Floundering by Romy Ash Read Free Book Online

sings it. Bert’s antenna is a coat hanger in the wonky shape of a heart.
    I love driving, she says and winds her window all the way down, sticks her hand out, catches the wind in her palm. She’s singing and she goes to Jordy, Do you know this one?
    He shakes his head. Come on, sing with me, she saysand starts dancing in her seat. Sing it.
    No, he says and I start to laugh.
    She sings and her voice is sweet and clear. Her hair is blowing everywhere. Dancing.
    I see Jordy has to look away ‘cos he can’t stop a smile creeping to the corners of his lips but Loretta’s seen. She smiles too. You know, I’ve been singing in a band.
    Really? When? I say. I lean right over the seat to have a proper look at her – like she could be different with this new information. What did you sing?
    Oh, you know, songs. She sticks her tongue out at me.
    I laugh. No, really?
    Rock and roll, guitars and stuff.
    Did you play guitar?
    Nup, I just sang.
    Can you sing one of the songs?
    No, she squeals and giggles. Too embarrassing.
    Please.
    No, absolutely not.
    Please.
    No. I’ll sing this one, though. She leans and turns the radio up. Her skin looks golden in the sun. She sings really loud. I look at Jordy and when he sees me looking he starts to laugh. I laugh then and I can’t stop. I laugh until it hurts and she’s still singing but softer now, under her breath.

    There is a town and we drive straight up its guts. It has a McDonald’s but Loretta won’t stop.
    We’re getting closer, she says. It’ll ruin everything if we stop now.
    And that town is gone as quick as it came. There is dirt and paddocks, but there’re trees now, even though it’s still dry. Then without warning things change and it’s greener and there are birds.
    There’re signs towards a city but Loretta doesn’t follow them. We skirt around the city, and for a while there are houses close together, made of bricks, with letterboxes. What’s weird is that they seem strange, when they’re the most normal things.

    Oh my god, Loretta says.
    What? I say, and look around for what’s getting us. But nothing is getting us, she’s excited, not frightened. Then I see it, an ocean that’s a whole new one from Gran and Pa’s ocean.
    She stops the car and I fling forward. My stomach jumps. The seatbelt catches me, choking hard against my neck.
    The ocean, she squeals.
    I adjust the seatbelt and start to laugh because I can’t help it. She drives into a carpark that’s right on the beach. The salt in the air smells nice.
    Holy shit, look at that, she says. She jumps out of the car giggling and leans over the wooden railing. The wind blows her dress up. Come on. Let’s go for a swim. Do you wanna? She turns back to look at us and a couple with a dog walk past. The man leans down and whispers something in the woman’s ear and she looks at Loretta and laughs. Jordy shrinks down in his seat. The man links his hand with the woman’s. Their dog pulls them forward by the lead.
    We don’t have any swimmers, I say from inside the car.
    Don’t be silly, that doesn’t matter, you can swim in your shorts. I get out of the car to stop her yelling across the carpark.But they’re my school shorts.
    So? I’ll go in my underwear, fair’s fair. She’s already walking down to the beach, slipping off her shoes at the soft sand and leaving her clothes in a little pile at the seaweed line.
    Jordy gets out of the car.
    It’s hot, he says and walks onto the beach, ducking under the railing.
    Yeah, I say. I follow him. I pull my shirt off and it feels like I’ve been skinned. Our three pairs of shoes are together on the sand. Jordy’s and my school shoes look bulky as blocks.
    Loretta walks into the surf, she looks back at us, and the wind blows her hair in front of her face. She’s wearing baggy undies and a bra that looks grey. Her feet are in the water. Come on, she yells, it’s beautiful.

    Jordy laughs with the sun in his eyes. We walk to the edge. There’s seaweed