It was a dark, tepid, and eerie night in August. The stars had just begun to twinkle in the jet black sky and the only illumination left was the mystic moon light. My friend Andrew and I decided that it'd be a good idea to walk two miles to GameStop for the Madden 25 release instead of getting a ride like the majority of people would. We had to convince ourselves that it was a good idea. "Are you sure about this?" Andrew asked a good question, figuring we were going to be out past curfew and the positives of walking instead of driving were minimal. "Yeah man, it'll be fun." My response was short and reassuring. Without further hesitation, we embarked on our outward journey to GameStop.

? We walked on a sidewalk with decent lighting, and it was basically a straight shot to GameStop, but nevertheless, it was obvious that we walked with caution and at a faster pace than normal. Us getting in trouble for being out too late almost felt imminent, but that was what gave us the adrenaline and desire to move onward with the adventure. On edge and alert; this was an unspoken but mutual feeling between us. There was no reason for us to feel so paranoid, but with every twig that snapped and every car that passed our anxiety built up like tension in a courtroom waiting for the final verdict. We approached The Fountains, a golf course nearby, which is a mere half mile from my house. While we were chatting about the upcoming school dance, two bikers came out of nowhere and barely slipped past us on the sidewalk. While no one was harmed, we were very startled. The breeze from the bikes passing by were bone chilling. We stopped where we were and took a moment to recollect. "Whoa, that was crazy! I'm shaking right now." Andrew said in a rushed tone. I was shaking a bit too. It was a small example of how no matter how safe or content you are, anything can come around the corner and shake the foundations of your life. We were in no real danger at any point, but the sheer surprise of the bikes caught us off guard and made us pick up our pace.

?After the bike incident, we began jogging, even running at times, to reach our destination quicker. After half a mile we decided to calm down and catch our breath. The remaining mile of the trip was much more relaxed. We were now at a bright intersection with much more action. As we approached GameStop Andrew said "Let's reward ourselves with a treat." and we did just that. Before entering GameStop we visited Kroger, where we bought copious amounts of gummy worms and soft drinks. We each busted open a bag of gummy worms and sat on a row of carts outside of the store. We were still hyped up over the bikes. It was such a small, non-important event, yet it caught us so off guard that we were actually put into a minor shock. After recollecting on the trip, the only thing left to do was to buy Madden 25 and get the hell home (with a ride from my mother). We arrived early and were the first in line. Every face inside of the store was lit up with excitement and eagerness to play the new game. Time slowly pasted, but after an anxious wait, it was finally midnight. The men behind the counter were finally allowed to hand out our games. As soon as the game case hit our hands we bursted out of the store and located my mom's car. We then quickly jumped in and buckled up. "Floor it! We've got a fun night ahead of us!" I said with excitement and relief in my voice.

? In hindsight, I'm glad we walked instead of getting a ride. The journey gave us a memory that we certainly won't forget anytime soon, and it also gave us a chance to bond a little bit, which is something that I value. Plus, it taught us to expect the unexpected, and that anything can happen.