Amber found the opportunity to attempt to build a possible friendship as she headed to school the next morning. She saw the long ends of Krystal’s dark hair flapping in the breeze as she tried to force her bike to higher speeds.

Amber beeped her horn, then leaned on it a little harder when it seemed like Krystal was ignoring her. The girl finally pulled the breaks on her bicycle at the stop sign at the end of the road leading to their houses.

“Hey. Want to hop in?” Amber called to her, noting the panicked look on the younger girl’s face.

“My bike,” Krystal panted. “I’m already late. My alarm clock-“

“Looks like the Lord put me in your path then,” Amber said with one of her customary smiles. “Lock it to that tree and hop in. It would take a really desperate person to steal that and this town is so small I’m sure you’d find it in a half hour.”

Krystal looked down at her bike, at the tree, then at Amber again, then finally got off and did as suggested. She fumbled with her backpack getting into the low car.

“Thank you.” She was still breathing hard from peddling with all her might.

Amber waved off her thanks. “We’re going the same way. I’m kind of surprised you don’t have a car.”

“I decided I don’t want one yet.”

“Are you scared to drive?”

“A little bit,” Krystal admitted. “But I want to experience this time a little longer. One day I’ll be working and raising a family and running around at top speed. I want to be a teenager while I’m a teenager.”

“And a car would stop that?”

“I don’t know. I could just zip off wherever I wanted whenever I wanted. Spend money on things I don’t need. But with my bicycle, I have to think about it and plan a little differently.”

“Wake up on time.”

Krystal laughed. “Yes, and wake up on time.” She looked back worriedly.

“If someone steals your bike, I’ll help you buy a new one since we’ll both be at fault.”

“Thank you,” Krystal laughed again. “Oh, I forgot to tell you that Mrs. Jamison was impressed by you at church.”

“Aww, why didn’t she just tell me,” she asked, thinking of the little old lady who supervised the church band.

“Well, she didn’t exactly tell me either, but I could tell by her face.”

“Tell me with your face what her face said,” Amber suggested when t