14
Rut.
There are things I'm not quite good at. For one, trying to help Zoey. From the start, when I try to help her, she gets mad at me. Like that one time in her house when she locked me out of her room. But she's not mad at me right now. When I help her. I hug her and she hugs me back. And now, we're still hugging.
It's been long since we're out here. And more than five songs have shuffled-play around in my playlist. At first, it was Ed Sheeran because I don't know anyone who doesn't have Ed Sheeran in their playlist, so I might as well have him shuffling as well. Then there's Post Malone and some Maroon 5, then goes back to Ed and some country-oldies Johnny Cash. If the song is lively, we dance. If it's a little slow, we slow-dance. And I end up hugging her. Again and again and again. Zoey's a huggable creature. Especially when she hugs back. But I think she's getting enough of it so I quit. I know my limit.
I miss almost the half-end of the party, but seeing Zoey with her knees to her chin, smiling at the town and enjoying the killer view makes it better. "I like you happy," I say and she turns to me, caramel eyes cheerful than before and cheeks completely free from tears.
She doesn't say anything but she smiles. I look down at her pinkish lips which has a little less lipstick than any girl's lips in this party, and I suddenly want to do something I wanted to do since I was ten years old. I want to kiss her. But I'm not gonna do that. Not yet anyway. So I give her a sweet grin and turn to the town.
A minute later, she puts her head on my shoulder and I nuzzle my head on hers and lay an arm around her waist. She's warm. Very warm. Like a fresh batch of pancakes from Cappy's with a little whippie twirl on top. If I could stay like this all night, I would. But it's getting cold and freezing and my phone is ringing. So I take it out and Floyd Flynn's name is on the screen.
"What's up, dipshit?" Zoey looks up and I mouth to her that it's Flynn. And somewhat with humor or amusement on her face, she suppresses a laugh.
"You know I'm just calling because Chelsea wants to know where the hell are you. Party's ending, asshole, stop flirting and get your ass inside." He hangs up.
When I turn around, Flynn is standing by the side door with a scowl. His suit makes him look like an angry businessman who's about to fire all of his employees for wrong conduct. It's hard not to make fun of him. I turn to Zoey and she's waiting for me to say something so I tell her, "I have to go back inside. It'll be a quickie. You can wait in the car or you—"
"I'll be in the car," she says, taking my coat off the ground and handing it to me.
"Okay." I take the coat, and as I whisk the dust off it, I watch her straighten up her dress. This isn't the first time I saw her in a dress, but it is the first time I study her slide her hand down her fine ass.
I smile innocently when she turns to me and I take one subtle look from her head to toe. "You look great in that dress," I say before I turn to leave and I swear I saw her blush.
Flynn scoffs at me when I pass him by and I give him a pat in the bum. "You got a nice ass too, Double F. Don't be jealous, bro."
When I get inside, Chelsea's in the middle of a heartfelt speech. There's One Direction quietly playing in the speakers, her favorite. And there's some happy tears falling to her cheeks but she tries to hold them. Don't want to ruin the make up, of course. Mayor Humphrey and his wife are on the side, watching and listening to their daughter speak of them. Sean Dewitt is also with them, Chelsea's boyfriend for two years, although they've broken up a month ago and just gotten back together. Sean doesn't like me but he seems to be in good terms with Flynn. And although I've only dated their daughter for a week or two, Chelsea's parents love me.
"There you are, Tony." Mayor Humphrey looks relieved to see me as he puts a hand on my back and gives me a perfect view of the stage. The mayoress shares the relief as well on her face as she smiles at me. "Where've you been? She's been looking for you."
"Just out for some air, sir. Our town never fails to amaze me. It's a killer view out there with the new clocktower. We don't have to scurry anymore to know the time." Sean hears me and looks over, a glare and a scowl and everything that says he doesn't like me here is directed to me. He's with Flynn on that one. In fact I think they're talking about me when they whisper to each other.
Mayor Humphrey turns to his wife and gives her a knowing face. "I told you it was a good idea," he says to her. And to me, he insists, "Warden, Tony. Call me Warden, son."
