So I had this idea for awhile but it somehow never really connected well until I had hobbled to Philosophy the other day. May I present…Renesmee…learning how to ride a bike…
(Dislcaimer is on my profile)
Training Wheels
By Nollie Marie
Renesmee's POV
I sighed and watched all the other kids from a long distance all ride there weird metal thing with two round black things. It seemed like so much fun.
I turned away from them and headed back towards the house. I wondered if one of my family members knew anything about bikes. I bit my lip and frowned. I had only seen them either run or use their cars. Compared to the Turbo what-nots and silver hatch things, really a thin metal and two rubber things had nothing on them.
I first came across Carlisle. I smiled as I watched Carlisle thumb through huge medical dictionary. I knew just by the thickness of the volume that it was a complete history from the beginning of time of the different diseases. Being a vampire did mean great historians…
"Renesmee," Carlisle said, without raising his eyes from the book he was reading.
I smiled. The good doctor did know everything.
I wondered over to him. He finally looked up from his book as I reached up to touch his cheek. I replayed the scene for him, of the kids on the weird mode of transportation and I silently asked him what they were.
Carlisle smiled. "They are called bikes, Renesmee," Carlisle said.
Do you know how to ride one? I asked him, blinking up at him.
Carlisle sighed. "I'm so sorry, princess, but I never saw a reason to learn how."
I pouted. That was right. Carlisle was changed before bikes were even thought of. The only mode of transportation actually used back then was horse and buggy, talk about real horsepower. And then afterwards, human means of transportation really didn't do it for Carlisle, though I'm pretty sure he still used horse and buggy when needing to role play a human.
"Maybe you should ask Esme," Carlisle suggested. "I know she collected things. I'm pretty sure she has a bike around."
I smiled and hurried to find Esme.
"She's in the attic!" Carlisle called after me.
Sure enough, Esme was restoring a beautiful table. It looked like it was made in the early 19th century.
"Ah, Nessie," Esme said, smiling. "How are you my dear?"
"Fine," I whispered, to far to use my talent.
Esme closed her eyes in contentment and went back to restoring. I watched her carefully handle the wood.
"Esme, do you know how to ride a bike?" I asked, still unable to use my talent with the table between Esme and me.
Esme eyes opened and looked at me. She smiled softly.
"No I don't sadly," she said, softly, "though there is a bike up here."
She pointed to the far corner of the attic. I turned my head and felt slightly panic. That looked nothing like what the kids were riding. It was…weird looking with one huge wheel in the front and the back wheel in back really small. And the seat that I was suppose to sit on was really high up.
Esme chuckled at my look.
"It was made in the 1860's," Esme stated.
"What is that monstrosity?" I asked, flinching.
Esme chuckled again. "It's called a penny-farthing bike since the wood and iron was modeled and scalped into that penny-farthing design."
"Please tell me that there is some sort of evolution of the bike?" I asked.
"Oh, silly Nessie," Esme said, nodding.
I let out a sigh of relief.
"Yes, later on the bike was redesign. The penny-farthing design wasn't very safe for the rider due to the high seat and considering it had poor weight distribution. Later, there was a model that looks like a hybrid between the current day bicycle and the penny-farthing. Of course like anything, things get remodeled so that hybrid version was remodeled, bring comfort to the bike and also performance enhancements."
I chuckled. "You sound like Jasper when he tells me about the Civil War era," I said, smiling at Esme.
Esme smiled too. "Yes Jasper would know more about events, I know about all the petty things."
"I don't think the history of a bike is petty. It's actually really interesting," I stated.
"Go on little one, go see if any of the others in this household know anything riding a bike."
"I doubt it," I muttered but none the less turned around and went to search for the rest of my family.
I was passing by Rosalie's room when I heard two softly female voices talking really quickly that it seemed like singing. I wondered idly what any of my family members would sound like if they had sung.
"It seems that we have a little guest outside our door," Alice suddenly stated.
I rolled my eyes. Alice would know that I was outside the door.
"I can smell her, Alice, without your visions," Rosalie stated softly.
"I can't see her, Rosalie," Alice said hotly.
I smiled as I opened the door and saw that Rosalie was flipping through a magazine and Alice was standing at her closer, throwing clothes over her shoulder and each article landing perfectly on the bed.
"Before you ask the question, we heard you talking to Esme and Carlisle," Alice stated, throwing a red blouse over her head, "and no I never learned how to ride a bike."
Rosalie put aside her magazine and opened her arms so that I can slip between them and onto her lap, which was what I did. I promptly showed her everything from watching the kids ride to asking Carlisle and Esme if they knew how to ride a bike.
"Sadly no," Rosalie said, shaking her head. "When I was a human, bikes weren't…"
"Good enough?" Alice offered, her head poking out of the closet again.
"I guess that is the best term," Rosalie said, shrugging.
I touched Rosalie's cheek. It's okay, I stated.
