Breathing Underwater Read Online Free PDF

Mrs. C. describe the antics of Little Win, Tom’s brother’s baby, as I slipped Wimpy a huge bite of steak .
    I got nailed. “Nicky, that’s why that dog begs,” Mrs. Carter said. I knew she was thinking about Labor Day, when Wimpy had put his whole face in the potato salad .
    “And that’s why he always wants to sleep on your bed when you stay over,” Tom added. That always bugged Tom .
    I apologized, but when they glanced away, I accidentally dropped another piece .
    Over dinner, Tom’s dad tried to talk us into working after school at his office. Tom rolled his eyes. We went through this every month, Mr. Carter trying to encourage Tom’s interest in the family firm, and Tom avoiding the subject. Finally, Tom’s mother rescued him, saying she was sure Tom had the rest of his life to work at a law office .
    “Perhaps over the summer,” Tom’s father said .
    Tom pretended not to hear. “Did I mention the Iceman has a date?” he said between forkfuls of potatoes. Tom was on a carbohydrate kick that week, although the week before, it had been proteins .
    Mrs. Carter turned to me, glad to change the subject. “Is it anyone special?”
    “I don’t know yet. It’s our first date.” I was lying .
    Tom mentioned she’d had lunch with us three times during the week, and his mom chuckled. “And what about you, Thompson? Who’s your date?”
    “I don’t have one,” Tom answered, before I could say anything .
    I caught the look on Tom’s face. Though I didn’t know why, I changed the subject. “Did Trey send over any more pictures of Little Win?” I could always charm his mom .
    Of course there were more pictures, so I told her we’d clear the table while she went and got them. I rose and picked up my plate. Tom followed me into the kitchen. When we were out of earshot, I asked why he hadn’t told his parents about Liana .
    “They wouldn’t like it. Mom would hear a Cuban name and freak.” Tom picked a leftover roll from the basket and downed it in two bites. “My parents’ ancestors came over on the Mayflower, as Mummy likes to mention. They wouldn’t want me dating anyone whose people floated in on less exclusive boats.”
    Rafts , he meant. Like in the newspaper— balseros , who swam from Cuba with nothing but the clothes on their backs and rafts made of driftwood and garbage. But what did that have to do with tall, beautiful Liana and her Tommy Hilfiger wardrobe?
    “They wouldn’t think that,” I said. “Your parents are cool, and Liana’s no boat person. She doesn’t even have an accent. She grew up here.”
    “She was born here. It won’t matter. Either her family’s in the country club, or they’re not. And if they aren’t, they’re not good enough for a Carter.” Tom grabbed a handful of rice cakes. “My brother went to law school and married some cold fish from the Social Register, even turned down New York law firms to work for my dad. Now, I’m supposed to do the same thing, cut my hair, and conform. Forget what I want.”
    He didn’t just mean Liana. I was sure of that. Only I knew that Tom secretly dreamed of becoming an artist, something else he’d never shared with his parents. His father dreamed of a law firm called Carter, Carter, and Carter, and Tom never told him otherwise. I said, “You’re not being fair,” meaning the art, more than Liana. “You should give them a chance.”
    “You don’t know what they’re like. They’re not your parents.”
    No. They weren’t, unfortunately. I shrugged, guessing I didn’t know much about family relations. Leaving Tom in the kitchen, I pushed through the dining-room door. The Carters waited, packages of baby pictures spread before them. Mrs. Carter waved me over, pointing at a photo .
    “Isn’t he an angel?” she said. “Look at this one, with the bunny ears.”
    I nodded, but I was back to imagining Caitlin’s kiss .

JANUARY 21
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Key Biscayne High
    Between Mario’s class and writing in my journal, I’m