Stars

Race

I collapse onto my bed with a heavy sigh. God why does my boss have to be such a jerk? I misplaced one wrench. One. Out of all six billion of the ones he uses, I'm not sure why he even REALIZED he was missing a wrench. I groan and rub my hands over my eyes, running my fingers through my hair.
This isn't the first time my employer has screamed at me. Even when I'm doing nothing wrong he'll scream that I need to be faster, or more efficient with my work. Can he not see the strain I have when working on those damn vehicles?
Sighing, I pull off my Auto Body polo and walk to the bathroom to rinse the oil from my hands. The sticky black substance stains the creases of my work-worn skin. Calluses litter my palms and my knuckles bleed from dryness. After the oil is gone from my skin, I cover my hands in a moisturizer to hopefully stop my cracked knuckles from bleeding. Turning off the light and tossing the dirty rag in my laundry basket, I close the bathroom door and head downstairs to the kitchen.
Mom and dad are already eating dinner when I get down there. Plates of salad and burgers are set out with an empty place setting across the table from my parents.
I scowl at them as I walk to the cabinets for a fork.
"You guys just eat without me now?" I ask, trying my best to mask my anger. My day wasn't very good and my parents being arses is gonna make it very hard for me to stay cool.
"I called for you but you didn't answer," my mother replies lazily.
My father remains quiet, ignoring me with his eyes locked on his phone screen.
I turn away from them, shaking my head.
"Sure you did," I mutter underneath my breath.
I didn't think anyone would hear me, but I forget my dad has ears like a rabbit.
"Is that how you talk to your mother, boy?" My father's voice snaps.
I turn around to meet his glare. His eyes bore into mine, the anger pulsing behind them. I return his look with a stare of my own.
"You better apologize, now," he snarls.
Instead of complying, I set my jaw and snatch my plate from the table. Turning on heel, I stride up the stairs to my room, listing to my father scream after me.
"You get your ass back down here right now! God you disrespectful boy, I swear, I'll teach you!" He screams, the sound of chairs against the floor following his voice.
"Honey, sit down! Leave him be!" my mothers voice shouts at my raging father.
My father stops yelling and I wait a moment until I'm sure he sat back down, grumbling to himself angrily. I walk back into my room, slamming the door behind me and tossing the plate of food onto my dresser.
Snarling, I grow a few punches into my pillow, struggling to drain some rage. My eyes burn and my throat feels tight from holding back tears. I punch the pillow a few more times, nearly choking from holding back my tears. Rage runs through every inch of my body, pulsing through every vein. I let out a scream and finally collapse against the wall, leaning my head against the smooth surface.
I pant loudly, taking in one shaky breath after the other.
You're stronger than this. Bottle it up. You have to be solid. Just like your father.
I clench my teeth angrily and bite my tongue, the familiar numb feeling spreading over my body.
There. No feeling. I think bitterly.
I sit on the edge of my bed with my hands folded tightly in my lap. Listening carefully downstairs, I can tell my parents have gone to bed. The light in the hall is off and the kitchen fan is off as well.
Reaching for my phone, I feel a vibration go though my hand. The screen blinks to life and a single message bands the lock screen. It's from Jevon, one of the employees from my work.
My heart races as I read his message.
South bridge. Near 87. 10:00. Be there.
Biting my lip, I put the phone down, debating on wether or not I should go. I look across the room and my wallet blinks up at me from my desk.
Fine. I could use a distraction.
I jump to my feet, grabbing my jacket from the closet and stuffing my wallet inside. I slide downstairs silently, snatching a set of keys from the countertop and striding to the garage.
***
The night is strangely calm tonight, the streets and highways nearly empty. The bright lights of the motels reflect off of the windshield as I drive, the colors dancing over the yellow hood and parallel black stripes. Dad won't notice it's gone but he'll be raging mad if he realizes I went out.
I turn the wheel, driving up toward the bridge and down the road beside it. A black Ferrari f430 Scuderia is parked beneath the bridge, lights flashing as I pass. I pull up beside it, a group of people- some employees from my work- move out of my way as I line myself parallel to the Ferrari. The window rolls down and I can hear the booming music from the radio inside.
"Well if it isn't Ol' Black and Yellow," Jevon chuckles over the music from the driver seat.
I scowl and he turns the radio down, leaning out his window to peer at me. His dark skin reflects from the lights illuminating the inside of the car.
"What made you come this time?" He asks me, pulling his dark sunglasses from his eyes.
Jevon has been trying to get me to race for weeks, but I've always turned him down in fear of wrecking my dad's cars, or getting busted by the police. Dad doesn't pay attention to his Camaro as much as his blue Lamborghini, but he still values it.
Instead of answering, I rev the engine of the Camaro. The sound rings around the underside of the bridge, vibrating the floor beneath my feet and shaking the seats.
Jevon laughs and leans back, nodding slowly.
"Alright Black and Yellow," he says slyly, "three fifty if you win."
I narrow my eyes and decided to test him.
"Four fifty," I shoot back.
Jevon clenches his jaw, leaning his arm on the window.
"Alright rich boy. You better pray you know what you're playing," he says, then rolls up the window, blaring his music as loud as possible.
I turn forward once again and turn my music up as well, drowning my thoughts in it.
Clutching the steering wheel tightly in my hands, I lean into the Sparco bucket seat, staring intently at the girl standing between us.
She raises a white piece of fabric above her head and grins at us both.
My suspense is killing me now, so I rev the engine as loud as I can, just to give her a heads up. Javon revs beside me too, clearly just as impatient.
Finally the girl swings her arm down, the white rag catching the light of both of our headlights before disappearing behind her back.
The sound of our engines is deafening.