Broken Skateboard #10

Always...

The day started with a restless night, kittens wanting food when he can only give them little by little, letting them sleep on the couch was a bad choice. Struggling to just get a half an hour to an hour sleep really messed up his schedule for sleep. Unable to even bother sleeping because every noise heard had caused him to sprung up from his couch. Now standing in his backyard, leaning against the garage wall, staring at the sun rise. He will know that all slight things are going to be annoying. After all, he even heard the helis in the distance like they were watching everyone's move.

"Hey, uh... Nollie?" Twilight poked her head out from the sliding door. Nollie turned his head to face a very tired looking Twilight. "You look tired, Wassup?" He grabbed two chairs and set them nearby the window of his room. Twilight instictively walked out despite it being quite cold since it's still winter time.

"Yeah, I just kept on waking up here and there. Assuming you had the same ordeal, too."

"Not really. Those misfits just love to be up at three in the damn mornin... I don't think we'll have school for awhile as well. Shootings up here never tend to happen but once in a while a robbery comes by. Other than that, nothing on this scale and..."

"If we do have school today, are you going? Wait, never mind."

"Heh, It's alright. I don't think my brother will go out because of shit like this happens. Mostly, Schools up north just continue. But here... Everyone will probably be scared or "vigilant" about it. Tch... It's only been two weeks since break. Can't they not kill people for once?"

"Why would they aim for you when you're not a gang member? Why kill an innocent?"

"Because, that's how it is over there. I was affiliated with some other dudes from a rival gang. Even then, I'd get caught up from time to time... It's pretty shameful to have that on your back. Just is what it is, I guess." Nollie shrugged and sighed as he looked down at the condensation of his breath. "And I'm sure they'll come again, don't know when is the scarier part. If they know where I live. It's all over for them. My ma. Cicuta. Even you. I feel like I shoulda stayed back... This... This part of town ain't the best for me."

"Why are you even talking like you faced the inevitable? When they probably will stop since things didn't go they're way."

"Oh, they will. They're gangs, Twi. Come on. Let's get back inside before you get sick with just that on you." He said and went to the sliding door with Twilight from behind. He closed the door and headed into the kitchen, putting a tea kettle on the stove.

"So what is breakfast going to be, huh?"

"Tortillas, Beans, Eggs, and a lil sumthin of a sauce." Nollie grabbed a roller and a small bowl of wrapped corn torilla mix. Taking out golf sized balls, he quickly used the roller and made torillas out of them. He got out all the other ingredients and started to cook all of them on the stove.

"So what are you going to do once you graduate high school? I'm kinda curious..."

"Leave. Head to the west of the states. I haven't told ma yet but I'll leavin for good because I got this deal with these people." He replied as he put in black beans in the pan. "I've started skating a little more serious and she knows I'm sponsered but just that though... Sponsered by C*verse Shoes and B*nes. So this is quite a big deal for a person like me."

"Huh... Didn't you have a band in the making, too? And yout job as well? Very busy, I can see..." Twilight told him.

When she was by the living room stairs playing with the kittens. "I just plan to go to my college I had in mind... There really isn't much except they're well known to have the best academic students."

"Sounds like you don't wanna go over there. Nervous? Afraid? Confused?" Nollie asked while he placed three plates with the torillas and smoke beans. He then continued on with eggs, taking a pot placing in a little bit of water to boil.

"Sort of... Just a little scared of what's to come. I'm still not ready for change right after."

"You gotta bout five months left and in the mean time, think bout it. In the end, it's always up to you to decide of you wanna go or not. Not your parents, the Principal, Councilors, or teachers. You're the one." He said before getting a small jar of some sauce. "This one's a little spicy if you can dig..." He pour the whole jar in the water pot, letting it simmer with the fragrance going all over the place.

"Smells great. Really appreciate the words, My dad and mom want me to go there but I feel like going there won't do anything much. I'm basicallly the smartest person at school... I don't have any job experience though..."

"What's that got to do with college? Twilight, you are smart." He looked at her, leaning against the counter. A cup of apple juice in hand. "You've got a lotta roads ahead. Maybe be a scientist, chemist, something that deals with smart. Me? I have little... I mean I can cook but I don't wanna cook the same thing every day. I could go somewhere like a instrument shop. And I already work at a skate shop. With a bad background, I can serve fast food or work in a grocery store. You'll get a job in no time." He turned around and mixed up the sauce after turning off the stove. Settling in it on every plate.

"I smell food... Morning already?"

"Yeah, Tree boy. It's one of your favorites, too. Well, for breakfast anyways." Before Twilght even bothered to ask if she can help. Nollie already had forks and knives in his pockets. Two plates on his arm and one in the other, setting up the table rather quickly. "But go wash up now, since you're awake." He said while ruffling up Cicuta's hair.

"What kind of breakfast is this?"

"It's just an average meal. You've got two- homemade corn tortillas, black beans, eggs, and a sauce with many spices. Like I said, I can cook." He smirked, filling up his cup with juice. Cicuta came back wiping his face with his shirt. Sitting down and pouring juice in a cup.

"Lee's a good cook and he should really become a chef like you see in those cooking shows." Cicuta said, taking a bite out of some beans. "But ya know... I'm not down to cook for others to fail over and over to say or cook. Bet they'll gentrify the dish some other way and hey! You've got themselves a restaurant!"

"He's been secretly going back up North and things are started to get a little outta hand with the modernization over there."

"It's depressing. Which means... People will move away and try to find some place else. Or... Just shoot up the whole place like last time." Nollie smirked and Cicuta shook his head, sighing as if he was disappointed.

