Page 75 of Unfinished Noise

Billy’s face drained of color. Completely. Like someone had unplugged him.

Farlan clapped Spencer’s shoulder. “Congratulations, man.”

Billy swallowed hard. “Yeah. Congrats.”

Jamie didn’t miss the strain in Billy’s voice. He didn’t feel sorry for him.

They got their dirt bikes and rolled out onto the trails. The engines came alive beneath them, a low growl that vibrated through Jamie’s legs. Dust lifted in quick bursts behind each bike, swirling up in messy clouds that caught the sunlight.

Jamie leaned into the first turn. Wind rushed across his cheeks, sharp and fast. The trail opened ahead in a sweep of pale dunes and jagged horizon lines, shifting with every mile. Spencer shot forward, cutting through the terrain with simple confidence. Jamie followed, the bike humming under him like it wanted to chase the next rise in the earth.

A sudden dip in the ground jolted him. The bike bounced, a quick punch of movement that made his heart jump. Alfie whooped somewhere behind him. Nathan yelled something about slowing down. Their voices scattered in the wind.

Jamie pushed through another curve. The trail narrowed, forcing him to shift his weight. Sand sprayed from his back tire. The bike skidded for half a second before catching again. His pulse kicked up, bright and alive.

Spencer glanced over his shoulder. “Are you good?”

Jamie called back, “Better than good.”

The next stretch smoothed out. The desert opened again, wide and quiet. Jamie let the bike glide, the engine settling into a steady rhythm. The air tasted dry, sunbaked, and familiar. Spencer rode ahead, checking on him every few minutes. Jamie liked that. It felt steady. It felt right.

This was the kind of day that settled behind his ribs and made everything feel bright.

Nathan and Alfie raced each other until Alfie skidded sideways on a turn.

Nathan yelled, “Slow down, boy!”

Alfie shouted back, “Make me!”

Farlan and Billy rode side by side, talking. Jamie ignored them. The engine thumped against his legs, steady and loud, and the wind pulled at his shirt like it wanted him to lean forward and go faster. His shoulders loosened with every bump in the trail. The bike carried him over a rise in the dirt, lifting him for a heartbeat before dropping him back into the rhythm of the ride.

Billy’s voice drifted over the noise, sharp and annoyed about something. Jamie didn’t bother catching the words. Spencer rode ahead, cutting through the terrain with easy confidence, and that sight alone settled something behind Jamie’s ribs. The rush of speed, the grit in the air, the way the trail curved under his tires all worked together, giving him a sense of space he didn’t get anywhere else.

Jamie glided his bike through a smooth patch of sand. His chest opened a little more, like the ride itself pushed out whatever tension he carried. Spencer glanced back, checking on him. Jamie lifted a hand, a quick signal that he was good, and the bike surged forward again.

The freedom came from the movement, not the thought. The wind. The speed. The simple fact was that Spencer kept looking back at him.

Spencer slowed until Jamie caught up. “Having fun?”

Jamie nodded. “Yeah. You look happy.”

Spencer’s smile quieted the old noise. “I am.”

They rode for a couple of hours before returning the bikes. Everyone looked sun‑soaked and dusty, hair sticking up in weird directions. Jamie loved it.

They headed to a diner off the highway. The place smelled like grilled onions and fresh coffee. Jamie slid into the booth beside Spencer, their legs touching under the table.

Billy sat across from them, still pale as he stirred his iced tea without drinking it.

Farlan leaned back. “Are you okay, Billy?”

Billy shrugged. “Fine.”

Jamie didn’t buy it. Spencer didn’t either. Jamie felt Spencer’s hand brush his thigh under the table, a small grounding touch.

Nathan opened a menu. “I’m starving. Alfie, don’t order something weird.”

Alfie rolled his eyes. “I want pancakes.”