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Sure that he was able to avoid the morning date with Sara today, Eric went over to the small shed in the front yard. To be really certain that he didn't have to go to school with Alice, Eric spent the whole yesterday afternoon repairing his old bike. Now he could get it from the shed to ride it. It had been years since he'd ridden it for the last time. Therefore, the first meters seemed a little awkward. After fifty meters, he did feel secure again in the saddle and kicked off. The bike was meant to be an escape, but now Eric really seemed to enjoy riding to school by bike instead of sitting in the loud, stuffy bus.
He had just left the road and passed by the bus stop when a second bike was slowly approaching him. Instead of overtaking, it kept on riding right next as Eric. When the boy looked to his left, his handlebars started to sway. The boy almost caused an accident when he saw Alice on the bike beside him.
"What the-" he cursed silently in surprise before he said aloud, "What are you doing here?"
"When I did some errands for my mother yesterday, I saw that you were tinkering around on your bike. So I thought that you wanted to ride it today and asked my dad to prepare mine too so that we can ride together."
"Ahh- you've seen that... nice... nice," however, he did not really really like it since his whole plan fell through. Again and again, Eric tried to escape the young girl by speeding up, but she kept coming back. Eventually, Eric gave up wanting to escape and surrendered himself to his fate. Together, they rode along the street towards school.
About a little more than a quarter of the way, they reached the little slope where the street fell downwards in slopes. A cobbled footpath led directly downward.
Alice stopped right before him and looked down the slope.
"What's going on?" asked Eric, who was surprised of the sudden stop.
"I'd just love to rush straight down the hillside."
With glance down the steep, grassy hill, Eric knew how adventurous this suggestion was. A suggestion, which he could only reject with head-shaking, "Are you crazy?! You'll only break your neck!"
"Do you think so? I don't think so," Alice countered, looking around to find the way she could use to ride down. "It's a bit bumpy, yes, but not dangerous. Don't you wanna try it? Feel the thrill!? Oh, come on, Eric! Don't be such a coward and risk a little something in your life! That's what it's for!"
With these words she stepped into the pedals, turned the handlebars a 90° to the right and raced down the slope with a cry of joy. Eric watched with big eyes as she gained more and more speed, and the fabric of her blue shirt rushed wildly in the wind. Fortunately, no car came up the road, which could bounce with the crazy girl. Safe and with squealing tires Alice came to a halt at the lower end of the slope. She stretched both hands into the air and looked at the boy in order to challenge him.
Although Eric still didn't want to follow her, he had to give in to his fighting spirit, not wanting to be beaten by a girl.
"Okay, good," he muttered even less confident than he actually was. Eric's fingernails were white as he was clinging tightly to his handlebar. He pushed his right shoe on the ground and left the rest up to gravity. At an incredible pace, he raced over the green blades of grass and, despite the suspension, felt the bumps of the ground on every inch of his already aching butt. As he accelerated so fast, he held the handlebars rigidly straight and did not dare move the front wheel. The wind bit into his face, forcing him to half close his eyes. One time, he felt a dent in the ground, which almost made him fall to the ground. However, he was able to keep himself on the vehicle.
During the 30 seconds the journey lasted, the boy strongly prayed that he would arrive safely. Even when his bike was peacefully standing next to Alice, he still leaned over the handlebar, gripping it tightly.
"I- I've done it!" he gasped relieved.
"Congratulations!" cheered Alice. "Wasn't that a great feeling, the wind, the speed. This is life!"
"That's death!"
"Ha, it wasn't that bad. Believe me," she was stroking Eric's back to take care of the nausea in his stomach. "As we have been facing this death risk together, we are really true friends now."
"What are you talking about?" Eric was still too excited to really understand her. "She's totally gone mad!"
"Yep, you're my best friend from now on," she smiled brightly. "This is gonna be so exciting. I've never had a real, best friend!"
The boy looked at her with his face that was slowly regaining its colour, "No real friend? Where have you been living? Under a rock? Well, who is sitting in the glass house-"
"Are you coming?"
Without realizing it, Alice was already back in the saddle and urged the two of them to continue so that they wouldn't come late. Since he had most of his control over his legs back, Eric also straightened up and followed his self-declared new best friend.
While they rode along the street more comfortably, Eric asked a question, "Why did you actually sit next to me? There were a lot of other free seats?"
"That's easy to answer," Alice looked seriously at him for the first time. "You looked so lonely. As if you needed a friend. And since I also needed one, I thought I should sit next to you. Now look at us!"
Again she smiled and rode along the street. Eric followed her silently.
