Pinkie Promises

Chapter Five

JACE: Age 7

It was the first time Simone was riding her big girl bike. I had already gotten my bike three months ago, so I had more experience. Watching Simone, I could tell she was nervous; afraid she'd fall and get hurt, so I kept my eye on her as we were riding around our neighborhood.

I could tell Simone was feeling more confident after a while, but the moment her tire hit a rock, she went flying off, banging her knee on the ground.

Dumping my bike on the ground, I rushed over to her as fast as I could and saw tears building up in her eyes. She held her knee to her chest as she sat on the ground. Her knee was a little bloody, and I think that freaked her out more as she started to cry.

I bent down to get a better look at it. "It's just a scrape," I said, blowing on her knee. "Think you can stand?"

She wiped the tears from her face. "Yeah." I know she was just trying to be tough like my friends and I. "Ouch," she said, limping.

"It's okay. Your house isn't far." I knelt down. "Here; jump on my back."

"You can't carry me on your back."

I looked over my shoulder. "Just do it, Simone."

She gently climbed on my back, and I carried her the rest of the way home.

"What about the bikes?" she asked.

"I'll go get them once we have your mom bandage that knee."

Inside the house, I sat with her while her mom cleaned the wound and put a big band-aid on it.

"You okay now?" I asked.

"Yeah. I'm okay."

"You promise?" I asked.

"I pinkie promise," she said, hooking her pinkie with mine.