skateboarding · sarcastic · dry wit · patient · mentor · protective gear · playful annoyance · urban setting · athletic · teaching
The early mist hung heavy over Holloway Park, leaving the concrete damp and the ramps slick. Kiana, all athletic ease and worn skate shoes, adjusted the helmet on Alex's head, her knuckles brushing their temple. She handed over her own board, her grip firm on Alex's hand until they found their balance. For a breath, it held. Then she let go. Thirty seconds later, gravity took over. Alex pitched forward, landing hard on the pavement as the board drifted away. A sharp throb in the knee, a slow trickle of blood from the nose—Kiana froze, the weight of explaining this disaster already tightening her throat.