The late afternoon sun was melting over the rooftops, casting long, golden shadows across the cracked asphalt of Maple Street.
It was the kind of neighborhood where the sidewalks were uneven and the brick walls were layered in overlapping graffiti—a landscape that every skater in the city knew by heart.
The smooth rhythmic, rolling hum of polyurethane wheels on pavement echoed down the block.
Balancing a seven-year-old on your shoulders while riding a skateboard wasn't exactly in the safety manual, but Rex Collins made it look like breathing. He pushed off the ground with a lazy, fluid kick, his body making microscopic adjustments to keep them perfectly centered over the grip tape.
He didn't even have to look down at the cracks and pebbles; the board was just an extension of his own legs, swaying over or around them effortlessly.
"Faster, Rex!" squealed Lily, her small hands tightly gripping handfuls of his shaggy hair. "Do a cool trick! The one where you bounce!"
Rex winched at the pull of his sister hands at his hair.
"Ow. Hey, careful, sis. That pulling hurts, you monkey~," Rex told her, feigning annoyance as he reached up to lightly swat at her ankle. "And if I do a ollie right now, I'm launching you straight into Mrs. Gable's rosebush,"
"You wanna explain to the thorns on why you're invading their personal space~?" He hummed at her, trying to pull her chaotic mind from a trick.
Lily just giggled, completely unfazed, leaning her chin on the top of his head, using his head as a drum set.
The only reason she was asking was because she trusted him, fully. But she didn't press on, knowing that he wouldn't put her in such danger.
They were coasting toward Eddie's Corner Store, the promised land of artificially colored sugar. Rex shifted his weight, carving a smooth, wide arc around a rusted fire hydrant. As they rolled past the old municipal library, Rex eyed the infamous concrete six-stair, his muscle memory twitching at the sight of the wax-stained ledges.
A couple of kids sitting on the library steps paused their conversation, pointing excitedly as he passed.
"Whoa, dude is that Trix?" one of them loud-whispered.
"Tall, small human on his shoulders? Yep. That's him." Another answered as he observed.
"Whoa~! He's doing that so the cleanly, man. If I tried that I'll..."
"Yeah, no. You'll wouldn't be able to pull that off in a day off you're existence, dude." His friend interrupted.
"Hey, shup up! How would you even know?!"
"Because you're dumb..."
Their loud chatter dimmed as Rex continued.
Further down the block, a guy carrying a chopped cheese grinned and threw up a hand. "Yoo! Sup, Trix! I just saw that new edit on Insta, Man! That varial heel over the gap was insane, Bro~!"
Rex barely broke his relaxed posture, only offering a casual two-finger salute off his temple and a small nod as he cruised by.
"See~~?" Lily's voice piped up from her perch on his shoulders, her chest puffed out with enough pride to power a small city. "I told you! You're literally the coolest person I know. So don't make fun of me for thinking so when everybody sees the same, you big giant dummy~!"
Rex looked up and merely chuckled, the sound low and amused.
"Ouch... I only said that because your brother is a humble giant," Rex teased, leaning sideways to turn the board. "Like that giant from The BFG. You remember that movie, hmm~?"
Lily crossed her arms at the mention of her favorite movie, giving him a look of supreme judgment from above.
"Hmph~! Of course, but you're not as cool as the BFG. He has magic and is actually kind, unlike you, brother. You just have a skateboard and a meanie attitude."
"Oh, really~? So, I'm not cool enough to buy you those premium sour gummy worms?" Rex drawled immediately, his sarcastic tone betraying the soft, genuine smile pulling at the corner of his mouth. It was the only look he saved just for her. "Which is unlucky for you, because last I checked, the BFG only hands out gross snozzcumbers. You want a magical giant, or do you want the guy with the credit card and the keys to the candy aisle?"
Lily tapped her chin, pretending to weigh the options. "The worms are pretty magical when they're the blue ones..."
"Exactly," Rex grinned. "Which is also good, because I fully plan on making fun of you when you eat too many and get a stomachache later. I've already got the 'I told you so' speech practiced."
