Rip It

by A. D. Herrick

  She had smooth creamy tan skin. A heart-shaped face with high cheekbones. Her dark brown hair was pulled back and covered by a black Thrasher’s beanie. Her brows were thin arches above her almond shaped dark blue eyes.

  She had a hoop ring in her right brow. Her nose was thin and narrow. My eyes scanned down to her thick puffy lips and I bit back a groan.

  I could tell she didn’t have on any makeup. She was naturally beautiful. My eyes followed down the slim column of her neck. She was wearing layered tank tops, a black tank top over a white one that hugged her large perky round breast. Her faded jeans hung low on her perfect hips that begged for my hands to trace them. I could see the tips of her black Chucks poking out the wide leg of her jeans.

  I was close enough to smell the sweet sweat on her skin from surfing her deck. I swallowed hard to keep from pulling her into my arms so I could taste her sweet lips. I could tell she was enjoying the view in front of her by the way her pupils dilated as they scanned up and down my body.

  I could sit here and stare at her all night but I knew that would just get awkward. I was fighting myself every second we stood there to not pull her into my arms and ravish her body. I had a pretty good idea that doing that would only get my balls handed to me in a hot second.

  “Are you done checking me out now?” I asked amused hoping to hide the intense animalistic attraction I felt toward her.

  I watched as her eyes grew wide with shock. She was adorable. A pale pink hue crept up her neck to her cheeks. I had to bite back a chuckle.

  She shrugged and took off on her deck. I knew it would only be a matter of time before she caved. I had all summer to wait.

  I dropped back into the pool and worked on my verts. I was used to the clean lines and maintained half pipes and bowls provided at the skate park. Riding a pool was completely different. There was no consistency, the bottom was unleveled and there wasn’t enough room to get good air. I had officially become a spoiled park brat.

  I worked back and forth in the pool learning the new terrain and finding my sweet spot. The more I hit it the easier it became. I started pushing for higher verts, gaining more air with each pass.

  I watched out of the corner of my eye as the cute girl worked on her grind. She continued to grind along the lip of the pool ending each grind with a bitch slap.

  I finally pulled enough air to do an invert fakie. I noticed the girl had taken a seat at the end of the patio so I skated up the shallow wall and landed in front of her. I hoped I could get her to talk. I needed to at least know her name. I’m sure she would not appreciate being called hot girl by way of greeting.

  When I landed in front of her she tossed a bottle at me. I caught it midair. A girl that always comes prepared, I like that.

  I finally got her to talk to me by asking about her board. I could tell that it was new. The grips were still gleaming and the whole thing looked like it just walked off the showroom floor.

  I was shocked as shit when she let me try out her new helium board. I had wanted to try one but never got around to ordering one.

  I took it for a quick run and nearly lost the damn thing. I was able to hold onto it by the skin of my teeth. The last thing I wanted was to use this chick’s board and wipe out or bust her new board. I had the funds to replace it but it’s definitely not the best way to make an introduction.

  I handed her back her board after the run. I definitely preferred my boards with a little more weight. I bet on a park course with legit verts that board would be bad ass. I might consider looking into one when I get home for the verts.

  After a few minutes of board talk, we took to our decks and hit the pool. It was fun watching her hit her pace and grab some air. It gave me hope that she wasn’t a pro ho. She was pretty decent with a vert fakie. I bet with more practice and a bit more speed she could grab enough air to do an invert.

  We finished our runs when it was too dark to go on any longer. I was fucking stoked when she agreed to meet up with me the next day. We didn’t set a time but I knew that I needed to get in some practice so I planned to be out at the pool first thing in the morning.

  I followed behind her on the way to my aunts. I nearly whooped when I saw her walk into the house next door to my aunt Graces. I skated up to my aunt’s door and kicked up my board. My aunt was waiting for me in the living room.

  “Tristin, I have dinner ready on the kitchen table.” She said. Her eyes studied my haggard appearance.

