The Bicycle Race

This sunny Saturday morning, Ilya, Nikita, and Liza decided to meet in the park for a special event. They had been discussing how to spend the weekend for a long time and finally settled on organizing a real bike race. Each brought their favorite bicycle, and Ilya even asked his dad to check that everything was in perfect working order. He wanted to make sure his bike wouldn’t let him down at the crucial moment.

When everyone arrived, Ilya looked at his friends with excitement. Nikita and Liza were also determined to win. The park, surrounded by trees and flowers, was the perfect place for the race, and the paths were clear of people who might get in the way.

— Well, are you ready? — asked Ilya, feeling his heart beat faster with anticipation.

— Ready! — replied Nikita and Liza, smiling. They rolled their bikes up to the starting line they’d drawn on the ground with a stick and waited for the race to begin.

Ilya took on the role of the “referee” and loudly counted down:

— On your marks! Get set! Go!

And they took off, each trying to go as fast as possible. Ilya was in the lead, feeling the wind on his face and enjoying the speed. But he knew that Nikita and Liza were right behind him, closing in fast.

The turns were getting sharper, and Ilya was trying hard not to slow down. On one of the curves, he lost a bit of balance and veered off the path. At that moment, his bike unexpectedly got stuck in a small hole, and Ilya tumbled onto the grass.

— Oops! — he exclaimed, trying not to show his fear. Nikita and Liza immediately stopped and ran over to him.

— Are you okay? — Liza asked worriedly, helping him up.

Ilya nodded and brushed off his knees. He was glad he wasn’t hurt, but his bike needed a bit of fixing. One of the pedals was slightly bent, and the chain had come off the gears.

— No worries, we’ll help you! — said Nikita confidently. He pulled a small tool kit out of his backpack, something he always carried just in case. Together, they started fixing Ilya’s bike, lifting it to reattach the chain and straighten the pedals.

Liza held the bike while Ilya and Nikita worked on the repairs. She encouraged them with a smile:

— We’ll be back on track soon! The race isn’t over yet!

Ilya felt grateful to his friends for their help. Although they were racing against each other, they now felt like a team. With their help, the bike was soon ready, and Ilya could continue the race.

They lined up again at the makeshift starting line, and Ilya called for a new start:

— Alright, everyone’s equal now! One, two, three — go!

The race began again, and this time Ilya was more careful, especially on the turns. He learned to slow down a bit to avoid making the same mistake. Nikita and Liza raced alongside him, and the three of them laughed as they overtook each other, encouraging each other every step of the way.

When they reached the finish line, Nikita came in first, followed by Liza, with Ilya finishing third. All three were breathless from laughter and exhaustion, but no one felt like they’d lost. Everyone enjoyed the race, and that was what mattered most.

— That was fun! — said Ilya, patting Nikita on the shoulder. — Thanks for helping with the bike. I couldn’t have made it to the finish without you guys.

— We’re a team, Ilya, — replied Liza with a wink. — You’d help us too if something happened!

They sat on the grass for a while, talking about the funniest moments from the race and dreaming about future competitions. Ilya realized that, although he didn’t win, this day had been special. He knew he could rely on his friends’ support, and that their friendship was stronger than any race.

As Ilya went home, he felt full of joy and happiness. He knew that true victory wasn’t about winning a place, but about the moments they shared together.