“Yup,” I smiled.
“Can I hear it?”
“Nope,” I teased. She gently hit me as I stared at her through my bangs. “Okay.”
Computers – 11:50 a.m.
Devon and the four horsemen spent the first half of the class talking amongst themselves. But they made it quite obvious who they were discussing. My name came up frequently. So much that I had to stop Sam from going over and saying something to them. She was so angry.
“Max I don’t like this, he’s up to something,” Kai whispered in my ear so Sam wouldn’t hear. He wasn’t doing a very good job though.
“Let him talk Kai, that’s all he’s got anyways.” I spoke the last part loud enough for the entire room to hear. Sam glared at me and I didn’t like it one bit. Neither did Devon. He quickly rose to his feet and walked over to us. He was cool and calm for once.
“Devon, I have nothing else to say to you,” Sam said. He smiled like a wild predator.
“Sorry princess, I’m not here to talk to you.” His steel eyes fell on me. I twitched in my chair with the image of me shoving a ball of flame down his throat.
“What’s up Dev?” I said with a mocking tone. He didn’t like being called that and I smiled at the thought of irritating him. The four horsemen walked up behind him slowly.
“You and I got off on the wrong foot,” he smirked. I laughed out loud.
“Really…you think?” I was pushing it. Sam’s body language disapproved. Kai on the other hand couldn’t stop smiling.
“Maybe we could start over. Have you ever been to the Lookout?” his grin widened.
“Devon, no!” Sam shouted. She was scared but I couldn’t tell if she was afraid for me or him. That made my judgment cloud easily.
“Never been Dev,” I taunted. He snorted like a bull and gripped his hands around the edges of my desk and leaned down inches from my face.
“Maybe you’d enjoy a quick tour. It’s only a quick two minute ride up the mountain on our bikes. We could go at lunch.” His friends leaned in too and Sam’s nails dug into my leg.
“It has the best view,” Jason added. They all laughed as Sam jumped up.
“We need to talk!” she grabbed Devon by the shirt and dragged him to the back of the classroom. The four horsemen stared Kai and I down for a few seconds and then returned to their desks. Jason had a ball cap on to cover the special haircut I had given him at the party.
“Those curls are coming in nicely J. You should be able to ditch the Mickey Mouse hat next week.” I was pushing it again. He whipped around furious. Kai almost fell out of his chair in a fit of laughter.
“Priceless bro,” he chortled. Jason turned back to his friends stewing.
“Alright, tell me what’s so special about this lookout,” I demanded with a serious tone.
“It’s a challenge my friend.” His smile faded. “The Lookout is where everyone goes to fight.”
“Of course…” I said rolling my eyes.
“Devon likes to throw a twist in there though. He wants you to race him up there,” Kai sounded nervous.
“He wants to race me?” I was dumb founded.
“The last kid that took him up on his offer ended up in the hospital for a month.” He looked me in the eyes. “And when the kid was released Devon sued him…and won.”
“Sued him? For what?” I asked amazed.
“For scratching his bike.” Kai shrunk back in his seat. I sat there confused. “That’s how powerful his family is now bro.”
“Well, I haven’t been on a bike in years but I do love the feeling of wind rushing through my hair,” I joked.
“You’re not thinking about it, are you?” Kai was scared.
“Maybe,” I smiled.
“Not funny Max,” Sam scolded me as she sat down.
“I was just having some fun Sam.”
“Fun for you, but he is dead serious,” she said. I looked over and Devon’s eyes watched me devilishly.
“Maybe he should learn a lesson.”
“Damn it Max! The last thing I want is for either one of you to get hurt,” she cried out. I didn’t like how she included both of us in that sentence.
“I can take care of myself,” I argued and her face filled with pain. My temperature was rising and she let go of my hand quickly.
“I know,” she said under her breath.
Wildfire_22
~I Don’t Care Anymore: Phil Collins~
The class ended with hardly anyone talking to each other. We gathered our things and headed for the food court. Sam stopped me in the hall as Kai continued by himself.
