Chapter 18: The Skating Tournament

The sun has fully risen over California. The light beams into the window of the Rodriguez house, right into the eyes of a sleeping Twister. He rolls around his bed, trying to avoid the light as the sound of his alarm clock begins to grow louder and louder. He finally begins to open his eyes. He wakes up and looks at the alarm. His eyes quickly widen.

"WHAT?"

The clock had "12:00" stamped on it. He rushes out of his bed in a panic. The Skate Tournament was today and it had already begun. Twister thought he had set his alarm to 10:00 AM last night. He quickly throws the blanket to the side and rushes to his drawer to grab clothes. Quickly changing as he grabs his camera and gear, Twister rushes for the door. Suddenly, he feels a swift slam hit his face.

"OW!"

Twister had whacked straight into the door as he was trying to get his shirt on. In no time, he brushes it off, fixes his clothes and rushes down the stairs. As he looks towards the door, a voice pops out from the couch.

"You late again, little bro?"

The sarcastic tone made it clear to Twister it was his older brother. Lars was watching some cops show on TV, clearly in the mood to plop on the couch all day. Twister, trying to rush his words, answers Lars in a panic.

"Yeah, LARS...so what?"

Lars laughs.

"You're little dork friends won't be happy with you."

He continues to laugh as Twister goes towards the door and responds in frustration.

"I'll get there. They'll forgive me. Why do you care?"

Lars chuckles while he answers.

"I told Anna you'd be late. I'm always right about you, dork."

Twister growls as he prepares to exit.

"Bye Lars..."

"Later DOOORK!"

The prolonged "Dork" irritates Twister even more, but he knows he did not have time for his older brother. Twister could not compete in the tournament. His grades at school had dropped before the new kids arrived, so his parents said he was not allowed to compete until they improved. Even though he begged them, they did not oblige. It killed him not to compete. His grades were getting better...slowly. However, he still got to watch Otto, Reggie and Rick. He knew Otto and Reggie would kill it, but was not sure what to expect out of Rick. He always marveled at how quick Rick was at picking up skating and how willing he was to try stuff Twister never had the courage to give a shot. He was excited to see if he could keep up with Otto, who was the hands on favorite to win. He had never been able to keep up with Otto's skill. He did not think anyone could. But, he thought it would be cool to see if Rick could pull off the upset. He refocused his mind as he got on his skateboard, about to get ready to ride.

"Little Cuz!"

Twister looked shocked as he saw Tito drive up next to him in Raymundo's car.

"Tito! I'm sorry. I'm in a little hurr..."

Tito interrupted Twister as he was ready to speak.

"Hurry to get to the skate park? I'm heading there now. Raymundo let me use the car. Fancy huh?"

Twister looked confused. Tito, who did not get the response of laughter he was expecting, went back to what he was saying.

"Anywho, want a lift?"

Twister thought for a second. He did not want to rush through the crowd on his board and wipe out. And driving there would probably be quicker.

"Sure."

Twister climbs into the car and Tito takes off. Tito is a slower driver than Twister would have originally hoped, but had already accepted his decision. Twister then speaks up.

"Are you running late too?"

Tito laughs.

"Nah, little cuz. I needed to close up the shop for Raymundo so he could watch Reggie skate. Then he needed me to pick up his camera. Not sure if Reggie's skated yet. What about you? Why are you running late?"

Twister looked down at the floor in a disappointed look.

"I thought I set my alarm for 10. I guess it wasn't."

Tito could see Twister's bags on his eyes. He looked tired.

"How late were you up, lil cuz?"

Twister thought for a while before answering, trying to remember last night.

"I don't remember. I was going to talk to Otto and Rick about the tournament. Rick slept all yesterday and Otto...he said he didn't have time, so I spent last night watching tape trying to write it down and..."

Twister's rushed words took Tito by surprise.

"Woah Woah! Slow down lil' cuz! So, you didn't get to talk to them?"

Twister still had not looked up at Tito, staring at his feet on the car floor.

"No. Well, I did talk with Rick earlier this week. But...well..."

The silence consumes the car. Twister finally looks at Tito, who stopped the car with a concerned look on his face. Twister sighs.

