Read Online The Starboard Sea: A Novel by Amber Dermont - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Amber Dermont
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and Di ignored Nadia and sat beside Race on the peak of the roof, drinking beers.
“You three going to help out?” Tazewell asked.
“Roof’s old,” Race said. “Might collapse with all of us walking and working.”
“Useless.” Taze threw a foam paintbrush at Race’s head. “All right, Jason and Nadia, you can be the eighty. I’ll be the eight.
I turned my attention to Nadia, “How’d you get shanghaied into manual labor?”
“Diana, she’s my protector,” she paused, “my proctor. She said it would be fun.”
I started to paint, and Nadia pointed toward the edge of the roof.
“Could we start there?” she asked.
“Sure. You’re the boss.”
Nadia and I crawled across the rough shingles. She stayed quiet, keeping her head down. When we got close to the gutters, she leaned over the side and heaved.
“What’s going on?” Kriffo shouted.
Nadia let go and slid diagonally. I grabbed hold of her wrist.
“Sorry about that, Kriffo.” I called down. “There’s some weird birdshit up here we’ve been trying to scrape off.”
“Your birdshit landed in my goddamn hair,” he fumed.
I leaned over to Nadia. “Are you all right? Do you want to leave and get some water, maybe?”
Nadia opened her eyes wide. She nodded her head. I brought her down to the far end of the roof, away from the others.
“I’m going to jump.” I tilted her chin up. “All you have to do is hang off the edge, and I’ll catch you.”
I jumped, falling hard and straining my left knee. I looked up at Nadia. She blinked.
“Your turn,” I whispered.
She knelt close to the edge, folding her arms and rocking her body. I gestured for her to slide toward me. She bit her lip, turned, and stretched out flat against the roof, dangling her feet first, then her legs. Holding on to her sneakers, I eased her down. Her calves stiffened from my touch. I reached around her waist and told her to let go of the roof, but she kept her grip tight.
“It’s okay,” I said. “I have you.”
She clutched the roof like a gymnast afraid of her dismount. Her arms finally trembled under the strain, her elbows unlocked, and I gently pulled her away from the Boathouse.
“Do you want to go to the infirmary?” I asked.
“No,” she said, closing her eyes. “I’m very, very stupid.” Nadia crouched on the ground beside a bush of scrub pine. I wiped the corners of her mouth with the sleeve of my sweater.
“What were you drinking?” I asked.
“Beer, oh, and vodka I guess, with some juice, or . . .” She vomited. Her shirt label cropped up the back of her neck. I read, “Size Small.” If I had wanted to, I could have cradled her entire face in one hand. A freshman. I tucked the label back into her collar.
“Look, it’s way after lights-out. We’re going to have to sneak you inside.” I had no idea how to do this.
“Can’t I just . . .” She held on to the grass, her eyes rolling white, like those of a dead fish.
I couldn’t leave her there. I knew that even if it got me into trouble, I needed to take care of her.
“Come on. I’ll help you.”
Wrapping her arm around my neck, I lifted her, and began walking over to Astor. My plan was to carry Nadia up a fire escape. I didn’t know the layout of the dorm, but I hoped that once I made it to the third-floor window, someone would help me sneak her inside.
Cradling Nadia in my arms, I tripped up the first few metal stairs. Small as she was, Nadia still felt heavy enough to throw off my balance. I tried to put my feet down softly, but the wrought iron staircase echoed and vibrated beneath me. The window at the top of the fire escape was open and the shade drawn. I leaned Nadia against the railing and pushed the window up. The shade snapped.
The girl from the beach and from that day in history class, the seabird and the sprite, appeared in front of us, seeming for a moment to be nothing more than a lunar face and a pair of hands.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “She’s been drinking.”
Without waiting
“You three going to help out?” Tazewell asked.
“Roof’s old,” Race said. “Might collapse with all of us walking and working.”
“Useless.” Taze threw a foam paintbrush at Race’s head. “All right, Jason and Nadia, you can be the eighty. I’ll be the eight.
I turned my attention to Nadia, “How’d you get shanghaied into manual labor?”
“Diana, she’s my protector,” she paused, “my proctor. She said it would be fun.”
I started to paint, and Nadia pointed toward the edge of the roof.
“Could we start there?” she asked.
“Sure. You’re the boss.”
Nadia and I crawled across the rough shingles. She stayed quiet, keeping her head down. When we got close to the gutters, she leaned over the side and heaved.
“What’s going on?” Kriffo shouted.
Nadia let go and slid diagonally. I grabbed hold of her wrist.
“Sorry about that, Kriffo.” I called down. “There’s some weird birdshit up here we’ve been trying to scrape off.”
“Your birdshit landed in my goddamn hair,” he fumed.
I leaned over to Nadia. “Are you all right? Do you want to leave and get some water, maybe?”
Nadia opened her eyes wide. She nodded her head. I brought her down to the far end of the roof, away from the others.
“I’m going to jump.” I tilted her chin up. “All you have to do is hang off the edge, and I’ll catch you.”
I jumped, falling hard and straining my left knee. I looked up at Nadia. She blinked.
“Your turn,” I whispered.
She knelt close to the edge, folding her arms and rocking her body. I gestured for her to slide toward me. She bit her lip, turned, and stretched out flat against the roof, dangling her feet first, then her legs. Holding on to her sneakers, I eased her down. Her calves stiffened from my touch. I reached around her waist and told her to let go of the roof, but she kept her grip tight.
“It’s okay,” I said. “I have you.”
She clutched the roof like a gymnast afraid of her dismount. Her arms finally trembled under the strain, her elbows unlocked, and I gently pulled her away from the Boathouse.
“Do you want to go to the infirmary?” I asked.
“No,” she said, closing her eyes. “I’m very, very stupid.” Nadia crouched on the ground beside a bush of scrub pine. I wiped the corners of her mouth with the sleeve of my sweater.
“What were you drinking?” I asked.
“Beer, oh, and vodka I guess, with some juice, or . . .” She vomited. Her shirt label cropped up the back of her neck. I read, “Size Small.” If I had wanted to, I could have cradled her entire face in one hand. A freshman. I tucked the label back into her collar.
“Look, it’s way after lights-out. We’re going to have to sneak you inside.” I had no idea how to do this.
“Can’t I just . . .” She held on to the grass, her eyes rolling white, like those of a dead fish.
I couldn’t leave her there. I knew that even if it got me into trouble, I needed to take care of her.
“Come on. I’ll help you.”
Wrapping her arm around my neck, I lifted her, and began walking over to Astor. My plan was to carry Nadia up a fire escape. I didn’t know the layout of the dorm, but I hoped that once I made it to the third-floor window, someone would help me sneak her inside.
Cradling Nadia in my arms, I tripped up the first few metal stairs. Small as she was, Nadia still felt heavy enough to throw off my balance. I tried to put my feet down softly, but the wrought iron staircase echoed and vibrated beneath me. The window at the top of the fire escape was open and the shade drawn. I leaned Nadia against the railing and pushed the window up. The shade snapped.
The girl from the beach and from that day in history class, the seabird and the sprite, appeared in front of us, seeming for a moment to be nothing more than a lunar face and a pair of hands.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “She’s been drinking.”
Without waiting
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