"Uh. Duh. "
Kate had never done anything like this, but she couldnt act like a nerd now. Cool kids broke the rules and sneaked out of the house. Everyone knew that. Everyone knew, too, that trouble could follow. And this was exactly what her mom had been talking about.
You think for yourself around Tully Hart.
Kate didnt care about that. What mattered was Tully.
"Im on my way. " Closing the window, she looked around for clothes. Fortunately, her overalls were in the corner, folded neatly beneath a black sweatshirt. She slipped out of her old Scooby-Doo jammies and dressed quickly, then crept down the hall. As she passed her parents bedroom, her heart was pounding so fast she felt light-headed. The stairs creaked ominously with every footfall, but finally she made it.
At the back door she paused just long enough to think, I could get in trouble for this, and then she opened the door.
Tully was there, waiting. Beside her was the most amazing bike Kate had ever seen. It had curly handlebars, a tiny kidney-shaped seat on a platform, and a bunch of cables and wires. "Wow," she said. It would take a lot of berry-picking money to get a bike like that.
"Its a ten-speed," Tully said. "My grandma gave it to me last Christmas. You want to ride it?"
"No way. " Kate closed the door quietly behind her. In the carport she found her old pink bicycle with the U-shaped handlebars, flowerdecaled banana seat, and white wicker basket. It was hopelessly uncool; a little girls bike.
Tully didnt even seem to notice. They mounted up and rode down the wet, bumpy driveway to the paved road. There, they veered left and kept going. At Summer Hill, Tully said, "Watch this. Do what I do. "
They crested the hill as if they were flying. Kates hair whipped back from her head; tears stung her eyes. All around them black trees whispered in the breeze. Stars glittered in the velvet black sky.
Tully leaned back and put her arms out. Laughing, she glanced at Kate. "Try it. "
"I cant. Were going too fast. "
"Thats the point. "
"Its dangerous. "
"Come on. Let go, Katie. God hates a coward. " Then, quietly, she added, "Trust me. "
Now Kate had no choice. Trust was part of being friends, and Tully wouldnt hang out with a chicken. "Come on," she said to herself, trying to sound stern.
Taking a deep breath, she said a prayer and eased her arms out.
She was flying, sailing through the night sky, down the hill. The air smelled of the riding stable nearby, of horses and sweet hay. She heard Tully laughing beside her, but before she could even smile, something went wrong. Her front tire hit a rock; the bike bucked like a Brahman bull and twisted sideways, catching Tullys tire in its arc.
She screamed, reached for the handlebars, but it was too late. She was in the air, really flying this time. The pavement rushed up, smacked her hard, and she skidded across it, landing in a heap in a muddy ditch.
Tully rolled across the asphalt and slammed into her. The bikes clattered to the ground.
Dazed, Kate stared up at the night sky. Every part of her hurt. Her left ankle might be broken. It felt swollen, tender. She could feel where the road had ripped off her skin in patches.
"That was incredible," Tully said, laughing.
"Are you kidding? We could have been killed. "
"Exactly. "
Kate winced in pain as she tried to get up. "We should get out of this ditch. A car could come along—"
"But wasnt that cool? Wait till we tell the kids about this. "
The kids at school. This would be a story, and Kate would be one of the stars in it. People would listen raptly, ooh and aah, say things like, You sneaked out? Summer Hill without hands? Its gotta be a lie . . .
And suddenly Kate was laughing, too.
They helped each other to their feet and retrieved their bikes. By the time they were across the road, Kate barely noticed where she was hurt. She felt like a different girl suddenly—bolder, braver, willing to try anything. So what if trouble followed a night like this? What was a sprained ankle or a bloody knee next to an adventure? For the past two years shed followed all the rules and stayed home on weekend nights. No more.