Chapter Four

”Nah, dude. It”s in the ollie.” I pointed at the board at Wyatt”s feet. ”Since when do you jump like that?”

”It”s the wheels.” He stomped on the tail and caught the board on the rise. ”I changed them today. They”re new.”

”They”re shitting your jumps.” I held my board to him. ”Take mine. Let”s see.”

””Aight,” he said, and we swapped.

Wyatt took to the ramp, his long hair fluttering behind him. The freedom that came with the wash of wind suited him. The casual comfort in his stride, the way he rode the curves of the ramps brought a sense of calmness to him. It settled me as well, and I watched as he launched himself off the lip and performed the trick with ease.

On the ride back, he nodded to me, and tossed up some duces. I chuckled and returned his peace sign before taking his board for a ride. He wasn”t wrong. The new wheels vibrated differently and forced me to control the board vigorously. I shifted left, and the wheels squealed annoyingly the way they usually do when they need to be broken in.

Wyatt slapped my hand when we passed each other, and I chuckled.

”Jags,” Tatiana called, and I turned to find her waving from the bench beside the halfpipes. I rolled over to her, then hopped out to join her on the ledge.

”Hey,” I said, and kissed her cheek.

We sat together and she handed me a wrapped sandwich. ”Fixed this.”

”Aww, a picnic.” I chuckled when I accepted it. ”Thanks.”

”Hey.” Wyatt appeared a moment later, bright-eyed and smiling as he looked to Tatiana. ”How you doin”, Tati?”

”Doing good.” Tatiana smiled up at him, then offered him a wrapped sandwich just the same. ”Like avocado?”

”Oh yeah.” He accepted it with a grin, then dropped down to sit beside her. ”Thanks.”

Despite knowing each other for like, ever, their awkward silence made our casual hangout just as awkward. I sat down on the lip of the ramp, one foot hanging over while eating, and observed the two love-struck dopes figure out how to deal with themselves. It amused me somewhat, but pained me in other ways.

”What are you working on here?” Tatiana motioned to the lightly occupied park.

”Just chillin”.” Wyatt shrugged, attempting his casual attitude.

”He”s working on his Backslide 360 for one.” I narrowed my eyes at Wyatt.

He ran his fingers through his floppy, tangled hair and glared at me. ”And vert drop-ins.”

A grin tugged the corner of my mouth. ”Yup.”

”Uh huh…” Tatiana snickered while listening. ”Those all sound pretty intense.”

”He”ll show you,” I said, motioning in Wyatt”s direction. ”After he devours the delicious and totally unexpected lunch you”ve fixed for us.”

Tatiana”s cheeks tinged pink despite her tanned complexion. She glanced from me to Wyatt, and he just smiled.

”It”s good,” he said, holding up the half-eaten sandwich. ”Fresh.”

”Thanks.” She chuckled and glanced at me again.

”Hey, folks.” I clapped my hands once and stood up from my position. They both looked at me with wide eyes filled with suspicion. ”I”m going to relieve all of us of the torture we”re suffering. Wyatt, Tati likes you. Tati, Wyatt likes you.” I wiggled my fingers at them. ”You like each other.” I paused to allow them a moment to react with tons of tension and lots of puke faces. ”Now, I”m gonna go over there.” I pointed to the rails behind me. ”And run my ass down the stairs while the two of you figure out what to do next. Cool?” I gave them a thumbs up before kicking up my board to catch it. ”Cool. Later.”

”Later,” peeped Tati, gulping after.

Wyatt just stared, pale-faced and horrified.

I snickered as I dropped in, then rolled away from putting my two friends on blast.

When I turned back, their body language completely changed. They sat angled toward each other, with Tatiana anxiously tucking her hair behind her ear, and Wyatt”s narrowed shoulders much more relaxed than before. I couldn”t keep the smile from my face as I kick-flipped my way down the flight of stairs.

