Mary Roses eyes shot open. She turned to look at Isabel.
With a whimper of fear, Isabel scrambled off the bed and stared at a face she scarcely recognized. A face that frightened her. Mary Rose? she whispered.
Then she ran out of the room.
Her mother was downstairs in the kitchen, stirring a pot of oatmeal and trying to hear the radio over the screeches of their parakeet, Rocky. As Isabel came tearing into the kitchen, her mother turned and said, Its seven oclock. Isnt your sister getting up?
Mommy, Isabel wailed in despair. Thats not Mary Rose!
Noah Elliot did a 360 kick-flip, popping the skateboard off the curb, into the air, and landing it neatly on the blacktop. All right! Nailed it! Baggy clothes flapping in the wind, he rode the board all the way down to the teachers parking lot, ollied the curb, and came around again, a sweet ride all the way.
It was the only time he felt in control of his life, when he was riding his board, when for once, he determined his own fate, his own course. These days it seemed too many things were decided by other people, that he was being dragged, kicking and screaming, into a future hed never asked for. But when he was riding his board, with the wind in his face and the pavement streaking by, he owned the moment. He could forget he was trapped in this nowhere town. He could even forget, for one brief and exhilarating ride, that his dad was dead and that nothing could ever be right again.
It was the only time he felt in control of his life, when he was riding his board, when for once, he determined his own fate, his own course. These days it seemed too many things were decided by other people, that he was being dragged, kicking and screaming, into a future hed never asked for. But when he was riding his board, with the wind in his face and the pavement streaking by, he owned the moment. He could forget he was trapped in this nowhere town. He could even forget, for one brief and exhilarating ride, that his dad was dead and that nothing could ever be right again.
He felt the freshmen girls watching him. They were standing in a tight group behind the trailer classrooms, glossy heads bent close together as they made giggly girl sounds. All their faces moved in unison as their eyes tracked Noah on his board. He rarely talked to them, and they rarely talked to him, but every lunch period, there theyd be, watching him as he worked through his repertoire.
Noah wasnt the only skateboarder at Knox High School, but he was definitely the best, and the girls kept their focus on him, ignoring the other boys whizzing around on the blacktop. Those boys were just posers anyway, dudes pretending to be skaters, all dressed up in gear straight out of the CCS catalogue. They had the uniform down right- Birdhouse shirts and Keviar shoes and pants so big the cuffs dragged on the ground-but they were still posers in a hick town. They hadnt skated with the big boys in Baltimore.
As Noah circled around to make his return run, he noticed the gleam of blond hair at the edge of the track field. Amelia Reid was watching him. She stood off by herself, cradling a book as usual. Amelia was one of those girls who seemed dipped in honey, she was so perfect, so golden. Nothing at all like her two jerky brothers, who were always hassling him in the cafeteria. Noah had never noticed her watching him before, and the realization that her attention was at this very moment focused on him made his knees go a little wobbly.
He ollied the board and almost lost it on the landing. Focus, dude! Dont bite it. He zipped down to the faculty parking lot, spun around, and came rumbling up the concrete ramp. There was a handrail on one side, slanted downward. He spun around, and popped up onto the railing. It wouldve been a sweet slide all the way down.
Except for the fact Taylor Darnell chose just that moment to walk in front of him.
Noah yelled, Outta the way! but Taylor didnt react in time.
At the last possible instant, Noah rolled off his board and tumbled to the pavement. The skateboard, its momentum established, slid all the way down the rail and smacked into Taylors back.
Taylor whirled, yelling: What the hell, man? Who threw that?
Didnt throw it, dude, said Noah, picking himself up from the ground. His palms were both scraped, and his knee was throbbing. It was an accident. You just got in the way. Noah bent down to pick up the skateboard, which had landed wheels up. Taylor was an okay kid, one of the first whod come up to say hello when Noah first arrived in town eight months ago. Sometimes, they even hung out together in the afternoons, showing each other new skateboard tricks. So Noah was shocked when Taylor suddenly shoved him, hard. Hey! Hey, whats your problem? said Noah.
You threw it at me!
No I didnt.
Everyone saw it! Taylor looked around at the bystanders. Didnt you see it?
No one said anything.
I told you, it was an accident, said Noah. Im really sorry, man.
There was laughter over by the trailer classrooms. Taylor glanced at the girls and realized they were watching the exchange, and his face turned a furious red.