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A scream drew her attention to Casey, who came running at her with his skinny arms in the air.
“Auntie Nita!” she yelled, then stumbled to a stop when her mom called her back.
“You’re responsible for your skates and pads, young lady,” Diesel called, and set out two bags covered in Avatar stickers and felt pen smiley faces.
“Mo-om,” Casey complained, but hustled back to her bags and grabbed them. She waddled back to Nita as if she carried two cement blocks.
“Are you ready for a lesson on skating backwards?” Nita asked, adjusting her own bags so she could help the girl heave hers over her shoulders.
“Yeah!” Casey breathed and waddled a little faster toward the warehouse door.
“Who’s this?” asked Diesel, coming even with Ryder.
“I’m Ryder,” he said, holding out his hand. “I’m the bodyguard.”
“Bodyguard?” Diesel echoed and gave Nita a doubtful but appreciative look. “Since when?”
“He’s joking,” Nita said, feeling her cheeks heat. “I have to work with Ryder for a couple weeks and he’s never seen roller derby, so…” she said, letting the words trail off like it was the most logical thing for someone to want to watch their practice. She just hoped Ryder would go along with her half lie.
“It’s true, I’ve never seen roller derby in real life,” he agreed, but Nita saw the slight lift of his eyebrow mocking her.
With a last glance at him, Nita took a deep breath and walked to the door Casey was ineffectually trying to open. She shoved the metal handle, and the door squawked as it opened.
The cacophony of sounds from inside enveloped her, and that familiar rush of excitement of physical competition flooded her.
“Let’s get our skates on and get going,” she said to Casey, who was already double-time waddling to the benches.
“How many entrances are there?” she heard Ryder asked Diesel, who obligingly told him.
Nita ignored everything except gearing up for her practice. That included stripping out of her dress and pulling on her satin shorts and blouse, like everybody else. By the way Ryder’s next question broke off, she could tell she’d shocked him.
Good. He looked like he could stand a little shock or two. Just wait until he saw her team play.
* * *
Nita stoodat the end of the converted warehouse, the pulsing metal music booming, watching ten-year-old Casey skate round the far end.
“I’m doing it!” screamed the girl above the music. Nita had to admit, the stick-skinny girl was plodding one skate up and over in a jerking backward turn on the flat surface. Nita swore it was the heaviness of the skates keeping the girl upright, outweighing her body by a pound or two.
Nita put her fingers on her bottom lip and blew a piercing whistle.
“Way to go, Casey! Keep—” she called out, just as Casey looked up and let one skate collide into the other. She screeched then fell to the floor like a bundle of twigs.
“Shit!” the ten-year-old yelled, rolling to lie flat on her back.
“Good effort, kiddo,” cheered Spider Lady as she skated onto the floor and stepped over the girl’s prostate body.
As more of the Grunge City Girls joined the floor, Casey shoved herself to her feet and skated to Nita.
“It’s scary to fall, but it didn’t hurt too bad that time,” Casey said, her voice wavering.
“Sometimes you have to do the scary things to get to the good things,” she advised, laughing when Casey scowled.
“Yeah, but falling also makes me mad. It’s so hard to get back up,” Casey explained.
“Don’t get mad, just—” Nita started, only to have Casey hold her hands out and wave them.
“I know, I know. Practice harder,” Casey finished.