"Otto's ignoring me. Every time I wanna talk to him, he's busy."

Tito thinks for a second. It was strange to him. Otto and Twister had been best friends for years. He felt nothing could put a dent in their friendship. He had not noticed anything, even when the kids visited the shack. Maybe Otto had been quieter, but nothing too much out of the ordinary. He did remember something.

"Otto has been a bit distant of late. Seemed very nervous this morning. Is it the stress of the tournament?"

Twister nodded his head.

"I think so. If it's not that, what's the secret problem?"

Tito started the car up and spoke in his deep, thoughtful tone. Twister knew a "Tito Line" was coming as he spoke.

"Secrets are dangerous, lil cuz. As the Ancient Hawaiians say, "Secrets Create Toxic Waves To Those Around Them". They'll eat you alive. Always be honest with yourself and those you care for."

Twister once again nodded his head, this time softer. Those words meant something to him, but it was a lot to process at the time. His stress relieved a bit, as they approached the park. He quickly rushes out of the car.

"Thanks for the ride, Tito!"

Tito waves his hand and heads over to find parking. Twister's thoughts shifted back towards the tournament. He went into the bleachers and through the line of people, looking around desperate to find his friends.

"TWISTER! OVER HERE!"

Twister hears Harmony's booming voice over the busy crowd. Her arms were waving like crazy from one of the front rows. Twister slipped himself through to get to the rest of his friends. Anna and Harmony were sitting on the left with a seat open next to them, while Jorge and Sam sat on the right of him. Twister quickly got his equipment out and started to set up. As he's setting up, he realizes the girls event is finishing up. He was only hoping he did not miss anyone's run. He looks at the others when he finishes.

"Sorry I'm late. PLEASE tell me I didn't miss anything..."

The group gives him a blank stare for a few seconds, creating an uncomfortable air surrounding the group. Sam finally breaks the ice.

"Reggie already went. She didn't get in the final."

Twister's face turned down quickly. He knew only the top two finishers of each age group's final got to go to the State Championships in Los Angeles. They had all looked forward to it for months. Reggie had high hopes she would make it for sure. Twister's quiet voice finally surfaces.

"Oh. Is she okay?"

Harmony, the voice of confident optimism, speaks up.

"She's with her Dad. She'll be okay."

Twister nods his head and turns the camera on. He waited for Otto and Rick's division to come up. Out of the group of 50+ kids for each age, 10 made it to the final. Rick and Otto had both made it. He felt horrible he was not there to comfort Reg with the others, but the camera not being on her at that moment might have been a blessing in disguise. The festivities went for a few hours, before they heard it.

"BOYS 13-15 DIVISION!"

The sun was finally settled in. Around 3 PM, the ten boys enter the park. Otto, heading the group, waves towards the crowd in excitement, while Rick stayed in the back of the pack. The attention gave him a weird feeling. Otto, on the other hand, thrived in the excitement. The announcer comes up to the boys quickly.

"Alright, gentlemen. Draw a number. That will be when you're set to go."

They each drew their hands into the hat and picked a number. Otto looked at his quickly, ready to see something he liked. His face lite up.

"NUMBER NINE! Alright! Always save the best for the end!"

Rick saw his excitement, and sheepishly peeked. Suddenly, his face turned a curved grin before calling out to his friend.

"Best for last, huh?"

Otto looked over as Rick turned over the number 10 on his piece of paper. Otto's grew an even bigger smile, as they shook hands.

"May the best man win, huh Rick?"

Rick chuckled as he stared down Otto.

"Just try not to embarrass me too bad."

They both laughed as they went to mentally prepare for their run. The kids in the stands watched as the other eight boys went. The first five were fairly dull to what they had seen from Otto in the past. The sixth had a decent run, that scored an 85 out of 100. It was impressive, but did not sway the belief that Otto had it in the bag. He had been practicing for years for this very specific moment. Kid seven and eight both were unimpressive, which left the door wide open for Otto. All he needed was a 86 and he was going to LA! That was not on his mind. He looked at the crowd as they sat, seemingly waiting for something spectacular. Anxious. He imagined them needing a hero to shine. A golden boy to highlight the show. Otto stares for a while at the scene. This was it. He then murmurs to himself.

