2025-01-25 - Jett's Flotsom Jewelry: After The Pitch

Jett was at the skatepark; it had become his sanctuary these days. He'd always gone to the park and yet lately he's been frequenting it daily. It was part obsession and part coping mechanism. The ground had fallen out from underneath him in more ways than one, so here, at the park, he was an island of his own thoughts with the familiar clank and rattle of skateboards in the background.

He'd already put some time into the ramps and rails, he even tried the half pipe again, and the half pipe still intimidated him and he had the skinned knees to prove it. At present he was sitting on the bleachers, sitting forward on his knees with his board underneath his shoes. The board itself wasn't fancy; it had just been a basic board that he wore out pretty damn fast learning how to skate. The board itself had no decorations other than some stickers on the deck. It didn't have a fancy design or artwork; he couldn't afford that when he first got it. It showed the wear and tear of suffering under his abusive learning cycle; a pattern that he had to repeat several times until he could get tricks right and experience a breakthrough. That's what skateboarding and art was about really; periods of time learning, the discomfort of trying and failing, the victories of achieving what was practiced and the inevitable need to discover a personal breakthrough that could elevate one's skills and start the process all over again.

That was what life was like too; if he admitted it to himself. If he wanted a change in his life he would have to practice it over and over and over before he could achieve a breakthrough. If he did the same old thing he'd never find that breakthrough that would elevate him. He wanted so much more for himself lately; he might be made to feel shameful over it but life hadn't given him any handouts. It wasn't like he was asking for the moon! He had hoped to dare for more and worked up the confidence to approach the merchandizing team with a verbal pitch.

He had spent all week studying in front of the mirror; practicing his speech. He had worked all month on getting pieces ready for demonstration purposes. He had compiled all the help he garnered over the last few months. Ty, Knox, Rowan, Christopher,... to name a few. He knew there was more to thank but really it was their little tidbits of information that steered him to the direction he went to. He recalled his approach to the team; they had given him all of fifteen minutes to make his pitch.

It wasn't a long duration; they were busy. It was a small panel of three individuals from the team and those who oversaw the midway and some of the shops in the area. Jett didn't fear it. He had the confidence he had gained from everyone's support. He pitched the foundation of the idea; crafting Jett's Flotsom Jewelry. The name itself was appeasing to the panel, which he supplemented by providing them samples of the jewelry he would make - earrings, necklaces, bracelets, studs for piercings, rings, bracelets, belt buckles, chains style accessories for the goth in all of us. He surprised them all by including some hair pieces and and tchotchke shit that could be clipped onto a bag, like keychains and things. He explained he picked things up; that he was a collector and that he recycled unwanted items and sometimes refuse. The panel was impressed by that and when he told them it would also 'ground' them if they wore it and focused their thoughts on the pieces, their faces brightened.

Mechanical steam punk shit combined with spiritual new age junk?! Well that was a combination that sparked their own imaginations.

He pitched for eventually having a merchandising cart in the Midway or where ever it would be appropriate, but that he could start with a few samples of his jewelry going in stores to test out the marketability. They were impressed that he had thought of that, since it offered a projection of scale with the end goal being a tchotchke cart or potentially his own store in the park. Jett included that he would get assistance to design an outfit that would go along with the cart, if he got that far, and they seemed approving of that as well. The more he talked the more they were impressed by all the angles that were considered. Jett assured them that it wasn't his ideas alone and that he had a great many supporters out there.

When his fifteen minutes came to an end he had left the meeting feeling a growing promise in his stomach; they approved him to try his wares in a couple midway locations - one a shop and the other on another cart. The downside is that because he wasn't selling the items direct that commission would be taken on items sold, a hefty 40% since the other vendors would have to incorporate the items in their store fronts. Jett understood that, he assured them he did. He also came up with a price range that everyone seemed to be happy with. They wanted product for Valentines day; so he had a couple weeks at the most! Then he had to package the items professionally - with business cards and in a style that would enhance his products.

It'd be difficult; he'd rarely have time for himself going forward. But he got the deal...

And this is what he wanted right?!

He would make his own way in the world. He may have been thrown away in the trash can but that would be the foundation of his empire now.

Ambition raced through his mind, his eyes tightening with the thoughts that raced of all the things he could create. He told them he could make custom pieces too, eventually if given the space to do so. He sighed quietly because he knew he had a lot of people to thank for getting him to this point, for their encouragement and their ideas.

His hand tightened around a metal pendant featuring a skeleton that was a long oblong shape, stretched out and a manipulated to be thin and not at all perfect. It had a skeleton head popping out of it, 3D in fashion, and the rest seemed etched in, making a pattern that represented the skeleton's bust. In the relative space of the skeleton's chest was a red rock, shaped to look like a heart and set into the pendant. He looked at it again. He probably wished he could do some things differently, but he figured they'd like it anyway. He finished creating it that morning and was excited to gift it to them. Would it be too cheesy? It would probably be way too cheesy... and yet of all the people he wanted to share this news with first, it was them.

Even when it came to celebrating the news, maybe... maybe it was better off not to say anything. People were weird about other's successes. He was weird about his own. He tucked the pendant back in his pocket and thought about what his appropriate response would be. Thank everyone? Send them little cards and mementos? Probably. He wouldn't have gotten here without everyone's ideas helping him forward. But maybe he should wait to see how the sales go first...

That was a good plan.

His hand clamped down around the pendant again. His mouth turned up in a softening smile as he rolled the pendant around in his hand and his eyes drifted off into another zone. It was like all his thoughts stilled. It was the grounding part of it for sure; a thread of earth magic was imbued into it. His fingers ran over the indication of the skull's face and then over the smooth edges, then back with a thumb over the heart. This was not the first time he'd get lost in thinking about them; it was not the first time his lips turned up in a fucking smile he couldn't contain. He snorted at himself for the goofy grin that spread across his face and it didn't stop there either! He eyerolled at himself for being so... god damned taken. Taken? Was that the right word. It was good enough for him. He closed his eyes as his hand ran over the heart and he thought about their laughter, their smile, their blue eyes.

Fuckin damn...those blue eyes. He could get lost thinking about those blue eyes....

.......

...............

......................

One of the other boarders at the park leaned over and thwaped him in the head. "Yo Jett??"

Jett had reacted with a jolt from the swat, "Fuck! What?! What the hell man."

"Dude, you have been sitting there for like an hour... We thought you were frozen again."

Jett narrowed his eyes, "Fuck you! That was like one time and it requires the Ice Princess, ok?"

"Yeah yeah. You good?"

"Has it seriously been an hour?"

"Yeah. More or less. You just sort of looked like you glitched out, staring off into space with that dumbassed smile on your face."

Jett schooled his features and fingered the other guy, which was met with a grin in return.

"We're all going to grab a bite to eat. You in?" The other boarder asked of Jett.

Jett looked around and realized the light had faded on him; moved and shifted. He also felt his ass and legs were nearly numb. "Yeah, yeah. I'll come, hang on..." He double checked the pendant was there in his pocket before he stood up and gathered his shit. He looked back at where he had just sat. He respectfully gave his former self a nod, then stepped forward with his free hand swept down and out as if he was casting that figment of his former self away.

Life had changed.