The Lies We Breathe

Chapter 20: Wed, Aug 9th: At the car race

That evening I messaged Liam. He'd seen it, but he hasn't replied. I looked at the clock. It was past 8pm. Something was nagging at me. I kept trying to do the homework but with little success. I kept looking at the phone. But there was still no news from Liam.

I almost jumped when my phone finally beeped.

"Tonight. 9pm. Old Windmill Park," the message read. Someone sent that in a chat that we had with my former school friends. My heart skipped a beat.

"What's happening?" I typed back. Silence. I tapped nervously on the desk as I waited for a reply.

"A race," came as a reply.

This could only mean an illegal car race. I looked at the time again. It was 8.30pm now. There was still no news from Liam. I couldn't be seen at a race. I never had gone to any before. If my father found out.

But Jake would be there. And the Shields and the Rileys. And Liam. This would not end well. I wasn't gonna go.

But curiosity gained the better of me. I quickly changed, gave myself a last glance in the mirror, and rushed out.

As I was getting closer to the Old Windmill Park I saw more and more cars heading in the same direction. Fancy cars from the East side and no so fancy ones from the West side. So it was true. I pulled up and parked my car. There were people everywhere and I couldn't believe what I was seeing: East and West side mingling. Each still stuck to their "hood" but at least gathered in the same place.

Music beamed from huge speakers. Engines roared. I pushed myself through the crowd to get a better look. Blake was tall, so spotting him in the crowd was no issue. And beside him was Liam and their other friends. Blake was leaning against the car, with his arms folded.

The crowd around them was having fun. They were dancing and drinking.

Blake was the first to notice me. He rose to his full hight and grabbing Liam by the collar of his shirt, he told him something. Liam's looked in my direction and saw me then too.

He immediately made a move toward me.

"What are you doing here?" He shouted through the noise when he got closer. He took my hand and pulled me away from the crowd.

"I might as well ask you the same," I replied. Blake was now beside us too.

"Get her out of here," Blake told Liam. He towered over me and was looking at me like with much annoyance.

"This is an illegal race," I told Blake marching up to him.

"Then run, before your daddy hears of it. Nobody wants you here anyway."

"Hey!" I heard someone shout. It was Jake. I rolled my eyes. That's the last thing I needed now. "Don't tell her what to do!" Jake pushed Blake away from me. "Are you ok?" He asked me and I nodded. Jake wasn't alone. A few of his friends were with him. They all had their fists balled. Things were beginning to not look good at all.

"What's going on here?" A guy, I've never seen before came now also toward us. He looked about 20 and he had the Riley twins with him in tow and a few others. All of them unmistakably Rileys.

"It's none of your business, Riley," Blake told him. But the other wasn't budging. He came closer and gave me a good-measured look. I was being surrounded by all those guys and I was alone among them. It unsettled me slightly.

"Ah, I've seen you with Blake in the newspapers. You must be his new girlfriend," he said looking from me to Blake. He was almost as tall as Blake, and very handsome and I had the feeling he knew it. He eyed me from head to toe and gave me his best, coy smile. "What don't you ditch him and come with me instead?"