"And meanwhile, I don't recall anything from my human years, except from what I remember from learning from James and on my own. So sadly I never learned," Alice said, pouting.
"And even if I did learn," Rosalie stated. "I would prefer my car over a bike."
"Ditto!" Alice said.
I sighed and touched Rosalie's cheek. Maybe the others would know?
"Jasper, no," Alice stated. "When he was changed, they rode horses. Afterwards, like most vampires, human means of transportation aren't good unless they are keeping up appearances."
"Like us," Rosalie added.
"Though, Jasper likes that motorcycle that Edward had given him," Alice said.
Rosalie and I chuckled and I recalled when Jacob taught Jasper how to ride it, which only took a few minutes considering vampires pick up really quickly on lots of things.
"If you want to ask Emmett, he's down stairs playing a video game against Edward," Alice said, winking at me before chuckled. "Doesn't he know not to play against him?"
"He's still hoping that one day he'll beat him or at least talk Bella into cheating by letting her using her gift when he plays."
"That will never happen," Alice said, laughing out in her beautiful laugh.
I slid from Rosalie's lap and headed down stairs. I could hear Emmett's grumbles and my father's laughter even before I got into the living room. There on the floor was my father, looking very much at easy and very much kicking Emmett's ass at wrestling on the video game. Emmett looked frustrated besides him, his tongue sticking out between his teeth. Edward laughed as Emmett narrowed his eyes and stared harder at the large screen.
"Renesmee," my mother said, sitting on the couch, watching the other two play until I came into the room.
Momma, I thought as I slid into her lab, her cold arms around me. It was comforting.
Edward leaned forward and pushed a button that caused the game to pause.
"HEY!" Emmett said.
"Emmett, your niece has something to ask of you," daddy said.
"Darn, I thought you really wanted to go a few real rounds against me," Emmett said, smiling.
I touched mommy's cheek and told her that daddy would win. Mommy and daddy chuckled at the same time. Emmett pouted.
"I don't need Edward's talent to know that Nessie agrees with her father," he stated.
I rolled my eyes. Anyone would have said it. And right then, from upstairs, I could hear faintly Alice's, "Edward would definitely win, Emmett, even with our strength and all."
Emmett growled and pouted more.
"Big baby," Edward said, smiling.
"Shut it, your daughter has something to ask of me," Emmett stated.
"Actually, of all of you," I said, wanting to speak for myself, not go through my mother.
Emmett just sulked to the floor.
"Do any of you know how to ride a bike?"
Emmett shot up while daddy looked at me.
"Where did this come from, Renesmee?" momma asked.
I touched her cheek and replayed everything for her.
"Ah," mommy and daddy said together.
Emmett growled. "Okay, so not fair," he muttered before waving his hands. "Hello, Nessie, your favorite uncle here! Clue him in!"
I chuckled and waved him forward so that I could tell him myself.
"Ah," Emmett said, after I retold him everything. "You know…I never learned either as a human."
I blinked and retouched his forehead. Really?
Emmett shrugged. "As a human, my family couldn't afford a bike. And then after getting vamped out—" He flexed his arms in like one of the Egyptian ways. I saw daddy rolled his eyes. "—I didn't see why I needed a silly bike when I was cooler than one them."
I chuckled. Oh very much cooler than a bike, I thought, touching his forehead again.
He grinned.
"I use to know how to ride a bike," daddy said, getting up off the floor to sit next to mommy and me. "But I lost that human memory over time."
"You know the saying, you never forget how to ride a bike," mommy pointed out.
Daddy rolled his eyes. "Why ride a bike when walking is faster?" he stated.
"Actually, you know that riding a bike is faster than walking. And I know that we walk really fast all ready but on a bike, with the gears which enhance the speed of the bike, you would go faster."
Everyone looked at mommy.
"What?" she said, looking scared.
"Did you learn how to ride a bike, Bella?" daddy asked.
Emmett chuckled. "You expect her to sit on a bike when she couldn't even walk straight."
I rolled my eyes at my uncle.
"Not funny, Emmett," mommy hissed.
"You know what…I think it would be fun to learn how to ride a bike!" Emmett said, standing up quickly.
"Be serious Emmett," Daddy said.
"I am! Come on let's go get some bikes!" Emmett shouted and ran out of the house.
This is going to be interesting, I thought, touching both my daddy and mommy's faces.
"Don't we know it," they said at the same time as they got up and headed after Emmett.
- . - . - . - . -
"What did you tell Mike when you said you needed a little girl's bike?" Rosalie asked.
Everyone was gathered out in the front as Emmett unloaded the two bikes out from the back of the jeep.
"He told him that Edward wants to ride it," Alice said, giggling.
I smiled as Daddy glared at my uncle, who just winked.
"I thought pink would look good on you, Eddiekins," Emmett said.
"Don't make me bite you," Edward hissed.
"You didn't buy training wheels for Renesmee?" Mommy said, worried. "Or a helmet, elbow pad, knee—"
"Okay, she sounds like a mother," Rosalie said, looking at mommy with a smirk.
