how tired he was after an hour and a half of constant activity. Cassie had fallen asleep on her book bag next to me and as Carlos stepped up on the bleachers he smiled down at her. “I figured she would get bored eventually,” he said with a laugh. He looked at me and his brown eyes seemed as deep and captivating as they had that first day we met. “How about you? Are you bored yet?”

Usually my answer would have been yes, but there was something about watching his determination and movements that made it more bearable. He seemed almost as peaceful as he had been when he was sleeping while he was on the field and even more than that he seemed to fit perfectly there. “Nope,” I answered. “Not at all.” He kept watching me silently for a minute and then smiled.

“Good,” he replied. “Because we're probably going to be here for a while longer.”

“Fine by me, superstar,” I said with a smile and his grew wider at me. After that we sat silently for a while just staring at each other. I could tell he was looking for the dark cloud that had shown up so often lately, but for once it wasn't there. As long as I focused on the present, on Carlos being by my side no matter what, the dark memory stayed far away. For the first time in a few days, I could smile at Carlos without hiding my own inner battles and he could smile back, knowing I was okay.