chapter 1

As the hour passed, the bell echoed down the halls, and the professor's voice pierced through the noise, "Alright class, school's out for today. See you all tomorrow." Glancing at my phone, my dad's message appeared: "Can't pick you up, in a meeting." Perfect timing! I felt like taking a stroll home.

A couple of blocks from school, I noticed Ethan walking in the same direction. Was he perhaps the new neighbor, just three houses down from us?

As I reached home, there was Mom, standing on the front porch.

"Hi honey," she greeted me. "Why didn't you take the bus?" she asked inquisitively.

"I just felt like walking today, Mom," I replied with a smile.

"Alright, come on in. I've baked a pie. I'll go pick up your sister since your dad can't make it," Mom informed me.

"Okay, Mom. Bye," I said as she headed out to fetch my sister.

After getting inside, I grabbed a slice of pie and settled down on the sofa, setting my things aside. "I'll finish my homework later," I thought to myself.

Feeling thirsty, I headed to the fridge in search of some soda, only to find it empty. "Looks like Mom forgot to do the grocery shopping," I muttered. Thankfully, I had five dollars left. "I'll just go out and buy some soda," I decided.

I hopped on my bike and started searching for a nearby store. Luckily, I spotted a 7/11 not far away. I parked my bike and walked in.

I grabbed a can of Coke and a candy from the shelf and headed to the cashier's counter. As I placed the items on the counter, the cashier rang them up swiftly.

"That'll be $4.15," she said, her voice calm and efficient.

I handed over the cash, and she processed the payment with a quick smile. In return, she handed me the Coke and candy, and I nodded my thanks before heading out of the store.

As I walked out of the store, I scanned the parking area and realized with a sinking feeling that my bike was gone. My heart raced as I spotted a man pedaling away on it. "Hey, stop!" I yelled, adrenaline surging as I sprinted after him.

In my focused pursuit, I failed to notice a car approaching rapidly from the side. Before I could react, it was upon me. The impact was sudden and jarring, sending me sprawling onto the pavement in sharp pain. I struggled to catch my breath, thankful I hadn't lost consciousness but feeling intense discomfort in my leg.

Through the haze of pain, I saw the concerned face of the store cashier rushing towards me with a phone in hand. "I'm calling 911, hang in there!" they reassured me, their voice a source of comfort amidst the chaos.

As I lay there, waiting for help to arrive, my mind raced with the events that had unfolded in a matter of moments, wondering how I would recover from both the theft of my bike and this unexpected collision.

The ambulance arrived swiftly, rushing me to the hospital. The pain in my leg began to ease after receiving injections. Wanting comfort, I asked the nurse, "Can I call my mom?"

"Sure, go ahead," she replied kindly.

Dialing her number, I heard my mom's worried voice on the other end, "Hi honey, where are you? Your sister and I arrived two hours ago."

"Mama, I went out to buy something, but I lost my bike and then got hit. I'm at the hospital now," I managed to say, my voice trembling with emotion. I could hear the concern in her voice grow as she reassured me that everything would be alright.

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