"Time to give these people a real show..."

He readies his board. Waits for the green light in front of him to go. Each rider had sixty seconds to bring their best moves. The light turns green and Otto is fast out of the gate, quickly executing his moves on the grind. The crowd starts to take notice. His speed and precision gets "oohs" and "woahs" from those in attendance. Twister's camera is steadily keeping up with his moves. Halfway through and feeling it, Otto prepares for a move he's practiced specifically for this moment. The "Alpha Flip Revert", where he turns the board 360 degrees while in air and turning his entire body in air off the board to land. He knew that trick alone could win him the run. He sets himself up. In the back of his mind, he knew a safer trick would still get him to LA. But he was here to put on a show. He set his feet. His mind set on his motions. He leaves the air. Gets his feet under the board to rotate it. Yet before he can realize it, his foot gets caught under the wheel. He hits the ground with a loud slam.

"Oh no..."

Twister's voice can be heard through the recording as Otto lies on the ground, clearly in pain. He stops the camera. The medics quickly come to check on the fallen boy, as the crowd whispers in panic.

"You okay, son?"

Otto looks up, still not realizing what happened. His leg has a sharp pain and his head a bit woozy, but nothing he has not felt before.

"I'm fine, I'm fine."

He walks off with the medics beside him. The crowd gives a cheer. That's when it hits Otto. As he exits the park, he looks up to see his score.

"75"

His fall blew it. Landing some tricks was great, but a clean run meant more than anything to them. The pain becomes mute from his frustration. The kids before him barely even gave it a shot. He did not know how to feel. Devastated? Infuriated? Disappointed? As his dad and sister approached, he spoke in a sharp tone, before they got a word out.

"I'm fine. I'm walking it off. Just leave me be."

Ray and Reggie, both clearly concerned, watched as he slowly, yet sharply walks towards the ocean. Reggie puts her hand on her dad's shoulder as she speaks.

"He needs his space. I'll just go keep an eye on him."

Raymundo gives a nod of agreement, as Reggie keeps a safe distance from Otto, yet still close enough to see him. Ray looks back at the kids in the stands and gives a thumbs up. Jorge relays the news.

"He's okay, guys. As okay as he can be, I guess."

A sigh of relief is given out, before Twister speaks sadly.

"I can't believe it, man."

Sam's voice mirror's Twister's disbelief.

"I know."

Just as the kids almost begin to sulk, they hear the announcer speak up again.

"What a tough run for Otto Rocket. Don't worry. He will be back next year for sure. Still, that means that Brian Stevens will head to Los Angeles! Congrats to Brian! Now it's time to decide whether Aaron's run will hold or if our last skater will steal his spot!

Harmony's face perks up.

"Guys, Rick still has to go! He can still make it."

Twister, Anna, Jorge and Sam all look at her in confusion. Anna speaks up.

"You honestly think so?"

Harmony looks at them all, as confident as she has been all day.

"Yep. I know so!"

Twister restarts the camera as the group looks down. Rick had been quietly watching from a bench to the side. He saw Otto's injury. Shock covered his face. First, Reggie fell short and now Otto busted out. He was the only hope left. Rick did not like that feeling at all. He wanted to go talk to someone, yet he knew he was on his own at this point. He walks up to the starting spot at a snails pace. He had played basketball before with minor crowds. Maybe 100 at most. Never anything like this. Groups of hundreds of kids and parents were there. All alive from the shocking events before him. Unlike Otto, Rick was terrified of the situation. He looked down at the board his friends had gotten him. He started biting his tongue to calm his nerves. He looks up at the scoreboard. The numbers boggled his mind at that moment. Everything was a mess. How in the world could he focus? Then, he found them. He saw his crew watching in the stands. He looked at each of them, seemingly deep in his own mind. He looks and smiles at the camera, as he hears Twister's voice in the crowd.

"YOU GOT IT, RICK! SHRED IT UP, DUDE!"