  “What have you been doing?” She asked.

  “I was skating with the girl next door, Haven,” I replied nonchalantly.

  My aunt’s eyes grew wide.

  “You be careful with Haven.” She warned. He eyes assessing me fully.

  “Yes, Ma’am.” I shot her a lopsided smile and made my way into the kitchen.

  I had no idea what she meant by being careful with Haven but I was too hungry to think about it. I was famished after doing runs for the past few hours.

  It finally looked like my summer here in Seal Dana wasn’t going to be that bad after all, a hot chick that loves to skate and a town full of vacant houses with pools. This was turning out to be a kick ass summer after all.

  Chapter Four

  Haven

  It felt good to be able to sleep in. Even if sleeping in was waking up at eight instead of seven. I was ready to hit the Dillan’s. I needed to do a little tweaking to my board and now that I wasn’t fighting against the setting sun I would be able to play with adjustments.

  Stepping out of the shower I threw on a pair of black shorts. Sam said they made my ass look good. I don’t know why I decided to wear them, actually, I did. His name was Tristin. I pulled on a white tank and a gray pullover hoodie. I slipped on my gray vans and grabbed my new board. I slicked my hair back into a high ponytail then pulled my favorite board down off the wall.

  It was a Darkstar Ultimate Rasta with T5 Aluminum Trucks with red Spitfire wheels. This board had been my favorite since I got it. There was something about it that matched no other. The weight was perfect.

  No matter how many boards I tried this one just seemed to be it. Sam thought I was just projecting my feelings onto it. It was the first board I had ever assembled myself. I did all of the modifications and showcased my decals on it.

  Sam was probably right but it didn’t matter. This was my board of all boards. I revered it as the holy one. With Sam gone I would practice with both boards. I wanted to get used to the lightweight helium design but I also wanted to work on more of my advanced tricks with my usual board.

  I snatched up both boards, shoving the Darkstar in my canvas skate bag. The board stuck out of the top like a flag. I loaded my bag with bottles of water from the fridge and granola bars. I planned to be out all day and didn’t want to have to come back to the house for food.

  Before heading over to the Dillan’s I decided to stop by and say hello to Ms. Grace. I kept telling myself that it had nothing to do with the fact that Tristin was there. Of course, I was only lying to myself. As much as I loved Ms. Grace, I really did want to see Tristin.

  I locked the door and crossed the small patch of grass that separated out two houses. I opened the door to Ms. Grace’s and walked into the house. I hadn’t knocked on her door since I was a small child. It had become custom for me to just walk in.

  “Ms. Grace,” I called from the living room.

  “In the kitchen, baby,” She called from the back of the house.

  I followed the sound of her voice leaving my board and bag at the living room door. Ms. Grace stood over the stove, spatula in hand as she flipped pancaked on the griddle.

  Her salt and pepper hair was pulled back in its usual bun. She was wearing a pair of black slacks and a white button up top. She reminded me of a Librarian sans the glasses. She was always dressed primly and had a no-nonsense air about her. Her face was lined with soft wrinkles displaying her age.

  “Have you eaten, Haven?” She asked motherly.

  “No, ma’am, I just wo
ke up a bit ago,” I admitted.

  “Sit, You need a good meal before you start running lines.” She said with a smile.

  Ms. Grace had always supported my interest in skating. She bought me my first skateboard when I was ten. She had seen me and Sam sharing his and took pity on me.

  I still had it, too. It was a hot pink Hello Kitty skateboard with matching Hello Kitty wheels. It was mounted on my wall above my bed along with matching helmet, knees, and elbow pads. I couldn’t bring myself to throw them away or donate them.

  I sat at the bar in the kitchen, my legs swinging under me nervously. My eyes casually scanned the room for Tristin.

  “You Okay with not walking last night?” Ms. Grace’s voice was laced with concern.

  “Yeah, The moment that the last bell rang I was just too happy to leave. I didn’t want to step foot back in that school or its grounds.” I reassured her.

