Sub Zero was a 1992 Honda NSX-R with a glossy, white finish and the original red, Kevlar Recaro seat upholstery. Bryan ripped the canvas sheet off of her and, as he circled around the back, he tossed the sheet aside on his way down the line of Vincent's cars. Maze followed him, heart racing as they closed in on Vincent's beloved Corvette.

Together, they grabbed the sheet and swung it up and over the hood and roof, revealing every inch of Vincent's prized possession.

They swapped Vincent's car for Scorpion in the same way a kid might stuff their bedsheets with pillows to trick their parents into thinking they hadn't, in fact, snuck out the window that night.

And then, they were off.

Maze pressed down on the clutch, easing off of the accelerator as she shifted gears. In the silence of the cabin, she could almost hear her own heart humming with the LT-1 engine. It felt more and more like an out-of-body experience as each turn she took after Bryan's brake lights. The streetlights warped over the long, sleek black hood of the Corvette as Maze's shaking hands readjusted on the wheel and clutch.

She hooked her hand under the wheel as she eased around the corner and merged onto the highway. It was on the outskirts of town, connecting them to their neighbor in the county on a long, silent stretch where Maze tested the power behind the LT-1.

On two lanes, she rolled up alongside Bryan. Maze grinned through the open passenger window, which showed Bryan's barely restrained smile in the driver's side of the NSX-R.

Declan's grandparents lived on the county's edge, which left the streetlights and civilization far behind. On dark roads, they cleared past bogs and distant country homes set far back from the roads until it was nothing but cornfields and forests to muffle the sound of Maze and Bryan on a single-lane road bolting at eighty mph (Maze would like to formally apologize to Vincent for deceiving him) to the meeting spot.

Bryan slowed, dropping back on the opposite lane until Maze slowed enough to drag behind Sub Zero. She followed Bryan's lead down the gravel driveway, which opened up after a long stretch of trees to a grassy clearing. There, they uncovered the squad for that night.

Maze parked her car alongside Bryan's and before she could even step out, Vincent's Corvette was already surrounded by her friends.

Bryan swatted Grace's hand off the hood immediately. "Watch it. It's my dad's car."

Grace paused, eyes darting up to Bryan's.

Her hair had grown out significantly since Maze last saw her. the evidence measured by thick black roots encroaching on bleached hair. Grace strode over and swung an arm around Brielle's shoulders, still staring at Bryan in shock.

"Dude, are you serious? This is Vincent's?" Grace said, pointing at the Corvette.

Maze grinned, gesturing to Bryan. "S'what he said, isn't it? Taking it for a spin tonight."

"Dude, I didn't think you'd even—I mean, it's cool that you're—You know," Grace said, gesturing wildly. Behind her, Josie slapped a hand over her face, thoroughly embarrassed.

Maze laughed nervously, glancing at everyone who was staring at her and staring at Bryan like Bryan was the worst influence in the world. She held her free hand up and gave it a little wave. "Well, I didn't wreck my hands street racing, that's for sure." Grace blinked, dumbfounded, before springing back into action with a vibrant, "Right! Yeah, of course."

"As long as you're okay with it," Declan's voice sounded behind her. She and Brielle looked between them, separating to make way for Declan. He was tall, taller than where Maze's cheeks were flushed from the attention. She was lucky it was dark out.

"Yeah, of course," Maze said. She stuffed her hands in her pockets and said, "Thanks for... organizing this for me. It's been a while." 

"Sure has been," Declan said.

Willa brought with her a cooler full of soda from Auntie's downtown soda shop. Together, they all sat inside Brielle's seance circle of mosquito repellent lamps, drank soda from their childhoods, and listen to the police scanner from the comfort of a massive rug rolled out from the back of Willa's truck. Amelia brought pillows and blankets, and if they wound up spending the entire night there, Maze wouldn't even question it.

She crossed her legs at the ankles and leant back on her elbows. Bryan was sitting beside her drinking orange soda like the basic bitch he was. He leant back to recline on the rug, but intercepted Maze's legs in the process.

"Oh, shit, sorry," Bryan started, but Maze propped her legs up a bit higher and said, "Don't be shy—You can lean against me."

Bryan glared at her as Amelia snorted. Maze looked back at her, beaming, only to turn back and have her forehead flicked by Bryan. Bryan shook a finger at her and said, "You're too fucking comfortable."

"Aw, I think it's cute," Amelia said, ruffling Maze's messy black hair. Maze shook her hair out and readjusted it over her shoulders before taking another sip of soda. "I've never asked—Have you dated anyone in The Big City?"

Maze scoffed, shaking her head. "Uh, yeah, no. It's not really been on my mind," she said. When she glanced back at Amelia with a smile as the girl went off on a tangent insisting that she'd find someone perfect for her, Maze caught Willa's eyes on her from where she was sitting between Grace and Felix.

