Read Online Strictly Friends? by Jo Cotterill - Free Book Online

mind falling off?’ she asked, after he had tried to demonstrate jumping a flight of concrete steps and landed heavily on his back.
    â€˜Nah,’ he said, brushing down his jeans. ‘You get used to it.’ He grinned. ‘Want to see my scars?’ He pulled up a trouser leg. There was a livid red graze from the accident yesterday, but Danny pointed to a pale jagged line underneath. ‘See this one here? I got it when I split my knee open. I was trying to jump a swimming pool and I crashed into the side. Couldn’t walk for three weeks. Had twenty stitches.’
    Megan stared at the jagged scar. ‘Wow. That must have hurt.’
    â€˜Course.’
    â€˜But it didn’t put you off?’
    A slow smile crept over his face, and his eyes flashed silver again. ‘No way. I live for this. Without skating – without bikes and speed and all that – I’d just crumble away and die. Do you know what I mean?’
    Megan looked out over the skate park. It didn’t hold the same appeal for her, but she recognized thepassion in Danny’s voice. He lived for it. She knew what that felt like. ‘Yeah,’ she said. ‘I feel the same way about dancing.’
    â€˜Dancing?’ Danny was momentarily startled. ‘What, you mean like ballet?’
    â€˜No. I do ballroom dancing.’ She saw the incomprehension on his face. ‘Like – er – waltz? And rumba? Um . . . like on
Strictly Come Dancing
?’
    â€˜Oh.’ Danny’s face cleared. ‘I get you. I don’t really watch that stuff. Seems a bit lame to me.’
    â€˜That’s because you don’t know anything about it,’ retorted Megan. ‘It’s just as difficult as your ollies and kickthings.’
    He grinned at her. ‘Whatever you say. Let me show you a manual. It’s like a wheelie on a bike.’ Off he went again.
    I’ve never met anyone like him,
Megan thought to herself.
It’s weird because he loves skateboarding and I love dancing but it’s as if we feel the same way about them. Almost like we’re in two different worlds but are somehow connected
. A smile crept over her face as she wondered what her friends back home would think of Danny. What would
Jake
make of him? Danny and Jake were total opposites! Jake was quiet whereas Danny was brash; Jake was careful whereas Danny was wild . . . She watched him twist and flip his boardalong a ramp, and then trip and crash to the ground again.
    â€˜You finished yet?’ called a voice, and Megan looked up to see Samantha and Jasmine heading towards them. Paul was busy trying to do something that looked like a twirl on his board at the far end of the park.
    â€˜No,’ said Danny, sounding annoyed. ‘Why?’
    â€˜Mum said she wanted us back for lunch,’ said Samantha, glancing over at Megan. ‘Oh, hello.’
    â€˜Hi.’
    â€˜Aunt Yvonne is coming, remember?’
    Danny scowled. ‘Don’t see why I should be there. She doesn’t like me anyway.’
    Samantha rolled her eyes. ‘It’s not that she doesn’t like you. But you didn’t help last time by wearing that shirt with the bleeding skull on it. She thinks you’re scary.’
    Danny grinned. ‘Even better.’ He winked at Megan. ‘I like being scary.’ Megan couldn’t help but smile back. ‘What can I wear today?’ he mused. ‘The shirt with the big knife on it?’
    â€˜Don’t you dare, Mum’ll have a fit,’ said Samantha. ‘And besides, Aunt Yvonne usually gives us money, so don’t do anything crazy.’
    Danny’s expression changed. ‘That’s right, I’dforgotten. Maybe I can tap her for a tenner for new trucks.’
    â€˜You and your skateboard,’ said Samantha. ‘So are you coming then or not?’
    Danny glanced at Paul. ‘Oh, I’m off too, mate,’ said Paul. ‘Got some stuff to