I slipped out the front door before she could say any more. I still can’t quite believe she let me go without even phoning his folks.

When I got out there, Ben asked where my bike was, and I had to tell him I didn’t have one.

“Okay. We can go to my place and I’ll get you set up. I’ll double you there.” That kind of freaked me out.

I looked back at my house. I could see my mom and sister standing in the little front window. Watching. It felt like an Instant Pot pressure cooker situation for sure. I was caught between my mother and a hard spot!

Ben asked if there was a problem, and I had to tell him I couldn’t get on a bike without a helmet. Or a skateboard, or a scooter, or anything except my runners. But I only said about the bike.

“Right,” he said. He looked over at my mom and sister. He waved and my mom waved back. My sister just stared. “We’ll get out of sight first.”

We walked together down the sidewalk and onto the trail. Then we followed the trail back behind our house and onto the street behind ours. And when we hit the road, he told me to get on. Dangerous as heck, and I did it anyway! He got me to stand on the pegs and I had to hold onto his shoulders, which felt sort of weird but also interesting because I didn’t even know some bikes have pegs. Also, he rode off the curb a bunch of times, so I had to stay extremely alert.

It was uncomfortable, but I also felt like an outlaw biker with the wind going through my hair, not that I would say that to anyone except you. Have you ever got on a bike or a skateboard or Rollerblades without a helmet? I have to say that it feels different, maybe because it’s so irresponsible. He pedaled in front of me, so I guess that would make me like one of those outlaw biker girlfriends who ride on the back of the motorcycle, based on what I’ve seen on the TV shows about biker gangs. Kate hates those shows and asks why anyone would want to watch hairy guys acting like sexist pigs. She doesn’t understand the call of the wild and the open road.