The Thing about Falling ✓

Forty Six • Biking 101

Athena

"Why learn to ride a bike when I could just drive my car?"

Elliot inhaled deeply, shutting his eyes for a moment as his hand pressed against his forehead, probably frustrated with me.

We were both in some park he found a bit far from uni. It was quiet and in some way peaceful, given that there were not much people around at this hour. It was still a weekday, and kids were still in school. I didn't have classes today, and Elliot took advantage of that.

With not much people and the weather kind enough to shower us with steady and gentle breezes, it was undoubtedly a good day to bike.

Too bad I never learned how to.

Elliot walked closer to me as I sat on a rented blue bike, and he honestly looked so fed up with me after I kept insisting I keep the training wheels on so I could speed through the city with a pink sparkly helmet.

If I'm short and people mistake me for a kid, why not keep up with the joke?

"Once you get kids, you'll be glad they'll be biking around the neighborhood instead of pissing you off. It worked for my parents. You know, teaching me how to ride a bike." he said as he walked up to my right and rung the bike's bell once, looking at me with his apple green eyes.

I blew my overgrown bangs up and tucked them behind my ears. I haven't got time to trim them yet, but Elliot once told me to try something new and for once, I did. Twice.

The first, was to let my bangs grow out, and second was to learn how to ride a bike.

I narrowed my eyes at him as I sat on the bike, with both my hands gripping the handlebars.

"What if I just become that rich aunt who gives kids expensive things? I don't need to learn how to ride a bike if I'm not gonna marry or have kids." I told him with a quick roll of the eye.

Elliot raised an eyebrow at me and shook his head.

"Athena, take this seriously. Someone will want to marry you and yes, you will have kids. Now wear these pads over your elbows and knees. We're taking off those training wheels." he said as he handed me 2 pairs of pads. He later bent down over the bike and inspected the small, dirty-white training wheels the bike donned, all geared up to remove them.

I frowned.

There was no way I, a college student, will wear pads like some kid who's scared of getting a little bruised up. I know it's for safety reasons but I think I can handle some cuts and bruises, without those wretched things.

"You're not the boss of me. You aren't some dignified magic guy who knows what will happen in the future either. I don't need those." I said, taking the elbow and knee pads from him and instead of putting them on, I set them aside on the soft grass on the side of the pavement.

Elliot shot me another fed up look and sighed.

"Fine. Suit yourself. But I'm taking these training wheels off. Get down the bike." he commanded, swatting me with a hand of his as he withdrew a small screwdriver from his pocket.

I shot him a glare and huffed as I got off the bike, muttering to myself.

"Someone's on his period." I said, but only a whisper.

Slightly confused, Elliot immediately turned his head towards me and for a second, he looked as if he understood what I said but was just making sure he heard right.

"What did you say?" he asked, his tone, cold but slightly unhinged.

"Nothing." I said as I smiled a bit and put my hands behind my back, skipping towards a nearby patch of grass.