The Unbroken

VIII

The engine purrs as I wait at the junction between the gates and main road. The other drivers are being pains this morning, no one is willing to let me through. It's always busy at this time despite being early, but they're not usually such dick's. The large metal fence has been pushed further back than normal to accommodate for all of the vehicles, I'm assuming there's some event going on.

As I weave between a few shitty cars that honk their horns, I glance up at the building on my way to the bike bay. The huge space is for all five key stages, hence the typical morning chaos. There's no university, thankfully, otherwise the place would be disastrous. The only one nearby is two towns over, about a thirty minute drive.

The three slabs of concrete in front of me were renovated a few years back to upgrade the courses. They brought in a lot of new equipment, and even introduced new individual blocks for each course. Not to mention that they needed to make more space for the sudden increase of pupils over the last ten years.

My bike is the only one in the whole parking lot, meaning the five supplied spaces are never occupied by anyone other than me. With a flick of my wrist, the engine shuts off, allowing me to kick down the foot peg. The weight is taken off of my legs as my beauty balances slightly to the side.

Sliding off of the padded leather seat, I'm greeted by the more than cheerful gazes of three sweet boys. Unlocking the latch on the back of the seat, I lift it off to get out the array of locks.

It only takes a moment before Carter and Jeremy are pushing at each other's shoulders in a playful fight while Oliver's face fills with disappointment at the two children. His hands are firmly planted in his pockets as Jer pulls Caterpillar into a headlock to mess up his black hair. My head shakes automatically while securing the lock over the clutch once pulling off the helmet.

"What are they fighting about this time?" I place the protective headgear into the steel box on the back, followed by the gloves. "Who has better hair." One hand moves up to rub at his tired eyes, seemingly done with the stressful infants. "You can't be serious."

"Sadly, I am." He fully groans, head tilting back as their squabbles grow louder. I can't help but begin laughing while wrapping a chain around the front tire before locking it to the rails. "You know how to do this one." I pass him my last safety measure; a magnetic padlock I designed a few years back. It prevents the spark from lighting so the engine can't start up.

He snorts, knowing what I'm about to do while sneaking up behind them. My hands slither into the gap between their heads. They instantly respond when the tops of their ears are met with harsh pinches. "Zoe! Please!" Carter panics, his left side slumping down to my height to ease the pain. "Wee Wan!" Jer's thick accent catches the attention of a few passersby.

Dragging one to the grass, and the other to the other side, I release them. Simultaneously, they begin ferociously rubbing at their now red ears. After so many years of knowing one another, it should be ingrained in their minds not to behave like toddlers in front of me or they will be treated accordingly. "It's barely eight and you're already causing trouble?"

"He started it!" Jeremy slaps away Carter's hand when his finger stretches out in his face, "Ye ken tis rood tae pynt." He then folds his arms, glaring at the shorter male. "I don't give a shit who started it, I'm finishing it. Besides, Jeremy's hair is superior. Ginger and curly always wins." I snap at them both, making one laugh and the other whine. "Zoe!..." Caterpillar grumbles, a distinct pout making me glare. "Oh, shut it."

His mouth opens to make some form of snide remark, only to hesitate and snap it close. "You..." His hands clutch at my shoulders, spinning me in a circle while his eyes examine every inch of me. "What now?" I slap him away once he begins fiddling with my shirt. "There's something off about you."