My Brother's Best Friend

Memory Four

    Back when I was nine and the guys were twelve, they were absolutely obsessed with bike riding. During that summer, they'd wake up early in the morning, throw their clothes on, and rush outside to ride down the biggest hills around town.

They wouldn't come home until like 5 and every time, they left me behind. And even though I was nine, I still didn't know how to ride a bike because Joseph never wanted too teach me and dad was always too busy defending criminals in court to have time either. So I was always the odd one out.

    One day, when Joseph got up to once again go with Drew and leave me behind,  I was already up waiting for him.

"I'm going with you today Joseph." I announced. Joseph laughed.

"You don't even know how to ride a bike. What are you going to do? Ride a tricycle?" I frowned. He poured himself a glass of orange juice and took a sip of it.

"You know what? I don't care. You can come just don't expect us to wait for you. You can take my old bike." He finished up his drink and burped loudly in my face. "Let's go." he said.

    We met Drew up at the park which was luckily up a huge hill so I wasn't the only one walking along side my bike. When we made it to the park though, they both got on their bikes and road down the street. I had to run to keep up. "Wait up!" I whined like a little girl. Joseph looked back at me. "I told you I wouldn't wait."

    When we got onto Darleen Avenue the boys stopped and Drew said, "Here's the hill." I looked down the street and it WAS a hill both tall and very steep.

"C'mon Drew let's ride down it. Sky, I suggest you stay up here and let the big boys handle this." I huffed. I was tired of him treating me like a baby. "No I'm going down too. I don't have to even pedal down the hill right? So I can do it." I argued. Joseph shook his head.

"Sky, you're not going down the hill."

"Why not?"

"Because I said so and I'm older." He got back on his bike. Drew who had been quiet looked at me with sympathy. "Just stay here ok and then I'll teach you how to ride a bike for real." he said. With that, they sped down the hill shirts and hair blowing in the wind and me hanging back.

    It took me a minute to decide to go against Joseph and Drew's wishes and climb on my bike. I was tired of Joseph leaving me out of everything. I took a deep breath and before I knew it the bike was speeding down the hill. This is fun, I thought to myself. The wind was blowing in my face and it felt like a roller coaster. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the ride. That'd show Joseph, I thought.

   When I opened my eyes again, I saw a car coming towards me quickly and panicked. Before I could think about it I was turning the handle bar. The wheel of the bike still going full speed ran into the raised curb of someone's house and the bike and myself flipped over. I blacked out for a second. The bike was lying on top of me and my arm was in agonizing pain. I could feel warm blood dripping down my face. The last thing I remember is Drew picking me up and carrying me all the way home and calling the ambulance. Joseph had ditched me as a joke, and Drew who was of no relation to me turned around to make sure I didn't have to walk home alone. Luckily he'd come back or I might've bled to death from my broken arm and concussion. Drew became my hero that day while I realized that Joseph would always just be a big goof.