The Summer was dwindling like the sunset on the days leading to the Winter Solstice. Luke took solace about the finish of the endless summer in the fact the school year was another new start. He was going to school but not back to his old school. The impending feeling of winter was kept away by the promise of a new day and a new start. He would have friends looking forward to seeing him at school. More importantly, he would not have a group of kids looking forward to making him miserable. Starting high school was a new beginning, a springtime in Luke’s life.

This morning was not about the future. That would be tonight. Right now was about catching the last waves of freedom. Tonight was looking towards the future by honoring the past. The Cove Crew’s ritual of the Carving of the Support Beam was upon the group. The night when those who were going beyond the grove left their mark on the place which left a mark on their soul always happened two weeks before the start of school. Some of the soon to be emeritus members carved before the night of the ritual because their last summer at the cove was cut short by life happening. The start of the next phase of their life started before the end of their last summer, both by being supportive and giving the support which came with the membership of the Cove Crew.

Silk was also trying to catch some of those waves of freedom. Finding the right one was hard. For him. these were the last waves ever as an active part of the Crew. Each wave had to represent his time being a member of the Crew. Each wave he picked had to peak as high as his time being around his friends. Riding those waves today had to give him the same rush as him being around the members of the crew.

The leader of the Cove Crew had such a high standard for the waves because tonight was his night to move on. He needed waves to feel right. Having the right waves would make him live up to his namesake. Silk was not feeling himself. He was feeling rougher than untreated wool. Having to navigate his course in the uncharted territory of Cal Berkey was weighing on him.

Silk was floating next to his board when Luke went for a decent wave. The friend Silk called Eck rode that wave as best as he could. Carpe diem was done by seizing the wave. The Cove Crew’s leader was going to follow the lead of one of its members. He was not going to let the perfect be the enemy of the good. To make the most of this moment Silk was going to take any and all decent waves which came his way. The wave can become gnarly by riding one the best one can.

The change in perception stoked Silk. He knew he had to go and make the most out of this day. This moment was all Silk had right now and had to live in it. He saw those waves as what they were, potentially bombs, the best waves if he rode them right. Silk did and got the most out of what he was given.

After a couple of hours of surfing both Eck and Silk took a break. Silk went up to Eck, gave a hand hug handshake, and pulled his friend in for a close embrace. Eck once again just seized the day. The bond of friendship made it so the teacher of the lesson did not ask why the sign of intense affection was just given.

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Chrissy Armstrong was happy to hear her daughter Tracy suggest that they get their hair done together today. The reason the mom found this was a great idea was it would be a bonding experience. The last couple of years Chrissy would always just drop her daughter off and run off to do some errands. Tracy being on her own was a way to let her daughter feel independence. Today her daughter wanted to share time with her instead.

Tracy wanted some mother-daughter time at the salon to have some support. The younger Armstrong girl was mulling over the idea of doing something different with her hair. She was going to keep the same length and style, long with no bangs. The internal debate Tracy was having was about whether to add some highlights. Adding some warm blonde highlights to her auburn hair seemed like a good idea.

When the mother and daughter were waiting for their turn, Chrissy figured out why Tracy wanted her there. Her daughter wanted advice on trying something new. Even Scooby-Doo could have figured out this mystery. Tracy mentioned how nice the highlights looked on the ladies in the magazine she was looking at. Chrissy agreed.

Even if Chrissy was not of the same opinion as her daughter, she still would have agreed. Only one person had to like highlights and that was her daughter. The mom casually mentioned how highlights would look great on Tracy also. Hearing her mom give the unsolicited compliment was all the boost Tracy needed in making her decision. The girl was going to get those highlights.

Getting those warm blonde highlights was a small change for Tracy Armstrong. This small change in her hairstyle was a huge step for the teenage girl. Making a change was always hard. Most of the time people made a change because of necessity. Tracy was happy with her hair so doing the change seemed unneeded. This change was to try something new. Tracy found out that sometimes just to try something new was a good enough reason. Instead of thinking of not fixing something which was not broken, people need to not settle for good if they think they can do better.

