Read Online The Girl On The Half Shell by Susan Ward - Free Book Online
Authors: Susan Ward
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drunk driving in my dad’s car it will make the front page of the NewsPress.”
“If you keep driving so slow the first cop that sees you will know you’ve been drinking.” She pulls down the visor and starts to touch up her lip gloss with the lighted mirror, which is really irritating because it makes it harder to see out of her side of the car. “You should have let me drive.”
“Oh yeah, that’s a great idea. What are you on, anyway? You guys didn’t do drugs in my dad’s car, did you?”
Rene glares at me. “I wouldn’t do that. I can’t believe you asked me that.”
“Really. Oh, really. You screwed a guy in my dad’s car.”
Rene shrugs. “He was cute. Neil was cute too. He was really into you, Chrissie. Did you give him your number?”
“No. And he wasn’t into me. Just another user. Why is the world so full of jerks?”
“Because half the planet is male.”
I change the subject. “Did you see Eliza’s face as Neil and I went into the private party. She was pissed.”
“Jeez, you’d think it would have stopped being about Eliza as soon as you had that hot guy bouncing you on the floor. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. You should have bounced him back to his place.”
“I couldn’t. You were bouncing my dad’s car.”
“What was the private party like?” Rene asks, rummaging through her bag.
“It was awful. Smoky. Packed. All kinds of freak girls there doing drugs.”
Rene laughs. “Why do you have half a dollar bill stuck in the fold of your UGG boot?”
“Neil made me a bet. He thinks that band is like the Second Coming or something. If he’s right, I have to give him back the half of the dollar.”
I see the high metal arch on Marina Drive that signals we are officially off the city streets and back into the safety of Hope Ranch. I increase my speed.
“See, he does want to see you again,” Rene says shoving her junk back into her bag. She sprays her mouth with breath spray. I park the car as close to the front door as I can manage. Rene grabs my arm. “You go in first. See if I can make a clean shot to the bathroom.”
“Why?”
Rene’s eyes widen intensely. “I smell like sex. I don’t want to get caught by Jack smelling like sex.”
“You can smell sex?”
“God you are ignorant. Guys can always smell sex. Go check the house for me.”
“Slut.” I only say it because it’s a joke and it seems to fit.
“Prude.” Fiercely back at me.
Rene grabs my cheeks and gives me a hard kiss. “Do I kiss better than Neil?”
I push her away. She is laughing at me folded over in her seat. She looks up. “Run and check. Hurry. I have to pee.”
As I walk to the front door I can hear the sound of rowdy men floating over the roof. The noise makes me think of my brother. Sammy and his friends used to fill the house with laughter and music. As a little girl I would hover, hidden, just enjoying watching my big brother, knowing if I got caught all Sam would do is ruffle my hair, toss me over his shoulder, and send me back to my room with a stern warning not to tell Jack.
I peek into the empty entryway and step in. I should have told my dad about the parties. I knew that Sammy’s parties were bad. I didn’t tell because I didn’t understand why I was supposed to. I loved him. Sammy said don’t tell. That I understood.
I go as far down the hallway as Sammy’s room and turn around and go back for Rene. When I get outside, she’s hopping beside the car like she’s about to pee. God, she is really messed up. I didn’t notice in the car that she is all crumpled and ratty haired, and acting wired.
She is more than just drunk. She did coke with Josh in my dad’s car and lied to me about it. I can see it in her agitated movements and the way she is standing. She’s coked up. Josh got her coked up and screwed her in a car.
I put my hands on her arms to stop her hopping. “It’s OK. Everyone is on the patio and Maria is asleep. Just run. Clear shot to the
“If you keep driving so slow the first cop that sees you will know you’ve been drinking.” She pulls down the visor and starts to touch up her lip gloss with the lighted mirror, which is really irritating because it makes it harder to see out of her side of the car. “You should have let me drive.”
“Oh yeah, that’s a great idea. What are you on, anyway? You guys didn’t do drugs in my dad’s car, did you?”
Rene glares at me. “I wouldn’t do that. I can’t believe you asked me that.”
“Really. Oh, really. You screwed a guy in my dad’s car.”
Rene shrugs. “He was cute. Neil was cute too. He was really into you, Chrissie. Did you give him your number?”
“No. And he wasn’t into me. Just another user. Why is the world so full of jerks?”
“Because half the planet is male.”
I change the subject. “Did you see Eliza’s face as Neil and I went into the private party. She was pissed.”
“Jeez, you’d think it would have stopped being about Eliza as soon as you had that hot guy bouncing you on the floor. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. You should have bounced him back to his place.”
“I couldn’t. You were bouncing my dad’s car.”
“What was the private party like?” Rene asks, rummaging through her bag.
“It was awful. Smoky. Packed. All kinds of freak girls there doing drugs.”
Rene laughs. “Why do you have half a dollar bill stuck in the fold of your UGG boot?”
“Neil made me a bet. He thinks that band is like the Second Coming or something. If he’s right, I have to give him back the half of the dollar.”
I see the high metal arch on Marina Drive that signals we are officially off the city streets and back into the safety of Hope Ranch. I increase my speed.
“See, he does want to see you again,” Rene says shoving her junk back into her bag. She sprays her mouth with breath spray. I park the car as close to the front door as I can manage. Rene grabs my arm. “You go in first. See if I can make a clean shot to the bathroom.”
“Why?”
Rene’s eyes widen intensely. “I smell like sex. I don’t want to get caught by Jack smelling like sex.”
“You can smell sex?”
“God you are ignorant. Guys can always smell sex. Go check the house for me.”
“Slut.” I only say it because it’s a joke and it seems to fit.
“Prude.” Fiercely back at me.
Rene grabs my cheeks and gives me a hard kiss. “Do I kiss better than Neil?”
I push her away. She is laughing at me folded over in her seat. She looks up. “Run and check. Hurry. I have to pee.”
As I walk to the front door I can hear the sound of rowdy men floating over the roof. The noise makes me think of my brother. Sammy and his friends used to fill the house with laughter and music. As a little girl I would hover, hidden, just enjoying watching my big brother, knowing if I got caught all Sam would do is ruffle my hair, toss me over his shoulder, and send me back to my room with a stern warning not to tell Jack.
I peek into the empty entryway and step in. I should have told my dad about the parties. I knew that Sammy’s parties were bad. I didn’t tell because I didn’t understand why I was supposed to. I loved him. Sammy said don’t tell. That I understood.
I go as far down the hallway as Sammy’s room and turn around and go back for Rene. When I get outside, she’s hopping beside the car like she’s about to pee. God, she is really messed up. I didn’t notice in the car that she is all crumpled and ratty haired, and acting wired.
She is more than just drunk. She did coke with Josh in my dad’s car and lied to me about it. I can see it in her agitated movements and the way she is standing. She’s coked up. Josh got her coked up and screwed her in a car.
I put my hands on her arms to stop her hopping. “It’s OK. Everyone is on the patio and Maria is asleep. Just run. Clear shot to the
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