Rising Shards

Two girls on skateboards rolled up. One of the girls rolled in from the right, a fennec fox Kanibari that popped a big bubblegum bubble as she braked in front of us. The other, a girl with a side buzzcut with ‘EMA’ crudely shaved into it, slowed to a stop from our left.

“Hey,” the fox Kanibari said. “You guys should like…get the hell out of here.”

“Yeah!” The other said, snickering. “Get the hell out of here.”

“That’s our line!” Iris said.

“So you two are Ema and Snake, then?” Maia asked.

“Yeah, you can tell which is which, right?” Ema said, pointing at her name shaved into her head. “I shaved my name into my head. It was cool.”

“We got that,” I said. “I really don’t wanna get like beat up, can you guys just like get the table another day?”

The two just stared at us.

“But we like, want it today,” Snake said. “We have to practice tricks off big table for the skate…thing.”

“The skateboard…fight.” Ema said.

“No, it’s not a fight,” Snake said. “It’s like a skateboard…like contest thing.”

“Just say competition!” Maia said. “It’s a competition!”

“Yeah yeah, that’s it,” Snake said.

“Wait, Zeta!” Iris said. “You were in a skating tournament once, right?”

“Once,” I said. “I hate that you remember that.”

“How could I forget such a tantalizing story?” Iris said. “Use like…skateboard lingo to talk to them!”

I tried to think back to that time I was really into skating. In addition to the Raina Starlight Adventures skating book I read, there was a cartoon about extreme sports and stuff on at the same time and I really bought in on the fad, and begged Stella to buy me a whole big set of skate stuff. I somehow got it in my head that despite no actual experience that it was time to enter a skateboard competition, which quickly resulted in me running away crying after a series of botched trick attempts.

“So what…skateboards…do you have?” I asked.

Ema and Snake looked at their skateboards. “We have like…two skateboards? With wheels?”

“Real great skate lingo, Zeta,” Maia said. “Better idea. Snake and Ema!”

“…that’s us,” Ema said. “Right?”

“Yeah,” Snake said. “What do you want? We’re ready to just kick your asses already because we really want big table.”

Maia turned to us quick and whispered the plan. 

“No!” I said immediately. “Uh uh! Noooo way!”

“Just do it, Zeta!” Iris said. “I’m in!”

“If they beat me up, I’m going to be so mad at you guys,” I said.

“OK, we challenge you to a skate-off, or whatever,” Maia said. “Whoever does the best tricks wins the big table for today. I nominate Iris and Zeta for our team.”

“Yeah, yeah!” Ema said. “And I nominate me and Snake!”

“Cool, Zeta and Iris go first,” Maia said, shoving us forward. “Show em your tricks.”

“I hate this plan.” I said.

“Oh relax, Zeta, you were in an actual skate competition, you’re gonna crush them!” Iris said.

“Yeah, this makes sense to me,” Snake said. “I bet green hair sucks at skating too, so we’ll win. Then we don’t even have to hurt our fists like last time.”

“Uh huh,” Ema said. “That way we don’t get suspended again.”

Ema and Snake kicked their boards over to Iris and I.

“Just do it, Zeta,” Maia said. Iris nodded at me.

The two of us ran in opposite directions with the skateboards, each darting into a different part of the plant life in the garden.

“Hey!” Ema and Snake yelled.

Running through the forested area of the garden felt more like running through a jungle. How big is this stupid place? I had to dodge trees and plants and vines, as well as the stone block looking things that housed the plants. I really hoped I wasn’t stepping on anything that would grow back. Glancing backward for a moment confirmed that Snake was hot on my tail. Like, close enough to grab my actual tail, which I really wished would turn out to be a stress tail and fall off as I ran.

“I don’t know if I get this trick!” Snake said. “But that’s my skateboard, so if this is gonna break it I’m gonna be really pissed at you! And like kick your ass and stuff!”

I skidded to a stop at a small fountain. I had to jump over it as Snake swiped at me. I didn’t fully clear the fountain and got my shoes and leggings wet which sucked.

With burning lungs I kept running, making what I assumed was a full lap of the garden. I even spotted a small treehouse that looked like it'd be a fun place to hang out with someone if I wasn't being chased. Snake was losing energy too at least, and by the time we looped back to the spot before the big table, I wheezed to a stop.

“I don’t…want to run anymore…forever…” I gasped. I checked the big table, and saw Amara, KJ, and Rain were already sitting there. “You guys…made it?”

Too tired to even consider Snake’s reaction, I dropped the skateboard and sat down at the table, putting my head down. They offered me a lemonade, which I guzzled in about .2 seconds.

“Yes, thank you so much, Zeta!” Rain said.

“Did Maia…leave?”

“She had a few terse words for us then left,” Amara said. “I tell you, that girl is very antisocial.”

I was surprised Maia even gave them the time given how much the love trio annoyed her.

“Please don’t film me,” I said as KJ had her camera out.

“Aw, but the look on your face is so triumphant, and I want to save this memory of this forever.” KJ said. Her camera's lens whirred as she aimed her camera at me.

I didn’t feel triumphant. Still catching my breath, I got down on the grass and looked up to see Snake standing over me.

“This sucks,” Snake said. “I can’t believe you like, tricked me.”

“Sorry?” I said. “Just wait in line for the stupid table next time. Did Iris and Ema come back?”

“I don’t know,” Snake said. “Maybe they like, died.”

KJ, Amara, and Rain continued to set up plates of cupcakes and lemonade for their garden party.

“You know, it is a shame that for all their effort, Ema and Snake didn’t get big table.” Rain said. “Shall we invite them to sit with us?”

“You’re so caring, Rain,” Amara said.

“I dunno if that’ll make me feel better.” Snake said.

“You could step on Zeta’s tail.” Rain said.

“What?” I squeaked. “No!”

“Cool,” Snake said and stomped hard on my tail, smashing it to the ground. I doubled up in pain and rolled over, clutching my tail and crying.

“Yeah, now I feel better,” Snake said.

“I guess we’ll have quite the tail to tell later!” KJ said.

They all burst out laughing while I groveled on the ground.

“I don’t get it,” Snake said.

“We’ll tail you about it later!” Amara said, and they all laughed more as I wondered what my life had become.

“Why are you laughing?” I asked. “Why?”

“Oh, the fun we have at big table!” Rain said.

“Can one of you just freaking call it ‘the’ big table?!” I yelled.