DIRT BIKE RIDE AND WIND INTERFERENCE-E

Astrid sat on the breakfast table and swallowed her saliva. Mrs Roselle sat opposite Ace and her guilt crept back.

`Mrs Roselle, I am sorry about yesterday', she spoke with sincerity. From the daggers Mrs Roselle shot at Ace, she knew she was not in trouble. But the same can't be said about Ace.

`Fret not dear, Ace should be feeling sorry not you.' Mrs Roselle glanced pitifully at Ace. She was guilt trapping him with her eyes.

Ace stood up mid breakfast, walked to her side and kissed her forehead before hugging her.

`You will age faster if you hold back your anger mom', Ace rubbed his cheek against his mother's.

`Well, you are all into my face now. How can I resist?', she made a small smile and patted his head. She could never remain angry with Ace, her firstborn and her perfect son. Always listening to her, saying all the right things to her and never made her raise her voice. She wished she could say the same about Hadwin and Abigail, two headaches of her life.

`Don't you dare pull a stunt like that again', she warned Ace.

`Promise mom', Ace answered, saluting her mother in the process.

Ace kissed his mother's forehead again before slipping back into his seat.

They ate in relative silence after that. She noticed, they rarely spoke during a meal. Was it something rich people do often? Must be some table etiquette of the rich.

Hadwin and Abigail walked to their massive garage with Ace and Abigail in tow. Ace explained the simple rules, tricks involved, and the type of motor cross involved. Hadwin competes for Freestyle Tricks and Enduro Motorace, but Hadwin excels at Freestyle.

`So you mean he flips in the air and does these tricks?', Astrid looked at Hadwin who had put on his gear and was fixing his helmet. He gave a dirty smirk at Astrid, licking his lips at her. Astrid flipped him the bird and he laughed at her, calling her spitfire.

Abigail had a Sony video cam turned on and she hands it over to Butler Lionel who fiddled with it to record his tracks. Abigail lifted the protective cloth over her Suzuki King Quad 500 ATV and checked the bike for fuel and brakes.

`Wow, all of you are into this?', she was astonished when she saw Ace standing near a Yahama WR250F Enduro bike.

All 3 of them laughed.

`Yeah, family bonding', Abigail sat on her ATV and gunned the engine on. A roaring sound erupted. She left the garage with plumes of fumes behind her.

Hadwin gave his Yamaha YZ250F a thorough checking. It was spotlessly clean and the bike was waxed to shine. He uses this bike for his stunt and didn't want any malfunctions. Only after satisfied with the inspection he sat astride and revved the engine.

`Hadwin, you are doing the FMX first?', Ace looked around the garage for the protective gears they bought for her from City Square Mall. He found the bag and pass it to Astrid.

`Yep', Hadwin replied and zoomed out of the garage leaving Ace and Astrid behind with the butler.

`You don't have to put the helmet first; we get to see Hadwin perform some tricks for us. Come on, hop on the bike', Ace extended his hand to her and he carried her with ease.

`Shouldn't I be sitting behind you?', she doubted a pillion rider should sit in front of the rider. She straddled him, sitting on him, feeling him right below her. Warm and sexy.

`I like the smell of your hair, and I get to do this', he immediately pulled her waist against his and secured it with his left hand and bend slightly to place his right hand on the handlebar. She obliged to his whims and hugged him, letting his warmth cool her excited heart. 

Ace nuzzled her neck and used his teeth to pull her singlet strap down but was stopped short by the butler coughing.

`With due respect sir, Ms Astrid', Butler Lionel looked away uncomfortable.

`Mr Lionel, are you upset with us?', Astrid pushed Ace away from her neck and straightened her singlet. Ace secured their helmets and placed their bags behind his bike. He pecked her lips and moved her behind him, pulling her close to feel her legs next to his. 

`I did not expect Mr Ace and Ms Astrid to…', the butler coughed before continuing `to couple up given the short duration of acquaintance',

`I've known you for almost a year Astrid and I've never seen you with anyone. I figured you were not into this', He looked genuinely concerned.

