Hissers Read Free Page B

he pushed down on himself.
    Nicole giggled. “Are you okay?”
    “Yeah, fine, just—you startled me.”
    “Looks like you’re startling yourself,” Amanita added.
    “No, it’s…my fly, it’s…stuck.”
    Both girls looked at each other and shared a laugh. Connor cursed. If only girls knew how hard it was for men to deal with this thing between their legs that had a mind of its own. It wasn’t fair!
    “We’re getting hotdogs,” Seth said. His eyes were locked tightly on Amanita’s budding chest and tanned stomach. The girl noticed but didn’t mind, such was Amanita’s MO.
    “Am wanted a Vitamin Water,” Nicole replied. “We were walking to the park to lay out for a bit.”
    “Cool,” said Seth, lacking anything actually cool to say.
    With the help of some forceful bending, Connor’s situation had returned to normal, so he stepped back out in front of Nicole. “So, um, how’s it going? You psyched for Monday?”
    “Kinda. It’s gonna be weird, huh?”
    All four were in the same grade. Connor and Nicole had shared a few classes last year but usually sat on opposite ends of the room. They were both in honors classes, as was Seth, but everyone knew Nicole was the smartest person in their grade and could stand to be in the honors classes a full grade ahead. You just knew she was going to go far in life.
    “Is that a porno magazine?” Amanita pointed to the closed magazine on the counter.
    Jared whisked it away and looked her up and down. He seemed enticed by the way she had her hands on her hips and Connor wouldn’t put it past the guy to make a move. Hell, he wasn’t sure Amanita would even mind. “I’m over eighteen, little girl. Don’t judge me. You all gonna buy something or just stand around littering?”
    “I think he means loitering,” Nicole whispered.
    Amanita put a twenty on the counter. “A pack of Parliament Lights. You can charge me ten dollars for them. You know, just in case.” She winked at him.
    “Ten? They’re only six.”
    “But you can charge me ten. Like, to make sure there are no hard feelings, no feelings involving your job and all.”
    Jared scratched his head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. They’re six.” He rang up a pack for her and gave her correct change.
    Nicole and Connor both shook their heads and smiled.
    “You fuckwads paying for these Redbulls or what?” Jared snapped his fingers on the cans, making a pinging noise.
    Seth put some folded-up bills on the counter. “And two hotdogs,” he said. Jared huffed and went to get the hotdog tongs.
    “So hey,” Nicole said, looking at Connor, “you going to Jason Drake’s party tonight?”
    Connor remembered the recent incident with the car. He and Jason were not friends by any means despite being in the same grade. Jason was not in the honors classes and spent most of his time in Home Ec classes or in detention. In fact he was in most of Amanita’s classes. “Uh, no.”
    “Oh, c’mon. You should. It’s gonna be fun. His brother does it every year the last weekend before school starts. Everybody goes. Jason said there’s gonna be three kegs.”
    Amanita yanked the plastic off her cigarette box and began packing them against her palm. “Let it go, Nicole. I doubt they got invited.” She glared venomously at Seth, who was still leering sideways at her body. When he caught her eyes he looked guiltily at his shoes.
    “Oh please, that doesn’t even matter,” Nicole said. “Everyone’s invited. It’s like an all-inclusive school thing. That’s what Jason said. So you guys could come.”
    If we show up we’ll get thrown in the pool or pantsed or something, Connor thought. One brush a day with the Drake brothers was about all he could stomach. “Nah, we were gonna have our own little celebration tonight anyway so…I don’t think we’re gonna make it.”
    “Oh.” Nicole nodded like she understood. “That’s cool. Where?”
    “Where what?”
    “Where’s your party.”
    “Our