Trip Hazard

The Dream Team. Capital D, Capital T

Noah

I never got that pizza, but I was afraid if I asked Isaac he would give me details, and it wasn't worth the extra cheese. To be fair, he tried to bring it up several times — not a euphemism — but I brush him off. Which then brings him to Miserable Topic 2. Truthfully, I was hoping this day wouldn't come, but Isaac demanded. And when Isaac demands, I usually give in. So when he asked to spend another day at Buckingham, I agreed, just so he'd stop talking about it. A rookie mistake.

"Quit staring into space and help me, I'm stuck!" Isaac whines, waving his hands across my face. I focus back in and look at him in disbelief.

"Again?" My voice is incredulous.

"Yep," he pops the 'p' in typical Isaac fashion. I groan and pull him closer by the blazer lapels.

"One day you'll have to learn to tie a tie, you know." I struggle to unpick the knot he's managed to make. Damn it. That's the third tie.

I pull a fresh one out my draw, and refuse to let him touch it until it's securely and properly tied around his neck. I straighten his collar. Since it's my suit, it hangs loosely on his frame, but he doesn't seem to mind.

"Not if I always have you here to tie it!" He's so excited it's ridiculous. It may be the Buckingham Academy but at the end of the day school is school. Plus, we have both gym and econ, which is a miserable combination.

"Regardless, we're late." I check my watch after I've said it as confirmation. Only 15 minutes. Could be worse. Still might make it to homeroom on time.

"No surprise there," Isaac mutters. I whirl around on him and wag my finger at him.

"No way, you can't seriously be blaming me."

"You overslept." His tone is very accusatory. I bristle.

"Because you kept me up all night playing MarioKart!"

"Because you wouldn't admit you suck at it!"

"I don't suck at i—" I pinch the bridge of my nose. "Look, we aren't going to resolve this, so let's just move on."

Isaac giggles. I shoo him out the front door, shutting it behind me, forgetting to lock it as always. I walk over to my trusty bike.

"Well since we're late we should probably cycle. You can take Grace's bike, she won't mind."

"Yeah, that's not going to work."

"What do you mean? It's just a bike. Phoebe'll be fine in my backpack." Of course he's worried about the flour baby. Should have thought about that earlier, I could have poked some air holes in the bag or something.

"It's not about that."

I just raise both my eyebrows. Isaac leans in and whispers in my ear.

"I don't know how to ride a bike."

He's 17. What 17 year old can't ride a bike? Well, Isaac, a-fucking-pparently. After the tie incident, I refuse to put myself through hell just to teach him how to ride a bike. Maybe I'll ask Grace to teach him, she'll love it. I just give him a look and pull out my phone. It rings twice before I hear an answer.

"Everything okay?"

"Hey, Seth, care to give Isaac and I a lift?" I plead. A silence. He sighs.

"Fine. I'm on my way. But you're buying me lunch."

"Deal."

He hangs up.

//

Five minutes late, we clamber out of Seth's car and pace it into homeroom. Mrs Dorothy clicks her tongue as we walk in.