Brave the Storm and Embrace the Rain
Skate Park.
I wandered out of my room a few days later around 10 AM and followed the sound of my Dad's voice into the twins' room. He was helping them get dressed into todays clothes.
"Morning," I murmured as I leaned against the door way.
"Good Morning, Indiana," My Dad greeted as he helped Maddox yank his shirt over his head.
"What are you guys getting ready for?" I questioned quietly, motioning to Wyler who was pulling his socks on quickly and excitedly as he sat on the end of his brothers bed. I could tell that both he and Maddox were already showered, seeing as his hair was still damp.
"We get to go to work with Daddy today!" Wyler shouted as he yanked on his other blue sock and grabbed his shoes from the floor in front of him.
I tilted my head to the side, "What do you do?" I asked my father, wondering what job he could possibly take them with to and why he was allowed to show up to work after 10:30 in the afternoon.
"I own a skate shop," He grinned, "Down in Newark."
I nodded to myself remembering how when I was little my Dad always used to take me out side and try to teach me to skate board around the street. It was a bonding type thing between us that neither of us grew out of, it seems. We used to be outside, wether it was warm or cold. Dad and I were always skating up and down the streets because there were no skate parks in the little town we lived in.
"You could come with too, If you'd like. You'd like it there," He said as he laced up the twins' shoes.
I shook my head, "I'm not dressed or anything,"
Dad shrugged, "We can wait a few minutes, right boys?"
Wyler and Maddox nodded frantically and shouted, "Yeah!"
I sighed, "Alright, I'll be ready soon. 30 minutes, tops."
Dad grinned wider than I had seen him smile since I got here, almost a week ago and nodded, shooing me off to get ready quickly.
I took a quick shower, dried my hair, put on some make up, and got dressed in a pair of white jeans that were ripped all the way up my thighs and a black baggy t'shirt that had 'Oogie Boogie' on it from 'Nightmare Before Christmas' that I would be able to skate in. I went to my closet and grabbed my skateboard that had arrived with the rest of my things on Monday, four days ago. My board was a green, purple, and yellow Girl board that I had bought a couple years ago for my birthday.
I pulled on my favorite pair of skate shoes and my cell phone and hurried down the stairs.
"Dad?" I called, wondering where he could be.
"In the garage!" He called back.
I wandered through the living room and kitchen and went through the door that led to the two car garage. Dad was pulling two 13 inch boards down off of racks that hung on the walls. I grinned at the set up. There were skateboard racks liking the walls, racks for just the decks and a work center that was filled with wheels and trucks (The things that hold the wheels to the boards).
"I'm ready," I told my Dad as he handed Wyler and Maddox the 13 inch boards that had their names on the bottom.
"Great!" Dad cheered as he led the boys over to the car that was pulled in on the far side of the garage, "We need to hurry or we'll be late to open and let the kids in."
Dad shuffled Wyler and Maddox into the backseat as I climbed into the passengers seat.
Dad talked about his shop and skatepark the whole way there. There were three separate parts to the building. The shop and the two parks. The shop was a place where people could rent boards and buy all the things they'd need to make a custom one so that my Dad could put it together for them.
Dad said it costs four dollars for people to skate from noon to ten PM. But on Thursdays, like today, older kids could pay six bucks to participate in an over night "Lock in". Something that my Dad was going to let the twins participate in tonight for the first time. Everything was two dollars cheaper with a membership, something you could only get after you showed up and paid to get in five times.
"It's the first lock in of the year. We only do lock in's during the summer," Dad told me as we pulled off of the high way.
"Every Thursday night?"
"Yeah," Dad replied, "The kids really seem to like it."
"I wish there was a place like that when I was growing up. I'd have been there all the time." I told my Dad as he continued to drive. Dad sent me a look that I pretended not to see and I glanced at the clock on the dashboard. 11:47, it read in green letters.
"The shop opens at noon?" I reassured.
"Yup," Dad murmured, "We'll be there in about five minutes."
I nodded to myself and sat back in my seat as the twins bounced in their seats. We were on a business road that was filled with them, from car washes to clothing stores. After a few minutes my Dad pulled into a big parking lot. The building had a sign that said, "Peyton Skate Park" on it and I grinned at the name. The same one Dad talked about years ago, before this place even existed.
