15. The Same Mistakes #2
Dan laid the framed photo down slowly. His head fell back as the tears streamed down.
~
Gus and Bridger tried to keep their public life as normal as possible even though they’d essentially betrayed the king of Livingston. However, it would have been impossible for Gus clubbing Max Stevens in the head with his skateboard to not bring about some unfortunate repercussions.
Skating at McNair, for one, was awkwardly tense. Max, when he finally did show a few days after his birthday, flaunted an unbandaged, scabbed temple. Gus had wanted to apologize, but Bridger insisted they had no need.
“He made his choice,” Bridger had told Gus when they took a break from skating under a tree. “Max started everything. He gave me way more bruises than you did him.”
Bridger glared at Max from across the park. The boy didn’t look back at him. Gus could feel their palpable tension even from opposite ends of the concrete.
“Plus, I know Avery and them are cool, but it’s only a matter of time until Max tells the rest of the crew that you and I are… dating,” Bridger said.
Gus’s gaze jumped from Max’s crew to Bridger.
“We’re dating?” Gus poked Bridger, who sported a rare blush and rolled his eyes.
“I mean, yeah.” Bridger said. “We better be.”
Gus smiled. “Good.”
After a moment, Gus had tapped Bridger’s leg. “Are you gonna be okay if he does tell other people?” Gus whispered.
Bridger paused to think about it. It didn’t take him too long.
“Well, I don’t want people to treat me different,” Bridger shrugged. “But no, I’m not afraid of people knowing you’re my boyfriend, Gus.”
The boys shared wide smiles. Gus had wanted to kiss Bridger so badly, but the park still didn’t feel a safe space to do so, not with all the eyes on them.
Because of the fight, the crew had split in half. Allegiances seemed in flux, but Coop, Avery, and Bennet decided to stay loyal to Bridger. One point in Bridger’s favor that Max’s side didn’t have was Tara and her friends, who liked Gus.
Today, Tara was skating with Gus while some of her friends sat on the bowl to watch.
“Tara, let’s go eat,” Sophia called out, bored. “I’m starving.”
Tara landed her backside 180 ollie, then looked up to Sophia and Kelly.
“Mark’s?” she asked. Sophia nodded. Tara then looked at Gus. “Wanna come?”
“Yeah,” Gus answered. “Bridger?”
“No, you guys go.” Bridger waved happily. “I’m still trying to add to this kickflip.”
Gus nodded and grabbed his board. Tara’s friends stood up from the concrete.
“Can I come?” Bennet popped right behind Sophia.
“Shit!” She jumped with surprise. “What do you think, noob?” She put her hand on her hip.
Bennet backed away, knowing the answer.
“That’s right.” Sophia stood firm. “Gus only.”
As Sophia grabbed Tara’s arm, linking theirs to walk. Kelly looked back at Bennet and blushed.
Bennet caught the girl’s eye and brightened. Kelly turned away again. Bennet visibly celebrated once she had walked off.
“Bye, see you later,” Gus said to Bridger, smiling.
“Yeah.” Bridger smiled back. His eyes fluttered with an idea. He anxiously glanced around the park as if double-checking something.
Gus looked around. “What?”
“Come here,” Bridger said briskly.
He pulled Gus in and gave him a quick peck on the lips under the tree right in front of Coop, Bennet, and Avery. Even though the three boys knew Gus and Bridger had hooked up, their mouths still fell open.
Gus giggled in surprise, flattered Bridger wasn’t afraid to show him affection around his friends.
Bridger pushed him away with a wink. “Have fun. I’ll meet you there as soon as I get this trick.
” He knocked on his flame board, refinished now after Max’s freakout.
It would always have its scorch marks, burned in from the day of his beating, but Bridger told Gus he liked it better that way. It was more dangerous. Badass.
Gus nodded at Bridger, then walked off with Tara and her friends.
Bridger scanned the park again to make sure none of the other locals had seen him kiss Gus and then continued to skate with Coop, Bennet, and Avery. The three friends joshed him up with playful punches about him and Gus.
However, far in the distance, at the other end of the park, one person had caught the entire romantic exchange with his stealthy eagle eye.
Max Stevens had glared at Bridger and Gus’s kiss with intense jealousy.
He shook his head as he looked down at the board under his feet.
Kissing? HERE? In front of everybody? Max glanced up and watched Gus walk off with Tara.
He scoffed. That twerp gets to be with Tara and Bridger. Utter. Horseshit.
