The thirteen was famous in the skateboarding world. Professionals across the country flew in to feature it in their videos. Local skaters loved posting it on social media. One magazine wrote an article about it that launched its popularity.
She’s a gnarly one, Ladies and Gentlemen. Disrespect her, and she’ll be the unluckiest thirteen you’ll ever know. She’ll break your board, your heart, and your legs. Needless to say, it can get ugly, but damn is she beautiful. At the corner of West 77th and Avalon, behind the old Regal Mall, she’s a diamond in the rough, a perfect ten, and we ain’t talking the Mohs Scale. Between the upper and lower-level parking lots, she sits pretty with room to run up and roll away. Frontside? Backside? With her handrail down the middle, she’ll let you hit it from either side. Don’t forget your cameras. Since the mall turned ghost town, the street artists have been busy. Grit, gravel, and graffiti, that’s our girl. Every angle is sexy.
Aliyah scratched her head through her hat. Her disguise was getting itchy. She loosened her scarf to help. She watched from the lower lot as Miguel walked Kelvin up and down the stairs. Oakey prepared the camera beside her, cleaning the lens.
“He ain’t gonna get hurt?” she asked, “Is he?”
“Nah, Kelvin’s great. He just lacks confidence. He’ll commit this time. If it doesn’t get the first, he’ll get the second.”
“If he doesn’t get the first, will he be okay?”
He chuckled. “Yeah, he’ll just jump down the set. He’s good at that.”
Aliyah wrinkled her nose. It still sounded like he could get hurt. She scratched her head again.
“So, I caught Triple Flip,” Oakey said, attaching the camera to the tripod, “It was dope. Kelvin said you learned to skate for it?”
“A little, yeah. They couldn’t afford a stunt double, so.”
“That’s cool. I was sad you died, though.”
“Yeah, me too. It happens a lot, unfortunately.”
While they talked, some clouds rolled in from the west. The forecast called for an overcast that afternoon. Aliyah took off her sunglasses.
“Hey, I don’t want to overstep,” he said, “But I was wondering, would you sign my board later?”
“Oh, for sure. Come on, now. Signing ain’t overstepping.”
“Cool.” His long hair hid how he blushed. “Thanks.”
Miguel soon finished up with Kelvin. When he came down the stairs, he hollered at Oakey to grab some water. They brought along a case, but it was in their trunk. Oakey had the keys. After he left, Miguel checked the camera then removed the lens. They didn’t need the fisheye.
“So, I caught Triple Flip,” he said, just like his buddy.
She snickered. “Oh yeah? What’d you think?”
“It was dope. You got pretty good on that board. Kelvin said that was really you?”
“Yeah. They couldn’t afford a stunt double, so.”
“That’s sick. Props for doing it yourself. I love a woman who can skate.”
Before she had the chance to smile, the pain in her head returned. She pinched her bridge to relieve the pressure. Miguel continued setting up the tripod without noticing.
“Yo, if it ain’t too much, would you be down to sign my board later?”
“Absolutely. It’s funny, actually. Oakey just asked.”
“For real? Has Kelvin yet?”
“No, not yet. Surprisingly.”
The two laughed.
At the top of the thirteen, Oakey handed Kelvin a water. They exchanged a few words, then he downed the bottle. He gave everybody a thumbs-up as Oakey hurried down the stairs.
Aliyah suddenly felt her stomach turn. Her head throbbed under her scarf. She took off her hat to rub her temples.
After Oakey came back, Miguel left to find a different angle. He said they had that one in their video already. The guys switched places like her bodyguards. One didn’t leave until the other stood beside her.
The camera ended up by the wall. Miguel knelt behind it, capturing the staircase from the side. He waved his hand once he was ready. Kelvin approached the rail a few times to prepare himself. Aliyah nearly tore her hat in half.
“He’s got this, right?”
“Oh yeah,” Oakey said, “First try.”
“No, seriously. I don’t want him getting hurt just to impress me. Like, I’m already impressed.”
“Nah, he won’t get hurt. He’s good at going big.”
On the last run-up, Kelvin stopped beside the rail and glanced at Aliyah. She was scratching her head when he looked. She yanked her hand down immediately.
“You got this,” she shouted, clapping.
She winced the second he turned away. She hated that she couldn’t stand still. It was a big moment for him, and she could hardly focus.
Her head hurt too much to ignore. In a rash decision, she ripped off her scarf, letting her hair tumble free.
The camera dinged. With a running start, Kelvin hopped on his board. She clenched her fists while he hurtled toward the stairs. The clatter of his wheels echoed off the building.
Her heart jumped as he jumped. The rail hissed under him like the air hissed through her teeth. He stretched his arms wide and twisted. She folded hers and tensed.
On the landing, something snapped. The wood behind his back trucks cracked. Aliyah thought he broke his legs.
He skated away with a wobble. He had to crouch to absorb the impact. His tail dragged on the pavement.
It wasn’t pretty, but it didn’t need to be. He threw his arms up to celebrate. Oakey smacked his board against the ground. Aliyah screamed.
“That’s my boy, first try!”
She ran up to him before he circled around. He barely stepped off his board in time. She dove into his arms and almost knocked him over. She fit right underneath his chin, hugging him so tightly he wheezed.
Kelvin didn’t skate any more that day. Aliyah offered to buy him a new deck, but he declined. He told her he would’ve just hung it on his wall.
“Remember the hat?”
That afternoon, the four of them bounced all over South L.A. They hit up their favorite skate spots. They ate lunch at a food truck. They even got kicked out of a church parking lot. Oakey wanted to go to a skatepark, but they decided against it after realizing somebody might recognize her.
By the end of the day, the guys snapped four boards, burned two batteries, and ruined one pair of shoes. They went to three different skate shops to replace everything. Aliyah covered the cost despite their protests. She bought two decks for Kelvin, making him promise he’d only hang one on his wall. He agreed.
For their autographs, Miguel and Oakey told her to sign under their trucks. The middle of their boards always scraped away. They used the same blue marker Kelvin brought to her signing. He never returned it to work.
EJShaun.com 