Page 2 of Running With Lions

He didn’t love Sam. Sebastian isn’t sure what love looks, feels, or sounds like. Lately, he’s been imagining it’s something stupid, ridiculous, and utterly confusing—like Katy Perry songs. He’s not ready to venture to the dark side of comparing his feelings to Katy Perry music.

What happened with Sam is another talk he hasn’t had with his parents, along with: “Hey, Mom and Dad, I like boys, too” and “I get a chubby watching Chris Evans in anything,”though he’s pretty sure he’s gonna keep that last one to himself—not thatwhohe is orwhomhe falls in love with matters lately. Sebastian Hughes is nothing but soccer and pleasing everyone else, and not always in that order.

Lily stares as if she’s already read his mind. Before he can get the courage to say anything, a cheap sound system blaring the synth-heavy, raucous drumming of Imagine Dragons grabs their attention.

Mason pulls to the curb in a vintage Ford Mustang painted a flaking candy apple red. Its bumper is rusted. The canvas roof is peeled back, the white leather seats age-stained.

“Well, Mrs. Hughes!” Mason’s mouth curls mischievously. Leaning over Willie in the passenger seat, he cuts off the radio. “You’re looking lovely this morning,” he says. His coffee-brown hair falls into blue-green eyes.

“Oh, Mason, be quiet,” she says with a giggle. “You’re such a tease.”

“Loser,” Sebastian coughs into his knuckles.

Willie doubles over laughing. He has cool blue eyes, pale skin, and white-blond hair. He seems exotic and intimidating, but he’s always happy, and that, of course, makes him Sebastian’s favorite. Willie’s cheap neon sunglasses fall down his nose as he croons, “Smooth,” at Mason.

Mason’s too busy wiggling his eyebrows at Lily to notice.

“I’ve told you a dozen times toplease, call me Lily,” she tells Mason.

He grins. “Lily.”

Sebastian prefers Mason Riley as an ally rather than an enemy. It’s been that way since they were twelve, after Mason’s dad left his mom. Mason never admitted it, but he needed a friend. Enter Sebastian Hughes. They were two complete opposites that clicked.

“Ready, Hughes?” Mason asks, sinking back into the driver’s seat. He drums his fingers on the steering wheel. “The road is calling.”

Sebastian nods. He tosses his duffel bag into the back seat where Willie has crawled. It’s a privilege if Willie offers you the passenger seat.

“Boys,” Lily says in the overprotective voice Sebastian’s heard for three summers now, “Please take care of my sweet Bumble—”

“Mom,” Sebastian whines.

Lily snorts, ruffling his hair. Usually, Sebastian wears his hair in a buzz cut, but he’s grown it out into a faux-hawk. He thinks it’s epic. Mason calls it a douchebag ‘do, but Mason’s worn the same longish, constantly-pushing-hair-out-of-his-face style since middle school, so whatever.

Sam used to love his buzzed hair. That was the best reason for a change.

“Sorry.” Lily’s nervous smile reminds him of being a five-year-old, marching off to his first day of kindergarten. “You know I worry.”

“I know,” he mumbles and flashes her his best “I’ll be good” grin.

“Call me every day.”

“Every weekend,” Sebastian says.

“Every other day. And FaceTime us on Sundays.”

“Three times a week and a quick text after practices,” Sebastian bargains. She concedes with a small nod and a motherly kiss to his forehead.

“Oh, my heart,” Mason teases under his breath.

Sebastian waits until Lily is distracted by Willie promising to call too before punching Mason in the shoulder. “Asshole.”

Mason cranks the radio; Fall Out Boy’s pop-punk-chanting blares from the speakers as the car edges from the curb. He says, “Ready, boys?”

Sebastian grins as though he can taste it—freedom. Nothing stands in the way of a perfect summer getaway with his teammates, nothing except that gnarly little rumor from a few days ago: “Did you hear? Emir Shah joined the soccer team. The coaches gave him an invite to the training camp.”

He has no idea how that’s going to go. Will Emir speak to him? Punch him? Violence has never been Emir’s thing, but Sebastian doesn’tknowhim anymore. It’s not as if he’s hung around Emir, not since they were kids.

If there’s one person who can turn his summer upside down, it’s an ex-best friend Sebastian hasn’t gotten over.

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