  “When are you moving?” She asked cautiously.

  I had let Ms. Grace know my plans the momentSam and I had made them. She had been supportive the whole time. I felt that I was a part of the reason she had stayed so long. I think she felt responsible for me.

  “Well, that depends on Sam. He may or may not come home from New York.” I said dejectedly.

  Ms. Grace gave me a stern look.

  “You know that boy will be back. Don’t you worry.” The conviction in her voice comforted me.

  “Do you have your helmet in your bag?” Ms. Grace asked changing the subject. She was a stickler for safety.

  “I do, never leave home without it.” I gave her a reassuring smile.

  She raised a brow and shot me a look telling me she knew better.

  “I promise it’s in my bag.” I wasn’t lying. I wanted to try a few tricks and I knew I would need it.

  She gave me a curt nod and placed a stack of homemade buttermilk pancakes in front of me. My stomach growled at the sight.

  “Dig in,” she said nodding toward my plate.

  “Thank you,” I mumbled between a bite of food. I was hungrier than I thought this morning. Ms. Grace placed a glass of orange juice beside my plate. She was always so good about taking care of me.

  “What do you plan to do today?” She asked casually.

  I swallowed the food in my mouth and took a gulp of juice before answering.

  “Well, Sam left this morning to spend the summer in NYC with Jessie so I am going to run a few lines down at the Dillon’s place and work on my new board,” I told her excitedly.

  “Oh, a new board? I was wondering what was in that package that the mail man delivered.” Her eyes twinkled as she spoke.

  “Yeah, it’s the last spirit board I was missing. They finally got one in stock so I ordered it along with all new set up.” I explained.

  “Is it the grayscale one with yellow?” She asked intrigued.

  I nodded my head. I loved how she took the time to learn about what I was interested in. She worked with me on a lot of my early boards and I was sure she could tear apart and rebuild a board with her eyes closed.

  “Yeah, I got one of the helium featherweight boards. It may be too light for me.” I admitted.

  She tsked swatting the air in front of her as one would swat away a mosquito.

  “I’m sure you will get used to it. You just favor your holy one too much. I told you not to get too dependent on just one board.” She chastised.

  I chuckled and shook my head. I knew she was right. I even admitted it. It didn’t make it any easier to find a replacement.

  “So, what’s on your agenda today?” I asked curious to see if she would spill the beans about Tristin.

  She gave a small shrug and plated up more pancakes, setting them on a plate beside me.

  “I will probably just piddle around the house. I want to start cleaning out the garage and getting everything organized again. It really is a mess.” She said returning to the stove.

  “Don’t do it without me.” I implored.

  “You don’t need to be out there alone. I can help you whenever you’re ready. I can skate tomorrow.” I said with determination.

  Ms. Grace was older and I worried that she would suffer from heat stroke working out in the garage all day. I hated that she didn’t have anyone to watch over her.

  I tried to help her out the best I could. Between school, skating, and my decal business I had to admit I had been neglecting her.

  “Are you sure?” She asked tentatively.

  I rolled my eyes and shook my head at her nonsense.

  “I wouldn’t ask if I wasn’t,” I said playfully.

  Ms. Grace snapped a towel at me.

  “Watch yourself little one or I will put you to work hauling manure.” She teased.

  I poked my tongue out at her.

  “Finish up, old woman so we can get to work.” I jabbed at her playfully.

  Ms. Grace just waved me off.

  “Tristin will be up shortly and we will put him to work as well.” Her eyes lit with mischief.

  As if on cue, a groggy Tristin walked into the kitchen. He was only wearing a pair of Spiderman sleep pants. His chest and feet bare. I took in his disheveled appearance.

  His hair was wild from sleep. He was sexy as hell. My cheeks flushed with color as I took in his muscular torso. He had a well-defined body. His body was tight and toned like a skaters with just enough muscle to make you drool. I could tell that he worked out in addition to skating. You didn’t get abs or pecks like his by just skating.

