A Reason to Exist

Chapter 2

After the hairdressers, I was skating home feeling awesome. I was so happy with my hair. It had turned out exactly like my favourite photograph collected on my 'Green ombre' Pinterest board. When the hairdresser had finished drying my hair, I'd stared at myself in the mirror happily, feeling like my colourful hair was about to add technicolour to my world.

I told myself again, it's my hair, I can do what I want. Yet, I knew mum was going to be mad. It was predictable. She'll say I look like a punk. Then she'll ask why I always have to hang out at the skate park. Why couldn't I go shopping on Chapel Street like normal girls? She'll say the skate park caused the green hair. The teachers won't respect me. I'll fail school. I'll never get a job. Her mother will judge her mothering. And somehow it will all be my dad's fault.

Just after I'd turned into my tree-lined street, I heard some wheels shedding it up behind me.

'I like your green hair,' a guy called out.

I slowed down, turning my head. The guy on the skateboard wasn't wearing a helmet. He was tall and lanky with shoulder-length blonde hair. When he smiled, I recognised him as the daredevil from the skate park.

'I saw you jump off that shipping container,' I said, slowing down. 'I was about to call an ambulance.'

'You gotta risk it for the biscuit,' he said. 'That was nothing. Last year I ruptured my spleen. Now that wasn't fun. I didn't think I'd ever be able to take a piss again.' He laughed at himself. 'Sorry, shouldn't have said that. Here I am talking to a gorgeous girl with green hair on a skateboard and I'm telling her about the time I couldn't take a piss.' He slapped his forehead with the palm of his hand and smiled goofily.

'Yeah ... well,' I didn't really know what to say. He was cute but obviously NQR.

'My name's Tucker. They say I'm made of rubber. Not the sexy type, the bouncy type.'

He'd pretty much confirmed he wasn't my type.

'This is me,' I said, stopping outside my house.

'No way. We've just moved in next door. Well, like last month. We're still waiting for cookies from the neighbours.'

'My mum doesn't bake,' I lied.

'We should hang out some time,' he said. 'Now that we're neighbours and all.'

'Yeah, maybe,' I said, thinking he was the last dude on earth I'd be likely to hang out with. 'Catch you later.'