Logs:Uncool

Uncool
Dramatis Personae Gaétan, Spencer
In Absentia	2020-08-13 "Ugh, why couldn't this wait for school to start?"
Location <NYC> Riverside Skate Park - Upper West Side
Tucked between Riverside Drive in Morningside Heights, and the Hudson River, the Riverside Skate Park is a mecca for skaters of all ages. The fenced in area is ringed by trees, and the park itself is actually manned by a city attendant during daylight hours. Skaters must sign a waiver before using the facilities, but anyone can come in just to watch. Also, Friday-Sunday food and drink vendors often circle the park, or come inside to sell their wares. Inside, the park is packed with skate trick elements. Many can be daisy-chained together in complex routines; ramps, jumps, rails and curbs. There is also a competition-sized half-pipe wide enough to support several riders at once. All of the trick elements are sturdy, and well built, because the city doesn't want to get sued. Skate on! It's a cool day, by August standards, and by the tail end of the afternoon the skaters who had been out in droves earlier are starting to thin out. There's still a line for the half-pipe, but plenty of space to play and plenty of daylight left to do it under. Spence, however, is not playing. Dressed in a sky blue t-shirt with the words 'Shalom, Y'all!' printed beneath a cartoonish arc of rainbow, black shorts, and much-scuffed bright yellow sneakers, he's slumped in one of the benches out by the fence, typically occupied by parents or cliques of older teenagers. He's still breathing hard, despite having gotten off his hoverboard (custom modded to look even more futuristic) several minutes ago. "I'm sorry, man, I don't know why I'm so tired." His tone is frustrated, his gray eyes drifting to the half-pipe with undisguised longing. Gaétan is sitting on his own hoverboard, one leg beneath him and the other hanging off its side. In grey shorts, a red v-neck tee, he's not particularly eye catching. He's been studying Spence (for signs of life?) for a short while, and offers out a water bottle when the other boy speaks. "You need food? You look kind of like Shane or B if they haven't eaten in the past five minutes." Spence takes the water bottle and drinks deep. Hands it back. "I dunno, I guess maybe? But we ate before we came, and I'm not hungry at all." Granted, he hadn't eaten a lot before, either. Finally he shakes his head. "You should go skate," he says, with obvious, unconvincing bravado. "I'll watch while I rest up. Maybe I can take a video!" He's actually warming to his forced suggestion, just a bit. "Obviously no posting without your review." Gaétan's brows screw up. He presses his hoverboard a little lower, foot resting on the ground so that he can propel himself idly side to side. "You're always hungry." It sounds almost accusatory. A little suspicious. "You want to go home? We could play Rocket League." "It's just been so hot, though," Spence retorts, nevermind that it's gloriously mild at the moment. He's mostly -- finally! -- caught his breath by now. "Anyway, I'm feeling a lot better now," he insists, pushing himself off the bench and bouncing up onto his toes as proof. But even so his movements are sluggish. He picks up his hoverboard but doesn't turn it on. Bites his lower lip. "Do you actually wanna do that?" He's sounding and looking skeptical about this. "It was hot yesterday. We came out here cuz it wasn't hot for once in this hellhole." The frown that has etched itself into Gaétan's forehead is not leaving. He touches the back of his hand to his own head, leans over to touch his other to Spence's. "Are you sick? Now you just sound like my brother. Right down to pretending you feel better when you actually need a nap." "Ok but it's not cool." Spence hedges, chewing on his lower lip. His forehead is quite noticeably warmer than his friend's, though not alarmingly hot. "Maybe I am sick. Ugh, why couldn't this wait for school to start?" His grin, at least, is undimmed by illness. "But if I'm sick I guess I should like. Go home and take a nap." Resigned, here. Then, eyes going very wide. "Oh no, and I've been breathing all over you. Sorry!" "No, this is very uncool." Gaétan drops his hand to his side, palm pressed flat on the top of his hoverboard. His eyes widen, too, in a more exaggerated alarm than Spence's. "Oh damn --" His tongue sticks out of his mouth with a few also-exaggerated coughs. "Better hope Leo knows his shit maybe we're all about to die." He gets to his feet slowly, resting just one foot on the board now. "Your Pa home? Luci's gotten real good at making sick people foods with flavor."