Maze looked away immediately. Why did her heart have to race then, of all times, or make her cheeks flush red? She pressed her soda bottle to her flushed cheek with a scowl on her face.

It certainly wasn't because every time she looked at Willa, she thought about her ruined friendship with Kass.

Definitely not.

"—and I have a—Oh! But maybe you aren't into guys! That's okay, I have this friend from the suburbs who is totally your type and she would be so down—" Amelia said, and Maze bristled uncomfortably, covering her face with her hand. She could thank Josie for shutting Amelia up when Josie chucked her phone across the rug and nailed Amelia directly in the left boob.

Amelia crumpled instantly. "Oh, fuck—that hurt," she groaned, holding her chest.

"Quit pestering her! Let her be a virgin!" Josie said.

"Whoa, hey, who said I'm a virgin?" Maze cried, voice cracking, and beside her, Bryan rolled his eyes. It was evidence enough because if anyone knew the status of Maze's V-card, it was her best friend. Amelia cackled, leaning over Maze to shove Bryan in the arm.

"Y'all can suck my dick," Maze grumbled, which had Grace falling back howling with laughter. Maze grinned against the lip of her bottle before taking another long drink.

Declan leant forward to the police scanner. He dimmed the volume and, still sprawled on his stomach, feet in the air, he clapped his hands together like the devious villain he was and said, "Well, as much as I'd love to discuss the state of Maze's relationship status, I think now's the time to pack up."

As they rolled up the rug and gathered the mosquito lamps, Maze paused next to Declan and leant over to whisper a quick, "Thank you," into his ear.

He nudged her in the side and said, "You can thank me after I let you win."

"Oh really? Let me?" she said, and he winked on his way back to his car with the police scanner in hand.

Maze jogged back to Vincent's Corvette, buzzing with excitement. They all filed out of the clearing and emerged in a uniform line down the distant country roads on the brink of their county. The location had ample space for them all to gather at the start and finish of the racing straight—a cornfield tractor path and a patch of field level with the road.

Maze had spent so long catching up with everyone and their cars that she was nearly as fascinated by them as she was about driving herself. But, when all was said and done, they were insistent on pitting her against Sub Zero for the sake of a good rivalry between Bryan and his father's car.

"Later, later—I want to watch you guys first," she insisted, and so they played rock paper scissors to see who would race first because of course they did. Felix was up first against Josie. Maze had talked to them both in the clearing, and she had a fairly good idea of who would win. Being able to watch them now was just a test of whether or not Maze's deductions were accurate enough.

And they were. Felix was given a meagre handicap start and still wound up barely clearing the finish line before Josie. She could hear her friends hollering down the road over the sound of Brielle declaring Felix's victory over to them.

They pitted Amelia's car against Felix's then, which was hardly a fight. Maze estimated as much from where she paced the shoulder of the road, heart buzzing in her chest.

Declan sidled up to her and said, "What'll it be?"

"You've probably seen them race before—You'd know better than me," she said.

Declan shrugged. "But you haven't. I'm curious."

"Then I'd say Amelia. Definitely her," she said just before Grace threw her arms down like the checkered flag girl she aspired to be.

Maze was surprised by how nervous she was. When the giddy energy of observing and making bets in her own head subsided, she was left feeling tingly like television static.

She looked back at Vincent's Corvette. She had driven other peoples' cars before, and despite January having nothing to do with her driving skills, her mother's reaction proved that some of her reliability behind the wheel had faltered. She almost wondered if Bryan made a mistake trusting her with Vincent's car.

"You're up," Grace declared, swinging Maze around by the shoulders. Maze faltered but ultimately, she knew that hesitating would destroy every chance her friends would give her of getting back into the game. Hesitating now meant oh, poor Maze isn't ready yet. Let's give her some time. Don't rush it!

Poor Maze, my ass, she thought, and dipped into the driver's seat without a second to spare.

Grace spiraled out into the middle of the road, boots teetering on the dashed yellow lines. She threw her arms up and Bryan revved his engine like the absolute prick he pretended to be. Maze laughed, gripping the wheel and lever tighter as she watched for Grace's mark.

She swept her arms down.

They took off, tires squealing on the asphalt until they kicked forward. Maze parried from her clutch to the accelerator, throwing the lever into gear as the Corvette edged into a rocky start.

Well, that explains that foreboding sensation, she thought, chest hollowing out. The acceleration popped like corn kernels—definitely not the smooth start she was looking for.

Bryan cleared the finish line and, when Maze glided up, Bryan was already out of his car, cursing.

"I swear I didn't do anything," Maze insisted.

"I know it isn't you," Bryan reassured, and Maze couldn't help but sigh. There was no relief in it, though—not when they were all gathering around the hood and lifting it forward. "I already know what the problem is—my dad just got it fixed, too. Shit." 

