Losing Her Wings

Chapter 34

Five minutes to midnight and Angel Street was empty. There was nothing in sight, no sounds to be heard except the usual droning of silence. Everything was still and calm. All was as it should be. Suddenly the street filled with the beats of various songs as out of nowhere a group of cars swerved around the corner and came to a halt outside the all night garage Armstrong’s, bringing a deafening silence over the street once again. Each car was decorated with a different street logo, each a different colour and style to the other. One of the mechanics walked out of the workshop in his overalls, wiping his hands clean of oil as he gave each car a look over. As if on cue each of the drivers doors opened consecutively and the drivers stepped onto the street. The mechanic, Art whistled as a tall brunette emerged from the denim blue Acura RSX parked furthest away from him. On the side of her car was the logo of a motorbike wheel with a pair of wings. Dressed in a black, ruffled mini skirt and a light blue skinny rib t-shirt, he couldn’t stop his eyes from following the natural and evident curves of her body. She could feel him staring at her as she flicked a strand of her shoulder length brunette hair from her eyes and turned to the guy next to her.

“Hey Frankie, you idiot. You made me break a nail.” She smiled as she crossed to the black Mitsubishi Motors Eclipse, next to her. She ran a finger along the painted stripes as she walked along the side of the car, looking severely pissed off. “Do it again and I’ll take it personally.” She threatened as she flicked his chin with her index finger. He stepped back with a smile, promising that he didn’t mean it and that he’d never do anything to get on her wrong side. “That’s what I thought.” Was the only answer he got as she turned and walked over to Art, the sound of her high heel stiletto’s vibrating off the road as she pushed her sunglasses on top of her head, sweeping her hair out of her face. “Don’t even breathe on my car.” She growled as she walked into the garage and settled herself on the workbench, crossing her legs as she looked around, bored out of her mind. Art took another look at her as she examined her broken nail and pulled her hair over one shoulder. Turning to Frankie he extended his arm and introduced himself.

“Art…what can I do for you?” Frankie looked at the extended hand and laughed, asking sharply where Sketch was. When he saw the confusion on Art’s face, he sighed and clarified that Sketch was Brunn, the main mechanic. “He went out to buy more fags.” Art answered, suspicious as to how Brunn would know racers like this. Brunn’s dad owned the garage and Art had never seen this lot here before.

“When will he be back?” Frankie drawled as the two other drivers stood by their cars. A leggy blonde was standing by a caramel coloured Hyundai Coupe and what seemed to be her boyfriend had emerged from the other Acura RSX, this one dark green. When Art explained that he wouldn’t be because he said he had stuff to do and wouldn’t be back until late morning, Frankie swore as he looked at his car and then at the brunette inside the garage. “You got any other mechanics here?” Frankie asked in a whisper but Art didn’t like that sort of question. “Our Harley…she doesn’t like you. She won’t let you touch her angel with a barge pole. If we’re gonna get anywhere tonight, then we need another mechanic and she’s got to like him.” Frankie sighed, looking around. “She won’t go home until she gets someone to look at Angel.” He finished just as another car came screeching along the road, much to everyone’s surprise. Frankie turned to look at the road, wondering who was in such a rush to be skidding along the road at that time of the morning, he was shocked when he recognised the car as belonging to his good friend, and race buddy Joachim, otherwise known as Drift in the race world.

He had explained that he would be late back from his race but seeing his car, completely out of control and closely followed by another car which was desperately trying to correct the skid and stop himself from following in Joachim’s footsteps, he knew something had gone wrong. Harley was the first to notice, having had a bit of a soft spot for the poor guy for months, despite him being completely head over heels in love with his girlfriend Eliza. She screamed as soon as she saw the car twisting and turning on the road, unable to get a grip on the wheels again. Frankie took a step forward to go help Joachim, angry with Art the mechanic when he caught his arms and stopped him just as Joachim went head first into the tree beside the road right across from the garage.