Perfect Paradigm [part 1][edited]

The Show. I was the show. I am the show. The show starts when I come around and ends when I leave. The crowd goes wild, they laugh, they cry, but most of all The Show leaves them at the edge of their seats. 1

They don’t know how it feels to fly. Or how simply orgasmic that sound of the board going down the sidewalk is. They’ve never been off the ground high enough because they’re too scared, or their mommy won’t let them, or they may get hurt. They’re too scared and the closest they can get to it is watching me. I am The Show. 2

I am the most amazing because there is no other. No other has ever dared to do what I have done and no one ever will. No one I know has ever jumped a ten-foot gap between two six-story buildings with nothing but a flimsy makeshift ramp and a prayer. They’re too scared. They don’t have the big balls. They don’t know, don’t understand and will never understand. 3

But I do. I’ve wasted hours of my time in the back of Target riding with Kick Push on repeat until US Placers came out and then Lupe’s The Cool a little after that. I couldn’t get enough. But more I couldn’t get enough of that exhilarating feeling. 4

Moving towards legendary status, I had just won this huge competition and landed on the cover of the biggest and best skateboarding magazine. On top of that, sponsors called me at all hours of the day trying to get me to wear their shoes or their shirt or whatever. I was coming up to something greater than I’d ever expected. I ruled the world and everything in it. I was the world. 5

Who would’ve known? At only seven years old I faced what I thought the end of my days. This black cloud called leukemia had struck me like lightning, robbed me of my youth, of my strength, of my hair. I was waiting to die. I waited to die alone and maybe join my parents in heaven.6

I was an orphan and in reality my parents had died in a plane crash and I was some long lost princess to some country nobody knew about. I was seven. I was dying. I was alone. Until Mickey and Pumpkin came to me. 7

Mickey and Pumpkin were lesbian lovers and had just had their commitment ceremony just a month or so before the first day I’d met Mickey. Mickey used to volunteer at the hospital, mostly talking to old people, but one day they sent her to my room and after talking to me she knew she had to change my life. So they adopted me.8

Nobody thought I’d live past the first few months, but as soon as I moved in with my parents I started getting better. Now we’re this weird little family. They’re my mothers, plural not singular.9

I walked downstairs one morning to find my moms making out in the kitchen. Pumpkin sat on top of the counter with her legs wrapped around Mickey and they made kissy noises.10

I moved towards the Cocoa Puffs and they hesitantly separated.11

Pumpkin told me while adjusting herself, “Corey called wanted to make sure you were still meeting him today. I told him you were.”12

“Duh!” I said in between my bacon and grits, “Why would he even ask?”13

The infamous Corey Miller had asked me to show him the best spots to skate downtown, meaning 24 hours of nonstop skateboarding with him and his crew. The best of the best with the very best, me. And the even better part was he had a huge national tour in the summer and I just knew he’d invite me to tag along.14

“He’s probably as excited as you.” Mickey said in her regularly deep voice, “You’re in high demand.”15

I scooped a spoonful of the chocolate cereal in my mouth and replied as I chewed, “I know. SCG, Miller’s, Yo-Yo, all these other up and coming teams want me to come skate with them. And these sponsors. Did you see that board B&B sent me? Its so cool.”16

Pumpkin rolled her eyes at my lack of matters. She was the girly girl. Mickey was damn near a man and used silver ware to scratch herself. Pumpkin had always tried to get me to be mannerly, act lady like, and quit burping and farting in earshot of other people. I was just one of the boys, all of my friends were guys and the only girls I seemed to get along with were the lesbians, but that’s mommies fault not mine.17

Pumpkin sarcastically said, “Alright, honey, we wanted the news not the weather.”18

I smiled, “Whatever.”19

Four hours later, I was doing much of the same thing at some pizza place that Corey wanted to stop at. I didn’t really see the point in being lady like. I was with the boys and even though I stuck out like a sore thumb with all the guys, Corey and his buddy, Buddy B and my guys Morris, Alien Allen and U. G. in t-shirts and jeans. I had on this $40 shirt and a bandana and these really cute jeans on and my favorite pair of shoes…well I was not dressed for a day of skating, but I liked to dress flashy and stand out. I was one of the boys but I liked to dress up like any girl and I cried when I mess up my shoes. 20

“Your shoes will be okay.” Buddy B laughed.21

“No. They’re scuffed. I’m going to have to replace them and I got them at this custom shoe place in San Diego.”22

Corey swallowed some soda, “I don’t know…we’re doing this tour this summer. It’s going through San Diego and some other places, New York, Detroit, Miami Beach. If you came along?”23

“I guess.” I said smiling.24

Going back out to skate, I felt a little more free, I was going to be on tour in a few months and somehow that made the wheels hit the pavement a little more perfectly. 25

I lead the pack moving too fast for even Corey to keep up; we were on our way to my favorite spot, this construction site at the outskirts of town. It was nearly deserted and very hard to get to, some places we had to get off our boards and run through the thick grass, but it was great.26

This long winding road straight to it: long steep hill that helped gain speed for the ramp I had strategically placed. If the board hit the ramp at the right speed, I could clear a huge gap to the concrete foundation of the building that should stand there.27

I went straight for the ramp, positioning my feet in the right place for the jump and just like that…28

I flew…in the air the wind hitting my sides and face, my heart pumping, adrenaline overwhelming my body. Five seconds, but it was worth it. 29

I giggled gleefully like a little girl after landing. Looked back Corey and Buddy were picking there jaws off the ground. 30

“Do it again. Buddy get the camera ready.” Corey demanded.31

And just like that, I did it again while Buddy waited on the slab of concrete taping it all. I decided to spice it up a bit. I had to put on the best show I could for the camera, so I hit the jump and spun 360 degrees mid-air before landing right in front of Buddy.32

I screamed and pushed at the camera. Corey’s eyes lit up at the opportunity to catch such good footage. I grabbed the board and finished the show, jumping from here to there, perfect manuals into flips. Flipping, jumping, grinding, and twisting and turning. 33

Trick after trick after trick for almost five whole minutes. I was tired, but I had to hit another big jump before the tape could stop rolling. 34

Approaching it, the jump was nothing, a mediocre gap that even sucky skateboarder, Alien Allen could clear with no problem. It was there. 35

Maybe I overestimated it, but I know I was better than that jump. I went up the incline, bending my knees to gain more speed and then literally had to jump, pushing the board up and out, so I wouldn’t just go straight to the ground. 36

Landing onto the concrete the impact was bigger than I anticipated giving a little jolt to both my knees, but I had stuck it perfectly balanced. The board rolled right from under me and my face switched places with my legs, hitting the pavement hard…