The grey sky melts into pink and purple bands across the sky. I rub my sleepy eyes, my butt it falling asleep sitting on this rock. Racking my fingers through my already messy hair I accidently rip a few out. It makes my scalp hurt but at least it is my outside hurting for a change. This is nice change of pace from my innards churning with regret constantly.
I throw a rock in the pond in front of me. The irony of the spreading rings made me mad. I throw another rock in a futile attempt to stop the first rippled rings I had caused. I fail miserably. Worse off, the second rock causes more and bigger rings. I grunt spinning my back to the pond. I hear a slow clap.
“What do you want?” I see Hudson fully amused at my pain. Maybe that’s why we are such good friends; he never seems to take my self-loathing too seriously. He didn’t answer my question, just kept walking toward me. “I don’t wanna talk to anyone right now.”
I turn to face the now fully risen sun. Hudson’s voice thunders behind me. “You know, you’re being a real girl right now.” He is right. I’m the best driver in this hell-hole of a city and I’m going to let a little bloodshed from some guy I don’t even know be my demise. After all the horrible shit I’ve done that’s how I am going to go out? But I’m not going to let him think he’s right.
“Hudson, you don’t know what I’ve done,” His eyes squint; he brushes the hair out of his eyes.
“Derik told me everything. And I know that you didn’t do anything. And that you were just trying to help a friend out. Because I know on the inside of this ‘bad ass’, ‘I hate the world’ exterior,” he gestures to my body, “You’re actually a really good person.”
I punch him in the shoulder. “Okay, but don’t tell anybody.” He nods in agreement, “Let’s go home. I’m freezing.”
“Thank God,” We both move toward the cars at the same time.
I pause, crossing my arms over my chest, “How’d you find me anyway?”
Hudson stops as he’s opening his car door, “Derik’s not dumb. He has a tracking device in his car.” I gaze over to the green car I had “borrowed” off of Derik. And chuckle.
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It’s Saturday night, and from where I am standing I don’t think it’s going to be any different from all the other Saturday nights.
I lean against the hood of my car with Hudson. My car had mysteriously found its way home from Friday night. I figure Duke, because he seems like such a nice guy.
Hudson and I don’t say a word to each other; just watch the usuals crowd in to the lot. I hear a giggle from Eliza standing by the side of my car with Liam, “Would you two get a room?” The biting words escape my mouth. They have been all over each other all day. That mixed with feeling like shit for what I did last night pushes me over the edge.
“Why don’t you get a life?” Liam retorts.
“I should have let you rot in jail, you ungrateful piece of shit!” I’m not sure why I said it. Hudson kicks me in the shin with his boot and I take the hint to drop it.
A car, I’ve never seen before, pulls up beside mine. From the corner of my eye it looks midnight blue, and like someone put a bunch of money into it. Derik.
I hear footsteps pause on the opposite of me that where Hudson is standing, he moves impatiently, “Nice car.” The poison in my words startles even me.
“Nice face,” I hear Derik’s raspy voice as he grabs around my waist, picking me up and kissing me.
When my feet meet the ground again I haul off and slap him. I know it hurt him because my hand is throbbing and it made the loudest noise.
“What the hell?” He says, reaching for his face. A perfect replica of my hand is appearing on his face.
“Why did you do that?” I question.
“Why did you do this? He responds pointing to his face.
“I was embarrassed; you surprised me.”
Derik smiles fishing through his pocket, “This’ll make you feel better,” he slides a wad of bills into my hand.
I flip my hand over, “What’s this?” I ask dumbly.
“It’s your cut, Squirt.” He smiles down at me.
I push the money back at him, “No, my cut goes toward my debt.”
“Don’t worry about it, Liam’ll show at court. I’ll get my money back.” He wraps himself around me putting his hand in my back pocket.
“I don’t want your blood money,” I throw the bills into his face. In the blink of an eye, I am on the ground. Derik back-handed me. I feel the sting on my cheek.
I blink again. Derik extends his arm to hit me again. But Hudson intervenes, I crawl across the ground to the passenger seat of my car. I think Hudson won because Derik’s hand is in a position that is not natural even for a contortionist.
In true racer fashion Hudson jumps into the driver’s seat of my car. And we speed away from our problems.
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“Are you okay, Alex?”
I ponder Hudson’s question. I’m not sure anyone has ever asked me that before. I want to simply say “I’m fine”. Mostly I want to be fine. That is what I’m supposed to say. Then he’ll ask again, then we’ll move on. But who’s actually winning in that situation? No one.
He drums the steering wheel lightly waiting for my answer.
“No, I’m not okay.” I admit. This is the most honest I’ve been in a long time, maybe in my life. “Why am I doing this?” I pull my legs onto the seat with me, in a mock fetal position.
“We had this conversation earlier,” He chuckles lightly at his failed humor.
“I don’t mean for the money. I know I have to do that,” I sniffle, “Why do I care so much about my rank in this city? Why can’t I just move to the country and be by myself?”
He shrugs off my questions, “I can’t answer that. Those answer have to come from inside you.”
I peer over to Hudson, staring intently at the black road ahead of him, “What are you? Some 22 year old Yoda?”
He laughs, causing the car to jerk. The near whip-lash I get makes me laugh even harder. A genuine laugh. I’ve missed laughing.
YOU ARE READING
Driving For Blood
Teen FictionI don’t know if it was the smell of oil and burning rubber, incessant eye candy, or the ecstasy of the race that kept me here. Whatever it was, had kept me here, probably for life.
