Chapter 11 SKATE RIVALRY
Godiva’s POV
Hakeem used his leg as a stumbling block, interrupting my walk. I almost fell.
“What the hell, man?” I asked in frustration. If not for the Taekwondo I had learnt over the years, I would have fallen flat on the floor. I struggled to stabilise my posture.
Some of the contents of the chips poured onto the floor.
After school, I needed to wait behind to complete an artwork I had started painting to gift Leo. Dina asked Leo to wait and accompany me. She saw it as an opportunity to let us have time to ourselves, hoping it would end up in a kiss.
Closing my drawing book, Leo said, “Sorry babe, I’d have to leave you by the gate. My driver is waiting to drop me off at Dad’s.”
“It’s no problem, do you, boo,” I replied, locking my arms with his as we walked through the hallway, which was almost empty.
“Stop trying to leech off a rich guy,” Jerald said as he walked past me, brushing my shoulder.
“Get back here, Jerald,” Leo said furiously.
“I’m sorry, bro, but this girl is just out for digging gold,” Jerald said, facing Leo, who wore an angry face.
“Don’t degrade a woman that way,” Leo said calmly.
“I’m sorry, bro,” Jerald said with a bow as he walked away.
I waited by the gate for Jerald after Leo left. I rushed toward him as he came down the staircase.
“Don’t you ever call me a gold digger, you possessed psycho,” I said angrily, pointing at Jerald’s face.
“Possessed what?” Jerald said calmly.
“Possessed psycho, I said. One moment you’re trying to be sane, and the next your demons come screaming,” I barked as I watched him walk away, swaying my hips from left to right.
I could hear him smirk as I walked away.
I wasn’t sure if I was in a relationship or just a cold friendship with Leo. Something about it felt off. Could it be because it was my first relationship that I felt that way?
I thought to myself as I lay on the old green couch that sat at the corner of my room, wearing my favorite blue shorts and white hoodie.
“Can I come in?” Dina asked, standing outside my door. She always did that whenever she needed a favor from me.
“Oh no, just go back please,” I said, burying myself under my blanket.
“Why are you dressed that way?” I asked, pulling my head out and looking up at Dina, who was wearing camouflage shorts, a black shirt, and her running shoes.
“Why so serious?” I asked again as I awaited her response.
“We’re going skating,” she said excitedly as she pulled out my beautifully sprayed skateboard from beneath my bed.
Skating was one of the things we loved to do in our leisure time; it helped calm our nerves. We learnt to skate at age five, when our age group was learning ballet.
“Hell yeah, baby,” I said excitedly as I jumped down from the bed. “I really need a time out,” I continued as I tied my shoelace.
“Did you and Leo…” Dina said, playing with her fingers while kissing the air.
“Ewwww, no babes, we didn’t. Don’t even think about it,” I said as I shut the door behind me.
What made the park in our quarters unique was the skatepark, which was always packed with youths who had no business with our quarters.
Our skatepark was beautiful. Every corner of the park was carefully designed with sprayed artworks of cartoon and Anime characters.
My favorite artwork in the park was an inscription that read, “Black don’t crack.”
I wasn’t black, but there was something captivating about the inscription.
My second favorite artwork was a painting of Avatar done by me.
“Chill babes, isn’t that Jerald over there?” Dina said surprisingly, pointing at a group of guys skating.
“The hell are you talking about?” I said, looking in the direction she was pointing.
“Damn, my day keeps going from bad to worse,” I continued after sighting Jerald and Hakeem.
“So are we still skating or?” Dina asked, reducing her steps.
“This is our territory, girl. If anyone should leave, it should be those psychos,” I said, increasing my steps.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, facing Hakeem and Jerald, who looked shocked seeing us.
“I could ask you the same question,” Hakeem replied in a disgusted manner.
“Dhurr… you’re in our territory,” Dina said.
“Make sure not to step on our toes,” Dina added as she dragged me away.
“I’m not surprised you live here,” Hakeem said in his loud, husky voice.
What started as a playful skate turned into an unspoken competition between Jerald and me as we kept doing stunts to see who was better.
“I’m exhausted, girl,” I said, throwing myself on the empty seat beside Dina.
“You don’t dare challenge me next time,” Jerald said as he stuck out his tongue as if mocking me before going back up on his skateboard.
“Let me tell you a secret,” Hakeem said, standing up and dusting his shorts. “Jerald is banned from skating, that’s why we come to this shabby place during his library hours,” he continued as he mounted his skateboard.
Dina and I nodded gently from left to right.
“These boys need to get checked,” I said, laughing.
“Let’s take an ice-cream break,” Dina said, nodding her head toward the direction of the ice-cream truck, which was a stone’s throw away.
“Uhhhhhmmm… smells like fear,” Jerald interrupted Dina. “You are too weak to compete. That’s your way of running away. You think I wouldn’t notice?”
I wanted to leave, but Hakeem’s words just got to my last nerve. I needed to find leverage, needed to prove him wrong.
Dina pleaded with me, “Leave these guys, Diva! There’s literally nothing here to prove.”
My determination and competitive resolve had drawn the attention of some onlookers.
“Let me show you what I am made of!” I said angrily as I picked up the skateboard.
That was the biggest mistake I had ever made.