The other voices start to shout as well. He closes his eyes and takes three deep breathes. Trying to center his mind in some way. He, just like Otto, planned a routine way farther out than he was comfortable with. For Rick, however, he knew he needed it to move on. Just as his mind almost began to wonder again, he saw the green light. He nearly stalls out of the line to begin his run. The first few moves begin sloppy-ish, but he finds his rhythm as he goes along. The simple things he practiced with everyone helped ease him in, during first 15 seconds. The next 15 begin to get the crowd excited again. Otto's moves were fast, smooth and precise eye raisers, while Rick's specialty in moves were long, sharp and tense. Each move kept the crowd thinking he'd fall, only for Rick to land in just the right spot.

He looks back at the clock. Only 12 seconds left. Time for his final move. He came down to set up the big move of the run. He had one chance. The run he had was not one he was confident in. He thought to himself that the rough start and internal struggles to center his balance at times made him sure he needed a miracle, just to get to the 80 he needed to get second. It was time. He took a loop to get himself in position. Rick softly whispers to himself before taking off.

"Well...here goes nothing..."

He had been secretly practicing a video he watched online, with a move called the "Benihana Finger Flip". It was a difficult move, probably just as difficult as Otto's. It involved riding up a ramp, pushing your back foot out behind the board, while keeping your front foot on the board. Then, flipping the board in air from the back with your finger tip. It ended with getting both feet back on the board and landing all of it in one smooth motion. He failed countless times on his own. It seemed like thousands of times. Only landed it twice in the week leading up. The month of constantly trying and perfecting the move brought him home bruised head to toe. But if he could land this one more time, it would all be worth it. He begins his push. The crowd dead silent, as he gave it all he had. Harmony covered her eyes as the others watched in anticipation. She prepared herself for the same kind of impact Otto had.

"I can't look!"

Her eyes close. Silence for a few seconds. She braces herself, until she hears a loud boom overpower her ears. Her eyes open to see everyone standing and cheering wild. Twister's voice cracks as he jumps on his seat. Sam's face shocked. Jorge whistles through his fingers. She looks at Rick skating around the course and realizes...

He actually landed the trick.

She looks over at the others, celebrating wild. Harmony focuses on the camera as she yells, just so the others could hear her.

"HE LANDED IT?"

Anna bear hugs her in excitement mid-scream.

"YOU BET HE DID GIRL! I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT HE JUST DID!"

As they continue to cheer, Rick looks around at all the people, still in shock. He brings his hands over his head. Looking back and forth to try and wake himself up from this weird dream. He looks towards the board for his score, as he nearly falls on the ground in disbelief.

"94"

Before he can handle what has just happened, the announcer's microphone drowns out any other sounds.

"CAN YOU BELIEVE IT, FOLKS!? THE KID HAS DONE IT! YOUR VERONA SPRING SKATING CHAMPION! WHAT A RIDE!"

As the announcer brings him the trophy, Rick's mind continues to race back to Reggie and Otto. Even in victory, he could not help but think where they had went. As he holds up the trophy, his face clearly is not entirely in the moment. In all honesty, it had not hit him. Through the presentation, the cheering and hugging from his friends, his mind stays on those who were not so lucky as he was that day. They each headed back to their house through traffic. Rick's fatigue hits him. Finally, they reached home. Rick gave a tired walk out the car door. He wanted to nap before dinner. The Rockets had planned to get everyone down for a big cookout in celebration. As Rick enters the house, Reggie is waiting to congratulate him.

"Look at the big winner!"

Rick smirks.

"Thanks. You okay?"

Reggie nods. Rick then looked upstairs.

"Is Otto okay?"

Reggie sighs.

"He just needs time."

Rick answers sincerely.

"I get that. I'm gonna go nap. Don't worry. I won't disturb him. See you at Dins?"

Reggie nods as Rick sluggishly walks up the stairs and quietly enters the room, trying not to wake Otto. The lights were off and Otto's body was facing the wall. He tip toes through the room and slips into bed. Rick rests his eyes, trying to grab some sleep. Before he can accomplish his goal, he hears a broken voice.

"The best was last after all."

Rick looks over sharply to see Otto looking at him as he sits on the other bed. His eyes are clearly teared up, but he seemed genuine in his tone. Rick tries to handle the statement with care.

"I guess. You still would've destroyed my score. You alright, dude? I can't imagine going through that..."