Walking out of the salon Tracy had a little extra spring in her step. The added confidence did not come from looking new but being able to try something new. Tracy was finally learning to be herself.

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Jonathan MacTavish, AKA Slap Jack Mac, was a jock. Being one was the young man’s destiny. He just had the right attributes: good core strength, great reflexes, a drive to be the best he could be and the can-do spirit. This optimistic attitude helped him will out the best of others. He was the first to give a compliment when someone did well and the first to offer help when someone was struggling.

Slap Jack Mac’s encouraging nature was how he got his nickname. He always was slapping his teammates on the ass during play. The ass slap was the best form of non-verbal communication on the field of play. It was a simple and quick gesture that had an open ending meaning depending on the context and relationship between slapper and slappee. The slap could mean, you can do it, great job, I have faith in you, don’t worry you will get it next time to just hi.

Slap Jack Mac being a jock also made him a team player. Knowing all about the importance of team chemistry made him one of the first of the Cove Crew to show up under the boardwalk. He trusted that Eck and Lil did a great job at preparing for tonight’s ending of an era. He just wanted to have their back by checking that everything stayed how they left it.

Being first had an unintended consequence for Slap Jack Mac. The mantle of being the leader of the Cove Crew would be passed onto him. This happy coincidence was as fitting as a tailor-made suit. Slap Jack Mac always ended up being the captain of the team he was on. Being bestowed this leadership role was not from him wanting to be the one in charge, but from him wanting to do all he could do to make the team the best it can.

The first group of people who showed up was Shy Girl, Lil, and Eck. Slap Jack Mac was pumped seeing them. First, they were also almost as early as him, so tonight meant as much to them as it did to him. Second, he knew that they knew what to do. The best teamwork comes from when people knew their responsibilities and there was no need to tell them.

The night went perfect just as all the other times the carving of the pillars occurred. Going perfect does not mean there were no hitches. There had to be little issues and snags. How could there not be at such emotional events. The members who were leaving were bound to get tongue-tied talking about their time being active in the crew. The members who were staying were going to show their emotions freely. This led to the night filled with many tears, laughs, and hugs which will power everyone to carry on being who they were. Tonight reinforced being a member of the Cove Crew was a state of mind.

The night was the most perfect for Silk. He could not hold in the joy he had. Silk could not have dreamt the night going as good as it did, Before seeing how the night went, the leader of the group thought that leaving was going to be bittersweet. Now it was just sweet as the best wave he ever rode. His physical time here was done and he left the group better than when he joined it. All anyone could ask was to be a positive influence on their surroundings.

To make the night even better was the fact that his friends were going to be in good hands with the leadership of Slap Jack Mac. The new leader had already surrounded himself with a good support team. How natural it was for Slap Jack Mac to oversee the night was also a good sign. Filling in the void from Silk leaving without being asked was what a true leader did. Lastly when Silk said good Slap Jack Mac was shocked he was last. This was the turning over the reign of leadership. Great leaders did not expect to be picked.

As Silk walked away he did leave a part of him behind. More importantly, Silk also took a part of each and every member of the Cove Crew with him. He knew he might be on his own to face new challenges but he will not be alone, he would have the support which he helped to create.

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With Luke living in Cali and Lori still being disciplined, Fred missed out on one of his favorite perks of having children, hanging out with the other parents. This little issue had a simple solution, have a cookout. He had the patio, grill, and a big enough backyard all he needed was the guests. Getting the missing ingredient to the recipe for having a good time was easy. All Fred had to do was tell the parents. None of them would pass up hamburgers, hotdogs, and a nice cold drink around good friends.

