Page 21 of Sean's Sunshine

“That’s going to take a day. I’ve got a rental. Texted Henry and told him I’d have Lance’s Mazda back tomorrow. Don’t know whatwe’regonna drive, but I figure we’ll play musical cars until your Charger’s back.”

“I can’t figure it out right now,” Sean mumbled. “You’re right. After my nap.”

Billy chuckled and then said, “What’re you smiling about? Someone send you a meme?”

Sean glanced at his phone and his and Jackson’s last text. “Jackson told me what happened to the guy who stabbed me.”

Billy’s eyes widened. “Did he get arrested? Will you have to testify? Kneed in the balls? What?”

Sean let his evil grin sneak through. “Nope. You know the big Russian guy?”

“Yeah?”

“His buddy hit the guy in the chest with a hunting knife. Missed his heart by this much”—he held out his thumb and forefinger—“so the guy had enough energy to take off running.”

Billy’s face had lost its cynicism in this moment. He was animated and interested, almost like a little kid. “And then?”

“And then the guy ran by Jackson’s big immovable car. Ellery was in the driver’s seat, and he opened the door.”

“Oh!”

“Apparently drove the knife that last little bit.” Sean really wished he had the air to chuckle, but Billy did it for him.

“That’s awesome,” Billy said fervently. “Sometimes bad things reallydohappen to bad people.”

Sean smiled at him, at peace as he hadn’t been a moment before. “I appreciate a man who can see that whole sitch my way.”

Billy gave a soft laugh. “I’m gonna let you sleep and go get some homework done. Uhm, Sean?”

“Yeah?”

“I meant what I said in the hospital. You and your friends are heroes.”

Oh, if only that were true. Sean’s mouth twisted. “That’s sweet,” he said. “But right now I’m just a guy who walked into a knife.” He yawned. “Who needs his nap.”

Billy bit his lip, and Sean could tell he wanted to say more, but Sean really was done. He closed his eyes and barely remembered the sound of Billy wandering into the living room to do his homework.

School Daze

BILLY SUPPRESSEDa yawn and tried to keep his mind on his physics professor. He’d always been good at math and science and hadreallyloved his classes, even the humanities ones that he complained about, but today he was sonotfeeling it.

“Mr. Carey,” said the professor, “are we nodding off?”

Billy straightened in his seat and grabbed his pencil, doing his best to take notes and not wander off again.

He was starting to hate leaving Sean during his class days.

The night before, he’d been pulled from sleep by Sean’s voice on the monitor rasping, “The fuck? Oh my God, Rivers, he’s armed!”

Billy had been out of the bed and down the hall before the last word, but by the time he got to Sean’s bedroom, the moment was over. Sean was on his uninjured side, clutching the sheet to his chest, shivering but already falling back asleep.

Billy adjusted the covers up under his chin and murmured, “It’s all good now,papi. No scary monsters no more, okay?”

“Mmm… yeah. Sorry, Billy. Bad dream.”

“Well, don’t have them no more. I’ll keep you safe, okay?”

“Yeah. Thanks.”