I was sitting on my bed in my room reading the Hunger Games. It was getting really good and I planned on finishing it by the end of the day. I was rudly interupted by Keaton barging into my room. "Hey Ellie," he said way too cheerfully. "Do you want to-"
"Shh." I put my index finger to my mouth. "Peeta and Katniss are about to eat the berries." I had already seen the movie so I knew how it ended, but it was still rude how Keaton bardged in here.
"Hey," Keaton pressed his palms to his ears to block me out. "Don't ruin it for me," Keaton joked.
He came to the side of my bed and sat down with me. He had a helmet in his hand and he was spinning it back and forth, unaware of what he was doing. "Are you feeling better?" he asked. I nodded, showing that I appreciated his simpathy, but didn't want to talk about it. "Do you want to go to the skate park with me?" he asked.
I looked at the clock. It was 3 o'clock. I had promised Lydia that I would help her with dinner tonight, but I had plenty of time. "Sure," I answered Keaton as I walked to my dresser to get socks. I put them on and followed Keaton downstairs. He opened the door for me and I walked into the garage. I put my sneakers on and walked to his box of assorted skate boards.
He had so many. They all seemed to have different logo's on them and they were all differnet colors. Keaton saw me looking in the box and walked over to me. He looked in as well, "See any you like?"
I looked at him confused but figured I should answer his question. "Um," I bent down looking into the box and started to move them around. I found one that was a light turqouise and had a monster logo on it. I pulled it out and showed Keaton. "I like this one."
"What do you like about it, the color?" he asked.
"It is kind of girly, isn't it?" I retorted.
Keaton's jaw dropped. "I am apalled. That is not girly." He snatched the board from my hand. "I was going to give it to you, but if you can't respect the board, then maybe you aren't ready for one." He went to put the board back in the box when I stopped him.
"No." I put my hand on the opposite end of his to stop him from putting it in the box. "I was kidding, I love the color." He still didn't look satisfied. "And the logo?" I asked questioningly.
"That's better. Now here you go." He handed me the board and the helmet that he had in his hands.
"What's this?" I asked holding up the helmet.
Keaton looked at me like I was stupid. "That dear is a helmet. Say it with me, helmet," he said slowly.
I hit his arm playfully. "I know what it is, why do I have it?"
"Because you are going to ride a skateborad today." He started to walk out of the garage and I quickly followed him.
"What are you talking about?" I asked completely confused.
"You'll see." Keaton put down his skateboard and got on it. He road down the road and left me standing there with the board and helmet in my hands. I dropped my jaw and raised my eyebrows. How dare he?
Me and Keaton eventually made it to the skate park. He abandoned me. In the street. Alone. When he came back for me I hit him in the back of the head and made him carry my skateboard and helmet. He set the helmet on my head and carried the skate board. Even with two skate boards to carry he was still faster than me. He complained that I was walking too slowly, but I was just taking my time.
When we got to the skate park, Keaton left me at the bleachers for a minute so he could tell his friends that he would be teaching me, to start. When he was walking over to me, I saw that Ary was giving me death glares from behind him. Honestly, what did I do to her?
I shook it off and focused on Keaton helping me. He came over to me and put his hands on his hips and stood in front of me. "Okay, let's get started." Keaton put my board down in between us and showed me the correct stanse when your on the board. "You want your legs to be bent and you want to be alert of your body."
When I mastered the position I was ready to get on the board. I got on and stood there. Keaton jumped up and told me that I needed to stand in the correct position. Quite aggressively I might add. I was startled and jumped off the board.
"Bend your knees, leanforward," he explained again, doing the positions with me as examples.
I got on the board and did so. Keaton reached out his hands to me. I casually lookd over in Ary's direction and she was watching us. I rolled my eyes, but Keaton didn't seem to notice anything that was going on. I took his hands and held them tightly as he moved me side to side. It was scary at first because I had no control of my body as my arms moved around wildly, trying to get my balance back.
Keaton let go of my hands and I walked to the bleachers. I sat down and Keaton joind me. "So, do you think your ready for the half pipe?" he asked jokingly.
I pushed his arm playfully and shook my head. "Definetly not. I will never be ready for that."
Just as I finished talking, one of the brothers walked up and started talking to Keaton. "Come over to the half pipe. We need practice dude." He looked behind himself at his brother and his other friends completely goofing off. "We need help," he said raising his arm up and pointing to them.
