My phone beeps with a text message for the third time in a row, so I take a look. “You want to meet my friends?” I ask Beck.
“Yeah, definitely.”
“Good, because you don’t really have a choice. They’re dying to meet you.”
We start walking to the car as we finish our cones. “By the way,” Beck says, opening my door for me. “There’s some good news about Shred Live.”
“Oh yeah?”
“It’s airing three months early.”
“Seriously? That’s in what, five weeks?”
“Yep. Guess a better slot opened up or something, no clue. I wasn’t sure if it would matter, but as soon as I get a chance I’ll call Vienna about getting the relationship clause to terminate three months earlier too.”
I don’t know what to say to that. It’s good news yeah, but the contract’s not the only thing that makes me wary of a public relationship with Beck.
Chapter Fourteen
Beck
“You know, I haven’t seen her this happy the whole time she’s been home,” Phoebe tells me as I hand her a dish to dry. We’re at Levi and Devon’s apartment, and the others are on the little balcony outside.
“I haven’t been this happy in a long time either,” I admit.
“I mean, it’s not just a matter of happy or sad,” Phoebe goes on. “We were all psyched when we ran into Levi at the beginning of this semester, and he’s grown up but he’s even better than before. Then we met Devon and that was awesome. It definitely brought some light to our girl’s eyes too. She and Levi have always had this bond, and they’re already close again.”
“Yeah, I can see that,” I agree, grateful the guy is seriously committed to his boyfriend or I’d be struggling with some major jealousy issues.
“But she hasn’t totally been herself until tonight. So yeah, that’s what I’m saying.”
“I think it’s because she finally got out on her skateboard.”
“I was wondering about that,” Phoebe says, glancing behind her. She dries the last dish and we turn around, watching the others through the screen door. “I didn’t know for sure, but I suspected she hadn’t been skating much. At first I thought she was going solo and wasn’t telling us because she hadn’t been cleared yet and didn’t want us worrying. I mean, it was really only the bigger features in the park she needed to stay away from. But then she got cleared, and she still won’t come with the rest of us when we all go.”
“Today was the first day she’s skated since the crash. Maybe it’s wrong for me to tell you if she didn’t tell you herself, but I know you’re her best friend. Besides, I have to leave in a couple of days, and someone’s going to have to drag her out there.”
“Drag her out there? Really?”
“Basically. I think she’ll be after it again soon, but she needs…” I hesitate, not exactly sure I know what it is she needs. “To keep showing up, I guess. It’ll click and come back and she’ll be herself again on a skateboard but I don’t think that’s going to happen if she doesn’t skate at all.”
“Yeah Beck, we’ll get her out there. I’m more of a fair-weather skater, but I’ll up my game. I skate to get around campus, but only hit the parks if it’s a nice day and I’ve got some free time. Devon’s really into it though, so we’ll all drag her with us.”
“Thanks, it’ll help knowing she’s in good hands.”
“What? She didn’t tell you all about her kickass friends from little ol’ Hartsville?”
“Oh, she told me all about you, we even met for second on Facetime, remember? But you’re better in person.”
“You are too, Beck,” Phoebe tells me.
We clink beer bottles and then, I guess both feeling the love, go for a hug too.
“Hey! Are you hitting on my boyfriend, Phoebs? Break it up, you two.”
Jordan’s come inside and she’s got her eyebrows raised in mock disapproval.
“Did you say boyfriend?” I ask.
“For today, at least,” she says with a shrug. I know she wouldn’t purposefully play with my emotions, so what’s that comment supposed to mean?
“Labels are dumb,” Phoebe says. “Just do your thing, who cares what everyone else calls it?”
Jordan wags a finger at her friend. “Coming from the girl who threatened to stop speaking to Wyatt if he didn’t start telling people she was his girlfriend.”
“That was in seventh grade! Totally different. Girls were hitting on him and he was all like, ‘Phoebe’s just my friend.’”
Wyatt walks in then. “Is that voice supposed to be imitating me? Because it sounds like Bert. Sesame Street Bert.”
Levi’s right behind him. “You actually kind of sounded that way in seventh grade, man.” He turns to Devon. “He had a rough time with the voice change.”
“Anyway, that was totally different. My point is, I think it’s dumb you two have to strategize about everything with your relationship. I know Beck’s kind of famous in California and all,” she starts, but Devon cuts her off.
“He’s famous everywhere for skateboarders.”
“Okay, well whatever. I think you guys should just say fuck it to the rest of the world and pretend they don’t exist. At least for a while.”
“That’s kind of what we’ve been doing. This weekend at least. But thanks for that super helpful advice, Phoebs.”
I watch Jordan’s demeanor start to shift, and I know she’s thinking about how it turned out last time we went with the “fuck it” approach. She’s probably thinking about all the reasons why that would still be a bad idea.
Not wanting her to go down that road, I ask, “So, anywhere good to skateboard around here at night?”
Devon tells us there’s a park not too far that we can skate to. Jordan might look momentarily happy about my suggestion, but if she can’t get herself there on her board for whatever reason, my idea will put a real damper on the night.
“We’ll meet you guys there in our car. We might head straight back to Jordan’s place afterward.”
Everyone in the apartment knows, or suspects, what’s up with Jordan and skating, but no one says anything about it.
She doesn’t say much on the ride over, and I can tell she’s in her own head. Maybe psyching herself up or maybe thinking about something else entirely.
Lamps are still on, illuminating the park. It’s pretty cold out, but I’m surprised it’s empty on a Friday night.
“Skateboarding’s really not that popular around here, huh?” I ask as we get out and make our way over.
“I guess people in a college town would rather party on a Friday night.”
“Maybe. If they had a park on the Summerside campus, it might just be our crew on Friday nights too.”
“Makes me kinda sad we won’t all be there together again,” Jordan admits.
“What do you mean? We will. Naomi and Summer will be seniors. Taylor graduates but like Griff, the Summerside and Callaway area will always be home base.”