I don't own any SSX [Tricky/3 characters or anything related. Mac's kind of, if not completely, out of character. I've never played as Allegra, so she's probably out of character as well. Then again, this is an aspect I just considered exploring so of course there's bound to be some degree of mishap. I have to admit, I used to play, but now my brothers do, so I can only keep up with the characters, not my bros.
I distinctly remember Mac's profile saying something along the lines of 'it wasn't easy,' so I decided to write something reflecting that but when the story grew too dark for my taste, I settled for something lighter.
Ok. Long-winded disclaimer's over…
May Hiatus
Mackenzie slowly closed the door behind him, leaned against it, and slumped to the floor. He let his eyes lazily roll under their eyelids, and his face, partially covered with his messy bed hair, contort with stress, fatigue, and melancholic longing. The apartment was just as he had left it almost three years ago. Bare. The only things in front of him were his bed, a decent night table, and a lamp.
Mackenzie 'Mac' Fraser – now seventeen – had just returned from the SSX Circuit Tour back to his roots – the busy bustling streets of New York City.
With much reluctant effort, he fished in every pocket of his pants for the pile of bills that had accumulated. It was amazing how he still had this apartment. He was thankful, relieved, and anxious. If he hadn't emancipated himself at fourteen ('fourteen and a half' he had told the judge) things would have been different - maybe even better. Then again, if he hadn't, that scout might have spotted someone else skateboarding instead of he.
Now, of course there was that one question: there should be more bills, so why aren't there?
Ah, of course. That's why he was here taking a brief hiatus from his one and only dream in a dusty dry hot apartment in the heart of New York City. The very place he knew he could avoid without any cost should he join the Tour. Of course…he came to—
"FRASER!"
That all too obnoxious and seemingly demanding voice jolted him from nostalgia. Bumping, almost bashing, his head against the door he grabbed his head at the point of impact while the other constricted itself into a tight fist crumpling the bills. He grit his teeth. "Haven't you heard of knocking?" He growled as he pulled himself up and undid the lock. As he swung the door open he jumped back in shock, as did his visitor. It was the brawny braided blonde (bordering red? Her hair always confused him, as did many, if not all, women in general, and earned him a feisty undeserved "What're you lookin' at?").
"You know what-fine! I just came to give you your stupid skateboard, " She shoved it into his chest and stormed down the hall.
Now, he was embarrassed…and confused.
"What? Allegra…?"
She was always like this and he couldn't understand why. Nice and sweet one minute, freakish monster the next, and a total beast ripping through snowy terrain the last. What was she doing here with his skateboard anyway? She didn't live anywhere near New York. Not anymore, anyway…
Without thinking he'd hopped on the skateboard and went at full speed to catch up, focusing on his weight and momentum, just as Eddie had taught him not too long ago. Of course utilizing Eddie's tips, she was barely three-quarters down the hall when he smoothly swerved around her, pivoted, and gently blocked the only exit.
"Hey, kid!" An old fat man, the landowner apparently, had waddled into view from the bottom of the box-like spiral of stairs. "I can hear you from down here! You know the rules! No skateboardin', rollerbladin', runnin'…" And he grumbled on until he seemed to have rolled out of sight.
"Sorry!" Mac called down, leaning against the rails. He immediately then hooked his arm around that of Allegra's who tried to take advantage of the moment to escape.
"What, Fraser?" She said in an exasperated tone.
"You came here to drop this off? "He then held up his beat up skateboard if front of his face, emphasizing the importance of his board and letting her only see his eyes in a suspicious way.
She fell silent. Looked up. Looked down. Looked all around. And just before Mac could teasingly mention the color of her men's underwear, which happened to show due to her oversized pants—
"So what!" She spat.
He suddenly found himself infuriated. He wasn't sure why but later blamed it on the long trip home and her attitude. "Listen. I don't know what your problem is but I definitely don't need to have one with you. I just came back to ask an easy question and say 'thanks for my board.'" He turned to leave as her feisty expression stayed but her tense muscles relaxed. He walked back to his apartment once more only this time with an even bigger burden and slammed the door.
He needed to relax.
He turned on his newest gift, an mp3 sent by someone he had known for quite some time, and raised its volumes from deafening to psychotic levels. Allegra had been like that since they first met. She's gonna get it the next peak. He threw window open to cool off and defiantly stared back at the sun until he gave up. Then looked down and watched as Allegra bent down to pluck a dying dandelion and blow its seeds away, once more taking note of her oversized pants. This only exacerbated, no, eased…no, exa--. He didn't know how it affected him. In fact – this added confusion frustrated him. Eventually, he fell back on bed and fell asleep drowning in his own music.
He awoke early the following morning knowing what he had kept inside him before would boil over eventually – preferably – in the slopes. He looked down. His mp3 had died. Great. He yawned as he rolled on his side and glanced at the pile of bills on the night table. The next thing he knew, he found himself in a frantic rush. Mac freshened up, grabbed his skateboard, and went for the nearest drugstore. He bought the closest pack of batteries, handing the cashier a twenty-dollar bill and yelled back at him to keep the change. He warily changed batteries and finally got to his music as he finally made it to a flower shop. As he grabbed his board and entered, he carefully reexamined his memories…Daisies, tulips, and …what was it? There were three I know it! He thought to himself. Knowing he hadn't much time left he settled for the daisies and tulips. Suddenly he felt himself getting nervous. As though he were in Pipedream or at some peak from the tour…yes. Like a race! This was a race against something with a steady pace, against something that had no mercy, against something that had no tricks of its own! Time was his opponent!
With the pathetic bouquet of two flowers – he quickly scrambled onto his skateboard and glided through the busy streets, between the busy cars, and finally into a not-so busy neighborhood. Slowly he rolled down, his eyes anxiously doing their best to quickly scan the numbers of each home and apartment until they came to the right number. The third house from last and to his left was lonely. The tiny patch of yellow that was the lawn had been taken over by dandelions. As he paused to catch his breath his eyes wandered to the scattered blobs of yellow.
Of course!
He plucked three of the biggest he could find and added it to the bouquet. Now it was complete!
Just as he got up – the door creaked open and a middle aged women stepped out. They stared at each other for a moment – she with teary disbelieving eyes and he with hope. She suddenly ran and embraced him. He gladly took her in his returning embrace. She was much smaller than he had remembered.
"You've gotten so big!" Oh, that's right.
Mac chuckled. "These are for you, Marylyn." He handed her the flowers.
She beamed. "My favorites…and the dandelions!
"You know, " she looked up and smiled lovingly. "You can't call me that until you're eighteen."
Mac teasingly rolled his eyes. "Alright, alright. But I just wanted to say thank you…for everything, like covering for me, and all…like the apartment. I could've done it myself, but you did it anyway. I just wanted to say thank you, I'll make it up to you, I'll make you proud, and that I love you. Happy Mother's Day."