"I don't get stomachaches," Lily declared defensively, sticking her tongue out. Which was met with a amusing chuckle from her brother.
But, all moments do come to the unavoidable eventually. Her energetic tone dropped a little, the playful atmosphere dimming like a flickering bulb.
"Anyway, Mom and Dad said I eat too much junk food. Dad was yelling again this morning... He said you're a very bad influence."
Rex's smile didn't vanish, but it hardened into something more. He looked up slightly, head titling sideway to upwards to look at her. "A bad influence? Me? Please~!" He waved a dismissively hand. "If anything, I'm an awesome influence."
"And, well, the people who live in our house say a lot of things. Mostly because they don't know how to appreciate fine art." He added with a smirk that hid many unspoken things.
"What fine art?" Lily quietly asked.
"My unparalleled ability to sleep until noon~"
Lily went quiet at his sarcastic joke, her small fingers idly twisting a lock of his hair, with a look that said she was deeply thinking about something.
Beneath her bubbly exterior, a heavy, confusing ache settled in her chest. She loved Rex more than anyone else in the world; he was her hero. Even when their parents strictly told him not to show up for her, he simply flipped them off and took her anyway.
But the puzzle of their house didn't make sense to her. 'Why are Mom and Dad always so angry at him?' she wondered, her brow furrowing. 'Why do they treat him like he's this huge, exhausting burden, but they treat me totally fine~?'
She wanted to ask, wanted to know why their parents looked at Rex with such cold disappointment when to her, he wasn't even close to the word.
And from what their parents said, without them noticing that she was listening, was that Rex showed up to the hospital when she was born, angry, and hurt, because their parents didn't even let him know.
He only find out because his best friends mom worked at the hospital, and informed him about his mother's delivery, which is who told Lily about this story.
His best friends mom, when a curious Lily asked about her brother.
And from the look on Mrs. Miller's face when explaining, Lily could tell that her brother did something that hurt him.
So, how was he a disappointment? That was a question only her brother could answer.
But Rex never complained. He never yelled back, and he never talked about it. Which frustrated Lily.
"Don't worry about those two," Rex added lightly, sensing the shift in her mood. He gave her knee an affectionate pat. "They just don't understand the complex nutritional value of blue raspberry sour belts."
..
..
..
The neon sign for Eddie's Corner Store buzzed into view, casting a faint red glow over the sidewalk.
"Okay, end of the line, cargo," Rex announced, slowing his momentum.
Lily placed her hands on his shoulders and hopped off expertly, landing softly on the sidewalk. Now free of his passenger, Rex kicked his back foot down. The board snapped against the pavement with a sharp pop. He launched into a flawless, floating 360-flip, the board spinning like a helicopter blade beneath his feet before he caught it perfectly on the bolts. He landed right at the entrance of the shop, kicking the nose of the board so it popped up smoothly into his waiting hand.
"Show-off." Lily could only shake her head, before rushing to open the glass door.
"Hey, you demanded a trick," Rex smirked.
Before he could follow her inside, a group of local teens in baggy jeans and scuffed skate shoes pushed off the brick wall next to the ice machine. Their eyes were wide, having caught the effortless trick.
"Yo, Trix," the tallest one said, stepping forward. He looked both eager and a little tense. "You entering the Metro Open next weekend?"
Rex paused, his hand on the door handle. "Thinking about it. Why?"
The teen shifted his weight, exchanging a look with his friends. "Haven't you heard? Word is Calum's gonna be there. He was at the skatepark this morning talking mad shit about everyone. Even said you're a local joke who can't handle real competition."
The warm, relaxed air around Rex instantly cooled, as the mention of his fiercest rival hung heavily in the evening air.
"Is that right...?" Rex murmured, his voice low.
"Rex! Come on!" Lily called from inside the store, already holding up two bags of candy.
Rex looked back at the group, before a slow, sharp smirk crept onto his face. "Guess I'll have to show up, then."
Walking inside, leaving the group of shocked teens and a air of anticipation.
....
END.