"Here we are," Dad grinned and the boys shouted excitedly as they unbuckled their seat belts and attempted to push the back doors open, forgetting about the child-locks.
"Let us out, Daddy!" Maddox shouted as Dad climbed out of the car and I followed suit.
The building was a dark almost black color and the sign was written in graffiti above the front door. Once Dad let the twins out I followed him to the door where he unlocked it. The twins ran off through a door when Dad wasn't looking but I walked in quietly and looked around. There was a desk to my left that had a computer on it. There were five doors in this room leading to different rooms. There was a glass case on the other side of the room with a cash register on it and custom wheels in it. There were blank decks hanging on a rack on the wall behind it and I assumed that was the place where Dad would make customs.
There was an uneven wall to the left of that and there was a plank on the door that said "Employee Lounge." The other doors, I wasn't so sure about. I assumed that two had to be skate parks seeing as Dad told me there were two separate rooms, one for younger kids and one for ages 13+.
Dad pointed to the door to the right of the first, main desk, "That's Park A." He pointed to a door on the next wall, "That's the break room for the kids. The next door is Park B, for little kids. And that's the lounge where the boys will be sleeping tonight."
I nodded and continued to look at the black and grey walls that were covered in original graffiti that was written in white chalk, "Where will I sleep if I want to stay tonight?"
Dad looked to me quickly, "You want to stay?"
I shrugged and put my board up on the counter, "Sure. I haven't skated in a couple weeks, but still. I'd like to stay over night."
Dad grinned happily from where he stood behind the main counter and then looked to the front door as it opened. A young man with blonde shaggy hair walked in and smiled at my father, "Nathaniel, man. Excited for lock in?"
Dad nodded, "Of course. I love seeing kids skate until they pass out on the floors." He chuckled and reached out to do one of those handshake things with the blonde man.
I coughed awkwardly and Dad and the man's attention shot to me. The blonde man grinned at my Dad and then turned to me completely, "You must be Indiana," he grinned, "Your Dad has been telling me all about you since you showed up! I'm Carter, I work here. " He stuck his hand out for a handshake.
I smiled and shook his hand, "Call me Indy," I told him politely as I yanked my board off of the counter. "Dad, can I go skate? I'll check on the twins. Are they not supposed to be in there?" I jerked my thumb towards the main skate room.
"Shit," Dad muttered, "Wyler! Maddox! Get out of the A Park!" He shouted as loudly as he could.
The twins came running out of the room with their skate boards in their hands and pouts on their faces. "We want to skate in there, Daddy," They told Dad with their arms crossed over their chests.
Dad shook his head, "Nope. You're too young."
Maddox and Wyler glared at Dad before running in the opposite direction, pushing a door open and disappearing into the B Park. I laughed and turned to follow after them, deciding on checking out the place. The 'B Park' had five simple ramps, all about four foot tall and connected. Perfect size for younger kids. The walls in this room were covered in the same graffiti as the shop but I could tell that children had drawn on these walls.
I watched the twins skate down the short ramps for a moment before I turned and left the room through the other door that was there. That door led to the break room that Dad told me about. There was a white pop-up table with lime green chairs surrounding it. There was a schedule of the Skate Park hanging on the far wall. The decor on the walls were the same in here too. There were two doors in this room too, one that led to the shop where my Dad and Carter were and the other led to the big skate park, A Park. When I entered this room I was amazed. It was huge, at least 50 different kinds of ramps that some how all seemed to be connected. The ramps were sometimes way taller than me. These walls were a bright red color and covered in pictures of famous skate boarders standing in this room. There was still a little bit of graffiti but there were more pictures than anything else. I froze when I saw a picture of a man and a young girl standing outside a house, both holding skateboards with huge grins on their faces. I ran my finger over the picture, stopping on myself when I was around eight years old.
I walked along the wall for a minute, taking the place in before I ran up one of the ramps, the 10 foot one. I stood at the top, leaning against the wooden railing and I grinned at the room. This was my father's life's dream and he accomplished it. My Dad had gotten everything he wanted when he left me and my mother behind. I sighed and let my board drop to the ramp. Deciding that it was time to skate, show my father what he taught me and what he left behind.
