After Dark

Thirteen

Ian shifts gears and they start backing out of the yard. Liam, unsure where else to put his hands, wraps his arms around Ian's waist. He makes sure they're just loosely sitting there but he's still hanging on.

They get across the road and into a patch of woods that has trails through it. Liam holds on a little tighter. Ian doesn't seemed bothered by it so he doesn't overthink it. He just doesn't want to die.

After they go around the trail a few times Ian slows to a stop. "You wanna try Li?"

"Um- sure." Liam slowly nods and his arms fall from around Ian's torso.

Ian moves and Liam shuffles to the front. The brown eyed boy leans over and starts showing him things. "These are the breaks. They're just like a bike's breaks so just squeeze them and it stops." He demonstrates how to do it. "Then this is the gas. Push down on it a little to go and hold it to keep going. Then you just pull the handle bars to turn. Don't worry too much about gears and shifting yet, just break it when you want to stop and Paige or I will take over."

"Okay." Liam nods a little, trying to understand how it works.

Ian moves back on the fourwheeler and Paige moves up so she's sitting in Liam's old spot. Her hands place themselves on top of Liam's shoulders and she grips there instead of around his waist. Once Ian is fully on the back and holding onto the handlebars, Liam attempts to go.

It takes him a minute to learn how to go at a consistent speed but once he gets it he feels more confident. He turns around random paths that all lead in circles for a while. Sometimes they pass a dirt bike or another ATV with Ember, Izzy, and Lucas on it. Ember always waves enthusiastally and gives Liam a thumbs up when they pass each other.

Eventually he comes to a stop when they reach the same spot Ian had stopped it. He looks back. "Alright, someone else can drive now."

Paige gives his shoulder a small squeeze. "Move and I'll do it."

Liam gets off and Paige scoots forward. Ian scoots up and smiles as he motions for Liam to get behind him. "The bars hurt my ass, so it's your turn to sit back there."

Liam doesn't object. He climb on the back and gets his legs on either side of the seat, running them up the back of Ian's. He holds onto the bars behind him up until Paige presses on the gas. As he's jerked forward his hands fly almost instinctly to wrap around Ian again, which feels much more secure.

Ian chuckles when Paige starts speeding up and Liam's arms tighten a little around him. One hand moves to pat Liam's arm and then his hand move back to hold onto the first bar running along the back. The position means he's leaning back into Liam a bit but Liam has no complaints about this because it makes him easier to hold onto.

Liam learns then that Paige is a speed demon. She was going way too fast. She even hits a few bumps in the paths and laughs loudly when their ATV goes up in the air as if they went over a ramp.

"I shouldn't have let her drive." Liam says, moving his mouth a bit closer to Ian's ear. Ian laughs loudly at this and he leans his head to the side to lightly bonk against Liam's. It's almost endearing.

"No, probably not." He chuckles and Liam finds himself smiling again even though he's fearful for his life.

Some time later they're driving up a path on the outside of the woods and next to the road. A dirt bike pulls up the road next to him and it's Javi. They slow to a stop and so does he.

"Time to go." He yells over the rev of the motors and Paige nods once. They then both drive back to Chris's house and park in the backyard where they were before. Lucas, Ember, Izzy, and Chris are already there.