We spent most of the afternoon in fluid rotations of talking and skating. Tatiana watched Wyatt”s tricks with the intense attention of someone beyond smitten. It was a different thing to fall for someone who was a long-time friend. Not that I would know personally, but from what I”ve seen in others. All of a sudden, they begin looking at each other differently. It could”ve been ten years of friendship, then one day things change and the way their eyes meet becomes some kind of twinkling moment. Tati”s eyes glistened with enjoyment as she watched Wyatt bail on his boardslide and take a graceful tumble. She didn”t panic for him as if she knew he”d done it on purpose. Which he had. Because Wyatt would never bail on a simple slide like that. Sweat beaded his brow after a while, and he lifted his shirt to wipe his face. In revealing his taut stomach, we also caught a glimpse of the healed scarification that peeked out above his pelvic bone. Wyatt wore his number one talent on his skin and on paper for others at the tattoo shop. Tatiana saw it all over the years, but now, she seemed much more attentive.

When I planted myself by the bench again for a drink, Tatiana smiled up at me.

”Smitten,” I said. ”He ask you out?” I glanced over to make sure Wyatt still rode a few yards away.

She nodded, her gaze flickering in his direction. ”Tomorrow night after work. Can you pick up groceries—”

”Of course. Pajama party for one.” I grinned at the thought. ”I”ll buy me mac and cheese. The golden shells kind.”

Tatiana laughed hard. ”Gross.”

”Listen. I have few indulgences in this life—”

”You have about twelve.” She scowled and pointed at my energy drink. ”Caffeine.”

”Yeah, and that”s—”

”Cheese. Of all kinds—”

”So what?”

”Soda—”

”It”s not that bad—”

”Skateboarding—”

”Hey now…”

”And the seventy cans of spray paint in the attic.” She cocked a brow at me, and I laughed. ”I”m not wrong.”

”No.” I smirked and shoved her shoulder. ”You”re not.” I looked over to Wyatt as he launched himself onto a tall rail. ”I”m gonna bail and leave you two here awkwardly alone, cool?”

”Yeah.” She snickered. ”No complaints. You going to Jordan”s?”

”Yeah. Gotta manage this undergrowth. It”s awful.” I ran my fingers through my hair then tossed it all over to one side. ”Look.”

”Help.” Tati gasped, clutching her chest. ”Send help.”

I laughed and shoved her shoulder. ”Later.” I whistled and Wyatt looked up from his coasting through the bowl. ”I”m peacin”.”

”Later!” he shouted, then saluted me.

I waved, then hopped on my board to head out.

The salon wasn”t far. Most places where we all hung out tended to be within walking distance. The Mermaid Salon, Wildrose, The Crystal Mug Café, and now the new Painted Mug. Queer landmarks popped up all over Seattle these days, and I was here for it.

I found Jordan in the salon, quiet in the late afternoon of a Friday, standing with Finnley by one of the chairs. Riley sat in the chair, and Jordan instructed Finn on how to use the electric razor. Riley”s bright smile radiated in the mirror as he watched his friend learn. He didn”t seem to harbor any fear about Finn shaving off his messy locks.

”So just curve?” asked Finn.

”Yep.” Jordan nodded. ”Around his ear. You won”t mess it up. Go on.”

Finnley held her breath, bit her lip, and made the smooth movement after turning on the buzzing device. Riley watched with glee, attempting to hold on to his laughter. When Finn removed the razor, they both hooted.

”He still has an ear!” announced Finn.

Riley cracked up then waved his hand at her. ”Keep going. Eleanor will be here soon.”

”Okay, Jordy. The rest is yours. I”m not butchering him before his big date.” Finn handed the tool over to the expert then hopped up to sit on the counter facing her friend. ”That was terrifying.”

Riley cracked up at her, shaking his head before Jordan moved in to take back control. She grinned the entire time, and it took her about thirty seconds to clean up his short style. When she noticed me watching, she tossed me a wink then nodded toward the chair beside them.

”Get comfy, Jags. You”re next,” she said.

””Kay. Hey, you two.” I joined them.

Finnley waved, a smile plastered on her face. ”Hey.”

”Hi,” said Riley, his eyes widening. ”Cool board.”

”Thanks.” I turned it over to show him the custom deck.

