With sweat dripping down my face and my hands gripped on my steering wheel like a child holding onto their mother. I let my foot slowly off the clutch and started to line myself up with this man.
"I'm going to die" I repeated to myself
"I don't know how to race, I'm done for"
Then I started to hear a very familiar rumble. It was Malachi in his Missan 300zx! He pulled up next to me and walked out of the car.
"Oi Kaze, who's this old hag?"
"Who you calling old hag you punk?" The old man replied gripping his pistol tighter
"Malachi, I don't think I would ever be this happy to see your stupid face"
"Kaze? Was that what you said his name was punk?"
"Okay Kaze, we are going to race. If you don't you die. If you lose you die. You got that?" He continued
"I'm fucked" I said to Malachi
"Nah you got this, just take this walkie talkie and listen to what I say, I'll follow behind you too"
"Why does it sound like you've done this before Malachi?"
"Just take the walkie talkie and listen to what I say"
"Yeah yeah. You hear that old man let's do this"
I didn't understand where I got this confidence from but I wasn't going to complain.
"Okay, Kaze all you have to do is kick in your clutch and put the pedal to the metal"
"When the guy beeps for the third time, release your clutch as far as you can and don't shift until you are riding the red-line of your car"
I didn't bother to reply, I just stuck my hand out and gave Malachi a thumbs up.
[Beep.]
Okay, that was the first beep.
[Beep.]
I'm going to die. It's all over.
[Beep.]
I was off, the sound of our engines roaring filled the night.
First, second, third.
I felt the world slow down as I sped up.
Fourth, fifth, sixth.
Once I hit sixth gear, I felt like I was one with my car, that we were one being. Was this the sensation that my parents were addicted to? I felt as if I were in my father's shoes back when he was a teen, speeding down the freeway leaving all his problems behind. I felt like my father was sitting in the passenger seat smiling at me.
"Kaze! Slow down!" Malachi screamed through the walkie talkie
"Wait why?" I questioned
"You beat the old hag now slow down before you crash!"
Without a second thought, I slam on the clutch and the breaks, forcing myself back into reality. I managed to stop the car and parked up on the side of the road, waiting for Malachi and his 300zx. After a little bit, Malachi followed by the man I just beat parked up behind my fd2. I stepped out of the car to be greeted with a chest bump and mini-celebration from Malachi.
"BRO! You left the old hag in the dust!" Malachi said laughing his head off
"Did I? I was in my own world I didn't even realise how fast I was going"
"Kaze you were going fast! Like my car couldn't even keep up with you, and mines a V6!"
While Malachi and I were celebrating the old hag and the other guy in the car he called Kendrick earlier got out of their car and walked towards us.
"Fuck do you want you old hag," Malachi said standing in front of me
"Back off punk I came here to pay up"
"Pay up?" I questioned
"Its common rule that the loser has to give up some cash to the winner" Malachi added
"Oh really? Okay," I agreed.
I only expecting a hundred dollars or so, but this old hag pulled out a massive envelope and handed it to me
"Woah!!" Malachi said with his jaw on the asphalt
"HOW MUCH IS THIS?!" I was in shock, this was the most money I had ever had in cash.
"You two should get out of here before the cops get here," said the kid riding with the old hag
"Who do you think you are huh?!" Malachi demanded
"Kaze was it? Well no matter, just watch your back."
"You aren't meant to be in this world"
The two of them jumped into their car and started to drive off, Malachi and I did the same. On the way back home I was thinking about how I had felt my mother and father's spirit in the car with me.
I wanted to experience that feeling again.
When I arrived home I couldn't get to sleep since I was still so full of adrenaline, because of this I decided to count the money I had received from the race.
One… two… three… four… five…
"TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS!?" I screamed
"Oh shit I probably shouldn't yell that out at 3 am," I thought to myself
"What should I do with this much cash?" I asked myself
After ripping my hair out thinking about what to do with the money I realised today was Saturday. I picked up my phone and called Emma.
"Good morning Emma, you awake?"
"Well I picked up so what do you think?"
"Ok ok, are you free today by any chance?"
"Kaze it's 3 am, couldn't this question wait till the actual morning?"
"Sorry Emma, I was just wondering if you wanted to go on a dat.."
Before I could even finish what, I was going to say Emma cut me off and says,
"A DATE!? B-but we aren't e-even d-dating yet K-Kaze"
"Do you want to go get some breakfast and catch a movie?"
"If you're picking me up"
"Of course I'll come and pick you up"
"That means you're gonna have to come and talk to my parents"
"I haven't spoken to them since the crash so it'll be good to see Mr. and Mrs. Stafford again"
"Are you sick Kaze?"
"No, why do you ask?"
"You've never called me first nor have you wanted to see my parents"
"Are you complaining?"
"No, no just curious what's gotten into you is all"
"Aight, I'll be 'round yours at around 7:30 if that's okay with you?"
"Yeah, of course, see you soon Kaze~"
"Ahaha get some sleep, see you soon Emma"
I hung up the phone and started to plan what I was going to wear. I had never taken Emma out on a date for the number of years we had been talking so I was kind of nervous, I was also seeing her parents after basically ghosting them ever since my parents died.