"Maybe after your term, sir," I laugh. He sighs but laughs with me afterwards.
After her speech, Chelsea embraces her parents and receives warm regards from everyone. We do a quick photograph session and she asks for a photo with only the two of us. Sean scowls at me and Flynn looks hopelessly angry, but I smile to the camera anyway. On the side of the room, near the Statue of Liberty, Neil O'Donnell, the son of two well-known lawyers and annoyingly the smartest kid in school until he started fucking up because of a girl, is looking at me. She was a lively girl and a great friend. And I bet she had been a great girlfriend too.
I used to hate Neil O'Donnell, but he's not that bad. I ignore him anyway. Calling Chelsea away from her boyfriend makes Sean growl like a wolf protecting his mate, but we both know we're not going to make a commotion and ruin her day. "I have to go," I tell her.
"Already?"
"Yeah," I kiss her cheek, "Don't forget to open my present. Happiest birthday and welcome to adulthood, honey." I wink at her. And seeing Sean, I wink at him too.
After I talk to the mayor and the mayoress, Neil O'Donnell joins me on my way to the parking lot. He's a lot more silent than Zoey. But this time, he's the first one to strike a conversation. "I found something you might want," he says, "I don't know how long Art had it, but I first saw it in an abandoned house in Nowhere."
He leads me to his vintage 1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SL, one of the many cars Art scavenged out of Nowhere's deserted garages and I helped her fix. Before she left, she gave him that, but all she gave me, her fucking friend for four whole years, a Hot Wheels toy car.
From the glovebox, Neil takes out a photograph and hands it to me. It's a family picture. My family picture. The real one. There's me with the curly red hair in my dad's arms. But one look at him and I had it. I dispose the picture in my pocket and thank Neil.
Zoey is sleeping in the passengers seat by the time I get inside the car. She doesn't have her seatbelt on yet so I reach over and make sure she's buckled up. She stirs on her seat as I cover her with my coat but she doesn't wake up so I watch her. She's cute when she's asleep, not that she's ugly when she's awake. Her eyelashes flutter and her cheeks glow rosy with her light makeup and those plump, innocent lips keep enticing me to touch.
I could kiss her right now but where's the fun in that? Besides, I don't want a slap. And for the record, a girl's slap is a lot painful than a guy's punch. I've had several of both.
In my room, I stare out the window as Zoey's room lights up. After she changes into her pajamas, she walks to the window to pull the curtains down. But she sees me and she smiles. A while later, my phone rings. She's calling. I pick it up.
"I had fun tonight," she says over the phone. I smile and she smiles.
"Me too."
"Thank you."
"My pleasure."
"Good night."
"Good night."
She doesn't hang up like I think she would but instead she says, "Good luck for tomorrow."
"Thanks. Look, in case you need a hug I'm here. You can just climb into my window anytime. Or you can call and I'll climb into yours." She laughs on the phone and she laughs behind her window. I think I hear both.
"Good night, Rut," she says again.
"Good night, Zoey."
She hangs up and covers the window. Once she's turned off the lights, I climb on to the roof and puff a smoke. Taking the photograph out, I burn his face out of the picture. I don't know their names—I was too young, hell I don't even know if the name I'm using is my real name—so I guess that makes the picture as useless as the other useless things in my drawer so I toss it in there. Then I strip my clothes off and climb to bed.
* * *
If there are things I'm not good at, there are also things I'm the best at. For one, winning racing tournaments. The first Mayor's Cup dates back on the day Mayor Humphrey opened his speedway to the public, although it wasn't called a mayor's cup before. The tournament is divided into professional and amateur, auto racing and motorcycle racing. I won three amateur motorcycle racing cups, and soon it'll be four.
Last year, Mayor Humphrey told me I have a good shot in joining the major leagues. He also said I'm a great rider. That's probably the reason why he likes me. I don't really want to argue. I mean, elders do know best.
It was around this time when I met Chelsea during the first competition. And Floyd Flynn since he was one of the contestants in the amateur league. And Sean Dewitt, in auto racing, since he broke his leg and had it amputated in a crash last year. He was trying to prove himself to Chelsea's dad and now Mayor Humphrey wouldn't let him participate again.