”Sweet. You painted that, right?”

”Yup.”

”Awesome. Will you design me a tattoo?” he asked, pointing to his upper arm when Jordan released him to comb out the mess. ”Been wanting a graffiti-like sleeve.”

”Totally.” I nodded. ”Text me your thoughts and I”ll work it up. Whatever I can”t do, Wyatt will draw up.”

”Cool.” Riley beamed with delight and looked over at Finn. ”Getting names is lame, right?”

”It”s a curse.” She widened her eyes. ”Trust me. I”m Scottish. We know about curses.”

”Cursed?” Jordan gasped exaggeratedly. ”What do you mean?”

”If you get someone”s name tattooed on you, the relationship is destined for destruction. Same if you doodle their name with hearts. It”s a known fact,” Finnley declared, with the conviction of a politician.

”I think it”s a known belief, not necessarily a fact,” said Jordan, her brow furrowed under her thick, rainbow-and-black fringe. Her return to her original style always resurfaced around the summer. ”Yeah?”

”Probably. But it”s a fact as far as I can see,” Finnley responded.

”Your belief is a fact for you, but not for the world.” Jordan pointed at her with her comb. ”Remember that.”

”Right.” Finnley sat up straighter as if she just realized what she declared. ”Got it.”

”She”s a political science major,” Riley said directly to me.

I chuckled and nodded my understanding. ”Understood.”

Finnley grinned, her shoulders broadening when she said, ”Gen Z is taking back the power.”

”Good.” I laughed and shook my head at her. ”Do it right, kid.”

”I will.” She smiled and looked back at Riley. ”We will.”

Riley raised his fist in the air and Finnley followed suit.

I glanced to Jordan, and she wore a broad grin.

”Okay, sir. You”re done.” Jordan cleaned up Riley then ran her fingers through his freshly cut, and wax-primed ”do. ”Lookin” good.”

”Hell yeah, I am.” He grinned and fussed with himself in the mirror before flexing his bicep in a dramatic pose. ”All good.”

Finnley swatted his shoulder. ”None of that macho shit. Let”s go change before Eleanor and Olivia get here.”

They bid us goodbye and hurried off with spunk in their steps.

”Are Finn and Olivia dating?” I asked Jordan as soon as they were out of earshot.

”We”re not quite sure yet. Neither are they, to be honest, if you ask me.” Jordan grabbed me in a hug then smooched my cheek. ”A proper hello, love.”

”Hi.” I chuckled and returned her hug. ”How are you?”

”Good good. You just missed your endearing sibling—”

”Endearing—”

”After the argument she just had with Cin.” Jordan rolled her eyes. ”The drama.”

”You love the drama. Who are you fooling?” I huffed at her when she spun my chair around. ”What did Frankie do?”

”Cin has had her eye on Sylvie.” She shook out the smock before wrapping it around my shoulders. ”But Frankie fucked her first.”

”Come on.” I rolled my eyes. ”What”s with the two of them? Also, pretty shitty to say that. I”m sure Sylvie was a player in all that. She didn”t just…get fucked. Rude.”

”Sorry. Sorry.” Jordan held up her hands. ”My bad. Frankie and Sylvie hooked up before Cin could pursue her. Better?”

”Yeah,” I settled down after that and watched in the mirror as she pinned up the longer parts of my hair. ”Frankie knew Cin liked Sylvie?”

”Yup. Typical. The two of them are ridiculous. I sent Cin home. I think I”m getting too old for the bullshit,” she said, her deep ruby-painted lips turning up in a smile. ”Maybe.”

”Ha. Very funny. You sent Cin home? That”s new.” I relaxed while she took care of my hair as she always did.

”Frankie at least storms out when she”s pissed. Cin was here complaining for half an hour, and stomping around pissed off. She needs to get over her shit. With long-time customers, I don”t care, but we get a lot of kids in here now. Baby queers looking for gender-affirming cuts, or anxious kids, or queer parents bringing in their kids. It”s supposed to be a safe space, and Cin took it too far. So did Frankie, but no one saw her shit. She was in the back.” Jordan”s monologue, different for her, showed me a side of her I didn”t expect, but rather enjoyed.

