: WITH REASON : Skate Slash : Ohno/Celski
With Reason
::Apolo Ohno/JR Celski, Skate Slash, PG13.
03.03.10 "With Reason"
Sometimes Apolo has reasons for being a dick.
Because when JR is fifteen and around all the time with his hey listen to this Seattle trash-rock and his dumb naive smile, being nice isn't an option. Being nice would be unfair to Apolo and no matter how many statues of Buddha his dad keeps around the house, Apolo never thinks about anyone else's feelings first. So he tells JR that it doesn't matter what the press says, he's not his protégé or his grasshopper or whatever. He tells JR that he's not skating fast enough, he's not eating right, and his music pretty much sucks.
JR's too stupid to take everything Apolo says seriously, or to heart. So he'll look at Apolo with this half-smile on his face that's part yeah, right and part hang dog and then spend the rest of the day skating half a lap behind him instead of on his heels. Which is what Apolo wants. Because JR's fifteen and his older brothers are Apolo's friends and once upon a time Mrs Celski was what he imagined a great mom must be like.
Sometimes Apolo has reasons for being a dick.
Because when JR is sixteen he suddenly starts eating everything in sight and his hands are always in Apolo's bags of rice crackers and dried fruit and the snack-sized ziplocs of M&M's that are supposed to be secret. The worst part is that the kid just eats the blue ones and Apolo hates the blue ones. So he tells JR that he can't do school and skating, not if he wants to be the best. He tells him that he's definitely not turning out as cool as his older brothers. He tells him that his corners are sloppy.
JR's too smart to take everything Apolo says seriously, or to heart. So he gives Apolo this smile that Apolo can read as yeah, right and spends the rest of the day skating a turn ahead of him instead of on his heels. Which is what Apolo wants. Because JR's sixteen and Apolo's dad makes extra sashimi just so the kid can have some and he even knows to leave off the avocado because JR doesn't like the texture.
Sometimes Apolo has reasons for being a dick.
Because when JR is seventeen Apolo turns around one day and finds him at eye level. On skates or off they're now the same height and JR is watching the sets Apolo does in the gym like he's thinking about doing just as many as he tells him that hip hop music has no soul and plugs his own stupid emorock into his ears. So Apolo can't tell JR anything. But he refuses to listen when one of the buds is handed over.
JR's too good to take everything Apolo does seriously, or to heart. So he just shakes his head with this grin that looks like yeah, right and spends the rest of the day skating on his outside instead of on his heels. Which is what Apolo wants. Because JR's seventeen and he hangs out at Apolo's place when they've got free time and reprograms his Tivo to record stuff like MonsterQuest that Apolo can't stand but can't make himself delete either.
Sometimes Apolo has reasons for being a dick.
Because when JR is eighteen he trades in the glasses that used to make him look like the biggest nerd on the planet for these trendy things with black frames and all his clothes seem to fit him better, like he finally grew into himself. He gets onto the ice with a smile. So Apolo tells him it isn't a game, do another lap, and another, and another, until JR is cursing under his breath and they actually get into a yelling match that ends with JR walking home (since Apolo had driven him) and Apolo putting the point of his skate into the rink wall.
JR's too close to take everything Apolo does seriously, or to heart. So he calls that night and apologizes for Apolo and Apolo's snort sounds a lot like yeah, right but JR doesn't seem to care because he's back on the ice the next morning skating laps by himself before Apolo even gets there. Which is what Apolo wants. Because JR's eighteen and he's good, he's really good, and Apolo is running out of excuses.
Sometimes Apolo has reasons for being a dick.
Because when JR is nineteen the best and the worst things that could happen both do happen and then there's no one smiling, stealing his blue M&M's, matching his weight sets, trying to make him listen to bad music, or apologizing when he won't. So Apolo tells himself that he didn't need any of that stuff anyway, that the ice doesn't feel empty without someone behind him, or in front of him, or on his outside.
It's just too bad that Apolo knows himself too well to take himself seriously. So he goes to visit JR when he should be training instead and he tells him that the coach gave him the time off. JR just laughs quietly and says, yeah, right, and they spend the rest of the day talking about strength training for his leg and what he'll have to do to see Vancouver ice. Which is what Apolo wants. Because JR's nineteen and he knows what he wants, and he doesn't care what Apolo's reasons are.
