[FIC] Dealing with Origins [FIN]

[Adrian Moss]

March 23rd, 2009

It was the mantra they lived by: Ride and Be Free. That was the basis of the Skater Culture, though it wasn’t in any book. It wasn’t even something they all followed, but the hardcore – the true skaters – knew no other way. The broke laws not because they were rebels, but because they had to follow their hearts and their boards. Since most areas banned skateboard activity now, they were compelled to break those laws. They also were compelled to fly as outright crazy as they could to experience that high and to evade the law when they inevitably came calling.

Toby led this gang because he was the wildest, most free-spirited, and most laid back of the skater punks. The called him Smoke because he’s never been caught. Marta was the most aggressive. The called her Hammer, because her last name was Hamner. Roger was there to skate and nothing but. He didn’t risk much, but managed to keep up anyway. They called him Ollie because it took him so long to learn that basic move. Still, he was cool and took the newbies under his wing.

Ryan went by the handle of Rasp. He spoke in a low, raspy voice. Tory went by the name Goldie because her hair was a pale blonde. She and Rasp had a thing going on, or so everyone suspected. Ryan was competitive and could always be counted on to try anything Smoke tried. John went by the name Peanut because he used to go around in a shirt like Charlie Browns and the name stuck. He was pretty new and mostly skated tandem with Ollie, learning the ropes. Finally was the new kid. He tended to skate alone, or with Smoke. His name was Reider and he was a whole different breed of skater. Smoke knew it and gave him his space. The new kid had moves they had never seen before, and that accounted for a lot. The, imaginatively called him Raider.

Smoke’s Set, the name the called themselves and the name the crew was known to the police by, would gather around some park, loading dock, or other such place out of the way of prying eyes. Then they would pick a direction and ride. They would take the flow which ever way it took them and cruise around until midnight or so, depending on who had school work, college, or some part time job in the early morning. This evening, they gathered at the Lagoon and were heading west toward Fenway Park. It was a placid ride and Rasp started setting off car alarms while Hammer and Peanut started playing car tag (grabbing moving cars for a speed boost). It was only a matter of time.

The first patrol car came up from behind the group. When they realized what they had, they flashed their lights and sounded their sirens. Everyone took off. They cut across traffic, nearly causing a fender-bender. Peanut cut away and seemed to make his own getaway. The rest pushed hard and began their glide toward Fenway, if they could just get to the narrow streets around the Park, they could shake the cops.

Smoke knew that cutting back and forth through traffic, playing car tag, and dodging the ever growing number of patrol cars was getting too dangerous. He took the Set off to the south. They lost some speed in the turn, but made it up with the loss of cops … until they discovered they were being paralleled. The patrol car showed up right in front of the alley they were slaloming through. The group was traveling too fast to stop and the patrolman jumped out with a taser in hand. Smoke, Hammer, and Reider were too fast for him. Smoke ollied the hood, clearing it. Hammer curled up on the trunk, but kept her ride and her skin as she jumped down on the other side. Reider cleared the whole damn car, lights and all! It was un-freaking believable! The cop getting out of the driver’s side felt the wind on his hat, but nothing else. The rest weren’t so lucky.

Goldie tried to follow Reider and took the cop straight in the crotch, slamming him back into the car and herself chest first into the roof. Traveling in tandem with Tory, Rasp followed Smoke over the hood of the car, but caught the metal and lost his ride. He went flying face first into the road. Ollie came around the vehicle and cut down the street away from the whole mess. Another car caught him at the corner.

The remaining three cut across a few more streets at insane speeds, trying to stay free. Finally they were in the shadow of Fenway and were feeling safe.

For probably the third time he had spoken to them, Reider said,

“My cousin’s club is close by,” he managed.

Smoke nodded then replied,

“Could you take our boards there? We can walk out of here tonight, Hammer and I, but not with our boards. Meet us tomorrow at the northern most point of Back Bay Fens.”

Reider was already confused. Take boards – return them – to some place he could barely remember now, but he had an idea.

“Write it down,” he said slowly. “Memory – not so good.”

Smoke shrugged. Reider quickly produced a small pad and a pencil. Smoke scribbled it down and handed it over. Smoke waited for Reider to read it and put it in his pants pocket before accepting his probable fate. Reider was … slow. No wonder he skated so well. There was nothing going on to clutter his mind. Toby was almost envious … almost.

Hammer was less certain.

“Hey Smoke, Raider is not too bright. He going to make it?”

“He’s made it to our other meets, probably by writing them down himself. He’s not an idiot, he’s just slow.”

This kind of hurt Reider’s feeling, but he knew it was also the truth. He needed to be smarter because that is what his father wanted, but also because it was the source of much pain in his life. He couldn’t do anything about being a bastard, but hadn’t his teachers said he could be smarter if he just applied himself … whatever applying yourself meant?

Hammer slapped Reider in the arm suddenly.

“Hell of a jump their Raider. I don’t think I could make that. Maybe one day …” she looked to Smoke.

Smoke had to smile,

“Oh, I’m going to have to do that. Jumping a car’s been done before, but I doubt it was at the speed we were going. Maybe on a quarter pipe, but if you can do it, that means it can be done. Man that was a sweet jump though.”

Raider smiled but said nothing. He was too embarrassed to say to them the real reason he could do what he could do. Besides, his cousin said people would think he was crazy. He was already a bastard and a moron, he didn’t want to be crazy too.

The three split up. Raider hugged the shadows and dodged the patrol cars that were cruising the area. He wasn’t’ caught. Smoke and Hammer just walked out of the area like a couple and no one was the wiser. Smoke missed the roll of the wheels beneath his feet, but Hammer was happy enough. She had reached a new level for her. She knew she would get better … if Raider showed up with her board, that is.

[Ouroboros]

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