”Glad to hear you say that. There are a lot of trans and non-binary kids out there who need safe spaces like this. Haircuts, nails, whatever.”

”Oh yeah. Finn and Riley”s gang is to thank for all the foot traffic. They brought in all these young people. So much so that Ainsley had the idea to open a juice bar next door. Gonna specialize in smoothies, but lots of vegan and vegetarian dishes, too. We need something like that.” She paused chatting when she made the clean lines around my ear.

”Who”s gonna run it?”

”You know Hina? She works at Terra”s Tea Room.”

”Not really.”

”She makes all the baked goods there, but she”s got time for something full-time, and she”s got the experience. She”s gonna run it, Terra and Zoie are going to help, and Mercy”s funding it.”

”Mercy?” My brows lifted. ”Seriously?”

”Oh yeah. Her son made friends with Finn”s group, and when he heard about the idea, he pitched it to his mom.” Jordan smirked. ”The kid”s convincing as fuck.”

”I mean…look who is mother is.”

”Yeah.” Jordan laughed while brushing my hair off. ”How”s that? We can go a little shorter if you want, but how do you like the lines?”

”Perfect.” I turned my head to look. ”Clean.”

”Awesome. Let”s get you colored and washed so I can fine-tune this beast. My next appointment should be here soon. You cool with a bit of a wait?”

After seeing Jordan”s hair, I changed my mind about my style per usual. Maintenance be damned.

”I got nowhere to be in particular.” I chuckled and followed her to the back.

Our conversation continued through the color mixing and application. We never went too wild with my hair color, but today I decided on a berry splash over my usual mousy brown. I waited in the back while she settled the next person up front and spent time staring at my phone while she moved through her other appointments.

Bro, u almost fucked shit up, texted Wyatt.

LOL neg. You two were awk af.

Glad u did tho.

Good. How goes it?

Good. Dinner tomorrow. Nervous. Help me pick clothes.

I will. At the shop tomorrow, bring stuff.

Cool. Thx.

YW.

Jordan”s excited voice broke my trance, and I looked up from my phone to see her escorting someone away from the sinks with their hair wrapped in a towel.

”Listen girl, your hair is always a treat. Who you playin”?” she teased, playful in the excited manner that she often turned on for new people or anxious people. ”Hang here for a sec,” she announced when the timer beside me went off.

I looked up when she entered the room and pointed at the screaming clock. ”Should I shoot it?”

”Don”t you dare.” She swatted my elbow when I pretended to reach for my service weapon. ”We”ve had enough of you po-pos bangin” up this place over the years.”

”Lies.” I followed her to the sinks then sat as she guided.

”Hardly.” She scoffed, though chuckled with it. ”Quiet before I drown you,” she teased as she pulled the spray hose toward my forehead.

I laughed and let her wash out my hair. ”No waterboarding, Jordy. It”s outlawed.”

”What can I say? I”m an outlaw.” She splashed my face and we both cracked up.

After a drenching, she returned me to the seats by the mirrors. Two women filled the spots on either side of me. One with a towel still on her head gazed down at a thick book in her palms. The other gazed at her phone while waiting patiently for Jordan.

”Okay.” She clapped her hands when she returned. ”We”re running a bit behind and I”m alone here today. Clem, since you”re a simple cut, I”ll take care of you first. Jags—”

Jordan”s voice faded when I heard her say my colleague”s name. I did a double-take then turned to the book reader. Without her hair down around her shoulders, and sans lab coat, I hardly recognized her. She appeared to get the same memo when Jordan said my name, because we looked to each other at the same time.

A startled smile curved her mouth only slightly in the corners. ”Hey.”

”Sorry, I didn”t recognize you without hair—I mean…you still have hair, but like in the towel.” I gestured weirdly toward her and gulped. ”Sorry.”

Jordan paused, an expression of disbelief washing over her normally cool features. She glanced over my shoulder at the woman behind me, and I heard a tiny snicker.

