Kids Adjustable Quad Skates

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

She sat on the bench and pretended to tighten her skates. Her eyes darted from one end of the rink to the other, but he was nowhere in sight. Every time her friends made their way around, they called her name and pleaded with her to join them on the floor. It was time for Limbo, but she didn’t want to play. After Limbo was Shoot the Duck. And after Shoot the Duck was couples’ skate. Maybe, just maybe, she’d have the courage to finally ask him.

That is, if he even bothered to show up. Most of the time he hung out by the concession stand with his friends. But sometimes they’d hang out in the boys’ room and throw giant toilet paper spit wads at the ceiling. She knew because her brother saw them doing it and liked to tease her about him.

When “To Be With You” by Mr. Big came on, her heart sank. It’s starting, and he’s not here.

Hold on little girl. Show me what’s he’s done to you. Stand up little girl. A broken heart can’t be that bad.

Who was she kidding? He didn’t even know she existed. She was a whole grade younger than him. And he was so … cute.

Waited on a line of greens and blues. Just to be the next to be with you. Just to be the next to be with you.

As the song came to an end, she felt defeated. She got up from the bench and skated over to her locker to get her shoes. Just as “End of the Road” by Boys II Men started, she felt a tap on her shoulder.

“Todd, just leave me …” she started to say. But when she spun around, she gasped. It wasn’t her brother. It was him, with his expertly gelled side spike and jeans tight-rolled to perfection.

Michelle smiled as she recalled that first time Tim had asked her to skate. They had skated the next song together, too (“November Rain” by Guns N’ Roses) and every slow song every weekend after that. Nine years later, they were married.

And now she was buying skates for their two oldest kids, Olivia and Jake. She knew Jake would love the ones with the cool Spider-Man graphics, but she wasn’t sure if Olivia would be down with the jeweled Pinkalicious ones. No matter. They were adjustable to find multiple shoe sizes, so if she didn’t want them, Ella would grow into them.

In the box:

• (1) Pair of Street Flyers Kids Adjustable Quad Skates – Size 10-13 (choose Spider-Man or Pinkalicious)

Woot