Slaine stood before Evelyn as Evelyn landed a nollie from the top of a staircase.
"That's my boy!" Slaine clapped.
"I did it!" Evelyn jumped in the air.
"I'm glad you're learning so fast."
"I'm practice all day. I want to reach your level as fast as possible, dad!"

"That's great. So, want to learn something new?" Slaine asked as he leaned towards Evelyn.
"Yes! A kickflip!"
"Alright, I guess I'll teach you a kickflip next. Watch closely."

Slaine got on his board and went ahead to gain some momentum, he turned at a high speed and landed a kickflip. Evelyn's eyes widened and he clapped loudly.

"That was amazing as always," Slaine heard. It was Riley.
"Why are you here?" Slaine asked.
"Last time, the race ended abruptly."
"You left me and ran away!" Slaine yelled.
"I couldn't afford to die. That thing was huge! God knows what that was. Uglyass,"

"Listen, Riley, I have no interest in becoming one of your decoys. Leave me alone, will you?"
"I will, but not yet. I've got a match for you."
"I can't race."
"It's not a race. It's a skateboard vert. You're the best at it."

"No,"
"No?" Riley smiled.
"I'm not doing it,"
"Slaine," He turned back and pressed his hands into his pocket, "You seemed to have developed a soft corner for some people in your life. I find it very..." He turned towards him, "Lovely,"
"Riley, you will not hurt them. Any of them,"
"I don't know. You have a choice," Riley smirked.

"Do I have a choice?"
"I know  you won't disappoint me." Riley smirked. Slaine got on his board "Take me to him."
Evelyn followed them to another skatepark in Manhatten.

There, he saw a few people waiting for him. Malvern and his boys with Riley's boys. They did a toss and Slaine won it.
"I don't want to waste my time so one heat, thirty seconds," Slaine said and all the other boys agreed. Evelyn stared at Slaine with amazement filling his eyes.

Slaine turned towards Evelyn "Now watch closely. You might have to do a skateboard vert too someday."
"What is a skateboard vert?" Evelyn asked.
"It's a type of skateboarding on a half-pipe ramp in which you transition from the horizontal plane to the vertical plane in order to perform skateboarding tricks."
"Cool!"
"I know right? It's my speciality,"

Slaine talked to Evelyn while his opponent practiced a bit on the ramp. Malvern looked at them "Is that Slaine's kid?" He asked Riley.
"Nope."

"Alright," Slaine said, "Let's do it."
He gave the first chance to his opponent. Malvern's boy started with a tailgrab, moved on to a one-footed five, extended 360 varial, ending with a 540, cutting it right off the bat. He seemed no stranger to the ramp. He was in fact, very gifted and equally energetic.

Slaine, however, was more technical and graceful rather than energetic. He rode the board as if he was moving on water. He started with a huge 540 styled out, ollie five, eighty-seven, body varial five, tailgrab and ended with the eggplant.

His heat was much better and organised, leading him to victory.
"Good work, Slaine." Riley smiled but Slaine walked right past him. He reached Evelyn "Let's go now,"
"You were so cool, dad! I'm so gonna do vert skateboarding when I grow up."
"Weren't you more interested in street skateboarding?"
"Nope, I think I'll like this better."

Malvern turned towards Riley "Well, you won."
"Yeah, I know." Riley sounded cold.

Evelyn constantly complimented Slaine as they cruised down the streets but Slaine was busy thinking about what Riley was up to. He wanted him to race again and again, which meant he was getting something in return. Riley wasn't the kind of person who would waste his time on things that wouldn't benefit him. Slaine decided to investigate it and ran back to the skatepark. Evelyn turned back but he was gone. 

Slaine hid behind the ramp and watched them exchange the packets. He recognised them immediately. And all the memories he had, of all the lives he had destroyed or ended, came back in a flash. As his blood pressure increased, he felt his blood, rushing through his head.

Malvern left thereafter, leaving Riley by himself.

"Riley!" Slaine shouted as he ran towards him. Riley turned back and got hit badly by Slaine's skateboard. He had slammed it on his face with maximum force.

"You motherfucker! Why did you lie? I trusted you. You said you were a changed person! But you lied!" Slaine yelled. Riley touched his face "You're still so impulsive."

Slaine looked at him and he punched his face, making Slaine fall on the ground. Riley got above him and grabbed his collar. He punched him again and again. Finally, Slaine lost his resistance as he cried beneath him.

"Riley," He cried, "You started it. You gave me a skateboard and started this shit. Look what you've come down to, you hit me again just because I'm physically weaker than you. You must feel powerful and dominant, right? Are you satisfied now?"
Riley looked at him "You and I, we just don't click. And I'm simply not ready to accept it." His grip to Slaine's shirt got stronger.

"You are a piece of shit," Slaine looked into Riley's brown eyes. 
"I'm a piece of shit, huh?"

Slaine looked into his eyes. Riley hadn't looked like that in a while.
"What do you know? You're white and it's all that matters here. I can never be equal to you because I'm an immigrant. And there's no place for people like me here. I believed that we were the same but I was so wrong. You live a much different life than me. But is it my fault that I am who I am? Or do I not deserve to be loved? It's like--"
"Hey," Slaine looked into his eyes, "Stop making excuses, you loser. You're an adult, so take responsibility"

Riley moved away from him and he got up. "You're such an asshole." Slaine brushed his bleeding mouth with his hoodie's sleeve while looking at Riley's back, "Excuse me, I'm the one who's badly beaten up, why are you crying?"

"I don't know."
"Why did you do this, Riley?"
"I don't know."
"Look at me. Look me in the eyes."
"I can't."
"Why can't you?"
Riley got on his skateboard "Let's not meet again. You'll only hurt me after this,"
"I won't." Slaine got up.
"Then, I'll hurt you. So, stay away." Riley skated away. Slaine stared at him as he left.

He walked back home with his skateboard in his hand. When he was crossing the bridge, he ran into Jimmy. "Oh, hey Slaine. I was just coming to find you. Hey, what happened to your face? Did you get into a--"
Slaine pressed his head on Jimmy's shoulder, "Fight...Yeah,"

"Slaine?"
"Tell me. If something begins to hurt you, is it okay to let go? Please say it is."
Jimmy closed his eyes, "Yes, it is."
"That's what I wanted to hear all along." Slaine moved towards the railings and threw his skateboard into the waters.

"Here, end of all problems," Slaine walked away but suddenly heard a loud splash. He looked behind, Jimmy wasn't there. He quickly looked down the bridge, Jimmy had jumped into the water.

"Idiot!" Slaine jumped into the water. He looked around to find Jimmy when he suddenly emerged from the water. He had Slaine's skateboard in his hands, "HAHA! I found it!"
"Give it to me, dumbass!"
"Finders keepers!" He swam to the surface and Slaine followed him.

"Ben..." He heard and turned towards the dark water. It was a female's voice, soft and mischievous, "Ben, I love you. Do you love me too?"

- To be continued

Riley Pelvinson
5500 Rebellion