Grom by Brian Bowes (Sketch Dummy)

by Brian Bowes

It was the last day of school and the first day of Summer.

Grom was running to the skatepark with her new Slappy skateboard.

Ahead of her, Biff was jamming down Blueberry Hill.

“Wow,” she said, “I’d love to skate like that!”

“Pffft, I doubt you could,” said Calamity. “See, skaters like us know the secret of skateboarding. You either know it, or you don’t…

and you… don’t.”

Grom huffed and tossed down her board. “How hard could it be?”

“WAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!”

*Spaloosh!*

“Ugh,” said a soggy Grom. ‘I wish I knew the secret of skateboarding.” *Floomph*

“It’s no secret,” said Slappy. “It’s practice!”

Grom stared.

“Simply start by doing what you can do.

Soon you’ll be doing what you couldn’t do.

Until one day, …” *Flik-POP!*

“… you’ll be doing things that you only imagined could be done.”

“Th-that’s impossible!” said Grom.

“Nope,” said Slappy. “That was an Ollie – an Impossible is a totally different trick.”

And with a wink and a nod, he vanished.

Grom blinked.

“Yo!” said Scooter. “That bail was epic!”

Grom blinked again.

“Hey, were you just talking to your skateboard?” he asked.

Grom blushed. “Uh... maybe?”

At the skatepark Scooter showed Grom some moves.

“Try rolling-in,” he said. “Just lean forward and...” *Whooosh*

Grom leaned forward, and ... *Zwoop–Bang!*

Getting back up she said, “I’ll do it this time!”

And she did.

Each day was a new session.

“Skate-train!” shouted Scooter.

“This is like follow-the-leader,” said Grom.

Grom loved skateboarding.

After a summer full of practice and play, Grom was in a wild mood and ready for anything.

“Let’s skate down Blueberry Hill!”

“Pffft,” said Calamity from a shady place. “The day you skate down Blueberry Hill is the day I’ll eat my shoe.” ““Ok,” said Grom, thrusting out her hand. “You’ve got a deal.”

Alone, Grom looked down Blueberry Hill.

“I wish I knew what to do now.”

“Start by doing what you can do…” said a voice.

Grom looked all around, but was surprised to find that the voice had been her own.

Smiling, she rolled in and howled….

“YAAAAAH-HOOO!” Leaning back she carved front-side.

Pressing on her toes, she carved back-side.

Below, all the skaters were whooping and hollering, …

…except for Calamity who was scowling.

“I don’t need her to make me look like a fool,” he said.

Then he did a most dastardly deed.

Grom sped toward the board.

In one fluid motion she did what she had only imagined could be done.

*F

l

O P !

P * ik

“That was AWESOME!” yelled Scooter.

“Th-that was impossible!” spluttered Calamity.

“Nope,” said Grom. “That was an Ollie – an Impossible is a totally different trick.”

“That ollie was so cool,” said Biff. “Will you show me how to do it?”

“Sure” grinned Grom, “but you’ll have to practice.”