CHAPTER 2: BUSINESS IS BOOMING, PART 1
With the lack of tourism supporting the local economy of Ocean Shores, the once popular tourist haven has become nearly abandoned by all seeking business; from hit hangouts to hidden gems, these sources of livelihood have been forced to close down one by one, in search for a new city to set up shop in in search of finding profits elsewhere.
Only big-name franchises remain in the city, such as the fast-food behemoth Good Burger, with many mom-and-pop stores have become nearly a thing of the past. As it always seems to be the case in America, big business always trumps small business, taking away the heart and soul of what the very idea of capitalism and the American Dream have appeal.
Sitting on the corner of the Ocean Shores Boardwalk, however, one sliver of this dying breed of small, family-owned business remained. That one business is the one and only Shore Shack, a hamburger stand known for its delicious burgers, sandwiches, and other fast food are made and served to locals and tourists alike, with all the food served made with a love and passion that no other burger joint could measure up to.
It is this passion and drive for greatness that has made them a staple in the city's culture, and still has allowed it to stay as strong, at least as much as it can be in these harsh economic times. After all, we did say 'nearly' a thing of the past, and, though it has held out far longer than its competitors, it is still ultimately delaying the inevitable.
Manning the counter as they have done for over 20 long years, Raymundo 'Ray' Rocket, and his lifelong best friend, Tito Makani, continued worked as the co-owners and main cooks to the restaurant, tending to the customers' every whim and desire. In the old days, their job required constant attention and vigilance, even needing help from the young Otto and Reggie Rocket with the occasional aide from their friends...
...but, with so few people still living in the city, only two customers were present in the restaurant at this particular moment, despite the time being in the average lunch hour for most, where the most business is found for the Shore Shack. Nonetheless, Ray and Tito wanted to provide the best possible experience for their two customers, just as they would for any other, in order to sustain the Shore Shack.
But unfortunately, their desperation has also bled over into their efforts for excellent service. Needing service, a customer raised his hand, asking...
"Excuse me, could I get-" One customer began to say.
Before the customer could even finish making his request, both Ray and Tito immediately rushed to the customer carrying various condiments, utensils, and other items, offering any and all service that they could possibly provide for their patron in a fit of overcompensation.
"Oh, need some ketchup? I got some right here!" Ray said.
"Some salt and pepper? I can grind it fresh for you!" Tito said.
"A refill on your Yahoo Soda?"
"Need a better batch of fries?"
"Or more ice for your Yahoo Soda?"
"A knife to split your burger?"
"Or a fancy umbrella to put in your Yahoo Soda?"
The customer, not expecting the two to be so quick and overcompensating with their service, stood silent and uncomfortable, slightly overwhelmed by Ray and Tito's overzealous attempts to meet his request, despite the fact that he had never even said what he wanted.
"...Actually, uh, I'm out of napkins. Could I get a couple, please?" The customer asked.
Not expecting the customer to want something so simple and minor, Ray and Tito now wore embarrassed faces after their overdone attempts for service.
"Oh, uh, right. Here you go, sir." Ray said.
Ray handed the customer a few napkins, handing them as delicately as possible in a continued attempt to overcompensate for his lack of business. Still overwhelmed from his previous attempt, the customer carefully took the napkins from Ray, gingerly placing them on his table.
"Uh... thank you." The customer said.
"And remember, anything else you need, just let us know!" Tito said.
"Yeah, thanks, I got it. I'm good for right now."
With the customer temporarily placated, Ray and Tito returned to the front, sighing in relief that the ordeal was over. Despite having only the two customers to serve, the lifelong friends and business partners exhausted themselves at their desperate attempts to appease their only remaining customer base, leaving them more disappointed and depressed than they were before.
Like many others still living in this town, they wish together for the days when the business was more financially stable, and the days were better, back.
"Man, don't you miss the days when we were packed with all kinds of people from all around the world, making big bucks and staying busy?" Ray asked.
"Yeah, brotha, things just ain't the same since people forgot about Ocean Shores." Tito said.
"I don't get it. We were the spot to get a burger in Ocean Shores. Nobody else could do it like us. Now, a Good Burger pops up, and they steal all our customers. What do they have that we don't?"
"Speed? Cheaper prices? Name-brand recognition? A drive-thru?"
"Yeah, yeah. I know all that, Tito. I just don't know how we're supposed to compete with that. So many years and work we put into this place, and it goes out like that. I wish we could have the old days back."
"Ancient Hawaiian saying: 'Those who constantly seek for the bigger waves may never know content with the waves they are given'."
