Read Online Sorta Like a Rock Star by Matthew Quick - Free Book Online

smells good,” she says as she tosses her keys into an old crystal ashtray that she keeps on a stand by the kitchen door, and sets down her bags and hangs up her overcoat.
    She runs her hands through Ricky’s hair and kisses him on the forehead, and I get a little jealous, I must admit, because my mom is so uncool compared to Ricky’s.
    “How’s my boy?”
    “Doing math problems. Do not talk to—”
    “What time is it?”
    Ricky looks at the clock on the wall and then shuts his workbook. “Time for Ricky Roberts to eat his dinner with Mommy Roberts and Amber Appleton.”
    “That’s my boy,” Donna says to Ricky. To me she says, “How was your day, Amber?”
    I nod and then shrug, like a tool.
    “Okay,” Donna says. “Can we eat?”
    I serve everyone, and we begin to eat.
    “Is there Jack Daniels in this?” Donna says after tasting my newest dish.
    “Yep,” I say.
    “Tastes divine,” Donna says. “Got you a present, Ricky.”
    “Mommy Roberts got Ricky Roberts a present!”
    “See that bag by my briefcase? Over there by the door?”
    “Ricky Roberts sees a bag!”
    “Why don’t you go see what’s in that bag.”
    Ricky stands and walks over to the bag. He picks it up and shakes it like a Christmas present. He even holds it to his ear. A hand finally goes in and comes out full of camouflage. “Ricky Roberts gets a shirt.”
    “What does it say on the shirt?” Donna says, fork in hand.
    Ricky holds the shirt above his head and reads the words written in hunter orange. “Franks Freak Force Federation!”
    It is the coolest shirt I have ever seen.
    “How many are in that bag, Ricky?” Donna says.
    Ricky counts. “Seven!”
    “One for every member involved in the mission.”
    I swallow hard; I love Donna so much. She was in court all day—a murder case—but she still got us team shirts for the mission. She rocks!
    “There are FIVE members of Franks Freak Force Federation. Mommy Roberts brought SEVEN shirts. Seven.”
    “Well, your attorney needs to dress the part. And I thought Franks might want one, so I had my assistant make up seven. What the hell, right, Amber?”
    I nod dumbly. I want to have an assistant someday who will make freaky teens cool T-shirts so that they can do good things in style. I want to be Donna. So frickin’ much.
    Donna winks at me, and then eats some more of my stir-fry.
    Ricky strips off his Utley jersey and puts on some camo. “Franks Freak Force Federation!”
    “You like?” Donna says.
    “Ricky Roberts likes very much!”
    “Amber?”
    I nod fifty times, like a moron.
    “There’s one in there for you,” Donna says.
    I sprint to the bag and find that there is a fitted girly tee in there for me, so I go into the other room and put it on, checking myself out in the hallway mirror. The cut makes my boobs look perky, and the coloring makes me look dangerous—sorta like Sarah Michelle Gellar playing Buffy the Vampire Slayer or maybe Uma Thurman in Kill Bill: Vol. 2 . I feel so ready to fight for good tonight.
    I walk back into the kitchen and Donna says, “You look like a knockout. How am I going to wear a fitted tee if I need to stand next to young sexy you?”
    “Amber Appleton is sexy!” Ricky says.
    “True?” I ask, and then blush like a moron.
    “True,” Donna says, and nods in this killer gangsta way that makes me believe her.
    BBB barks once in agreement. “Rew!”
    “Cool,” I say, smiling.
    I eat my dinner, and then Ricky and I clean up the dishes while Donna answers a bazillion e-mails on her Blackberry. Her thumbs move at the speed of light, and I dig how she mouths the words she is typing, like a little kid would.
    Jared shows up with his brother Chad strapped to his back like a toddler in a baby backpack. Chad never really grew, and his head is almost as big as his body. We told him to leave Das Boot at home for dramatic effect. Ty is right behind the Fox brothers, and all are totally psyched to put on their new shirts.
    The boys talk