Biking the Green Belt

In the summer I was 16, my church had a young adult gathering in the Boise park. Where we all were going to ride our bikes up one side of the Boise River all way around to the other side on the Greenbelt. I was so excited and so out of shape that by the time the ride was on, I wasn't set up to go. My mother was terrified of this whole event, she gave us kids a long lecture of all the rules for biking the greenbelt in the big city of Boise. I suppose because she grew up out on a orchard farm safe from possible homeless people. The greenbelt was a wonderful place to bike or walk or just sit and read. After I grew up and moved to Boise there wasn't anything scary around me and I wondered where did all that fear in my mother come from? I remember when I was 16 years old and when I was truly excited with more energy then I knew what to do with on this biking event! I had been listening to a christian radio program that very same morning "Adventures in Odyssey" it was a cliff hanging episode, so when I saw my beloved friend Rebekah she came running up as we jumped up and down twirling into each other at the fact we hated the "Be continued" of our favorite radio program. I remembered my mom's long list of rules for biking, Like she said nervously  "You can not bike alone at all or you will be grounded. THIS is very important." and second "You have to look out for your brother and sister at all times." and three "DO NOT stop to talk to strangers even if some of the other kids do." I remember the rules because I asked my mom why was she so upset, she answered this a place full of homeless crazy people, big cities have many problems. I found myself looking everywhere to see a homeless person and actually I never did. My annoying friend who really wasn't a friend at all,Whisper came along complaining about her knee or her arm or her head ache. She found me instantly as she asked if I would be her biking partner, I pictured her biking only past 2 or 3 trees saying she was done. I didn't know how to just say "Nope." in a nice way, my beloved friend Tiffany mumbled to me "Why are you so nice, she is just using you!" I sighed looking sadly at the sudden mess being nice had got me into. When the whole biking group took off, my mom began shouting at me all wildly waving her arms and pushing me off to be with the rest of the moving group, I was startled by her actions and she said forcefully that if I didn't get riding I was going to be to far behind and she was not going to allow me to bike after all. My partner Whisper had crashed her bike before we even started and acted all dramatic while I was helping her up through the chaos. My mom was so angered by this, she said that I had picked a bad lazy fat partner to bike with. I didn't know what to do but I was wanting to go on this bike ride with everyone else so as my mother pushed me on the path I quickly took off. It was impossible to catch up to the whole gang, so I just cried for most of the first part of the bike path. I think I cried because I felt bad that Whisper crashed into the ground before we ever started riding. (Although looking back I bet it was intentional) Then I also cried because my mom was so alarmed and so mad at me, I didn't understand why. I cried because being 16 years old was one of the worse years in the whole of my life, if I had planned it better I would have taken a short cut across the bridge and gave myself some peace and quiet before the group came back around. That bike ride was scenic and peaceful, I soon calmed myself down enough to just enjoy it. As I pedal thinking to myself "I'm in trouble already, I'm so alone out here that she will kill me for sure!"  My beloved friend Tiffany and her brother Zach were waiting for me around the bend of the river and when I saw them I burst out into new tears this time from having such good thoughtful friends like them! The three of us talked about my mother's rules and why they were so strict. Tiffany explained that my mother had been to much NEWS for they always have some kind of warning about strangers on the greenbelt. After the break when we all catch back up with each other, Tiffany biked with Rebekah for awhile as Zach and I stayed together avoiding the chaos of all the other teenagers with their racing games. Zach, Tiffany's brother pedaled thoughtfully staying with me saying "Everyone is missing out on this beautiful scenery around here by all this racing...I like taking my time to enjoy the afternoon!" I laughed back exclaiming "ME TOO! I would think it gets tiring being a boy and having to keep up or stay competitive all the time!" Zach nodded in his reply over his shoulder as we biked all the way back to our picnic place. "I would think it is tiring being a girl and always having to be nice to everyone, especially if all ya want to do is ride your bike!" I burst out laughing even more and agreeing. It was a perfect ride back and I wasn't alone so my mom will not be madly waiting for me to turn up. When we saw our whole group gathering around the fresh BBQ, Zach said "Well now we can't be friends anymore..." I frowned confused "Why?" I asked annoyed for I truly enjoyed his friendship and his open honesty with me on that ride, I loved all the things we talked about and we watched out for each other. He shrugged "I don't make the rules, but if we hang out with each other like just friends everyone else will gossips, You heard my sister earlier say that everyone is looking for juicy story!" I snorted and shook my head because I wasn't going to be intimated. "Well, we are not Everyone...we are friends and I am sitting with YOU over lunch!" I marched right over and claimed 2 seats for us to eat our hamburgers with my chin just a bit more higher then usual and Zach just laughed!