Never once able to understand the cryptic koans shared from his best friend, Ray's response to this saying is no different, looking back at Tito in confusion.
"Uh... What?" Ray asked.
Before Ray had any chance to try to decipher Tito's riddle, or even look back on the better days of his life in a haze of nostalgia as he did seconds ago, a much-welcome face came to the counter to greet the two, taking away all his cares and concerns for one sweet moment as his guest greeted him.
Walking up to the counter, Reggie Rocket greeted her father and metaphorical uncle with a happy smile, gaining wider smiles from the two in response.
"Hey, Dad. Hey, Tito." Reggie said.
Ray, happy to see his daughter as any caring father would, rushed up to give her a hug, a gesture which Reggie gladly returned.
"Hey-hey, Rocket Girl! Haven't seen you around here in a while!" Ray cheered.
"Hey, there, little cuz. It has been quite a while. Been too busy to visit?" Tito asked.
"Sorry. I've been busy at the paper. I got the rest of the day off for today. Thought I'd spend some of my free time with you guys, now that I can." Reggie said.
"Well, how about you enjoy the start of your day off with something to eat?" Ray asked.
"How about a Big Kahuna Burger? Medium well?"
"Fine choice, Rocket Girl. Tito?"
"Say no more, cuz. Got one cooking right now!" Tito said.
Tito departed to the kitchen to make the requested hamburger, leaving the father and daughter to speak together. Reggie pulled up a chair on a table, taking a seat to relax herself as she awaited her lunch, and Ray pulled up a chair and sat down across from her, wanting to converse with his daughter further.
"So, how goes things at the 'zine?" Ray asked.
"Dad, it's not a magazine, it's a newspaper. I told you this last time." Reggie said.
"Oh, sorry. Seeing you doing all your work reminds me of the days when you used to make your own 'zine about Ocean Shores. I still got every issue in a box."
"Don't remind me. But anyway, the job's not too good, but it's not too bad either."
"How so?"
"Nothing's happening in this whole town. The population of Ocean Shores is the lowest in its whole history, and no people means no stories. You'd swear we were in a ghost town... or a Midwestern state."
"Well, you're not wrong there. Good Burger stole most of what's left of my business. so I'm not exactly staying above water myself. I have a few loyal customers here and there, but they're not the best tippers."
"Europeans?"
"I wish. That would at least excuse it. Hell, I wish I was a European, my last doctor's bill nearly took all of my earnings for the week. But, hey: at least retirement's around the corner for me and Noelani. I'm looking forward to being a retired old man, like Merv from next door. We should have a lot to talk about."
"Dad, Mervin Stimpleton died 6 years ago."
Seeming to completely forget this fact, Ray widened his eyes in surprise.
"Really?" Ray asked.
"Yeah. He had that heart attack and Violet moved to Florida. You seriously don't remember?" Reggie asked.
"Huh. Well, that explains why I never heard him make any more complaints to the H.O.A., I thought he just finally relaxed."
"But how do you forget something like that?"
"I guess the same reason you and I haven't seen each other in a while, even though I'm just a drive away from you. I was just too wrapped up in work trying to make ends meet, I barely have time to watch TV anymore."
"How? You just said there's no business here."
"I have a side-gig doing some board repair work online. I never kept Rocket Boards open that often, so I decided to take it online, and I get plenty of work there from around the world. Shipping's a killer, but I still make up for what I lose here."
"Oh, I guess that makes sense. Hey, how are you and Noelani doing?"
"Pretty good, pretty good. We definitely miss you, but we're still happy together, and we're especially happy you're making it on your own now."
Reggie stopped in brief contemplation over her next question, asking herself whether she should indeed even ask it, but she does nonetheless.
"I don't suppose Otto comes to visit?" Reggie asked.
Not too pleased to hear a sore subject matter brought up in what was an otherwise pleasant conversation, Ray let out a heavy sigh, attempting to relieve himself of the stress brought up by her question. Turning away for a short moment, Ray turned back to answer his daughter.
"No. I haven't seen Otto since he and Twister left to do their internet thing." Ray said.
"Do you miss him?" Reggie asked.
"Of course I miss him, Reggie. He's my son, just like you're my daughter. It's just... he was always so difficult, and we never seemed to get along. There are some times when I thought he was my best buddy next to Tito, and there are other times when that boy just didn't have a care in the world about anything. I wonder if he's ever gonna make it in the real world."
"You did your best, Dad. Otto's issues are on him. If he doesn't want to be a productive member of society, that's his problem. And if he doesn't want in on this family, he doesn't know what he's missing out on."