“Max, promise me you won’t race him.”
“Why are you so worried about it?” I was annoyed now.
“Devon doesn’t understand what you’re capable of and he really isn’t in the best frame of mind right now,” she pleaded.
“Wait a second…” Now I was fuming. “Are you worried about me?” my voice carried down the hall. “Or are you worried about him?”
“Max, the whole idea is stupid! That’s what I am upset about.” I didn’t believe her and that killed me to feel that way. Especially after our intimate weekend.
“I’m not going to do anything,” I said as she calmed down but I don’t think she believed me fully.
“Thank you,” she kissed my lips. Her hand slid into mine again and she playfully pulled me along behind her. I smiled and followed even though I felt that this was far from over.
We continued to our familiar spot across the court yard but when we arrived there, someone was waiting nervously for us.
“Aloha Lucy,” I said quietly. Sam squeezed my hand tighter and Kai and Marcus stared at each other and shrugged.
“I need to talk to you Max. Alone,” her voice trembled. Sam leaned into me making it obvious she did not want to leave me alone with her. Kai and Marcus nodded at each other, without a word and walked over to the snack counter. Sam on the other hand took a little more convincing.
“Sam, just give us a minute…okay?” I asked politely but I was not comfortable talking to Lucy alone. The day had already been more stressful than usual. Sam thought about it for a moment, and then kissed me gently.
“I’ll grab us something to drink.” Her eyes watched Lucy closely. “Be right back.”
From across the yard I noticed Devon watching me again and he smiled when Sam left. My teeth ground together tightly as he walked over to Sam. I didn’t trust him at all. I hoped Lucy would make this quick.
“What’s going on Lucy?”
“I needed to tell you something,” she said as she fumbled through her bag and pulled out a cigarette.
“Do you mind?” she asked as she lit it up.
“Knock yourself out,” I said impatiently.
“I think I owe you an apology,” she spoke softly. I glanced at her shocked but I don’t think she even noticed. She was lost in thought.
“You’re a good guy Max,” her eyes looked up at me. “You’re good for Asia.”
“I don’t understand…” I was scared.
“I’ve known her since we were kids and I have never seen her this happy before.” Her eyes filled with pain as she spoke those words.
“Or now…this miserable.” My mind started racing. Just get up and leave Max. You do not need to hear anymore. Walk away you big dummy. But I didn’t take my own advice. I couldn’t, I was locked in place like a stone.
“Lucy I think you’re exaggerating.” I tried to stay calm but I was burning inside.
“I know this must be crazy to hear from me but it’s the truth. I know her better than anyone.” Her eyes filled with tears as mine began to blur from the heat coming from my cheeks.
“She would probably kill me for telling you this but I can’t take her pain anymore.”
“Her pain?” I was now terrified.
“Max…Asia loves you.” At that moment the Earth cracked and my head split open with a blinding headache.
“What?” I gasped.
“Lucy…” I said with my head spinning.
“That’s why I wanted to apologize to you. You are a good person. I knew it the day you came to my defense, even after I said those horrible things to you.” Her jewelry jingled as she messed the back of her hair.
“I’m sorry Max.”
“I don’t know what to say Lucy,” I gasped. She stood up and looked down at me tensely.
“Just don’t hurt her,” she warned. My eyes caught Sam and Devon talking in the corner of the yard. They were both very upset. Lucy started to run off but then whipped back around.
“Oh yeah, that call the other night. The one Asia received during your dinner…that wasn’t me.” She started to smile. Now I was completely confused.
“It was her parents.”
“And?” I asked losing the last bit of patience I had left.
“They told her that if she cared about you, that she should let you go.” Lucy fidgeted her feet.
“I don’t understand,” I said with my head throbbing.
