Broken Skateboard #1:
The Halo Side, A Place Not For Us
"Yeah, I heard about that night. Jazz got shot and still in the hospital. Stupid with all that gang life. Nothing comes good when you're in a gang. Right?" Nollie asked and the other five agreed. "Maybe I can get him out of that life. This area doesn't need more violence on violence. I mean we're the highest gang rate in the whole country. Think of that." Nollie drank some Cola then stood up. "I gotta leave. Tomorrow's the day and I gotta help pack up early in the morning. I'll stop by when I get the chance." Nollie plopped down his board and gave everyone a hug.
"You make sure that you stay outta trouble. I heard they send kids like you in behavior school." Vin told him and Nollie chuckled. "Those kids? They're just some wannabe tough guys. Kinda hate the fact that we gotta leave this place. Gunna miss the Blocks. But it's my ma's wish so I'll go with it." Nollie put on his hood and drank a can of Cola.
"We can all agree that this dude will wreck havoc some way, some how. I hope to see you on the news!" Poppy raised her beer bottle, while the others drenched their drink on Nollie who laughed.
"This is what we do when one leaves this area to the Halo Side. Hope you don't become soft!" Axel hugged Nollie while the others cheered the two off. "You was like the younger brother to me, you little brat. I remember you was some five foot idiot taking care of your idiot self." The girl chuckled and patted Nollie. "This ain't goodbye but let's get your ass home before we get shot up for being too loud." Roman softly pushed Nollie who went inside his 69 Dodge Charger.
Roman started up his car and drove away. "Look, kid. I got some rules when it comes to the Halo Side." Nollie looked at him as he took off his hoodie. "Never mess with those feds. They're ten times worse over there. Trust me on that. You think it's bad over here but on that side... It's terrible for guys that came from this side. Next thing, don't be going all aggro and being a loudmouth. Could end up in jail for some time. They will call the feds if anything is out of their little fucking bubbles. Remember that. Got it?" Roman stared down Nollie who gulped.
"Alright. Another thing, like they said... Behavior school. They send kids like you in some rehab like school in the summer that ain't even worth it. One last thing... It's better to get a girl in there than here." Roman smiled as he elbowed Nollie. He snorted and rolled his eyes. "Cause they got money, Roman? Heh, of course you would think 'bout that type of shit." Nollie told him.
"Hope you like the smell of beer in your car because this beer will reek through your chair of yours."
Nollie took off his hood and squeezed it outside the car. He let it hang on the door. Roman gave out a soft snort and patted Nollie's shoulder. Who turned to him.
"I needed a new set of chairs anyways. It's all good. Well, here's your stop. Get yourself a girl. Boy!"
Roman tapped him in the back and Nollie waved back with a grin on his face. He stayed on the sidewalk, watching his oldest friend drive away. Thinking about how this could be the last time he will see him. He started to walk towards his Flat where he noticed a woman leaning against the wooden pole with the shining behind her as she smoked in the night sky.
"You reek of beer. It's disgusting..." The woman pinched her nose, blowing out smoke from her mouth. Nollie faked coughed before entering the Flat. He turned around as he untied the laces of his shoes.
"The goons poured beer on me as an away gift. Imma go shower and head to bed, ma. And lay off the smokes, you'll end up with a hole in your throat." He stated as he passed by her.
"Shut up, brat."
Nollie headed inside and plopped his beer soaked shoes on top of the shoe rack. He sighed as he took off his shirt then threw it into his hamper along with his hoodie. He looked at his younger brother who they share rooms with while grabbing some home clothes to wear after a shower.
"Last time we'll use the shower that has little to no hot water. No more large ass cockroaches or fucking insects climbing on my bed or just anywhere. Hate this place."
...
It was morning on the day of the move. Yet... one person was not awake to help cook breakfast and pack the rest of their things. His younger brother had cooked in his stead since his older brother is off sleeping a little longer.