"Don't say that, Rocket Girl. I still have a share of blame for some of the static between us. He felt like I never cared about him or you, or as much as Noelani. Remember when I tried to introduce her to the family in the first place? All I wanted was to make Noelani feel welcome in the family and for you two to accept her, but Otto just wasn't so quick to welcome her as you were."
"As I was? Dad, don't absolve me, I was the one who said she wouldn't ever be my mother."
"I know that wasn't really what you meant. You were 12, I didn't expect you to try to replace Danielle, and no one was asking you to, either. I loved your mother very much, but she's gone now, and I love Noelani, too, and that doesn't negate the love I had for Danielle in the past."
"I know, I know. That's not what the problem is. The problem is that Otto's just a punk through and through, doesn't care about anybody but himself, and you're here covering his ass."
"I'm his dad, Rocket Girl. My job's to cover his ass, no matter what. That was what I signed up for when I had him. Same with you. Anytime you two screw up, I'm here to help. No matter what, I'm still your dad."
After lowering his head in sadness, Ray let out another stress-relieving sigh, hoping to find the strength to continue on the uncomfortable conversation.
"But I still wish things would be back to the way they were. Maybe he wouldn't throw away his life like he does." Ray said.
Before the conversation could continue any further, the dialogue came to a small pause, as Tito stepped in to serve Reggie her hamburger and french fries.
"Burger's up! Need any salt for the fries?" Tito asked.
"No, Tito, thank you anyways." Reggie said.
Reggie then reached into her back pocket and pulled out her wallet, preparing an offering of cash for the food.
"Oh, no, no, no, Rocket Girl, you don't owe me a thing." Ray said.
"C'mon, Dad. You've got low business and you need the money, more than I do." Reggie said.
"No, I don't. You need money more than I do. Like I said, I'm your dad. My job's to cover your ass. And in this case, just your bill. Please. Just eat, enjoy it."
Placing her wallet away, Reggie grabbed her father and gave him a kiss on the cheek, paying with a show of affection before he left.
"Thanks, dad. I love you." Reggie said.
"I love you too, Reggie." Ray said.
Stepping out of his chair, Ray returned to the back to help Tito in the kitchen, leaving his daughter to enjoy her food. Taking a bite out of her hamburger, her mouth was stimulated with the savory taste of meat and tangy vegetables, creating a pleasant eating experience and bringing her a short sense of delight.
But still focused on the trouble of her troublesome younger brother, Reggie's joy dwindled to anger once again.
"Damn it, Otto. Can't you see what you're doing to your dad?" Reggie mumbled.
[Soundtrack Cue: Iggy Pop - Repo Man]
Having concluded a successful shoot of skateboarding for their NewTube channel, Otto Rocket and Twister Rodriguez began skating down the streets of Ocean Shores, making their way to a strip mall containing an electronics store where they could upload their footage, still recording their performances on VHS and needing extra help to see it converted to a digital format.
As the two skated to the strip mall, Otto and Twister raced each other across Ocean Shores in a friendly but vicious competition, made between two extremely experienced skaters. Riding on their skateboards, the two best friends skated down the empty streets of the city, passing each other up several times in a tight deadlock that seemed to put the two at a dead-even position.
Having no pedestrians to interrupt their race or stand in harm's way, the race is freer to allow more dangerous tactics, for those willing to try them, such as our two subjects To catch up, Twister tried vaulting himself over a nearby trashcans and leaping over a mailbox, hoping to make a more linear path to the store.
In the midst of his trials, however, he merely ended up tripping over another steel trash can in his way, causing him to fall down and giving Otto a lead in the race once again. Not wanting to lose, even in this smaller of competitions, Twister got up from the scattered garbage and got back on his board, pushing on to try to win the race.
Finally recovering from his minor setback, Twister skated back up the road and even began to pass up Otto, taunting him with a middle finger as he took the lead in the race. Ever-egotistical and focused on winning, Otto, not one to accept even a small loss, even from his best friend, pushed himself harder to win the race, pushing his board forward with more vigor and speed.
As the race continued on, the two found themselves approaching toward a hill. The hill was not a dangerous slope, at least in comparison to what they had faced before, but it was enough to make any drivers in the road cautious, and especially most skateboarders riding on it.
Twister, playing things safely, knelt down and grabbed his board tight, keeping his center of gravity low to control his descent. Using a more cautious approach to the challenge, Twister skated down the hill safely, maintaining his high speed with the maximum amount of control possible.
