Waterways Read Online Free PDF

night. Sorry.”
    “You going to see her Saturday? We could go out to Kern’s maybe.”
    “No, she kind of, uh, blew me off. I don’t think it’s worth calling again.”
    “You give up too easy. I bet if you call again, she’d go out with you.”
    “Just leave it, okay?” Kory slouched in his seat.
    “Tell you what,” Sal said after a moment of silence. “There’s this place I know, over by the college. College women like high school boys. I got laid a couple times there,” he added nonchalantly.
    “You never told me about that.”
    “You were dating Jenny. Didn’t seem like you needed it.”
    “You’re dating Debbie!”
    Sal shrugged. “Yeah, well, what she don’t know… so, you in? I’ll take you there.”
    Kory realized that his friend was making a sacrifice, telling him about his “special place,” but he found the whole thing rather distasteful. “Nah. You know Friday and Saturday are the only nights Mom lets me play Warcraft.”
    Sal gave him a long look. “So play Saturday night.”
    “I can’t, I… look, there’s this group I’m supposed to go out with and… do some mission. Planet Death , it’s called. They’re going Friday night. I… I’ll go with you some other time, I promise.”
    And fortunately, Sal lost interest at that point.
    Friday night, Kory told his mother he was going out to the movies with Sal. She told him to be back by 11.
    “What movie?” she wanted to know.
    “Uh…” She’d never agree to Planet Death .
    “I don’t want you seeing an R-rated movie, Kory. Even if you are seventeen.”
    “I know. I’m not. We’re going to that Schwarzenotter movie, Girlie Men . It’s PG-13.”
    Her muzzle turned down. “Isn’t there anything better playing? Well, all right. A little more Hollywood decadence won’t kill you, I guess.”
    He caught the bus a few blocks away and rode to the Landmark, feeling a little giddy. He kept seeing Samaki’s jet-black muzzle and bright white smile in his mind. They’d talked on the phone every night that week, about homework and games and books and friends, and Kory was really looking forward to seeing the fox in person again, his worries about whether or not Samaki was gay pushed to the back of his mind, if not forgotten.
    The black fox gave him that smile and a cheerful wave as he walked up to the theater. “Hey, you found it. I got our tickets already. How’s your head?”
    “It’s fine, thanks.” He shook the fox’s paw and followed the fluffy black tail into the theater, watching the white tip bob back and forth. “How’s it going?”
    “Okay.” They stopped in front of the concession stand. “Do you want popcorn?” Samaki asked.
    “Sure.” Kory handed him a ten. “That cover the ticket?” “Yeah, it was eight… here.” The fox gave him a couple ones back. “You know, it’s cheaper if we get one medium instead of two smalls. If that’s okay.”
    Kory grinned. “Sounds fine. But I won’t share your drink.”
    He didn’t know why he’d said that, but Samaki seemed unruffled by it. “I drink Diet Coke. Most guys don’t like that.” He stepped up to the counter and placed their order.
    “Ugh.” Kory stuck his tongue out as they walked away with popcorn, drinks, napkins, and straws. “I hate that aftertaste.”
    “Yeah, but it’s healthier.”
    “I dunno, all those chemicals?”
    Samaki took his straw into his muzzle and sipped on the way to the theater. “Mramm, chemicals.”
    Kory laughed and sipped his regular Coke. They settled into two seats in the theater and chatted until the theater darkened.
    Kory had never been big on people who talked in movies, but the first time Samaki leaned over to whisper a comment to him, it was exactly what he’d been thinking, only funnier. He coughed around a mouthful of Coke, and whispered back, and they kept that up through the whole movie.
    It was a terrible movie, and Kory couldn’t remember one he’d enjoyed more.
    “Who,” Samaki said as they