Stars

Spectating

A loud roar interrupts my dreamless sleep and I sit up abruptly. The scream of rubber against asphalt echos through the alleyway, making me wince and cast a small glance at my brother. Carson is still sound asleep, cuddled against my hoodie in the corner- near a worn crate.
I look back in the direction of the noises I had heard and slowly get to my feet, peeking around the building. My curiosity spikes and I take a reluctant step onto the street. With one last look at Carson's sleeping form, I run in the direction of the noise.
***
The sound is coming from underneath a bridge; from two cars. One is sleek and black, lit from the inside with vibrant blue light. The other is yellow, two black stripes painted over the hood and over the roof. People crowd around both cars, laughing and examining both cars curiously.
It doesn't take me long to realize what's going on.
A girl stands between the two cars, her hand raised above her head. The cars' engines roar as loud as possible, as if the cars themselves were yelling at the girl in impatience.
Quietly-without being seen- I slink over to the bridge so I can get a better look at the race. I lean on my elbows and smile slightly at the scene below, excited because I've never actually witnessed a race before. I'm practically hanging from the bridge by the time the girl throws the rag in her hand down in a quick, clean motion.
The cars both lurch forward, smoke rising around both sets of wheels. The black one takes the lead, a good three feet ahead of the yellow car. The sound of the yellow car's engine intensifies as it pushes forward. Both cars are now lined up perfectly, storming toward the bridge loudly. I'm starting to think the yellow will win when it begins to inch forward, but my thoughts are crushed when the black car screams past it, bolting right under the bridge and skidding to a stop on the other side.
The yellow car stops as well, leaving a set of black marks over the pavement. Curiously, I watch the driver door open, a boy stepping out and slamming the door behind him. I'm shocked at what I see though, because the boy looks very young, no more than maybe a year older than me.
He rummages around in his pocket, pulling out a wallet and walking towards the the black car. A man in his early twenties comes out of the car, a big grin splitting his face.
"Haha! I told you rich boy!," he laughs proudly.
The boy slams a fist full of money into the man's open palm furiously, scowling. The man pockets the money and gives the boy a playful shove on his shoulder before walking back to his car, the people around him laughing in congratulation.
I turn my attention away from the man and back to the boy. He strides to his car and opens the door, slumping in his seat and sighing heavily. I feel a bit of pity for the boy, but I know better than to go down there. If he's wealthy, people like him won't regard me with much respect. And I don't need any more criticism.
With my eyes on his car, I sneak from the bridge to the road, walking back towards my dark alleyway to sleep.
***
Joseph
I lean back in my car, disappointed in loosing both $450 and a race. In front of all of my co-workers too. I sigh and watch Jevon drive off, stopping to spin his tires in my face before raging away into the night.
I have the urge to drive after him for being an arse, but stop myself when I see the time on the dash. Groaning, I shut the door and start the car, driving in a smooth circle towards the bridge. Music soothes my mood as I drive, allowing me to ease my mind and relax as I pull up to my house. The lights are still off and for the moment I'm thankful my parents sleep like the dead.
I pull into the garage and turn the car off, stepping out of the seat and locking the doors behind me. I make sure the garage door doesn't squeal as I open it and step into the kitchen. The silence throughout the house causes my ears to ring, so when I put the keys back in the counter, I don't realize how loud the sound is.
Wincing, I creep upstairs to my room before my parents can wake up. Jaxx is there waiting for me, his tail beating the edge of my mattress gently as I walk in. I smile and give him a pat on the head, pulling off my clothes and slipping on an old white t-shirt and blue shorts. Yawning, I slip into bed, brushing my hair from my forehead and drifting off to sleep.