Ryder (Fallen Brook High School YA Series)

by J. L. Wyer

  Me: Every day?

  ScaryGuy: Yep.

  ScaryGuy: Some nights, I would sneak in thru your window and sleep in your bed.

  Me: You can’t say things like that to me. I’m not your girlfriend. I don’t remember us like that.

  ScaryGuy: I can be patient, Liz.

  HellcatClone: Whatever you’re saying to Jay has him grinning like a crazy person. Want to share?

  Me: No.

  HellcatClone: Would you rather…go watch a movie or go watch a sunset?

  Some spark of recognition at his text gets me excited.

  Me: Definitely a sunset.

  HellcatClone: Good to know.

  Me: Need to get ready for school.

  HellcatClone: We'll meet you in the senior lot.

  “Lizzie! Breakfast is ready!” Daniel's voice filters down the hall to my bedroom.

  I tie my hair up in a quick ponytail and grab my backpack. The aroma of coffee teases my nose, and my sluggish pace picks up at the thought of caffeine.

  “Good morning,” I sing-song as I dance into the kitchen.

  Daniel's at the stove. He looks over his shoulder at me. “Someone is in a good mood this morning.”

  I had very nice dreams last night. Not memories, but real honest-to-goodness dreams. Ryder was front and center in each and every one of them.

  “Slept well, I guess.”

  He pushes a plate of pancakes and a steaming cup of coffee my way and hands me a bottle of syrup. Everything smells divine. One thing Daniel does really well is cook. I think we've eaten takeout or fast food a total of four times in the past three months, and that includes last night's pizza. After eating pizza for lunch and supper yesterday, I don't think I'll be ready for anymore anytime soon.

  “I forgot to ask you last night — did Mrs. Stubbs tell you about the video conference she and Miss Prichard will be having with your doctors at Duke?”

  I’m in mid-chew, so I mumble, “Yes. She told me yesterday. I'm okay with it. I told her I don't have to be there for it.”

  “If you change your mind...”

  I swallow and take a sip of coffee. “I won't. I do have a couple of things I need to talk to you about though.”

  He turns around to face me, spatula held in his hand like a fencer's rapier. “Are you feeling alright? Any headaches?”

  I hate that Daniel always jumps to the worst possible conclusion. How he doesn't have an ulcer from all the worrying he does about me is a miracle in and of itself.

  “I'm fine, Daniel. I just wanted to let you know that I'm going out with Ryder on Thursday after school, and Julien is coming over on Saturday to hang out.”

  “Are these dates? Are you going out on dates?” The look on his face is hilarious, but not half as hilarious as the look he must see on mine.

  “What? No. Not dates. Daniel, we already talked about this last night. These guys and I were best friends growing up. They're cool and I like them. I want the new me to get to know them better. It's been kind of lonely not having friends to talk to the past few months. It's nice to have some people my own age to hang out with,” I try to explain to him.

  “I'm glad you're making friends. Well, remaking them, I suppose. You're almost eighteen so you should be able to do whatever you want. Within limits,” he clarifies, putting the spatula in the sink. “I don't ever want to hold you back from living your life, Lizzie.”

  “I have to admit, it was a little surreal meeting people for the first time yesterday who used to be my friends. I also met another pair of twins that are new to town: Trevor and Meredith. They just moved here from Virginia. Do girls my age have sleepovers or something, or is that just for younger kids?”

  “I grew up in a house of boys. It was just me and John, Mom and Pop. Your grandma was way outnumbered, bless her soul. But, yes, your dad and I would have friends stay the night all the time, especially when we were in high school.”

  I like the idea of asking Celeste, Beth, and Meredith over for a girl's night. I'll have to mention it to them today. I check my phone and see the time.

  “Got to motor. Thanks for breakfast!”

  As soon as I slide into my leather-upholstered bucket seat, I think of Ryder teaching me how to race at the Fields on Thursday, and the expectation of it makes me almost giddy. I just have to survive three more days of school first.

