Gaby Book 26 On The Edge by Maddy Bell Copyright© 2021 Madeline Bell Seventeen - it's a birthday overshadowed by its predecessor and successor and Gaby's looks set to follow that pattern. There are however big decisions to be made, should she grab life by the horns and experience everything it has to offer or take the more conservative, safer route through life. This volume, the 26th in the Gaby series has all the elements of classic Gaby, bike riding, teenage angst, developing relationships, grist to the mill for our heroine as life in the Ahrtal ticks on.

 
"That was sneaky Gabrielle Bond,” Mum stated as we found seats on the Casa Alvaro's terrace a few minutes later.
"What?” I queried using my innocent face.
"You know very well what.”
"Its not breaking any rules.”
"Hmm.”
"It worked though didn't it?”
"And what if it hadn't?”
I shrugged, "Plan B? Michael, Bruno!”

The Swiss were just riding up towards the casa in the company of the Apollinaris tail enders.

"You girls get it?” Michael called over.
"Yup, join us, I owe you coffee.”

There were several thumbs raised as riders dismounted and parked their machines.

"Something I should know?” Mater enquired.
"Not really, they gave us a hand chasing you lot down.”
"Sneaky.”
"George's idea Jen,” Tina mentioned rejoining me after a visit to the ablutions.
"Where'd you find them?”
"A bit below where we turned off the main road, you must've passed them,” Tina opined.
"We didn't pass anyone, and we'd have noticed them,” Mum sort of semi leered.
"Mu-um,” I complained.
"Just saying, they look pretty fit.”

Hmm, so just where did they come from if the others hadn't seen them? It has to be a set up.
 

It was a bit early for lunch of course, someone had instead organised sandwiches and coffee to be forthcoming, nothing was said about our 'guests' who, it has to be said, were quickly exchanging banter with the wider group. Turns out that they were staying in Mercedes, where George had his little pep talk with Tina and me, they'd seen the big group go past and pulled out behind sitting them between us. If George had any involvement he deserves to be working for the security services!

I'm pretty sure Michael and the guys knew who we were, I mean, my rainbow jersey is a bit of a hint and there probably aren't that many young women who could mix things up with them on a fairly equal footing, but they didn't say anything. Even my own team mates and friends can sometimes get a bit 'fangirl' so it was quite nice to be just another bikie. I saw George looking at his watch, I guess coffee time is pretty much over.

"What now then guys?” I posed.
Georgio gave a shrug, "Drop down to the coast for some lunch I think, you?”
"Dunno, Mum?” I called over to the next table, "What're we doing now?”
"Back to the hotel as far as I know.”
"Sunbathing by the sound of things,” I grinned.

By the time everyone had used the facilities, un parked bikes and sorted out their apparel another fifteen minutes had passed.

"Regroup at the junction,” Dad instructed, "And take it steady eh?”

I don't know what he means, anyhow we set off to start the return leg as one group, descending through Chamorga several Kph faster than our ascent, flashing through the tunnel to join the main defile. It was never going to remain like that was it? The road is pretty well maintained and on the first decent bit of open tarmac a pell mell attack on the descent started.

Oh I know its not everyones thing and even some racers aren't that keen on these long downhills but for me at least, its one of the joys of cycling. Pick your line, feel the wind in your face without it being a fight, the adrenalin flowing freely, exhilarating and fun. We were soon in a long string, each rider playing to their individual strengths, straight line speed, cornering technique, getting that bit extra aero.

Of course, where gravity comes in, my size and weight are great for going up but going down I'm at a disadvantage to bigger, heavier riders and indeed it was our new friends who were at the head of the worm. Josh slipped past and I flicked onto his wheel to get a bit of a tow. The Toon isn't so hot at tight cornering at speed, at the first hairpin I slipped through on his inside which gained me a few metres but he was in front again quite quickly.

By the time we reached the flatter middle section there were just eight of us, including the Swiss, in the front group, me, Josh, Mum and Erika. The guys looked pretty relaxed, well I guess to be amongst this selection you'd need to be, Erika gave me a grin but Mum had her race face on. We hadn't seen more than a handful of others on the way up but as we dropped there was a regular line of bikes making the climb.

None of it seemed 'that' steep on the way up but going down, well the grade looked almost vertical in places. I found myself grinning like a Loon as we swept past those making the ascent, my computer flickering around the seventies and I'm sure I saw eighty kmh a moment ago. All too soon things levelled off again and a slight rise into a linear collection of buildings heralded the bottom of the Chamorga road.

"Good luck Thursday Gaby,” Gustaf offered as we eased down to a gentler pace.
"Thanks for the help earlier,” I returned.
"We enjoyed it,” Michael told us, "We're gonna keep going, have fun.”
"And you.”

There was an exchange of farewells, the guys sweeping out onto the TF-12 even as the rest of us coasted to a halt just before the junction.
 

The rest of the ride down to Mercedes was a less frantic affair, no individual drag riding just a steady piano as a single peloton, the road now much busier with not just bikes but other traffic. Once clear of the northern 'mountains' we pretty much retraced our outward route the difference being that we did some training exercises on the way. By the time we'd made that last climb back to the hotel I think we were all fairly tired and ready for lunch.

