This story looks substantially shorter than the previous ones I've read in the Skater Rat continuity. I gather that the subsequent installments in the Contest series will be longer, though. Or something. We'll see.

So this is the skate park. The nice fancy expensive playground that the rich kids do their skating on. It's very foreboding. I'm guessing so far that Ely's reception is going to be pretty frosty.

Also, third paragraph (the one-sentence one) is missing a period at the end.

Oh, God, one of the kids here is named Aiden. Is there going to be an Ethan as well? ... Could they possibly sound any more obnoxiously white? Maybe if they had a portable stereo blasting music from the iTunes Store front page.

So Aiden is a rabbit. He's the first rabbit I've read about in the series, I think.

What an awkward scene this all is. Spencer's doing a pretty lousy job of making a case for Ely, but then, Aiden and -- Keagan, is it? -- aren't being very helpful either. I'm sure neither of them are very interested in having to deal with an outsider in their competition. Although I have to wonder: If Ely were, say, another squirrel -- maybe from another school district or such -- would the group here have an easier time accepting him? Or is it enough that he's simply not from their little group?

This all makes a lot more sense with Preston in its context. Why would these guys host a skating contest if they didn't want competition? Because there's one guy who considers himself to be the best skater of the lot, and he wants to show it off to them, and make some money in the process. What an arrogant piece of crap. Ely doesn't have a chance of winning this. He could be Tony frikkin' Hawk and the judges would still vote for Preston.

At least the park itself seems to have some OK terrain to skate on. I imagine Ely thinks it's a bit of a playground. Everything all cushy and pampering to make it easy for skaters to feel like they're good at their sport. Heaven forbid a skater with outside experience roll in and disrupt their little hierarchy.

Speaking of hierarchy: Wow, that thing with Preston hogging the halfpipe. No wonder Ely's not welcome. They have their pecking order, all right. I'd say I can't believe everyone would go along with that, but... I guess I can.

You know what's really crazy? After seeing Casey in the pilot, and after seeing these assorted jerkbags in this story, it seems like Ely -- someone who barely even cares about socializing, let alone any would-be friends in particular -- is the best person for Spencer to hang out around. Ely might not really care about Spencer one way or another, but at least he's not trying to exploit or step all over the squirrel. Seems like everyone else is.

Thanks for the read. Those west-side names are definitely pretty much a checklist of names I hate. I'm okay with the name "Spencer."

Skipping on over to your last point...at times Ely is like the one non-bullshitter in a world loaded with them. He's not the most affectionate but you know where you stand with him. Mostly, anyway.

I don't have much to add to your thoughts this time so I'll just say, once again, thanks for the read and the comment, hopefully it hasn't been too much of a chore for you.

Well, let me assure you, then: It hasn't been a chore at all. I imagine if it were, I would've stopped after the pilot. This has been a lot of fun.

Spencer seems like that kid who wants to be liked. The worst kinds of idiots are like that. Poor Ely though, not getting a chance to really be part of the group. I get it, that was the point, but still. Those kids are assholes: both the ones actively being dicks to Ely and those going along with it.

In my experience, the hangers-on were much more enraging than the Alpha-Jerk.