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The N’Goni skatepark is empty, and Jonnit takes this opportunity to fasten the knee pads and helmet that Gable gifted him. It would have been kind of endearing if it wasn’t so funny, but the look of pride on their face as they handed them over made Travis roll his eyes as Jonnit smiled at them.
He finishes with the helmet and looks out over the skatepark, suddenly very aware of the potential risk he’s taking.
The skatepark is in the air. It’s suspended high above the ground to add a level of competition for those who go there, and it’s sent more than a few people to hospital. Really, it’s a miracle it’s still going, the teens who skate there - dubbed skyteens by the locals - dedicated to keeping it alive.
He sets off for a ramp, slightly shaky on his rollerblades as he goes. Jonnit hadn’t always used them while skating - when he was younger, he’d been a skateboard champion, better at it than any child he’d ever met. He’d stopped when Zana started to get good at it, determined to be better than her in something she couldn’t do. That led him to taking up rollerblading, and he still finds it funny that Zana led him to his true passion.
He skates safely for a few minutes, staying away from the long drops over the side as he finds his footing. This high up, the night air is wonderful, and makes it so easy to feel alive.
He dares to skate a little faster, going a little higher and doing more daring moves. He can’t stop the smile on his face as he does, coming to a stop while staring up at the biggest ramp in the arena.
It’s famous for being unsafe, and everyone who skates on it is seen as a hero for their bravery. Jonnit wants to, but he isn’t stupid - alone, it’s a death wish. So instead he settles for a lower ramp that he can skate on freely, minimal danger involved.
Until he trips over and moves too quickly, almost flying over the edge of the ramp until a hand grabs his and steadies him.
“You don’t want to be doing that, huh?” A voice says, and Jonnit looks up to see one of the regular skaters looking down at him. It’s Jani, one of the coolest, most risky skaters at the park that’s always trying out new things.
And she just saved him. Jonnit would be mortified if the excitement didn’t win out.
“You’re Jani! You’re so cool! I mean— well I’m right but, thank you! For saving me!” He exclaims, watching her smile as she looks down at him. Jani laughs, patting him on the back softly.
“No problem, but you shouldn’t be here alone. Lucky I was hoping to get some early morning practice in, right?”
“But… you’re alone.” Jonnit says, and she smiles, pointing down at the ground to a group of people watching them intently.
“We come here to train early, get in some practice before other people wake up. But if you need someone to keep an eye on you while you skate, nobody would mind.” She says, and Jonnit grins.
“Can I skate with you?” He asks, waving at the people on the ground. When he looks back at Jani, she nods, and gestures to his feet.
“Wanna race?” She asks, and Jonnit nods back, smiling wide as he kicks off the platform and skates away, ignoring her laugh at his cheating.
It’s about time he made some new friends.