skater boy - sapnap

chapter 7- nickname

i go back and forth with the two boys a little bit, their company being less exhausting than usual. probably because they don't have their partner in crime with them.

"there you guys are!"

my eyes go wide. speak of the devil.

"hey, sapnap!" foolish calls. "look who we found!"

i turn around and see sapnap coming over to us, his skateboard under his arm. our eyes narrow at each other, and i can feel the tension growing thicker by the millisecond.

"sassy cassie," he says. i cringe at the nickname. i'd take noel's infamous "casserole" over that any day of the week.

"sapcrap," i reply.

"ooh, how long did it take you to come up with that nickname?"

"no longer than it took you to come up with sassy cassie."

we glare at each other for a couple seconds, our gazes full of immense hatred this time around, devoid of the lust that was in them last night.

"alright, break it up now," punz says.

"can i see you attempt the kickflip backside tailslide again?" sapnap asks.

"what's the magic word?" i ask.

"oh cassia, can i pretty please watch you face plant while you attempt a trick that actually requires talent?"

punz forgets all about trying to break up our squabble and covers his laughing mouth.

"oh sapnap, can you pretty please get the fuck away from me?" i shoot back.

"woah, she's using big girl words now."

"didn't you hear me?"

"sure, princess. you're starting to bore me now, anyway. come on, guys."

sapnap waves punz and foolish towards him as he skates away. punz puts a reassuring hand on my shoulder before skating away. i look at foolish and he nods.

"take it easy, cass," he says before following his friends.

"bye," i mutter, though i'm sure he can't hear me.

i stay at the skate park for quite a few hours, waiting until it clears up considerably before attempting the kickflip backside tailslide again. two hours of warmup should be enough to nail this trick, right?

my first attempt, to no surprise, ends in my board slipping out from under me, and i fall to the ground on my elbows. i wince, seeing as my old scratches from a couple nights ago were just staring to scab. i rest a soft finger on my elbow for a minute, then check my finger. sure enough, it's red with a couple drops of blood.

after three more falls, i tell myself that my fifth attempt will be the last one of the night. i double check that my phone is recording before heading to the starting point.

i start a little farther back from the railing than i usually do. maybe a little more push off momentum will help me?

i push off and accelerate quickly, the pavement under me smooth and even. i approach the railing quickly and bend my knees lower than usual. i jump more aggressively than usual and the ollie successfully rotates, landing me on the back of the railing.

now i just have to keep my balance centered and not choke at the last minute.

i tighten my abs as much as i can as i slide down the railing, not letting my body loosen even one muscle when the board slides off the rail and onto the pavement.

i land on the pavement with both feet still on the board, not toppling over.

i raise my body and stand upright.