"I'll finish the cooking, go wake up your older brother. He needs wake up now." The boy nodded and ran up to their bed room. In the room was his older brother, holding a pillow and softly breathing in his slumber. "Hey, Lee! Wake up! Mom said to wake up!" The boy shook him. The teen groaned and furred his eyebrows. "Come on! It's nine o' clock! You said you would help mom cook breakfast!" The boy yelled in the teens ear while slapping him in the stomach.
"Alright... I'm up..." Nollie sat up and sighed. "I forgot. My bad. I'll wash up real quick, Cicuta." He told his little brother. He smiled and walked back to the kitchen. "Oh and by the way, you're helping out the Movers with the dressers." He added then sat back down with breakfast already on the plate. "Yeah yeah." Nollie waved him off and went inside the bathroom to clean up.
"Finally out of this flat for once and for all, this is for Cuta to have a better life and for my ma to have a better paying job than the work she's doing. So many overtime hours." Nollie sighed as he cleaned himself up and left the bathroom.
"Smells like Spam and Eggs. Almost tired of this shit. Honestly." Nollie chuckled, placing two pieces of bread in the toaster. "Yeah. But it's better than the stuff we used to eat." Cicuta shrugged munching on some eggs. "Alright. Today's plan." Their mother said. The two looked at her awaiting to tell the details. "After Nollie helps out the Movers, we go grocery shopping for the week. Next we'll have to clean up this place. Every single inch of it. No whining about it. But since I know it's you two, you guys don't whine much. I'm off all day and tomorrow." She crossed her arms then drank some water. "That's all? I mean... Anything else? Maybe clean the new house?" Nollie sat back down and made a sandwich with his breakfast.
"Oh yeah forgot something, We'll go to the laundry mat for the clothes. So whatever clothes you have right now in your basket will need to be there. And Sunday, We'll have to visit your school so you two can get familiar with it. Which means the Principal and Vice Principal will give you two a tour of the whole school and what not." She told them."The Movers will come in about an hour. So stretch since you'll be doing a lot of heavy lifting." She pointed at Nollie who had a smug grin on his face.
"I know. Haven't lifted anything heavy in a while. I have muscles for nothing if I didn't help out." Nollie joked starting to flex his muscles.
"Guess all that working out at Roman's really paid off then, Lee."
"Got me how to actually fight than street fight. You could've done some lessons. Good for self defense." Nollie walked to the water dispenser to refill his cup. Drinking the cup of water while walking back to his chair. "Yeah but I'd rather go to the Library and read books." Cicuta replied. Nollie looked at him with a sense of surprise.
"Wait... You don't have a library card?" Nollie asked but Cicuta shook his head. "I do but they got these cool bean bag chairs and there's uh... this girl that's around that likes to talk to me about books when I'm around there." Cicuta slowly whispered and turned into a tomato. "Oh? Little tree boy gotta crush? Aw, he's growing up!" Nollie nudged his little brother who glared at him.
"Did you tell her bout your dream to become an awarded botanist?" Their mom asked. "Uh... Yeah. And she really likes literature. like she has a draft for some awesome steam punk-future novel she has. Also told me I was one of the smartest people she had ever met."
"Don't get ahead of yourself just cause a girl said you were smart. Mr. Nature." Nollie stood up and cleaned his dishes in the sink. Softly flailing them, he opened up the washing machine and placed the dishes in it.
"I never get ahead of myself! Not once!" Cicuta stammered looking like a fool as he tried to stand ground with his older brother. Though it seems it had failed, seeing that he sat back down all in gloom.
Nollie smirked as he ruffled Cicuta bed hair. "Yeah, yeah. I'll be packing up my clothes. Shout my name when they're here or something." He waved off the two and went into his room.
...
"All set, dudes?" Nollie asked the Movers, wiping his sweat with his towel. They nodded and walked to their mother. Talking about what's going on when they enter the house. The movers went back to their truck and headed their way to the house.
Their mother got up to them with a smile. "You wanted to do the heavy lifting, right?" She smiled as she leaned against her car. "Does that mean?" Nollie sighed still wiping his sweat off his head.
