Speed of Life Read Online Free PDF

I’ve got that nervous stomach thing going on.
    â€œShe’s having baby withdrawals,” Shenice says.
    â€œShut up.” How’d she know?
    â€œYou and Amber are both like that, every day, man,” she says. “You guys
say
you hate doing the daycare lunch, but when you don’t go, you freak out.”
    I roll my eyes. It’s weird, but it
is
hard to leave Nat all day with strangers. You’d think me and Amber would need a break from her, and we kind of do, but Amber told me she feels the same way I do. The thing is, Natalie counts on us, and even if it’s a pain in the ass most of the time, we’re getting used to being needed.
    â€œYou’re practically dying to wipe my face,” Shenice says. “Or stick your hands down Han’s pants to see if he needs to be changed.”
    â€œI’m up for it if you are,” Han says, and we all laugh. “Seriously.” He stands up and starts unbuttoning his jeans.
    â€œSit down, dude,” I tell him, and he does.
    â€œSay the word and I’ll drop my pants for you anytime.”
    We all laugh again, but this time it’s a little uncomfortable. His crush is so obvious. The first two years of high school, he was in love with Amber, but she totally blew him off, and so last year his lust unfortunately moved over to me. Like he thought we were the same person, and if he couldn’t get one of us, he’d have the other. He’s nice, but he’s definitely not my type. Tall, scrawny blonds with peach fuzz don’t do it for me. Plus, I know him too well.
    I figure it might help if I cut him down fast, so I say, “I met a really hot guy.”
    â€œWhich class?” Shenice asks.
    â€œHe doesn’t go here. He’s Jimmy’s nephew.”
    While it’s true that David’s pretty hot, I would never, ever in a million years be seen with him. Not that he’d want to go anywhere with me, either. But if I can make Han think there’s some guy at work, and maybe he sees him when he drops by Jimmy’s, things might go back to normal with us.
    Han slumps against the tree while I tell Shenice about David and his car, which, honestly, I’m a lot more interested in. I don’t mention that I pretty much hate the guy for stealing my job. After a while, I see how pathetic Han looks hearing about David, so I change the subject to video games, and he perks up.
    After school, I’m at my locker when he comes bouncing up to me, clearly recovered from his disappointment at lunch. “Can we go get my smokes?”
    â€œI can’t. Amber has to stay after to make up a test, and I gotta get Natalie and go to the bank.”
    â€œI’m dying for a cig,” he says, following me. “I’ll go with you, and then we can get them.”
    â€œTomorrow. You’ll have to bum one off your mom tonight.”
    Me and Amber repeated first grade because we missed so much school. Mom wasn’t working then, and she should’ve taken care of us, but she was only in her early twenties and not that responsible. Usually all three of us slept right through the alarm. Ever since we turned eighteen last March and became legal, Han relies on us to buy his cigarettes. I hate doing it. When we found out about Nat coming, me and Amber both quit, and every time I buy them for him it reminds me how much I miss smoking. It kills me to hand them over to someone else once I’ve paid for them.
    Han shoves money at me even though I said no, and I pocket it and tell him, “Fine. We’ll get them. But you’re buying me a pop.”
    â€œDeal.”
    Twenty minutes later, the three of us are in the Mustang heading for Safeway. I need to get the coffee and filters and some other stuff, and the cashiers there aren’t as pissy to me as at the convenience store. If 7-Eleven hates selling to teenagers so much, why open a store right by the high school?
    â€œI’ll carry