Alice Avery
The rain has just stopped. The pavement is dark and wet, the sky is cloudy. I'm wearing a pair of jeans in July, a grey tank top covers my torso. I've never seen this place so crowded before, mobs of people crowded within the street waiting for this rivalry to finally end, or maybe something else will begin.
I put a cigarette in my mouth and Ricky lights it for me. "I can't breathe," I say once I pull the cigarette from my mouth and blow out the smoke. I stare at the cigarette and laugh. "Ironic, isn't it?"
"It's a lot of people, I know. Listen, the only thing that matters out there is you. It's just you out there, alright?"
I nodded to myself. "Okay," I said. "Have you seen him yet?"
Ricky lifts his eyes from me and looks around for Trent. I can tell when he spots him, Ricky frowns deeply, angry. He doesn't say anything and keeps his eyes on Trent as he walks over to him. I finally turn around and follow behind Ricky.
Trent has a solo cup in his hand, a joint in the other and he's laughing, having a grand time with his buddies. Ricky smacks the cup out of his hand and grabs him by his shirt collar and pins him up against his car. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Ricky spits and Trent puts his hands up.
"Chill the fuck out, Rick."
"You getting fucking plastered right before getting on the same road as my girl? I don't fucking think so," Ricky knuckles turn white as he's gripping Trent's T-shirt. I contemplate stepping in but I don't, he's got this.
"Relax, I just had the one." Trent defends nonchalantly and rolls his eyes. It's one of the biggest lies I've ever heard. You can tell just by looking at him that he's completely out of it.
Ricky pushes Trent roughly. "Sober the fuck up, now."
"Fine, Dad."
Ricky gives him one last glance before turning to Trent's group. He eyes Jaxon and he nods at Ricky. He possessively wraps his arm around me and I walk away with him. "Thank you for that." I say to him and he kisses the top of my head.
"If he's anything like that in an hour, you aren't racing him."
"I know." I agree, I don't want to get myself killed
*
Trent's hour is up and he can walk in a straight line. The race is on and it feels surreal. I was inside my car at the start line, Ricky at my window talking to me.
"You got this, baby. I love you." He says and leans in and kisses me one last time before joining the others behind my car.
As soon as he walked away I had tunnel vision. This was all that mattered, right here, right now, this was my race. From the corner of my eye I saw Trent walk by. He steps beside my car and says something to me. What he said? I have no idea and it doesn't matter, he doesn't matter. He walks away and over to his car. My eyes are forward and foot is ready to slam down on that gas pedal like my life depends on it.
The flag goes up and in a split second, the flag is down and the feeling I get when I take off is a feeling I have never felt before, a feeling I will never feel again. Trent and I are right next to each other and I refuse to look through my window. I can feel his glare on me as he drives, his hands on the wheel but all his attention on me. I switch gears and I gain a small lead in the process.
Trent is now behind me and I can feel myself smiling. I'm going to do this. I am going to win this race. There is no other outcome possible, this is all mine, all the glory. Yet suddenly, Trent is no longer behind me. He goes off track, taking a left onto a side street. I stare at the road through my rearview mirror. What the hell is he doing?
I keep driving, my head turns back to the road in front of me and my heart is pounding. It seems this race will go on forever yet still my lead and focus is intense, until it's not. From the corner of my left eye I see a car, a car headed straight for my drivers side door, a car about to slam into me, a car that belongs to Trent.
Ricky Noir
There are tears streaming down my face. The wind is rough against face as I sprint towards the accident. Alice's car is flipped, the hoop of Trent's car is practically gone. Alice's car has flipped, a few times at least, and she's still inside of it.
She's alive. Alice is alive but it's not good. She crawls out from her car, there is blood everywhere and she won't stand. When I reach her she is on her side, laying on the pavement and she's reaching out for me.
Alice spits blood from her mouth. "R-Ricky," he voice croaks.
I'm numb at the sight of her. I bend down to Alice and hold her face in my hands. "Hey," I say to her and her eyes flutter shut. "Hey! No, no, no, no, no you keep those eyes open, alright? You're okay, you hear me? You're okay."
Her eyes open slightly, so slightly that I wonder if she can even see me. "Okay," is all she says. Her voice is faint but she's talking, that's good. The grey tank top she has on clings to her body, it's not longer grey but a dark red and it's devastating. Someone is behind me and they're calling 911. It's Razzle, at least I think that it's Razzle.
I don't care where Trent is, I don't care. My eyes are on Alice, everything that has ever mattered is right here, right in front of me.
"It hurts." She whispers to me, only me. "Everywhere."
This is all happening so fast. I can't breathe. My heart has stopped beating, I'm sure of it. "It's okay, you are okay. Help is coming, I promise. You just need to hang on a little longer. Can you do that for me?" My voice is a mess. I'm a fucking mess.
"I can do that," she breathes. "I'll be okay."
I really try and smile at her. "I know you will." I press my forehead against hers. "I love you so much." I tell her and I tell her over and over again. "You're safe."
Theo is in front of me and his hands are on his head, his face in pure horror and he has no idea what to do or say. Razzle is angry, impatient for the ambulance that is supposed to be here to save his best friends. Mandy is beside him and I've never seen anyone cry like she is right now.
"Ricky." Alice mutters and she breaks me out of my trance. "Listen, I- I love you."
"No, Alice." I say and worry consumes me. "No, no, no. Not yet, you can't go yet. Not yet, please."
"I love you," she says again.
"Alice." I say and I am begging her. "Please."
She looks up to me, tears cascading her face. She smiles, Alice smiles. "Did I finally win?"
And a sob breaks out of me and I cry for her. "Yeah baby, you did."
Alice is holding onto me. She doesn't want to leave, she's not ready to but she has to and there's nothing I can do about it, nothing she can do about it, nothing God can do about it.
I can see the red and blue lights approaching us and Alice squeezes my hand. "I love you, p-please don't ever forget it."
"I won't," I reply and I kiss her hand. "I won't, I promise." I'm losing her. I can't do this.
"Alice, don't go, please. I love you." It's the last thing I ever say to her. Her hold on me has completely loosened and she's gone, she's right in front of my face and she's gone. "Alice?" My hands are on her shoulders. "Alice?" I say louder and I'm shaking her and I am screaming out for her, screaming for her to come back. "Alice!"
A/N
Only a few more chapters left, stay tuned.
