No Skateboarding Allowed

Chapter 7: Bad Timing

I walked through the glass doors of St. Mark's with two tall skinny vanilla lattes and two brownies for Brady and his dad the next day.

I found them both asleep in waiting room chairs when I got to the room, but I looked over at Mrs. Daniels to find her awake.

I smiled so big when I saw her. I almost cried, but she told me everything was okay.

"Joey," she said, "how are you?"

I smiled and knelt next to her bed. "I'm doing okay, I guess."

She nodded. "Is the plan working out for you?"

"Yeah," I said, "it seems to be going the way Paul envisioned."

"I'm so proud of you, Jo," she said, "you've always been like a daughter to me. I want you to know that, okay?"

I felt a tear roll down my cheek. "Thanks, Mrs. Daniels."

She held my hands. "No, Joey, thank you. You're such an inspiration. Don't let this cancer of mine faze you in your skateboarding. Keep your eyes on the prize."

I laughed. "I will."

Brady stirred. I watched him rub his eyes and stretch.

"My son needs you right now," she told me, "but I think you already know that."

"I'll be visiting a lot," I said, "whenever I can, I'll be here."

She looked grateful. "That means a lot. Thank you."

"Hey, Jo," Brady said. 

He stood up and gave me a hug. I wasn't really expecting it, but it felt nice. 

I inhaled his scent. Smelled like cheap cologne and hospital. 

I stayed and hung out with their family for a while. We sat around his mom and laughed about memories we'd had together. 

Brady and I walked down the hallway. 

"Wanna go out to dinner somewhere tonight?" I asked.

He looked over. "Like a date?"

I shook my head. "No. No, no, no, no. Just to get your mind off of things for a little while. It won't be long, I promise."

He smiled and looked down. "I guess that could work."

"Great," I said, "how about O'Ryan's Fish Company on the water tonight at 7."

His face lit up. He loved O'Ryan's Fish.

"Yes, please," he said.

O'Ryan's Fish Company has been Brady's favorite place for as long as I can remember. He always gets the same thing; calamari to start, fried shrimp with fries and crab bisque, and and ice cream sundae. We had been there so many times together.

It was a nice change of pace when you walk in to the quaint little beach restaurant. Everything is so old fashioned. It's so different from the urban Malibu lifestyle. 

We sat at a window table and talked about everything.

That was the thing about Brady and I; we could talk for hours and not get bored with each other. We could make each other laugh, we know how to make each other tick. The definition of best friends.

But then that feeling crept up on me. It was at the weirdest times, too.

I suddenly thought it was cute when he would lean forward in anticipation as I told a funny story. His eyes, the ones I had never even noticed before, were now so fierce and beautiful that I couldn't stop looking at them. The little half smile he does.