  The deep V below his beltline was enough to make me forget how to swallow. His sleep pants hung off his hips just enough to let my imagination run wilder than it ever had before. I was both embarrassed and excited by the thoughts that rushed through my mind.

  I imagined drizzling syrup across his washboard abs and then licking it off. I had no idea where the thought had come from but once it was in my head I could do little to shake it.

  Ms. Grace cleared her throat pulling both of our attention. I ducked my head and flushed with embarrassment at being caught by Ms. Grace. Tristin had not noticed me yet, thankfully. He had been focused on clearing his eyes and waking up when he walked into the kitchen.

  “Tristin, you have met Haven, my neighbor.” Ms. Grace said pointing her spatula in my direction. Tristin’s eyes grew wide when she said my name and looked over at me. The shock on his face at seeing me sitting at the bar was comical. I smiled up at him nervously.

  “Haven has volunteered the two of you to help me clean out the garage this morning.” She continued.

  I opened my mouth to protest but was quickly shut down when Tristin readily agreed.

  “Sit down and eat your breakfast before it gets cold. You two can run and play when we are done.” She said in a motherly way.

  “Ms. Grace, you’re sellin’ me some manure right now.” I deadpanned.

  She chuckled, picking up her coffee she took a sip.

  “No haven, I’m not selling it, I’m giving it for free.” She smiled shooting me a wink that left me slack-jawed.

  Tristin looked between us confused.

  “Bullshit,” I whispered over at him.

  He still looked confused. I just shook my head and finished my breakfast. He may have been hot but he was definitely slow on the drawl first thing in the morning.

  When I was done eating I rinsed my plate and put it in the dishwasher. I wanted to get a head start to the garage so I grabbed the keys from Ms. Grace and went outside to start. I knew the faster I finished the sooner I could hit the Dillon’s.

  The garage was located just behind Ms. Grace’s house. It really wasn’t very dirty. There were boxes that needed to be restacked and a few yard tools that needed to be hung back up.

  Ms. Grace had always been a neat freak and I expected no less from her garage. The mess was from the guys she hired to do both her and my yard work.

  “I’m telling you, you can’t keep paying Howie to do the yard work if he is going to pilfer through your things and leave
the garage a mess,” I called back to Ms. Grace as I heard her approach.

  “Who’s Howie?” Tristin’s deep rich voice echoed in the garage.

  I jumped in surprise. Tristin was standing there wearing a pair of distressed relax fit jeans, a black wife beater, and a pair of black and white Dc’s. He looked good enough to eat. His wavy blonde hair still had that I just rolled out of bed look. The sun made his highlights stand out against the dark blonde.

  “He is the yard man Ms. Grace hires to do our yards,” I replied breathlessly.

  He shrugged off my words and got to work putting the lawn equipment back on the pegboard attached to the wall of the garage. I closed up the boxes and began to restack them neatly against the wall.

  “Why were you calling bullshit in the kitchen?” Tristin asked breaking the silence of our work.

  I laughed.

  “I wasn’t calling bullshit, at least not to you,” I said.

  Tristin remained quiet.

  “Why did you volunteer us for this job anyways?” He asked.

  I laughed even harder.

  “I didn’t. That’s why I said she was sellin’ me manure, you know shit.” I said surprised at how slow he was at picking up the euphemism.

  “OH...” He said finally getting it then laughed.

  I couldn’t help but laugh at him. I could have a lot of fun with his quick uptake.

  I finished stacking the boxes and found him staring at the house with a smile on his face. He was even better looking when he smiled. He had one dimple that stood out on the left side. I wanted to trace the concave of his skin with my finger and then with my tongue.

  I shook the thought from my head immediately, what was wrong with me.

  “Does she joke like that a lot with you?” He asked looking away from the house, his warm gaze slid to me.

  “Yeah, since I can remember,” I said smiling at the memory of our years of shared jokes.

  “I always thought she was prudish.” He admitted.