RAY

At night we'd skate to get the blood pumping in our bodies, giving us a rush of electric youth adrenaline. It was a perfect straight, smooth shot of asphalt down the middle, shining like embers from the lights lining the boardwalk. Soon our warm, tanned, slightly sunburnt skin would shine with sweat in the moonlight and we'd slowly peel off layers of clothes, compiling a jumble of our shed belongings on the concrete. Euphoria would shock through my body with a jolt when I looked up and felt it all as I rushed along on my board hearing the cracks click rhythmically beneath me. Suddenly I'd turned around and caught sight of the shadowed, orange glowing, moon reflecting forms of my gang feeling free with me. The camaraderie of flying close to each other, reaching out our hands, high fiving, never missing, is inexplicable. And the in sync chorus of us yelling "CAR!" as the blinding headlights paraded down the lot and once gone the open space was greeted with a simultaneous "GAME ON!"

One night I was skating alongside Jacob and he suddenly asked "How are you feeling?" And I paused for a few seconds looking around at the night ocean and the palm trees before answering "It always just feels so good. No matter what." We were both smiling and nodding and before skating off he said "That's how it's supposed be, man."

-RAY