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Chapter 1 CHAPTER 1
“Hurry up!” Jade yells.
My legs burn as I keep pedaling. I’m only halfway up the biggest hill on the way to Radley’s Park. And I’m slowing down no matter how hard I try to go faster.
“Come on!” Jade is waiting for me at the top of the hill. The sparkly pink tassels on her bike handles flutter in the cool fall breeze. She crosses her arms impatiently.
I reach for the water bottle clipped onto the side of my bike and take a sip. My old bike didn’t have a clip. It also squeaked and rattled, and the chain kept falling off. Plus it was getting so small for me that my knees hit the handlebars. Luckily, Mama and Baba surprised me with this new bike, in a perfect shade of blue, right before school started. But this hill is still as hard as ever.
“Al... most... there...,” Naomi pants behind me. I focus on the back of Gloria’s helmet in front of us as she reaches her older sister first.
And then a few moments later, we make it! I mop the sweat off my face and gaze at the path winding through the park.
“Finally!” Jade smiles. “Let’s go.” It’s obvious that my neighbor loves being the one in charge on our long bike rides. We’re only allowed to come this far without a grown-up because Jade’s thirteen and old enough to babysit. Not that we’re babies or need sitting.
Naomi and I are both ten, and Gloria’s almost twelve. But Jade took an official babysitting class and earned a certificate for doing CPR recently. That means she knows how to help people if they stop breathing. A moment ago, when I was gasping for air, I thought I might actually need Jade’s services. But now I’ve caught my breath, and I’m ready to play.
Ever since they redid the equipment at Radley’s, it’s the best park in the area. There’s a huge pirate ship with big twisty slides, a fake plank, and tire swings. Because of the foamy soft padding on the ground, you don’t get hurt if you fall down. The only bad part about Radley’s being so awesome is that it’s popular... a little too popular. People swarm to it on the weekends. And that means we have to wait for the swings and dodge all the little kids learning how to scooter and Rollerblade on the foam.
“What do you want to do first?” Naomi asks as we park our bikes in the crowded rack. I carefully slide mine into the slot next to hers, making sure it doesn’t get scratched. When my friend takes off her helmet, her usually puffy curls are flattened to the sides of her head.
“Pirate ship hide-and-seek!” Gloria suggests.
“Snack time!” Jade points to her backpack, which is decorated with patches from national parks. “I’ve got clementines and pretzels.”
