Page 74 of Running With Lions

Maggie is ogling Emir as if she might eat him. She’s licking her lip gloss-stained lips. An intensely green monster is devouring Sebastian’s insides. He’s not ashamed. It’s taken a while, but he’s starting to own his bisexuality.

“It’s not… It’s okay, right?” Sebastian admires his Chuck Taylors instead of meeting Val’s eyes. “That I’m bi?”

Val pinches Sebastian’s forearm. “Totally.”

It crosses Sebastian’s mind that Val could’ve known about Mason too. Did he tell her he was curious? Maybe she justknew, like a sixth sense.

Emir cackles. Maggie is very pleased about something. She’s sly, and Emir’s nervy: signs of a bad first date. Sebastian doesn’t like it.

“I think he likes you, too.”

Sebastian says, “How can you tell?” Emir’s face is hidden behind Maggie’s as he whispers in her ear. Her face falls, and Emir shrugs.

Val whispers, “A girl knows,” and leaves it at that.

Maggie stomps up to them. “He’s gay,” she tells Val, ignoring Sebastian. She makes a face, not as if she’s offended by Emir’s sexuality, but by his rejection.

Internally, Sebastian’s having a dance party for one. The song in his head is, “He’s mine, pint-sized!”

“I’m sorry,” Val says, but she doesn’t look it.

Maggie tosses her curly brown hair over one shoulder. Nearby is a lanky guy, thin like a basketball player, with a buzz cut and a goatee. Just like that, she’s over it.

Sebastian doesn’t understand people at all.

“So, like.” The guy behind the counter’s limp blond hair hangs into his bloodshot eyes. His nametag readsCapt. Mary Jane. “I’ve got half a joint out back that I’m dying to finish. Can you guys order already?”

Val snorts into her hand. Maggie rolls her eyes. Sebastian’s unsure what to make of this guy. The lights overhead buzz like electric bug catchers. It’s warm tonight, but the heat along Sebastian’s back is Emir.

“We’re gonna miss the beginning,” he says, chin hooked over Sebastian’s shoulder, fingers twisted in the belt loops of Sebastian’s jeans.

Sebastian turns his head. Emir’s amused at Maggie’s wide-eyed look.Screw it. Even in small-minded Oakville, Sebastian can be a tiny bit out of the closet. He replies, “Okay.” He’s addicted to Emir’s thumbs tracing his hipbones.

“So, um, popcorn?” Capt. Mary Jane asks.

Sebastian doesn’t exactlygrowlat him, but he mumbles their order as Emir pulls away. Val’s still giggling as if she can’t believe what just happened. Sebastian can’t either. He does, however, pay for their snacks and sodas, giving Val a “what can you do?” shrug before strolling over to Emir.

“Defiant Sebastian Hughes,” Val calls. Her smirk edges on proud. She shouts, “I like it,” raising her hand to give him devil horns, the universal sign for “Rock on.”

Sebastian snorts.

“Don’t stay out too late or you’ll get benched, Captain Hughes!”

Sebastian gives her a one-finger salute. He’s wound up. The “casual” brush of Emir’s hand as they walk is far from accidental, and this whole “screw the system” thing is too good to be true.

In the car, Emir says, “I still can’t believe you remembered.”

His feet are back on the dashboard. He’s slouched in his seat. His chin is tucked to his chest, and the blue glow of the big screen shines on his cheeks. He pops a handful of peanut butter M&M’s into his mouth.

The Mustang’s top is peeled back. It’s past ten, but the summer night is still heady with warmth. Sebastian smiles at his hands. His chest boils with a confident fire. He’s done another thing to wipe that recurrent, beginning-of-the-summer scowl off Emir’s face.

Emir says, “Didn’t your mom used to keep a bowl of these…” He shakes the bag of candy. “…in the kitchen?”

“And didn’t you used to pocket a handful before you went home?”

Emir wiggles his eyebrows, unashamed. In the background, Tony Stark is building an iron suit from scrap metal; the dialogue is muted by the wall of sound Mason’s iPod provides.

“Anna Sun” comes on, and Emir props himself sideways against Sebastian. “Is this a date?”

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