Marvin couldn’t believe it was already Saturday. What happened to Friday? The week had sped by super fast, out of control.
He walked out through the laundry room into the garage. His shoes were double-knotted. So was his stomach.
His bike was leaning against the side wall. It had been leaning there for almost three weeks. “Don’t you want to try it out?” his father had asked when they first brought it home from the bike shop.
“I’m kind of tired,” Marvin had said.
Now he took hold of the handlebars. “I’m not afraid of you,” he whispered. He slowly rolled the bike backward, between the van and the garbage pail. The pedal banged against his shin as he made his way out of the garage and onto the driveway.
He still hadn’t decided if he would go down Suicide Hill, but he had to go at least as far as Stuart’s house. It was decided that he and Nick would meet at Stuart’s, and then they’d all ride to Suicide Hill together.
Nick and Stuart were the ones who decided this. It seemed to Marvin that he didn’t make any of his own decisions anymore. His life was being decided by others.
His bike helmet dangled off the end of one handlebar. He put it on, but it didn’t seem to fit right. The strap was too tight under his chin, and the helmet seemed way too loose at the top of his head. He hoped he hadn’t put it on backward.
He stared at his giant bicycle. His parents had chosen a bicycle that was a little big for him. “You’ll grow into it,” his father had said. “We don’t want to have to buy another bike in six months.”
He had to lean it way over to try and get his leg over it. It was impossible. As he tried to lift himself onto the seat, the bike almost fell. He just managed to stick his foot out and catch himself.
He tried several more times, hopping on one foot and scraping his leg against the pedal. He couldn’t do it.
How am I supposed to ride down Suicide Hill if I can’t even get on my bike? he wondered.
He thought about all the kids waiting for him at Suicide Hill. Casey and Judy. Clarence and Travis. Nate and all the kids from middle school.
Marvin walked the bike down the driveway and into the street. He edged it next to the curb and then rotated the pedals into position. Then, standing on the curb, he was able to stretch his leg over the top of the bike and just barely touch the pedal on the other side.
He hopped on. The bike wobbled. The tire rubbed against the curb and he almost fell, but he managed to turn the handlebars and straighten out. He pedaled hard. He felt himself gain his balance. He headed toward Stuart’s house.
Now that Marvin was on the bike, it felt almost the same as his old bike. He was just higher off the ground. He didn’t try to shift gears. And he hoped he wouldn’t have to use the brakes.
There was only one corner between his house and Stuart’s. He took it nice and slow, almost too slow. He found it easier to keep his balance when he was going a little faster, but if he went too fast, he might have to use his brakes.
Stuart’s driveway was uphill. It slowed him down enough that he didn’t have to use his brakes. He let the bike roll to a stop, then hopped off. He let it fall beside him.
He knocked on Stuart’s door. As he waited for someone to answer it, he looked back at his bike. He hoped he’d be able to get back on it without too much trouble.
Stuart’s mother opened the door and said, “Hi, Marvin. Come on in. The boys are watching a movie.”
Marvin walked through the kitchen and into the family room. His friends were lying on the floor, staring at the TV. Before he could say anything, Nick said, “Shush! It’s the good part.”
“It’s almost twelve o’clock,” said Marvin. “We have to get going.”
“After the movie,” said Stuart.
Marvin couldn’t believe it. “How long will that be?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” said Stuart.
“Shush!” said Nick.
“Can’t you watch it later?” Marvin asked.
“You look funny in that helmet,” said Stuart.
“Do you think it’s on backward?” Marvin asked.
Stuart didn’t answer. He was staring back at the TV set.
“It’s a video,” Marvin pointed out. “You can watch it later.”
“We want to watch it now,” said Nick. “Besides, we haven’t had lunch yet.”
“Lunch!” exclaimed Marvin. “Everyone is waiting for me at Suicide Hill.”
“Then go,” said Stuart. “I still have to eat lunch.”
“Ooh, did you see that?” asked Nick.
“Gross!” said Stuart.
Marvin didn’t know what to do. He didn’t want to have to go to Suicide Hill alone. He didn’t even know if he was allowed to ride there alone.
He was allowed to ride to Stuart’s house, because it was just around the block. Suicide Hill was much farther away.
He decided to call home. If his mother wouldn’t let him go, then there was nothing he could do about it. No one could blame him. It would be her fault. And Stuart and Nick’s.
He used the kitchen phone. His father was the one who answered. Marvin explained the problem.
“I think it will be fine,” his father said. “There are no busy streets along the way. And I appreciate the fact that you called. It shows you’re responsible. If you didn’t call, I wouldn’t have let you go.”
Marvin hung up. He tried to make sense of what his father said. If he didn’t call, how could his father have said he couldn’t go?
He wished he’d talked to his mother instead. She never would have let him go.
“Well, I’m going,” he told Nick and Stuart. “So long.”
They stared at the TV.
He went back outside. He picked up his bike and walked it down the driveway.
He wasn’t sure he’d ride down Suicide Hill, but at least he had to go there. He couldn’t leave everybody waiting. He had to be brave enough to tell them he was scared.
He set his bike next to the curb. He put his foot on the pedal and quickly hoisted his other leg over. He was up and pedaling before he had time to worry about it.
He rode quickly, afraid that he was already late. He turned right off Stuart’s street, rode past two more streets, then turned left on the road that led to Suicide Hill.
The road was uphill the whole way. It became harder and harder to pedal. He wondered if he should try shifting gears.
He had two gear shifts, one on either end of his handlebars. The one on his left was numbered 1 to 3. The arrow was in the middle, at 2. The one on his right was numbered 1 to 7. The arrow pointed to 5. He took a chance. He rotated the right gear shift one notch, so that the arrow pointed to 6.
Suddenly it became almost impossible to pedal. His bike slowed to a stop, and he had to put his foot down to keep from falling.
He caught his breath. He knew he should never have tried shifting gears. He promised himself never to do that again.
He walked his bike to the curb and hopped back on. But once again, he couldn’t pedal, and he fell off to the side.
It was impossible. The bike was in the wrong gear, and he couldn’t shift gears until the bike was moving. But how could he get it moving if it was in the wrong gear?
He wondered if the kids at Suicide Hill were getting impatient. He could imagine some of the middle schoolers telling Nate, “See, I told you Marvin Redpost was a wimp.”
He turned the bike around and pointed it downhill. He didn’t bother taking it to the curb. He just stepped on the pedal and threw his other leg over as he rolled down the hill.
The bike wasn’t really that big.
He shifted the gear back to 5. Then he shifted one notch further, to 4.
He made a U-turn and continued up. the hill. It was a lot easier to pedal now that he was in a lower gear. He shifted to 3. Even better.
He had to keep on shifting gears as he continued following the road higher and higher. After a while both gears were pointed at 1, and it was still hard to pedal.
Ahead of him, the road made a sharp turn to the left. A steel barrier prevented cars from going straight.
But Marvin wasn’t in a car. Using his right-hand brake, he stopped his bike. He got off and walked around the barrier. He took several long, deep breaths, then looked over the edge of Suicide Hill.