Eight years later . . . . .
Walking the Manhattan streets with her I pod jamming music in her ears, Zaire looked around cautiously in her big black sunglasses.
"Hey Z! What's up girl?" Zaire whipped her head around and saw her friend, Alex Ramirez.
"Hey yourself! How's it hanging?" Zaire replied, sniffing her friend unnoticeably.
" Hanging? Girl, you better have practiced! We're performing today in our usual spot. Everyone else knows the routine. Are ya ready?" her friend Alex, questioned, with worrisome eyes.
"Jeez, don't worry about it. I practiced, I practiced. So, when are we performing again?" Zaire asked with a sly grin. Alex widened her eyes at her but then glared at Zaire as Zaire burst out laughing.
"Ha, ha. That's so funny, I forgot to laugh. Come on Zaire, it's right now in five minutes. I told you that yesterday. We go to go or we'll be late. The M&M twins and JP won't be happy." Alex declared.
"Then let's go!" yelled Zaire, activating her skates, and skated towards Central Park and away from an astonished Alex.
" Last one's a rotten dancer!" Zaire yelled over her shoulder to Alex. Snapping out of her trance, Alex clicked her shoes together and wheels popped out of her shoes and raced after her speeding friend. Catching up to Zaire, the two friends began trying to shove each other into people, benches, poles and other obstacles, trying to slow the other. Then Alex suddenly disappeared in a throng of people. Sliding her skates to a stop, Zaire looked around, sniffing for Alex's scent. Her sensitive ears caught something moving toward her fast and she quickly stepped back, dodging Alex's shove into the street. Unfortunately, Alex didn't slow down and skated out into the street and in front of a speeding taxi.
"AHHHHH!" screamed Alex putting her hands in front of her. Zaire quickly glided across the gray pavement towards her, and shoved Alex to the other side of the street. Watching Alex stumble in to the safety of the sidewalk, Zaire turned around and tried to skate faster and away from the accelerating yellow car. Glancing back to see if the car was catching up, passing though Zaire's eyes was a red ball bounce into the busy street behind the taxi and a few cars with a little tanned skin boy running after it. The brown haired boy caught the ball in the middle of the street, not noticing the oncoming huge Coca Cola truck driving towards him with no signs of stopping. Realizing the boy's danger, Zaire quickly skated faster, placing a great distance between her and the car. Whipping around to face the car, the young woman raced towards the car at break neck speed. Alex and pedestrians watched in horror as Zaire skated towards the accelerating car.
"What the hell is she doing?" someone cried out. Alex then saw the fearless, determined look on her friend's face and noticed for the first time the little boy in the path of the huge truck.
"Come on Zaire. Just a few more steps!" Alex whispered anxiously, praying for both of them. The woman next to her heard her and screamed, "Oh Jesus! Someone save that little boy!"
The crowd watched, mortified and frightened, at both Zaire and the little boy. Would she make it in time to save the boy? Though no one asked the question, it was on everyone's minds.
Zaire stared furiously at the approaching taxi. Suddenly at an arm's length away from the taxi, she launched herself into the air. Tucking in her legs in the air, Zaire flew over the taxi and then she fell, rolling onto the ground. Sitting up into a crouching position, the car behind the taxi raced toward Zaire and she quickly dodged to the left. Dodging cars at a fast paced velocity, she started to skate towards the little boy. Finally she arrived at boy only to realize that the truck was only several inches away from them. The little boy finally looked up and noticed the huge approaching vehicle. Scared, he dropped the ball, and it rolled away from them. Zaire quickly grabbed the boy and dropped them both on their stomachs toward the ground. Shielding him from the bottom of the truck with her arms and chest, Zaire whispered, "Let him live." The truck driver abruptly noticed the two bodies lying in front of him but it was too late, they disappeared under the truck. Slamming on brakes, the truck stopped and so did time.
