One Dead Seagull Read Online Free PDF Page A

’ tbad.Ihadanotherslugandtookabitintomy lungs.IstartedcoughingandGa r ywasslappingmeonthe backandlaughing.
    Thesidegatewas openandlight comingfrom the garagelituparectangleofgrassundertheclothesline.I foundalemontreeandnippedbehindittounloadmy bladde r . Not a moment too soon.A
shadowmoved throughtherectangleandIpeeredinthewindo w .Atfirst,
IcouldonlyseebacksbuttheywerepeopleIkne w .David Henderson,ShaneLeeandCarlsonwerethethreeclosest
tome—allfrom myyearatChisholm.Carlsongoesto V enturerswithDen.Theywerehuddledaround,looking atsomething.Shaneleantoverandgrabbedalighteroff thebenchandnearlyhithisheadonthesinglelightbulb danglingfromtheroof.He ’ sthetallestkidinschool— evenbiggerthantheyeartwelves.MrDaviswastalking
abouthiminEarthSciencethe otherweek,sayingthathe wasageneticanomalybecausehewasalready
afoottaller thanhismumanddad.MrDavissaidhehopedShane
wouldbeabasketballplaye r .Shanewentred.He ’ suseless a t basketball . He ’ s s o uncoordinated it ’ s dangerous. Constantlytripping overhisfeet.Eve r yonestays away fromhiminPE.
    There was aflashand the little huddle beganto disperselettingcloudsofsmoketumbleandfillthespace. Denwasthecentreof attention,holdinga bongtheshape ofaskullandsuckingfranticallyonthedrawpipe,the contentsoftheconeglowingbrightorangethendarkin timewithhischeeks.
    Ibangedonthesteeldoorandinmydeepest,most adultvoicesaid,‘Right,what ’ sgoingoninhere?’
    ‘Shit.Hidethebong,’Carlsonwhispered.Heneedsto bein V enturers—gotnocommonsense.
    Irattledthehandleonthedoorandthenbarged
in. Theywerewide-eyedandpanicked.
    ‘Jeezyou’reanidiot, W ayne,’Carlsonsaidpullingathis colla r .Den
producedthebong frominsidehisjacketand giggledashelitupagain.Theskullbubbledandgurgled asweeachtookourturn.ApparentlyitwasCarlson ’ sbong butIdon ’ tthinkhe’deverusedit.Hecoughedhisguts
upforaboutaminuteafterhisfirsttoke.Denlookedlike hehadjustwokenup.
    Mandyhadarrived.Shelookedlikeabloodyangel,all smilesandgoldenhai r .IsmeltherbeforeIsawhe r .She wasstandingagainstthespaceheatertalkingtoablokeI
didn ’ t knowwithagoateeandthreeearringsinhisleft eyebro w .Aretheystillcalledearringswhenthey’reinyour
eyebrow?It lookedallright
onhim, fitted in withthe blon d dreadlock s an d th e leathe r bracelets . H e was noddingasMandywas speakingtohim,noddingfromthe shoulders.Sortofhead-buttingtheai r .Iwalkedstraight
up to Mandyandput myarmaround her waist.She jumpedandthenshe
realiseditwasmeandputherarm
aroundmyshoulde r .Gavemeapeckonthecheek.
    ‘ W ayne,thisisSteve,Steve .. . W ayne.Igotoschool with W ayne.’
    He r ar m droppe d fro m m y shoulde r a t th e en d o f the introductio n an dI trie d no t t o loo k obviou s a sI too k my ar m fro m aroun d he r waist .I fel t lik ea dork .I didn ’ t realis e sh e an d Stev e were , yo u kno w , a t th e party togethe r an d that . Stev e wa s stil l head-buttin g th e ai r and I realise d h e wasn ’ t nodding ; h e wa s dancing .I looked around , t r yin g t o fin d a n escap e route—someon e t o talk t o o r somethin g t o do—whe n Che r y l Bickerto n darted
ou t o f th e doo r besid e th e spac e heate r , checkin g ou t her
clothes . Sh e gav e Mand y a shov e wit h he r hi p and
claime d th e fron t o f th e heate r . The n sh e grabbe d Steve b y th e fron t o f hi s su r f pant s an d dragge d hi m int o a hug . Suddenl y the y wer e pashin g lik e Siames e twins
joine d a t th e lip s an dI didn ’ t fee l lik e a n idio t an y more. The n Mand y looke d aroun d fo r someon e els e o r somethin g t o do . Ther e wa s a n empt y spo t o n th e couc h and I aske d he r i f sh e wante d t o si t down . Sh e shrugge d and
starte d toward s th e couc h s oI dive d i n an d patte d the sea t nex t t o m e bu t sh e ha d alread y turne d around, mimin g tha t sh e ha d t o ge ta drink . Di d I wan t one? Y eah !
    Hendersonwasoffhis tree. Hewasinthecorner
showingKer r yandCarlythestupidcondomtrick. He