Hot Lap! (Pause Spin-Off, Completed)

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

The present

Emma's POV:

"Has JT taught you nothing?" Xavier hisses at me when I fail to use brakes around the corner. I momentarily lose control of my car as it skids off of the tracks in circles.

My car eventually comes to a slow halt. 

I glance up at Xavier sheepishly as I step out of my car. "He taught me speed but as you can see, I'm still lacking in the control department," I answer, realizing that Jay is right about the 'first mastering sharp corners at high speeds' thing. I just got lucky last time. When trying it now, I failed hopelessly.

Xavier rolls his eyes. "Of course, the idiot taught you to speed, that's all he relies on. He has no true skill." 

I hold back a laugh. JT knows what he's doing and even Xavier knows it, he just refuses to admit it. 

"Get your pretty little head out of the clouds, Em, you're not JT. You can't win on speed alone," Xavier remarks stubbornly, refusing to give JT credit where it's due.

After my awkward encounter with Xavier, he'd insisted that he'd teach me driving techniques and racing strategies from here on out. I accepted because, let's face it, I prefer his company to JT's. Jay has a tendency to come across as intimidating. He's sweet but intimidating.

"There's more to racing than just speed?" I ask sarcastically just for the hell of it. I enjoy bugging the life out of him. It's only fair seeing as he always does the same to me.

"You want your tires to utilize most of the traction. I get that you want to go around bends as fast as possible but you still got to take it with smoothness. Your sharp change in power is upsetting the car's traction balance," Xavier explains and as a racer, I actually understand what he's trying to say. 

"In other words, I might as well be racing on ice," I say to him.

He nods. "Exactly." He then grins teasingly while eyeing me up and down, "I guess you're not just all about looks then? Got some brains after all."

I ignore him, still pondering over his explanation. "So, if I lose control, like I just did, it's unlikely that I'd gain control of my car again?" I question. "In spite of all my experience?"

"Experience means nothing. Even the pros like JT and myself have trouble gaining control once all traction has been lost. It's not because we don't know how but because there's no traction left to work with. That's why it's imperative to learn to be consistent in smooth braking and accelerating," he elaborates, making actual sense. "In other words, control is your weak area."

I pout at this, unhappy that he's being so blunt about my racing flaws. Then again, I suppose I need to hear it in order to solve the problem.

"We all have weak areas, Em," he tries to sugarcoat it now -- it's a bit late but whatever. "Mine is passing but my strength is reference points. Landon's is bends; his strength is straight-lining. JT's is lack of brakes; his strength is agility and control. Grey's weaknesses are losing and just sucking in everything. He has no strengths," he jokes on the last part in hopes of making me laugh. He's successful in his attempt.

"If he were here to hear that, he'd kick your ass," I say through my laughter.

"Luckily for me, he's not here," Xave winks at me, overconfident. "Still, I think I can take him."