Keaton looked at me and I nodded. "Go ahead. I'll be alright over here." With that said Keaton got up with him and they walked to the half pipe. Ary looked in our direction and when she saw Keaton coming back over to their group she smiled and looked the other way. I honsetly did not get her.
As I was sitting there questioning Ary, Jared walked over and sat down next to me on the bleachers. "Hey, Ellie, right?" he asked jokingly, I think.
"Yeah, Jared, right?" I asked copying him.
"Yes." There was an awkward silence when it seemed like he was staring at me, but he quickly broke it when he started conversation. "So, I saw Keaton trying to teach you to skate board." I nodded. I hadn't thought about people seeing me and I suddenly got embarrassed. I probably looked like a dying animal, struggling for its life. "Your pretty good but Keaton's probably a bad teacher."
Instantly going to Keaton's defense I sat up straight and looked at him. I raised my eyebrows, "Keaton is a great teacher." I pushed him slightly with my arm thinking I would at least get him to sway a little bit, but got nothing.
"Please, I could do so much better." Jared turned toward me, leaning in a bit and smirked.
"Oh really?" I crossed my arms in front of me and narrowed my sight.
Jared stood up. "Oh yes," he said copying my position with my arms in front of me.
Just wanting to prove him wrong, I stood on the bottom bleacher so I was slightly taller than him. "Okay then, teach me."
I took my board and helmet over to a flat paved area where I met Jared. he skated over so it took me longer than him. When I got there I put on my helmet and asked, "So, what do I do?"
He smiled at me and put his board back down on the ground. "First put your helmet on," he directed. "Safety first." He buckled his on and stood on his board. "Stand on you board like this, with your knees bent and lean forward."
I did as he said, making sure I was comparing him with Keaton, "Now what?"
Jared showed me how to move by pushing off with one foot and keeping your balance with the other. Aparently I didn't have very good balance because I fell off a couple of times. One time when I was falling I kind of tripped and went flying into Jared. It caught him by surprise and we both fell down, me on top of him.
"Oh my god, sorry," I said as I got off him and helped him up. The vibe that I recieved the first time I saw him was gone. Now he was fun and sweet. It didn't seem like he was trying to firt with me, as much. It felt like we were really good friends. It did get awkward, though when he started staring at me intensly. Again.
I looked in the other direction, trying not to make eye contact and I think he got the message because he walked back to his board and showed me some tricks that he could do. I sat on a bench and clapped everytime he landed a trick. He was actually really good.
He was an okay teacher, I guess. He explained things well and made it fun too. Was he better than Keaton? I don't know. They were about the same.
"So how did I do?" Jared came over to the bench I was on and sat next to me. He took off his helmet and placed it on the ground in front of him.
"Well, your not too bad. I think Keaton was better though." Jared placed his hand over his heart and opened his mouth wide.
"Ouch, that was harsh." Jared hung his head low.
"Sorry." I leaned into him, trying to show some sympathy. "You're good, but Keaton's better." He raised his head a little bit and smirked.
"Ellie, it's time to go." Keaton came running over pointing to a car in the parking lot. It was Chase's car.
I stood up looking at the car. Chase waved me over and I looked back at Jared. "Sorry, I have to go." I started to walk away, when I felt Jared's hand close on my wrist.
I turned around and he let go. "I was uh," he scratched the back of his neck and hung his head low. Aw, he was shy. "I was wondering if you wanted to hang out some time. You know, like on a date, maybe?"
Keaton was standing behind Jared and shaking his head. I made a questioning look back at him and rolled my eyes. Jared noticed the weirdness in the atmosphere and turned around to look at Keaton. He was acting like nothing happened.
I stepped a little bit closer to Jared to get his attention again. "I would love to." I smiled at Jared and he returned it. Keaton and I walked to Chase's car.
Keaton ran up next to me and grabbed my arm. "Why did you say yes? You know that was Jared, right? Not me?"
"Haha, very funny." I turned around and started walking back to the car with Keaton close behind. "I happen to think Jared is sweet, and I think a date with him will be fun." I stopped walking and turned back around to face him. "And it might take my mind off of," I stopped, not wanting to say his name, "you know who."
"Wait, Ellie." Keaton ran up next to me as I was approaching the passenger seat door. "Okay, if it will help with," he paused, "you know who. And one more thing." I looked a him confused. "Shotgun."
Keaton ran to the door before I could get there and got in. I angrily got in he back seat while putting my board in before me and sat down while taking Keaton's hat in the process. "Seriously?"
"Seriously." I nodded and messed up his hair while putting his hat on my head.