第32部分(第3/7 頁)

heezing　from　the

effort。　Sucking　down　three　joints　a　day　will　do　that　to　you。

Out　of　breath　and　sweating；　he　climbed　back　on　the　bike　at　the　hill？s　summit　and　drifted　down；

letting　gravity　do　the　work。　He　looked　down　and　poked　at　his　forearm　to　see　if　the　pink　skin

turned　white　when　he　touched　it。　It　was　something　Blair　used　to　do　to　him　when　they　went　to　the

beach　together。　After　declaring　him　burned；　she？d　gently　slather　him　with　her　fancy　sunscreen。　He

pushed　at　his　forearm　again。　Definitely　a　little　cooked。

That？s　what　you　get　for　skipping　the　Coppertone！

Then　he　looked　up　and　realized　he　was　speeding　straight　for　the　road？s　shoulder。　He　pulled　on

the　handlebars；　swerving　across　the　road；　but　he　was　going　so　fast　that　he　wiped　out。　Hard。

There　was　a　polite　round　of　applause；　like　at　a　golf　match。　Nate　looked　up；　realizing　he　was

splayed　out　in　the　dirt　parking　lot　in　front　the　Oyster　Shack；　a　gray　clapboard　seafood　joint　about

halfway　between　Coach？s　house　and　his　family？s　hundred…year…old　estate　near　Georgica　Pond　in

East　Hampton。　A　group　of　high…school…age　kids　was　sitting　at　a　picnic　table；　strewn　with　sweating

beer　bottles　and　baskets　of　fried　food；　and　they　were　all　staring　at　him。

？Shit；？　Nate　muttered。　Tiny　pebbles　were　embedded　in　the　palms　of　his　hands；　and　he？d　torn　the

faded　lime…green　Stussy　shirt　he？d　been　working　in　all　day。　He　brushed　the　dirt　from　his　hands　and

looked　down　at　his　cutoff　khakis？no　damage　there。

Leave　it　to　Nate　Archibald　to　look　even　better　covered　with　sweat；　blood；　and　grime。

He　crouched　to　examine　the　bike？s　front　wheel。　It　was　bent。

？Tough　break。？

Nate　looked　up。　The　voice　belonged　to　a