::Apolo Ohno/JR Celski, Skate Slash, PG13.
03.03.10 "With Reason"
Sometimes Apolo has reasons for being a dick.
Because when JR is fifteen and around all the time with his hey listen to this Seattle trash-rock and his dumb naive smile, being nice isn't an option. Being nice would be unfair to Apolo and no matter how many statues of Buddha his dad keeps around the house, Apolo never thinks about anyone else's feelings first. So he tells JR that it doesn't matter what the press says, he's not his protégé or his grasshopper or whatever. He tells JR that he's not skating fast enough, he's not eating right, and his music pretty much sucks.
JR's too stupid to take everything Apolo says seriously, or to heart. So he'll look at Apolo with this half-smile on his face that's part yeah, right and part hang dog and then spend the rest of the day skating half a lap behind him instead of on his heels. Which is what Apolo wants. Because JR's fifteen and his older brothers are Apolo's friends and once upon a time Mrs Celski was what he imagined a great mom must be like.
Sometimes Apolo has reasons for being a dick.
Because when JR is sixteen he suddenly starts eating everything in sight and his hands are always in Apolo's bags of rice crackers and dried fruit and the snack-sized ziplocs of M&M's that are supposed to be secret. The worst part is that the kid just eats the blue ones and Apolo hates the blue ones. So he tells JR that he can't do school and skating, not if he wants to be the best. He tells him that he's definitely not turning out as cool as his older brothers. He tells him that his corners are sloppy.
JR's too smart to take everything Apolo says seriously, or to heart. So he gives Apolo this smile that Apolo can read as yeah, right and spends the rest of the day skating a turn ahead of him instead of on his heels. Which is what Apolo wants. Because JR's sixteen and Apolo's dad makes extra sashimi just so the kid can have some and he even knows to leave off the avocado because JR doesn't like the texture.
Sometimes Apolo has reasons for being a dick.
Because when JR is seventeen Apolo turns around one day and finds him at eye level. On skates or off they're now the same height and JR is watching the sets Apolo does in the gym like he's thinking about doing just as many as he tells him that hip hop music has no soul and plugs his own stupid emorock into his ears. So Apolo can't tell JR anything. But he refuses to listen when one of the buds is handed over.
JR's too good to take everything Apolo does seriously, or to heart. So he just shakes his head with this grin that looks like yeah, right and spends the rest of the day skating on his outside instead of on his heels. Which is what Apolo wants. Because JR's seventeen and he hangs out at Apolo's place when they've got free time and reprograms his Tivo to record stuff like MonsterQuest that Apolo can't stand but can't make himself delete either.
Sometimes Apolo has reasons for being a dick.
Because when JR is eighteen he trades in the glasses that used to make him look like the biggest nerd on the planet for these trendy things with black frames and all his clothes seem to fit him better, like he finally grew into himself. He gets onto the ice with a smile. So Apolo tells him it isn't a game, do another lap, and another, and another, until JR is cursing under his breath and they actually get into a yelling match that ends with JR walking home (since Apolo had driven him) and Apolo putting the point of his skate into the rink wall.
JR's too close to take everything Apolo does seriously, or to heart. So he calls that night and apologizes for Apolo and Apolo's snort sounds a lot like yeah, right but JR doesn't seem to care because he's back on the ice the next morning skating laps by himself before Apolo even gets there. Which is what Apolo wants. Because JR's eighteen and he's good, he's really good, and Apolo is running out of excuses.
Sometimes Apolo has reasons for being a dick.
Because when JR is nineteen the best and the worst things that could happen both do happen and then there's no one smiling, stealing his blue M&M's, matching his weight sets, trying to make him listen to bad music, or apologizing when he won't. So Apolo tells himself that he didn't need any of that stuff anyway, that the ice doesn't feel empty without someone behind him, or in front of him, or on his outside.
It's just too bad that Apolo knows himself too well to take himself seriously. So he goes to visit JR when he should be training instead and he tells him that the coach gave him the time off. JR just laughs quietly and says, yeah, right, and they spend the rest of the day talking about strength training for his leg and what he'll have to do to see Vancouver ice. Which is what Apolo wants. Because JR's nineteen and he knows what he wants, and he doesn't care what Apolo's reasons are.