Juniors by Kaui Hart Hemmings Read Free Book Online Page A

notches below her, like I’m some kind of lady-in-waiting, but then a clear little bubble of snot comes out of Whitney’s nostril, and I stop and stare at it. It’s perfectly developed, a round and jolly little thing. She stands there, ignorant, and I can’t help myself.
    â€œOh my God.” I laugh.
    â€œWhat?” she says, and I tell her to look in the mirror. She walks to the chest of drawers and looks into the large rectangular mirror that hangs above it.
    â€œWhoa,” she says. She tilts her head to the right, then left.She doesn’t sniffle or wipe it away. I watch her looking at herself.
    â€œYou may have set a record,” I say.
    â€œNow that is g money right there.” She turns slowly and strikes a funny pose with her hands on her hips, her face in profile, proud like a conqueror. Then she breaks the pose and looks around, maybe for something to wipe her nose with. She ends up using her T-shirt. “Well, that was awesome. A nice welcoming. I’m such a spaz,” she says, in a way that’s the opposite of spazziness. Her way of speaking is languid, like her words have been out in the sun for too long.
    We talk a little more, small talk, miniature talk, but it’s comfortable now. It’s because of the snot. If that hadn’t happened I would have been nervous and resentful, and she would have forgotten me or treated me like some kind of ghetto foster child.
    â€œI’m heading back out before the sun goes down,” she says.
    â€œJust going to finish unpacking,” I say. I refrain from saying thank you—
Thank you for
the house.
    Before she leaves, she returns with some paper towels and cleans up the water she dripped on the floor.

6
    MY MOM AND I HAVE DINNER TOGET HER IN OUR NEW house, at our new table. She has given me a section of the shooting script for tomorrow.
    EXT. HUT—DAY
    EX TREME CLOSE-UP ON Sa mantha, deep in conc entration. A mosquit o lands on her cheek . She flinches, trie s to peer down at it , then slaps her fac e.
    RICK
    If I could b e a bug on that face .
    SAMANTHA
    Then you’ d be dead, idiot.
    RI CK
    Oh. Right.
    PAN OU T to the arid land. A Jeep is seen in th e distance, driving closer to them, and very recklessly.
    RI CK
    Are we supposed t o get in that thing?
    SAMANTHA
    If you’re afraid of a Jeep, th en we’re in for a lo ng ride.
    RICK looks her over, unabashedl y. She’s wearing a l oose, white tank top , damp with sweat. H er legs are golden a nd glistening.
    SAMAN THA
    Can I help you w ith something?
    RICK
    Actually, I was going to offe r to help you with s omething.
    Her eyebro ws arch, intrigued.
    RICK
    Your breasts.
    S AMANTHA
    Excuse me?
    R ICK
    I’m the breast i n the west. I can gi ve you a discount wh en we get back to th e States.
    She is dis gusted, but he doesn ’t notice. He’s seri ous, and really look ing at them now, as if presented with a medical problem.
    SAM ANTHA
    (mumbles)
    You ’ve got to be kiddin g me.
    RICK
    (using hand gestures)
    A stro ng C would suit your frame. I like ’em a little spaced apart , not so uptight, yo u know, and with the nipples
    (more hand gestures to illustr ate his thoughts)
    p ointed diagonally.
    S AMANTHA
    Just shut up right now.
    The Jeep is almost to them.
    RICK
    What?
    SAMANTHA
    Just be a bug on my face.
    The Jee p pulls up in front of them. They stand and dust themselves off. They are stunne d when theysee the ir driver, a GIRL wh o looks to be about twelve. She is sitti ng on pillows.
    GIRL
    Howzit! Welcome to Molo kana.
    She smiles, re vealing a few gold t eeth.
    GIRL (CONT ’ D)
    Come on already, slo wpokes. I got work t o do, people to see, eel to eat.
    RICK
    Di d she just say eel?
    SAMANTHA
    She just sa id eel.
    â€¢Â â€¢Â â€¢
    I give the script back to my mom. “Can you say ‘nipples’ on TV?”
    â€œI guess we’ll see,” she says. “It’s bad, isn’t it?” She