when she grows up, she always keeps a pad of paper and a pen in a little pouch she wears around her neck. Deja watches her write:
Darnell is going to show Evan
now to do a Flat Ground Ollie.
Evan looks scared.
What's a Flat Ground Ollie?
Then they both turn their attention back across the street.
"Watch me," they hear Darnell say. He places one foot on his board, gives a shove with his other foot, then jumps on. When he is halfway down the block, he stops and does that tricky little kick that brings the board straight up, as if it is saluting him. "Now watch," he says again. "And get out of my way."
"He's bossy," Nikki whispers to Deja, though she knows the boys can't hear her. Deja doesn't say anything. She is busy waiting for the flat-ground Ollie.
Darnell starts slowly, then begins to build up speed, his sneakered foot moving in an easy rhythm. Just before he gets to the crates he's set up, he does something with his back foot that makes the skateboard tilt up in the front. Then it lifts up off the ground. He bends his knees and keeps his feet on the board. It sails over the boxes, with Darnell staying on easily, coming down with a loud thump on the other side. He rides it out, then stops abruptly, doing that little kick thing he seems to like so much.
"You try it!" Darnell calls out to Evan.
"I don't think Evan is going to be able to do that," Deja says to Nikki.
"I don't think so, either," Nikki agrees. She has a bad feeling.
Slowly, Evan rides his skateboard halfway down the block.
"He looks scared," Deja says.
Evan stops and turns around. He seems to be looking at the crates and measuring them in his mind.
"Come on!" Robert calls out. "What's takin' you so long?"
"This is not good," Deja says.
Then Evan starts up, gaining speed as he pumps away.
"Push on the back foot and bend your knees just before you get to the crates!" yells Darnell.
But instead of pushing on the back end of the board, instead of bending his knees and riding the board as it sails over the crates, Evan crashes into them, and his body crumples over.
Nikki holds her breath, her eyes as big as saucers. Deja holds her breath, too. Finally Deja says, "Oh, no..." Nikki is speechless. There is a long moment of stunned silence on both sides of the street.
Then Evan lets out a long wail. It starts low and begins to build, like a siren.
Darnell's front door flies open, and out stomps his mother in hair curlers. "What on earth! What on earth are you boys up to?" She rushes to Evan's side, looks down, then gently helps him up.
"Ow, ow, ow, ow," Evan wails. He is holding his arm funny and walking almost bent in half. "Ow, ow, ow!"
"Get in the house, Darnell!" his mother yells.
Suddenly, Darnell doesn't seem so big and bad. He looks scared, like he is going to get it. He meekly follows his mother and Evan into his house.
Nikki looks over at Deja and sees that her lips are drawn in, as if she is trying to keep from laughing.
"Are you going to laugh?" Nikki asks, shocked.
"Not at Evanâat Darnell." They watch Robert step on his skateboard and glide away. "Darnell looked so scared," Deja says. "And his mother looked so funny in those curlers."
Moments later, Darnell's mom, without the curlers, and Evan, with a tear-stained face, come out of the house. They get into her car. Nikki and Deja watch them slowly pull out of the driveway.
"Wonder where they're going?" Nikki says, more to herself than to Deja.
"To the hospital, what do you think?"
"Something's always happening on Fulton Street," Nikki says.
"Remember when Vianda's cat, Bianca, came back?" Deja asks.
"Oh, yeah." Nikki stops to remember the details. "She just came walking up the street after
she'd been gone a real long time. And she had a split ear."
"And it's still split."
"And then, remember on Sunday, Mr. Robinson locked himself out of his house in his robe when he went to get the paper, and his wife was sound asleep and she wouldn't wake up and let him in?"
"That
Darnell is going to show Evan
now to do a Flat Ground Ollie.
Evan looks scared.
What's a Flat Ground Ollie?
Then they both turn their attention back across the street.
"Watch me," they hear Darnell say. He places one foot on his board, gives a shove with his other foot, then jumps on. When he is halfway down the block, he stops and does that tricky little kick that brings the board straight up, as if it is saluting him. "Now watch," he says again. "And get out of my way."
"He's bossy," Nikki whispers to Deja, though she knows the boys can't hear her. Deja doesn't say anything. She is busy waiting for the flat-ground Ollie.
Darnell starts slowly, then begins to build up speed, his sneakered foot moving in an easy rhythm. Just before he gets to the crates he's set up, he does something with his back foot that makes the skateboard tilt up in the front. Then it lifts up off the ground. He bends his knees and keeps his feet on the board. It sails over the boxes, with Darnell staying on easily, coming down with a loud thump on the other side. He rides it out, then stops abruptly, doing that little kick thing he seems to like so much.
"You try it!" Darnell calls out to Evan.
"I don't think Evan is going to be able to do that," Deja says to Nikki.
"I don't think so, either," Nikki agrees. She has a bad feeling.
Slowly, Evan rides his skateboard halfway down the block.
"He looks scared," Deja says.
Evan stops and turns around. He seems to be looking at the crates and measuring them in his mind.
"Come on!" Robert calls out. "What's takin' you so long?"
"This is not good," Deja says.
Then Evan starts up, gaining speed as he pumps away.
"Push on the back foot and bend your knees just before you get to the crates!" yells Darnell.
But instead of pushing on the back end of the board, instead of bending his knees and riding the board as it sails over the crates, Evan crashes into them, and his body crumples over.
Nikki holds her breath, her eyes as big as saucers. Deja holds her breath, too. Finally Deja says, "Oh, no..." Nikki is speechless. There is a long moment of stunned silence on both sides of the street.
Then Evan lets out a long wail. It starts low and begins to build, like a siren.
Darnell's front door flies open, and out stomps his mother in hair curlers. "What on earth! What on earth are you boys up to?" She rushes to Evan's side, looks down, then gently helps him up.
"Ow, ow, ow, ow," Evan wails. He is holding his arm funny and walking almost bent in half. "Ow, ow, ow!"
"Get in the house, Darnell!" his mother yells.
Suddenly, Darnell doesn't seem so big and bad. He looks scared, like he is going to get it. He meekly follows his mother and Evan into his house.
Nikki looks over at Deja and sees that her lips are drawn in, as if she is trying to keep from laughing.
"Are you going to laugh?" Nikki asks, shocked.
"Not at Evanâat Darnell." They watch Robert step on his skateboard and glide away. "Darnell looked so scared," Deja says. "And his mother looked so funny in those curlers."
Moments later, Darnell's mom, without the curlers, and Evan, with a tear-stained face, come out of the house. They get into her car. Nikki and Deja watch them slowly pull out of the driveway.
"Wonder where they're going?" Nikki says, more to herself than to Deja.
"To the hospital, what do you think?"
"Something's always happening on Fulton Street," Nikki says.
"Remember when Vianda's cat, Bianca, came back?" Deja asks.
"Oh, yeah." Nikki stops to remember the details. "She just came walking up the street after
she'd been gone a real long time. And she had a split ear."
"And it's still split."
"And then, remember on Sunday, Mr. Robinson locked himself out of his house in his robe when he went to get the paper, and his wife was sound asleep and she wouldn't wake up and let him in?"
"That
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