Memories of bike rides past

I had a memory surface today when I was chatting with old friends online. It was of a young me going round to a girls house and asking her if she wanted to go for a bike ride. I think I was about 12 at the time, in grade six. She was the girl I had had a crush on for a long time and I wanted to just hang out with her. The only thing I could think of at that age was what my friends and I did all the time, a bike ride around town.

So I gathered up one of my best friends for moral support and rode round to her house, laid the bike down on the sidewalk, took a deep breath and went and rang the doorbell. Of course her Mum answered the door and asked me what I wanted. I asked if her daughter was home and if I could speak with her. She looked bemused and went inside. A few heart pounding seconds later her daughter came to the door. I asked her if she wanted to come for a bike ride with me and my friend. She looked down at the friend, at me, down at her feet and then said that she couldn't that day.

That was a huige disappointment for me, but I played it cool and said, "ok, maybe another time!" and ran back to the safety of my bike and my friend. He asked what she said and I shook my head and suggested we ride off to one of our usual haunts.

She moved away shortly after that, before the start of the grade seven year. I have periodically wondered what she got up to later in life. Guess I'll never know. I'm glad that memory came to mind today, it was a good time in my life.