Page 5 of Running With Lions

Captain Obvious, front and center.

High-fives and fist bumps are passed around. The bigger guys roughhouse, give noogies and headlocks, talk smack for the hell of it.

Mason chuckles and says, “They have no idea,” to Willie.

“Better call the ambulances now.”

The thing about soccer is, it’s a rough sport where the primary objective isn’t just getting the ball in the goal. It’s about maneuvering the ball toward the posts without being slaughtered on the way. All of them have racked up some harsh injuries over the years. It’s all worth it.

The brotherhood within the team is what attracted Sebastian and Willie. This team broke all the rules. He remembers Coach Patrick’s speech that first day: “No exclusions around here, boys! Be who you are! Be proud! Treat each other like family.”

Rumor was, Coach’s nephew Xander went to one of those blazer-and-tie Catholic schools and got kicked off the baseball team when he came out. Coach decided to change the system: Sexuality in sports became a nonfactor. Whom you were attracted to off the field didn’t matter. If you could get the ball to the goal without falling, you were in.

“At the end of the day, you’re a bunch of lost boys with big dreams, anyway. Screw the other BS!”

And that was that. No one cared when Willie came out, because he was the best defensive player they had. Mason’s make-out session with Miguel was forgotten the following Monday. Acceptance was huge for Sebastian. He had a place where he was safe and wanted. There was no turning back.

“Fresh blood!” Mason howls like a starved wolf.

“No hazing,” Willie warns.

“And no pranks,” Sebastian says, eyebrows knit together. “Remember what happened last year?”

Mason cackles; pride flashes in his eyes at the memory.The Great Riley Flood, capitalized, italicized, and overemphasized, nearly got Mason kicked off the team. A few of the returning players are still raw about it.

“That was kids’ stuff, Hughes. They were all overdramatic.”

“You flooded half the cabins, and our parents had to pay the bill for us to stay off-site for a week afterward,” Sebastian says.

Mason shrugs, like “no big deal.” He cocks his head to eye the smaller guys. “Are you done making noise?”

Sebastian elbows him, then sizes up their teammates.

Zach, Robbie, and Giovanni stand together, cracking jokes. Jack is trying to worm his way into their group while Charlie practices keepie-uppies with his new ball. And then there’s—

“Is thatShah?” Mason hisses.

Yep!Emir.

Maybe Sebastian should’ve brought this up on the ride to Oakville? He’s been tight with Willie and Mason for years. They would’ve understood Sebastian’s concerns. Secrets aren’t allowed in their little circle. But Sebastian hasn’t had the guts to discuss Emir with his friends, not yet.

“I heard…” Willie starts. Sebastian misses everything after “He signed up for tryouts a few months back” because he’s staring at Emir while his heart sinks into the acidic abyss of his stomach.

It’s been years since Sebastian and Emir Shah said more than five words to each other, not since they were scrawny ten-year-olds playing video games and reading comic books—when Sebastian only had one friend.

Emir stands off to the side. He still chews his lip nervously. Sebastian remembers the cheekbones, soft and distinct, but the stubble on his jaw is new, as is the knit beanie covering his dark hair. He’s wearing an oversized Bloomington Lions sweatshirt that swallows his skinny frame, athletic shorts, and tube socks that almost touch his knobby knees.

Christ, he’s wearing cleats!

Mason snorts. “This is some awful joke, man.” It comes out a little harsh. Sebastian suspects this isn’t because Mason has a thing against newbies, but because Emir isn’t exactly friends with anyone on the team. “Shah’s trying to be one of us?”

Sebastian hisses, “Shit,” under his breath when, in a very awkward, electric moment, Emir’s eyes meet his.

“It’s true, dude.” Willie’s mouth curls into a partial grin. “The coaches say he has potential.”

“Yeah, the potential to wreck our entire last season, bro.” Mason wrenches Willie into a headlock. They wrestle. Emir is momentarily forgotten, but not for Sebastian. And then his overthinking leads to one of the worst ideas ever conceived.

Sebastian tries to play it off when he jogs over to the other players. He gives out quick high-fives or chest bumps, leveling the frosh players with the evil eye just to rile them. “Chill, I won’t bite,” he teases. They laugh warily. “Watch out for Riley, though.”

---