A/N: Sorry it's been a while folks, I'm not gone; just slow! Because certain chapters shape the story, and I'm the kind of writer who always re-writes everything. I didn't want to post a chapter and then un-post it if I changed my mind!
So, here's a few more chapters. A bit of character development, and finally some action! My intention is that in future updates, all chapters will move the plot forward. Is my action scene ok? It's hard for me to write that kind of narrative, so I'm looking forward to practicing a lot more.
The sun was high outside, and a pixelated monkey was jumping across the screen, catching bananas and killing monsters. They were hanging out at what Bryan called The Cave; all five guys had broken into and now lived in a boarded up building, which had a series of extension cords running surreptitiously to a neighboring house. This allowed them to play video games on the salvaged Nintendo system and ancient TV monitor. The magically reinforced extension cord also brought power to the mini fridge that hummed quietly in the corner.
Daine found the video game amusing, but couldn't stay engrossed for hours the way her older friends could. She sighed, and Bryan looked at her knowingly.
"Are we boring you, Cub?"
She grinned at the pet name, and shrugged. It was their place, after all, and she didn't want to be a bother.
"Hey, let's leave these dudes to it and go for a skate, huh? There's a place I wanna take you."
"Okay!" Daine was always down to go skating, even if they did have to take turns on the board.
"Seeya dudes later," Bryan said as they headed for the small hole in the back that constituted a door.
"Hey, bring back something to eat, will ya?" Russel called after them.
Bryan hummed noncommittally in response.
Outside, the pair walked to the back of the small property, keeping close to the flowering plum trees, then followed the fenceline out to the road. It didn't do to draw attention to their illegal choice of living space.
Skateboard under his arm, Bryan led the way. They talked as they walked, enjoying the familiarity that had already developed between them.
"Bryan," Daine asked out of curiosity, "How did you break your tooth?"
"That's not a story I usually tell."
"Why not?"
"Well, it happened when I was still living with my parents."
"Oh." Bryan didn't talk much about his parents, but she had gathered that he hadn't had a pleasant childhood. After a minute she said, "You don't have to tell me. But I still want to know."
Bryan teasingly called her cub, but he knew that she wasn't as young as her years. And something about the way Daine listened, both intently serious and trusting, made him want to confide in her.
"My dad... my dad used to work all day, and then come home and drink. My mom would work all day, and then go to the bars and come home in the middle of the night. My brother and me would wake up hearing them fight." Bryan's voice was bitter with the memory.
"I was nearly fifteen, old enough to hate the both of them, not quite old enough to leave home. I was so pissed, and frustrated, and any night we didn't wake up to fighting my brother woke up with nightmares. One night when I just couldn't stand it for another second I got up and started yelling at them. When my dad yelled back, I grabbed the bottle from his hand and smashed it on the floor. He punched me in the face, and his wedding band hit my tooth and chipped it. It was actually pretty ironic, now I think of it. I still can't figure how those two ever got married."
Daine listened silently with a detached, angry grief somewhere near her heart. It was a horrible way to grow up, and she wished she could somehow take that cruelty away. But she couldn't, and the other half of her felt proud that Bryan trusted her enough to tell her things like that.
She became aware of Bryan watching her out of the corner of her eye, almost as though he were apprehensive of her response. Finally she looked at him levelly and said, "At least you stood up to him. Seems like that was the right thing to do."
He nodded, looking somewhat embarrassed.
"It was, I guess. But it didn't change anything. Later, when I was almost sixteen, I got outta there. I never felt right, leaving my brother behind, but I just couldn't stay. He still won't talk to me."
Daine looked up and met his eyes, marking the depth of his sadness. Suddenly a little insight snuck into her mind, and she thought she might know where he got his protective streak. It would certainly explain why he hung out with her, some random orphan girl. Then he gave her his half-smile, and turned the subject around.
"You never had any brothers or sisters, Daine?"
"Nope. It was always me and ma and Cloud, my pony, and they took her when they took the property."
"Bastards," he said sympathetically.
She looked at him from the side, and then opened her heart up just a little.
"But family doesn't have to be who you grow up with," she said. "You're like a brother to me."
His half-smile suddenly widened into a full grin, and he surprised her with a one-armed hug.
"Thanks, Cub," he said sincerely. "Oh! We're here."
'Here' was a skate shop. Daine's eyes lit up as they went inside—every wall was covered in decks, every corner piled with wheels and parts, and the space between was loaded with T-shirts and the latest styles.
They walked around a bit, just looking at everything, and then Bryan led her over to the counter.
He told the man there that there was a board waiting for him, and shortly the cashier dude found it.
"Here, man," he drawled, "She's a sweet ride."
It was a beautiful board. The underside was painted with oak trees, and the one in front had a defiant expression and was holding a chain-saw that said "Bring It". The wheels were semi-soft, a perfect compromise for handling both tricks and commute. Right near the tail was painted a little symbol, standard in skateboards these days. It was a magical charm meant to alter the luck of the board, just slightly, so it probably wouldn't fly into traffic and be smashed.
Money exchanged hands, and then they turned to leave.
"Here," Bryan said, handing the board to Daine as they walked. She took the board and ran her hands over the surface, feeling the rough texture of the grip tape and the contrasting smooth paint over the wood. Daine was enthralled.
"It's for you," Bryan explained, and she stopped short in the door of the building.
"Bryan, I can't!" She stared up at him, completely floored. How did he even have the money to buy a new board, let alone for her? "I couldn't even start to pay you for it—"
"No," he interrupted. "It's a gift. If it makes you feel better, this helps me out too: now I won't always have you borrowing my wheels! C'mon."
She followed him outside, feeling horribly embarrassed, or maybe guilty.
"Daine," Bryan said gently, "What else are big brothers for? Just say 'thank you' and get on, and then we can ride together."
She put the board on the ground, testing her weight on it.
"Thanks, Bryan," she said very quietly, and blushed. Then she grinned up at him. "I love it."
Kick-turning to get closer, she leaned over and hugged him—shoes never leaving the grip tape.
Indeed, her right foot hardly touched the ground for the rest of the day. She was thrilled, perhaps out of proportion. But she looked up to Bryan so much, and the gift was one of very few possessions she could call her own. He offered to keep it at his place, but she didn't want to part with it. She'd think of something to tell Onua. Occasionally she wondered how much the older woman guessed, and if she'd mind what Daine did with her long summer afternoons. But it wasn't worth the risk of asking—just in case.