Otto's voice goes quiet for a while. Rick, starts to feel that he said the wrong thing and tries to think of how to remedy the situation. His fatigue, however, keeps his mind blank on ideas. After a while, Otto breaks the silence, with tears beginning on his face once again.

"I failed today. I failed my family and my friends."

Rick looks at Otto as serious as he can. His voice matches his look.

"Hey. You did not "fail" anyone, Otto. You wiped out on an incredible move. There's no reason to be ashamed of that."

As Rick sits up on his bed, he continues.

"I got lucky today not to fuck up. "Leprechaun" level lucky. We all know you're the better skater at th..."

Before he can keep going, Otto's weak voices perks in.

"It's not just the tournament..."

Rick stops his words. It was the last thing he expected out of Otto. He waits for his friend to continue. After a few sniffles, Otto speaks again.

"It's embarrassing everyone. Not just me. I embarrassed everyone, by failing to win and by being a crappy friend. I've been so focused on winning, I was not even there to see you kill it. Didn't even watch Reggie's run. It's been all about me. That's what's embarrassing. I failed as a friend."

Otto wipes his face with his sleeve, trying to handle himself. Seeing Otto weak and emotional was not something Rick had seen before. It was strange. The confident kid, who seemed like he could conquer the world, was now breaking down in front of him. He had no idea what he could do.

Otto, on the other hand, knew his actions were not right. When he lost, he walked back home on his own and went to bed. Abandoned his friends at the event and missing Rick, who he considered his brother, getting a life changing win of his own. He felt horrible. As he tries to steady his voice, he realizes Rick is turned towards him, with his face towards the ground. His eyes begin to tear up too. After a silent minute, Rick finally responds.

"You're a better dude than I am, Otto..."

Otto gives him a confused look, but Rick is too centered on the ground to notice. His voice cracks a few times before he can get the words out.

"Who cares if I won? I wasn't there to help you when you lost. But worse, I let Reggie fail without being there. Just so I could practice some more. She's suppose to be my so called "girlfriend" and I'm never there for her. I mean..."

Rick finally looks up to see Otto staring at him with curiosity. He then takes a deep breathe and continues.

"Sam had a conversation with me a while back. When we stayed at his place to comfort Jorge. That night...he was honest with me and he was right about one thing. I can't give Reggie everything she wants. She deserves it all. I mean...I'm such a mess that I can't even be honest with myself enough to support her. I'm so focused on my own stupid problems that I'm not there for her. Or anyone else for that matter. I stayed up all night and barely helped Jorge at all at his worst time. I wasn't there to help you out today. And Reg...Seeing how much someone else can care for her...and how much I've lied to her, just for her to be happy. I'm not the guy for her. She needs someone whose confident in themselves and cares for her with everything in their heart. Right now...I can't say I can do that. You say you're a bad friend? Well...Well I guess I'm beating you in that too, dude."

Otto stares at Rick and Rick stares at Otto for a few minutes, each taking time to look at the window or walls, just to keep the awkwardness away. After a while, Otto finally walks over to Rick and sits next to him.

"Guess we both need to change some things. Be better, right?"

Rick looks at him and smiles.

"Guess so."

As the room goes quiet, the boys hear Raymundo's voice break the silence.

"Dinner's done!"

Otto looks over at Rick.

"You hungry?"

Rick laughs.

"I guess I can chow down some food."

As they go towards the door, Otto grabs the handle and waits to open it.

"Hey Rick."

"Yeah?"

Otto throws a small, joking jab at his chest.

"Thank you. You're here for me right now. Whether you see it or not, you really are a good friend."

Rick returns the jab as Otto opens the door.

"Same to you, Otto."

The boys exit the room and head downstairs. It was that kind of close bond that kept them level, through one of the weirdest days in their lives. For everyone, the past few months had been stranger than anything they've experience. Yet as always, their bonds helped power them through. The dinner Raymundo and Tito prepared filled their stomachs, as the conversations that night were joyous and full of laughter. With everyone just happy someone came out a winner, there was a reason to celebrate. It finally started to click in the kids' eyes. They were a tight knit family. In the end, when one of them won, they all won...