“Wait for me!” James screamed, almost out of breath. I think it was a warm June day, somewhere around the second week. School let out a week earlier, and it couldn’t happen fast enough. I dreaded going to school. My teachers weren’t all that nice to me, and, before you ask, no. That’s not an exaggeration. James also hated school, but his emotions would get the best of him, especially when the kids started picking on him. That’s when the tears would start. That’s why I was doing everything I could to escape from him. I gave it all I had, trying to make sure the gap between him and me was at least three city blocks.

‘Wait’ was the atypical cry of my younger sibling. His screams trailed behind me as I rode down Village Parkway. The municipal city pool in Dublin, California, wasn’t all that big if you compared it to the Olympic-sized pool in San Ramon at one of the local high schools. California High School, or as those of us in the area knew it, Cal High. Yeah, I know. It’s a super original name for a high school. Then again, when you consider another one of the schools in San Ramon that was named Walt Disney Elementary, it’s not surprising to see that the city of San Ramon was what you’d call basic. Or, at the very least, unoriginal.

“Wait for me!” Sheesh. If he kept that up much longer I was sure some adult somewhere would wonder what I had done to him. I stopped, waiting for him to catch up, his towel blowing out behind him, flapping in the wind. Somehow, James managed to tie it tightly around the handlebars of his bike. Part of the reason James couldn’t keep up with me? Flip-flops. Every kid knows at some fundamental level that you can’t ride a bike all that well with a pair of flip-flops. But he insisted, go figure!

“I told you not to wear those stupid things.” I rolled my eyes, which I often do.

“I know, Joe. But I like them.” His whining was enough to grate on my last nerve, which it often did. Today was no exception. Standing here, waiting for James to catch his breath, we were both starting to feel the heat of the summer sunshine. Should’ve brought sunscreen, I thought to myself. Oh well! A bit late for that now. I hoped Tim would be there. Chances were good that he and his sister, Tina, would be there. Tina was the same age as James, not that he would associate with her, even though they were the same age. Something about Tim and Tina – like some brothers and sisters two years apart. Their relationship was close. I didn’t get it. Mostly because I was trying to dodge James every time I had a chance to.

“Come on,” I said, standing on the pedals of the ten-speed, starting to ride again. “The pool opens in,” I looked at my new waterproof watch, “like ten minutes! Let’s go.”

James pouted and started to pedal, his flip-flop getting caught on the sidewalk, almost toppling him and the bike. If there was one thing me and James were good at, it was falling gracefully. I’m not really sure how he managed it. His right foot caught the sidewalk, flipping himself over the bike. I watched his blonde hair flailing as his body went head over heels, straight over the bike. I don’t know how James did it – but he landed on his feet! One flip-flop on, the other behind the bike! No one, not even a BMX pro, could’ve done what he did. Sure, if the pro accidentally did it, but not purposefully.

The panic in his blue eyes shouted out to his big brother just before he landed. Only me and James saw it, or would recognize it again. And, yes. We would see that look again under different circumstances. Having landed the ‘trick’ as it would come to be called, James looked at me, a smile slowly crossing his face. “Dude!” Elation filled his smile, James’ pleasure was evident. I didn’t believe he did it. I stopped pedaling, staring at my brother, one naked foot, and his bike two feet behind him.

“Did you see that!?!” He was dancing, almost tripping over his bike. “I did that! I flipped over the bike and LANDED ON MY FEET! How cool is that?”

I ignored him, pedaling off to the pool.

“Wait for me!” James yelled, snatching his flip-flop off the sidewalk and getting on his bike. “Joe! Wait!”