Audiobook Excerpt narrated by Khristine Hvam
The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise |
Audiobook excerpt narrated by Khristine Hvam.
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Khristine Hvam: ... said, "No." He threw his head back dramatically. "But I'm so hot."
I yanked down another cup and held it out to him. "Here," I said. "My treat."
The kids' face lit up. "For reals?" he asked.
"Yep."
But then his face dropped again just as quick. "But my mom said no. I'll probably get in trouble."
I shrugged. "You're probably going to get in trouble at some point today anyway. You may as well get a slushy out of it."
He thought about that for a real short second, and then snatched the cup from my hand.
"But I really would think twice about getting watermelon," I added. My advice fell on deaf ears, and in a flash he was pulling down the knob and squirting glistening pink slush into his cup. I filled mine with the other flavor, Funky Fruit Punch, which was the superior choice in every respect. The kid looked me up and down as we walked toward the cashier. "You're wearing weird clothes."
I looked down at my raggedy blue jeans and grease-stained white T-shirt. "I'm basically wearing the same thing you're wearing," I pointed out.
"Exactly," he said. "And I'm a boy."
"So?"
"So, boys and girls shouldn't wear the same thing."
"Well, then you better change, because I ain't."
He had nothing to say to that, which was probably the right move on his part since I hadn't paid for his slushy yet. I ignored the hostile good riddance look on the cashier's face when I paid. Like hot asphalt on bare feet, it was something I was used to. Me and the kid walked through the jangling door and back out into the heat. The highway hummed not too far off in the distance. The kid took a big slurping suck on his slushy straw. He swallowed and smacked his lips and nodded.
"Well?" I asked. "How's the Wild Watermelon?"
He ran his tongue over his lips, considering. "Sweet," he said. "Weird. Not really like watermelon at all."
I nodded and took a suck of my delicious flavored-as-advertised Funky Fruit Punch. "Lesson learned, kid. Now you know."
He looked glumly at the phosphorescent pinkness in his cup. I sighed. It's tough, seeing a kid get a bad break. I held mine out to him. "Here," I said. "Trade."
His eyebrows shot high. "For reals?"
"Sure. I don't mind it all that much," I lied. "And you're the one who's getting in trouble. Better make it worth it." He swapped slushies and I took a sip of Wild Watermelon. He watched for my reaction. "I think," I said, "that the flavor designer at the slushy company needs to spend a little more time eating watermelon." The kid nodded. I tapped my slushy cup against his. "Cheers, kid. Enjoy."
He said, "Thanks."
And I said, "You're welcome."
And then he said, "You want a kitten?"
And I swallowed a mouthful of syrupy slush, and licked my lips, and wiped a bit of juice off my chin with my arm, and said, "What?"
"You want a kitten?" he repeated. He pointed to where an older boy sat on the curb next to a big cardboard box. "We're giving 'em away. Want one?"
I looked out at the big beat-up yellow school bus parked next to one of the gas pumps. There was no way I'd be allowed to get a cat. It was a no-go for sure. I sighed. "Well," I said, "let's go take a look at least."
There were five kittens in that cardboard box, and when I leaned over to look in they all looked up at me with big round eyes, and triangle ears, and I tell you, I was smitten.
"Who are you?" the older kid asked. And the younger one said, "She bought me a slushy." And the older kid held out his hand, and the younger one handed it over. The older kid took a slurp and smacked his lips, and nodded and handed it back. "You want a kitten?" he asked. They were as brothers as brothers can be, those two.
I eyed the bus again, and cocked an eyebrow. He was nowhere to be seen. "Well, I guess I don't know yet. It's complicated."
Both boys nodded. They had parents. They knew how it was. "Go ahead, pick one up," the older boy said. "Take it for a spin."
I pursed my lips. They were awfully cute, those tiny things, with their wispy tails and whiskers. I thought about how I could get away with it. The kittens mewed up at me ...
This audio excerpt is provided by Macmillan Audio.