  Chapter 8

  Oh, the Places We Will Go

  Ryder

  Fallon’s leaning back against a fence post when I pull in with his Radical RXC. Driving cars has always been my passion, providing me with the thrill-seeking rush I love. I remove my helmet after getting out of the car and shake out my sweat-soaked hair. I unzip the coverall I’m wearing until the top part hangs down at my hips. My dad and I take racing very seriously, hence the full gear.

  “How’d it feel?” Fallon asks.

  “On dirt, the traction, steering, and ground clearance aren’t the best, but otherwise she drives pretty well.”

  I could have told him it was the best car ever and he would still buy a new one next month. It’s just how Fallon’s made. Sometimes I wonder, if my family was as wealthy as his, would I be the same as Fallon? Spending money left and right. Never settling on one thing. Never happy.

  “Thanks for letting me drive it.”

  My grin shines brighter than the North Star. Fallon's RXC is a dream car. I pull off my gloves and check the time on my watch. Elizabeth should be arriving soon. She wanted to bring her car out for me to teach her some stuff. I can't freaking wait.

  “Hey, Fallon. Can you do me a favor?”

  “Depends on the favor.”

  However I say it, I’m going to sound like a dick. Fallon used to make Elizabeth uncomfortable. He was always watching her at the Fields or at parties. I never could figure out if he liked her or what, but she told me on more than one occasion that he acted weird around her. Perhaps it’s because Elizabeth never showed any interest in him. Maybe he thinks that she’s a challenge. Who knows? Regardless, I want her to feel at ease and have some fun today.

  “Don't mess with Elizabeth too much and freak her out.”

  As soon as I mention Elizabeth’s name, he stands up straighter. He’s not so relaxed anymore. Running the pad of his thumb over his bottom lip, he cocks his head at me; a signature gesture for him.

  “She didn't seem to have a problem with it the other day.”

  “She's still getting used to everything. The amnesia has taken us all by surprise.”

  Out of all the reactions I’ve come to expect from him, his hysterical laughter is not one of them.

  “Yeah, but that's a good thing, right?”

  What? I glower at him. “Good? Her life is a blank. It’s nothing to be happy about. Her doctors don’t know if she’ll regain even partial memory. She’s starting from scratch. We’re all starting from scratch.”

  “Like I said, that’s a good thing. You've got to see the bigger picture here, Ry.” He slaps me on the back and my brain actually hurts as I try to figure out what he means.

  Is it a good thing? Before I can think of a response to what he said, the sound of tires crunching on dirt alerts us that Elizabeth has arrived.

  She parks her car and gets out, waving over to us when she sees us. She looks around at the dirt track and across the field, all the while bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet like an excited puppy. I leave Fallon and jog over to her. She’s wearing yoga pants and a tank top; her long hair is twisted in a low bun at the nape of her neck. Elizabeth has always taken my breath away, and today is no different. She notices me heading her way and rushes over to throw herself in my arms. The embrace is unexpected, but one I will gladly take.

  “Thank you for inviting me. I’ve been looking forward to today all week.”

  I take a second to hug her close. “I'm glad you said yes to coming out. Did you find it okay?”

  “Yeah. You gave great directions and I let my phone do the rest. So, where do you want me?”

&
nbsp; That is a very loaded question; one that sends my imagination into overdrive. “Do you want me to drive you around, or do you want to jump feet first into the deep end?”

  “Definitely deep end,” she replies and spots Fallon. “Hey, Fallon! What are you doing way over there?”

  “Waiting for you. You driving or what?”

  She turns back to me. “Yeah?” Elizabeth gifts me with a gorgeous smile and happy pale green eyes. Her smile hits me like a punch to the gut. Three months apart has not dampened my feelings for her one bit.

  “Yeah. But first, I need to get a helmet and coveralls on you. I brought spares from my dad's garage, so they may not fit well, but they will do the job. Just to be on the safe side, I would also like for you to wear a HANS device to protect your head and neck. You might find the HANS a little weird, but you’ll soon get used to it.”

  “Thank you so much, Ryder.” She lifts up on her toes and presses a kiss to my cheek.

