Swing State Read Online Free PDF

Like he was dead. He walked to Tits and stood on the lip. They were right. It was sharp. Bloody feet later. All the feet that had jumped off and still sharp.
    Felt like a long time before he hit. In the air for days. But just a second.
    It hurt. Knew why people wore shoes. Only for a few seconds but it hurt.
    He was in. Or was he? Cold. Tasted like dirt. He thought he was swimming up but it was cold and dark and tasted like dirt. Maybe this was what it was like to be dead. Maybe he was. Maybe they buried him.
    Nothing under his feet. Swimming up. Or not. Dirt taste. Dead.
    Then his head broke. He was up.
    The path back took ten minutes. Water still like dirt in his mouth. Hard to see but he heard voices and heat lightning lit everything. He got back and they said how was it? Awesome he said and did it again. They didn’t tell him not to anymore.

5.
    I WENT TO THE CAFETERIA AT lunchtime. The nerd table gave me like twenty bucks! I sat right down with them and said hey, I hope you guys can help me out. My mom needs some medicine. She’s really sick. And they knew I was kidding but they gave me the money anyway.
    * * *
    I just listened back. I forgot to go to the library to see how much football players make.
    * * *
    Ross came home early today.
    He said I hear you’ve been hanging out with Ding.
    I wanted to say only for more than a year. Then I wanted to say I went looking for him yesterday but couldn’t find him. But I didn’t. Instead I said yeah.
    He goes cut the shit.
    When I asked why he said Ding’s been to jail.
    Here’s what we said:
    So what?
    You think it’s good to hang out with someone who’s been to jail?
    I don’t care.
    Think of how it looks.
    I was like how’d you hear, anyway? and he said I have my ways.
    So I was all like whatever and he went no, seriously, think of how it looks if my sister is hanging with a guy like that.
    I said I barely even see him.
    Just when you do your business, right? I heard about you and your business.
    So I was all like fuck you, Ross.
    He goes seriously, that guy is bad news.
    I left.
    I don’t know what Ross’s deal is.
    Tomorrow I’m gonna find Ding and get rid of that iPod.
    * * *
    I remembered to go to the library today. There were so many nerds. Tietz was there and he turned white when I walked by.
    Those quarterbacks make a lot of money. Wide receivers and running backs, too. There are a few defense guys who make some loot—that’s the position he plays, defense. Five million, ten million.
    * * *
    On the way home I saw Ding’s car parked in front of the L’il Bee. I said gonna be here in fifteen minutes? and he said I can be. I told him I had something for him at the house.
    Don was passed out on the couch when I got home. I went in, got the iPod and the watch and went back.
    When I got there he was like wanna go for a ride?
    I said where?
    Nowhere.
    I got in. We drove past the school. The football team was practicing in the field.
    He said got something for me?
    I took out the iPod and the watch.
    He said I don’t know how you get all this stuff.
    He totally knows. He just pretends he doesn’t.
    He always asks what I want, even though he knows I’m done with that fireworks shit. But it’s way cheaper for him to give me a few M-80s every time, so I can’t blame him for trying.
    He tried giving me M-80s and Silver Salutes. I said no, cash.
    We drove around for a while. Neither of us said anything. I like that. Being quiet. If I ever go out with anyone it’ll be like that. I don’t want to have to talk all the time. All those girls at school, always telling their girlfriends everything about their boyfriends. It’s like, why do you have to talk all the time? About everything? But driving around quiet, I like that.
    Fifty, he said. For both.
    He usually goes forty on an iPod.
    I said you can go higher.
    He tried throwing in some M-80s.
    I told him no.
    He said no one wants