BooksBarbecue
Back Early Departures
Chapters (122)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Epigraph
  4. Facts
  5. 101
  6. 100
  7. 23 Months After the Funeral
  8. 99
  9. 98
  10. 97
  11. 96
  12. 95
  13. 94
  14. 93
  15. 92
  16. 91
  17. 90
  18. 89
  19. 88
  20. 87
  21. 86
  22. 85
  23. 84
  24. 83
  25. 82
  26. 81
  27. 80
  28. 79
  29. 78
  30. 77
  31. 76
  32. 75
  33. 74
  34. 73
  35. 72
  36. 71
  37. 70
  38. 69
  39. 68
  40. 67
  41. 66
  42. 65
  43. 64
  44. 63
  45. 62
  46. 61
  47. 60
  48. 59
  49. 58
  50. Postreanimation Day 1
  51. 57
  52. 56
  53. 55
  54. 54
  55. 53
  56. 52
  57. 51
  58. 50
  59. 49
  60. 48
  61. 47
  62. Day 2
  63. 46
  64. 45
  65. 44
  66. 43
  67. 42
  68. 41
  69. 40
  70. 39
  71. 38
  72. 37
  73. 36
  74. Day 3
  75. 35
  76. 34
  77. 33
  78. 32
  79. 31
  80. 30
  81. Day 4
  82. 29
  83. 28
  84. 27
  85. 26
  86. Quincy
  87. 25
  88. Jamal
  89. 24
  90. 23
  91. 22
  92. 21
  93. 20
  94. Day 4
  95. 19
  96. 18
  97. 17
  98. Day 5
  99. 16
  100. 15
  101. 14
  102. 13
  103. 12
  104. 11
  105. 10
  106. Day 6
  107. 9
  108. 8
  109. 7
  110. 6
  111. 5
  112. 4
  113. 14 Days Postreanimation
  114. 3
  115. 2
  116. 1
  117. 0
  118. Acknowledgments
  119. About the Author
  120. Books by Justin A. Reynolds
  121. Back Ad
  122. About the Publisher

Cars slow down to honk at us and encourage us along. Or maybe to tell us to get out of their way. But either way, people are taking notice.

Autumn pulls up first, straddling her bike with both feet firmly on the ground. “You sure you’re up for this?” she asks.

Deadman’s Hill is not named ironically. With its steepness, its skid-prone asphalt, to even walk down it feels like you may be unnecessarily putting your life in jeopardy. So to bike down, it is probably not the sanest thing we could do.

But life is nothing if not a series of risks.

Taking chances.

Rolling the dice.

I unsnap and resnap my chin strap, pulling it tighter. I glance over either shoulder; no traffic as far as I can see.

“The only thing I’m worried about is whether you’ll be able to keep up,” I say.

Autumn laughs. “Oh, please, for the sake of your lungs, I’ll try to keep my dust to a minimum.”

“Haha, you’re hilarious. I hope you’re a fan of participation trophies because that’s all you’re gonna—”

But I don’t get to finish my boasts because Autumn is a madwoman.

Autumn starts pedaling feverishly down the slope, before lifting her feet and letting gravity do the rest.

“Hey, you’re cheating, man,” I yell after her.

She laughs into the wind, howls with excitement, and I push off after her, a little scared, yes, but feeling all sorts of alive.

At the bottom, Autumn throws her arms into the air and laughs.

I’m smiling, laughing. This is what it feels like to find something you’ve lost: happiness.

0

JAUNCY RIDES AGAIN TuberOne
19,812 views image 1392 image 19 | JAUNCY COMEDY DUO | SUBSCRIBE 37,321

Hey guys!

This is gonna be a really, really short video, but also a really cool video—

Becaaauuusee I have a very, very special guest rejoining me!

Jamal! That’s right! The gang’s back together!

Jamal: Reunited and it feels soooo good. Yep, do not adjust your screen, you aren’t seeing things. Q and J, your favorite comedy duo you never knew you needed, is baaaaack.

Q and J: It’s Jauunnncccyyyyyyy!

J: Wuuuuut up, guys?!

Q: As you can see he’s very excited to be here!

Jamal: The excitedest!

Q: He’s even making up words, that’s how pumped this man is. So some of you are probably like, why a guest, you’ve never done a guest before, Q—

And you’re right!

KIND OF!

Because this guy—not only has he been one of my best friends since diaper days, he was also one half of Jauncy, a comedy duo-ship we had back in the day . . . then we had a bit of a hiatus—

J: Because I suck

Q: You don’t suck, man.

J: C’mon, bro, I sucked.

Q: Okay, you sucked. But you’re not sucking anymore.