  It’s a completely innocent kiss, but my body reacts quite differently. I play it cool, not wanting her to see how much her kiss is affecting me.

  “Come on,” I tell her, and retrieve the equipment I brought for her from the back of my car. I hand the HANS off to Fallon for him to hold while I help her pull up the coverall and adjust the helmet.

  “Is that your car?” she asks Fallon, glancing at the RXC.

  “For now. Want to drive it?”

  “Are you serious?” She tries to turn her head his way, but I still have two hands on her helmet which stop the movement.

  “Wouldn't offer if I wasn't.”

  Elizabeth squeals with delight and the sound has me grinning like an idiot.

  “Best. Night. Ever!” she exclaims. “You said you race here on the weekends?”

  Finished with her helmet, I take the HANS from Fallon and fix the bulky device across her shoulders, clipping it into the helmet. Even with her helmet tethered, her eyes watch me closely the entire time, waiting for my answer. The focus she has on me right now is a bit unnerving.

  “Me, the guys, and Elijah are here almost every Friday or Saturday night unless there's a school football game playing. On those nights, we go support Keith and Davis.”

  “Do girls ever race here?”

  “Believe it or not, more than you’d think.”

  “So how long have you been racing?”

  “Almost since I could reach the gas and brake pedals. Dad taught me. You used to come out with us a lot and would passenger in the back.”

  Her eyes get big. “Wow. We must have had a lot of great times.”

  “The best.”

  “I always wondered why I was so drawn to my red beauty. I guess now I know. It may sound stupid, but I named my car.”

  I help her pull on some racing gloves. “Not stupid at all. What did you name it?”

  “Stella.”

  “You named your car Stella?”

  “Yes. Stella is a good name. Do you have a problem with it?” She gives me her best glare, but her cheeks are squished by the helmet and it's the most adorable thing I think I've ever seen.

  “Elizabeth. You named my car Stella.” Her mouth forms the cutest ‘O.’

  She lets out a huge laugh. “Jesus Christ, Ryder. You’ve been living in my brain this entire time. Why is it that you’re the one person who I can remember in any capacity out of all of you guys?”

  That’s a great question. Is it just random coincidence or something more? Why me and not Jay?

  Her mood changes from joking, to pensive. Liz touches my bicep with her gloved hand. “You know, I really like your eyes. You have a bit of green mixed in with the light brown and yellow.”

  Fallon has been standing right beside us the entire time, watching. I mentally warn myself not to do something stupid. The urge to take off her helmet, wrap my hand around her neck, and crush our lips together is overwhelming.

  Taking a mental deep breath, I ask, “Ready?”

  She presents me with a full grin. “Oh, yeah. But this thing makes it hard to turn my head.”

  “That’s the point. With your head injury, I don’t want your neck whipping around.”

  “That’s very considerate of you, Ryder. I promise not to complain about it anymore.”

  We walk back to her car. Fallon jumps in the back and I get in the passenger side. Just as I suspected, she has bucket seats that are black with a red stripe down the middle. The dash is a bit different than mine. Mine is a custom job I did myself using swirled steel. It takes a while for Elizabeth to get comfortable in her seat with all the racing gear she’s wearing.

  “Okay. Let’s start her up and drive on to the track. Did you remember to bring the red key I texted you about?”

  Elizabeth holds the red key up. “I left the black key at home.”

  Even though we're on dirt, I give Elizabeth instructions on how to set her Hellcat up for the track.

  “First, turn the engine on, then hit the Track button on your menu screen.”

  Once she does this, I show her how to fully turn off her traction control. I'll show her how to select sport mode later.

  “Is that it?” she asks me.

  “Yep, you’re good to go. Keep in mind that with the red key, your car will now have a bit more power than you’re used to. With traction control off, she’ll spin her tires if you push her, but you’ll see that you also have more control over the car. The first part of the course is a straightaway so you can let her go as fast as you’re comfortable with. Then I’ll teach you how to drift.”