"Okay folks,” Dad started as we handed off bikes to our support crew, "Lunch will be about thirty minutes out on the restaurant balcony, laundry in the bin on the corridor.”

I'm guessing that was a hint to change before lunch!
 

Of course, i've complained at length about the team dresses and sometimes waxed lyrical about our race togs but i've not mentioned the off bike stuff have I. Of course, we get the usual track suit type stuff but we also get a couple of T's and a sweatshirt that we can wear with our own choice of other stuff. I know it sounds like we are always in some sort of 'uniform' but the sponsors put a lot of dosh into letting us do what we enjoy doing, ie racing bikes and of course they actually pay the seniors quite well to do it.

It can get a bit old I guess but at least Dad is more relaxed than George about wearing stuff, I guess it gives us a team identity and everyone wants to be on a team right?

"You seen my new bikini Mand?”
"I was there when you bought it?”
"Dur, very funny, have you seen it since we got here?”
"Ut uh, don't tell me you've lost it? Why are you looking for it anyway?”
"Thought i'd save time, put it on before lunch.”
Mand did the seeing orb rolling thing before glancing into my case, "What's that under your hair drier?”
"I just looked there,” I started before pulling said swimwear out, "Oh.”
"Didn't look very hard, I take it you will be wearing more than that to eat?”
"Erm.”
"Whilst I'm sure Daz and Josh would appreciate the view, some of us might not?” she hinted.
"I guess.”

Which is how I ended up wearing a pink wrap skirt and one of my team t shirts over my bikini.

Lunch was a buffet of stuff that looked to be far too healthy, no pommes at all, the meat restricted to chicken and fish. It reminded me of the stuff BC fed us in Manchester, I'm sure they mean well but honestly, I prefer my carbs in easy to eat deep fried form. To be fair, some of it was quite tasty and whilst I'm not a big fish eater the smoked sardines were pretty moreish.

"Attention please ladies,” George addressed the still munching herd, I guess Daz and Josh are included in that, "A quick debrief before we talk individual specifics for the rest of the week.”

Does that mean no sunbathing?

 
"Everyone happy?” Dad enquired nearly two hours later.

George seemed pretty happy with the morning session, as he said, it helped identify stuff to work on during the week ahead. Anyhow we then split into our respective squads, the juniors moving to a shady spot down near one of the pools to continue. Of course, we already know each others strengths and weaknesses, yep even I'm not perfect so we discussed how each of us saw ourselves progressing as bike riders.

Happy might not be the correct adjective but we'd already talked out any individual issues, Dad went on.

"Okay then, rest of the afternoon is yours, try not to get sunburnt, Gaby,” hey why did I get singled out? "Darren, if you come up to four one two I'll sort you out those core exercises, dinners at seven, enjoy yourselves.”

At last.

"Gaby, can I have a moment?”
What now? "Yes Dad.”
"We'll see you by reception Hen,” Josh suggested as the rest headed towards the hotel building.
“'kay,” I agreed, "So what's up?”
"I didn't want to say anything in front of the others but this morning, Tina mentioned that you seemed a bit, what did she say now, yes that was it, woolly, at times.”
"Woolly?”
"Maybe not the right word, maybe your mind wasn't entirely on the riding? Is everything okay?”
"Dunno where she got that idea, course it is, why wouldn't it be?”
"You have got a lot of stuff going on, college, BlauHase, Max, the kiosk,” he pointed out.
I gave a little shrug, "You forgot the Tanzklub.”
"Look kiddo, if there's anything you need to talk about, me and your mum are here for you.”
"I know but there's nothing up, honest.”
"Go on then, the others will be waiting and Gaby.”
"Hmm?”
"Put plenty of sun block on, you know how easily you burn.”
"Yes Dad,” I sighed.
 

"Everything okay?” Gret enquired when I joined the others in reception.
"Yeah, fine, so we walking?”
"You are kidding Bond?”
"The chap on reception has ordered us a taxi,” Daz put in.

Where are we off to I hear you ask? Well there's this water park place, Costa Martiánez, down near the old town, we get in for half price with a tourist card which is free from our hotel. The taxi couldn't have been far away as it turned up almost as Darren finished speaking, we filed out and loaded into the people carrier, it looked like a Volkswagen but it claimed to be a SEAT. Yeah, guess who had to sit in the middle?

I'd expected to go much the same way we had on the bikes yesterday but instead he took us out to the Autopista where he floored it for a couple of junctions before turning off. I lost all sense of direction but we ended up driving along the cliffs above the sea before disapearing into a tunnel. When we emerged it was onto a sort of esplanade, beach on one side, hotels and stuff the other, moments later we were outside the water park.

"It closes at six like,” Josh noted as we headed to the entry.
"We have to be back for dinner at seven anyway,” Mand pointed out.
"We've still got a couple of hours, come on,” I chivvied.
 

