Cut Back

Cut Back by Todd Strasser

Book: Cut Back by Todd Strasser Read Free Book Online
Authors: Todd Strasser
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the dreadlocked kid said.
    â€œBut you were trying to cut his finger off,” Runt insisted.
    â€œRunt, get a life,” Bean said.
    â€œThis means war,” Runt snarled, then went to get his board. That left only Everett from Lucas’s crew. The guy named Derek was still outsurfing Screamers as if nothing had happened.
    â€œDo me a favor?” Kai said to Everett. “You know the T-shirt shop where I work? If you’re around town later, maybe you’ll stop by and let me know how he is?”
    â€œNo sweat,” Everett said.
    Except for Derek, Lucas’s entire crew had gone. The sun was shining, the air was warm, and the waves were feathering blue shoulder-high walls. Kai and his friends stood on the beach for a moment, as if not sure what to do.
    â€œHey, guys.” Spazzy came down the beach with a brand-new wet suit in one hand and a brand-new green-and-blue-striped beach towel in the other. Both items still had white sales tags dangling from them.
    â€œHey, man,” Bean said.
    Spazzy twitched, then licked the back of his hand and sniffed it. “How come you’re not surfing?”
    â€œSam just had an accident,” Bean said.
    â€œIs he okay?” Spazzy asked.
    â€œWe think he’s gonna be okay,” Bean said.
    â€œWhat happened?”
    â€œI tried to surf Screamers so Sam decided to get me,” Booger said. “Only Kai got Sam first.”
    â€œI didn’t mean to hurt him, just stop him,” Kai added.
    â€œHe who lives by the sword dies by the sword,” Spazzy said.
    Once again they stood around as if not sure what to do.
    â€œI know this feels weird,” Shauna said. “Like part of me is saying we shouldn’t go back out and surf, because someone just got hurt. But another part of me is saying we might as well surf, because there’s nothing else we can do.”
    â€œI like that part better,” said Booger.
    â€œI guess we could go visit Sam in the emergency room,” Spazzy said.
    â€œI’m sure he’d love that.” Bean chuckled.
    Booger picked up his bodyboard. “Well, I don’t know about you guys, but Screamers is wide open and those waves look too good. I’m going back out.”
    â€œHard to argue with that,” Bean said. He picked up his board and followed, leaving Shauna and Kai with Spazzy.
    â€œI got a wet suit,” Spazzy said. “So I can show you, okay? You’ll come out with me, right?”
    Kai wasn’t certain how to answer. He was always in favor of people surfing, but thisseemed like a lot of responsibility, and he was already responsible for one person getting hurt today. “What if something happens?”
    â€œNothing’s going to happen,” Spazzy said. “I told you, I’ve been surfing in California for three years. Nothing ever happened there and it’s not gonna happen here. It’s just that I made Mrs. Lantz a promise.”
    Kai looked at the wet suit and the towel and the labels hanging from them. Spazzy had bought them just to show Kai he could surf.
    â€œWhat are you gonna do for a board?” Kai asked.
    Twitching and blinking, Spazzy turned to Shauna. “Think I could use yours for a minute?”
    Shauna frowned. “It’s not my board. It’s Kai’s.”
    Spazzy turned to Kai. “Then we can do it?” It was more of a statement than a question.
    â€œYou sure you can surf?” Shauna asked.
    â€œBeen surfing for years,” Spazzy said. “I swear.”
    Shauna gave Kai a “so-what’s-the-problem?” look.
    Kai sighed. He knew he wasn’t going to win this debate. “All right, let’s go.”

Twenty-one
    S pazzy tugged his shirt off, then wrapped the beach towel around his waist and started to pull at his shorts. Only, in true Spazzy fashion, the towel didn’t stay tucked in and started to slip down his waist. Shauna covered her eyes with her hand and

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