Phoenix Read Free

standing, and beside him was my best friend, Jake.
    Jake was the same age as I was, and we went to the same school. He had shaggy blond hair and a pug nose, and he was a great rider. He was the one who had gotten me interested in racing bikes. If it weren’t for me, he’d have a roomful of first-place trophies instead of second-place ones, but he didn’t seem to mind. He was cool like that.
    Jake was straddling his bike, his usual baggy riding clothes flopping in the warm breeze. I was glad he was here. Grandfather might hold back on some of the verbal abuse I was bound to receive.
    Grandfather leaned over and stretched a hand outtoward me. I took it, and he jerked me to my feet. I must have received a clean bill of health. Otherwise, he would have been more gentle.
    Grandfather let go of my hand and walked over to my broken bicycle. He hoisted the twenty-eight-pound machine onto his shoulder as though it weighed no more than a woman’s purse, and nodded at the tacoed wheel. “Is this the result of mechanical failure?”
    I nodded. “You could say that.”
    “You should be more careful. Take care of your bicycle, and it will take care of you.”
    “Yes, Grandfather.”
    He pointed to my aching jaw. “Would you like to tell me about that?”
    “Not really. I let my guard down. I’ve suffered the consequences. I’ve learned a valuable lesson.”
    “I hope so,” Grandfather snapped. “Meet me in the parking lot.” He turned and began to walk back up the trail, carrying the bike.
    When Grandfather was out of earshot, Jake whistled softly. “Whoa, your grandfather sure is harsh, bro.”
    I shrugged.
    Jake glanced down at his handlebars, and I noticed a battered helmet hanging there—my helmet. He tossed it to me.
    “I showed your skid lid to your grandfather while you were unconscious,” Jake said. “I told him it was trashed and that you probably cracked your skull after it flew off. I wondered if he should keep his hands off your melonin case you had, like, brain damage or something, but he must have guessed my thoughts because he pointed to your chin. What’s up with that?”
    I saw the concern on Jake’s face and decided to tell him what had happened.
    “My grandfather was right,” I said. “My head is fine. I fell off my bike and another rider kicked me in the jaw. I went out like a light.”
    “No way! You mean that huge kid who was decked out in like ten grand worth of gear?”
    “That’s the one.”
    “He passed me early,” Jake said, “elbowed me on a turn and put me in third place behind the two of you.”
    “He elbowed me, too. I was beating him, though, until my front wheel tacoed and I endoed over the bars. He rode up behind me, and as I bent down to move my bike, he blasted me with the kick.”
    “Ouch.” Jake shook his head. “What are you going to do about it?”
    “Nothing. It’s my own fault. Even my grandfather agrees. That’s why he’s being so cold.”
    “You must have knocked a few screws loose, bro. You’re not to blame.”
    “You don’t get it,” I said. “The bike broke because of a mechanical failure. My spokes were loose. It was my fault for not checking them before the race. That was my first mistake. After that kid elbowed me, I kicked him clean off his bike. I should’ve been ready for repercussions. My bad.”
    “Ahhhh, soooo,” Jake joked in a cheesy Chinese accent, “kung fu master must never let guard down. Right, Grasshopper?”
    I rolled my eyes. “Something like that.”
    “If you’re all right, we’d better get going. Everyone is worried about you. Your grandfather asked all the parents to stay back at the starting line until he had a chance to look you over, but I have a feeling some of them are coming down here, anyway. A few of the moms were pretty freaked out when I rode up there to get him.”
    “You went to get help?”
    Jake nodded. “I was ahead of the pack and found you here, out cold. I turned around and stopped the other riders,