  “This is going to be so good.” I can feel Elizabeth’s excitement and enthusiasm. It’s contagious. “Alright,” she says, shifting into first gear while applying the clutch and the brake. “Here we go!”

  She eases her foot off the clutch and drops the handbrake. As the drivetrain engages, the wheels spin, showering dried clumps of mud behind us. Elizabeth stomps on the gas, then speeds down the straightway. Fallon lets a loud whoop and Liz does the same. I watch her handle the car like a pro; her grip on the steering wheel is perfect, her reaction times are excellent, and her shifting from one gear to the next is smooth. Could her brain subconsciously recall all the times she was with me in the car, watching me do the same things? She never drove like this before, and I’m utterly fascinated by it all.

  Elizabeth keeps the gas pedal down until she has to slow down for the first corner. I let her drive around the track for several laps before I ask, “Ready to try drifting?”

  “Bring it on.”

  “There’s a wide part of the track coming up. Drop your speed down until you’re going about twenty miles per hour. What you’re going to do when you approach the corner is come in wide and turn the wheel sharply. As you turn, gradually add power with the accelerator until you feel the back tires start to slide. When that happens, you’ll want to ease off the throttle a tiny bit and turn your steering wheel in the opposite direction. Don’t lose your grip on the wheel or things will get very hairy, real quick. Once you’re in the drift, use the steering wheel to keep yourself pointed where you want to go, and use the throttle to adjust how much you want the car to slide out. When you want to come out of the drift, ease the throttle again until the back wheels come back into a forward alignment. We can try it as many times as you need. No pressure and don’t rush it. And don’t worry if you spin the car because, trust me, you will until you get the hang of it. Got it?”

  Elizabeth’s face scrunches up in concentration. She rolls her shoulders a few times and re-grips the steering wheel. “Got it.”

  “You've got this, kitten,” Fallon encourages her from the back seat. She holds back her fist to him, and he touches it with his own.

  “Here we are. Drop your speed to twenty. Good. Brake and turn hard, now!” I tell her.

  She listens and follows my instructions, never once complaining or getting upset when it doesn’t happen right away. By the fifth try, she has it.

  “Atta girl!”

  We circle the track sev
eral more times, and she executes each drift. Some aren’t pretty, and one time I think we’re going to fly off the course. We come back around to the start and she puts the car into neutral, pulls up the handbrake, and lets it idle.

  Elizabeth’s smile is wide. “That was so awesome!” she exclaims and tries to turn her head to face me, but the HANS won’t let her. She bursts out laughing at herself and my heart does a Grinch where it grows two sizes larger at the sound.

  “Alright. Your turn,” she tells me.

  “You want me to drive your car?”

  “Yes, I do. I want to see what you can do.”

  No way am I going to pass up that invitation. We get out to walk around and exchange seats.

  “Buckle up, darlin’. You’re about to have the ride of your life,” Fallon tells her.

  “That’s what I’m counting on.”

  Chapter 9

  Test the Pull

  Julien

  “You sure I can't drop by? I haven't had a chance to see her yet, and I don't want her to think I'm blowing her off.”

  Elijah goes to Highland High, so we usually spend the weekends together since we don't get to see one another often during the school week.

  “E, she wouldn't remember anyway, so there's nothing to worry about. I've missed her and don't feel like sharing today.”

  I'm in Liz's kitchen making an early lunch. Her uncle, Daniel, left about an hour ago so she and I could hang out. I finish draining the corkscrew pasta while talking to Elijah over speakerphone. One of Liz’s favorite dishes used to be pesto pasta with pine nuts and black olives, so that’s what I’m making. I did a quick stop at the grocery store for supplies on my way over.

  “I hope you don’t mind E, but I really just want to spend some time with her alone. This week at school was a bit crazy with all of us. I think we overwhelmed her. It's hard enough holding off the families and Brea and Jamie.”

  Both my and Ry's families are desperate to see Liz, but they understand our reasons for them to not all approach her yet.

  Elijah assures me, “I get it and I understand. Are we still on for tonight?”