”Well, you still have hair, too. So, I suppose we”re both good,” said Clem, matter-of-factly. She set the book in her lap. The title, Candide, ou l”Optimisme, stood boldly on the cover of the work by Voltaire. All of the text appeared in French across the cover and spine of the book.

”You”re reading in French?” I blurted out.

Clem nodded then held the book up. ”Do you fancy Voltaire?”

”Maybe. But not in French.”

Jordan cleared her throat. ”Well, then.” She moved on to the other woman behind me. ”Let”s go get you shampooed while these two awkward melons figure out their dialogue.”

The woman snickered and her heels clicked when she rose to join Jordan. ”Don”t tease them,” I heard her say quietly.

Clem”s lips pursed and her gaze flickered to mine.

”You okay?” I asked, glancing over my shoulder when the others exited earshot.

She said nothing for a moment, and her brow crinkled. I wasn”t sure if she was angry, freaked out, or confused. Angry seemed most likely and I leaned back in my chair, expecting a lashing.

”What”s…an awkward melon?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Her fingers tightened on the spine of her book, and her knuckles turned a shade of white.

”It”s Jordan being silly. There”s no such thing as an awkward melon. She makes up things trying to be cute,” I said, gently as the notion seemed to distress her.

”Oh.” She looked behind me to where Jordan and the other woman were then back to me. ”A melon isn”t cute.”

”Only if they”re perfectly round and smooth. Those can be cute. Like a tiny watermelon.” I babbled. Like a fool. About cute melons. For fuck”s sake.

”Perhaps a honeydew is cuter though.” She seemed to ponder the notion. ”It”s very smooth.”

”It is. Yes.” A smile parted my lips suddenly, and I found myself enjoying the little exchange.

”I reckon that”s the cutest,” she said, then picked up her book again. She began to read for a fleeting second then set it down again. ”Have you read Voltaire?” she asked, as if never losing a beat.

”Only in high school. I don”t remember any of it though. It was way over my head, and I didn”t stay in high school long,” I said, then ran my fingers through my dripping hair.

”Why not?” she asked, her brow furrowed.

”It just wasn”t for me.” I glanced at the book again then back to her. ”So…French?”

She nodded. ”Sometimes I like reading in different languages.”

”What other languages do you read?”

”Besides French…Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and Romanian.”

”Romanian?” My eyes widened at the notion.

”It”s one of the easier to learn.” She shook her head. ”If you have a good foundation, the romance languages come naturally.”

”I know a bit of Spanish…”

”Then you have foundation.” She nodded once.

”What”s your first language, if you don”t mind me asking?”

”English and Romanian,” she said. ”My mother was a linguist.”

”From the states?”

She shook her head, and I noted again her fingers tightened on the book. ”My mother was from Romania, but I was born here.”

”Wow. I”ve never travelled or anything. I probably couldn”t even tell you where Romania was on a map.”

”In Europe,” she stated the fact casually, without much follow up.

”Have you been there?”

Again, a light smile brightened her face. ”I”ve been to many places. Yes.”

Jordan returned a few minutes later and took the towel from Clem”s head. Her hair tumbled down her back and over the chair, dangling half a meter above the floor. Mine barely touched my mid-back, even while wet.

”Acquainted now, ladies?” asked Jordan as she moved behind me. ”Clem, if it”s okay, I”ll cut Jag”s first. She”ll be quick.”

”Of course,” answered Clem, then began reading again as if nothing happened. As if we hadn”t shared a solid ten minutes of conversation.

I turned properly in my chair as Jordan began to work on me. Silence fell around us, and I watched Jordan in the mirror. She tossed me a grin and I narrowed my eyes at her. She shrugged and patted my shoulder.

”Stay still,” she said.

”I am still.”

”Stay stiller.”

I grumbled and it only made her snicker.

”Just a trim? No layering or anything fancy?”

”Just a trim.” I watched as she separated my hair as always. ”I already like the color and the one-sided undercut.”