Max seethed as his sycophantic skate crew sped past him over and over, blocking his view of his targets.
Max moved his head to eyeball Gus as he walked away from Bridger with Tara leading the way.
Standing there with his sore head and jaw, Max felt the deeper pain of both Bridger’s betrayal and Tara’s goodbye all over again.
How the fuck am I losing them like this?
Tara’s words came rushing back into Max’s mind.
It’s because you refuse to move on.
~
The days passed. Most of them, Bridger spent with Gus, woodworking and skateboarding.
Today, though, Bridger arrived at McNair Skatepark early to practice alone.
He often waited for Gus or his other friends to arrive as a group, but he needed some time free from distractions to work on still trying to land his new trick.
He had been aiming for a varial kickflip body varial this entire summer, and focusing on Gus had pushed the goal to the wayside.
But not today. He wanted to nail this trick and show it to Gus this afternoon after his work shift.
Bridger stepped onto the concrete with his board of flames in hand.
He pulled his MP3 player out of his pocket, put his earbuds in, and started bobbing his head to “Best Kept Secret” by Skillet.
Bridger pushed off on his board, hyperfocused as he gained speed along with the music.
He skated down the concrete bumps of the pump track and circled the entire park.
As he swung back around to the flat area, Bridger set up the risky jump.
He popped the tail, scooped the back, and flicked his front foot to rotate the board beneath him in the air.
But as his body spun around, the board dipped dangerously sideways, and Bridger bailed. He ran off his momentum as his board rolled away. He followed it and picked it up to try the maneuver again.
Bridger circled the park, jumped, and failed. He tried again. Failed. Tried. Failed. He kept attempting but bailed each time. Bridger just couldn’t stick the landing on the rare move. His boys would be arriving soon. Today might not be his day.
As Bridger rounded the south bend to build up speed for one final attempt, he placed his feet on the tail of the board, inhaled in preparation, and leaped into the air.
He successfully flipped the board beneath him and shifted his position to land correctly.
He stuck the landing! Then the board shot out from under his feet.
Bridger hit the concrete hard.
“Fuck!” Bridger cursed under his breath. So close!
Lying on his back, he groaned.
Bridger heard his SCRAPS board stop rolling and footsteps approaching. Still on the ground, he lifted his head.
It was Max, shuffling his way, the board under his arm.
Shit…
They still hadn’t spoken since the incident. Max still had a bruise from where Gus had walloped him at his birthday party.
The menacing skater clutched Bridger’s board like a weapon.
Fuck! Bridger flinched and crawled backward in fear.
The other boy stopped right above Bridger, towering over him.
“Get up,” Max demanded.
Bridger stayed on the ground, petrified. He considered yelling for help but, shooting his eyes this way and that, saw no one. Fuck! Where is everyone today? He looked back up at Max. He couldn’t tell if the skater would chuck the board across the park or hit him with it.
Instead, Max extended his arm and offered the board like an olive branch.
“I told you to get up, choad. And do it one more time.” Max shook his head. “You got this.”
Bridger blinked. Max gave the board a shake, trying to hand it over peacefully.
Is this a trick? What the fuck is he on about?
Max offered the faintest smirk and extended the board once more.
Bridger’s eyes flickered again with uncertainty, but he pushed himself up off his hands to stand up. He squinted at Max as he gently grabbed the board made by Gus, Max’s enemy this summer. Max and Bridger both held the skateboard together for a moment, their eyes locked in a wordless exchange.
Max’s shoulders dropped and he puffed out air thick with regret. His eyes said “Sorry” without him uttering a single word. He simply nodded sorrowfully at Bridger. Looking down at the board he tried to destroy, Max let go.
Bridger accepted the board into his own hands. He dropped it to the ground and slowly mounted it with one foot. Max took a step forward and leaned in close to Bridger’s ear.
“We’re the same, me and you,” Max whispered.
Bridger refused to look at Max. He forced his eyes to stay glued on the concrete ahead.
“You’re just braver,” Max added.
Bridger pondered for a moment. That’s his apology?
But then, he stepped off his board. He looked up at his first mentor, absorbing his words. That’s a lot for him.
Bridger nodded at Max. Max nodded back.
It was all they needed to say.
Bridger jumped onto his board and pushed off down the concrete bumps. He gained speed as he pumped down the stretch and circled back around to the flat where Max stood.
He bent his knees and jumped into the air, flipped the board beneath him, and landed the varial kickflip body varial.
“Hell yeah!” Max roared with pride. “Let’s go!”