32

How I Was Fifth

As if just sitting in a box was stressful, this was killing me. The stadium was even more full of people than it was on the last race. I didn't even know this was possible. The last time it did not depend solely on me, but this time it does. The crowd is so loud it is sending shivers down my spine and I can feel the adrenalin being pumped into my veins like it was on sale and my body wanted it gone badly because it bought too much and it was going to get bad. My brain is like a highway where no one knows what direction to drive in. I can see Eric adjusting the suit on me, but I am so nervous I can't even feel anything. The box's door is already open and that's why I have on my helmet so no one could recognise it's not Chris Rose which could be potentially dangerous for all of our careers. Not that what I have could even be called that.

"Go on the bike," says Chuck who is already parked next to the sofa. "They will start soon.

Chris is sitting next to Chuck stands up and walks over to me while he is making sure not to make himself visible. He grabs my shoulders making me look him in the eyes. His cold blue eyes. "Don't blow it."

"This is more impactful to her than is to you," says Chuck who is the only one of us who actually dares to stand up to him. "You will race the next year no matter how much you suck, she won't."

"Just breathe," says Johnny who is outside already removing the equipment from the bike. "You'll do fine, cus."

"Enough chit-chat," says Eric pushing me out. "Go and have fun."

"Ha, so much fun!" I mumble with a higher voice that it seemed higher than usual. Probably from adrenaline. I can feel my legs turning into jelly.

"Swift," calls Chuck right before I sit down on a bike. "If you race half as good as you whine, you're good."

I roll my eyes and sit down. Ok.

"Hello, people of speed!" I can hear the commentator yelling all over the stadyum. I can hear the bikes being turned on in other boxes and people cheering all around. If I felt the adrenaline before, I don't know what this is. I can see the lock in front of me lifting. I drive out of the box with the rest of racers. It's a warm up lap so I have to let all the others to pass me since 65 was on the last race. I slowly exit the stops and enter the ring with others. I let them pass me and when I realise there is no one else behind me, I start speeding up slowly. I know it's only a warm up lap, but I feel so nervous and I can't even tell if it's me or is that the engine shaking or if it is both!

"You holding on?" I hear Johnny on the microphone.

"I haven't even started yet," I mumble.

"You seem nervous," he says and I can feel the smirk on his face.

"Really? I had no idea!" I exclaim and roll my eyes. "Just... shut up." Johnny can't reply because the lights have turned from red to green signaling that the race has started. The ones in the first positions are speeding already while us in the back have to still carry the warming up on. No matter how much I didn't want it to come to this I pass the starting line and have to speed up to catch up with the rest. I manage to get myself closer but the one in front of me blocks my way and I can't pass him.

"Calm the hell down!" I hear Chuck. "Take the inner line and just do what you usually do."

"Usually I am not alone!" I snap back while passing one driving in the inner line like he told me to do.

"If you can't do this, we can finish for the season and you can go pick up your books at the local stationary!"

I shook my head and subconsciously speed up even more.

The rest of a race literally passes up in a blur. I've lost count of how many have I passed, how many have passed me and how many laps have I made. I just know that after some time I did manage to get myself in the state I would get myself while doing the test laps. By the time the commentator announced the last lap I am practically lying down on the bike to reduce wind resistance to the minimum. The adrenaline is still present just not as much as it used to be or I can't feel it anymore. Thanks to the larger boots the vibrations on my legs are even worse than they were when I raced with my normal boots thus my legs are feeling a bit numb. But none of that really matters since I am so close to the finish line. A few of the racers have already managed to pass it already and I am getting closer and closer. I can feel the wind getting stronger and I get scared for the moment since I've never went so fast, but I try to keep my focus.

Finally I manage to pass the finish line and I return to the box quickly so Chris and I could switch. I park inside and Chris is already going out the second I step down to greet the press and the rest. I take my helmet off and shake my head to remove the hair that fell on my face during the race. My legs feel like jelly and no matter how happy I should be I feel numb from all of the adrenaline I can still feel. I sit down between Eric and Chuck who are still watching the screen. "I was fifth?!" I exclaim happily.

Chuck grabs my collar as soon as I get into his arm reach. "Are you stupid?!"

"It's a trick question!" exclaims Eric who is clearly happy I did so well. Well, for my second race.

"Zip it!" Chuck exclaims. I've never seen him so angry, just... bored and annoyed. I actually got scared for a moment. "What did you do?"

"I don't know," I manage to get out.

"You don't?" he asks. He reached for remote and revines the footage of the race much to Eric's disappointment. He stops at the exact time I sped up for the last time. "What did you do here?" he asks me clearly no pleased with my action.

"I sped up," I say not really sure why is he angry at that.

"You got scared," he says turning on the slow motion. I can see me speeding up and right after I did, the bike lost stability for the second before I continued. "Have you got any damn idea how dangerous that is? You could've fallen!"

"Well..." I start with apology.

"Your safety comes first! Screw winning if that means you get to fall and have the rest of your life ruined!"

"I agree," says Johnny who is changing the tired on the bike.

"Shut up," says Chuck clearly annoyed. He let go of me and put the screen back on the normal mode much to Eric's delight. "Go and find Chris."

"What?" I ask confused at the quick change of topic.

"He promised to help you. What is a better help than giving you the public recognition?" asks Eric, gets up, pulls me on my feet and pulls the jacket off me. I am left in the shirt I'd be wearing as a mechanic and he quickly throws me baggs trousers that are easy to pull over these I am wearing right now so it saves time.

I quickly grab a can of coke and walk out of the box towards the place where the racers are gathered doing the interviews. I can see Chris and walk straight up to him. "Thought you might want a refreshment," I say innocently while telling him to do his part of a dead.

I can see the clear hatred pilling up in his eyes, but he knows what's up. "Thank you, Tina," he mumbles and takes the coke out of my hand.

"Is this your girlfriend?" asks a journalist who was interviewing him.

"No!" we exclaim at the same time.

"Than who is it?" asks the blonde.

"This is the new member of our team. This is Christine Swift, a mechanic," says Chris pulling me closer.

"Wow, a woman mechanic," says the journalist her cameraman still rolling. She moves the microphone away and quietly asks, "Could I give you some questions? It would bus our ratting probably."

I nod and move the annoying hair from my face. "Sure."

"You can go and do some more interviews," says the journalist. "Thank you."

Chris looks at me like I just killed his dog, turns around and leaves without a word clearly pissed. The blonde seems like she doesn't care and turns towards me again. "My name is Barbie," she smiles giving shaking my hand. "We were told this is your first year, right?"

"Yes, this is the first year I've been in this team or in this industry in general."

"And how is it?"

"The team is great and the events as a whole, but working with bikes is the best," I answer honestly.

"Could you tell us something more about the bike you are working on in particular?" People would usually stop me if I went in too much detail, but I wanted to get myself into a better team for the next year thus I just try to give out the important things. And yet Barbie continue to ask me more and more questions and I try to answer them as good as I can.