”The darker, shaved area and the berry-er length goes well. Like a black cherry. I”m down with it,” Jordan said, as she worked her magic on my hair. ”So…you two know each other, Clem?”

Clementine didn”t answer.

”Clem.”

Nothing.

”Clementine,” called Jordan, a third time.

”From work,” she answered, without looking up from her book.

”Ah. Just work? You two seem to know each other a bit more casually than that,” Jordan continued.

I stayed quiet for the moment. Clem said nothing, appearing unmoved by the comment.

”Just work,” I filled in. ”We”re sharing a case. Clementine helped us break open some new information.”

”Ah.” Jordan smiled at that while she snipped away at my hair. ”I hope you both catch the perps.”

”We will.” I glanced at Clem and to my surprise, she met my gaze for a fraction of a second. ”How”s Ainsley?” I shifted the focus on purpose, hoping that Jordan would follow along. ”Saw her at work recently, but not much else.”

”She”s good. She”s off today, planning our first summer party of the season. I would be there helping if Cin and Frankie weren”t behaving like assholes.”

”Can”t control the assholeism it seems,” I said, glancing at Clem in the mirror. Still yet, she seemed to pay us no mind while reading.

”Guess not. I”d invite you, but you always say no.” Jordan nodded in Clem”s direction. ”So does Clem.”

”Parties aren”t for me,” she said, clearly having followed every train of the conversation around her.

”Me either,” I added. ”Too much drama. I went twice and all I did was deal with Frankie causing drama. So, I stay away.”

”I know you feel responsible for her, Jags…”

”I do, but I shouldn”t have to be. She should treat people better.”

”She should, but it doesn”t mean she will,” said Jordan. ”She had a hard life, so I get it.”

”Having a hard life doesn”t mean you can treat people like shit. I had a hard life, too.” My jaw tightened with the statement. ”Why does she get a free pass all the time from everyone?”

”Because underneath it, there”s something more. Something better. If you give it a chance.” Jordan squeezed my shoulder after she finished my trim. ”You know that, or you wouldn”t stick with her.”

I remained silent after her exposition, but glanced at Clem. To my surprise, she seemed to pay attention now though part of me wished she hadn”t.

”Up for a blowout?” Jordan ran her fingers through my hair, then combed it down. ”It”ll look good.”

”Nah.” I smirked at the fresh cut when she flopped all of it to one side. ”Looks good as it is. It”ll dry pretty straight anyway.”

”Always does.” Again, she tousled my hair as if inspecting all her work. ”Good color on you, even while wet.”

”I like it. Thanks.”

”Clem, you”ve never dyed your hair, right?” Jordan wrapped her back into the conversation with ease. ”Always beautiful honey-blonde with the summer sun, dirty-blonde in the winter darkness. The envy of lasses abundant.” She let out a dramatic sigh as she wiggled her fingers through Clem”s hair. ”Rapunzel at her finest.”

A smile slowly curved Clem”s lips, but she didn”t say anything. Clearly Jordan”s theatrics entertained her and broke through the bit of shyness that led the way. At least in this setting she didn”t come across as bitchy the way she did at work.

”What are we doing today, girl?”

”Layers, please.”

”Long in the back, shorter in the front, yeah?” Jordan smiled at her in the mirror while combing out her hair. ”To fool the masses. A shocker when you turn on your heel and stomp away.”

Clem laughed softly, shaking her head. ”Yes, but not dramatic like that.”

”You got it.” Jordan chuckled and rubbed her shoulders. ”Let”s get to work.”

””Kay.” Clem smiled and sat up super straight in the chair while watching in the mirror.

”I”m gonna head out,” I said, chuckling at the two of them. ”Thanks, Jordy. I sent you bills in the app. See you at work, Clem.”

”Thanks, girl.” Jordan saluted me with her scissors. ”Think about the party.”

”Already thought about it.” I shook my head.

Clem offered me a small wave, and my awkward one in return left much to be desired. I walked backward toward the front door, then grabbed my board from its leaning post against the wall.

”Later.”

”Later, skater.” Jordan winked, a wry grin curving her lips as she returned her focus to Clem.