Cool Kids » Z.M. AU [discontinued]

1. He Was A Skater Boy

The best thing about summer had to be the sights you got to see. The sweet syrup from that sno-cone you bought earlier to keep yourself cool in the Californian heat, dribbling down your chin as it melted in your hands. The sounds of the wheels on penny boards as they glided across the board walk, weaving through the crowd of hopeless pedestrians. Then there are the squeals and the rushed giggles of little kids running around on the warm, grainy sand on the beach. The long lines that formed as people waited their turn to ride on the Ferris wheel.

I loved the sound of the crisp winds breezing through my wavy hair, sunglasses covering my eyes to protect them from the sun's harsh rays. The rush of nerves, the chills that ran up and down my spine whenever I'd see him and the snapback that covered his raven hair; the 'Cool Kids Don't Dance' shirt that covered his slim torso.

His arms were covered in permanent ink, various pieces of art etched into his olive toned skin. His eyes were a warm hazel, reminding me of the caramel that slid down the scoop of vanilla ice cream I had for dessert the night before. And there he was, every day, strolling through the city with feet planted on top of his portable transportation. He was always with this guy—the one with the pretty blue eyes that looked like the waves crashing at sea—whom I assumed was his best friend. They'd always have these backpacks thrown across their shoulders, some cool looking sneakers covering their feet.

Everyday I'd see them, everyday I'd smile to myself in hopes that the tanned boy would somehow come my way and spark up some type—any type—of conversation with me. Everyday my heart would thump a little bit faster whenever he'd look my way, a small yet polite smile dancing on his lips.

But everyday I'd find myself in some sort of puddle of disappointment (self pity in a way) when he'd glide on by without a single word thrown my way.

"You've been looking at him for weeks, Sky. Do something."

I looked up from my spot in the sand where I sat on my blanket, meeting the eyes of my best friend—Charli, was her name. I huffed, knowing deep down inside that I'd never find the guts I'd been desperately searching for all these weeks to simply just speak to him. A little 'hi' or an innocent 'hey' would suffice, but being me, the girl that I was, I would never be able to. Not today, not tomorrow, not in a million years.

"You know I can't do that," I shook my head in defeat. Even if I wanted to, which I really did, I couldn't. I was too much of a wimp. What would he even say to me? What would I even say to him?

"You can't or you won't?" Charli pushed her eyebrows up. "C'mon, he's gorgeous, you're gorgeous, what could possibly go wrong?"

Gorgeous, yes, he was. He looked like a model straight from a Gucci ad in a magazine. But me? No, no way was I gorgeous. I wasn't necessarily ugly, I didn't think, but I wasn't gorgeous. I couldn't compare to the tattooed fellow I severely pined over in any way. And come to think of it, I didn't even know his name.

"The least that could happen is him having a girlfriend already. Even then, at least he wouldn't be rejecting you."

"That sounds worse," I groaned into the crook of my elbow. "I'd rather be rejected than know that I can never have him at all."

"I always thought you were special, Sky," Charli joked, letting out a small chuckle. She gave me a playful shove, making me fall over, hair sinking into the warm sand.

"Hey," I laughed along, sitting back up again.

"I see him eyeing you all the time," she eventually spoke again once I'd sat back up. I laughed in denial. Surely she must've been seeing things. Maybe it was time for her to get some new contacts.

"No way," I simply said. I shook my head, causing my blonde waves to move back and forth. I bent my head to hide my nervous smile and tinted blush.

"I'm serious," Charli insisted. She was a persistent thing, I'll tell you that. She'd always make sure someway, somehow, that you knew for sure that she was correct, and she wouldn't give up until it was etched into your brain. "He doesn't full on check you out or anything, but he definitely looks at you. Am I ever wrong, Sky?"

I thought about it and no, Charli was rarely ever wrong. But still. There was always that doubt in the back of my mind that she was. Especially when it came to someone as attractive as the nameless, skateboarding, tattooed model.

He should definitely model if he hadn't already.

"No," I finally answered her question. I licked my lips with a nervous tongue. My brown eyes looked up at my friend with hope, maybe even a little sorrow.

"Trust me on this please. I have a great feeling."

Hopefully her strong hunch was in fact true and hopefully something—anything, even if it was a small 'excuse me'—would happen.

Maybe I was starting to believe that something could.

***

It wasn't like I thought about him when I went home later on that day or when I brushed my teeth in the mirror when the sun had finally set or when I tucked myself into my covers before bed or anything. Except I did and I couldn't lie about that. I thought about him everyday, really.

I pictured how his voice would sound in my head before my eyes drifted into a deep sleep. Would it be soft and smooth and rich like velvety chocolate being poured over a freshly baked cake, or would it be thick and heavy like the wool knit sweater your grandma made you for Christmas, summer '09 at fourteen years old even though she knew very well that you were much too old for her homemade articles of clothing?

Would his hair be as silky and light as it looked under the afternoon sky? Would his hands be as gentle as the water that tickled your feet the first time you dipped your toes into the ocean as a baby? Would his teeth glisten under the calm and quiet moonlight like the gleam on your television screen when the sun was too bright and the curtains weren't closed?

But, most of all, would he be just as dreamy and delightful as I imagined him to be when I first laid eyes on him and his friend with the pretty blue eyes on that very first day of summer?

I sure did hope so, I thought. And I sure did hope Charli was right when she said she had a feeling. But that was the thing; all I could do was hope—hope that one day I'd get the chance to hear what his voice sounded like, to feel what the tips of his fingers felt like, to get the chance to someday, maybe, live my daydreams.

"Go to sleep, Sky," Charli chuckled, snuggling deeper into her blankets before closing her eyes and falling into another peaceful slumber.

And of course I did. I went to sleep with the memory of the nameless, tattooed skater boy as the last thing I saw.

***

I am very happy with how the first chapter turned out and I hope that you all are as well. I'm already in love with this story and this is only the first chapter I've written. Hopefully I get to continue writing this, it's all up to you guys.

Vote, comment, have a wonderful day.

☮&♡