Skating Into The Night

Chapter 1

It all started that day I missed my bus. I never thought that this would lead to so many unexpected events, including meeting him, the mysterious person that has changed my summer and me. In an equally good and bad way, if that makes any sense.

I was looking at some new summer clothes in one of the small stores downtown when I suddenly realized that I had lost track of time and that my bus was leaving in ten minutes. I'd say that it is usually a ten-minute walk from that store to the bus station, but I definitely wanted to buy the cute black top I had just seen. So I ran to the checkout as fast as I could, but unfortunately, I was not the only person wanting to pay in that moment. There were two other people in the line before me and I started to feel impatient and nervous. I kept looking back and forth between the time on my phone and the cashier who was talking to the other customers in front of me. By the time I had paid for the top, I had only five minutes left. I mean, if you can walk there in ten minutes, why shouldn't I be able to run there in five? I started running and while leaving the store I accidentally bumped into an older woman who was about to enter. "Oh, I'm really sorry" I apologized and I kept running. I wish I had taken my PE lessons in school more seriously because after a minute or two I was already out of breath. 

Nevertheless, I forced myself to keep running. I really didn't want to miss the bus. Normally, it wouldn't be a big deal but there were construction sites all over town that month, which affected the bus schedules and according to the bus app, the next bus wouldn't come within the next three hours. I checked the time again. 5.28 pm. Only two minutes till the bus leaves and I was almost there. "Oh no!" I had completely forgotten that I had to cross the street to get to the bus stop. I could already see the bus on the other side but one of the busiest streets and a green traffic light separated me from it. When the cars finally stopped, I ran across the street just to find the bus leaving right in front of my eyes, a split of a second before I made it there. What a bummer!

I had to walk home, there was nothing else I could do since I didn't really feel like waiting for another three hours. Still out of breath, I thought about the 50-minute walk that was ahead of me. Usually, I don't mind walking. It can be nice and it helps me to clear my mind, but that day the heat was almost unbearable and I was already sweating. Not really having any other choice, I put my headphones on and I started walking. After passing the stores, restaurants and ice cream parlors, I approached some of the less busy streets and I decided to take a shortcut through the park. "Oh, not that song again. I have listened to it over a hundred times" I thought to myself while taking a look at my phone trying to choose a different song. When I looked up again, a strange feeling came over me. 

I knew this place. It looked so familiar. Had I been there before? I stopped walking and I looked around. Feelings of guilt, sadness and desperation started to creep in. It reminded me of a few dark months in my past, months and moments that I had repressed. Paralyzed and lost in my thoughts I kept looking around. There was the bridge we used to sit under on Saturday nights, the graffiti on the walls and the grass polluted by shards of beer bottles. All this reminded me of a specific moment which I was reliving in my head when all of a sudden I heard my phone ring.

"Hey, Diana. Is everything all right? I thought you were joining us for dinner" -my mom's worried voice asked.

"Hi mom. Don't worry. Everything's okay. I just missed my bus. I'm walking home. I'll be there in around 40 minutes".

After hanging up, I decided not to dwell on the memories this place had provoked and to just keep walking instead. A few minutes later, I reached a skatepark, which I recognized as well. I had been there before some years ago with the same group of people and the person that ruined my life back then. This time it looked different though. I had only seen this place at night full of people in black clothes drinking beer. This time it was different. It was in broad daylight and there were actually people skating. It was absolutely fascinating. I stepped a little closer watching the skaters. There were seven guys in total. Some of them seemed to be real pros, they did some tricks which made it look as if they were flying and others seemed to fall over every few seconds. I was completely mesmerized.