The gathering would serve another important function, to see how the rehabilitation of Lori was going. The progress from being the Brat Princess to a normal teenage girl was going great. There was that setback in Cali but Lori quickly saw the error of her ways and more importantly made amends.

Alice and Lori were in full support of the idea. Lori asked if she could invite the kids from the David Project. Those kids needed to be included. More importantly, Lori wanted to include them. The cookout was a gathering of friends and not inviting them would be wrong.

Fred quickly said yes and once again Alice was in full support. The request showed to Fred that his daughter was growing as a person. Saying yes would be a positive reinforcement to Lori. To rehabilitate good behavior, it has to be rewarded as much as bad behavior is punished. The sentence Fred gave his daughter was not about getting retribution. It was about doing what was best for his daughter. Alice was in the camp of the more the merrier for a get-together. They had the room in the backyard and the other guests had the room in their heart to be more than welcoming to the newcomers.

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Getting up along with the sun was not the idea of fun for most teenagers. Having an early start on a Saturday made the idea worse. Saturday was the best day of the weekend and should be all about rest and pleasure. Have fun but not at the expense of sleep. Waking up this early was making going to the skate park a chore to Greg K.

Greg K was like most teenagers, so when at 5:15 his alarm started to shriek at him he groaned back. He was so tempted to hit snooze. Ten more minutes of sleep would make the day so much better. Instead, he got up. He gave his word to be at the skate park at 6. He knew it would be early for Eck, a member of the Dawn Patrol, who he was going to meet up with there.

When Eck gave the time for the meetup Greg K almost suggested meeting at 9:00. The excitement in Eck’s voice told the self-proclaimed sleepyhead the time was important. Yes, sleeping in was great but waking up early gave Greg K. an excuse for something even better, a nice long afternoon nap. Getting the pleasure of sleeping in the afternoon, and actually having halfpipes, ramps and dedicated slide rails along with being there for a friend made waking up early worth the price of being grumpy until the fresh air hit him.

The reluctant early riser had to admit there was something to riding the halfpipe as the sun rose to make it more special. That only him and his close friend were there, also opened him up to be more daring. That taking a chance to fall on his face will only lead to having a helping hand to get him up. Even with this knowledge, Greg K. was not going to become a full-time early bird. Waking up early will be a once in a while treat to himself.

During a break Eck opened up on why coming to the skatepark this early on a Saturday was important to him. The east coast transplant shared Greg K. stories about the Saturday Morning Bike Club. How for a couple of years the three founding members, Matt, Renee, and Luke were all for one and one for all. That they had a bond that went beyond their shared love for the Lincoln Way Park Bike.

Hearing about Eck’s past made Greg K. realize why the 6 AM was so important. The storyteller mentioned how they would arrive at the bike park at 9 AM. Eck wanted to arrive at the same moment to the park as his former friends. The stories were filled with love and affection and being here at the same time was a way for Eck to honor those two. The falling out did not change how Eck felt about Matt and Renee. Today was in a way a personal craving ceremony for Greg K.’s friend. He was honoring his past with Matt and Renee and moving on. Looking back on the good times along with the bad made sure one’s view of history would not be clouded by the fog of anger.

The stories allowed Greg K. to start to see Eck and Luke as the same person. That the name which people go by does not change who they are. That the name used is an indicator of the relationship between them. How one was seen and more importantly wanted to be seen by the other. Greg K. felt closer to Eck than ever before and right now at this moment, it felt right to call his friend Luke so he did. Luke felt the same and returned the sign of being closer by calling his friend Greg.

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As Luke was fondly reminiscing about the Saturday Morning Bike Club, the two active members were holding their weekly meeting. The racing season was over. This meant off-season work. Renee could work on honing little details of her riding technique. Matt could test different combinations on the bike’s setting to get the best optimization for Renee’s riding style.

This morning’s meeting was curtailed. The reasoning was those two needed time to get ready to go to a cookout. Matt and Renee did not want to go to that obligation. Their time would have been better spent having their normal meeting. Just staying in their room being bored would be more fun. To most other people they would be viewing the cookout as a gathering or event. To them being at the cookout was going to be a chore.