"Morning," I murmured as I leaned against the door way.
"Good Morning, Indiana," My Dad greeted as he helped Maddox yank his shirt over his head.
"What are you guys getting ready for?" I questioned quietly, motioning to Wyler who was pulling his socks on quickly and excitedly as he sat on the end of his brothers bed. I could tell that both he and Maddox were already showered, seeing as his hair was still damp.
"We get to go to work with Daddy today!" Wyler shouted as he yanked on his other blue sock and grabbed his shoes from the floor in front of him.
I tilted my head to the side, "What do you do?" I asked my father, wondering what job he could possibly take them with to and why he was allowed to show up to work after 10:30 in the afternoon.
"I own a skate shop," He grinned, "Down in Newark."
I nodded to myself remembering how when I was little my Dad always used to take me out side and try to teach me to skate board around the street. It was a bonding type thing between us that neither of us grew out of, it seems. We used to be outside, wether it was warm or cold. Dad and I were always skating up and down the streets because there were no skate parks in the little town we lived in.
"You could come with too, If you'd like. You'd like it there," He said as he laced up the twins' shoes.
I shook my head, "I'm not dressed or anything,"
Dad shrugged, "We can wait a few minutes, right boys?"
Wyler and Maddox nodded frantically and shouted, "Yeah!"
I sighed, "Alright, I'll be ready soon. 30 minutes, tops."
Dad grinned wider than I had seen him smile since I got here, almost a week ago and nodded, shooing me off to get ready quickly.
I took a quick shower, dried my hair, put on some make up, and got dressed in a pair of white jeans that were ripped all the way up my thighs and a black baggy t'shirt that had 'Oogie Boogie' on it from 'Nightmare Before Christmas' that I would be able to skate in. I went to my closet and grabbed my skateboard that had arrived with the rest of my things on Monday, four days ago. My board was a green, purple, and yellow Girl board that I had bought a couple years ago for my birthday.
I pulled on my favorite pair of skate shoes and my cell phone and hurried down the stairs.
"Dad?" I called, wondering where he could be.
"In the garage!" He called back.
I wandered through the living room and kitchen and went through the door that led to the two car garage. Dad was pulling two 13 inch boards down off of racks that hung on the walls. I grinned at the set up. There were skateboard racks liking the walls, racks for just the decks and a work center that was filled with wheels and trucks (The things that hold the wheels to the boards).
"I'm ready," I told my Dad as he handed Wyler and Maddox the 13 inch boards that had their names on the bottom.
"Great!" Dad cheered as he led the boys over to the car that was pulled in on the far side of the garage, "We need to hurry or we'll be late to open and let the kids in."
Dad shuffled Wyler and Maddox into the backseat as I climbed into the passengers seat.
Dad talked about his shop and skatepark the whole way there. There were three separate parts to the building. The shop and the two parks. The shop was a place where people could rent boards and buy all the things they'd need to make a custom one so that my Dad could put it together for them.
Dad said it costs four dollars for people to skate from noon to ten PM. But on Thursdays, like today, older kids could pay six bucks to participate in an over night "Lock in". Something that my Dad was going to let the twins participate in tonight for the first time. Everything was two dollars cheaper with a membership, something you could only get after you showed up and paid to get in five times.
"It's the first lock in of the year. We only do lock in's during the summer," Dad told me as we pulled off of the high way.
"Every Thursday night?"
"Yeah," Dad replied, "The kids really seem to like it."
"I wish there was a place like that when I was growing up. I'd have been there all the time." I told my Dad as he continued to drive. Dad sent me a look that I pretended not to see and I glanced at the clock on the dashboard. 11:47, it read in green letters.
"The shop opens at noon?" I reassured.
"Yup," Dad murmured, "We'll be there in about five minutes."
I nodded to myself and sat back in my seat as the twins bounced in their seats. We were on a business road that was filled with them, from car washes to clothing stores. After a few minutes my Dad pulled into a big parking lot. The building had a sign that said, "Peyton Skate Park" on it and I grinned at the name. The same one Dad talked about years ago, before this place even existed.
