One for the Team

5| before

We stand in a circle around Coach Hawk. Levi is the only one not wearing the school colors. Instead, he has black gym shorts on and a white t-shirt with the NASA logo on it. He doesn't seem to mind any of the dirty looks the guys are sending him.

"Alright," Coach Hawk starts. He's a big man. Most days he looks like he just walked out of a Sports Illustrated magazine. I want to pay attention to what he's saying but I'm still looking at Levi. He has his arms crossed over his chest and he's smiling at everything the coach is saying. Something about scouts stopping by to see us play. I should really be paying attention. I doubt I'll make it to college without a sports scholarship.

Levi's nodding. On my first day of practice, I couldn't stop biting my nails, but Levi's hands are on his waist, and his nail polish looks intact.

"Alright, good," Coach Hawk shouts again. "Let's start with laps around the field."

"What about the new kid?" Milo says next to me. I wish he hadn't.

Levi raises his hand so the coach can see him. He even takes a step forward.

"Hi," he says, still smiling.

"Right, hello there," Coach Hawk says, hands on his waist and a smile so big, I would be scared. Levi isn't.

Ace rolls his eyes next to me.

"So, what brings you here?" Coach Hawk asks, "Besides the obvious."

He's talking about himself. Levi laughs.

"I just moved here," he answers and there's no offense taken. He doesn't know Coach Hawk does this to everyone – boy or girl, straight or not – he could be offended. He's not. "Volleyball is kind of the only thing familiar right now, so I thought why not?"

"Good thinking." Coach Hawk nods. "Did you play in your last school?"

The kid nods too.

"Position?"

"Outsi-"

"Setter," I say instead. I'm lying, of course. I have no idea what he used to play in his last school. How could I?

Levi furrows his eyebrows at me, "What?"

Coach Hawk's intrigued, "Which one is it?"

"Outside hitter," Levi says before I can stop him. "I used to be a hitter."

"I think he would be better as a setter though. He's like six feet tall. We could use him." I don't mean any of this, it's just that outside hitter is a position that more often than not has to deal with Ace's hits, and I'm pretty sure he won't take it easy on Levi. One of our outside hitters used to play with glasses, but they broke against his face after Ace had his fun with him. He doesn't wear glasses anymore.

Coach Hawk decides we'll try him out as outside hitter and sends us out to run around the field. I don't move.

"I really think he would be better as a setter."

Coach Hawk frowns, "Why don't you give the kid a chance? What? You think you're the only one who can handle Ace's hits?"

"No, but –"

He stops me, "Get your head out of your ass. It's sunny outside. You could use some vitamin D."

"He's gay," I say.

Coach Hawk just stares at me. I look down at my hands. I bit most of my nails in the locker room before practice today.

"And?"

"And he's gonna get killed out there."

Coach Hawk frowns, "I didn't take you for a bigot, Finn."

"I'm not." I'm not.