Tyler jogged back toward the field at an easy pace, not rushing, not hesitating either. Elijah noticed him almost immediately, pausing mid-argument over positions and calling out, "What were you doing all the way out there alone?" as Tyler slowed near the edge of the game.
Tyler shrugged lightly, eyes following the ball as it rolled past. "Looking at the pond."
Elijah stared at him for half a second, then laughed. "In this heat? You're weird anyway. Summer does that to people." He turned and cupped his hands around his mouth, shouting toward the others, "Hey, he's joining!"
A few heads turned. Someone waved. Another snorted.
Tyler hesitated just long enough to say, "I'm not that good at this," the admission delivered calmly, without apology.
One of the boys kicked the ball lightly toward his own foot and grinned. "Nobody cares. It's not like we're playing nationals."
That earned a round of laughter, loose and immediate, the kind that didn't single anyone out. Tyler felt it settle around him, He smiled, and stepped onto the field.
The game resumed without ceremony.
There was no referee, no fixed positions. Someone shouted instructions no one followed. Two players chased the ball at the same time and collided, laughing as they untangled themselves. Elijah moved easily among them, calling for passes, missing half of them, arguing loudly when someone stole the ball from him unfairly.
Tyler stayed quiet at first, matching the rhythm without forcing himself into it. He ran when the ball came near, slowed when it drifted away, learning the shape of the game as it unfolded rather than trying to control it. Dust kicked up around their feet, sticking lightly to skin damp with sweat. The sun pressed down without mercy, but no one complained.
From the road bordering the field, two familiar figures approached.
Kai walked with his hands shoved into his pockets, posture relaxed, eyes scanning ahead lazily. Noah walked beside him, talking faster than necessary, voice carrying as he complained about being dragged out so early during vacation, asking why they couldn't just stay home and do nothing like normal people.
"We're not even going anywhere interesting," Noah said, kicking a pebble off the road. "You still haven't told me where we're actually going."
Kai shrugged. "I said I'd tell you when we get there."
"That's what you said ten minutes ago."
"Exactly."
Noah opened his mouth to argue again, then stopped. Kai had slowed, his gaze fixed somewhere ahead.
"What," Noah asked, turning to follow his line of sight.
Kai nodded toward the field. "Look."
Noah squinted, then leaned forward slightly. His eyes widened. "Is that… is that Tyler?"
At the sound of his name shouted across open space, Tyler turned mid-run, startled just long enough to lose track of the ball. He spotted Kai and Noah by the roadside and broke into a grin, lifting a hand in greeting.
"Hey!"
Before he could say anything else, Elijah yelled sharply from behind him, "Focus, Ty!"
Tyler laughed and turned back just in time to avoid colliding with another player, the moment passing as quickly as it arrived.
Noah was already waving both arms. "That's definitely him."
Kai watched quietly, eyes narrowing slightly, "Since when does he play soccer with random people."
Noah shrugged. "Since today, apparently."
They stood there for a moment longer, watching the game unfold. Tyler moved easily now, not skilled in a polished way, but responsive, adjusting instinctively to the chaos around him.
"We should watch a bit," Noah said finally. "Then we can go."
Kai nodded. "Yeah."
They jogged off the road and toward the field, settling onto a nearby bench where they had a clear view of the action.
Back on the field, the ball came loose unexpectedly, bouncing in Tyler's direction. He reacted without thinking, cutting across an opponent who hadn't anticipated the movement. The boy stumbled slightly, surprised, and Tyler slipped past, guiding the ball forward with a quick tap.
Someone shouted his name.
Tyler kept moving.
He angled the ball toward the open space near the goal, timing the kick just right. The ball rolled cleanly past a scrambling defender and crossed the line.
Noise erupted.
Shouts, laughter, someone clapping too loudly. Elijah threw his arms up and ran toward Tyler. "That was clean!"
An opponent jogged over, shaking his head with a grin. "Are you sure he's new?"
Elijah scoffed dramatically. "Of course he is. I just didn't tell you guys."
The boy laughed. "You really fooled us this time."
As the others reset, Elijah leaned in close to Tyler, lowering his voice. "When did you get good. I've never seen you play like that."
Tyler smiled, eyes bright. "Just now."
Elijah stared at him for a second, then laughed, shaking his head. "You're good at hiding things. But… it's good you're enjoying this."
Someone shouted Elijah's name from across the field, demanding his attention. He pointed at Tyler. "One more goal and we win."
Then he ran off.
Tyler watched him go, the smile lingering.
From the bench, Noah cupped his hands around his mouth. "Good job!"
Tyler turned and shouted back, "Thanks!"
Kai leaned back slightly, arms crossed. "Isn't he… happier than usual."
Noah nodded. "Yeah. Maybe something good happened."