“Think about it Max, the ones she loves the most leave. Or worse.” Lucy sprinted toward the parking lot. Or worse. Those two words kept rolling around my head like a lotto machine. In the back of my brain I could hear Kai’s voice…
“THEY SAY SHE’S CURSED.” And before I could get my bearings, my day became a whole lot worse.
“Hey newbie!” Jason screeched as he walked up to me. “You have enough time to think about that ride?” I could tell he was still pissed about the comment from earlier but I was in no mood to play now.
“Go away Jason,” I said from the back of my throat. Brian took that as a signal to get involved and the twins followed. My hands filled with steam as they surrounded my table.
“I’ll tell you what…you can even use my bike,” he smiled and placed his hat backwards on his head. The crowd had noticed the testosterone in the air and quickly began to gather. Sam and Devon followed too.
“Knock it off guys!” Sam yelled as she shoved her way through the crowd to me.
“Come on Max…walk me to my next class,” she demanded.
“Just one race newbie,” Devon teased. I turned to look away.
“Come on, I’ve heard you have plenty of experience with...cliffs.” He blew me a kiss. Sam watched as my eyes filled with red hot hate and my mind snapped. Had she mentioned my past to him? Had he been checking up on me?
“Keys!” I growled and the crowd cheered. Jason and Brian quickly high-fived each other and tossed me the keys. They flew through the crisp air jingling lightly. Sam grabbed me by my shirt as I stood up.
“Max, think about what you’re doing.” She looked so disappointed in me, making my anger consume me more. Why didn’t her ex get any of that disappointment?
“You heard what he said Sam…my experience. I’m going to show him exactly what I know.” I ripped myself from her grasp. “This will only take a minute.”
As I stormed off toward the parking lot, with the excited crowd rushing behind me, I waited for her to try and stop me again but she didn’t. Instead she pulled Devon aside and began pleading with him.
“Fine then!” I cursed. My walking sped up as I pouted even harder. I was acting like an ill-tempered two year old again but I no longer cared. I cared about only one thing now. I wanted this to happen.
All the kids piled into car after car and drove off in the direction I assumed the Lookout was at. Lucy caught my eye as I walked past her in a fit of rage. She was on her cell phone and by the look on her face; she knew exactly what was happening. I ignored her and the haunting words she had delivered to me the best I could and hopped onto Jason’s motorbike.
It was exactly the same make and model as Devon’s, just different colors. It was shiny silver with black stripes running along its sides. The tires were brand new and it looked as if it had just been detailed. Devon happily mounted his bike beside me and offered me an extra helmet.
“Last chance to back out of this Valentine,” he said with a cocky laugh. I turned and found Sam standing with Kai and Marcus. She was irate with us or just me. I was too pissed to care at that point. I smacked the helmet from his meaty hand and turned the key to my bike. As I winded the engine into a scream a giant lightning bolt split the sky in the distance and thunder shook the parking lot. At that moment I knew exactly who was on the other end of Lucy’s cell phone.
“Not a chance,” my voice was venom.
~Out Of Control: Hoobastank~
My temper flared and my bike responded to that hot blooded will like it was an extension of me. I wasn’t even sure where we were headed, only that I would get there first. Faster and faster our bikes went, blurring the scenery as we did. The black pavement had become a shaky dark blur with a yellow streak slithering along the middle of it like a wicked serpent.
Devon weaved his machine along my right side. Damn he was fast. I pushed my bike harder and it responded with a high pitch squeal, making me smile. The wind was a cooling feeling of being alive as it whipped through my hair. Back and forth we shuffled our positions. He would push himself in front of me and then I would will myself back in front of his bike. Or maybe he was just toying with me? I knew that these motorcycles could go even faster but as the elevation increased, it became harder on them to do so.
That only seemed to focus me and my responses more. As we rushed up the side of the mountain, we had an audience far behind us. A dozen or so vehicles were in hot pursuit of these two stupid dare devils. They were hard to see in my mirror because of the vibrations of the speeding bike. Making it even harder was a tiny film of fog that had built up on them as my body had heated itself up. The one vehicle I could make out was Sam’s and it looked like Kai was behind the wheel.