Sean is with Chelsea though, as she visits us before the start of the race. He doesn't wish me luck although to Flynn, he does. His girlfriend, however, the delicate, Natalie Portman-ish, Chelsea Avery Humphrey, gives me a good luck kiss. On the cheeks. Don't want to anger the boyfriend, of course.
Road racing is where I got three wins in three consecutive years. But for this year's tournament, Mayor Humphrey bought the land beside his track and reconditioned it to be suitable for motocross, a new category to be included in the competition. And with Trip's admission, I decide to participate in it. This would mean I'll be dealing with another type of track and motorcycle which would be a lot different from what I'm used to, but I'm up for it.
Unlike road racing, motocross is done on mud. There's a lot of twists and turns and jumps and I'll probably end up diving in a mud pool if I don't do this right so God forbid I do this wrong. Plus there's a lot of people watching, including Mayor Humphrey, the mayoress, and Chelsea, and I'm definitely not up for self-humiliation. In motorsport, I enjoy the speed more than the race itself. But in motocross, I don't get to speed up much because of the bumps, but I win it anyway. That makes it five cups.
Straight after the race, Jesse, Zoey's older brother, comes up to me to congratulate me for the win. He's saying something about—I don't really know since I'm not clearly listening. All of my senses are busy figuring out if that brunette squeezing through the crowd is Zoey. One last squeeze and I see that it is. She has a shy smile when she sees me and it's my pleasure to give a standard-Rut-size smile back. A big big smile just for her. The one that says I'm surprised to see her here but equally grateful that she is.
She gives me her regards and I remember I look gross and muddy right now so I cut off the chitchat and excuse myself to shower.
"We'll see you at the grandstand?" Jesse asks.
"Yeah, sure." I turn to Zoey before I leave and give her a wink. Jesse will probably kill me later for flirting with his sister, but that's okay as long as it's not now.
After the awards ceremony, Sean compliments Flynn, and Chelsea runs up to me and gives me a big hug. She says she's a little worried during the motocross but she didn't doubt it. Honestly, she's more delighted of me winning than I am. And Sean is equally pissed off seeing her stoked with her ex. I'm smelling a fight coming on later and I ought to be out of here before it happens.
We're in a middle of a crowd of people— racers and spectators congratulating them— and coming through the herd is Jesse and Zoey as Chelsea gains my attention.
"Dad wants to have lunch with the winners," she says as she pulls me out of the crowd. In the corner of my eye, Mayor Humphrey is talking to his secretary and the mayoress chatting with Trip. Trip sees me and waves a hand. I wave back.
"Yeah, Trip told me," I tell Chelsea. "Do you think it's compulsory?"
"I don't know, but Rut, it's the mayor. It's my dad! You know him."
I'm looking over the crowd for Jesse and Zoey but as the herd grows thin, I don't see them. Jesse is with Flynn and Sean but Zoey's nowhere near them. "Will Sean be there?"
Chelsea looks at me weirdly and when I ask what's wrong, she laughs. "He's my boyfriend."
"He's a dick. You know, of all the guys you dated, I'm the coolest."
Zoey is a long way from us and the crowd. She's in front of the grandstand in the snow. Building a midget-size snowman that looks like an tiny ant from here. In fact she looks like a tiny ant wearing a beanie from here. She looks hella cute.
"Of course you would think that. What are you looking at anyway?" Chelsea also glances over to Zoey and to me and back to Zoey. When she cuts it off and stares at me with that little frown on her face, she says, "Of all the guys I've dated, you always have eyes for someone else. Learn to stick, Romeo."
"Yeah yeah." I study Zoey a while more while Chelsea sneers and smirks at me. Then I say to her, "Hey, if your dad don't mind, I'm going to go and stick to that girl over there." I don't wait for her answer. I start running to Zoey.
"I'll just tell him you have a date," she shouts and I turn and give her a thumbs up and dash to Zoey. Since I saw her here, my brain's saying nothing else but Zoey Zoey Zoey.