Here is a story I just made up... based on various true stories:
There once was a boy, he was a freshman in high school and he loved skateboarding. He wanted to make it big. He would go out everyday and skate his heart out at his local spots around town and sometimes up at the skatepark when his parents could give him a ride. He would skate sometimes with friends, sometimes alone. He could not get his mind on anything else. He got out of school everyday just waiting to go skate, One day, near the end of the school year, he and his friends brought their boards to school so they could all go skate directly afterwards.
They piled into a friend’s car and drove up to the skatepark blasting loud rap music. The friend had a really nice system. They pulled up to the skatepark to find out that there were already some skaters up there. The boy looked at the unfamiliar cars in the parking and noticed all the skate stickers on the bumpers of the cars. “Damn, these guys must be good.”
They all walked up to the skatepark, mall grabbing their boards, and saw that the skaters up there were older than they were and really good. Somebody recognized a few of the guys and said “ woah this is the Downtown Skateshop skate team!” Everybody instantly revered these guys. Not only could these guys shred like no one else, but they were actually sponsored by the famous Downtown Skateshop! One friend suggested going and getting drinks instead of skating because he didn’t want to be called a poser by the “good” skaters. Two other friends instantly followed. Two more of the friends didn’t care that they were now in the territory of these guys and went skating anyways. The main character was too scared. He stood by the fence and watched their every move. He idolized these guys instantly and knew he wanted to be like them from how they ride their skateboards to how they wore their clothes.
Ten minutes went by and one of the friends came up to the main boy and asked him why he wasn’t skating. He said he didn’t feel like it. He really was too nervous to show what he could do. He over heard the sponsored skaters telling stories about partying and doing drugs. It got into his mind that that is how they got so good at skating.
The session was about over for the Skateshop skaters and they all started heading out to go some kegger party downtown. The main boy felt as if they all looked down on him for not skating during the sesh but one of the guys said, “what up?” to him as he left. The main character felt recognized and didn’t feel like a total outcast anymore simply from that one guy just saying “hi.” The friends grouped together and talked about how good the Skateshop skaters were and mimicked things they said. The main character kept silent. All of a sudden he felt like skating again. Just as he started, all the friends wanted to leave. “oh well, maybe next time” he thought.
A few days go by and that one session at the skatepark is all the main character could think about. How graceful these guys were on their skateboard and how easy they made it look.
The school year ends and summer vacation begins. The main character’s board is flexing and has razor tail, not good. He needs a new board but doesn’t have the money. He decides to mow lawns for money. He goes around asking neighbors if they need their lawns mowed. A few neighbors agreed and the main character did it at a fairly low price just so he’d get the job.
Throughout the next week or so the main character comes up with the money. He asks his parents if they would drive him to Downtown Skateshop. They didn’t agree at first, but the main character convinced them in the end and agreed they would go there tomorrow.
Tomorrow rolls around and the family drives to Downtown. His dad drops him off at the front door and says he’s going to find a parking spot. The main character looks up at the sign “Downtown Skateshop.” Wow he thought. He nervously approaches the front door and walks in.
The walls are filled with shoes on one side and decks on the other. In the middle are racks of skate shirts of all kinds. The person behind the counter says “ Hey how are you doing? Can I help you with anything?” The main character stutters at first but says “I’m good. I need a new board.” “Excellent! We have all kinds of boards, any kind in particular?” “Uh, I don’t know.” “Well look around and if you need anything, speak up!” “Ok.” The main character looks around at the boards and a certain one sticks out to him. “That one,” he said, “Can I see it?” The associate takes it down and placed it on the counter. The main character looks at the graphic and runs his hand across the plastic film it is enclosed in. “Wow,” he says. He flips it over and there is a sticker on the outside that says “8.25.” A bit bigger than he is used to. The cashier sees him looking at the sticker and says “ What size do you usually ride?” “8,” he responded. “8.25 is a good size. I personally ride 8.5, but that’s just me. Try it out you might like it.” “Alright” he says back. “Need me to grip it?” “Sure”. The cashier goes and starts to grip the board. The main character stands back and looks around. He watches the cashier, looks at the hardware underneath the counter, and back at the tv screen where a skate video is playing.
All of a sudden the door opens and a loud ruckus enters. It’s the skaters from the skatepark! The cashier looks up and says “Hey guys!” Everybody is talking real loud and it is hard to distinguish a definitive train of speech. The guys all walk to the back of the shop and close the door. A few seconds later a funny odor seeps across the room. They are smoking bud. The cashier finished gripping the board and the main character goes up to the register to pay for the new board and his dad walks in.
“What is going on here!?” the dad yells. He obviously smells the pot since it is probably some loud cali shit they are smoking. “I leave you 10 minutes in here and you burn one down?” “Dad, what are you talking about? I am just buying a board.” The cashier chimes in, “Yeah, sir. That’s not him, he was just here buying a skateboard.” “Well we don’t want your business, come on son, you don’t need to associate with pot smokers!” The father grabs the son and drags him out of there. No skateboard in hand. He gets chewed out in front of everyone in the shopping area as they walk towards the car. “But, Dad! I want my skateboard!” The mother is standing by the car and the son is basically in tears. “What happened?” chimed in the mom. “Dad wouldn’t let me buy my skateboard because people were smoking in the skateshop!” “Dad, is that what happened?” said the mom. “Yes! We have got to deter this behavior from a young age because we don’t know where he will be in a few years!” said the dad. “Dad I just want to skateboard! I’m not doing drugs, I’m skateboarding! I already gave them my money and you don’t even care!” The mother asks, “ Aw at least let him go get his skateboard.” The guy already gripped it and everything. “Father, just let son go get his skateboard”
“Fine,” said the dad, “but if I even smell any pot on you on your way back don’t even think about getting back in this car!”
The main character ran up to the skate shop went in again. The crowd was in the main room again. “I was hoping you’d come back. I was about to give this board away.” said the cashier. “Yeah, my dad can be a dick sometimes. He doesn’t like drugs.” The cashier said, “Here. Here’s some extra stickers just because. I hope your dad doesn’t mind them. Keep ‘em all or give some out to your friends, whatever you want.” “Cool.” The main character grabbed the stickers and ran out back to the car. He smelled himself and didn’t smell like any of that grand daddy kush they were smoking.
The family got in the car and they all drove back home happily ever after. The main character hugged his new skateboard the whole way home and put his trucks on it right when he got home. “Just wait till I show all my friends, they might actually think I’m sponsored if I give them some of my stickers. Hell, maybe I am sponsored already. They gave me free stickers didn’t they? Awesome!” he thought.
