Читать книгу Kook - Chris Vick, Chris Vick - Страница 13

I GOT SKIP by himself, at school, by the water fountain.

“All right?” he said, wiping water off his lip, ready to bounce off somewhere.

“Can I ask you something?”

He put his bag on the floor and leant against the wall. “What’s up?”

“I want to surf.”

“Is that all? Jesus, you looked so serious. But you? Surf?” He shook his head. “You sure that’s a good idea after the other day? No offence, dude, but you were a real kook in the water.”

“Will you teach me?”

“There’s surf schools for that,” he said, laughing.

“I don’t want to wait till next summer…”

“They do stuff at weekends. You get to wear a yellow rashie, with ‘surf school’ on it. Might as well be an L-plate. You’ll stand out from the ten-year-olds.” He picked up his bag and started to walk away.

“Is that how you learnt?” I shouted after him. He turned. Suddenly it wasn’t a joke.

“No, I just did it. Got in, kept at it till I rode green waves. Straight up? It’s the only way. Even if you get a lesson or two, to start you off, then you got to go at it full on, for a long time.”

“Right, but you could help me?”

He came back, and spoke slowly, so I’d understand. “Me? Like I get enough hours in the water and I’m going to waste time teaching a kook. And anyway…”

“There’s only one teacher,” said a voice from behind me. Big G put a hand on my shoulder.

Shit, I thought, he must have heard it all.

“You. Surf. Why?” he glared at me.

“You need to ask, if you love it so much?” I said, giving him back a little of what he dished out. His eyes narrowed.

“I can guess. You won’t get anywhere. You’re wasting your time,” he said. He leant down, took a long drink from the fountain, then walked off.

“I live here. Why shouldn’t I surf?” I said to Skip.

“He was talking about Jade. That’s what he meant when he said you won’t get anywhere.”

“Oh. That’s… it’s… that’s not why,” I stammered, feeling hot in the face.

“Some have had a go, you know,” he said. He rolled his eyes when he saw my shock. “I don’t mean been there. I mean Rag tried it on with her, and G. Maybe he did more than try… She doesn’t seem that interested. Maybe she’s into girls. That’s what Rag reckons.”

I was burning up wanting to ask about that. But I didn’t.

“I just want to learn to surf,” I said, casual as I could.

“Whatever.” He picked up his bag, then hesitated. “By the way, how much?”

“What?”

“How much were you going to pay me? To teach you.”

“Nothing. I just thought…”

“Shit, you really are a kook,” he said, unable to stop himself smirking. “But thanks, you’re funny. You’ve made my day.” He smiled, winked and walked off.

*

I tried my luck with Rag. He got the same bus as Jade and me, but was always almost missing it. So I went to the lockers at the end of the day, knowing he’d be pissing about with books and bags. I wanted to get him alone, but he was talking to two girls.

“Rag. Have you got a mo?”

“Shoot.”

“It’s a bit… Can we talk… alone?”

“Oh, right, yeah,” he said, nodding, like he already knew what we were going to talk about. “’Scuse us, ladies.” He put his beanie over his mop of curly locks, put his arm round my shoulder and walked me out of the building. He looked over his shoulder a couple of times before he whispered in my ear.

“I don’t know who told you about me, but they’re fucking dead! I can’t get expelled. I want names, you hear? Then G will have a word with the loose-tongued bastards. Anyhow, seeing as you’re here… Mind-fuck or Mellow Summer’s Day?”

“What?” I said. I had no idea what he was talking about.

“The Mellow’s better in my humble, but most dudes go for the bang-you-into-a-coma gear. God knows why. Its proper name is Cheese or something, but I call it Mind-fuck, so no one says I didn’t warn them.”

Then I twigged. He was talking about weed. Rag dealt drugs.

“I don’t want any weed.” I said.

“Then why are we talking?”

“I want to surf. I was thinking you could help me.”

“I ain’t got the time, man.” He took his arm off me. “Sure you don’t want any weed?”

I shook my head. “I know you won’t teach me but… some tips?”

He scratched his stubbly chin.

“Sure. Don’t do it. It’s bastard hard, and distracts you from other stuff you should do. Like live your life.” He raised an eyebrow, looking serious, like he was thinking about some deep subject. “On the other hand, it’s the best thing you can ever do. Better than girls and spliff and… other stuff I can’t think of right now. That’s just my opinion. But it’s also a fact. Any surfer will tell you the same, or they’re lying. I haven’t even got it that bad, but every idiot I know who stuck at it has. Does that help, Sam? How much were you thinking of paying me anyway?”

I tried not to look too hacked off.

“Okay, forget I asked,” he said.

“How am I supposed to learn?”

“There’s only one teacher.”

“What does that even mean, Rag?”

“You’ll see. Need a board?”

“Yeah.”

“Come round Saturday morning. My bro’s got some stuff too shagged to sell to the shops. He’ll give it you cheap.” He gave me the address, and said I’d find it easy.