My Private Pectus by Shane Thamm Read Free Book Online Page B

warm saliva on my neck, how he drove his elbow into my back during that tackle.
    Screw him, I think.

don't look at me, i'm not attractive
    We're at Westfields, waiting for Lisa to rock up. Gez isn't saying much because he's pissed off with me. I asked Ryan to join us because I don't want to end up being the third wheel, or the meat in the sandwich, or something worse.
    â€˜I thought you wouldn't mind,’ I say to Gez as Ryan approaches.
    â€˜He's my brother. Why would I want my brother around when I'm with my girl?’
    â€˜What about me?’ I say.
    â€˜You're different. You know when to split.’
    He's right about that. Last time I was at Westies with Gez and his ex, I split after about ten minutes. I wouldn't come at all if the other option wasn't being at home with Dad.
    Gez scuffs the floor as Ryan wanders towards us, waving. We buy Maccas and wait for Lisa.
    â€˜Is that her?’ Ryan keeps asking when a girl to his liking walks by. He stuffs chips into his mouth as he scans, points to girls with big tits in tight singlets, skinny ones in hipster jeans.
    â€˜No,’ Gez keeps saying, sounding more annoyed each time.
    It's not until Lisa approaches and Gez gets up that Ryan realises she's the one. ‘Nice work, bro, what a catch,’ he says as if we're trailing lines over a jetty.
    Gez greets Lisa with a kiss and rests his hand on her hip. Lisa says ‘Hi,’ and smiles at us boys who stare in return. She sums up the situation, clearly surprised that her man has a couple of hangers-on.
    Ryan steps forward, but before he can introduce himself, Lisa goes, ‘Oh.’ She points to Gez and then at Ryan and says, ‘Brothers.’ Lisa can come across as ditsy, but she's not. Not by a long shot. She's the dux of English and Art. If she wasn't Gez's girl, I'd be in love. Maybe I am, just in denial.
    She has long, thick, brown hair and soft blue eyes. Her skin is tanned—evidence of summers spent yachting in Pumicestone Passage at Caloundra. Lisa's family has money, and they spend it well.
    â€˜You must be the best brother in the world,’ she says to Ryan.
    Eyebrows raised, Ryan looks at her. He's obviously got no idea where that came from. Me neither.
    â€˜Gerald's told me all about the car. I can't wait to see it. I hope you get it going.’ Now she looks at me. ‘You're helping too, aren't you, Sticks?’
    â€˜Sure am,’ I say, unable to believe the hottest girl in Year 12 has just spoken to me.
    Then she scans all three of us and says, ‘You don't mind if I come over sometime and help out?’
    I shove my hands in my pockets to fix things up. Ryan does too. Gez puts his arm around Lisa's shoulders and says, ‘How ‘bout this arvo?’
    They head off, leaving me and Ryan standing there. We look at each other. What are we supposed to do? Follow or do our own thing? We follow. Lisa looks great from behind.
    â€˜Do you think you'll have the car going soon?’ I overhear her ask as we catch up. ‘We could go up to the Passage,’ she says. ‘I could take you out on the yacht. That's if you want to, of course.’
    Man, he's lucky.
    We go into HMV, start checking out the labels. Lisa takes Gez straight to the top ten section and I chuckle because he hates commercial music. I go looking for the latest Hives album. Ryan follows because we're into the same kind of stuff. But as I search, a voice says, ‘Hey, I like them, too.’ Thinking it's Lisa, I turn around, but it's not Lisa at all. It's Samantha Dean and she's looking at me in a way that suggests she already knows what I'm going to say back, so I don't say anything. ‘They're cool, eh?’ she says.
    Ryan is still next to me, so I introduce him.
    â€˜Hi,’ they say in unison.
    â€˜Sam's from school,’ I say.
    Ryan nods at me. He must remember her name from our conversation in the surf. ‘What are you looking for?’ he asks