I think its fair to say that a good time was had by all, we rented a locker to stow extraneous clothing and so on, yup, even Josh lost his shirt to display the early signs of a penguin tan, that bane of cyclists everywhere. And yes, we did use sunscreen, even so, by the time we left I could feel my fair skin tingling a bit. Looks like I'll have a bikini sun tan, a better look than the white 'skin suit'!

It might be a waterpark by name but its really more a collection of swimming and sun bathing opportunities with assorted food and drink outlets. Not that it bothered me, last time I went on a waterslide I lost my top, but I think the lads were a bit non plussed. We ended up at the main pool, the lads going off to swim whilst the fairer sex gently grilled themselves whilst sipping overpriced soft drinks.

When we left we had to walk towards the old town to find a taxi and yes I know we've got dinner when we get back but we got sidetracked into Maccy D's for pommes and milkshakes. The driver on the return to Las Aguilas took us back through the town, it might be shorter but it actually took longer than our mystery motorway trip which meant it was nearly seven when we got back. You can't very well go to dinner in a bikini can you, so it was straight upstairs, splash, change, bit of slap and straight down to the restaurant.

At least it wasn't just me who was late and it was only five minutes.

"Sorry we're late,” I offered as first to Apollinaris corner, “we only just got back.”
"We saw,” Erika told us, "We were betting on how long you would be.”

Figures.

"So what's on the menu tonight, Celery and that humus stuff?”
"Humous,” Kat batted back, "I'm sure that could be arranged.”
"Think I'll pass, so?”
"She's like a Rottweiler when it comes to food,” Gret opined.
"No kidding,” Kat agreed.
"I am here you know.”
"We know,” all three of them chorused, huh, a girl can go off people!

There was a drifting of bodies towards the salad bar, I joined them still none the wiser as to tonights menu.

Well it was better than I had thought it would be, chicken breast with vegetable rice and I think the dressing was like mango or certainly something fruity, quite sweet but not too heavy. Even better, there was chocolate mousse for dessert, now you're not telling me thats super healthy, not that I'm complaining. We finished with coffee that was at least a couple of steps up from that stuff Mand got us last night, that was like bilge water.

"What're we doing now?” Tali asked, we'd sort of congregated out on the terrace, the Jungere team and Kat that is.
"Cards?” Manda suggested.
"Really?” I groaned.
"You got any better ideas then clever clogs?”

What do you do, anything like entertainment is down in the town, either a long walk or a taxi ride away, there's a Burger King® the other side of the motorway but I guess that might not go down well with our nutritionist, theres a shopping mall but of course its Sunday evening, that ain't gonna be open.

"So what do the seniors do?” Daz asked.

Why didn't I think of that?

"If she says strip poker, I'm out,” Gret informed us.
"Spoilsport!” Tali joshed.
"Er, it has been known,” Kat admitted.
"They must do something,” Mand pressed.
"Well Erika usually has her game thing, Jen is usually reading something or other, Tina's into her music, there's a Scrabble® league.”
"Rivetting,” I sighed.
"Twenty one points,” Kat shot back which resulted in a round of groans.
"I'm not playing Scrabble, they must do something else.”
"Not really, I mean by the time we've eaten, everyones had their massage and then they often go straight to bed, maybe watch some TV.”
"We could do that?” Tali mentioned.
"There's a big screen in tha bar,” Josh advised.
"Like they are gonna give us the remote for that,” I scoffed.
"Worth a try,” Gret suggested.
 

"I never wanted to be your weekend lover
I only wanted to be some kind of friend
Baby, I could never steal you from another
It's such a shame our friendship had to end.”

Darren warbled before the rest of us joined in on the chorus,

"Purple rain, purple rain
Purple rain, purple rain
Purple rain, purple rain
I only wanted to see you
Underneath the purple rain.”

There was no kickball on tonight so the bar staff were quite amenable to our commandeering the TV, which, we soon discovered had a sort of karaoke channel. Well it was better than badly dubbed seventies US cop shows or Spanish language domestic drama, I can do a biit of Spanish but that doesn't mean I want to watch their TV. I'm not the greatest fan of karaoke, that time in Japan was pretty cool I guess, with a bunch of friends on a warm evening in sub tropical Tenerife we were having such a good time, having a ball.

This was no solo singing contest, this was full on party powered by carbonated soft drinks! We took it in turns taking the lead, everyone else joining in for the chorus, there was no room for prima donnas here tonight.

"One more,” I begged.
"Last one, Tal stated, what've we got Joshie?”

The big Tynesider hit random and a moment later some familiar sounds came from the speakers.

"Me, me, me!”
"Best let her or we'll not here the last of it,” Mand suggested.

"Flash! Ah-ah
Savior of the universe

Flash! Ah-ah
He'll save every one of us.”

It might not be one that BlauHase cover but its one of my favourite riding songs, I didn't really need the lyric prompter as I bellowed out Freddy's words.

Flash! Ah-ah
He's a miracle

Flash! Ah-ah
He'll save every one of us.”

 
Maddy Bell © 10.03.2021