The three of them went inside the car and drove away from their old home. It was something that they will remember for a long time. As for that place holds memories whether it be bad or good. It was their home for a long time and now they are finally able to move out from such a messed up area...
"Plan is... You will help them again. Cuta, you will help me do the groceries, okay?" Their mother put on sunglasses and fixed the volume of the music. "Now then... Cuta. Watch your older brother just in case he gets all riled up." She warned them.
Nollie roller his eyes and opened his window as the wind starts to dry up his sweaty self. Wearing just a tank top is rather insane due to the fact that it gets very cold in the later fall. But to him, he doesn't mind at all. Just loves the cool breeze with Winter almost here.
"You've seen the house before. And no you can not have house shows in the backyard I don't want to deal with stolen things or noise complaints for loud horrible music." Their mother told Nollie as they head out the car. He looked at her with annoyance. "Don't look at me like that. Yeah, it has a garage in the back doesn't mean you can start doing house shows. I knew from the damn start that you might book one. So don't." She took her sunglasses and placed it on top of her head n
The Movers truck pulled up and they started to take things out. "You said you were eighteen? Maybe you can get a job here. Pays well and who knows? You can show off your muscles." One of the movers said. Nollie smiled, "I like that. But I have uh... two arrests so I'll apply for a job when I graduate high school. I'll keep that thought if you need an extra one." He answered, taking some boxes and putting them on the ground.
"Alright..."
...
After packing up everything, Nollie just sat down in the front porch. Enjoying the cold breeze that fall brings. Looking around and seeing houses that seem to have the similar scheme. Except there was a blue house just a few houses down. Which gave out a burst of a weird side.
"It's better than the brown, tan, and white houses. Though our house is a much more salmon color. Maybe I can call it the Fish House. New house show venue! The Fish House. Logo can be the bones of a fish with an X on the eye. Yeah! That sounds pretty cool." Nollie stood up when he realized he was talking to himself in front of a group of girls.
"Uh... Are you a new neighbor?" The girl with rainbow hair asked. "Yup! Just not me though. My brother and mom are out grocery shopping right now." He replied and the girl smiled. "You're a pretty tall dude, do you play some b-ball?" She asked.
Nollie jumped off the four stairs and walked right up to them. "I only play street. None of that "professional" stuff." He gave her a smile. She tossed him a ball that nearly hit his face but he caught it just inches away. "Ight. If you can get this ball from me three times, then I'll give you five bucks. If not, you give me five bucks."
"Tsk. Tsk." All eyes were on the lady who had grocery bags in both hands. "Not even an hour since we left and you are betting with girls. This ain't like the Blocks, you can't just bet with anyone. Now help me with this, you brat." She kicked him in the leg. He passed back the ball while rolling his eyes. The girls walked away when he passed right in front of them.
"What's for dinner, tree boy?" Nollie asked grabbing most of the grocery bags. "We're having spaghetti and meatballs. And mom said to help with dinner since you forgot about breakfast." Cicuta told him as they went inside the house.
...
After doing all of the chores and ate dinner, the two brothers played in the garage in the back where they found some rails and a wooden pad that was covered between the tall fence and garage walls. Nollie, the only one who skates has been on them for awhile.
"This is great. That grass area could be good for a quarter pipe. Do you think ma would allow that?" He asked his brother as he took off his shirt. Then threw it at the plastic chair which nearly fell down. But was caught by his younger brother.
"Probably. I mean if we have money for the wood and tools. Which... I am sure we don't... for now."
Cicuta and Nollie looked at their mother who was standing in the sliding door. Nollie stopped and grabbed his board. Knowing their mother, they assume that it's time for them to actually be in bed.
"Get inside, you idiots. It's almost twelve at midnight. You two can chill out here tomorrow. But now get your asses inside because it's damn freezing out here. And put your hoodie back on before you get sick on your first day!" Their mother rolled her eyes and walked back inside, keeping the door open.
The two started to put away the skating stuff inside the garage rather than the small area in between. Nollie grabbed his hoodie and threw in the laundry basket right next to the machines.
"Night, loser."