Read Online Shrimp by Rachel Cohn - Free Book Online
Authors: Rachel Cohn
Tags: Fiction, General, Family, Juvenile Fiction, Children: Young Adult (Gr. 10-12), Social Issues, Interpersonal relations, Children's 12-Up - Fiction - General, School & Education, Adolescence, Family - General, Social Issues - Adolescence, Mothers and daughters, Stepfamilies, Family - Stepfamilies
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I'm completely paroled, although I did have to promise to be waiting downstairs to be picked up by Fernando promptly at eleven o'clock this evening. Most amazingly the evening air was warm enough for me not to be layered in wool and tights. That is one thing I loved about New York: the late-night summer hanging out, when it's so hot you could just stand in your birthday suit with a fire hydrant spraying you with agua and be perfectly content. Danny and his boyfriend have this great blacktop lounge area on the roof of their brownstone building. I guess it's their one consolation for living on a fifth-floor walk-up apartment. They have plastic beach chairs lying around up there with Jackie Collins and Sidney Sheldon books folded inside and card tables for when their buds come over for mah-jongg games, and a karaoke machine that Aaron uses to sing Kylie Minogue songs. From that rooftop you can see the Empire State Building and all of midtown Manhattan looking like a Lite Brite game. From Shrimp and Java's rooftop you can see the Pacific Ocean and Mount Tamalpais in Marin County if it's not too foggy and if you're willing to brave the Ocean Beach chill.
Hammocks are serious business intimacy-wise, so I was glad Shrimp was sitting up in his by the time I reached him. I could feel the Fatal Attraction instinct to machete
58
down all the party people just to get rid of them so I could have some personal hammock time lying next to Shrimp. I sent a mental memo to my future, dictating, Hammock-- Watch This Space. The desire to lie in the hammock with Shrimp spooning me from behind, maybe nestling his head on my shoulder, running his fingers through my hair and massaging my scalp, just the two of us alone together, breathing in the ocean air and each other, was one that would have to hold out a while longer. My mental memo received an instant reply: CC, play a little hard to get, why don't you? The boy did break up with you and did kinda break your heart.
I sat down on the hammock next to Shrimp and crossed my arms over my chest. "Hey," I said.
"Hey," he said back.
What is with the heys? He's, like, been inside me. You'd think two soul mates would have more to say, but we were both silent after our greetings. Our non-conversation was broken by the sound of the ocean crashing down from across Great Highway. The sound of the ocean breaking our silence was like chocolate syrup poured into a glass of milk, dispersing into awkward dark clumps while waiting to be stirred.
If Shrimp is my one true love, shouldn't conversation come a little easier?
I saw Helen sitting on a bench on the other side of the roof, talking to some surfer-rat guy and a dreadlocked girl. Helen waved at me and I waved back. I considered ditching Shrimp and our empty air to go talk with Helen. I barely know her, and I think I could fill hours of conversation with her (most of it about Shrimp). No pressure.
59
My wave prompted Shrimp to speak. "You know Helen?" Not the words for which I was waiting: Oh, Cyd Charisse, I've missed you so much, I think of you every waking second, I love, need, and want you, baby, I can't live another moment without you.
"Yeah, she's my new chum." To Shrimp's surprised look, I added, "Why, is that so weird?"
Shrimp shrugged. "That's cool. I just never knew you to have girlfriends before."
"Well, maybe you didn't really know me either."
"Vice versa." His tone wasn't angry or mean, and mine hadn't been either. We were just stating facts.
"How do you know Helen?" I asked. "From your art classes?"
"Kinda," Shrimp said. "But mostly cuz our friend has this mild crush on her."
Oh, someone with a crush on Helen! Delicious! I pointed to the surfer-rat guy Helen was talking to. "That guy?" I said.
Shrimp laughed. 'Arran the long boarder? No, I don't think so. He's saving himself for some bimbo Penthouse ideal that will never happen past his nocturnal fantasies." Shrimp cocked his head in the direction of the dreadlocked girl talking
Hammocks are serious business intimacy-wise, so I was glad Shrimp was sitting up in his by the time I reached him. I could feel the Fatal Attraction instinct to machete
58
down all the party people just to get rid of them so I could have some personal hammock time lying next to Shrimp. I sent a mental memo to my future, dictating, Hammock-- Watch This Space. The desire to lie in the hammock with Shrimp spooning me from behind, maybe nestling his head on my shoulder, running his fingers through my hair and massaging my scalp, just the two of us alone together, breathing in the ocean air and each other, was one that would have to hold out a while longer. My mental memo received an instant reply: CC, play a little hard to get, why don't you? The boy did break up with you and did kinda break your heart.
I sat down on the hammock next to Shrimp and crossed my arms over my chest. "Hey," I said.
"Hey," he said back.
What is with the heys? He's, like, been inside me. You'd think two soul mates would have more to say, but we were both silent after our greetings. Our non-conversation was broken by the sound of the ocean crashing down from across Great Highway. The sound of the ocean breaking our silence was like chocolate syrup poured into a glass of milk, dispersing into awkward dark clumps while waiting to be stirred.
If Shrimp is my one true love, shouldn't conversation come a little easier?
I saw Helen sitting on a bench on the other side of the roof, talking to some surfer-rat guy and a dreadlocked girl. Helen waved at me and I waved back. I considered ditching Shrimp and our empty air to go talk with Helen. I barely know her, and I think I could fill hours of conversation with her (most of it about Shrimp). No pressure.
59
My wave prompted Shrimp to speak. "You know Helen?" Not the words for which I was waiting: Oh, Cyd Charisse, I've missed you so much, I think of you every waking second, I love, need, and want you, baby, I can't live another moment without you.
"Yeah, she's my new chum." To Shrimp's surprised look, I added, "Why, is that so weird?"
Shrimp shrugged. "That's cool. I just never knew you to have girlfriends before."
"Well, maybe you didn't really know me either."
"Vice versa." His tone wasn't angry or mean, and mine hadn't been either. We were just stating facts.
"How do you know Helen?" I asked. "From your art classes?"
"Kinda," Shrimp said. "But mostly cuz our friend has this mild crush on her."
Oh, someone with a crush on Helen! Delicious! I pointed to the surfer-rat guy Helen was talking to. "That guy?" I said.
Shrimp laughed. 'Arran the long boarder? No, I don't think so. He's saving himself for some bimbo Penthouse ideal that will never happen past his nocturnal fantasies." Shrimp cocked his head in the direction of the dreadlocked girl talking
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