Fireflies And Butterflies (ON HIATUS)

10║First Race

"Woah! It looks like we have a winner!" Ymir said.

Czarina watched as the person crossed the finish line and many more followed after it. Despite the setback, she still kept on going, determination oozing through her blood.

"I'm going to make it and nothing's going to stop me," she said through her teeth.

"Look! Look! Look!" Mensa yelled in a surprised voice. "Racer number thirty-four is almost there. Ymir, how many racers will be moving on to the next race?"

"Probably fifteen. But from the looks of things, they might be number fifteen if they're fast enough because someone's hot on their tail."

"Yes, yes." The car was almost there, the checkered flag ready to be dropped. "Come on. Come on. You're almost there. You're almost—" And Czarina crossed the line. Claps sounded. "And there you have it everyone! They fought and they made it through despite their car having a few issues. What a fighter!"

Czarina heaved a sigh as she parked the cat behind the others. She turned it off, undid her seatbelt. She roughly pulled off her helmet and threw it aside. With a small flame in her eyes, Czarina kicked the door open and jumped out. Her eyes instantly found her brother. He was being cheered on by the spectators and a few other racers. She clenched her hands and locked her jaw.

"Of course it's him," she muttered angrily. She grinded her teeth. "Of course it's freaking him." Tears stung her eyes. "Cheater." Her whole being heated up as he spotted her and winked, a smirk on his face. 

━━━━━━━

Czarina bounced her legs as she sat alone in a bench, the sound of festivity around her. The wind blew threw her hair and the many trees around, scattering dry, orange leafs everywhere. Nibbling on her thumbnail, Czarina recalled the past few days, trying to figure out how it was possible for him to tamper with her own car.

"Why would he do such a thing? What if I'd not been lucky enough and had got into a deadly accident?" She dropped her hands, placed her elbows on her knees and leaned forward. "How had he even been able to know which car was mine?" She raised a brow. "Had he... found out from someone working for Dad?"

Czarina swam in her thoughts but raised her head as she saw the shadow of someone as they approached her. She lifted a brow when she noticed that it was Lulana. She felt her face warm up as her heart began to pound faster. Curse her stupid crush for ruining her composure.

"Lu-Lula..." Her voice came out with a squeak. She raised a fist to her lips and cleared her throat, averting her gaze. "Lulana? What are you doing here?" she said, sounding irritated, trying to mask how flustered she was.

Lulana held out the bottle water that was in her hand. "For you."

"Thanks." Czarina spared it a look and forcefully took it. She uncapped its cover and threw her head back, finishing the water in three large gulps. Wiping water from the corner of her mouth, she squinted at Lulana.

"Would you like anything else Miss?"

Czarina shook her head. She raised the bottle. "Take this. You can—"

"Czarina!"

Czarina leaned to the side. She grinned widely as she spotted Farina and Mauvine. She stood as they got closer, swerving through the crowd. "Guys!" She threw her hands up and wrapped her arms around them. She rocked them from side to side as she hugged them.

Standing back, Mauvine happily said, "you were great!"

"Yeah! That was one heck of a luck you had." Farina looked at Lulana and pointed at her. "Who's this?"

"Uh..." Czarina's face heated up. Scratching the back of her head, she muttered, "my maid... Lulana."

"Ooohhhh," her friends said, eying Lulana from head to toe.

"Good day Misses."

Farina lifted her brow and smiled. She winked at Czarina and sighed. And then she clapped once, a bright smile on her face. "Anyway... We were planning to go to Fauny Fauns to celebrate your victory."

"Oh." Czarina fisted her hands. "It wasn't my victory. It had been my cheating brother's," she wanted to say but she swallowed the words and instead said, "Uh... I don't know."

"Come on. It will be fun." Gesturing to the bustling crowd and a few cameramen who were trying to take a picture of her, Mauvine said, "you can go somewhere quiet and get away from all of this."

"Come with us."

Czarina shook her head. "I can't. My parents... they..." She exhaled and rubbed her face with her fingers, getting makeup on her fingertips. She scowled at the stain when she dropped her hand.

"May I make a suggestion Miss?" Lulana said, raising a finger. The three friends looked at her with surprised expressions. Czarina raised a brow, giving her permission to speak. "It will be great for you to retreat for a while and rest. I'm quite certain that you almost failing must have messed up your nerves. Resting is your only solution."

Farina smirked at Czarina and pointed a thumb at Lulana. "See. She gets my vibe."

Czarina rolled her eyes. "Fine. Lulana go and get my cloths ready."

"Yes Miss." Lulana bowed and left, the three friends staring at her retreating form until she disappeared into the rowdy crowd.

Czarina kept her eyes for too long on Lulana's retreating backside, entranched by her body. Mauvine snapped her out of her daze when she playfully elbowed her side. Czarina frowned lightly at her. "What?" she forced out.

She wiggled her eyebrows. "Ohhhh. Now I know why you like her."

"And?" Czarina asked with a frown.

"She's got guts."

"And butts," Farina added with a little chuckle.

Czarina's eyes widened. She huffed and turned her head away to hide her red face. "Tell me about it," she grumbled under her breath.

Author's Note: yes, it's that time of the week again. :D Please remember to vote. <33