Skating To A New Dawn

From Dusk Till Dawn

Except for Reki, his best friend since kindergarten. Reki had never given up and had just climbed into his open window or had forced it open when he had refused to see him.

He knew Reki wouldn't give up so easily. Eiji had ignored him, insulted him, shouted at him, pushed him away, but it hadn't worked. Eiji had been reminded that he wasn't the only one who could be stubborn as hell and had underestimated Reki's persistence. And the depth of their friendship as well.

Eiji had eventually given in and had reluctantly promised him to think about therapy and to come to school again. When his pole vaulting accident had happened, the school term had been nearly finished, and with a shattered ankle, he had stayed home until summer holidays had arrived.

So, Reki had used the summer holidays to convince him to return to school for the new term while he had used them to listen to Reki and had found a therapist. He still hated going there at times but had eventually noticed that he had started to improve. His therapist had taught him to focus on things and people still surrounding him instead of focusing on something he had lost and wouldn't get back. He was still recovering, he was aware of that, but he noticed how he gradually improved.

He and Reki were both pretty different but had been best friends for as long as he could remember. While Reki had an outgoing personality and loved being surrounded by people, and lived for his passion for skating, he was more withdrawn and quiet. He didn't like being the center of attention as a pole vaulting star but was always polite, honest and, like Reki, he had an open face that was easy to read.

He and Reki had been childhood friends since kindergarten. Eiji had always been the polite, quiet and reasonable one who had always stayed calm, while Reki had always been the impulsive one who had often lost his temper and had gotten into fights, getting hurt in the process. Eiji had often prevented him from falling for provocations, while he had often protected Eiji if he had gotten into arguments. He had always been too kind to defend himself, so Reki had looked out for him and had saved him if necessary.

Reki had always been there for him when he had felt down or had been frustrated. He hated to admit that even to himself, but Reki's feelings were always so energetic and cheerful that his presence always relaxed him and improved his mood. Usually, Reki was happy and upbeat. If his feelings turned negative, however, they were as extreme, and when that happened, he withdrew himself from him because he felt like a nuisance. Then, Eiji had always reached out to do the same for him. He was sensitive to other people's feelings, especially Reki's, and always saw at once if Reki acted weird or wasn't feeling well. Their friendship had always been really close, so they had always supported each other.

Reki had also been the one begging him to learn skateboarding together with him, so Eiji had agreed. It had been pretty fun learning it together and teaching each other new tricks if you ignored the constant cuts and bruises they had received while getting down the basics. Eiji had always known that Reki had been much more passionate about skating. For him, it was a way of life or his reason to live. For Eiji, it was fun, but he had seen it more as a hobby, a way to pass the time, and nothing more.

So, when he found his real passion, pole vaulting, he had needed weeks to work up the courage to tell his best friend the truth, mainly that he loved pole vaulting more than skating and wanted to pursue it seriously. He hadn't wanted to disappoint his best friend or, even worse, lose him as a friend. He shouldn't have worried, though. Reki had seen his smile and had asked him just one question:

"Do you enjoy pole-vaulting? Is it fun?"

Eiji had felt how all the tension fell off of him, and pure relief flooded through him before he had smiled at him.

"Yes, it is. It feels as if I can fly. As if anything is possible. Like pure freedom."

Reki had grinned back. "I feel the same while skating. So, I'll forgive you. Barely."