Aaron Sky

"Chase, you're going to get hurt if you keep climbing buildings like that," Chase's mom said. "I don't want you doing that Parker stuff."
"Mom, it doesn't matter. Maybe if someone was doing Parkour and didn't know what they were doing..."
"You're only seventeen! You're not a professional!"
"Well how the hell do you expect me to become a professional if you're telling me not to do it?"
"I don't want you to do it!"
"Well I want to. I want to become a stuntman and actor."
Chase's dad piped in. "That's what stunt and acting schools do for you. If that's really what you want, we can enroll you in gymnastics, and you can go through stunt school once you've graduated high school. You still probably won't be in your first movie for a few years."
"Oh my gosh, you guys don't understand," Chase said louder. "I practice Parkour because I want a head start. I'll happily do gymnastics too, but I'm not going to stop parkouring! This is my future and my life, and I'm NOT going to let you guys try to take it away!"
"Chase! Come back here! Don't go out that door!"
Too late. The door slammed shut.

It was 8 o'clock in the evening and Chase was running down South Haven St. Seeing his usual route, Chase headed for the café across the street. He shimmied up the walls of the café and insurance company, firmly planting his hands and feet on each wall with each movement upwards. Chase was blinded by his anger at his parents, however, and missed the wet spot on the wall from the shower of rain the day before. Chase just so happened to hit the wet spot. This was fifteen year's ago. Chase's parents are not activists against Le Parkour, and have a fourteen year old son who they named Aaron Sky, who they plan to never allow the practicing of Le Parkour. Man, are they in for a surprise! This is all happening now, as you read.

"Aaron! Come on down here."
Aaron is jumping down the steps.
"Yeah Dad? What's up?"
"Your school just called and said you got a detention for jumping off the school. What were you thinking? You weren't going any Free Running, were you?"
"No way, Dad. No, I know that you guys don't like that stuff. I was goofing off with my friends; Brad dared me to."
"Your brother died playing on a building, remember that."
"Parkour isn't play, Dad, Free Running is. Chase did Parkour. I may not do it, but at least I know about it."
"It was playing and that's that. Now get. I'll tell your mother when she arrives."
"Aight. Can I go up to the library so mom doesn't go off on me?"
"Sure."

Aaron's going back up the stairs and into his room, heading over to his closer and opening his safe. From inside, he gets his K Swiss Ariake shoes designed specifically for Free Running and puts them in his book bag. He heads back down the stairs.
"I'm bringing my school stuff to do homework."
"Be safe, Aaron."
Aaron heads out the front door, noticing his mom pulling around the corner and heading his way. Aaron begins power-walking, waving back at his smiling mom as she drives by.
"Oh shit, she's in a good mood, too," Aaron thinks. "Now she's gonna complain about how I ruined her day."
Aaron continues walking and is about to turn the left corner, putting his Ariakes on as he walks, and he hears a shriek.
"AAARROOOON!"

Uh oh, it's time to book it! Aaron starts running and does a King Kong vault over the O'Brien's car. There's the metal bar sticking out from the telephone pole-he jumps off the telephone pole and grabs the metal bar, swinging his legs forward and then tucking them in to do a gainer off the bar. He continues running and sees the Harris's trashcan, and without question hurdles over it. The library is across the road and at the end of the block. He's crossed the road. Aaron has only one yard left to pass until he reaches the library parking lot, and this yard has a fence around it. What is Aaron going to do? Is he going to use the sidewalk and go around the yard, then make a right to head for the library doors? Of course not! Aaron runs up the fence and throws the upper part of his body over the fence, keeping one arm on each side and throwing his legs over to complete a fence handspring. He tic tacks off the owner's shed to leap over their flower bed, but sirens start sounding.

Aaron stops and approaches the cop car and greets the cop as he gets out.
"What's'yo name, kid?
"Aaron Sky."
"How old're ya?"
"Fourteen."
"Fourteen and ya doin' stupid shit down the road? Get in the car, you's goin home."
Aaron complied, taking the front seat.
"Where'd'ya live?"
"Just back a road, on South Haven."
"Lef' 'er righ'?"
"Right."
"K."

Aaron is feeling anxious, because he knows the cop is going to tell his parents about what he was doing, but the cop's words distract him from the thought of it.
"You seems like a nice boy, wat'cha doin' free runnin' through people's yards and offa stuff? Can't'cha go ta Monkey Jam and to dat? Tha's what they have Free Runnin' gymnasiums fer, afta all."
"My parents are way against Parkour and Free Running because my brother died doing it fifteen years ago."
"Aw, well tha's stoop'd. Peepa get injured and die in anythin', no reason ta hate those thin's."
"Yeah, I agree, but I don't blame them. That's my house right there."
The cop is still driving at normal pace as he's approaching Aaron's house, then slammed on the brakes. They both lunge forward.
"Hahaha. See, like that? Ma bud died from doin' that 'cause he din' have his seatbelt on and had no airbag and he wen' through da winshield. But wit proper safety like what we got her, it don' matter. Then again, he was goin' 'bou a hunderd an tweny. Ah shoot, maybe it messed up da rubber on the tire a lil'... should'a thought'a that. Oh well.
"I'll see if I can talk ya parents in ta getting ya lessons at Monkey Jam. Hell, if it'll keep ya off the road so I don' have ta deal with ya 'gin..."
"Good luck trying," Aaron says as the cop is turning into his driveway.
"Wait her."

The cop gets out of his car and heads up to the house. He's knocking on the door, and Aaron is anxious again. His mom opens up the door, and a look of shock and worry spreads across her face. But then she sees Aaron, and it fades. The cop says something to her, and Aaron's mom is letting him in.
Aaron turns the radio station dial.

Fifteen minutes pass. (Just imagine they do. If you really want to keep true to this story as "currently happening", go take a shower and get something to eat before resuming this story. Aaron's listening to the radio station 91.1, just in case you want to listen to the same thing he's listening to right now.)
Aaron's enjoying the station, but finally the cop steps out of the front door and motions for Aaron to come up to them. Aaron does so, and is so nervous about what his mom will say.

"Aaron, I'm thoroughly disappointed in you for doing Free Running when we've bluntly told you how we feel about it. However, Officer Marvin here showed us the website about Monkey Jam, a gym that opened up six years ago... apparently you already know about this place?"
Aaron nods his head.
"Well, I didn't even know there was training for this sport that would make it safer for you. We offered your brother gymnastics classes to keep him off the streets, but he wouldn't accept that. Your father and I were discussing it with Officer Marvin, and we're willing to pay for you to have lessons through there as long as you agree to never go parkouring or free running on the streets. Do we have an agreement?"
"Oh wow! Yes! Heck, yes! That you Mom!"
"Go thank your papa, he's mainly the one who decided this. From now on, we're just going to work on getting this stuff off the streets, and instead into a Free Running gym where it's safer."
Aaron is running inside to thank his Dad.

Erica, Aaron's mom, can hear Aaron inside. He sounds so exited. Why? Why would he really be so excited about something like Free Running? She may never know, but at least she's got a chance to keep her son from the same fate as her first.