CHAPTER 2
CRUISING

“Finally!” Avani shouted as they pulled into the skate park parking lot. Since it was a Saturday, it was busy! They had to park all the way in the back.

Avani jumped out of the car. “I wish we lived closer,” she said as she buckled on her helmet. She grabbed her board. “Then we could come here all the time!”

“Sorry,” said Dad. “No chance we’re moving. Especially since I just got elected to the Oakdale City Council! Be happy I’m nice enough to drive you when I can.”

“I am, really,” said Avani. “It’s just hard to get better at home in the driveway.”

Dad smiled. “I get it. But sometimes you have to take what you can and run with it.”

“You mean, skate with it!” shouted Maddy. She got on her board and went toward the bowl.

“You got this, Maddy!” said Avani, skating behind her friend. Krish went off on his own toward the street features.

“I have a bunch of work to do, so I’ll be at the library!” Dad shouted after them. “Call me if anything comes up!”

Avani wove through the crowded skate park. It was busy, but the vibe was electric! One girl was trying to skate the gap. A group of boys were taking turns jumping down the stair set. A few younger kids on scooters were rolling down the ramp. All throughout the park, kids were cheering each other on as they ollied, jumped, and pumped.

When Maddy and Avani got to the bowl, two older boys were dropping in. The girls watched closely as one of them went. First the boy started with his back foot on the tail of his board. He balanced on the edge of the bowl. Then he put his other foot on the front of the board. He leaned forward.

Fwooosh! The boy dropped in, gliding all the way to the other side.

“It looks so fun,” said Maddy. “But I’m scared!”

“It’s like snowboarding in the pipe,” said Avani, “which you’ve done tons of times.”

Maddy nodded. “Right!”

And with that, Maddy leaned forward to drop in. She went smoothly over the lip and down the curved side. But when she got to the bottom, her weight wasn’t balanced. She came off her board. She caught herself before she hit the concrete.

One of the older boys shouted, “That was great! Next time, when you get to the flat part, don’t keep leaning forward. That’ll help keep your balance.”

“Cool, thanks!” Maddy called.

She ran to the top of the bowl and tried again. This time, when she got to the bottom, she stopped leaning. She stood up straight and kept rolling forward.

“Way to go!” yelled Avani. “You nailed it!”

Krish skated up. “Nice one, Maddy!”

“So, have you decided what you’re going to do today?” Avani asked her brother.

“Yeah,” he said. “Check it. I am going to try a nose manual.”

Avani and Maddy watched as Krish ollied up onto a manny pad. He rode along the rectangular box on just his front two wheels. He almost held the trick the whole way. But he didn’t quite make it.

It was good attempt, though. Avani had to give her brother credit. He wasn’t scared to try new things.

Maddy nudged Avani. “Your turn. Let’s see you do that board slide.”

“Um, sure. I’m just going to warm up first,” said Avani.

She skated out into the park. Avani warmed up with a few ollies. She tried some kickflips and landed about half. She pumped up and down on the ramps. Avani was starting to feel in the groove when Krish and Maddy skated over.

Krish nodded to the rail. “You had better hurry up,” he said. “You’ll be mad later if you don’t try the board slide today.”

“Hurry up? Why? We just got here, like, thirty minutes ago,” Avani replied. “I have plenty of time.”

“Not really,” said Krish. He pointed at the sky. “Looks like we’re going to get rained out. Dad called. He’s heading back over. He’ll be here in ten minutes.”

Avani groaned. She hadn’t seen the clouds coming in. But the threat of rain was the push she needed.

No big deal if I fall, she said to herself. Everyone does. C’mon, Avani. Be brave! You won’t get better if you don’t try what scares you.

Determined, Avani skated toward the rail. She popped up. Klunk! The center of her board landed on the rail. But she immediately bailed and jumped off because her board didn’t seem to slide.

That wasn’t horrible, she thought. I didn’t die.

“Not bad!” shouted Krish. “Try again.”

The second time, though, Avani’s board didn’t pop at all. She almost wiped out.

“What’s going wrong?” she asked her brother.

“You’re a little slow coming up to the rail,” Krish said. “Try going faster.”

Avani took a deep breath. “Right. I can do this,” she whispered.

Avani pushed forward. She picked up speed as she headed straight for the rail. Then, she popped up.

RRRSSSSH!

I got it! she thought. She was sliding along the rail!

But then her balance shifted. Her board slipped out from under her. She crashed to the ground.

Krish and Maddy skated over. “You okay?” Maddy asked.

Avani smiled as she got to her feet. “Yeah,” she said. “I’ll land the next one!”

But just then, they heard a loud crash of thunder. Seconds later, rain poured down. Avani, Krish, and Maddy ran toward the parking lot.

They reached the lot as Dad pulled up in the car.

Avani jumped inside. “Ugh!” she shouted. “Worst luck ever!”

“Maybe the storm is just passing by,” said Maddy.

Dad showed them the weather radar on his phone. “Sorry,” he said. “It looks like the rain isn’t going to stop until tonight. I know you’re sad that your skate day got cut short. But I have some exciting news! How about we go grab a bite to eat? I can tell you all about it.”