Chapter 8

On Saturday I collected the old but decent quality skateboard we’d found, oiled the bearings and dropped it off with Faye at the end of her road, so she could practice scooting along on it and steering it.

I’d told her she couldn’t stay the night, or even come round, because it was just too risky for her suddenly to be out that much, every weekend, but I’d collect her after her boarding the next day. Being Faye she was disappointed, but didn’t argue. I broke a rule though, and said I’d walk part of the way to the park with her.

She’d watched some videos and decided she didn’t want a helmet or pads, just some dull, grungy clothes that looked as though they were about to fall off, to fit in with whoever might be at the skatepark. I found some and went and picked them up for her.

It seemed a pity to hide her sexy body, and I’d have rather she’d had a helmet for the concrete skate bowl, but she wanted to fit in and I was keeping my eyes on the prize: the worst thing would be for something rejective to happen, like being ignored or teased.

As it was, I felt pretty sure that the lads and couple of girls who hang out at the skatepark would welcome a new girl turning up to try it. In general kids who do stuff are positive like that. The main thing was to help Faye to see it through and make a start.

In the morning as we walked to the park it was hard not to touch her, or even drag her into the bushes for a quickie, but for once I could feel her attention was moving away from sex. She’d gone even quieter than usual.

“So you can just do a bit on the flat,” I said, “round about, and watch them, and chances are they’ll just come and start talking to you.”

“They might not.”

“That’s true, but then in that case you can just skate a bit by yourself, practising, and if it gets uncomfortable skate off along a path and come away. Then you can practice some more and come back another day. If they keep seeing you they’ll come and say something, sooner or later.”

“Okay. You’ll be here somewhere?”

“I’ll be where you can see me.” I smiled, fighting off the temptation to kiss her.

She scooted off on her board, looking pretty steady and with her new long hair blowing in the breeze, while I strolled off to watch from the other side of the skatepark.

There’s a bench for people to sit and watch, so I sat down to watch in the bright spring sunshine. It’s quite a large area, with various rails, steps and platforms, and big interconnected bowls. There were some bmx bikers and half a dozen kids riding their boards, of various different ages, all seeming to know each other though I didn’t recognise any of them. They’d do a trick or drop in, do a few moves, then sit on the edge or stand together, talking.

I saw Faye arrive on the far side. She looked unsure of herself. She stopped and looked around.

“Mate,” I heard from behind me. It was one of my friends, walking his dog.

“Hi,” I said as Tim sat down next to me. I stroked his dog.

“Which one are you watching?” he grinned. Tim knows me too well.

“The tall one,” I lied, nodding towards the only other girl in sight.

“Oh, cute,” said Tim. “Not the mousey one then.”

“She’s not mousey.”

“Gotcha,” he smirked.

“Okay,” I could only grin back.

“A project?” he guessed.

“Yes. Being bullied, at home too really.”

We both watched Faye scooting to and fro for a bit. Nobody was paying any attention to her.

“So you haven’t found The One yet then.” It had been a little while since I’d seen Tim. We used to be in the same set in college, but now he’s married with a family.

“Not yet,” I smiled.

“Well at least you’re in the right job, for your hot young things,” he joked.

We chatted while Faye cruised up and down, being ignored. She didn’t seem to be inviting any contact, somehow, even though I knew she was desperate for it.

“I don’t know mate,” Tim said eventually, hesitantly, “you don’t think really you’d like kids of your own? I mean ... you’ve always found it so easy with girls, but, you know, if you’re going to be caring, there’s nothing like your own kids.”

“And a dog,” I deflected him, with more stroking the fur of the sweet animal. Tim is so into the family thing it’s unreal.

“Yes I know,” he saw through me with a smile, “but seriously, you’re looking desperate for her to be okay. It’s like me watching my daughter.”

“I brought her here to help her get started with some kids her own age.” I knew I’d sounded a bit defensive.

“Yes I know mate, and that’s very cool, I didn’t mean to sound ... well you know. Alright well I have to get back,” he slapped my shoulder, “we must have a drink, sometime soon.”

“Yes we must,” I smiled, making myself wait while he turned, before looking back round to see how Faye was getting on.

I stopped breathing. Faye was standing on the very edge of the biggest bowl, with her board sticking out into space, holding it there with her left foot on the tail. She looked across at me, then down at the bottom of the bowl which was several metres below.

As I watched with my heart in my mouth she leaned forwards and put her right foot on the front of the board. It tipped and instantly she was plummeting down the vertical slope, more alongside the board than on it. I knew that ‘dropping in’ is one of the hardest things to learn, because the instinct to lean back is overwhelming. It almost always ends in a crash, to start with.