Extreme! Read Online Free PDF Page A

Burridge,’ said Mio, her voice ringing clear.
    ‘Yes, Mrs Burridge,’ echoed the others.
    Mrs Burridge hesitated. Something was not right. But she was already late for a meeting with the school accountant and couldn’t afford to waste any more time. ‘Very well, then,’ she said. ‘However, tomorrow morning I want each and every one of you to hand in a one-page essay on The Importance of Rules for School Safety.’
    Now the voices did not ring so clear. ‘Yes, Mrs Burridge.’ Grabbing their bikes they trudged towards the gates.
    ‘That sucks!’ said Darcy.
    ‘Makes me so mad I could scream,’ agreed Clem.
    ‘Kick parked cars,’ said Bryce but at the look of horror on Clem’s face he added, ‘Only joking. Freewheelers don’t kick parked cars.’
    ‘You know what I need?’ said Mio, at the mention of Freewheelers. ‘I need to ride.’
    ‘Me too,’ said Tong, throwing on his helmet and jumping on his bike.
    ‘Let’s go-o-o-o!’ yelled Darcy.
    And with that they all leapt on their bikes. Mio took the lead, and with teeth gritted and eyes full-beam ahead, she raced down the street, leaning into the corner like a pro. The others followed, enjoying the way the ground loomed to meet them, then fell away as they straightened up. Mio picked up speed. Short sharp breaths punctured the air as she turned her face to the wind. This was one of the few times when Mio felt truly alive, free. Jiyu. Jiyu—to behave as she pleased . Not having to consider others. No limits, no rules, no right or wrong. Just free.
    Darcy caught up and pedalled abreast of her, his grin so wide that his gums showed, like he’d hit g -force. Neither of them spoke; they didn’t have to. Bikes and bodies were moulded as one. In tandem they took a curve and in tandem they straightened, heading for a wall that dropped to a street below.
    Tong kept his eyes on the two ahead, admiring the precision, the flow, to their riding. It was perfect, as though heaven and earth had changed places. Tong bent his head and started cyclingharder, intent on securing his own place in heaven. His cheeks stung and his ears whistled; even a runny nose was cause for celebration. His lungs filled with air and he lifted his head to the clear sky.
    Clem and Bryce lagged further behind, content to make this moment their own and not compete with the others. But while Darcy and Mio rode side by side these two played tag, at one time one ahead then the other overtaking while that one fell behind, only to repeat the move over and over again, like a two-man team at a velodrome.
    Mio and Darcy’s landings were perfect. They touched down, their wheels flattening, then sprung up and propelled forward in such a way that it could only be described as lyrical. Laughter tumbled from Mio’s mouth, like bubbles bursting. Which is exactly how she felt—all that tension, all that worry was evaporating in a volley of sound.
    ‘Good one, Mio.’ Tong had finally reached them.
    Together they rode, low on fear and fired by magic, as they zig-zagged cracks and leapt gaps, titanium titans flying through the air. Nothing would stop them—not the impossible peak-hour traffic, not the patchwork of potholes or the grooves of metal grates, not the oil slicks or puddles or lousy patch-up road jobs. On a flat stretch they eased, content to coast while the other two caught up.
    Without realising it, they’d ended up not far from Wheels Skate Park. It was receiving its finishing touches before the grand opening. ‘Let’s check it out,’ said Darcy, heading for the huge construction. They stood outside the security fence watching some workmen put the final screws into the inside spectator barrier whilst others finished the landscaping.
    The park spread out further than an Olympic swimming pool. It looked like a lunar landscape with its ramps, pipes, trick boxes, pyramid, handrails and stairs resembling the moon’s terminator and seas, craters and mountains and battered highlands. Workmen