Kai watched Tyler for a moment longer, then looked away. "I guess so."
The game continued without anyone formally restarting it.
Someone kicked the ball back into play, another shouted something that sounded like instructions, and the loose order of the match reassembled itself naturally. Tyler stayed near the center this time, no longer hanging back, his movements quicker and more instinctive than before. The sun beat down relentlessly, sweat running along his temples, dust clinging to his shoes, but none of it mattered. The noise, the motion, the lack of structure, it all blended into something simple and immediate.
After a few minutes, the ball came toward him again, rolling unevenly across the field. Tyler adjusted his pace without thinking, matching its direction, then tapped it lightly to keep it close. An opponent moved in, too late and slightly off balance, and Tyler sidestepped him without flair, just enough to create space. He glanced up, spotted a teammate nearby, and sent the ball forward with a clean pass.
"Here!"
The boy didn't hesitate. He kicked hard, more force than precision, and the ball flew toward the goal, bouncing once before crossing the line.
For a heartbeat, no one reacted.
Then the field erupted.
Shouts rose all at once, overlapping and incoherent. Someone whooped loudly, another groaned in mock frustration, and a few boys ran toward each other, arms flung out carelessly. Laughter cut through the noise as they gathered in the middle of the field, forming a loose, uneven circle, everyone talking at the same time.
"That was fun," one of them said, hands on his hips, chest rising and falling. "Way better than last time."
"Only because you finally passed," another replied immediately, earning a shove to the shoulder.
Elijah laughed, wiping sweat from his forehead. "Don't start. You missed three open shots."
"Doesn't matter," the boy shot back. "We still won."
Someone else pointed at Tyler. "Your pass made that goal. That counts."
Tyler smiled but didn't respond, content to stand there and listen as the noise washed over him. The arguments weren't serious. No one was keeping score anymore. The win was already being redefined into something temporary, something that belonged only to this moment.
"So what now," one of them asked, dropping onto the grass. "Another round or something else."
"We'll win next time," another said confidently.
"Yeah, yeah," Elijah replied, waving him off. "Today's still ours."
The discussion splintered into overlapping suggestions, voices rising and falling without resolution. In the middle of it, Tyler took a small step back, then another, slipping quietly out of the loose circle while attention remained focused inward. No one noticed his absence immediately. The group was too busy arguing about what to do next.
Tyler moved toward the bench where Kai and Noah sat, their eyes still following the field.
Noah noticed him first. He straightened abruptly. "Hey!"
Tyler stopped near them, smiling. "Hey."
Noah jumped up from the bench with exaggerated excitement. "You played really good today. I didn't even know you played soccer."
Tyler shrugged lightly. "I don't. Not really."
Kai glanced at him sideways. "That didn't look like not really."
Noah laughed. "See. He's hiding things again."
Kai leaned back against the bench, arms crossing loosely. "He always does. During breaks at school he just sits and watches. Never joins."
Tyler tilted his head. "That's not true."
"It is," Noah said immediately. "You always say you're tired or busy."
Tyler smiled faintly. "Anyway, what are you guys doing here."
Noah opened his mouth, then stopped and glanced at Kai. "We're going somewhere."
Kai sighed. "And I didn't tell him yet."
Noah frowned. "Because you didn't need to be so secretive about it."
Kai shot him a look. "You have a big mouth."
"I do not."
"You do," Kai said flatly. "If I tell you early, everyone will know by evening."
Noah turned to Tyler. "I'm not like that, right."
Tyler raised both hands slightly. "I'm out of this conversation."
That only made Noah louder. "See. He didn't deny it."
Kai pinched the bridge of his nose, then exhaled. "Fine. We were going to tell you later anyway."
He looked at Tyler. "Ms Hana Rivers is getting married."
Tyler blinked. "Really."
Kai nodded. "She's also shifting to another city. New job. Different place."
Noah added more quietly, "That means she's leaving our old school."
The words settled heavier than the others had.
Kai continued, his voice more measured now. "We were her last batch. We were the last students she taught there."
Noah nodded.
"So we thought… we should do something. A small party or something like that. Nothing big."
Tyler looked back toward the field briefly, then returned his gaze to them. "When."
"Soon," Kai said. "Before she leaves."
Tyler nodded slowly, understanding the weight of it. Ms. Rivers had been more than just a homeroom teacher. She had been constant. Familiar, a little pervert sometime but she is kind hearted.
"I also want to join" Tyler said. "If you need help, tell me."
Noah grinned instantly. "Really?"
"Yes."
Kai studied him for a moment, then nodded. "Alright."
From the field, someone shouted Elijah's name again. Tyler glanced over his shoulder, then back at them.
"Just let me know," he said.
He turned back toward the noise, the dust, the laughter, feeling oddly lighter for having said yes.