Brazen Girl by Ali Dean Page 0,62
will be officially starting as Vice President at Brazen after Southskate Fest, around the same time when I start classes. So, we’re in this weird dream life together for a couple of weeks. Maybe I should feel nervous we’re back in a bubble like that first semester of college, and eventually it will burst. But I’m beginning to see that’s just the way it is with Beck. Long distance was a bubble too, and things will keep on changing.
For now, we wake up each morning together, and usually hit the gym for a quick strength workout. We’re pretty spoiled with the living situation too. Not only does the condo complex have a gym and pool, but now Beck has moved into the Jay Beach house, we have a little private workout area and a pool there as well. After we eat breakfast, we go skateboard somewhere together for hours. Sometimes we’ll be alone and other times friends will join. When we break for lunch we usually try to hit up a pool or the beach to cool off in the summer afternoon heat. If we’ve got the energy, we skateboard some more later in the afternoon. Beck usually cooks me dinner and then we spend the rest of the night in bed.
“This has been the best two weeks of my life,” I tell Beck as we lie on the bed in the back of the van.
The sun is rising and we’re in the parking lot at Riptide. Even though we’ve got two pretty great places to stay at night, I wanted to get away without any roommates before heading to Southskate tomorrow. I still haven’t skated at Riptide since the crash, and if I’m going to do it, now’s my chance without anyone around.
“Yeah, me too.” Beck’s fingers stroke my back, and I can tell he’s not totally awake yet.
“I have an idea.”
“What’s that?”
“Instead of engaging the bare minimum on social media, I want to open up and tell a little bit of my story.”
Beck’s hand stops absently stroking my bare skin and moves to my hip. I’m lying on his chest, and in one strong pull, he slides me up his body until my face is inches from his.
“Are people giving you shit already on social media?” He’s awake now, that’s for sure.
“No, Beck. I promise, this time I’ll tell you, okay? Maybe not about every single message and comment, because once everyone knows we’re together I’m sure there will be a lot, but I’ll tell you if there are threats.”
“What prompted this idea then? It’s not like you.”
“Nothing really. It’s been nice having minimal action on social media these past two weeks since opening new accounts. But I know that won’t last. Not after Southskate. I guess I realized I’m not really giving people anything else to talk about or think of me if who I’m dating is the most interesting topic. Maybe I need to tell them a little bit more about who I am besides a skateboarder who is connected to Beckett Steele and Griffin Perry.”
Beck’s concerned expression softens as I speak, and now he gives me a smile. “I can help with that.”
“I actually already wrote up a little story. I thought I’d post half of it today and half of it tomorrow since it’s so long.”
“A story?”
“Yeah, just a condensed version about how I came to Summerside to skate the best parks, and ended up meeting you and Griff, your sisters, Taylor. I don’t get into the online bullying, I think that’s just giving the trolls attention and asking for more of it at this point.”
“So this little story, how much of it is about you and me?”
“None of it. That’s the point. I want people to see I’m more than your girlfriend. You’re part of the group that’s supported me all this time, but once they learn we’re together, I don’t want to be just Beckett Steele’s girlfriend.”
“No, you want to be someone else’s too?” he teases.
“I want to be me, Jordan Slattery.”
“I get why you don’t want to share about the stalker and threats, but are you only going to talk about the good stuff or will you talk about the recovery from the concussion too?”
“I want to talk about the recovery too. I think I even want to tell people about how I couldn’t skateboard at all for four months. I can’t be the only one who’s experienced this. And maybe if I share my story it will help others.”
“And then