SUBURBAN LEGENDZ: Skater Life

 

 

They didn’t arrive in droves or storm the city. It started with one. One man riding down a city street, casual as ever. A skater. He was hot as hell, body on display turning heads as he passed, a mysterious air about him. Then one day everyone would look up and just notice the others were already there. College kids and men riding skateboards all around town.

River was with his parents on the boardwalk when he saw the guy riding by. His parents were wrapped up in some sale, but River’s eyes were glued to the man. The man and his eyes locked, then a quick nod before he rode on. River and his parents went back home, but the image of the man was in his head. He tossed and turned in bed unable to fall asleep, mind stuck on the stranger and his board. Where was he going? How long had he been riding? 

Then River spotted the man a week later riding through his neighborhood. River was out on his porch sitting on the steps with his dog, Lucky, lying by his side. River's family didn’t live near the beach; it just made for a frequent summer day trip. He never would have expected to find the skater man breezing through. Their eyes didn’t meet this time as the man kept going by. River stayed on his porch, as his dog barely lifted its head to watch.

The next day, River did tricks with Lucky, in the park. He overheard kids and even parents talking about a new skatepark. Everyone was curious about it. Had it always been there? Or was it recently built? River snorted after hearing the gossip. There was no way anything got built in this park without him knowing. He knew this park inside out since he lost his tooth back when he was seven. There was no skatepark anywhere. Where would it even go?

The answer to his question came riding a skateboard. River heard the wheels before he even turned his head. He already knew. Same guy, same fit, same board. Lucky took off after the guy. Since the man was going at a leisurely pace, he wasn’t prepared to be tackled by a dog licking his face. He fell into the grass, his board rolling in River's direction before stopping. River snatched up the board calling off Lucky. Only to get closer and see Lucky having the time of his life getting free ear rubs.

“Sorry, about Lucky.” River handed the board back. 

The man smiled, Lucky licking his face, “No worries Little Man, It’s all cool.” His voice was as laid back and carefree as his outfit choice. “You ride?” He pointed to his board in River’s hands.

“Me? No, I never tried.” River stammered out.

“There’s always time to learn.” The man smiled and stood up as he took his board back. His fingers grazed River’s and River yelped thinking he’d gotten shocked. The stranger’s eyes went wide, surprised at River’s reaction before the teen composed himself. “Okay well if you ever want to join us, we're down there.” He pointed to steps that went to a lower part of the park. Except there wasn’t a lower part of the park… or shouldn't have been.

“Oh, yeah…maybe,” River said.

Then the man was off, waving Lucky goodbye.

River went home, but the offer was still in his head. When he went to bed, he could have sworn he heard skaters rolling down his street, countless ones, voices talking. Jumping out of bed, he ran to his window. No one was there.

He’d take walks to the closest store and spot the newest skater boys loitering and talking. Most of the townsfolk around would ignore them, but River caught their eye. They called out to him, but River ignored them. He didn’t need to get into any trouble. But at night in bed, he’d lay awake, swearing he could hear their voices calling to him still. 

2 weeks was all it took for River to go to the steps. He could hear the voice beckoning him closer, even if no one was speaking. He could be just like the man he saw all he had to do was step. One foot down, his descent began. His body staggered forward, he gripped the handrail as to not fall. A pulse surged into his body that flowed in from the skate park. River grit his teeth as his shoulders worked themselves into action. Another step down, his pes sagged with buoyancy earned from a gym. Five steps down the veins on his arms were pumping aggressively into stronger hands that trailed into forearms and ran over his biceps. Twenty steps down, River’s face lost its roundness as his clavicle rose to prominence and his neck bulked up. River’s hair went wild; its natural combed style faded into a windswept look. 

A light olive tone settled into his skin. Further down he went. His shirt split open, and fell, forgotten on the stairs. River’s obliques and abs were too busy bringing themselves into existence to notice them when brushing against the bare skin. He proceeded down and continued to have his body grow and accumulate muscle at an impossible rate. His thighs ripped his jeans, as his new height reduced them to mere shorts. 

River couldn’t remember what he was doing. All he knew was that he needed to go down. Just like his namesake, a moving body of water, memories flowed of his head as new terms and skills flowed in. He thought he used to have a dog. He thought he used to have parents. What even were parents? He knew what an Ollie and kickflip were: Basic shit. 360 Flip and McTwist were his bitches. He stopped halfway. Only so many more steps to go, until he was reunited with his bros. 

 

A day later no one would remember seeing River walk down the steps. The missing person reports for River and other young men across town would go unanswered. All gone without a trace. Only a dog resting on a porch, lifting its head as it caught something in its nose that smelled like River, would spot the blond teen zooming down the street, surrounded by other bros.