Echos of Yesterday

Chapter 3

I woke up to the sound of birds chirping outside. The sun shone its golden rays into the only window in the room and cast itself on the wall. I sat up on the bed and viewed the scene outside. That's when I noticed something. I rubbed my eyes in shock, hoping it was not a dream. When I realized it was not a dream, I shrieked, "No, no, no. This cannot be happening right now. I quickly jumped out of bed and rushed out the door, calming myself under my breath.

On stepping outside, I stared at the horrific sight. My motorcycle was lying on its side, with its once sleek frame, now dented and scarred. The handlebars were twisted at an awkward angle, and a thin trickle of oil pooled beneath it. The tires looked slashed and deflated. I looked around the small parking lot. Someone must have done this in the middle of the night. I sighed and hurried back to my room, mumbling angrily to myself.

After freshening up, I met Charlene at the diner. "You don't look great, darling." She noticed my bad mood and me looking at my destroyed motorcycle through the window. "I get you something to help with the mood," she said, breaking the silence. "Ride's broken, huh? There's a great garage a few blocks down the road. Pete might be able to help." "Who's Pete?" I asked. "He's the guy who owns the place," Charlene replied as she brought me a plate of toast, scrambled eggs, and fresh fruit. "Here you go. And if you're going to Pete's, tell him I said hi." I smiled and decided not to worry about it anymore.

"What do you mean you can't fix it!?! I need to get to my destination tomorrow." I cried, not able to believe what he was saying. "Sorry girlie, your ride's trashed. And it'll take three days to fix....". As we were arguing, a young man, about my age walked into the room. Pete called out to him, "Yo Ethan, take care of this one. She's being difficult." and then left the room. I sat down and quietly mumbled to myself.

"Sorry about him. He can be a pain in the throat sometimes," said Ethan, as he sat next to me. I

I glared at the floor, still in disbelief over the situation. "What am I supposed to do now?" I muttered under my breath.

"Yeah, Pete's not exactly known for his customer service skills. But hey, let's see what we can figure out." His voice was calm, almost soothing, and it took the edge off my frustration, feeling the tension in my shoulders slowly ease up. "I just— It's important." I glanced at him, noticing for the first time the soft warmth in his eyes and the relaxed way he carried himself. "Look, I know it's not ideal," he continued, "But, I'll do my best to help you out."

I gave him a small, grateful smile "Thanks, I appreciate that."

He flashed me a grin, his expression brightening. "No problem. Besides, I kinda like a challenge."