"For your information, Twilight. A bunch of gang members noticed a lot of people from this area buying restauarants and homes. So everyone sticked together and had a whole month for shooting. Both just the air and people. Over thirty people were killed that month. This was just five years ago, Nollie shot a gun for the first time. Funny enough it was during October. Thirties Up North as they say."

"You'd hear the pops of guns on the first night from here is what I heard." Cicuta turned on the TV as the news came on. "Turn it off right now or change the channel at least." Nollie snapped at his younger brother who quickly changed the news into a rather more terrible novella drama. Nollie grabbed the remote and turned off the TV. Having his phone buzz, taking out. It was an email from the Principal. "Hm... To every student of Canterlot High, as of right now we are in a bit of sudden news to tell you that school will be closing for the rest of the week. Stay on high alert and be cautious of your surroundings. As harsh as this sounds, there has been criminal activity in the area. Please be safe and once again, be cause of your surroundings. Thank you from, Principal Celestia and Dean Luna." Twilight looked up at Nollie who's eyes showed pain but had a large smile on his face. She then looked at the younger brother who continued to eat his food quietly.

"A week? At least it ain't the rest of the month, shows how lousy the investigation it'll be."

"I bet they'll just end it with out caring then some parents will disagree of the situation. It's worse up North anyways..." Nollie finished up his breakfast then cleaned up his share along with Cicuta. "You gunna finish that?" He asked Twilight who was nibbling on half of her first torilla.

"Sorry, I don't think spicy food in the morning is my thing, heh."

"No worries to each of their own as they say."

"Do you wanna save it for later or nah? Want something easier on the stomach?"

"Sure... You guys can finish mines if you want."

"Sounds good, I'll eat the rest if you don't mind!" Cicuta nodded while bringing the plate of breakfast. Twilight got up and grabbed some bread along with PBJ. "You can ask your parents to take you back home later on, I guess. Be careful out there, you don't know what'll happen when you take that first step. Also, just return the clothes any time as well or keep it."

XXX

"They're really trying to kill you even after what happened to my little brother? Shit, man. I hope they don't come at you again. They know you aren't even part of the gang." Roman smacked his lips and drank some beer. "Not only that, they seemed like a couple of new cats on their lame asses. Couldn't aim for shit. Like Cuta playing those gun games in the arcade." Nollie leaned on the bar of his bike. Moving back and forth on the bike.

"Well, whatever why they did that isn't great. Everyone here knows me some way or another. So they might as well start another war with each other."

The others looked up at Nollie like he was crazy but he didn't seem like he was kidding at all. His fists were white as he held on the bar. No one has never seen Nollie serious when it came down to gang problems. He'd mostly set it aside since that wasn't his business at all. But for everyone hearing this from Nollie, they were a bit scared for what he'd do.

"We! Are not doing anything. And so will you, Nollie. You won't start shit because you are not apart of the gang. You watch for any dirty fucks out there. Watch for you brother and mother. Not to mention that girl of yours." Roman crushed his can of beer and tossed it into the trash bin besides the garage.

"Wait- Hold on. You gotta girlfriend?!"

"Axel no! Don't you start-"

"Hold up, hold up. Hold up. You. Out of all people. Gotta girlfriend."

"I have a girl-space-friend. Not a "girlfriend" alright-"

"Cut the shit, Nollie. You've been talking to her and you went to downtown the other day." Roman waved him off and had a little smirk. Knowing that if he changes the topic the group would be less tense. And the only one who's tensed even more is Nollie.

"Ugh! That's because we went to that bookstore to see her favorite author. It wasn't a date and besides. I don't like her!" Nollie stood up before his phone vibrated. Having a call from his mother, he told everyone to be quiet.

"Yes, ma?..." He winced as he pulled away his phone. "I'm with some friends... No, I'm not back up North... I'm with uh- Twi's! Yeah, I'm at Twi's... Yeah, I am... She back earlier today and she said thanks for my clothes?" Nollie nervously looked around and everyone had grins on their faces. "Ma- No, she's not my girlfriend... yet? Ma- no!... Ugh... I'll be there... Fine fine... Buy groceries as punishment tomorrow?... Alright. Bye now... bye." He ended the call with a sour face when he heard his friends laugh at him.

"Aw! Come on, Lemme just live for a moment!" He whined.

"And that moment is up. Keep the bike here, I'm gunna drop ya off." Roman said and everyone walked away. Saying their goodbyes. The pair entered the car and Roman started it up, leaving the driveway.

"I'll be out for a few days, Roman." Nollie spoke up and Roman gave him a weird look. "There's a trip to Baltimore with the crew for a skate edit. It'll be here then we'll head over there." He added and Roman smiled. "Look at you kid. Trying to make it in the big leagues. Soon, you won't be a nobody and you're gonna get yourself your own skate deck. You've been doing those skate edits of yourself as far as I can remember."

"Yeah. All those times I got injured or hurt. I wasn't partying like the dudes in the crew because I was very serious about skating. Now they've changed after I been nonstop skating, I was progressively getting better and better. So their brains switched on and the gears moved. They still party but they always ask for help with tricks and I'm all for it. I don't care much for tourneys, I wanna show my skills on the street."

"Because you'll always find yourself on the street. No matter where or what you do. I know, kid. You wanna be on the covers of skate magazines, get interviewed- We all watched that short video of yours. So talented. I remember you were just some kid stealing the skate magazines in the stores. Didn't think I remember about that, huh?" Roman snickered and Nollie rolled his eyes. "You were always piss poor growing up and it's finally time to spread your wings. I'm not one to get emotional but you're like a second younger brother to me and havin my blood die off... ya get what I'm sayin, kid."

"Always, Roman. Always.