CHAPTER 1
Evan Narita looked nervously over his shoulder as he walked into the skate park. All around the park, the usual groups of skateboarders were on the halfpipes and grinding on the rails.
He waved at his friend Ryan Thompson, who was waiting for him near the edge of the park.
“You made it,” Ryan said. “Are you sure nobody followed you here?”
“Very funny,” Evan replied. “If my parents catch me, I’m toast. But no, smart guy, no one followed me.”
Even so, Evan couldn’t help glancing at the sidewalks around the park. He didn’t see anyone from his family, but he could never be too careful.
Two months ago, Evan’s older brother, Chris, had broken his leg while skateboarding. Chris had been trying a risky lip trick on a halfpipe when he fell. He hadn’t been wearing pads.
Evan’s parents had decided that skateboarding was too dangerous. And ever since then, no one in the Narita family was allowed to do it. The problem was that all of Evan’s friends were boarders. They all hung out at the skate park.
Evan loved skateboarding. He couldn’t just quit. He kept skating. But the park was only four blocks from his house, and he was worried he’d get caught.
Ryan kicked his board up, caught it, and handed it to Evan. “Here you go,” Ryan said. “You might as well get in some deck time before they catch you.”
“Very funny,” Evan muttered. He felt dumb. He didn’t even have his own skateboard anymore. After Chris’s accident, their parents had gotten rid of both boys’ boards. Now Evan had to borrow Ryan’s board.
“Did you bring the gear?” Evan asked, pointing to the backpack near Ryan’s feet.
“Yep,” Ryan said. He tossed it over. “Here it is.”
Inside Ryan’s backpack were elbow pads, kneepads, and a helmet. Everything was covered in skateboard logo stickers. After Chris’s accident, Evan wasn’t taking any chances.
The other skaters who didn’t wear as much gear probably thought Evan was too careful, but he didn’t care. Broken bones kept skaters off skateboards. Sometimes for good.
Evan opened the bag and started pulling on the pads. Within minutes, he was geared up.
“Thanks for bringing all this stuff,” Evan said. He stepped onto the skateboard. “If I went home hurt, my parents would definitely know something is up. They’d probably ground me forever.”
Evan pushed away from Ryan. The board rolled along the ground and made the click-clack sound he liked. He did a manual, followed by a kickflip. He landed smoothly back on the deck both times.
Evan made his way to the top of a ramp, pausing for a second before dropping in. He balanced the back edge of the board on the edge with the wheels dangling over. The nose of the board faced up. Evan kept one foot on the back of the board to hold it in place. Then he placed his other foot at the front of the board and dropped in to the ramp.
Evan was pretty good at skateboarding, but he knew he still had room for improvement. If I could practice on the driveway and on my way to school, I’d be way better, he thought.
Evan glanced at the sidewalk once more before rolling into the skate park. Ryan jogged behind him.
“Ten minutes and then we switch,” Ryan said. “I’m timing you, pal.”
“Got it,” Evan said. He gave Ryan a thumbs-up.
I’ve got to make every minute count, Evan thought. I really need my own board.