The Riders

Chapter 1 Willow Thompson

Sticks and Stones May Cause Scratches, but Bike Ramps Cause Real Damage.

"You are an idiot."
Jay had been trying to do that bike trick for hours. I had told him that it was too dangerous and he would end up in the emergency room. He just laughed and kept on trying.
"Don't be a sissy, Willow, where's the thirst for adventure? Haven't you ever read a fiction book?"
I frowned at him. First off, I loved books. Second, he was teasing me. I didn't ride bikes, my parents told me stories about crazy accidents that can happen with them. 'That's not the life for you', they said.
Sometimes I hated them for it.
"No, I'm just not stupid." I said
Honestly, all kidding aside, he was going to hurt himself. This bike trick wasn't safe, I had seen him do several other tricks so I learned a little about bikes. I knew this was just really dangerous.
"Seriously, I don't want you to get hurt."
Jay raised an eyebrow at me and I blushed.
"Shut up."
He laughed and carried on to his bike trick. The back of his bike was on its hind wheel trying to balance as he was attempting to do a three sixty in the air as he went on a ramp. To me it looked like a suicide mission, but apparently he's a 'daredevil'.
I was so envious.
I craved adventure, but because I wasn't athletic or skinny I was pretty much labeled in stone for 'never an adventure.' My life was mainly focused on school work, singing, and band.
I had tried getting in shape in seventh grade. I pretty much tried everything. Diets, visits to the gym, running, but eventually as a last ditch effort I went to not eating at all. It worked for a while, I got skinnier, paler, and in doing so I thought I looked prettier......it seemed that way at least, and I finally could look at myself in the mirror and say "hey, your not bad looking." Unfortunately, not eating also made me weak, and finally I became so weak that I kept passing out. Constantly. Lunch (where I ate nothing) PE, which I would be out within seconds of running. Just regular classes too. My teachers we're getting worried, as were my parents. They thought I was sick, but I was finally being accepted, I felt I was pretty! Do you know how hard that was for me? To look in the mirror and say 'your okay.' I found that being skinny meant being unhealthy and scaring the people that cared about me, and that just didn't feel right.
I started eating again.
I regretted it, because I started gaining weight, became fat again, ugly. Boys took less notice and I slipped right back into being envious of the people who were athletic, beautiful, and wouldn't be the first to die in an adventure.
I mean, who wants the ugly, fat girl anyway?
"Hey, Willow!"
Jay pulled me out of my thoughts and back to the cruel reality of the world.
"Oh, uh, yea looks great Jay..."
I mumbled trying to go back into my shell. My mind.
"You weren't even watching!"
Never mind then.
"Okay, show me, oh great one" I teased him.
Jay got to the top of one of the ramps and attempted his trick.
He got up on the back wheel and tried to put enough force to lift off the ground and spin, but just ended up on the bottom of the ramp in defeat. He was totally going to have multiple bruises tomorrow.
"Oooooowwwwww......" he groaned.
I held back a giggle. I could tell the fall had hurt, but Jay was strong and athletic. He dealt with this kind of stuff all the time, he'd be fine.
"Willow......"
I slowly got up from the bench I was sitting on and was going to laugh at him.
"Jay, I tried to tell you-"
I stopped short.
"Oh, shit!"
I jumped over the small path separating the ramp and the road and ran to Jay, scraping my knees a little.
Jay had his arm bent the wrong way. It was swelling fast and he had a large cut on his forehead.
"Willow....."
I didn't know what to do. Frozen, I sat next to him on my knees with my hands slightly above his torso.
'Shit, shit, shit....' I thought.
"Okay, Jay? I don't know if you can hear me but I'm just going to go out and say it...." I took a deep breath
"your arm is broken and swelling (which I don't think is good, but I've only seen a couple episodes of The Doctors) and I think you might have a concussion."
I looked down at him, wincing.
"So if you have any suggestions, I would love to hear them."
Jay's eyes fluttered open slightly and looked at me. I smiled at him.
"At least you didn't die of impact..."
He attempted a smirk but it ended up a wince.
"Okay, the first thing I'm going to do is put a cloth over your cut, and then see if I need to call an ambulance. I mean, I'm calling an ambulance either way- never mind."
I thought of anything I could use as a bandage and then it clicked. My shirt! I took the small pocket knife I had in my jacket pocket and cut the bottom of my shirt and attempted to wrap Jays head.
I didn't really know what to say. Jay's eyes watched me as I worked and it kind of scared me.
'I can't believe he put me in a situation like this!' I thought 'The idiot......'
"Ok, I hope that feels okay, because it's the best I can get you for now."
He blinked in response and I could tell that meant 'thanks.'
I had always had a special way of reading people. My friends called me physic or different. Ha. Ha. But it was still strange, the jokes just made it less.....frightening. I knew that I was special, and not in the weird way. I was different, and that made me special.
Sitting next to the broken armed Jay though, it made me realize that I was special, different, and that wasn't bad. That was kind of good.
🚲
I called the ambulance with Jays eyes still on me. I ran and grabbed my phone from the bench and then ran back to Jay.
I dialed in the numbers and a lady answered the line.
"911, what's your emergency?"
I panicked for a second. I've never had to call any emergencies before, and it frightened me.
"Hello?" The lady asked "what is your emergency?"
I snapped back into reality.
"Oh, sorry! Uh, my friend he was doing a bike trick and fell. I think his arm is broken and I don't want to move him, because he has a cut on his head and may have a concussion."
I heard the lady typing away on her computer.
"Mmhm, okay, and what is your location?" She asked calmly.
"Oh, um..." I looked toward the street signs
"I believe we are at 532 Downing Street? We are at the skate park down town! Don't you know where that is?"
I was getting annoyed. I mean, can you just send the ambulance and get it over with?
"Mm, 'kay, and what is your name?"
I gave an annoyed sigh.
"Willow Elaine Thompson."
For years I thought my parents were on drugs when they named me. Willow Thompson Honestly? Did they give birth to me just to ruin my life?
"Okay, thank you, the ambulance is on its way."
"Than-"
The lady hung up.
I took my phone away from my ear and glared at it.
How rude!
"Okay, Jay, the ambulance will be here soon okay?" I smiled sadly at him. I had never had a broken bone, but I've always wanted a cast to sign. Weird, right?
Jay smirked slightly back.
"I better be the first one to sign your cast. Belle does NOT call dibs, I was here when it happened."
Belle was one of the most attractive girls in school. Every boy swooned over her.
I could hear a snort come from Jay.
"Well, at least you have your sense of humor."
We both smiled at that.

🚲

Hello Riders!
I'm the author of this book!
I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! Please tell me your thoughts!
Cya soon!
~A Fellow Rider