Ride or Die

Chapter 3 - Tomorrow it begins

Vancouver International Airport is a huge blot on the ground as I approach to land. It's been four months since my conversation with Mr. Emiliano, and I've spent every day training for this moment.

This is the opportunity of a life time, and I'm not gonna let it pass. I'm gonna do everything, absolutely everything, to prove myself as a mountain biker.

I knew Canada was cold, but nothing could have ever prepared me for the freezing wind. It ripples through my thick winter jacket, chilling me to the bones.

How I'm gonna be able to ride in this god's forsaken weather, I have no idea.

But I'll figure it out. I always do.

Mr. Emiliano sent a driver to pick me up, and I'm already late.

There was some unexpected side wind when we were about to touch ground and it delayed the landing. And the fact that my luggage was missin, just made everything worse.

I was running a good two hours late when I spotted the driver.

"Hi" I say, greeting the man holding a sign with my name on it.

He must be in his mid-twenties. Long blond hair that frames his face, green eyes and a straight nose.

"Hello to you too" he says as he lowers the sign, tucking it under his arm. "Thought you weren't coming."

I follow him as he picks up one of my bags and starts to walk away. "I had some trouble with my luggage. I'm sorry I kept you waiting." I apologize.

"No worries" he tells me, looking over his shoulder. "I now how stressing airports can be."

We walk the remaining distance to the car in a comfortable silence.

"So, are you any good?" he questions once we get inside the car.

Am I any good? What kind of question is that.

"I'm better than good" I grumble. I feel him smirk next to me.

Two hours later, we arrive at the Whistler Mountain. Elias, as I've found his name was, drives us to a cabin about halfway to the top.

It's even colder here than it was in the airport. Elias chuckles when I begin to shiver. "What's so funny?" I inquire when he doesn't stop.

"I'm just trying to understand how a city girl like you is going to survive winter in Canada," he states. "You'll be out and running before the month ends."

He chuckles again. "And Kicks is training you, so I doubt you'll still be here by the end of the week."

"Who's Kicks?" I ask him, unable to keep in my curiosity. He doesn't respond, so I ask again a little louder.

He kills the engine and gets out of the car, still not answering me. I get out of the car, slamming the door on my way out.

"Elias!" I call out to him.

He takes my bags from the trunk and makes his way to the door, carrying them. I follow him inside, up a flight of stairs and down a hallway, stopping in front of a door.

"This will be your room" Elias says, trying, and failing, to keep a smile from his face.

"Who the fuck is Kicks?" I ask him again, starting to get frustrated.

At this exact moment, I feel someone's presence behind me. My eyes widen when Elias smirks.

Please don't be Kicks. I silently pray as I slowly turn around, plastering a smile on my face. "Hello" I tell the middle-aged man in front of me.

"You must be Sarah" he says, and Elias snickers.

"Oh, no. My name is Sophie. Nice to meet you..." I trail off.

"Kicks." Great.

"Nice to meet you Mr. Kicks" I tell the man, extending a hand for him to shake. He looks down at it, not taking his own from the pockets of his jeans, before scoffing.

"No Mr., Just Kicks." He tells me, stepping aside and leaving.

I let out a breath before turning and smacking Elias' arm. "Ouch! What was that for?" he whines.

I put on my sweetest smile and promptly ignore him, just like he did with me.

I can't believe I have already made a bad impression on my supposed trainer, and I haven't even been here for half an hour.

Two hours later, I'm all set. I didn't bring a lot of stuff, so all I had to do was put my clothes in the closet, as well as my shoes and gear, and the toiletries in the built-in bathroom.

I was supposed to meet with Elias in three hours to take my bike to the garage, and for him to show me around before my first day of training because, according to him, After one day with Kicks you won't even be able to stand up.

I still have an hour left, and I decide to take a nap. I couldn't sleep a wink on the flight over, too overwhelmed with nerves.

I set up my alarm to 17:45h, fifteen minutes before I have to meet him, and lay down in my freshly made bed. The second my head touches the pillow, I'm out.

I wake up with someone banging on the door. "Sophie! Open the door," a male voice shouts.

Shit. I can't be late. I look at the clock. 17:40h.

I get up, wiping the dried drool from the corner of my mouth. "What?" I ask as I open the door. Fuck.

Kicks is at the door, a not very happy expression on his face. But then, I don't think this man ever smiles. At least not to me.

"Mr.... Kicks. Can I help you?" I ask him, opening the door further.

"You're training schedule," he says, handing me a folder. "See you tomorrow at six." He tells me before leaving, throwing a "Don't be late over his shoulder".

Six? I'm gonna die before I even start training.

I don't have time to agonize over the extremely early hour I have to be up by tomorrow because a certain blond appears in front of me.

"Well, this is going to be fun" he mocks, stealing a glance at Kicks' back. I roll my eyes at his comment before following him.

Elias gives me a tour of the cabin, if you could call it that. The building has three floors. The second and third have rooms, each one with its own bathroom, and the first has a kitchen, a living room, a meeting room, two bathrooms and a gym. Outside, there is another building, almost half the size of the main one. That's the garage, where we keep our bikes, some gear, the tools and the vehicles.

I meet two of the team's mechanics and a couple of riders while on my tour. According to Elias, the rest of the team won't arrive until the end of the month. So, for now, there are only seven people living here.

After our tour, he takes me to the kitchen for dinner. We all eat together, and I feel a little more relaxed when we engage in a conversation about our adventures riding and all the fun stuff we get to do and experience. I got really surprised with some of the places they have ridden. The Yungas Road, the Porcupine Rim, The Ridge, etc.

Turns out Elias is a rider too. A very good one, if the places he has ridden are any indication.

After dinner, I bid my goodbyes and go to my room. I take a nice, long bath, finally letting the exhaustion sink in.

I lay on my bed once again.

I close my eyes, a smile forming on my lips.

Tomorrow it begins.