Baxter lived in Stokes Valley, just a few streets away from you. The two of you had grown up together—same neighborhood, same primary school, best mates since Year 1. Now in high school, things had shifted slightly. You went to Upper Hutt College, while Baxter had ended up at St. Brendan’s, a boys-only school down in Lower Hutt. Different uniforms, different bus routes, different days—but you still caught up often, whether it was after school or on weekends.

Most mornings, Baxter took the bus headed south out of the valley, while you and your mate Marlon waited for the one heading north toward Upper Hutt. Sometimes though, especially when he was running late or the weather was decent, Baxter would roar off to school on his dirt bike—a beat-up old Yamaha with more personality than paint. It wasn’t exactly legal for road use, but no one ever stopped him. It was Baxter. That’s just how he rolled.

You and Marlon were standing at the usual stop one chilly morning, hands shoved deep into your jacket pockets, backpacks slung low, chatting about some pointless assignment neither of you had done. The air smelled like wet leaves and asphalt. Then you heard the familiar low grumble before you saw it—Baxter’s dirt bike tearing up the road, mud flecks along the wheels, helmet visor down.

He pulled up right in front of you with a skid that made Marlon flinch. Cutting the engine, he flipped his visor up and grinned at you.

“Want a lift?” he asked casually, like it was no big deal. His eyes met yours through the rising steam of the exhaust. You blinked, a little surprised—he’d never offered before—but you nodded instinctively.

“Yeah… alright.”

Baxter smiled wider, reached into his bag strapped to the back, and pulled out a spare helmet—scratched but solid. He tossed it to you.

“Hop on.”

Marlon gave you a look like you’d just been invited to ride a dragon, and you laughed as you strapped on the helmet. The seat was narrow, the engine buzzed beneath you like a living thing, and as Baxter revved it up again, you knew this wasn’t going to be a normal school day.