Summary: Taking the skateboard in one hand, he offered the other to Riley. "I'm going to teach you how to use this thing properly." — Riley has a skateboarding lesson, and Chase mans the grill. — [Power Rangers Dino Charge] One Shot.
LIVING ON THE EDGE
Chase was manning the grill.
When that happened, it was one of those days where four out of the remaining five rangers did not want to be working in the Dino Bite Café. The exception to that, today at least, was Riley. While normally he would be on their side and insist that Chase should not be managing an open flame, the 16-year-old had borrowed/stolen the black ranger's skateboard, and was currently messing about in the front of the café, rolling slowly around using empty chairs and tables to propel and maneuver throughout the place.
Ever since the spell-casting bird monster had gotten a hold on him, and especially after he had found out Koda tricked him into taking a cleaning shift meant for the blue ranger, Chase had learned how to focus more. He no longer burned burgers on a regular basis...only semi-regular. Okay, so he'd only sort of learned to focus. Because while he was currently doing a fine job paying attention to his board and flipping burgers at the same time, it didn't mean he wasn't texting the girl he'd met at the skate park.
"No skating in here, mate," he called to the green ranger as the latter pushed himself towards an occupied table. "Especially not in the café."
As he tried to stop, Riley called back, "You're one to talk." Successfully managing to regain his balance, he turned to grin at Chase, both feet still on the board, and right on cue, the skateboard slipped out from under his feet (it was like it had a mind of its own today, Chase commented to himself), sending Riley crashing onto the floor, much to the amusement of the customers next to him.
Chase waited until he finished his text, placing his phone down onto the counter to slide a few burgers onto their respective trays. "Not how I learned to use that skateboard, either." Then again, it was never that troublesome for him.
Riley, still on the ground, glanced around to see if he could spot Tyler or the others. Tyler looked like he was concentrating very hard on the cash register, Shelby was scribbling furiously taking orders, Ivan was up on a ladder attaching some decoration to the ceiling, and Koda was sitting at one of the tables eating a Bronto Burger. No help coming from them - except maybe Tyler. Turning his attention back to Chase, he picked himself up. "You sound like Ms. Morgan."
There was another moment of silence as Chase poured mayonnaise onto a sandwich that he had placed next to his phone. As he looked the other direction (in response to the text alert that rang loud and clear from his phone - clearly looking for the device), the mayonnaise just barely hit the intended target, and he turned back to find a few drops splattered on his phone. Picking it up to hastily wipe off the substance and look to see who had sent the text, he shook his head. "Just do me a favor, and don't break it. It's hard to fix that board, and I don't want to after that one girl broke it. Takes effort."
Riley appeared at the counter, the board under his arm. "Effort," he deadpanned. "You."
The black ranger just sighed, coming out from behind the grill and grinning like a madman. "Never mind." Taking the skateboard in one hand, he offered the other to Riley. "I'm going to teach you how to use this thing properly. Tyler, man the grill!" Not waiting for an answer, he yanked Riley out of the café, leaving a stunned Tyler looking after them and groaning. A tiny flame was erupting from the grill where the burgers were starting to burn.
—{~}—
The skate park, not too far from the café, was fairly empty, save for a pair of young men, one in crimson, the other in navy blue, the former of whom seemed to be having just as much trouble as Riley was (there was also some complaining that sounded like, "I gotta beat Shane at this, dude," but Riley didn't pay much attention to that). The emptiness was something he was grateful for anyway (he hated the whole mortifying concept of learning how to ride a skateboard); Chase had deposited him and the skateboard on a flat stretch of ground, and was giving him detailed instructions on how to keep his balance.
The skateboard really did change his priorities, Riley noted, putting it on the list of Things To Blackmail Chase With.
Soon after, and by that time Riley had zoned Chase's voice out completely, Chase gave him a gentle shove across the sidewalk.
He managed to keep his balance for about three seconds.
"God, how do you do it, Chase?" Riley wiped dirt off his hands, staring at the scratch marks that remained. "This should not be this hard."
Chase grinned, clearly amused by the whole situation. "Practice. But you're right. It shouldn't be. It's like the board hates you or something."
Balancing himself carefully on the board, Riley nodded sarcastically. "You. Practice." Giving himself a push, he managed to roll a few feet before stumbling again. "This thing doesn't hate me; it wants to kill me."
Chase took the board away, testing it before flipping the board up into his hands, spinning one of the wheels to test it. If it had been anything else, Riley was sure after two seconds Chase would put it down and go after his phone. He did put it down, but merely stepped onto it, testing the board again. "Sure. Your sword, my skateboard. Same difference. Because I'm pretty sure your sword would like to kill me."
Riley rolled his eyes. "Lemme try again." Half-playfully shoving Chase off the board, the green ranger hopped back on, starting to propel himself around. "There's got to be some trick to this thing."
"There isn't," Chase assured the green ranger as the ground below the board began to slope, and he drifted further away. "Not for me there isn't."
Riley fell again.
—{~}—
The black ranger strode back into the café, slinging his board over his shoulder. The Dino Bite Café had emptied out for the day, and Shelby was wiping down tables on the side of the restaurant. Tyler was waving smoke away from the grill, Ivan and Koda watching him with unhappy expressions on their faces.
"Did well, mate." Chase nodded, turning back to glance at the doorway. (Somewhere in the background, he heard Koda mutter: "No burger?" "Sorry, no burger, Koda." That was Shelby.)
Riley trudged in a few steps behind him, rubbing his shoulder and wincing. "Tell that to the bruises I'm gonna have."
Chase paused, setting his board down on one of the tables and searching the café. "You smell smoke?"
Tyler edged into the scene, with his arms crossed and a soot-streaked expression. "That's your fault. For leaving me and Koda to manage this place," he said, pointing to the smoking grill. Koda nodded along, and Ivan and Shelby just looked amused.
Riley grinned at Chase, raising his hands innocently, slowly backing away before turning and running out of the café. Chase could almost hear his sarcastic voice echoing behind him: "I'll leave you to handle this one."
Tyler turned to stare expectantly at Chase.
Chase fiddled with loosening wheel on skateboard, which was courtesy of Riley. "Hey, at least I was doing something productive."