I was really nervous.
After about a few hours of doubting myself and my fashion sense, I decided to put on a decent-looking black button-up top with some black dress pants and dress shoes. I got into my car and started to make my way to Emma's place. Driving my car this morning felt different, I had a genuine smile on my face for the first time in a while, I didn't know if it was because I had 10k in my pocket and driving my car, or if it was because I could spend some genuine time with the girl I like. I happened to drove past a flower stall on the highway and decided to pick up some beautiful blue flowers that reminded me of Emma. I just arrived at Emma's house and went down and knocked on her door.
[Knock, knock]
"Come in Kaze," Emma said in a cute voice
I left my shoes outside and entered Emma's house. I shook her father's hand and get her mother a warm hug, I felt so relieved that they didn't hate me for ghosting them for three-plus years. We spoke for what felt like hours, we all laughed together looking at some baby photos of Emma I had never seen before, Emma didn't find them funny though, she kept nagging me to take her out for breakfast already, after about the fourth or fifth photo I said goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Stafford even though they preferred me to call them by their first names, I couldn't bring myself to say their first names out of pure respect. I grabbed Emma's hand and started to walk with her to the car, I felt that she was nervous so I squeezed her hands a little tighter to let her know that I wasn't going to ditch her, not today.
As I was just about to pull out of her driveway, her father ran up to the car and asked if this was the car he thought it was,
"Yes sir, it is the car you think this is"
"How did you manage to find this Kaze?"
"Well sir, I saw it was for sale and realised the number plates were the exact same as in the photos my parents had laying around and worked extra hard to get the money to be able to afford this"
"Goodman Kaze, we are really proud of you and we know your parents are looking down on you with the biggest smile"
"Thank you, sir"
The comment Mr. Stafford had just made, caused a really warm and fuzzy sensation inside me, I felt like crying but this wasn't the time to cry. As I was driving Emma pointed out that the route I was taking was going to lead me to the highway, I told her I know and that I had a little surprise for me, she wondered what I meant and looking a little scared,
"Emma it's fine, you like fast cars right?" I said touching her thighs to try and ease her mind
"I mean yeah, but aren't you still terrified of going fast?"
As soon as she asked that I looked her in the eyes and smiled. I turned onto the highway and started to floor the car.
[Vroooooom]
The same sensation I felt last night came back. The feeling of time slowing down, the sensation of breaking through the barrier of space and time its self. I looked to my left and saw Emma with her hands up screaming with joy, I felt like I was on a different planet. I pulled into the parking lot of the café we were having breakfast in.
"Kaze! That was so fast! When did you manage to get over your fear?"
"Just a little bit ago but I wanted to make sure you were the first person to experience it with me"
"When did you become such a smoother talker Kaze?"
"Are you complaining Emma?"
"No no never, I like this side of you Kaze"
We sat down at a café called 'Nikki's Café', we had an amazing breakfast and just spending quality time together, I found myself losing myself in her gorgeous deep blue eyes.
"Kaze you know it's rude to stare right?"
"Sorry I just tend to get lost in your eyes"
Emma's face turned bright red, it was pretty cute.
"Are you guys finished with your meal?" The waitress asked politely
I looked at Emma's face to make sure she was done eating, she gave me a nod.
"Yes we are, thank you"
"Are you guys good to pay with card or cash?"
Emma went to grab her purse but I managed to stop her hand from under the table,
"I'll pay with cash"
"Kaze you don't have to"
"It's okay Emma, today is my treat," I Said with a smile
"That will be $24.50 sir"
"Easy"
I reached into my pocket and pulled out a single $50 note and told the waitress to keep the change as a tip.
"Oh my, thank you, sir"
"Ahaha it's all good"
"Thank you for your amazing service" Emma added
On our way out, I grabbed Emma's hand and asked her where she wanted to go next, she thought about it for a bit and asked if I would help her pick out some new clothes for a party she had coming up. We walked back to the car and drove down the highway and soon arrived at the mall. Emma went into about five or six stores, I managed to convince her to let me pay for everything since I felt bad for ditching her at school yesterday.
"Kaze, I feel really bad making you pay for everything," She said while taking a sip of some coffee
"It's okay Emma, I have the spare income to be able to do this"
"How much do you actually have Kaze? You've been paying for everything in cash so far"
I whispered the amount I had into her ear and she freaked out
"KAZE! HOW DID YOU GET THAT MUCH MONEY!?" She screamed
I pleaded that she wouldn't scream that out loud since people were staring at us now, I didn't want to tell her that I had just accidentally won an illegal street race against a gang member and as a reward made ten thousand dollars. I told her that I had been working and saving whatever I had left after paying bills and buying food to put towards a date like this. She hugged me and told me that I didn't have to do that for her. I felt horrible for lying to her face like this but I couldn't risk her hating me over something I didn't even want to be a part of in the first place. We went to a few more stores trying outfits that she found cute. We also ended up getting lunch since following her around the whole shopping mall was so tiring. Once it was about 4 or 5 pm we got into my car and I drove Emma home.