Miles Away | Nick Mara

Seven

We stayed like this for a good 20 minutes. His hands were still holding mine to prevent me from falling, and I couldn't take my eyes off of my feet, hoping that they would somehow magically know how to skate.

Nick's smile slightly faded when the rest of the boys walked over. They walked towards us, laughing and joking around.

"You don't know how to skate?" Zion asked as they approached.

I stepped down from the board, shaking my head. Nick and I let go of each other's hands once I'd safely gotten down.

"Wait," Zion said, setting down his board. "Come here."

He waved me over and told me to stand on the board. He held my arms as I stepped up, then put his hands on my waist as he stood behind me. Slowly, he put one foot on the board next to mine, then the other.

"I'm gonna skate," he said. "You just have to stand there and not fall."

"Wait, what?"

I soon realized what he meant when he pushed off. I screamed a little, but once I'd gotten used to it, I loosened my grip on Zion's sleeve, eventually letting go. At first, arms rested by my side, but they slowly rose, and I reached out to the sides, balancing myself. His hands still held on to my waist so I wouldn't fall. The wind brushed against my face, pushing my hair behind me as I laughed and smiled. I couldn't see Zion's face, but he'd occasionally laugh and shout as we went around the park.

A few moments later, we were back where we started. Edwin and Austin were trying to copy us, hanging on to each other, swinging back and forth as they failed to find their balance. Edwin watched them, taking a video on his phone. Nick stood at the side, keeping a relatively straight face. When I smiled and met his eyes, he smiled back a little before looking away again.

Zion helped me off the skateboard, then picked it up to go sit beside Edwin. I decided to walk towards Nick.

"You okay?" I asked.

He nodded.

I was just about to say something when I heard a scream. Brandon had fallen off the skateboard and landed on his side, while Austin stilled wobbled and struggled to stand straight on the board. Laughing, Brandon pushed the board with his foot, making Austin lose his balance and fall in the opposite direction.

"Oh my god," Zion sang, laughing along.

I stood with my hands covering my mouth, watching Austin stand up, then pretend to kick Brandon in the stomach in retaliation.

I sat next to Nick on the floor, watching them as they joked around. The breeze cooled us all down. I adjusted my position and lay down on the floor. Nick watched as I positioned my head on the ground.

"You shouldn't lie on the ground."

I shrugged. "It's fine."

He took off his sweatshirt and handed it to me. I shook my head, telling him that I'd be okay.

"I'm serious," he said. "I have a shirt underneath anyway."

I wouldn't take it, so he gently lifted my head and placed the hoodie underneath. I smiled as he shrugged.