Otto, conversely, did not replicate his friend's careful approach, instead seeing this as an easy shortcut to take advantage of. Rather than move down it more carefully, he jumped up in the air, leaping over the hill entirely, gaining enough air to jump over Twister entirely.
As he flew above Twister's head, Otto responded to his middle finger with one of his own, landing in front of him to gain the lead once again.
Twister pushed himself to move faster as Otto did, making the competition come to a near tie yet again, the race between two growing more and more tense with each moment. Each one had their eyes set on the lead of the race, with neither permitting the other to take it from him. After sharing competitively dirty looks to each other, the two put their eyes forward to the road, continuing their race.
If any would question why the two are best friends, what these two have in common besides their interests in sports, it is that neither of them enjoy losing.
"Why don't you just give up already, Ottoman? I'm already beating you!" Twister shouted.
"Nobody beats Otto Rocket, especially not losers halfway behind me, doofus!" Otto taunted.
Making a dirty move to get his way, Otto moved his board extremely close to Twister's board, appearing to a collision between the two.
Fearing this seemingly imminent possibility, Twister eased himself back, braking the back of his board to keep from away from Otto's intrusion. Seeing his plan work perfectly, Otto took the lead in the race once again, shooting down the streets unobstructed and unopposed to make the finish line.
Racing all the way to the parking lot to the strip mall, the competition has been put behind him, and he has won the race.
[Soundtrack Cue End]
Proud in his own victory in the seemingly pedestrian race, Otto gave a shout of victory, much to Twister's dismay. His dismay is not felt because of the fact that he lost the race, though that loss is a sting enough, but it is because of the fact that Otto took such a simple and unimportant victory too seriously.
It is a particular trait of his that appeals to very little people, including Twister himself.
"Whoo! I told you I'd beat you!" Otto shouted.
"Whatever, Otto. Can't we just hand Squid our footage?" Twister asked.
"Sure thing, Mr. Second Place."
Annoyed with his best friend's ever-present arrogance and insistence on being referred to as the winner, Twister let out a sigh to vent his frustrations. Trying to put his mind on the task at hand, Otto and Twister began walking to the store to enter, stepping outside of one of the few successful businesses still in Ocean Shores.
The building is a small electronics store named 'Squid's Electronics', displaying on the front of the store a neon sign that depicted a sea squid typing on a home computer, using its tentacles to type multiple letters that no human being could type with their own two hands.
As the two walked into Squid's Electronics, another figure that the two knew arrived outside the store as well, but his arrival to the store is not made to the intent to enter or do business with those inside. Instead, his business is made on his own, with those who traverse to this place.
Arriving is an impetuous young man named Lars Rodriguez. He is the older brother of Twister Rodriguez, but, delinquent and criminal as he is, he is far too estranged an individual for Twister to know personally, and the past they have shared with the younger sibling suffering abuse from the older makes any reunion unlikely.
Standing outside with a lit cigarette in his mouth, his typical skull cap, a trench coat, and a t-shirt that read 'I FUCK BEFORE THE FIRST DATE', he waited outside of the door for his first customer to come by, carrying within his coat the many products he had for sale.
As one teenage boy moved to the door, Lars displayed to the young man numerous drugs in the inner pockets of the coat, showing his inventory for sale.
"Hey, kid. You lookin' to get high? I got shit that'll make you go up, down, forwards, backwards, sideways, diagonally, to another fucking dimension, whatever you want. You like video games? One hit of this shit, you'll be getting high scores for 3 days straight." Lars offered.
"Uh, no thanks. It's, uh... against my religion." The teenage boy said.
Declining Lars' offer, the boy walked quickly shuffled inside, leaving the would-be deal for Lars lost and leaving him frustrated.
"Fuckin' straight-edge kids. Nobody appreciates drugs anymore." Lars complained.
As the failed, illegitimate transaction went nowhere outside, a small business completed its own legitimate transaction, with Otto and Twister waiting behind the individual to receive service next. The store of Squid's Electronics, selling any and all electronic devices, is the only business in Ocean Shores that has consistently great success, thanks in no part its owner:
Sam Dullard, affectionately known as 'Squid' by Otto and Twister. Never to be seen away from his store, treating it like his own flesh and blood, always can Sam be found at the counter and always willing to help and always knowing exactly what you need, and today is no exception, as Sam nearly finished a transaction with a young boy buying a videogame.
Bagging up the video game and handing the customer his game, Sam gave the receipt to the purchase, officially concluding the transaction.
