Five Years and... Over

It was a normal Monday morning; everyone was asleep and tired at school, even more because it was the first Monday of school. Now, I am staring at flashing blue and red lights. Nobody was being arrested, no one going to jail, only one would be leaving in an ambulance. But before I get into all that, I need to go to the beginning.

            It was my first day of my seventh grade year; I was the new kid from Florida. Everyone avoided me in the typical new kid fashion except for one, Justin Hartsell. He walked right up to me and asked if I did any kind of skateboarding. I had no coordination on a skateboard, but I was optimistic. I told him no, but I have one I can learn on. The friendship began. We only had one class together both years I was in that school, but it did not matter. We did nothing in either class except sit back relax and complain about how we never wanted to go another day of school in our lives.

The next year, in eighth grade, we finally had our day of skate. Little did I know he was taking me to a full pledged skate park to teach me how to skate in front of every skateboarder that was there. When we arrived, the lot was full, when we walked in, the park was packed. I did not know what to do. He got the basics down with me, riding, stopping, and falling. The next four years of school could have taken longer, I would not have cared. Throughout the years I did nothing but go over to Justin’s house hangout, skate, eat, and fall asleep. I was consistently at Justin’s house. It got to the point I was over there so much that I just started calling his parents mom and dad. It was the same for him at my house. The time finally came to where I needed to skate with his friends that were as good as, or better than him.

            We arrived in Oakboro, where Justin’s friends lived. They seemed a little weary about me at first. The feeling of not belonging started to kick back in, but Justin talked to them. After a few quick skate sessions his friends started calling me my nick name, Grady.  The crew started to grow from just a crew, to more of a family. If I were to get a phone call from anyone during the days of summer vacation I would have to say I was skating with my family. It went from just having some skate sessions to skateboarding all day, having dinner with the family, and then passing out in the living after watching a skate video. That summer was the best summer I have ever had.

            Everything changed when I met the love of my life, Brittany Guidera. We met at a football game I was at. I kept her warm at that game I have been keeping her warm ever since. I frequently visited Brittany every day which meant, I wasn’t at Justin’s. the visits got less frequent with Justin. There would be a few time where I would blow off my girlfriend to hang out with Justin. We would end up in Oakboro skateboarding until two o’clock in the morning. The rides home were the best. The volume all the way up in the truck, windows open and not caring about people sleeping, we would speed through the night to my house because that’s where Justin’s parents thought he was. Then the day came to celebrate my ten months with Brittany. I invited Justin and his girlfriend, but he had other plans.

            Now I am staring at blue lights through my windshield, no one was being arrested. but one person would not be returning to his family at the end of the day. Brittany’s and my own ten month anniversary had ended tragically. My best friend that was supposed to be with me that night on a double date had gone home and played a game; a game designed to kill; the choking game.
     I never did get to see Justin again except for in his coffin, laying there lifeless. I wish I could blow off Brittany one last time to skate with him again.