Goldfish by Nat Luurtsema

Author:Nat Luurtsema
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781250089199
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

chapter 19

Weezy, I’m so busy here, it’s manic, I feel like I barely have time to think. I just swim swim swim and I’m always nervous! Mom’s being crazy and I haven’t so much as SEEN a carb in days. I miss them, and you. Do you miss me?

Miss you.

Hxxxxxxxx

I’m trying to text Han back, but the truck’s bouncy suspension makes me feel sick. I’ll tell her the good news when we get through the tryouts. Eventually the megatruck pulls up outside a massive modern building. It’s got huge walls made of windows. Must be a nightmare to clean, I tut to myself, sounding like Dad.

There’s a line of hundreds of people sheltering under umbrellas, and here we are, pulling up in the megatruck like total bosses. I have never felt cooler. I’m nearest to the window, so I roll it down and lean out supercasually, like I own the truck. Mmm hmm, yes, I look young for my age.

I’ve never seen the appeal in smoking, but right now I’d love to fling a cigarette out the window with a world-weary gesture like, “Hey, it’s just another TV gig.”

Pete Senior opens his window, flicks his soggy cigarette out with a world-weary gesture, and follows it with a gob of spit.

Less TV Star, more Loitering Outside Pawn Shop.

I eye the posters for upcoming gigs. I’ve never been to a gig here (or anywhere, if I’m honest), but Lav’s been to a couple with her friends.

“Oh, I’ve been here,” says Roman. “I came for a soccer sticker swap meet years ago. They made us line up outside in the rain for three hours.”

“That’s ridiculous!” I say.

“Nah, we only stayed forty minutes, did all our swaps in the line, and by the time they opened the doors, we’d gone.”

“All right,” wheezes Pete’s dad, “let’s park.” He puts the handbrake on and swings himself out of the cab. Really? Here?

We clamber down and join Pete’s dad next to his “parking space.” It looks as if we just parked in the middle of a square—you know, the sort of place where people eat sandwiches, drink a coffee with friends, and don’t park trucks?

“You bunch go get in the line,” says Pete’s dad, wrestling with the doors at the back. “I’ll unload.”

“Should we help?” Roman asks Pete.

“Heavy work, lads,” Pete Senior sniffs.

“Don’t bother offering,” Pete tells him, walking away. “When my dad looks at me, he just sees a seven-year-old in a tutu.”

Pete did ballet as a kid? Roman sniggers. I don’t think I was meant to hear that. I hang back so he doesn’t realize I did.

“Shut up, Ro. You never heard of Billy Elliot?”

I want to join in, but I still don’t feel like one of them, so I don’t risk it.

At the front of the line is a massive opening into a huge warehouse-looking area. You could park a plane in there and then lose it when you came back from your shopping.

We peer in. It’s full of cameras and men with walkie-talkies

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.