"Remember, if the game's not good, you can bring it back and I'll swap it for something else, or give you your money back. That's the Squid's guarantee." Sam said.
"Thanks, Mr. Dullard! Your store is the best!" The child said.
After Sam helped the young customer, watching the child happily make his way out the door and proudly sport his new video game, he turned his attention to the next customers, finding them to be Otto and Twister. Finally reaching the counter to speak to Sam, Twister handed over the camera in his hand for Sam to take.
"Got some good footage?" Sam asked.
"You know it, Squid! All ready for the major view count!" Otto said.
"Got all the good stuff, Squid. Just need you to work your magic." Twister said.
Taking the camera from Twister to retrieve the footage, Sam paused in his task to observe the archaic VHS camcorder, taking note of its old age and battered appearance. Sam, always being one for the latest and best, visibly disapproved of Twister's choice of video equipment, shaking his head at his decision to use the old camera.
"I still can't believe you're still recording on this old VHS camera. VHS hasn't been in use since 2006. Don't you want to upgrade to digital? You guys are my friends, I'll give you half-price if you please just pick a good camera." Sam offered.
"No way! Me and this camera have been through way too much together. Besides, tape captures much better than digital for skating." Twister protested.
"It really doesn't, Twister. Even real movies aren't made in analog anymore. Not to mention your camera gets covered in duct tape residue because you keep taping it to your helmet. You sure I can't talk you guys into a better camera? I just got some YoPros in last week, these babies stick right on your helmet and capture up to 8K resolution, you'd love it if you just gave it a-"
"Squid! Are you gonna sell us stuff, or are you gonna upload our video?" Otto interrupted.
"Well, no offense, Otto, but the whole purpose I have this store is to sell stuff. That's how I keep a roof over my head. I'm helping you guys out here as a favor."
"You know what I mean, Squid. But here, you wanna play this game? How about this? I'll take a candy bar, you take a dollar. That's how much you charge for 'em, right?"
Otto pulled a wrinkled dollar out of his pocket, taking from the counter a Reptar Bar. Though disliking the demeanor in which his friend proposed the sale, Sam nonetheless accepted the deal, taking the dollar as Otto opened the chocolate bar and began to snack on it.
After taking the dollar, however, Sam smelled a peculiar scent, smelling the dollar and deducing the scent coming from it.
"This dollar smells funny." Sam said.
"I had some weed in that pocket." Otto said.
Shaking his head at Otto's poor money management, Sam set the dollar away in the register, putting aside the sale to move to his appointed task of uploading their video.
"Alright. Let me set up your video now." Sam said.
After Sam took the tape out of Twister's camcorder, he reached behind the counter and painstakingly dug out a specialty converter made specifically for VHS tapes, placing it on the counter and plugging it into the wall and his computer, then inserting the VHS tape in the converter.
"I hope you guys realize how much work I go through for you. I had to order this thing special from Japan." Sam said.
Clicking open the software for the converter, Sam started the conversion process, setting the file to be saved on the computer. Seeing a progress bar appear on the screen, the tab estimated the process to span a few minutes' time, leaving the friends with little else to do but wait.
And as many do when they want to pass time, they turn to conversation to do so.
"That's gonna be a minute or two. We can chat while it goes if you like." Sam said.
"Okay, then can I ask you something serious?" Twister asked.
"A serious question? Well, this is interesting, what do you have to ask that's serious, Twister?"
"Well, I was asking Otto earlier today, but doesn't Ocean Shores seem kinda... boring when nobody's here?"
Not wanting to revisit what he perceived as a moronic topic, Otto groaned in annoyance at Twister bringing up the topic yet again.
"Not this question again." Otto said.
"Well, hang on, Otto, he's right. I get that feeling sometimes, too. A lot of people come in here, and my business is pretty good, but it's also pretty empty at the beach. It's pretty empty around here in general. They come to me because I'm the only guy in town with smartphones and computer experience, and that's all people need these days to be happy. I miss when things were lively around here." Sam said.
"But the Shoobies! Don't you remember how big a pain they were?"
"I seem to remember a time when you thought I was a Shoobie."
"No, man, you were the Squid. You were the new guy. Even that's better than a Shoobie, taking up all our space and making everything too busy. I could barely get a spot on the rides at the boardwalk half the time."
"The boardwalk's closed."
"Yeah, but still."
"Well, I get what you're saying, but everything seemed better the way it was. Maybe I just miss being a kid. I spend so much time here, I barely have time for sports anymore. Oh, that reminds me, I won't be able to play hockey with you guys on Tuesday."
