Brazen Girl by Ali Dean Page 0,42
overcome by the absurdity of it. We can laugh about it now, but we know we can’t brush it off as nothing either.
“You’re right though, Griff. She did go to Stargaze at least once, so it sounds like she knows about Summer and where she works. What happens if you actually do get a girlfriend someday? You’ve never had a stalker before, have you? Do they ever go away on their own? How does this work?”
“Well I hope they do,” Beck says. “You know she came to the contest with her British friend Daisy. I was thinking Daisy might have been the other one harassing you.”
That sobers me up pretty quickly. “Honestly I’ve tried not to think about any of it all this time. I convinced myself if I went off social media and stayed on the east coast it would all go away.”
There’s a brief silence, before Beck says, “And if you broke up with me.”
“Yeah,” I admit. “That too.”
“But now you’re back in California,” Griff states the obvious. “You aren’t pro anymore and you still don’t do social media, but you’re in the skateboarding world either way. You’re part of our family now, Jordan.” Griff turns his head so he’s looking at me. “So even if you try to ditch this guy,” he says, tilting his head to Beck, “you’re stuck with all of us.”
I let out a shaky breath, his words comforting and scary all at once. “Yeah, I kind of figured that out on my own.” My eyes meet Beck’s in the rearview mirror as I tell him something I haven’t yet. “For a second there, I thought about transferring to the same college as Wyatt and Phoebe. It was right after I found out I couldn’t return to school for the semester. But you guys, this place, it’s got a pull on me now. And I knew I’d be miserable hiding out on the east coast. So that means I’ve got to figure out how to deal with the rest that comes with it. Let’s start with the Instagram bullies. We got one pretty much nailed down. You think the other is Daisy?”
“I don’t know anymore,” Beck answers. “There’s been no activity from that account really since the New Year. And she didn’t give off the same stalker vibes as Fliss at the party. Maybe she did lose interest. Maybe that could happen to Fliss too.”
“What about the Shred Live episodes?” I wonder. “You said they’re making it look like you hooked up with some people on it. Have there been any trolls getting all fired up about that?”
Griff and Beck share a look. “Yeah, I can’t even keep up,” Beck admits. “I guess I’d have to ask the girls in the show whether they’re getting threatening messages from any accounts.”
“You haven’t gotten any though, have you?”
“No.”
Griff’s phone rings and it shows a picture of his sister on the screen. “Hey Summer, what’s up?”
“You stateside?”
“Yep.”
“Yes! We just got off our shift. Can you pick us up and can we go to The Ledge to skate?”
Griff looks over at Beck, then back at me for approval. “Oh yeah! We have to pick them up!” I slap my palm on my forehead. I can’t believe I almost forgot.
“I heard that!” Summer calls through the phone.
“Sorry, I have a good excuse for being distracted!” I call back.
I’m sure she thinks I’m talking about Beck, but we’ll have to tell them about Felicity too.
“Hurry up, we’re waiting outside!”
I take a deep breath as we pull off the exit to get the girls. I still haven’t gone to a skatepark since I arrived four days ago. This time, it’s easier to identify what’s stopping me. Or harder to ignore? Either way, I know it’s time to face my fears and move forward. Hiding isn’t an option anymore.
Beck
My hands grasp her hips as I skate behind her on the pump track. I’m glad we came to this park. She might be acting more like herself but she’s not going after it like she normally does on a skateboard. Jordan’s steered clear of the bigger ramps tonight, getting her flow on the pump track instead. It’s one of the few places around with this feature, and Jordan’s always loved it. Because of the pump track, The Ledge attracts more BMX bikers, but it’s refreshing to have a different crowd.
“Were you really considering transferring to Hooper College?” I ask, not forgetting what she said in the car earlier.
“I did think about it, especially