Bella blinked, taken aback for a moment, but then laughter spilled out of her. Her heart pounded—not with fear, but with thrill. A race? Me? I've never done this before… but why not?
Her lips curved into a grin. "You're on."
The girl leaned forward, pushing off with power, and Bella immediately followed, her skates striking the ground with a sharp rhythm. The two of them flew side by side down the road, weaving between pedestrians and dodging startled shoppers who moved aside.
Bella's brown eyes shone with excitement, her floppy dark wig brushing across her forehead. For once she didn't care if someone looked at her—she was too caught up in the adrenaline, too caught up in the laughter of this stranger who felt like a friend already.
"Faster, boy!" the girl shouted.
Bella threw her head back and laughed, skating harder, her legs burning but her spirit soaring higher. "Don't cry when I win!"
