south carolina
august 1990
***
Harry
//
Even under the dark night sky, the temperature in the air was a good 86 degrees but the humidity made it feel even hotter.
And despite the shitty weather with possible outcomes of thunderstorms, the crowd that gathered at Main street between fifth and sixth ran all the way up and back without hesitation.
Performance cars showed off the rev of their engines as trained professionals impressed the mob of chaos. The whole part of town was closed off and illegally controlled by the commitment of these people who risk everything for this one night.
"You sure about this man?" Zayn's at my side, wide eyed and unsure.
"What, you don't trust me?" I ask him like it's a joke and he looks at me like I'm stupid. I laughed.
"Relax, you know I've done this shit before," I tell him and he nods.
"Yeah, but they don't know that," He nods over at the group from Payne's. "Exactly," I smiled as we watched the clean car pull up in front of us.
"The bet is you get the car if you win, but what the fuck do I get?" Miles wonders as he climbs out of the 1970 Chevelle.
I looked over at my group, my eyes switching from my two guitarists to my drummer and then back to our girls. Vada's eyes catch mine and she's looking at me with uncertainty.
"Two months pay, plus the car for my best versus your best?" I offered.
"What, two out of two and you're saying one of your little band mates can beat Eli?" Miles laughs like it's a joke but nobody's laughing and he catches my offer quickly.
"You're stupid and now shit out of luck Styles," He shakes his head, still smiling. "Alright, fine deal." Then we shake on it and that's that.
Pink tip's is fuming next to her boy and her look is murderous. "What the hell just happened, Harry?" Juliet asks abruptly.
I ignore her and turn to my drummer. "What do you say, Z?" I shrugged at him. "Wanna race like old times?"
"Oh fucking hell, Styles. What the fuck did you just do?" I hear Louis loudly groan from behind us.
Zayn's dark eyes are hard on mine, but I see the split of determination in them. "Like you've given me a fucking choice, asshole." He states, before the curve of his lips turn in a defeated smirk.
"This should be good," Niall laughs, eyes beaming with enthusiasm.
"Styles, you remember Finnegan from the club," Miles assumes as Eli emerges from the crowd.
Eli was short and stocky, had outgrown greasy hair and more tattoos than both me and Zayn combined. He seemed a lot older than us but the dilated eyes just told me that the drugs knocked him up a few more years.
I watched his beady eyes rank over the Chevelle from next to us. "I've had my eye on this one for a while, Styles," He talks to me like he knows me but I'm used to strangers acting like my best mate so I just go along with it.
"Yeah, well better get used to seeing me in the drivers side," I tell him as he just laughs.
The rumble of the crowd gathers around us as word spreads through about the bet. After the black Chevelle gets lined up next to Miles' red Camaro just before the start line, I climb into the car.
Niall leans down in the passenger side window from outside while Louis leans in on the drivers. "Hey, here's a bit of encouragement for 'ya," Niall starts with a smirk.
"Just know if you pricks lose, no chance you're sleeping on our fucking couch," Louis' blue eyes shine as he winks at me with his usual shit eating grin.
There's a chance I'm losing a lot through this bet, but I wouldn't be placing it if I wasn't confident.
"Don't worry, boys," I tell them as I start the engine. "I've got my spot warm in Vada's bed." I wink back.
"Speaking of," Niall's eyes peek over the hood of the car as I look to my left. "Mama's mad," He laughs before they both turn away just in time for Vada to meet me at my driver's side.
Gray eyes are dark under black skies and street lamps and the frown she's giving me is predictable. "You're a fucking idiot," She tells me as I just stare at her.
"Also, Juliet's pissed at you for basically pimping out her boy." I watch the curve to her lips break across her face.
"Is that all?" I smirked at her. "Or were you going to wish me luck?" I start to lean in closer but she pulls back.
"Yeah, break a leg and all that," Vada rolls her eyes at me and when I think she's about to just leave me like that, she takes a quick glance over her shoulder for any watchers.
But her best friend is too self-involved and never pays that close enough attention to anything around her.
So then Vada leans back down for a less than one second of a kiss but before she can pull away too quickly I'm grabbing at her jaw and making it count. I kissed her lips roughly, circling my tongue with hers and biting onto her bottom lip.
Vada pulls away with a gasp. "Don't fuck up," Her lips say with the smallest amount of blood dripping from them and the widest smile between it.
"You're my prize either way, baby," I smirk at her.
"Yeah, yeah," She calls out as she walks away, but I catch her flushed cheeks from here.
