Easy As Falling Off A Bike.
by Angharad.
part 918b.

Have you noticed how time seems to hang when you're waiting for something, like a bus or a cab or Christmas, or time to knock off from work. Because you have time on your hands, you start to notice things that have always been there but had escaped observation.

I watched my breath in the cool of the night air, pulling my jacket, or I should say, Stella's jacket tightly around me. I observed my two companions, they were stood fairly close together which I realised indicated a state of familiarity. People who don't know each other well, give each other loads of space.

I became aware of the way the boots and their high heels altered the way I stood or walked. They too were familiar, and while I couldn't class them as comfortable, they weren't uncomfortable either. I had to bend my knees very slightly and lean back to stay upright, if that doesn't sound too Irish, and I could feel the narrowness of the toes although they weren't pinching. My feet were probably the only part of me that felt warm.

I listened to the noises of the night, leaning against the car to ease the strain on my legs. I could hear traffic in the distance, noises of locking-up from the pub and then to my right a funny noise, like someone pulling up grass gently and a snuffling noise. I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand on end as I could see nothing to account for the noise. I wasn't really scared as Simon was standing only three yards away as was Stella. I decided to investigate.

I walked on my toes over towards the noise, which as I neared, grew slightly louder. I peered over a bush and could see nothing. Then I saw the culprit and began to laugh.

"What is it?" called Stella and she began to walk over towards me.

"Come and see for yourself," I replied giving nothing away.

Simon began to follow her. I continued my monster watching. They arrived a few seconds later and both began to laugh as well. "We get them in the garden, but I rarely see them," said Stella chuckling.

"Ah, Mrs Tiggeywinkle," added Simon. He laughed too then said, "Why did the hedgehog cross the road?"

Playing his straightman, Stella repeated his line, "I don't know, why did the hedgehog cross the road?"

"To see his flat mate," smiled Simon.

"Hedgehogs don't live in flats Simon," I said not seeing anything funny in the joke.

"Flat, mate, flat mate," said Simon, "geddit?"

"No I don't." I felt perplexed by it, even Beatrix Potter didn't have hedgehogs living in apartments, did she? I was sure she didn't.

"Flat hedgehog, flat mate, crossing the road." He then began to do a sort of mime except it had sound effects. He used his hand to signify something small walking, then the other hand plus a 'vroom vroom' noise to indicate a car. Then he combined the two with a 'splatt' sound, which he found very amusing. Stella rolled her eyes in feigned disgust and I shook my head.

"Geddit now?" he asked like a naughty schoolboy who had just told a dirty joke he didn't fully understand.

"I understand it, I simply don't see how a cute little critter like this can be seen as funny after being flattened by a car. It's cruel."

"It's only a joke for god's sake," he walked away muttering something about 'women' under his breath.

I glanced at Stella and she was smirking, I did too. She began to chuckle and so did I. Then I began to giggle and she followed suit. Simon looked over at us and shook his head, "You two are nuts," he said then walked over by the car.

I remembered something and called to Simon, "Do the garage have a key for your car?"

"Nah, I'll leave it in the car, under the mat."

"What about my bike?"

I heard him mutter under his breath, " Geez, that bloody bike," followed by, "What about it?"

"If the car is open, someone could steal it."

"They won't ride it very far," he laughed.

"No but they could carry it away and I don't have four grand to replace it. I hope you're well insured."

"Four thousand?" he said disbelievingly.

"Yes, it's pretty well top of the range," I replied.

"I'd want Lance Armstrong to come and pedal it for me at that price."

"He rides Trek, that's a Scott."

"As if it matters," he dismissed my remark with a wave of his hand.

"It does to the team they race in and their sponsors."

"You women take everything so literally."

"Do we?" I appealed to Stella.

"Yes, because we don't tell lies like men."

"Ouch!" said Simon, so I concurred this related to a previous conversation in which she had found him out.

"You'll never forget that or forgive me, will you?"

"Only as long as either of us live," said Stella with a hint of a barb in her tone.

Oh, I thought, this could get very interesting. Just then a car pulled into the car park bearing a taxi sign.