We cut through the wind like scissors through paper. Our surroundings blur into splotches on either side of us as we passed by car after car. Even with Gina’s helmet on, terror wraps itself around me.

“You alright there, April?”

My eyes are shut, and I’m too terrified to open my mouth.

“April, we’ve stopped. We’re in your driveway. You can open your eyes now.”

I loosen my hold around Gina’s waist. I see my long driveway curling down the hill like a bridal train. The lights of my front porch shine in the night, creating long shadows in their wake. Dark clouds cover the sky, booming thunder promising an impending storm.

Gina giggles. Her eyes brighten with pride. “You almost suffocated me with how tight you were holding me. Like a sad kitten holding onto its mother.”

“Oh, shut up!” I smooth down my skirts. “I invited you to homecoming, bought you flowers, and this is the thanks I—“

My legs collapse under me, slip under the uneven pavement. The world around me spins like a wheel. Then an arm linked under mine, scooping me back onto my feet.

“Woah! Careful there!” Gina says. “We don’t need any broken bones.”

I respond with an unavoidable grin. Blush spreads across my cheeks. She kneels down to check for any cuts or bruises from the harsh pavement, then escorts me to the door.

“Please text me when you get home,” I say. Crickets chirp from their homes between the grass blades, as if agreeing with me.

“Don’t fret, April. You know I always do.”

When she backs her motorcycle, her black tuxedo makes her vanish into the night. The engine roars like a jaguar behind her, quieting as she speeds further and further away. Small, quick raindrops flick on my skin.

I sprint inside and slip my heels off. After hours of walking around, socializing with others, I feel my feet may need to be amputated. Maybe even my whole legs as the aching climbs up my ankles to the tops of my calves.

That’s when quiet vibrations ripple against my skin. I reach for my phone to find it’s from Gina.

All she sent was a heart, yet it made my own skip a beat.