"Here we are," Dad grinned and the boys shouted excitedly as they unbuckled their seat belts and attempted to push the back doors open, forgetting about the child-locks.
"Let us out, Daddy!" Maddox shouted as Dad climbed out of the car and I followed suit.
The building was a dark almost black color and the sign was written in graffiti above the front door. Once Dad let the twins out I followed him to the door where he unlocked it. The twins ran off through a door when Dad wasn't looking but I walked in quietly and looked around. There was a desk to my left that had a computer on it. There were five doors in this room leading to different rooms. There was a glass case on the other side of the room with a cash register on it and custom wheels in it. There were blank decks hanging on a rack on the wall behind it and I assumed that was the place where Dad would make customs.
There was an uneven wall to the left of that and there was a plank on the door that said "Employee Lounge." The other doors, I wasn't so sure about. I assumed that two had to be skate parks seeing as Dad told me there were two separate rooms, one for younger kids and one for ages 13+.
Dad pointed to the door to the right of the first, main desk, "That's Park A." He pointed to a door on the next wall, "That's the break room for the kids. The next door is Park B, for little kids. And that's the lounge where the boys will be sleeping tonight."
I nodded and continued to look at the black and grey walls that were covered in original graffiti that was written in white chalk, "Where will I sleep if I want to stay tonight?"
Dad looked to me quickly, "You want to stay?"
I shrugged and put my board up on the counter, "Sure. I haven't skated in a couple weeks, but still. I'd like to stay over night."
Dad grinned happily from where he stood behind the main counter and then looked to the front door as it opened. A young man with blonde shaggy hair walked in and smiled at my father, "Nathaniel, man. Excited for lock in?"
Dad nodded, "Of course. I love seeing kids skate until they pass out on the floors." He chuckled and reached out to do one of those handshake things with the blonde man.
I coughed awkwardly and Dad and the man's attention shot to me. The blonde man grinned at my Dad and then turned to me completely, "You must be Indiana," he grinned, "Your Dad has been telling me all about you since you showed up! I'm Carter, I work here. " He stuck his hand out for a handshake.
I smiled and shook his hand, "Call me Indy," I told him politely as I yanked my board off of the counter. "Dad, can I go skate? I'll check on the twins. Are they not supposed to be in there?" I jerked my thumb towards the main skate room.
"Shit," Dad muttered, "Wyler! Maddox! Get out of the A Park!" He shouted as loudly as he could.
The twins came running out of the room with their skate boards in their hands and pouts on their faces. "We want to skate in there, Daddy," They told Dad with their arms crossed over their chests.
Dad shook his head, "Nope. You're too young."
Maddox and Wyler glared at Dad before running in the opposite direction, pushing a door open and disappearing into the B Park. I laughed and turned to follow after them, deciding on checking out the place. The 'B Park' had five simple ramps, all about four foot tall and connected. Perfect size for younger kids. The walls in this room were covered in the same graffiti as the shop but I could tell that children had drawn on these walls.
I watched the twins skate down the short ramps for a moment before I turned and left the room through the other door that was there. That door led to the break room that Dad told me about. There was a white pop-up table with lime green chairs surrounding it. There was a schedule of the Skate Park hanging on the far wall. The decor on the walls were the same in here too. There were two doors in this room too, one that led to the shop where my Dad and Carter were and the other led to the big skate park, A Park. When I entered this room I was amazed. It was huge, at least 50 different kinds of ramps that some how all seemed to be connected. The ramps were sometimes way taller than me. These walls were a bright red color and covered in pictures of famous skate boarders standing in this room. There was still a little bit of graffiti but there were more pictures than anything else. I froze when I saw a picture of a man and a young girl standing outside a house, both holding skateboards with huge grins on their faces. I ran my finger over the picture, stopping on myself when I was around eight years old.
I walked along the wall for a minute, taking the place in before I ran up one of the ramps, the 10 foot one. I stood at the top, leaning against the wooden railing and I grinned at the room. This was my father's life's dream and he accomplished it. My Dad had gotten everything he wanted when he left me and my mother behind. I sighed and let my board drop to the ramp. Deciding that it was time to skate, show my father what he taught me and what he left behind.