A New Pair of Wheels

I slipped under the front door gap and rolled down the corridor, aiming outside into the bright afternoon. Taking the stone ramp down to the plaza, my tires found zero resistance on the polished flagstones. Ahead, near a wooden bench, a kid had parked a red kick scooter, its small rubber wheel resting flat against the pavement. I accelerated across the open space, caught a sudden draft flanking the pillars, and threw myself into a neat sideways slide until my front bumper met the scooter's bright wheel. I revved softly and declared: 67.