The rev of Miles' engine corresponds with mine from next to me. I catch his smirk and the shake of his head as I look over through the passenger's side window.
"Last chance, Styles," He calls out. "They don't call me Miles for nothing."
"They call you Miles cause your first name is Francis the second," I remind him. "So don't pussy out on me Francis," I laugh as he flips me off.
"Rules are no rules," He reminds me. "Just whoever gets to the first bridge and back first. And when I win I get to race your drummer—"
"And when I win, Eli races Zayn," I finish. "I know the rules, let's go already." I'm impatient with white knuckles and a quick beating heart.
A tall girl with short shorts, a bikini top and sky-high heels walks in front of the start line with a handkerchief. It's exactly the kind of shit you see from the movies as she raises it up in the air with a googly-eyed smile.
Tightening my grip on the wheel I accelerated the gas with my foot still on the brakes and my car roared louder than the one next to me. Looking over to my right, I see our group waiting on the side amongst the crowd.
Anticipation and uneasiness displayed in their body language. But as Zayn meets with my eye-line he just nods at me with confidence and a knowing look on his expression.
My memory takes me back to years ago that seemed like a different life. When street races like this were something we did weekly. In a different life we were still caught up but got out when we dreamed of having something bigger.
This all seemed below both of us now but old time sake was making me feel nostalgic. So I thought what the hell.
The horn blows and the flag gets thrown and just like that I was flying.
The windows were down and the night air was blowing through my clothes and hair at almost 100 miles. I didn't break once. I didn't pay attention to the red blur in the corner of my eye that was just barely keeping up. I just kept going. The adrenaline rushed through me and I could practically feel my heartbeat racing through my chest.
Miles comes in close from next to me, striking the side of my vehicle with his. My car shifts to the side and I only lose control for about a second before I'm making the effort to collide back at him.
"That's a pussy move, Francis," I yelled over at him, a smirk rising on my lips as he shook his head at me.
"Just thought you liked to play dirty, Styles," He yells back as we reach the bridge point.
The two of us are predictably neck and neck, but with steady hands I turned the wheel all the way as soon as the nose of the car reached the bridge's end. At that point, I spun around in the dirt gravel and then picked up the speed to fly back towards the way I came.
It was inches, millimeters close. But I waited for him to pick up his speed first. "Too soon, Miles." I muttered.
I then flew past him a split second after and across the finishing line with a racing heart and a rush through my veins.
It was too easy. Almost predictable. Nobody seemed that surprised but still cheered in a roar as I climbed out of the car.
Miles only looks half defeated, but still shakes my hand out of good sportsmanship. "You haven't won yet, Styles." He reminds me, slyly.
"Get your pink slip ready, Miles," I told him, smiling.
"See if your drummer can hold his own first," He nods at Zayn from behind me and then tosses Eli the same set of keys to the Camaro for his turn.
"Yeah, cut the shit, Styles," Eli announces with a smug laugh. "Don't tell me your band geek can do anything other than hold a note. Let's get a real racer out here—"
"No how about we let the racing do the talking, so your fat ass mouth can get a break—" My lead player starts on immediate defense.
"Leave it, Niall," I tell him, and before any fists can be thrown, I'm pushing him back as I walk us away from the shit-talker who continues to throw insults from behind us.
A gathering crowd forms around the two cars as they get pushed back to the starting line. The tense air buzzes in expectation as all eyes are turned to us.
"You got this or what?" I then asked Zayn as he climbed into the Chevelle.
But Zayn never lets anyone see him blink, not even close. So instead of answering my question he just smirks, cigarette between his lips and says
"This might be a good upgrade from the beat up Volvo, eh?" And I know he's got this shit in the bag.
Our guitarists are not as confident in him though.
"Don't fuck this up, this car is worth more than your life." Niall reminds him.
"Steady on the outskirts man, it's tricky—" Louis tries.
"Will you guys just shut the hell up?" Zayn interrupts them as he throws the cigarette out of the window. "I know what the fuck I'm doing."
Which is a proven factor as the race settles at the start line and the horn blows and we're all holding our breath from the sidelines.
But as the two are nose to nose and the anticipation thickens for everyone else, I have no worries. I knew going into this that Miles' best could never have mine beat. Although having both Zayn and I racing against each other would have been more entertaining, I wanted to keep everyone guessing.
"Having fun yet, strawberry?" I murmur to Vada who stands as close as she can to me, when the two racers are circling back.
Gray eyes are wide and full of adrenaline and the smile she gives me is always like no other high I've experienced. "Beats scrabble at the motel with grams," she tells me, the red in her hair more vibrant under the star scattered sky.
