Storytelling Week 10: Want to Skate?

It was a normal Wednesday for a normal sixth grade girl. I finished my worksheet on the beginning stages of algebra and started to construct a beautiful note to my best friend Cassie. I used different colors of gel pens and folded it about a hundred times to get the piece of notebook paper just the way I wanted it. I don't even remember what it said. After the bell rang to signal the end of the day, I gathered my backpack and headed for the door. Connor France and Tyler Staller stepped right in front me, blocking my exit. "Hey Kate! What are you doing Friday night?" Connor asked loudly. He was standing up straighter than usual, and his expression was all business.

"Going shopping with my mom I guess," I replied in confusion. Connor had never talked to me before, so I had no idea why he was doing so now.

"Well a few of us are going to Roller Land. You should come."

"Okay. I'll ask my parents." Connor turned and headed for the busses. Tyler smiled at me and followed Connor out. My dad and I had been to Roller Land dozens of times before. I was a roller skating champion. I'm sure my parents would be fine with me going. They might even drop me off and not wait on me! I'm twelve now. I need to start growing up at some point. Maybe Cassie can go too!

After some begging, pleading, and phone calls, Cassie and I were on our way to Roller Land. The only downside was that my mom made me wear my old overalls. She didn't trust me with my new jeans. I might spill Coke on them or rip them if I fell. I wasn't too upset though. We had three whole hours with no parents! It would be a blast! We ate pickles and skated to our favorite NSync songs. Then Brian McKnight came on the speakers, and the DJ announced that it was time for the Snowball Skate. This was Roller Land's version of the Sadie Hawkins Dance; the girls picked a boy to slow skate with. I had always picked my dad before. Maybe I'll just sit this song out.

On my way to exit the rink, I noticed Connor waiting for a girl to ask him to skate. I figured he wouldn't mind skating with me since he was the one who invited me, so I rolled over to him. "Hey Connor! Want to skate?" He glared at me for a second then skated away laughing. I had never felt rejection before, and I could honestly say that I wasn't a fan. I hurriedly skated off the rink and hid in the bathroom until it was time for my mom to pick us up. I was never going to go back to Roller Land again!

The next week at school I avoided Connor. I wanted nothing to do with him. Wednesday after school, Tyler caught up with me and walked with me to the bus. "I'm sorry about what Connor did last weekend. He can be a jerk."

"It's okay," I said quietly. Why was Tyler talking to me now? Was he going to embarrass me too?

"You should come skating Friday. Connor will be out of town, but there are a bunch of other people going."

"I'll think about it," I responded as I climbed on the bus. Cassie and I took our usual seats. I glanced out the window before the bus pulled away from the drive and saw Tyler staring straight at me. He smiled sweetly and turned to run to his bus.

Cassie and I ended up going back to Roller Land Friday. We had nothing better to do. This time though my dad dropped us off, so I got to wear my new jeans. We were having a really good time until the Snowball Skate. As soon as the slow music started, I headed straight off the rink. Connor and Tyler were standing right in front of the exit! I thought Connor was supposed to be out of town! How humiliating! I started to skate around them, but Tyler grabbed my hand. "Hey Kate! Want to skate?" His face was glowing with that sweet smile. I could only manage to grin back at him as he led me back onto the rink. We left Connor standing all alone, surprised by our little rendezvous.

Author's Note
This story is based off of The Smart Woman Chief in the Blackfoot unit. In the original story, women and men did not know of the other's existence. One day Old Man approached the women and suggested that they marry the men. The woman chief agreed and asked which of the men was the best. Old Man described the wardrobe that he would wear to the ceremony because he wanted to marry the woman chief. When she showed up to pick a husband, she was dirty after a hard day of work. She asked the hand of Old Man who was dressed in the clothes he had described. He did not recognize the woman chief and turned her down. She returned to the women and told them to not pick Old Man as a husband. When the marriage ceremony took place, all the women picked husbands but left Old Man alone. The woman chief chose the chief standing beside Old Man.

I wanted to describe the first awkward interactions between girls and boys when they first realize that they might be attracted to each other. These moments, at least to me, were the ones that distinguished girls from boys. I hadn't seen us as different before then. My retelling included many more emotions than the original. Poor Kate was embarrassed when Connor turned her down. Wearing overalls has never helped me out in the boy department. Just as in The Smart Woman Chief, the girl gets the guy and revenge while poor Old Man and Connor are left alone.

Roller skates. Pixabay.

Bibliography

The Smart Woman Chief. Blackfeet Indian Stories. George Bird Grinnell. 1915.