Bike Ride

My dad is fixing up my old old bike so I can have it at the new house. I get to bike to school and all over the place! There are so many places near the apartments we plan to move to~

 

            I buckle the chinstrap of my helmet and pick up a knee pad, ready to put it on. I undo the Velcro, but then I pause, blink, set it down. I stand up, casting a last furtive glance at the padding I’m not wearing, then step towards my bike. Hands on the bars, I swing a leg over the seat, hoist myself up. No part of me is touching the ground, now.

            The path is circular, paved, a continuous cycle of hill and valleys; an eternal, mind-numbing journey. I will be exhausted when I finish, but not while I’m in motion. I kick back the stand, pedal forward, catch my balance. The first hill is down. I brace myself, but I don’t need to. Soon, I am flying! There are wings on my back, catching the lukewarm wind. I can’t feel my body; I don’t need to. I am a pair of imaginary wings.