The White Horse Read Online Free PDF Page A

had never heard of, and talked about drugs and anarchy and the high cost of concert tickets.
    A kid named Jason had his arm around Sonny. He was tall and blond and pretty. Sonny looked like his ghost. Jason liked people to see him laughing; to know he was having the most fun, the best dope. Gold chains and hippie shit were tangled at his throat. The big diamond stud in his ear was real.
    Sonny laughed at Jason’s jokes, but she knew he was thinking: Come on! Let’s go! He needed a shot. He’d find the dope, then Jason bought and gave Sonny some, on commission, he said. Jason said his habit was no big deal; he just liked a taste of the real stuff now and then. Liked acting big and bad. Amaze your friends. He wanted to hang around and bullshit, but Sonny was in a hurry.
    She followed them when they left the park with a girl named Wally, who looked like she’d drowned, and a boy named Gary, dressed in black with a diaper pin stuck through his eyebrow.
    Sonny had forgotten all about her. He never even turned around.
    Tourists melted back to let them pass. They entered an alley. Tall buildings blocked the sun. The wind was fierce, but Sonny was sweating in his thin white shirt with all the buttons gone.
    â€œYou guys wait here,” he said. “I’ll be right back.”
    Jason looked startled. “Why? Where you going?”
    â€œOn a cruise to Alaska. Where you think?”
    â€œWe’ve never done it like this before,” Jason said.
    â€œThat’s how my man wants it. You got the dough?”
    â€œWell, yeah, but—”
    â€œWhat’s the matter, don’t you trust me?” Sonny was puffing one of Jason’s cigarettes. “If you don’t trust me, man—”
    â€œNo, I do, it’s not that.”
    â€œSo what’s the problem?” Sonny sounded bored.
    â€œNo problem,” Jason said. His friends looked embarrassed. “It’s just, you know, he always meets us here.”
    â€œThings change,” Sonny said. “Do you want to deal or don’t you?”
    Jason looked unhappy. He said, “Yeah.”
    â€œI’ll be right back. Raina’ll stay here with you.”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œYou heard me. You baby-sit.”
    Jason pulled out his wallet and took out the money. But the way Sonny reached for it made everything change. In that split second he looked too naked, too hungry. Raina saw Jason seeing the matted hair, the lips caked with spit, the bony wrists—
    Jason put the wallet back into his pocket. “Fucking junkie,” he said. “Get out of my way.”
    Tears filled Sonny’s eyes. Then he was lying on Jason, holding a knife to his throat.
    â€œJesus Christ!” Wally cried. “What’re you doing? Don’t hurt him!”
    Gary went off like a car alarm.
    â€œYou two better shut up,” Sonny said. “Unless you want your friend talking out of his neck. You can smoke like that too. I seen a guy do it. His voice kinda sounded like Daffy Duck.”
    â€œThis is stupid.” Raina reached into Wally’s satchel for matches and a cigarette, lit one up.
    â€œI’ll tell you what’s stupid!” Sonny’s face was an inch from Jason’s. “You and your friends come around here playing games, then you get tired and go home to Mom and Dad. This isn’t a game, man! This is real! How do you like it?”
    Jason was crying.
    â€œNow what?” Raina said.
    Sonny looked at Wally and said, “Give her the jacket.”
    â€œThe what?”
    â€œYou heard me. Give her the goddamn coat!”
    Wally took it off, trembling, and handed it to Raina.
    â€œDon’t worry, Daddy’ll buy you another one,” Sonny said. “Try it on, baby. How’s it fit?”
    â€œIt’s kinda big.”
    â€œThis ain’t Macy’s. You too,” he told Gary.
    Fumbling with the buttons, Gary stripped off his coat and dropped it on the ground