Read Online Sammy by Bruno Bouchet - Free Book Online

He’s loving it. I was expecting to find him cut up but right now he’s with his old boarding helmet on, thrashing the half-pipe, like he doesn’t have a care in the world. He makes it look so easy, I feel I could do it. Almost.
    â€˜You said he’s in trouble,’ Kaylah says.
    â€˜He’s been skipping class. They’re worked up about it at the Academy.’
    â€˜That’s it?’ she says.
    â€˜They’ll kick him out. I love Tara to bits but she’s not worth that.’
    Kaylah looks at me as if I’m a complete idiot. ‘You think this is all about a girl?’
    â€˜It was a pretty intense break-up.’
    She starts laughing. ‘You so don’t get it.’
    â€˜Get what?’ I ask.
    â€˜Aaron’s disappeared. Gone north. And it’s the court case next week. Without Aaron there to say he planned the robbery and brought the knife …’
    â€˜But it wasn’t Christian who set it up. With a good report from the Academy they won’t send him to prison.’
    â€˜Try telling him that.’ Kaylah folds her arms.
    When Christian sees me he comes over. ‘Am I going to get a lecture?’ he asks with a big grin.
    I’ve never seen him so upbeat.
    â€˜What? No …’ I’m lying. The lecture will come later. I don’t want to spoil his mood. ‘But you could have said what was going on.’
    â€˜You want a go?’ he offers the board to me, ignoring the fact that Kaylah’s obviously told me everything.
    â€˜Think I’ll pass.’
    â€˜Your loss,’ and he’s off again.
    He finally breaks off for some food and the three of us go for burgers, which Christian swears are the best in Sydney. He’s bought six, as if he’ll never get to have one again.
    â€˜Next weekend I’ll be eating gruel and wearing prison overalls,’ he says.
    Kaylah gets annoyed. ‘Will you stop it?’
    â€˜Yeah,’ I agree with her. ‘They don’t send you to prison for shoplifting.’
    â€˜We had a knife, it’s a whole different ball game.’
    â€˜My aunt’s a barrister. I can talk to her, get some advice.’
    â€˜I’m sick of advice.’ Christian’s not listening to anyone. ‘I’ve done everything they asked me and for what? I’ve got one week left of freedom and I’m going to enjoy myself.’
    â€˜You’re an idiot.’ Kaylah walks off. She can’t believe he’s throwing everything he’s got away because Aaron let him down.
    I can’t leave Christian like this. Somehow, someone has to talk sense into him. It will have to be me.
    Christian is sprinting through his ‘Ten things to do before I go to juvie’ list and dragging me along for the ride.
    He brings me to the top of some rocks high above the sea. It has to be at least ten metres down, but every time I look it seems further. He can’t be serious.
    â€˜Aaron and I used to do it all the time. Trust me, it looks worse than it is.’
    â€˜Why are we doing this again?’
    â€˜Cos life is short, Sammy.’
    Without a second thought he jumps off. It’s the life’s short bit that worries me. Life could be about three seconds short if we hit the rocks. Christian hits the water fine. If this is what it takes, then I guess I’ll have to do it. I take my T-shirt off and jump.
    My heart stops but then I hit the water, alive. More than just alive. It was brilliant. I want to climb out and do it again, but swimming at the rocks really would be stupid.
    Instead we swim round to the beach, run out and throw ourselves on the sand.
    â€˜That was awesome!’
    â€˜I told you,’ he grins.
    â€˜You were right,’ I say.
    He looks so happy, with water dripping off his face.
    â€˜But you’re wrong about the court hearing. You’re running away.’
    â€˜What else am I supposed to do?’
    â€˜Gee, I don’t