Something About Him

XI. The Ridge

⚠️Warning: mentions of suicide⚠️

***

I gasp at Julian, "Race? Drag race? Illegal drag racing?" Oh Hell no.

Julian chuckles as he opens the driver's side door. He strips off his coat jacket. "Come on, it'll be fun."

I scoff as he gets out, but I stay put as I curse myself for what I got myself into. "Fuck," I groan then look down at my attire. I'm wearing a damn tux. I tore off the bow tie and tossed it in the car before getting out. Dammit, Julian.

Walking up to him, I spot Shawn, Junior, Bri, and the last two people I wanted to see; TJ and Samantha.

"You made it!" Junior exclaims when he sees us walking up. Julian greets the brothers with the regular 'bro' handshake before Junior turns to me, "And you brought Q-Tip!" He greets me the same way as Julian.

"I don't know if I like that nickname," I say, not really joking, but Junior laughs. I watch Julian talk to some guy who looks older like late twenties with full grown facial hair as clean as his cut. He had just as many tattoos as Julian, maybe even more. He didn't seem like anyone I'd want to cross, however.

"That's Derek, he sets up all the races, date and time, and handles the money," Junior explains while Shawn lights up a blunt. He offers it to me, but I politely decline. Feeling anxious on top of high doesn't seem like a good way to go.

"Money?" I question, though I could take an educational guess on how there's money involved.

"Betting on who wins," he tells me making me not want to be here even more.

After talking with Derek, Julian comes up to us, "ready?" He asks me with excitement.

"Huh?" What does he mean ready? I'm ready to leave.

"Julian!" We turn to see Samatha. She takes hold of Julian's arm. "You look sexy," she bats her eyes at him. "I'm ready when you are," she says cheerfully.

"You're not riding with me," Julian responds dryly, pulling his arm free from her.

"What? I always ride with you," she says in disbelief.

"Find another ride or better yet, stay here and watch like the rest," he suggests passive aggressively.

The girl gasps like she can't believe what Julian just said. "Who're you riding with? Don't tell me Kendall," she warns, her eyes daggers and I'm still wondering who Kendall is as I scan all the females.

"Matty's riding with me," he states like a fact that I have no say against.

"What?" I question with my eyes back on him.

"Maddy Adams?" Samantha asks and she's getting angry.

I want to scoff, she literally met me three times. "No," Julian says then grabs the sleeve of my jacket. "Matty." He corrects her, but not by much. Still holding onto my sleeve, we head back to his car leaving Samantha fuming.

"You're crazy if you think I'm riding with you," I tell him firmly.

"This one's not that long," he tells me. "It'll be over before you know it and you'll have a good time."

I stop and cross my arms, "No."

I figured Julian was going to roll his eyes at me, but instead he gives me a look I haven't seen on him; pleading eyes, "Please. It'll be fun, I promise. Otherwise you can stay here with everyone else."

I look back at the other people. Shawn's getting in his own sports car. Junior's surrounded himself with girls much older than him. I watch Samantha get in the car with TJ. Bri must be riding with someone cause I don't see her.