Chapter 2: "Elementary Marco"
When every other kid his age was learning to ride a bike, with training wheels, speeding away carelessly at the park; Marco was (still) at home, in his living room, trying to practice walking in the armor he'd encased himself in. The standard body pads and helmet weren't enough for the youngster, he'd gone through his family's garage and duct-taped all the bubble wrap he could find around himself. Even Marco's parents, especially his mother, had a difficult time hiding their amusement at their son's slow, zombie-stiff limbs, and his clunky waddling. Eventually they gave up and laughed at him, he looked at them in confusion; and decided that he didn't want to go through with the troubles of biking anymore. The armor was a hassle to wear anyway, he decided.
That day ended bike riding for him, but he never gave up on the dream; and he'd always looked for an excuse to use cycling supplies, keeping an immense stock in his garage. (Obviously that dream was a mistake to hold onto, because years later, when Marco was in high school, he wore a helmet in the showers, carrying over his elementary and middle school "reputation.")
Author's Note:
I drew my own cover art. Anyway, sorry, this chapter isn't as long as it seemed in my head.
I think Marco's mom is adventurous, and his dad is more "safe."