"Why not?" Twister asked.
"The Pretendo Switchblade's coming out, and we're gonna be packed with kids and all sorts of people."
"'Packed with kids'? There are barely any kids in all of Ocean Shores anymore! Can't you get someone to cover for you?" Otto asked.
"I can't be covered, I'm the manager. And I said 'all sorts of people', not just kids. That means pretty much everybody in Ocean Shores. Everybody comes to me because they'd rather play video games than go outside on the beach. The few skaters left all go to Zero Gravity Zone. I guess that goes back to what you were saying earlier, Twister."
"Yeah. Nobody going outside anymore. It really sucks." Twister said.
"Well, going inside does have its benefits." Otto said.
"Like what?"
"Like something you and I do nearly every night."
"Oh, yeah."
Misunderstanding the subtext behind their dialogue, Sam raised a suspicious eyebrow towards his friends.
"What? What are you guys talking about? Are you guys..." Sam asked.
"Are we what?" Twister asked.
Not wanting to say the specific words to the question he was trying to ask, Sam gave a suggestive motion to an action very... personal for two people to share alone.
After a minute of pondering the subtle and awkward gestures being made by Sam, trying to decipher his overly subtle suggestion, the confused pondering by Otto and Twister was suddenly and immediately followed by gasps and a disgusted realization, causing them to both groan at Sam's question.
"Dude! Hell, no! Do we seriously look gay to you?!" Otto said.
"Well, I never see either of you with a girl so I just assumed... Well, you know, there's nothing wrong with it. I don't care if you guys are-" Sam began to say.
"Squid! Me and Twist are not gay! I swear!"
In the corner of the store, listening in on the conversation, a less-than-friendly face decided to join in on the fun, carrying the intentions of ruining all semblance of fun for his own amusement. This spoiler was revealed as Lars Rodriguez, the most hated resident of Ocean Shores, taking a break away from his drug-dealing gig to annoy the friends.
Making his appearance obnoxiously well-known with a snarky laugh, Lars walked to the others and shared his unwanted opinion with the group.
"Could've had me fooled, Rocket Dork. Your boyfriend's my brother, I know more about him than you realize. This little faggot had Playgirl magazines under his bed and shit." Lars asked.
Forced to confront Lars once again, the friends all responded to him with unwelcomeness, hoping to ward off the persona non grata.
"Fuck off, Lars. Don't you have crack to sell?" Otto said.
"I'm on my lunch break. I just though I should stop by to laugh my ass off at my loser little brother and his dork friends. How many people watch your dumb little channel? 40? 50?"
"Woah, 50,000? I had no idea that many people watched us!" Twister said.
"No, dipshit, '50' as in just 50 dorks who watch you. And that's pushing it."
"Like you know, asshole." Otto said.
"Oh, but I do know from your last lame video. Nobody cares about skating anymore. Why do you think all the Shoobies left this stupid town?"
"So you do watch our videos? Guess that makes you a dork by your own standards, huh?"
"No, I just watch your shitty channel whenever I want to laugh my ass off at you, and you guys do it perfectly well."
Liking Lars' presence in the store the least, Sam spoke up his piece to ward of Lars quickly.
"You should know that selling drugs is still illegal, and I've told you not to come around my store plenty of times." Sam said.
"Hey, big guy, no need to cause a fight. I just came for good fun. Speaking of which, you're an awful tense guy, with all this work you gotta do. You sound like you could use some of my product. I got just the kind of stuff you need in this pocket right here. For the right price, of course." Lars said.
"And I've got a phone right here on my counter, which I can call the police with and put you in jail once and for all. We're not kids anymore, and we're not afraid to turn you in."
Having more than his fair share of time spent in jail for his many offenses, Lars growled in annoyance, angrily backed down, yielding to Sam's warning.
"Fine. Whatever. I got better stuff to do. Have fun sucking each other's cocks, you fuckin' fags." Lars said.
Giving his last vulgar remarks to the group with a middle finger, Lars angrily left the store, off in search of more delinquent activities to indulge in and more customers to sell to, hoping to avoid the law while doing so. His ilk has been warded off, and the friends have been spared of any troubles from him again.
Otto and Twister, more than impressed with Sam's handling of the situation, congratulated their friend on his removal the obnoxious Lars.
"Good going, Squid. Never know you had it in you to stand up to Lars." Otto said.
"Thanks. That's the best part of being a grown-up, being able to fight your own battles, and win." Sam said.