I reached out and touched Rosalie's cheek. She is a mother.
Daddy chuckled as auntie Rosalie rolled her eyes, smiling none the less.
"Okay," Emmett said, setting down the last bike—the bigger one of the two.
"This should be interesting," Jasper muttered lazily.
Everyone chuckled as Emmett rolled the bike away from the car. I was in awe at the size and I compared it to the little one. I twisted around and touched in daddy's arms. Why does Uncle Emmett get the bigger bike?
Daddy chuckled. "That's because he's bigger than you, Renesmee. Wait a few more months and you'll have a big bike like Emmett."
"Okay," Emmett called out.
I turned around and saw Emmett swing his leg over so that his legs were on either side of the bike.
"Oh God, I can't watch," Rosalie said, covering her eyes.
Alice laughed, clutching at her stomach. I looked at Alice and then at Daddy. It looked like Daddy was trying hard not to laugh but his mouth was turned up at the corners.
"Here we go," Emmett said, lifting his legs off the ground.
I watched carefully as he put his feet on the weird things that went around and around. And just as he lifted his feet on what Daddy had just whispered in my ears called pedals, there was a sudden groan.
And then the bike went flat under Emmett. There was a moment of silence before everyone burst out laughing at the sight of Emmett sitting on the ground, him lodged between the two wheels, his hands still holding the bars.
Emmett growled as he slowly got up but it made the laughter worst. The bike remained stuck on him.
"Okay, this is really uncomfortable," he growled as he pushed the smashed the bike off of him.
The poor thing went clattering on the ground. One of the tires went rolling away.
"Oh my God! Alice, why didn't you warn us!?" Rosalie said between laughing.
Emmett just growled. I felt bad for Emmett, he really wanted to learn how to ride that bike.
"Aw, it's okay Emmett," Esme said as Emmett walked back towards the house.
"Yeah, Emmett, there are other things that you can ride," Alice stated, shooting a look at Rosalie.
"Okay, children here," Bella stated.
I looked around, confused.
"Okay, why is there a…well I have no idea what it is but I am assuming that it was a bike, in the middle of the drive away?"
I looked up and smiled. Standing there in sweats, no shirt, was Jacob!
"Emmett wanted to learn how to ride a bike," Daddy stated, straight face.
"Er…why?" Jacob said, confused.
"Nessie wanted to learn how to ride," Bella stated, also straight face.
"And none us know how to ride a bike," Jasper stated.
Jacob rolled his eyes.
"Go figure," he muttered.
I wiggled in daddy's arms to be let down, as soon as my feet where on the ground I went to Jacob. He picked me up right away and I touched his cheek. I want to learn how to ride a bike…do you know how?
"Yeah, I do," he stated.
Uncle Emmett bought me a bike.
Jacob turned and looked at the little pink bike by the jeep.
"Watch it Jacob," Daddy stated, his face not pleasant.
Jacob chuckled and I didn't want to know what he had thought, but I had an idea of what he had said.
Jacob, can you teach me how to ride a bike? I asked him.
"I guess," Jacob said, shrugging.
He walked towards the little pink bike that Emmett had bought for me. Sitting on the little seat, felt weird but I was excited.
"These are your pedals," Jacob said, pointing out the little metal things my feet were touching, Jacob holding the bike steady for me. "You will move your feet this way to make the bike to go forward." He moved his hands in the direction I should move my feet.
I nodded, remembering that.
"These are your handlebars," Jacob stated, moving the bars from side to side. "The handblebars move the front wheel so that you can go left or right."
Sounds easy, I thought. Jacob made sure I was balance, walking along side me while I pedalled. It was fun, doing this, with my family watching. I saw them as I turned towards the house. I smiled and waved.
"Okay, I'm going to let go," Jacob stated.
I felt his hand slide off the back of my seat and his other hand disappear from the handlebar. And I was on my own! It was so much fun! I pedalled, forming figure 8s until I got tired of seeing the same thing. I wanted to see the rest of the drive.
I turned and headed down the long road towards the trees. I may have been a few hundred or so feet, I couldn't judge distance that well, when I heard a gasp and a deep growl.
"Jacob, you forgot to tell Renesmee one very important thing," Daddy said.
"What?"
"You forgot to tell her how to break!" Mommy said.
"Uh-oh," I heard.
What were they so worried about if I don't know how to break? I would just turn around, go home when I got bored and wanted to stop. Besides…I knew how to stop. I'm a very fast learner and learned how to stop from the other little kids earlier. The adults didn't know about that though.
I laughed and turned back home when I heard that Emmett was going to do the same thing to Jacob as he did to the bike if I didn't come home soon, unharmed. I hope Leah didn't hear that.
Lol, that was fun. I, myself, never heard how to ride a bike but I knew some of the basics. I actually have bad balance while on two feet so on two wheels, forget about it. Lol. So what do you think? Review and let me know.
Huggles,
Nollie