"Matt Ruff - Bad Monkeys" - читать интересную книгу автора (Ruff Matt)

She shrugged. тАЬThereтАЩs no movie theater in town, so I gotta make my own funтАжHere we go.тАЭ

Felipe had gotten the ladder set up and started climbing. Carlotta waited until he was on the roof, then
used one last orange to knock the ladder away. Game over.

тАЬSo,тАЭ she said, тАЬyou want to get ice cream?тАЭ

CarlottaтАЩs parents both worked in the diner. Her mother ran the cash register and waited tables. Her
father managed the kitchenтАФalthough Se├▒or DiazтАЩs management consisted mainly of sitting around,
reading the Bible and the sports pages, and occasionally yelling at the cooks for not moving fast enough.

тАЬHey you!тАЭ he called, as Carlotta led me in the back door. тАЬWhere have you been?тАЭ

тАЬWalking to and fro on the earth,тАЭ said Carlotta, with a nod to the Good Book in her fatherтАЩs lap. The
crack earned her a scowl that could have come from the Old Testament God Himself.

тАЬThatтАЩs not funny, Carlotta. Your mother has been looking for you. She needs help out front.тАЭ

тАЬYeah sure, in a minute,тАЭ Carlotta said. She ducked into the walk-in freezer, leaving me alone with
Jehovah.

тАЬHi,тАЭ I said. тАЬIтАЩm Jane.тАЭ

Se├▒or Diaz cleared his throat like he was going to spit. He started to return to his Bible study, then
looked up again and gave me this long, thoughtful stare.

тАЬYouтАЩre the new girl,тАЭ he finally said. тАЬAt the FostersтАЩ.тАЭ

тАЬYeah, thatтАЩs me. The new girl.тАЭ
тАЬYouтАЩll be staying with them a while?тАЭ

тАЬLooks like.тАЭ

тАЬSo youтАЩll be going to school here, then.тАЭ

I hadnтАЩt given it any thought, but of course he was right. The prospect didnтАЩt thrill me. тАЬI guess so.тАЭ

He nodded. тАЬAnd how are you planning to get to school?тАЭ

тАЬI donтАЩt know. I guessтАжIs there a bus?тАЭ

тАЬAh! A bus!тАЭ He waved the idea away. тАЬWhy would you want to take a bus to school?тАЭ

тАЬWellтАжтАЭ

тАЬIтАЩll tell you somethingтАФJane, is it?тАФthe school bus here, itтАЩs not very good.тАЭ

тАЬNo?тАЭ

тАЬNo. I would never let my daughter take the bus. We drive her to school. You could ride along with her,