Willa whistled low, hands on her hips. "Shit luck. What is it?"

Bryan slapped his hands over his face and groaned. "It's misfiring."

Maze's head felt lighter and lighter with every second like she was about to float off into the stratosphere. She didn't even want to think about what Vincent would do if he knew that, not only had Bryan snuck his prized Corvette out, but he had also let Maze drive it while it was misfiring.

"I don't know how to fix an ignition miss," Maze confessed. She looked to Willa, who shook her head. Josie shrugged beside her and Felix cleared his throat.

"We could ask—" Felix started, but Willa slapped a hand over his mouth.

Bryan took out his phone.

"No," Willa insisted, eyes wild. 

Maze watched, baffled, as the bickering started.

"I might bitch about my old man, but I'm not giving his Corvette back like this," he said, gesturing sharply to the state of the smoking engine. Even sitting in idly sounded like the car was climbing a hill.

"He doesn't even know we took it out."

"What?" Willa said, startled. She spared a glance at Maze before reaching for Bryan's arm, dragging him aside. "You can't ask her to come out here, dude—" she started, but Bryan hissed something back that Maze couldn't hear over the running engine.

Maze turned to shut the car off, at which point a decision had been made. Willa had her hands over her face while Bryan put his phone to his ear and gave the street name to the mechanic along with, "Vincent's Corvette—Yeah, that one. Do you need anything else about it?" Half of the town knew Vincent's Corvette, and Maze would be shocked if a mechanic hadn't taken notice of it. That was all the guy needed.

Maze worried her lip between her teeth as Bryan walked back. "I'm sorry about this," she said. "If we had just left it in the garage—"

"It's fine. It woulda been my dad's problem eventually anyway," Bryan said, waving a dismissive hand. "Let's move it out of the way. I still need to win against Amelia."

"Hey, I heard that!" Amelia called out from the bed of Willa's truck.

Maze sat with the Corvette like she was visiting a hospice bedside while Bryan and Amelia talked shit to lighten the mood. Still, Maze caught herself looking back at Willa, who hadn't yet recovered from her chat with Bryan. Willa's jaw was tense, brow furrowed, and arms crossed—brooding, annoyed, and petulant. Her ginger curls were a frizzy mess from the number of times she had passed her hands through it.

Maze sighed. She really couldn't believe she wound up driving Vincent's fucked up Corvette. No wonder it was under the sheet, she thought.

Declan slid up beside her and asked, "So... do you have a job or something this summer?"

"Not yet," Maze sighed. "You?"

"Yeah, workin' at the shop," he said, and when Maze glanced over at the Corvette, he shook his head. "Not that shop. My mom's shop." 

 "Oh, right. I forgot," she said.

Declan grinned. "Yeah, I make most of my money off of shit like this anyway."

Maze rose an eyebrow. She never made much money off of street racing, especially when anything she earned off of bets was funneled into modifying her dad's Mustang. "Really?"

"Yeah... and I'd probably make a lot more if I had someone like you on my team," he said. He pursed his lips and gave her a side-eye that she returned with a dull stare. "I'm serious! Your first day back and you knew who would win and by how much. I only know those things 'cause I see 'em race every damn week."

"Are you...?" she started, and she had to admit that she was intrigued. "How much?"

He weighed the questioned for a moment before answering, "I'd say... five grand each per week?"

Five thousand dollars—every week. It was more than she could ever hope to make as a waiter or cashier.

She looked down at her hands, her fingers twisting around the metal rings on her pinkie. By the end of the summer she might have enough to help her mother if Declan's estimate was accurate. She knew his knack for the economics of street racing was trustworthy, so she'd bite.

"Yeah, I'm in," she said, and they shook on it. 

Half past one in the morning, a new pair of headlights turned the corner at a nearby intersection. The vehicle paused at the starting line where Bryan, Amelia, Grace, and Josie were now gathered. Maze pushed to her feet, arms crossed. The air had turned bitter cold that night, and she could thank that on the lakefront.

The new vehicle lingered over there for quite some time.

"Is that the mechanic?" Maze asked, drawing Declan's attention away from Shelby, who was showing him something on her phone. Willa hopped off the back of her truck.

"Yeah, it's probably just Kassandra," Declan said.

The name didn't register until after she said, "Oh." By then, it was too late to clarify.

Her breath caught in her throat as Declan said, "Yeah, she works at the shop now. Not my mom's shop. You know."

Maze stared at him. Kass works at Hiromichi's motor shop. Kass is a mechanic at my dad's old auto shop.

She must have heard it all wrong—at least, until she confirmed it by looking at Willa. Willa gave her a cold stare, jaw ticking, like she was this close to knocking Maze out and rolling her body in the ditch so Kass wouldn't see her.

Maze swallowed hard as a pair of headlights approached the finish line.

Shit, she thought, as if this couldn't possibly get any worse.