UNPREDICTABLE

Chapter 1: Part 2

I was awakened from my reverie by the constant beep of the alarm. I turned it off with a voice command, and soon the cheerful music resumed. Accustomed to changing my clothes in the car, I just tapped a button and the windows turned dark.

When I arrived at my destination, the automatic pilot turned the propellants off, put the system on hibernation, and gently landed.

I checked one last time in the mirror. My curly dark brown hair looked gorgeous.

I grabbed my helmet and got out of the car. The racing circuit parking lot was relatively empty. That made me smile. It was my lucky day!

Strolling to the garage, I saw Eduardo working on the car as always. He was a mechanical engineer and he loved classic car racing, which was why he had pursued a career in motor vehicle assembly. We met at a car race and had become friends since then.

"Hi Ed! Everything OK?"

He came out from underneath the car, his blue overalls soiled with oil and grease. His unkempt dark blond hair caused the dark green of his eyes to stand out; those eyes were a perfect match with his shy, nerdy smile.

"Yes, ready to go." He stopped for a second and pointed. "Nice uniform."

It was new, white, extra-comfortable, and, on top of that, it highlighted my tanned skin.

"Thank you." I blushed. To divert attention, I stole his M&Ms from the bench. "Look, there's nobody on the track. I think I can train for an hour longer today!"

"Well, to tell you the truth, I thought of doing something different . . ." Ed grabbed his chocolate back.

"Like what?" I asked with my mouth full.

"I think we should train on the streets." When I didn't reply and just stared at him inquisitively, he continued. "You know that the classic races are not held on a racing circuit; you won't have a short, perfectly level track to help you. If you ever want to race in the Classic, you'll have to prove that you're not a mediocre racer. You have to be ready for any challenge."

I crossed my arms and thought about it. "And I assume that you already know a place?"

He gave me a crooked smile. Of course Ed already had a plan!

"Fine, you drive," I said, excited about the idea.

We got in the car—a model Ed had assembled himself, inspired by the Dodge Challenger—and left the track driving along the deserted streets of Goiânia.