Astrid got down from the bike and held the butler's hands. Ace scowled when she left the bike, curing the butler under his breath. 

`How long have you known Ace?'

`10 years, miss', he answered confused with her question.

`In these 10 years, how many girls did he date or even brought home', Ace turned the Yamaha on and revved the engine obnoxiously. The old man need to keep his nose away from his affairs.

`I am not aware of his dates, but you are the first lady he welcomed into his home', he understood now. Ace Wagner liked this girl.

`That should summarize how we feel about each other, don't we?', she squeezed his rough hands and hugged him lightly. The butler was taken aback by her hug, but he felt light-hearted as if a burden was lifted off him.

`But I am taking it slow, so don't worry,' she gave him an enduring smile and sat pillion behind Ace on the bike.

`Newsflash, Lionel, I'm her first kiss, her first boyfriend and her last', he smirked at him. Butler Lionel gave a small smile and nodded.

`Boyfriend?', she questioned. This is escalating fast. Was it okay given the short amount of time they spent together?

`Girlfriend?', he questioned back. `I figured, that should be the first steps into a relationship ladder. boyfriend and girlfriend', he spoke a little louder when they left the garage. Astrid clung into his shirt, hands near his chest, and he liked the close proximity of her.

`Ace, that went well right?', Astrid saw them zooming past the garden going towards a clear dirt path into a forest of sorts. Ace simply hummed a yes. They stopped at a clear opening of huge dirt bike arena complete with spotlight and bleachers. There were multiple ramps and tracks in different heights and angles.

Hadwin was warming up on the smaller ramps. Abigail sat on the bleachers waiting for Butler Lionel to come around with the videocam. Butler Lionel rode a Husqvarna TE300i. She looked bored. As soon as Butler Lionel set the video camera, he signals a thumbs up to Hadwin.

Hadwin nodded and yelled `Everyone gets ready to watch the maestro perform', he thumped his chest like a gorilla and pressed the throttle. He went high on a steel ramp and flipped the bike, turning it 360-degree mid-air; his leg let go of the bike and made a Backflip Indian Air, catching the bike just on time to land.

Astrid's heart started pounding. That looked dangerous. Ace and Abigail cheered him on. Little did she know, Hadwin had more dangerous tricks up his sleeve. He picked a slightly higher ramp and again somersaulted in the air performing Kiss of Death whereby he held the clutch and kicked both his legs away moving upwards in the air before catching the bike again. He performed another Kiss of Death holding only one handlebar and circled his legs over the body of the bike all while in the air! He was doing it effortlessly.

Astrid's eyes were glued to him. Her heartbeat racing by now.

Hadwin went over a few bumps of dirt and choose a short high ramp and did a double flip. Astrid shrieked in terror, prompting Ace to hold her hands in assurance.

`Don't worry he is a professional. Has been doing it for years now.' Ace hugged her sideways.

Hadwin rested a while and drank some Gatorade. He made sure the butler recorded his every move properly. He wanted to upload it later on his YouTube profile.

Next, he went over a longer ramp, on full throttle. This trick needed all the speed he had. His Yamaha made a backflip, and Hadwin let go of the handlebar completely, holding the bike frame with his hands, legs away from the bike then pulling his body back to hold the handlebar as the flip come towards an end. Rock Solid Back Flip was the name of this stunt.

His last stunt was a Shaolin Backflip, something Hadwin perfected over 4 years of practice. Astrid did not realize but the wind was gradually picking up its speed. She was unknowingly using her powers. What she did not know was that the wind was going to interfere with Hadwin's last trick.

`Hey make sure Lionel get this right. Last time he closed the video cam lens', Hadwin yelled at Butler Lionel and Abigail.

Hadwin took a deep breath and choose his ramp. He went on full speed and somersaulted his bike, simultaneously somersaulting himself, pushing himself over the handlebars; legs extending towards the front wheel and then pulling his legs together over the handlebars to position it back on the seat. The somersault was done so perfectly, each move and bend following the flip of the bike.