At last, the computer let out a successful beep, signalling that the VHS converter finally finished its job. Taking to the computer again, Sam taking the digital file transferred from the tape, began to complete his next work on the video. Pulling up an editing program, he started completing a full video for the two to upload.
"Give me just a second, you guys. I'll have this ready in less than a minute." Sam said.
After a few minutes of editing and a few minor adjustments to the video file itself, Sam finished the final touches on the raw footage, completing it into a full and proper video for the two to approve before uploading the new video. Turned his computer monitor to Otto and Twister to show them their completed work, Sam held a steady hand above the space bar of his keyboard, preparing to play.
"I used a new editing program that gives the footage less shakiness and sharpens it up from 480i to 720p. It should make the video footage a lot sharper than before, and make the picture a lot clearer." Sam said.
"Yeah, yeah, Squid, just hit play, I wanna see!" Otto pleaded.
"Okay, okay. Here it is."
Pressing the play button, Sam began to start the newly-uploaded video in all its glory.
[Soundtrack Cue: Sugar Ray - Rhyme Stealer]
As the video began, it started with an intro made with outdated graphics, and playing the selected background music without any footage to match its cadence and rhythm. Though with the song beginning to pick up its tempo and beat, and having a somewhat flashy intro began to play on the screen, the video made a somewhat promising start, even if made in the form of amateur work.
Flashing on screen were the computer graphics spelling out the NewTube channel and the video's name, reading...
"Team Rocket Presents...
A Sam Dullard production...
SHREDDIN' UP MADTOWN!
Featuring...
The world-famous OTTO ROCKET!" The intro read.
As the intro ended, the full extent of the video began. The video, consisting of only a few minutes, showed Otto performing his previously recorded-tricks of hours earlier, performing rail grinds, kickstands, ollies, methods, slides, and other such moves; all synchronized to the nu-metal song matching the action.
With each new stunt being shown at a different location within Madtown, each change was made with flashy, MTV-esque transitions that one would swear came from some obscure rock band from the late 90s or maybe the early 2000s; a clear sign of its age, despite being made in the modern day.
Although many today would not be heavily impressed with the techniques chosen for this particular video, Otto and Twister found themselves caught up in the video, loving each and every second of their completed work ready to be viewed by all to see. Sam as well is among the guilty pleasurers, having made his own effort on the video, but even he can realize how outdated the format must appear to the average viewer.
But he knows his audience and what they want to see, and he goes along nonetheless.
[Soundtrack Cue End]
When the main content of the video ended, the soundtrack going with it. Now that the main feature has been complete, the video went to black and showed the credits, comprising only of the names of Otto Rocket as the star, Twister Rodriguez as the Director of Cinematography, and Sam Dullard as both the editor and producer.
And two of the three express their joy with cheers.
"Now that's what I call a video!" Otto shouted.
"Nice work, Squid!" Twister cheered.
"Yeah, yeah. Guys, are you sure you want it to look like this?" Sam asked.
"What do you mean? That's all my best tricks!" Otto said.
"No, I mean... The cheesy visuals, the flashy words, and... Sugar Ray on the soundtrack? This is the stuff you want me to make for you?"
"Well, how would you make it?"
"Well, not like it came out on the very first days of NewTube. People at least try to make their stuff look professional."
"If by 'professional' you mean 'fake', then that's the problem. There's not enough raw, underground work going on anymore. That's what we do. We're the counterweight to all that fake shit. We're the main people against the system. That's why we keep it classic, just like we used to make it in the old days. We never change for anybody, we keep it old-school, because that's the way we like it."
Unable to argue against his friend's desires, Sam raised his hands in compromise, agreeing to upload the video.
"Okay, man. It's your channel." Sam said.
With a few mouse clicks and keystrokes, the completed video was sent to NewTube to Otto and Twister's channel, Team Rocket Sports, completing his job.
"Okay, that's one new video for Team Rocket Sports online." Sam said.
"Thanks again, Squid. You make this whole operation possible. You're the linchpin to it all, man." Otto said.
"Nice to be wanted. Well, anyways, what do you do every night?"
"Huh?"
"You and Twister were saying that gay-sounding thing earlier, and you got mad at me for pointing it out."
"I SAID WE'RE NOT GAY!"
"Okay, I got that. But what were you talking about?"
"I was saying that we smoke a bowl after skating or surfing. That's the best way for anyone to wind down."
"Smoke a bowl of what?"
"Of weed, Squid. You never smoked pot before?"
"No, I haven't."
"You wanna change that tonight?"
"Eh... I don't know, man."
