Anchor Grind (H.S. / A.U.)

Chapter 25

Alanis POV

"She's such a complete stain on society I swear. Like straight up, bitch face, sour 'tude, and she comes barreling through the door right, she's all screaming like RIGHT in his face..." Poppy was practically jumping out of her seat and I question every day how this girl got her license, "Harry's all 'uhhh Riss why so angry, like chill girl', and she's freaking. Straight tweak status filled with rage right."

Poppy was filling me in on the missing time while I was apparently taking a cat nap... literally and figuratively with Gizmo during the party.

The quick rundown was that Clarissa did show up but only to tell Harry off for his costume choice of the night, plus to tell him that she doesn't neeeeeeeeeeed him but puts up with him because she loves him, also Harry made a massive mistake making her look stupid.

I was pretty happy about the fact I missed the showdown because the less I have to watch Clarissa have public freak-outs the better it is for me. At least I know I wasn't her target this time, because apparently it's me or Harry, and I was busy with Gizzy.

The traffic on the highway was pretty spaced out since it was a weekday and the middle of the day. Kids in school, normies at work, but that wasn't our plan. Poppy showed up on my doorstep bright and early, despite me being 1000% unaware that we were going to hang out. That didn't matter. I really was planning on making today the day that I would go and find Zayn again to talk, but that was going to be a little hard to do with Poppy dragging my ass all the way over to Long Beach.

Why Long Beach? Well because apparently Poppy and I needed a girls day and by that she wants to watch me skate while she talks shit about Clarissa's stunt from the other night. She would have just spent the day hanging at AG or something, but Poppy said she was avoiding Liam still because of his drama from the boardwalk the other night, and there was no way we wanted to potentially run into Harry or Rissa today.

So, instead Poppy scooped her dads vehicle and we started the hour long drive over to LB. "I lied." Poppy finally ended her rant and I have to backpedal what she last said to figure out what that meant.

"You lied?" I repeat and she twirls a strand of her long brown hair. Today Poppy was looking very on point with a blue and white Droors shirt that was a little too big for her, and I am pretty sure it was Niall's, along with some black vans and matching black shorts. "Yes, I lied. So like, it's a good lie. But you cannot tell anyone." Poppy pops one of her pinkies towards me for a secret making moment.

I interlace my own finger with hers, noting that Poppy slides down her shades to reveal her deep brown eyes that were lined with thick black makeup staring me down as I did it. "Okay, Niall and I have been secretly making me become hot shit like you all. But the thing is, I am not good at it. So that's where my main comes in, aka you, and you are going to teach me today so that I can come back and show off all my new skills in front of everyone."

I couldn't help but drop my jaw at Poppy's new plan. "SHUT UP!" I screech while shaking her shoulders, "you are gonna' ride with us all and skate? Hell yes! I will teach you everything I know!"

Poppy beams while looking at the road, "I even got a board. I mean, it isn't much or anything crazy, but it's one of Ni's old ones and he said I could take it to learn and it's in the trunk so... yeah. Anyway, okay, don't make me nervous before we even get there!"

Poppy cranks up Rancid and we jam out the rest of the way there.

***

"I gotta give props where they are due." I kicked up my board to catch while Poppy was still on the floor, board between her legs, applying a new layer of grip tape to her deck. "This place is hella' cool Pops. Also, you are doing so damn good. Like look, you already mastered the drop in, you survived the vert ramp, and honestly your kick turn and ollie were better than some of the dudes at Grind."