who sometimes outdid the kids tried to assume authority,
tried to impart discipline and shit, cause it just didn’t wash. And that was Jamie’s whole issue. How can you accept advice
or punishment from someone when you don’t respect them?
Jamie finished his bottle of sloe gin. He lit another joint.
“How much of that shit you got?” I said.
“This is it.”
“Do you like her?” Amber wiped her leg where she’d spilled beer.
There they went again.
“No. I don’t know. I don’t even know her.”
“I think you do.” Amber took another swig of beer.
Jamie lay down. And fell asleep.
“Wake up, asshole,” Amber said to him. Then to me she said, “So this is one of your famous surf trips?” Without waiting for
an answer she said, “It’s a big bore.”
“What do you want, nightlife?”
“What do you expect from fif …” She caught herself and stopped. She tried to smile at me but I turned away.
She was thinking of Robert Bonham, I bet. Robert Bonham. When he first started taking Amber surfing. He was patient with her,
helping her in the way that those who have gone before can help those who are beginning. And he wanted Jamie along to help
as well. Robert Bonham figured, Jamie told me, that with the two of them, they could help Amber to get waves, even though
she was a beginner. The problem was, however, I wasn’t invited. Jamie went with Robert Bonham and Amber once without me, the
first time. The second time Robert invited Jamie to go with him and Amber, Jamie declined. He said if I couldn’t go, then
he wouldn’t go either. I remember because I was doing yard work or something, Nestor leading the charge, and I saw Jamie coming
over the dirt path in the field next to our house.
I turned off the lawn mower when he got close to me. “I thought you were surfing,” I’d said in a snotty voice.
“I didn’t go with that cheapskate. Need some help?”
Jamie worked with Nestor and me, helping with the lawn and trimming some bushes and stuff.
When we finished, we rode our bikes back to his house, where we shot some hoops. During an intense game of Horse, Amber showed
up with Robert Bonham.
He handed her her board without coming up the driveway.
“Cheapskate,” Jamie muttered. And that day, I knew the kind of friend Jamie was. He’d rather not go surfing than leave me
behind.
“Not anymore,” Amber had said. “You can surf with us from now on, Juan.” She had smiled at me.
Remembering that smile from Amber, I had a huge excitement in my gut. My hands were shaking, so I placed them under my bottom.
My mouth was dry in spite of the cold beer.
“Look, Juan, I’m sorry, okay?”
I tried to play it cool, and didn’t answer.
She stood up and helped her groggy brother get in a sleeping bag. I felt a warmness inside, watching her take care of Jamie.
My friend was okay; F couldn’t touch him, get him arrested. She helped him into one of the bags — there were only two of them.
When she was finished she came over and sat next to me on the other one.
I looked long and hard into her eyes. Blue. Ice and sky. People would look at Amber and not know if her eyes were green or
gray or blue. Different people would give all those colors as their answers, if they were asked. I never really thought about
it that much because I knew: they were blue. Why would she want to be with a fifteen-year-old?
“Listen, Amber, let’s go check out that island, okay? If those people are still at my aunt’s when we come back, I’m leaving.
But if they’re gone, you and Jamie can stay if you want. But I would like to check out those waves on that island.” Why not?
When would I ever get another chance like this? If the universe sends you something, take advantage of it, is what I say.
Yet the universe hadn’t sent me anything: I’d taken it, no doubt about it. I’d taken my mother’s car, taken all the money
from her purse, used Jamie’s misfortune as an
tried to impart discipline and shit, cause it just didn’t wash. And that was Jamie’s whole issue. How can you accept advice
or punishment from someone when you don’t respect them?
Jamie finished his bottle of sloe gin. He lit another joint.
“How much of that shit you got?” I said.
“This is it.”
“Do you like her?” Amber wiped her leg where she’d spilled beer.
There they went again.
“No. I don’t know. I don’t even know her.”
“I think you do.” Amber took another swig of beer.
Jamie lay down. And fell asleep.
“Wake up, asshole,” Amber said to him. Then to me she said, “So this is one of your famous surf trips?” Without waiting for
an answer she said, “It’s a big bore.”
“What do you want, nightlife?”
“What do you expect from fif …” She caught herself and stopped. She tried to smile at me but I turned away.
She was thinking of Robert Bonham, I bet. Robert Bonham. When he first started taking Amber surfing. He was patient with her,
helping her in the way that those who have gone before can help those who are beginning. And he wanted Jamie along to help
as well. Robert Bonham figured, Jamie told me, that with the two of them, they could help Amber to get waves, even though
she was a beginner. The problem was, however, I wasn’t invited. Jamie went with Robert Bonham and Amber once without me, the
first time. The second time Robert invited Jamie to go with him and Amber, Jamie declined. He said if I couldn’t go, then
he wouldn’t go either. I remember because I was doing yard work or something, Nestor leading the charge, and I saw Jamie coming
over the dirt path in the field next to our house.
I turned off the lawn mower when he got close to me. “I thought you were surfing,” I’d said in a snotty voice.
“I didn’t go with that cheapskate. Need some help?”
Jamie worked with Nestor and me, helping with the lawn and trimming some bushes and stuff.
When we finished, we rode our bikes back to his house, where we shot some hoops. During an intense game of Horse, Amber showed
up with Robert Bonham.
He handed her her board without coming up the driveway.
“Cheapskate,” Jamie muttered. And that day, I knew the kind of friend Jamie was. He’d rather not go surfing than leave me
behind.
“Not anymore,” Amber had said. “You can surf with us from now on, Juan.” She had smiled at me.
Remembering that smile from Amber, I had a huge excitement in my gut. My hands were shaking, so I placed them under my bottom.
My mouth was dry in spite of the cold beer.
“Look, Juan, I’m sorry, okay?”
I tried to play it cool, and didn’t answer.
She stood up and helped her groggy brother get in a sleeping bag. I felt a warmness inside, watching her take care of Jamie.
My friend was okay; F couldn’t touch him, get him arrested. She helped him into one of the bags — there were only two of them.
When she was finished she came over and sat next to me on the other one.
I looked long and hard into her eyes. Blue. Ice and sky. People would look at Amber and not know if her eyes were green or
gray or blue. Different people would give all those colors as their answers, if they were asked. I never really thought about
it that much because I knew: they were blue. Why would she want to be with a fifteen-year-old?
“Listen, Amber, let’s go check out that island, okay? If those people are still at my aunt’s when we come back, I’m leaving.
But if they’re gone, you and Jamie can stay if you want. But I would like to check out those waves on that island.” Why not?
When would I ever get another chance like this? If the universe sends you something, take advantage of it, is what I say.
Yet the universe hadn’t sent me anything: I’d taken it, no doubt about it. I’d taken my mother’s car, taken all the money
from her purse, used Jamie’s misfortune as an
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