Need Him (BxB)

CHAPTER TWENTY

-•PRESLEY•-

I rode with Haley, Ally, Alvin and Red. The track was surprisingly long to get to. We traveled through countless rural areas of land, each mile we went took us further away from the city. Each car took a different route to the track. Red said that if we all took the same route, it would look majorly suspicious if thirty-plus cars were caravanning to the same place.

I couldn't get over the feeling that Nathan was upset with me. It made my shoulders slump pathetically.

Haley nudged me. "There's nothing to be worried about," she said quietly.

Haley, Ally and I sat in the back seat while Alvin and Red rode in the front.

"I'm not worried," I whispered, wrapping my arms around myself.

Ally leaned in. "You have it written all over your face, little one."

I sighed. "Well, aren't you guys worried? It's dangerous...and not to mention, illegal."

"I used to worry," Haley admitted. "But the more my brother raced, the more he won and then it just became fun to watch."

"Everyone likes a healthy rivalry. It brings people together," Ally said, squeezing my hand. "Tonight's supposed to be about unity."

Alvin laughed from the passengers seat in front. "Don't feed the kid lies! Tonight's about bloodshed and the smell of burning rubber, that's all."

Haley rolled her eyes.

"Alvins not wrong," Red said, looking at me through the driver's mirror. "But that doesn't mean it's not a shit ton of fun, because it is. Plus, there's free beer!"

"Do you think Nathan's worried? Or Kyle?," I asked quietly.

I already could guess at the answer. This morning, Nathan walked with a sort of stiffness, almost as if he was bracing for what was to come. Maybe that was him being worried.

"Nathan and Kyle have won too many times to be worried," Alvin said arrogantly. "They're going to be fine, kid. They'd probably laugh at your worry right now."

We hadn't even reached the track yet when I reached into my pocket to retrieve a mint, hoping to relieve my nerves. Once I took in a breath, the coolness of the mint allowed me to sit back in my seat and close my eyes.

"Don't get too comfortable, kid," Red said from the drivers seat. "We're almost there."

I nodded, my eyes still closed, and snuggled into Haley's side. Normally, this was around the time I went to sleep, my eyes refused to protest any longer.

•••••••••••••••••••••

I woke to someone violently shaking my shoulder. My eyes opened and I yelped back in surprise to see a very excited Alvin grinning in my face.

"Take a deep breath, little guy," Alvin said. "This is what a gang race smells like."

"Like beer and cow waste?," I whispered, rubbing my eyes.

Alvin chuckled. "That's the best part."

Red appeared behind Alvin. "Go with the girls," he instructed. "I got Presley."

Alvin nodded and jogged excitedly to catch up with Haley and Ally.

"All right, kid," Red let out a deep breath. "Before you leave this car, what's the one rule I want you to follow?"

I looked around at the crowd ahead. "No wandering, right? That's what Kyle said."

He grinned. "Cool, now lets go."