The winding road started to whip past us at dangerous speeds now but the tiny machines handled the curves with the ferociousness of two leopards stalking their prey. The green of the mountain side washed past my eyes as my inner core heated to extreme levels. I was officially out of control now and I did nothing to cool it. Faint steam trailed off of me leaving a ghostly trail that I hoped no one could see too well at this speed.
But Devon saw it with wide open eyes from his visor helmet. That forced him to hesitate long enough for me to push my smoking body in front of him. I had now taken the lead by a car length, sending my ego into a fit of joy. I was blissfully losing my concentration and my body kept heating up. That was a mistake.
As my body ignited into a faint orange flame the first raindrops hit me. At this speed they felt like bullets to my burning skin. Asia must be close but I didn’t have time to think about that now. I was sacrificing agility for speed. I wasn’t going to be able to keep that up in this rain. I noticed that even though I was easing my grip on the accelerator, little by little, Devon was still falling farther behind me. He was almost as far back now as the parade of cars following us. I chalked that up to him freaking out by the burning water drops flickering off of my body but I couldn’t have been more wrong.
My flames disappeared, filling my eyes with the burning rush of cold air as they focused on the devastation that lied directly ahead. That is when my mind cleared and my heart dropped. This was never just about a race…this was a trap. It was about to work brilliantly.
The road broke off into a hard left turn that was physically impossible to make on a motorbike traveling over 35 miles per hour. I was easily going three times that speed. A couple of vehicles were already parked along the side of the curve of the look out. One was a giant red pick-up truck with two motorcycles, just like the ones we were wrestling. The twins, Eddie and Alex were smiling from the front of it. Brian and Jason were pacing next to them angrily. They must have used a short cut to beat us to the Lookout.
The Lookout itself was just an empty clearing of dirt and gravel, with a chunk of heavy vegetat
ion on the left side. That was good news because that’s exactly where I was headed. But there was bad news too; the railing along the Lookout was thick and strong. This meant that it was probably a hell of a drop down the other side of it and at 100 miles per hour. I was about to find that out first hand.
Slow motion slammed into me forcing my sight to fall into blackness. In the dark all I could see was Mia falling away from me. Her eyes filled with tears and her mouth stretched wide open in a silent scream. Her tiny voice called out to me but I couldn’t make out her warning until it was too late.
“Burn Max! Let go!” she pleaded in the dark.
My eyes refocused as a lightning bolt stabbed directly beside me, searing my ear. I had never witnessed a strike so close before and it shredded the rain like a dragon on fire. And then there she was…Asia with her brilliant eyes on fire. She screeched the tires of her Jeep to a violent stop as she crossed my path.
“Max!” she yelled. That was the last thing I saw when I threw my bike sideways and let my body catch flames. I was a giant spinning ball of fire when I slightly clipped the edge of the twin’s truck. Smoke and raindrops twirled from my death spin just before I smashed directly into the middle of the brush, igniting it in a furious explosion. The motorbike continued its death roll as I flew from it and it cut through the railing like a hot knife through butter.
This was lucky for me because the twisting hot piece of steel that ripped from the railing into the air, like a jagged sword, stopped my flaming body from flying over the edge. Of course it impaled me and I went numb instantly as blood flew everywhere. The screech of tires and screams from our audience could barely be heard over the crackling of fire and pounding rain.
Devon slid his bike to a stop next to his buddies and quickly removed his helmet. Sam ran from her car screaming, even before Kai had gotten it to a complete stop.
“Call 911!” She screamed.
Most of the crowd turned around and raced back down the hill. I guess this was not what they expected. As my eyes peered through the wall of flames in between Devon and I, my throbbing body began to burn uncontrollably. I could barely make out his face but it quickly turned from shock to content. He was happy.
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