Apex [h.s]

chapter thirty two

Song: Kiwi, Harry Styles

It's like I paid for it, I'm gonna pay for this

Frankie Doyle

November

The low rumble of starting engines floated melodically around the track.

I could already feel the heat of my engine, mixed with the glowing sun increasing the temperature of my car as I sat, waiting for the first practice race to begin.

I had my car door open to try and get some air flow and Brooklyn stood next to the car, holding an umbrella in an attempt to shield me from the glare.

This was the only downside to racing; you ended up waiting in your car for so long, that by the time you actually got out on the track, it already felt like you were sweating through your suit.

"Fuck it's hot, and I'm in a skirt. I can't imagine how you must be feeling," Brooklyn sighed.

"Don't get me started," I breathed out, my voice slightly muffled by my helmet.

A marshal with a clipboard came to check me and my car before finally giving up the two minute warning.

"Okay Frank, drive fast, show them who's boss, but please also drive safe," Brooklyn patted me on my shoulder, giving my seatbelt  a tug as if she was making sure it was working.

"I will. I love you," I replied.

"Love you," she put the umbrella down, then closed my door, before walking over to the stands.

I could feel the excitement pulsing through my veins as the rumbling motor sent vibrations through me. 

When I finally took my foot of the brake, I finally felt, after months and months, like I had been reawakened from an endless, mind numbing sleep. The kind of sleep where you don't come out feeling well rested and it takes everything in you not to crawl back under the covers and hide from the world. I finally felt like I was ready.

As I shifted the car into gear, my engine grew from a docile cat to a raging lion. It growled at me, as if begging me to press my foot to the floor.

I couldn't help but smirk as I rolled onto the race track, behind the safety car. I was finally going to do it, I was going to show everyone that you don't need a dick to be successful.

I purposefully swerved my steering wheel from side to side, zig-zagging across the asphalt to warm up my tyres and clear them from any rubber or debris that they might have picked up on the track.

I moved out to the edge of the track, pressing my foot on the accelerator as hard as I could for about two seconds, before slamming on my brakes, warming my tyres further.  The warmer my tyres were, the better grip the would have to the track, meaning more traction as less sliding around. That way I could focus more on racing than driving.

I could see both Harry and Benji swerving behind me. It brought me comfort knowing that they were on the track with me. Although my relationship with Benji had been a little rocky over the past year, after everything we went through together, I knew he had my back now.

If I'm being honest, I'm pretty sure my mum gave her a piece of her mind before she died and told him to get his head out of his ass.

We completed a few more warm up laps before the safety car pulled off and the light turned green.

In that moment, it was like time had paused. I felt my heart thumping in my chest as I pressed my foot down on the accelerator as far as it could go. I could hear Mitch in my head set telling me to remember that it was just a practice and that I should just focus on learning the track.