CHAPTER 6
The next Saturday, Conner rode up to Slim’s at 9:15. Hannah was already there, crouched down behind an overgrown hedge near the fence of the office building next door.
“What are you doing?” Conner asked as he rolled up next to her.
“Shh,” said Hannah. She grabbed Conner by the sleeve and pulled him down next to her. “I’m waiting for the truck.”
“What truck?” Conner asked.
“Keep your voice down!” Hannah hissed.
“I don’t think anyone can hear us from here, Han,” Conner said.
“Hank’s dad’s truck,” Hannah said with a sigh. “We’re waiting for those bullies to leave, and when Hank’s dad’s truck gets here, it means they’re leaving.”
“Or we could go inside,” Conner said.
Hannah ignored him. Suddenly, a loud rumble filled the air.
“Here it comes!” Hannah said. She dropped even lower to the ground.
A horn honked loudly, and the heavy doors of the skate park banged open.
“Okay, okay!” Hank shouted as he and his friends stepped outside.
“Watch your tone,” the driver snapped. The boys climbed in. Three doors slammed, and the SUV’s tires squealed as it sped off.
Hannah looked up at Conner. “Now it’s our turn,” she said.
* * *
When they got inside, Hannah went right to the half-pipe. Conner stood at the start of the street course to watch.
Hannah climbed the steps to the top and took a deep breath. After a quick nod in Conner’s direction, she dropped in. On her first pass, she already had enough speed for a quick handplant with a frontside rotation.
“Nice one,” Slim said quietly from the desk. Conner could hear him, but he was pretty sure Hannah couldn’t since she was all the way across the park.
Conner watched Hannah do one more trick — another perfect Indy 360 — before starting his own practicing on the street course.
He pushed off hard to get up some speed before the first small ramp. He kicked his board up to the low rail and grinded it across the platform. Then he landed, ollied, and pushed off again.
Conner kick-flipped to the little quarter-pipe, pushed off hard, and grabbed some air off the lip of the pipe. But as he landed, the board slipped out from under him. Conner managed to catch himself, but the board shot across the street course and crashed into the flat end of a double-sided ramp.
He looked at Slim and shrugged. “Oops,” Conner said.
Slim just shook his head and went back to reading his magazine.
Conner retrieved his board and got right back on the course. He and Hannah spent the whole day at Slim’s, only stopping for lunch.
By the time they headed home, Conner was exhausted. But it’ll be worth it, he thought. Even if I don’t plan to fight with my fists or my skateboard, I still plan to win.