Motocross Dream

         I’m Ryan, I am fifteen years old. All of my friends say that I am a talented motocross racer, but I don’t like to brag. My friends are, Travis and Collin. I met Travis along the way in my racing career. I met Collin when I moved from my home town in 8th grade. Since then Collin and I have been very competitive in the sport of motocross. If Collin did something like a big jump I would have to do the same just to keep up with him.

3 years earlier

One day Collin and I were at a race and we met Travis. Travis was the same age as us but five times what Collin and I would ever be. We were all ready to go on the track when Collin jumped and said, “Wow! Look at that kid go! I want to know who that is lets go meet him.”

“Okay,” I said, and we rode off to meet him.

When we got over to his tent when we realized we had to become friends with him because he was nice and could teach us a lot.

“Hi, what’s your name?” said Collin.

“Travis, what’s yours?” he said.

“Ryan,” I said.

“Collin,” Collin said.

“Nice to meet you,” said Travis.

“You too,” said Collin, “How long have you been riding?”

“Ehh, about six years racing,” said Travis “Eight years all together.”

“No wonder you are so good, we were wondering how old you were because we saw you on the track and we figured you were like twenty years old or something.” Collin said.

“Nah, I just ride everyday and practice one thing until I am perfect at it.” Travis was saying until I interrupted. “No way! That is what I do too, but I have only been riding for a year and am not very good.”

“Yeah right,” Travis said, “If we raced you would dust me, I saw what you could do and you would defiantly beat me.”

“Psh,” I said, “You know you have way more skills than me.”

“I might have more skills but you have skills and speed, Ryan,” said Travis, “I just look good while I am riding.”

“But I just watched you beat 250 2-strokes, on a 125!”  I said.

Present

“Hey, Collin, Travis come here look at this.” I said.

“What,” said Collin and Travis at the same time.

“The Steel City Raceway website says that there is going to be a race there in three weeks, I say we go talk to Carter about this.” I said.

“Yes, there is finally a race close by!” said Collin.

“I know I hate how there are rarely any races around here,” said Travis.

So we went down to the shop where Carter was rebuilding my dirt bike, and he asked what we needed. I told him about the race and he just grunted after I told him who was running the race. I asked why the grunt had to be in that and he said that that head of the race was very age discriminatory. Travis and Collin both pouted and slumped on the couch while I went out to try to get signed up. This turned out to be the biggest mistake of my life, because I should have just listened to Carter and not come at all. I ended up flipping out on the head for saying I was just a kid and could not race against real professionals. So I got kicked out and was not allowed to come to that race.

I went back to the shop where Collin and Travis were still pouting n the couch and Carter was moved on to Travis’s dirt bike now.

Carter turned around and said, “Well no racing right?”

“No!” I said, “and I am not allowed to go to that race to just watch either.”

“Why?!” said Carter.

“Because I flipped out on the head for saying that I was just a kid and could not compete against any real professionals!” I said.

“Yup, that’s Kevin for you.” Carter said.

“What do you mean that’s Kevin for me? Do you actually know him?” I asked

“Yeah, we used to work on that Suzuki 450 race team.” Carter said, “He is the reason I quit.”

“Why didn’t you tell me you knew for a fact that he was like that then?” I said.

“I tried to Ryan, but you left before I could tell you,” Carter said.

Once we got done talking I went over to the bay where my dirt bike was to think for a while. After about twenty minutes or so I went out to the garage to ask Collin and Travis I should do. When I got out to the garage I heard them out on the track so I go my bike out to ride as well. I got out to the track and saw that Travis was doing some very cool stuff. I rode over to watch with Collin.

I said, “This feel like the first day we met Travis doesn’t it?”

“That is exactly what I was thinking,” said Collin.

We watched Travis for about ten more minutes then we went out and had a race. I was in such a bad mood that I was being way too competitive with my friends, and was thinking that I was going to get hurt if I kept it up but my adrenaline wouldn’t let me calm down. We finished our first race and I felt like having a best of three because I won and wanted to figure out if I could win the second race in a row. I got the hole shot and was going to fast into a jusp that landed right into a berm. I had the throttle pinned in third gear. And hit the jump I didn’t realize it until the second I left the jump that I just made a huge mistake. I way overshot the landing and hit the middle of the berm with my front tire and went right over the handle bars. After that I don’t remember a thing besides waking up in the hospital.

When I woke up Collin said, “he’s awake guys”

“How do you feel?” said Carter.

“Like I got hit by a bus,” I said, “But, hey, guys im sorry I was being so competitive with you I was just mad.”

“Don’t worry about it Ryan,” they said.

“Okay, but how bad did the crash look?” I asked.

They all just looked at me blankly.

“What?” I said.

“How do you remember what happened?” said Carter.

“Yeah that was one of the worst crashes I have ever seen,” said Travis and Collin at the same time.

“All I remember is overshooting the jump and flipping over the handlebars, and I was pretty mad. I didn’t really pay attention to what jump I was going to and I defiantly wont do that again.” I was saying when the doctor came in to tell us the test results.

“Ahh, I see he’s awake, how do you feel son?” said the doctor.

“Pretty bad,” I said

“Well thankfully you drink your milk, because from what I’ve heard you should have more than just a broken wrist.” The doctor said.

”That’s all that is wrong with him?” said Carter.

“Yes sir, I was very surprised when I got the test results myself.” said the doctor.

Well as you might be thinking is I am a very lucky kid right? That’s not how I see it though, it shouldn’t have happened in the first place. A motocross racer should know his track. You won’t know it if you are ticked off at the world. Personally I need to be calm at all times when I’m racing because if I’m not calm then I’m not focused.

“Well let’s get you home” said Carter.

“Can I see my bike when I get home?” I asked.

“I guess, but I’ll tell you right now that the bike made me sick and I didn’t even crash on it,” said Carter, Travis and Collin all at the same time (It was weird).

“That’s okay I need to see what it looks like.” I said

On the way home from the hospital I was thinking about what it might look like. My vision was I twisted up frame with a ruined front tire and a broken case. When we pulled into the driveway I saw it just laying on the track. I got out and started walking towards it and saw that it was exactly what I had imagined. I was very sad because I knew that I was going to need a new dirt bike. I was sad because I was very fast on my dirt bike, and I didn’t want to have to get rid of it.

“I hate to tell you this Ryan but we are going to have to get rid of this bike.” Carter said.

“I know, I just hate to see it go because I was so comfortable on it and I like to keep the same bike.” I said.

“We know that, and that’s why we bought you this,” Carter was saying while the my bay was opening, “The same year same size same everything.”

“No way where did you find it?” I asked excitedly as I ran over to it.

“Actually right up the street.” said Travis, “just don’t ride mad on this one, it was expensive.”

Everyone laughed, even me.

“I have learned my lesson with riding mad I am never going to do that again I am going to give myself time to cool down before I do,” I said.

“Yes you do!” they all said loudly.

I don’t know how to explain is but this dirt bike was the cleanest, loudest, reddest, shiniest, and nicest one I have ever seen. I don’t think that anybody has one like it.

I know how important this dirt bike was to me, but I didn’t deserve it. The next day I woke up and told Collin and Travis that they needed to get their money back. I told them that I didn’t feel as if I earned it or deserved it. I told them that I would buy my own when I could get the money, and learn to control myself