Towards the end of the somersault, Astrid's eyes darken and a gust of wind, pushed Hadwin forward causing him to misjudge from sitting on the Yamaha YZ250F properly, making him land on his front wheel with a jerk and his entire body somersaulted involuntarily away from the bike.

Hadwin pushed the bike away from him just in the nick of time, otherwise, it would have gone over him. Astrid gasped at what she had done because her eyes did not miss the blast of wind which caused Hadwin's fall.

`HADWIN!', she screamed his name and ran to him, tears streaming down her cheek. She could not believe she conjured something like that to injure Hadwin. Just how much power did she hold? She was truly afraid by now. She needs to get herself together. If merely by staring at him caused the wind to pick up speed, what will happen when she fully mastered its potential? She put Hadwin at risk with his own life!

Ace and Abigail gave each other a quizzical look. What happened to her? 

Hadwin who had his protective gear on removed his helmet and checked his body, he sat up and brushed the dirt away before seeing Astrid running full speed at him, with tears.

`What?', he was shocked at her reaction. She hugged him with such force he staggered back a few steps. Ace and Abigail were stunned. Astrid seemed to carry her heart at her sleeves. Every emotion up on display, easily readable. What stunned them was the look of regret on her face. Regret over his imperfect landing from the bike?

`Hey, Astrid. I'm okay. It's just a fall', he hugged her back to assure her, but she continued sobbing, her mind in turmoil. She could imagine, if the wind had picked even a slight speed, he would have broken his bones by now. She hugged him tighter and shook her head. My fault.

She sobbed into his chest, hands clutching sides of his jacket. He held her in silence, rocking her slowly, as her tears soaked into his jacket. He looked at his siblings who shared equally bewildered looks.

Hadwin who always had girls flirt to each whim of his was taken aback that someone he barely knew could care enough to cry for him. He felt a funny feeling arising at his chest. He smiled into her hair, swept her hair soothingly, like the smooth feel of her silky hair.

She held him for 5 minutes before, slowly letting go. Her vision was in haze, Hadwin removed his gloves and thumbed her tears away. Her skin felt soft under his touch.

`I'm sorry, I'm truly sorry. I did not mean that to happen', Astrid's eyes filled with tears again threatening to spill from the dam.

`What are you sorry for Astrid? It's not your fault. I've had worse fall than this.' He looked into those concerned brown eyes and swore he felt something more.

Astrid looked at her feet. She could not tell them what she did. But she can speak to Enlil about it. She composed herself and managed to give a small tight smile.

`Aww...you got to smile this one out, Astrid. You got me worried girl', he pulled her cheeks up revealing her gums and teeth.

`I don't want to see this kind of stunt ever. Promise?' she held her pinkie out.

`But I do this for living!', Hadwin exclaimed.

`I meant I don't want to be there when you do these death-defying ass tricks'. Astrid rolled her eyes. And her old self is back.

`And she is back. Fireball', Hadwin side hugged her and pinkie promised her.

`Do you still promise people like that?', Abigail asked as they walked to their bikes.

`I guess, its childish', she apologized feeling bashful.

`No, it's not. You are too naïve on our own. My brothers are lucky to have you as their friends, or shall I say more than friends?' she whispered the last words into Astrid's ears and climbed on her ATV.

Astrid's cheeks inflamed red. Ace chuckled at her and started fixing protective helmet and gear on her knees and elbows.

`Where are we going to Ace?', her face turned pale at the thought of another dangerous stunt.

`Relax, okay. It called Enduro. We race through the woods and meet up at a cliff. The sunset is breathtaking', he helped her to sit on the bike. Astrid saw Butler Lionel fumbling with his helmet and Hadwin had to help him.

`Are you going to record this as well Hadwin?', she noticed Hadwin change into a beautifully painted metallic red Husqvarna TE300i.

`Yeah, this is the fun part. We get to go through rough terrains and all. It's a thrilling ride', all three of them got ready and their deafening exhaust sound made her cringe her face. Butler Lionel pressed a bull horn and all of them sped off.