slide or die by Todd Strasser

Author:Todd Strasser
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: SIMON PULSE
Published: 2006-07-15T00:00:00+00:00

23

“Dude, you gotta do it,” Tito said after school that day, riding his BMX bike on the sidewalk while Kennin walked. They were on their way to the Babylon Casino down on the Strip. After school a couple of days a week, they washed cars in the Babylon’s valet parking area. “I mean, what have you got to lose? Especially if you don’t have to put up an entry fee. Think of it. You could pocket eight hundred easy.”

“Maybe,” Kennin said.

They passed the glittery casinos and the gawking tourists.

“Come on, man, why not?” Tito asked.

“Well, how’s this for a start?” Kennin asked. “I don’t have a car.”

“I’ll bet we can get someone to loan you a car,” Tito said. “Like maybe you’d split the winnings with them.”

“How do you know I’d win?” Kennin asked.

“Well, if you didn’t, then you wouldn’t have anything to split,” Tito said with a grin.

They passed a “gentlemen’s club” called Rustler’s Cabaret. Lining the windows were posters of sexy-looking women in bikinis or lingerie. A black curtain hung where the front door should have been, and a red carpet stretched out onto the sidewalk. A scrawny old guy, dressed like a cowboy in a big hat, boots, and a fringed vest, was handing out free drink cards to anyone over the age of twenty-one who passed by.

“Come on in,” he said, handing a card to Kennin. “Have a look. Beautiful girls onstage right now.”

“How about one for me?” Tito asked.

The old guy made a face. “It ain’t for kids.”

“What about him?” Tito pointed at Kennin.

The old guy squinted at Kennin. “You ain’t twenty-one?”

“Not even close.” Kennin handed the card back, and he and Tito continued down the road.

“It’s gotta be driving Chris crazy,” Tito went on. “I mean, he really doesn’t want to think it was you driving. But if it wasn’t you, then who was it?”

Kennin was only half-listening. Parked at the curb in front of the cabaret was a familiar-looking bright yellow Corvette. Kennin glanced back at the entrance and wondered if Jack the jackass was inside. He’d have to assume that Shinchou wouldn’t be too pleased to learn that this was how her janky “gentleman friend” spent his afternoons.

“Hey, Kennin, you listening?” Tito said.

“Huh?”

“Dude, did you hear anything I said?” Tito asked.

“About driving Chris crazy?” Kennin said.

“No, dude. I asked where you learned to drift like that.”

“Just got lucky, I guess.”

“You’re so full of it,” Tito complained. “Nobody just gets lucky linking drifts down Sperling Mountain.”

Kennin didn’t say anything. They got to the Babylon, a tall, ornate casino with huge fake gold and diamond decorations that were supposed to make the place look as if it were dripping in treasure. The valet-parking guys were hanging out around the fountain in front, waiting to take cars over to the eight-story parking garage next door. They all had to wear white shirts, black slacks, and bow ties.

Kennin and Tito waved at the valets and continued to the parking garage. People didn’t use valet parking simply because they were too lazy, or too rich, to bother parking themselves.

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.