"I'd like to see you up there," I tell her, smirking at her frazzled reaction. "The thrill behind all that speed is close to a high." I explained briefly.
"Is that why you're so good at all this?" She always wonders. "Because it makes you feel high?"
Smiling at her assumption, I shook my head. "I'm good at it because I've been doing it since forever." I shrugged.
Vada searches my expression carefully before smiling. "You're not even worried about winning this are you?" She shakes her head in astonishment.
"Street racing is nothing compared to what I do," I state. "This is just an average Saturday night for me, baby."
Between the nightlife of bustling crowds and foreign toxins swarming in my veins, the only thing that gave me thrill these days was performing with my band and seeing gray eyes shine with bliss.
I felt my old life start to wrap up in these last months of June and July, something I haven't felt in a while. And as these next few weeks started coming up out of nowhere, every last second was becoming a countdown.
The roar and rev of the two engines whip by us in a rush of dust and smoke, and as the crowds erupt as they cross the finish line I watch the girl next to me light up with the move of the chaos.
It's close. Closer than the last one and almost not even fair. But an inch is a mile in this industry and under all the pressure my boy beats all allegations to everyone who had no faith in him.
Triumph and victory rings in the air for the two of us, and as Zayn climbs out of the car his smile is as high as mine. Standing on the other side of the crowd I watch the scene as Niall and Louis' whoop and hollers lead everyone else in celebration and Zayn's girl rushes through the mob to greet him.
"You're my fucking hero," Juliet laughs at her boy, eyes staring at him in astonishment and the two embrace as the cheer of the crowd intensifies.
My eyes find Vada's easily in that moment and while our best friends share themselves with everyone our flame always will burn in secret.
I watch the dealbreaker to all of my rules make her own way through the never ending sea of people. Calculating her lack of expression, she stands in front of me.
"Must feel good to always be a winner," Vada entailed, her eyes gleaming up at me.
"Guess I'm your hero now too, huh?" I hinted, leaning down to her height so my voice could be heard. I catch her natural scent and flushed cheeks and while she keeps her emotions masked easily I read her eyes like she wouldn't believe.
"I wouldn't go that far," I think I hear her say before the crowd that follows after Zayn interrupts us.
Pink slips are exchanged and when Miles tosses me the keys with a defeated but calm smile, we then find out his boy doesn't take the loss as well as he does.
"Man, whatever, the bet wasn't worth shit anyway," Eli suddenly shouts. "If the result was more interesting I wouldn't have let you off so easily."
"Meaning what?" Miles snorts. "Don't be a sore loser, Eli. It's not that serious—"
"Meaning if the prize was one of your sluts, I would have won fair and square." Eli laughs, his beady eyes specifically on Vada and Li.
The air tenses and the attention increases as Zayn steps forward slowly. I see the pressure in his shoulders as his spine stretches and his eyes turn colder. My eyes turn to Niall and Louis, the two silent with intention locked and loaded on the instigator at any given point.
I kept back and leaned against the hood of the new car. More relaxed than my boys at the exchange. "If you lost by an inch or a fucking mile, it doesn't matter." I remind him. "You're still the fucking loser." I'm ready to get the fuck out of here before shit escalates.
"Yeah, yeah, Styles," Eli then waves me off. "Why don't you and me race and when I win, I can figure out what pink-tip's natural hair color is?" His voice echoed through the air as the crowd from before gasped and shook like an audience on a drama show.
"The fuck did you just say?—" Zayn steps forward in a blink of an eye and he doesn't even hesitate. My boy leans in and catches him off guard with a fist to his nose and tackles him on the ground.
As the crowd gathered in, cheering and chanting as the fight got more aggressive, I stayed in my spot. Lighting up a cigarette, I watch with everyone as punch after punch gets thrown, blood gets drawn and bones get cracked.
Niall and Louis stand at my side, eyes watching our boy's brawl with the same calm expression as mine. We know Zayn can hold his own better than anyone, so this wasn't new territory for us. Real concern should be with the guy under him, but too bad we could give a fuck less about the kid who talks too much.
Vada's in front of me in a second, eyes brewing and expression burning. "What the hell, Harry." She starts with a yell. "Do something!" She shouts again, her impatience running thinner after the only movement I give her is blowing smoke in her face.
"Harry!" Juliet is shouting at me now too as V pulls the cigarette from my lips and leads with cursing at me.
"For fucks sake," I throw my head back in frustration before giving in to the only girl who I let push me.