"C'mon, Squid. Maybe Lars was right, you do seem like you do too much work. You could use a little toke of the smoke to wind down. You'll feel good as a motherfucker the next day, trust me. Besides, think of it as a way for us to pay you back for all the help you do for us on the channel; free weed. Can't go wrong there, can you? Shit, I'd take the offer for free weed."
"Not tonight. How about tomorrow? I close early then."
"Yeah, sure." Twister said.
"No, Twist, we've got Eddie's party going-away tomorrow." Otto said.
"Can't we just go tomorrow after instead?"
"Twister. Going-away party. Key words 'going-away'. He will not be here anymore following that day. He's leaving Ocean Shores completely. You dumbass."
"But why's he leaving?"
"The same reason as everyone else. There's no jobs or money here. That's why he's doing the big party before he leaves. Remember?"
"Oh, okay, right, right. I got it."
"God, you're such a dumb motherfucker sometimes, Twister. Anyway, we can't do tomorrow."
"How about the day after tomorrow, then? I close early then, too." Sam said.
"Deal."
"Okay, I'll see you then."
"Cool. We'll bring some FunYums. See you there."
Concluding their meeting, the three friends shared their special handshake, followed by the traditional saying of...
"Woogity woogity woogity woogity!" The three said.
With their smoke session planned for the the night after the next, Otto and Twister left the store to head back home, eager to check on their video's view count. However, Twister, still having his own imperatives preventing him from returning home, made a suggestion for a new destination for the two to reach.
"Hey, Ottoman, I'm hungry. You wanna get a burger?" Twister asked.
"Sure, how about Good Burger?" Otto asked.
"But we always go to Good Burger. Don't you wanna go to the Shore Shack, like old times? I was starting to think about it again after wondering about the past."
"The Shore Shack?! No way! My dad owns the place, need I remind you?"
"Yeah, I thought you might like to see him now and then, along with Reggie, Tito, Noelani-"
"I said no! I don't want anything to do with them! They all just try to hold me back and make me do shit I don't wanna do! I swore I'd never waste my time with those assholes again!"
Feeling far too agitated from the mention of his father, Otto snapped hard at Twister's innocent suggestion, causing his best friend to show concern for his unexpected reaction. Upon realizing his mistake, Otto, letting out a sigh, reached out his hand and put it on Twister's shoulder, trying his best to apologize.
"Sorry, Twist. I didn't mean to go schizo on you. I just don't wanna see my dad, okay?" Otto said.
"But he's your dad! He's, like, your family, dude!" Twister said.
"Lars is your brother, you saw him a few minutes ago. Does family mean anything here?"
"Lars is a fuckhead that nobody likes. Your dad's a cool guy. He made us burgers all the time and took us all kinds of cool places."
"He grounded me constantly for just trying to have a little fun every now and then. You call that shit 'cool'?"
"I think he was just doing his best to raise you, man. That's what dads do. Besides, you're an adult now, it's not like he can ground you anymore."
"Oh, since when did you become the whole 'old and wise' type? Major context you're missing: After he married Noelani, he paid almost no attention to me or Reggie, instead focusing too much on his 'sweet beautiful Noelani', and never spending some time on the waves with us. It's like he just completely ditched us for that bitch." Otto said.
"So, wait, he spent no time with you at all, and he also made you do a lot of stuff you didn't wanna do and grounded you a lot? That doesn't make sense."
"That makes perfect sense, Twister. He spent almost no time with me, and the times that he did, he did all the shit I hated that he did the most."
"But you don't want his attention anymore?"
"Not really. Now, I'm free to do my own thing, at last."
"Then, like, why are you still mad at him for not giving you what you don't want anymore?"
"Twist, will you stop overcomplicating this? I just want a burger and to go back home and see the view count on our latest video while we're eating. Can we do that, please? I don't wanna have this discussion."
Keeping his hand on Twister's shoulder, he gave his silent friend a shake, insisting on getting a response from him.
"C'mon, man. Forget about all that 'in the past' bullshit. Let's go get some burgers." Otto said.
Not having any immediate advice to give to his friend to help him in his situation, Twister said nothing more regarding the matter, dropping it altogether.
"Okay, man. But last one there buys." Twister replied.
"You're on!" Otto shouted.
With Twister's challenge gladly accepted, the two best friends hopped on their skateboards again, beginning a race to the Good Burger, making another competition of the next ride and putting their concerns and troubles aside for the moment of a sport of friendly competition.
But like any problem put off by procrastination, it is not out of either of their minds, only shoved aside for later to be handled.