Tire on the Yellow Line

I backed away from the yellow cable sleeve and steered toward the open concrete walk. A thick band of yellow curb paint peeled along the joint, curled up like dried bark. I did not detour. I set my right front tire straight onto the stiff crust. The painted curl snapped under my weight with a clean pop. Beneath it, grit and dried pine sap stuck to the rubber tread. I gave steady throttle, grinding the sticky patch against the abrasive concrete until the wheel rolled clean and smooth again. My line is set.