The clouds in the sky threatened rain, there air was hot and humid, and it looked like nothing would change for a while. Yet he had convinced me to come here today, for something he really wanted to show me. "Alright, Karkat," he said, shaking his head. "Let's try that again."
I picked up my skateboard, and returned it to the top of the rink. "Alright. It's not like I fucking care about this, anyways," I scowled at Dave, the boy trying to show me "skateboarding," some sort of sport. I put my skateboard at the top of the slope, and then raced down, steadying myself. "Wha—Whoah!" I screamed at it, losing my balance and toppling over, landing on my hands. "Dammit," I muttered to myself.
Dave walked over, holding his skateboard. "Are you okay?" he asked, glancing over his shoulder.
"I'm fine, okay?"
"You can just chill," he shrugged. "How about we do that again? This time, I'll show you how." Dave clutched his skateboard, and he was already eager to skateboard himself, and not watch me fail for the millionth time. Without waiting for a response, he dashed up to the rim, and put his skateboard down.
He steadied himself, and slid down the hill. I watched in amazement as he rolled gracefully down the slope, and came back up as if he was defying gravity, and flipped the skateboard in midair. "It's done like this," he shouted over the wind as he came in for it a second time.
"Showoff fucktard," I murmur and walk away. I get about twenty feet when Dave came up from straight behind me and tapped my shoulder.
"Hey, it's okay," he whispered. "Beginners aren't always the luckiest ones."
"That's easy for you to say," I snapped back at him.
"Well, I wasn't always the best skateboarder. But I learned, and I learned through practice. Now, if you really want to, just pick up the skateboard and just maybe skate one loop?" he asked quietly, shifting his weights.
I paused, and gave it some thought. "Okay, fine." I snap. "But this will be the last try." I got my skateboard, and plopped it on the ground. I kicked at it, and ran at it as fast as I could, hopping on it just in time to slip off and fall straight on my ass. "Dammit!" I yelled across the court, and many strangers stared angrily at me, covering their children's ears.
"Jeez, Karkat," Dave exclaimed, shaking his head. "Do you have to scream that loud?"
"Apparently I fucking do!" I shouted back.
"Well, it's loud enough," Dave commented as he stretched his arm out to me. I took it, and dusted myself off. "Should we just call it quits for the day?"
"Yeah, sure. I don't care," I scowled.
He picked up his skateboard, and I picked up mine. We walked out of the rink, attracting looks from many of the other skaters. We walked back to our homes in silence, Dave looking exhausted. Soon, we got back to Dave's house. "Karkat?" he asked.
"What is it?" I asked.
"Well... you had a good takeoff. If you could just grip the skateboard faster and balance, then you'll be great. Just... Just trust me," he explained, leaning on the doorway. "You'll do fine."
I sighed deeply. "Fine..."
Dave took no time in walking out of his house and getting back to the court. I trotted up behind him. "Dave?" I asked. "Why are you going so fast?"
"Because," Dave started, staring back at me. "Even if you are terrible at it, it's the time I spend with you that counts, Karkat. You may come off as an asshole to many other people, but the way I see it," Dave inhaled, "is that you are a great friend to me, and you have always been there, no matter what."
I was taken aback. "Friend?" I asked. Nobody calls me their "friend." Nobody. "Well, I guess if I have to say so, you're one of the closest fuckers that I have ever come into contact with. If I could have anyone call me this thing you call a 'friend,' then you would probably be the fucker. So..."
"You trolls are all alike," he replied. "Yes, it's a friend. Now, if you could please just ignore me, and we could go skateboarding again?"
"Alright already," I said. "Go on."
Dave and I dashed back to the skateboarding ramps. I clutched my skateboard tightly. Dave went back and shooed a couple skateboarders off of the rink we were using, and went back to the same spot that I was at. "Karkat?" he asked.
"What the flipping fuck is it now?" I answered.
"Please... Let's try that again."
