Page 28 of We Shouldn't Be Together
Things sure have changed since we were kids. I mean, me and the guys still see her as one of us. Actually, I’d peg her higher than the other guys. But, she is a girl, so she can’t head into the same bathroom to change with us.
James finally joins us and, dressed in a mixture of flannel and denim, we all head to the student parking lot. So far, Parker’s the only one of us who has a license and a car. It’s kinda our storage center. He already has all our skateboards packed in the trunk. Tyler and I swap our bags for boards, and Jamie pads up and chucks on her rollerblades. I guess when I get my car I’ll be driving to the skatepark, but I’ll miss the extra time weaving and grinding my way there.
Lewis rides shotgun with Parker, and eventually we meet them at the park. I really don’t know why Jamie prefers rollerblades over a skateboard, like the rest of us, but she flies on them.
“Returning to the scene of the crime, Kai,” Jamie teases, strapping her knee pad. “What are you gonna break today?”
I lift my hands in surrender. “Nothing. Scout’s honor. If I break anything, Dad’s selling my car. And, no offense Parker, I can’t freaking wait to drive myself around.”
Parker boards past me. “Cool with me. It’ll give the suspension in my car a break if you take half the freeloaders.”
Lewis scoffs. “Freeloaders?”
“Yeah, yeah. I know, Lewy,” Parker says, batting a hand. “You’ll be the next one to get your license.”
Jamie pushes off on her blades. “I hate my driver’s ed teacher. He makes things more complicated than they need to be. Like, I’ve proven I can drive, but he’s messing me up with all the theory questions.”
“They’re not that hard,” I quip.
She deadpans me.
“Okay, okay,” I laugh. “Geez, James. If looks could kill.”
She jumps over two steps and races along the cement toward a ramp. I kick off my board, dipping around the stairs and chasing her from the other side. A scraping sound distracts me from the left, and I whip around to see Tyler catching air as he flies up a ramp. I flip and rotate my board, moving in his direction.
“Nice one, Ty,” I call as his board skids across the cement.
Like he’s proving a point, Tyler fakes a kickflip and pulls in the opposite direction. Popping his board into the air with an ollie, his heel then flicks the edge of the board, and spins it underneath him. He nailed that heelflip.
I smirk. “Now you’re just showing off.”
“Sorry, I know showing off is usually your move,” Tyler jokes.
I slam a hand over the space above my heart. “Ouch, Ty. You cut me deep.”
Tyler gestures behind me. “Looks like someone else is stealing your move.”
Over my shoulder, I catch Parker riding a rail. He spins off the end, revealing who Tyler’s talking about.
James, of course.
As she grinds against the rail, her rollerblades cling to the steel as if they’re magnetized. Her core is locked and determination is scribbled all over her face.
“Whoa, James,” I call out, riding my board over to the rail as she jumps off the end. “How did you stay up like that? You looked over-balanced.”
Jamie spins on her blades, slowing to face me. “Maybe when you’re older, you can ride with the pros.”
“Pfft.“ I wave her off. “You’re barely older than me.”
“Don’t fret. It’s no big deal that I have you beat.”
Tyler boards away. “I’m not listening to this starting up again.”
“What?” My arms fly out wide. “You don’t want me to call out James’s delusional thoughts?”
“I’m delusional?” she questions, shoving my chest. “I’m not the one who wrecked it yesterday.”
I snigger at her, tapping on her elbow pad. “That’s because you’re wrapped in cotton wool.”
