Page 35 of False Start

eight

“I don’t wanna roller-skate,”Leo said as he dragged his feet from the van all the way to the door of Rockabilly’s. I had to give it to the little dude, his defiance game was strong.

“You know the deal. You and Noah picked last week, now the girls get to pick this week. And they picked skating.”

I’d only said this about five times so far on the six-mile drive here. Each time I managed to keep my voice upbeat while I explained it again, Wes winked at me in the rearview. The father of three’s version of, “Stay strong, kid” thus indoctrinating me into an honorary responsible adult club where it was us against them, we were outnumbered, and the power could shift at any minute.

Two against five and if the boys had their way, they’d revolt and get all Lord of the Flies up in this shit.

Over roller skates.

Roller skates, for fuck’s sake.

But if I handed them skateboards, they’d be all over that shit. I couldn’t roll my eyes hard enough at the irony.

I probably owed Milton and Gerald thank-yous for all the involuntary training. They’d been preparing me for this day for six years.

Tonight, I’d reward myself with peppermint schnapps, a deep, warm bath, and a dark and dirty romance. The kind of book you needed to be in the mood to read if you know what I mean.

“So they picked, doesn’t mean we have to get on skates though,” Noah chimed in, his voice starting out strong and full of conviction, until he saw the look in my eye. Like a week-old balloon finally being shown mercy with a needle, his attitude deflated, his words sliding from defiance to a dull whine.

“And how fun would it have been to play laser tag if the girls sat out last week?” I asked, hoping that maybe I could spark some empathy in the boy.

But he was eight. His empathy bank was like an underdeveloped, featherless bird.

He only cared how his teenage cousin told him roller-skating was for girls.

I wish I’d known that nugget of bullshit before our season was over so I could have made arrangements to squash that notion right out of Noah’s head. He’d be surprised what girls did on roller skates.

So would his butthead of a cousin.

Boys could be such little pricks.

The cousin I mean—technically the jury was still out on Leo and Noah—plus, I sort of adored them even though they weren’t living their finest moment.

Well, I had no intentions of going anywhere. Between me and the rest of my team who all volunteered with the Crossroads Youth Center, we’d make sure they didn’t become delinquent burdens on society.

No way would I let his cousin win. Not even today when he’d gone and pissed on what was supposed to be a pretty damn awesome day.

Finally, an activity where I could share more of myself. Not derby me, but the fun memories I had before my mom died. My mother loved skating and I couldn’t remember a time when she didn’t have me on skates right alongside her.

This was one of those moments I had to remind myself I was an adult because I was not feeling very adult when it came to Noah’s cousin.

Nope, I felt my full-on inner thug coming out. And it wouldn’t be a fair fight. Not when I’m derby and he’s a sixteen-year-old twerp. A twerp who kept hovering near the youth center with stolen cigarettes he’d offer to little kids when he thought no one was looking.

If it weren’t an assault charge, I’d have him on his ass before he could suck in a breath.

Thanks to his shitty influence, I had a decision to make. Do battle with Leo and Noah and possibly eat into Ellie, Addison, and Rylee’s time on the rink, or let it go and let Wes sit with them while they sulked.

One thing was for sure, Noah and Leo had two choices, skate or sit. Laser tag in every way, shape, or form was off the table.

I didn’t even want to hear the words slip from their lips.

Oh, and those video games along the wall? Also off the table.

I really hated that they made me have to be a hard-ass here. This wasn’t just their playtime; in a way it was mine too. My time with them not only filled their well, but it filled mine.

And maybe, just maybe I filled up a few of the lonely places from my own childhood.

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