Masen Days Outtake 2: The Day Masen and I Skate

Masen Days Outtake 2: The Day Masen and I Skate

Excerpt . . .

Masen pops a handstand on his board immediately, shifts his weight onto one hand, tipping the board. In a whirl of motion, he’s moving fast, his right foot assaulting the pavement, his hand grazing the wall as he rides it. He flies through the air and lands back down with an abrupt halting motion. The wheels skid to a stop, Masen pops up his board, and then saunters to me. He shrugs when he’s in front of me – so modest and unassuming.

I have nothing to say. He’s amazing. I have no clue how to compliment him, so I don’t.

 “I guess it was all right. Looks easy.” I flick my nose with my thumb, and he looks away, a small grin complementing his features. He places his board at my feet and sits beside me. He bonks my shoulder with his own and points to his board.

“I can do it. You watch.”

“Watching,” he says, his tone amused.

I jump to my feet and gingerly place my left foot on his skateboard, then push off with my right, and promptly fall on my ass.

Masen makes a strangled noise, and I can’t tell if he’s snickering or gasping at the horror of me falling. Maybe both. He offers me his hand politely. His shoulders shake with chuckling, so I grip his forearm, pulling him down with me.

“Don’t laugh at me!” I say, laughing myself.

“It’s so easy, though.”

“Oh, shut up,” I say, standing and dusting off my butt. He gets ups, snags his board and offers his hand again. He jerks his head, toward – what, I don’t know. But I follow anyway, placing my hand in his. Any excuse to hold his hand at this point . . .

Masen's Notebook Entry . . .