Mastering the Bike by Jenna Kutz

Jenna - 6th Grade

             I stared at my feet as I wobbled down the sidewalk on my bike. The farther I went, the faster I rode, and the more worried I became. It’s only my second time trying to ride! I’m not ready to go this fast! I thought desperately.

 

             “Slow down, Beth! Wait! Watch out for the mailbox!” Dad shouted. Clang! I groaned and disentangled my legs from my bike. Dad ran to help me up.

            “I’m never trying to ride that thing again!” I told him stubbornly. I could feel him watching me as I ran into the house, slamming the door behind me.

            Despite my vow, I had tried to ride “that thing” again . . . and failed.  Once again, I stared wistfully out the window, my eyes following my older brother and sister, Nick and Maggie, as they bike back and forth in front of our house. Although I really wanted to learn how to ride a bike, I was scared of crashing again. I tried to go slow but if I went too slowly, I just toppled to one side. And all that accomplished was scraping my knees. Unless . . .

            “Alright, you have elbow and knee pads and a helmet, so it won’t hurt if you fall. I’ll hold the bike and run beside you until you’re ready for me to let go. Okay?” I nodded and Dad took a secure hold on my bike. As I started pedaling, Dad kept me from tipping over.

            “You can let go!” I shouted, and Dad’s hands fell away. But instead of spilling onto the sidewalk, as I expected, I breezed all the way to the corner. Dad cheered and I gave him a thumbs-up. I couldn’t keep the grin off my face. I was on my way to mastering the bike.

Short Story