Faeryn had spent many a day that summer sneaking around with Ryder. They never did romantic things. It wasn't like that at all, not yet. Mostly he let her ride his bike. At first, he made her sit behind him. But after a while he began to show her how to ride it herself. He showed her how it ran; he tried to teach her about it. He told her that if she was going to ride she should know how to take care of it, he said it was a dying art.
Ryder's father had learned from his father, who had learned from his. Faeryn learned a lot from Ryder. She learned about the bike, but she also learned about him. His father had died and his mother couldn't handle him anymore, so on his 18th birthday he left to come to The Valley, where his uncle owned a tavern, the Edge Of The World. He was going to work there.
Dusty thought that Faeryn was crazy for being around Ryder. Although Faeryn never ditched Dusty to see Ryder, Dusty refused to go along with Faeryn on one of her trips to see Ryder. Eventually Faeryn's parents also found out about her hanging out with Ryder. Once they did the whole town knew, and for a while they were all anyone could talk about, they were the names on the lips of the townsquare ladies.
Faeryn's parents were livid over the situation and had banned her from seeing him multiple times. Although Faeryn was a good child, she just couldn't obey that order. There was something about Ryder that she couldn't keep away from. She just couldn't do it, she had to see him. Ryder was shunned by nearly the whole town because of his bike. Most of the elders and even folks her parents age, considered the motor vehicles works of the devil. They thought they were haunted by the spirits of those who died during the purging of the world when most all equipment of that sort was rendered useless.
Faeryn didn't care about any of this. She knew how she felt on the matter of Ryder. She had assured her parents they didn't do anythingbad or dangerous. Although, that was a small lie. The bike was dangerous, but not as much as anyone thought, or for the reasons they thought.
Faeryn sat quietly on the small bench behind the bar where Ryder kept his bike. He was busy oiling up various parts all the while mindlessly explaining to Faeryn what he was doing. She cut in with a question, something that had been bothering her for a while now:"Why me Ryder? Why do you hang out with me?""You mean other than the reason, no one else will talk to me?" he teased, looking up from his work, "All kidding aside Ryn. You're special; when I look at you I can feel the open road under me. I can feel the wind in my hair and the adrenaline and the freedom. And I know that's what you feel when you look at me."Faeryn was rendered speechless, for once in her life, her dad would have said. But her dad wasn't there, and she was glad. She shifted uncomfortably for a moment, avoiding the penetrating gaze of the boy/man looking up at her. She cleared her thoughts before opening her mouth."I want to see what else is out there, Ryder."
He stood up and brushed his greasy hands on his pants before taking her face in her hands and kissing her softly. He pulled away slowly, his hands lingering on her cheeks. He dropped his hand down to hers. They intertwined their fingers. Faeryn's cheeks flushed with excitement and embarrassment simultaneously, the hot sun seemed to be ten times hotter and she could practically taste the dust in the air."Can we go for a ride now?" she asked softly, gesturing to the bike.
A week before her 17th birthday, Faeryn and Dusty-Rae lay on the bank of the river. They were soaking in the sun and Faeryn was telling Dusty about the kiss between her and Ryder. She was explaining it all in slow motion and running the soft blades of grass through her finger-tips absentmindedly. Dusty listened with a mixture of fascination and horror."You're not actually leaving are you Ryn?" Dusty asked, some of the nervousness sneaking into her steady and quiet voice.
Faeryn shrugged her shoulders, "Not right now anyway. If I do you will be the first one to know."The two girls sat in silence, shredding little piles of grass into their laps as the river gurgled gently along the rocky river bed in the background. The sun shone down and bounced and reflected off Dusty's golden locks. Faeryn slumped back into the grass and looked up at the sky. Her little pile of grass slid off her lap as she did this."I think I love Ryder, Rae. I think he might make love to me soon, maybe on my birthday.""Love is a dangerous thing, Ryn. Both kinds. From your heart and your loins. Don't get yourself into something you can't get out of."
To be continued...
By Brittney Tracey
Ryder's father had learned from his father, who had learned from his. Faeryn learned a lot from Ryder. She learned about the bike, but she also learned about him. His father had died and his mother couldn't handle him anymore, so on his 18th birthday he left to come to The Valley, where his uncle owned a tavern, the Edge Of The World. He was going to work there.
Dusty thought that Faeryn was crazy for being around Ryder. Although Faeryn never ditched Dusty to see Ryder, Dusty refused to go along with Faeryn on one of her trips to see Ryder. Eventually Faeryn's parents also found out about her hanging out with Ryder. Once they did the whole town knew, and for a while they were all anyone could talk about, they were the names on the lips of the townsquare ladies.
Faeryn's parents were livid over the situation and had banned her from seeing him multiple times. Although Faeryn was a good child, she just couldn't obey that order. There was something about Ryder that she couldn't keep away from. She just couldn't do it, she had to see him. Ryder was shunned by nearly the whole town because of his bike. Most of the elders and even folks her parents age, considered the motor vehicles works of the devil. They thought they were haunted by the spirits of those who died during the purging of the world when most all equipment of that sort was rendered useless.
Faeryn didn't care about any of this. She knew how she felt on the matter of Ryder. She had assured her parents they didn't do anythingbad or dangerous. Although, that was a small lie. The bike was dangerous, but not as much as anyone thought, or for the reasons they thought.
Faeryn sat quietly on the small bench behind the bar where Ryder kept his bike. He was busy oiling up various parts all the while mindlessly explaining to Faeryn what he was doing. She cut in with a question, something that had been bothering her for a while now:"Why me Ryder? Why do you hang out with me?""You mean other than the reason, no one else will talk to me?" he teased, looking up from his work, "All kidding aside Ryn. You're special; when I look at you I can feel the open road under me. I can feel the wind in my hair and the adrenaline and the freedom. And I know that's what you feel when you look at me."Faeryn was rendered speechless, for once in her life, her dad would have said. But her dad wasn't there, and she was glad. She shifted uncomfortably for a moment, avoiding the penetrating gaze of the boy/man looking up at her. She cleared her thoughts before opening her mouth."I want to see what else is out there, Ryder."
He stood up and brushed his greasy hands on his pants before taking her face in her hands and kissing her softly. He pulled away slowly, his hands lingering on her cheeks. He dropped his hand down to hers. They intertwined their fingers. Faeryn's cheeks flushed with excitement and embarrassment simultaneously, the hot sun seemed to be ten times hotter and she could practically taste the dust in the air."Can we go for a ride now?" she asked softly, gesturing to the bike.
A week before her 17th birthday, Faeryn and Dusty-Rae lay on the bank of the river. They were soaking in the sun and Faeryn was telling Dusty about the kiss between her and Ryder. She was explaining it all in slow motion and running the soft blades of grass through her finger-tips absentmindedly. Dusty listened with a mixture of fascination and horror."You're not actually leaving are you Ryn?" Dusty asked, some of the nervousness sneaking into her steady and quiet voice.
Faeryn shrugged her shoulders, "Not right now anyway. If I do you will be the first one to know."The two girls sat in silence, shredding little piles of grass into their laps as the river gurgled gently along the rocky river bed in the background. The sun shone down and bounced and reflected off Dusty's golden locks. Faeryn slumped back into the grass and looked up at the sky. Her little pile of grass slid off her lap as she did this."I think I love Ryder, Rae. I think he might make love to me soon, maybe on my birthday.""Love is a dangerous thing, Ryn. Both kinds. From your heart and your loins. Don't get yourself into something you can't get out of."
To be continued...
By Brittney Tracey
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