Matt and Renee having to be at the cookout instead of wanting to go had more to do with where it was going to be and who some of the people that would be there were. The cookout was going to be at Luke’s home. Going there will be a reminder of the Saturday Morning Bike Club not being complete. Even without being there, their former friend’s presence would be strong. They would see the ghost of the former member everywhere they looked.

If having the constant reminder of the friendship which they lost was not enough, the reason why they were poorer in the riches of friendship would be there also, Lori and her lackeys. Each time they saw Lori’s smile, or heard her laugh would bring them shame. The guilt would come from them knowing their role in her victory over Luke.

As they were getting ready to leave to go get ready for the unwelcomed task, those two gave each other a hug. The manifestation of their feeling for each other made the two love birds feel stronger. They knew together they had the strength to face the consequences of their bad decisions. The act of thinking of what they did as decisions instead of mistakes was a sign they were right. The past not being sugar-coated made sure Matt and Renee did not see themselves as the heroes when they were the villains. This acknowledgment of a painful truth would one day lead to the chance at penance.

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A labor of love is nothing more than an obligation someone was looking forward to. Getting the backyard ready for the cookout was such an obligation for Lori. The teenage girl loved hosting parties. There was the normal reason for the attention and praise she got from having a good party that stroked her ego. Today she was also wanting it to be fun for her guests. This new reason came from Lori’s personal growth.

She also was able to hang out with all of her friends and her boyfriend. Not seeing Blake and the rest of her court was hard on her. Lori thought she would be more excited having her court back. There was no doubt Lori was happy seeing her Blake and the rest of the crew, but having Ming and the rest of the kids from the David Project was a better fit for who Lori was becoming. Those kids in the David Project might not have had as long of a history with Lori, but their connection with her came from lifting each other up, not putting people down. Being there for each other was what made a strong bond.

Lori was also not disappointed that only four friends from the David Project could make the cookout. In fact, she was happy. It sucked that she was not going to see them, but them already having plans more than made up for that. Another added benefit was going to be watching Ming, Charlie Murphy, Rachel LaBlanc and Simone Walton tell people about the fun they had at the cookout.

Lastly was also the chance of making amends with Matt and Renee. Even if the couple was not open to giving Lori a chance to show her new self, she could still tell them all about Luke. Matt and Renee would be trapped talking to her for at least a couple of minutes. Telling them about Luke was more important to her than forgiveness. They deserved to know he is thriving in California and she knew they would be relieved to hear her how well Luke has adapted to the West Coast.

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After Skating, Greg K. had an idea, he was going to take Eck to go see Jerry Brown High School. His old haunt was going to be Eck’s new haunt. Going there would be another step forward in making the past the past for both of them. Greg K., individual homecoming would a final goodbye to his high school days and Eck was going to see another place where the promise of a new day was going to be fulfilled.

The vast campus would have been overbearing to Eck if it was not going to play a part in opening boundless opportunities to him. All the different buildings represented forks on the street of life. Luke was going to listen to the advice of Yogi Berra and take them. All the outcomes from these routes were so exciting to the new kid. He was going to be a stranger at this school to most but he had the advantage of having a core group of good friends to show him around.

Greg became Beatrice to Eck’s Donte in this tour of paradise. The information made Eck look forward to starting school. Learning the layout of the school during this informal orientation made the mysterious known. Knowing what to expect takes away the uncertainty which leads to fear. The brief descriptions and charming anecdotes which accompanied each building came with the added bonus of giving Eck's confidence he will thrive in the new setting. Not only would he have his friends to lift him up and support him, the teachers were also mentors to all who asked. They wanted their students’ goals to be achieved. The educators knew their success depended on their student's success. This tour showed Luke yet another way the promise of a new day was being fulfilled.