Shoving my way through the chaos of people, I managed to get Zayn up and off the ground by his shoulders. Bloody knuckles tries to shove me away until he realizes it's me and Eli lays broken and unmoving on the cement as his people begin to pull him up too.
"She's all yours," He then snorts after he realizes he's the loser of every fight called tonight. "I heard redheads are more freaky anyway." He somehow still finds the audacity while he is barely standing from getting his shit knocked.
"Fucking idiot.." I hear Miles murmuring right before I catch the movement of three of my band mates who started to go after him again. But I'm the quickest one to reach him and knock his racer out cold with one punch.
Eli lays knocked out on the ground, face busted and bleeding. Miles then faces me and we act like none of this happened as he shakes mine and Zayn's hand.
"He might be good under a hood, but man that kid doesn't have a single living cell in his brain," Miles shakes his head.
"Clearly he's not that good." We hear Louis say from behind us and Miles laughs.
"Yeah well, I'm sure Payne would be pleased to know that you're more than a ring fighter, Styles." He joked with an even smile.
"Wanna go again?" He then offered.
"Maybe next time," I shrugged. "Wouldn't wanna have to beat you at your own game twice in a row."
"Yeah, well," He looks behind him. "I might need to find a new second best after tonight so thanks for that." He flips me off as his way of bidding goodbye.
Once the crowd clears from around us and we all—mostly—calm down, I turn to Zayn who's still livid. "Give it up, you got the car and the girl," I tell him as he spits blood and shoves my shoulder.
"Fuck off, you're not giving me the damn car," He shakes his head in disbelief like he thinks I'm just being funny.
"Oh, so you don't want it? Okay, I'll take it then," Niall yells from next to us as our group checks out the new wheels.
"I'm so fucking serious," I throw the keys at Zayn as he catches them easily. "It's all yours," I shrugged.
Vada's smile is pleased. Juliet's eyes are wide in disbelief. And Niall and Louis shake in thrill.
"Shut the fuck up before I punch you too," Zayn just stares at me and waits for a flicker in my expression. Waits for the set in his hands to disappear. Waiting for something other than what is.
"Come on, Z," I dragged out. "You can't be driving around a goddamn Volvo in Hollywood," I began to remind him of the state of our future.
"You're one crazy ass motherfucker," He then realizes, his head shaking and his smile shining. "Fine, but you can't change your mind when you realize what you gave up." He laughs, like he's doing me a favor but his response was just how we worked.
As we leave, Juliet piles in with her boy and his new wheels while the boys take the old beater home and I've got my Capri parked a few streets away.
"Come on, V!" Juliet yells at strawberry-blonde, who lingers back with unsure an glance.
"No offense, Li but I'm not trying to be a third wheel to the hot and cold couple of the year," Vada tells her girl as she leans into the passenger window.
"No big deal, Harry can drive you home," I hear Zayn say from his driver's side and I catch his secret wink from over his girlfriend's shoulder.
"Harry's fucked up," Juliet then glares over at me.
"Don't worry, Li," I tell her. "I'll make sure to get her there in one piece."
Windows down and music blaring, I'm going over the speed limit on the freeway. Strawberry-blonde whips through the air and baby's smile is high.
"I bet I could smoke your ass in one of those races," Her voice announced as I switched lanes quickly, my eyes looking over at her for a moment before they reached the road in front of us again.
"What, you don't think so?" Her laugh echoed through the noise of us passing by other cars quickly.
"Not even. little bit, V." I tell her, shaking my head.
"Why, because I'm a girl?—"
I accelerate on the gas, picking up my speed from fast to faster. Watching as she leans back in her seat, Vada holds onto the handle above her with wide eyes.
"Harry, what the fuck—"
"Think you wanna handle my speed, baby?" I look over at her as we fly by the road underneath us.
When I think she's gonna yell at me to stop or to slow down, her decisions always keep me on my toes.
Because then I watch her unbuckle her seatbelt and I don't slow my speed as we reach the one hundred mark and she manages to pull herself so she's leaning backwards out of the opened window.
Red-blonde flies around her and her gray eyes gleam under adrenaline and speed. Baby lifts her arms and cheers like I hear her do for me at my shows. I can't help my smile as the girl in front of me splits my soul when she climbs back in to kiss me.
Keeping the wheel steady but never slowing, Vada climbs in my lap and runs her hands up my shirt and bites down my neck.
"You haven't pushed me to my limit yet, trouble." She murmurs into my ear before her lips bruise me like she never wanted me to forget her.
I wanted this too. Even though I didn't even know how that could ever be possible.
***