"What the hell you think you were trying to do to her, huh?" It was a familiar voice screaming, making my head pound a litter louder. "She could have died!"

"Dude, you need to relax." I heard another voice say in exhaustion. "It's just a little scratch on her head. She's not going to die."

I tried opening my eyes. It was too heavy at first, but then slowly it became lighter. My head pounded as I tried to adjust my vision.

"Will you both shut up?" Another voice said, too mushy to recognize it's owner. "She's awake now."

"Scar!"

"Scarlet!"

I instantly recognized the voices and to whom it belonged to. But no sooner had I recognized it, there was a sense of wonder and confusion hitting me at the same time, tripling my headache.

I remembered the incidents taking place before I blacked out, so it was easier pointing out one voice from the other. But... what was Nick doing here?

"Scarlet, you need to lie down for another second before you get up." Rob said cautiously. "You might feel giddy if you do."

"It's okay, Scar." Nick said. "You are alright now. It was just a small accident."

I slowly raised myself up to sitting position with both the boys at my tow. The other person, Luke who was working with Robert, stood at one corner with his hands folded looking at the scene unfolding in front of him.

"You... can you talk?" I heard Nick ask me with concern filled in his voice.

I saw Robert roll his eyes at him. But he didn't say another word to him.

"What are you doing here?" I asked Nick, holding my head in my hands. "And I'm okay I guess." I added.

"Oh, thank God." Nick said, relieved. The very next moment he turned towards Robert in an accusing manner. "It was all your fault. If anything had happened to her, just remember you wouldn't be alive."

Robert rolled his eyes, handing me a water bottle. "Oh, right. Here it comes."

"Will you guys stop?" I asked, fed up of watching them banter with each other. I drank the water that Luke brought it to me and placed it next to me. "Rob, can I get on with the lessons tomorrow?"

"Yes, I'll take you home." Nick got up, helping me to get up from the ground. "You can get some rest today."

"Stop." Robert said, putting his hands on my arms, halting me in my steps. "You are not going anywhere until you go for another drive."

"Are you going crazy?" Nick started shouting. "I'm not letting her into that death trap again."

I looked at the dented vehicle with its hood open at one end. Luke was inspecting the engine, cleaning some random parts that I didn't know about. Looking at the damage, I gulped in response. There was no way in hell I was going to sit in the same vehicle, let alone drive it.

"Robert, I'll come tomorrow." I muttered, hoping that he understood what I was pleading him with. "Besides, I'm too tired and my body aches."

"Scarlet, you know I'm not taking that as an answer, right?" Robert sternly relied. With his grease smudged scar and the uneven haircut, he looked too dangerous to argue with. "You are sitting behind the wheel."

"You heard the lady, dude." Nick said, yanking my hand from Robert's reach. "Just let her go."

"Will you guys shut the fuck up and let her drive that fucking vehicle, without making any more fucking scenes?" Robert snarled angrily, making me shudder.

"Whoa" Was all Nick could manage. When I turned to look at him, he just shrugged. "I never thought one could fit so many curse words in one sentence."

Robert smirked. "Oh, you've not seen my track language yet." He then looked at me. "So?"

I looked at Nick for some support, to tell Robert that it was not okay to drive today, just after I had a freaking accident, but all I saw was his head nod. "Nick?"

"Scar, he'll kill me if I open my mouth against it." Nick said, looking at Robert. I was sure Rob's smirk grew twice as large. "It's just another drive, make it quick, okay?"

I gulped my fears, trying to look strong, but I could tell that Robert had already sensed this. Yet, he didn't say a word. "Fine, I'll go. Just don't mention it to my Dad."

Both of them nodded their head.

"Luke, she's ready?" Robert asked Luke indicating the vehicle.

When Luke said something about it being in a good condition to give another go, in spite of the dented dash board, Robert smiled ear to ear. "Come on, it's time."

"I'll be sitting at one of those benches, okay?" Nick said, pointing to the chairs at one corner. "As soon as you are done, I'll take you home. I promise."

I nodded my head. I was sure I looked terrified, but no one bothered to make a note of it and that pissed me off. Robert was making it more difficult being his pestering self as always. I wanted to get it done as soon as possible and reach home, where I would be safe.

Robert and I reached the car. I stood in front of it a second more than necessary before reaching for the door handle. Thankfully, sensing my hesitation, Rob joined and sat on the passenger seat. "Come on, now."

I took a deep breath and settled on the seat, putting on my seat belt.

"So, what were you thinking about?" Robert scolded. "I told you not to think about your personal stuffs when you are behind the wheel."

I stayed quite, not wanting to argue with him. I was already pissed that I had to drive this stupid car even after I've wrecked it. I ignored his questions and started the engine. It roared to life.

Suddenly, Robert reached for the key and switched it off, glaring at me. "I asked you a question, Stone!"

"What the fuck do you want?" I shouted at him, fed up of his—I told you so's. "You wanted me to drive, I'm here. Let's just get it done."

"How the hell did you get into the accident?" Robert asked disregarding my words. "Tell me exactly what happened when this dent was formed?"

"Why? So that you can psychoanalyze me and call yourself great?" I asked, venom spitting on him. "Or because you can once again tell me that you told you so?"

"Stone, you are crossing the line." Robert said in a controlled voice, as if he was trying not to let his anger get him. "I'm being the teacher here and not your friend. Just tell me what happened."

"You are being over dramatic." I said, rolling my eyes. "You don't have to psychoanalyze all the time."

"Fuck, you are impossible! I'm trying so hard..." He stopped mid-sentence, hitting the dash board with is hands curled into fists. "Look, I don't want to analyse you."

"Then what?" I challenged, raising my voice to meet his.

"I know you are scared though you are trying to put up a strong façade in front of me." Robert sighed. "I'm making you drive just after you had your fall because you won't fear it again in future."

"Oh," Was all I could muster.

"So, will you please tell me what happened?" Robert asked, his anger which had decreased to a noticeable extent.

"I understand the riding part. But why exactly what happened part?" I asked still confused.

Robert let out an audible sigh. "Then I'll make you drive the exact same way and try to pull you out of the fear."

"Robert..." I started, coming up with witty comebacks and conversations, but Robert was not ready to hear any of those.

"I'm going to ask you one more time, Scarlet. What happened?"

I closed my eyes and the flashbacks started. Slowly, I poured out everything that I was feeling and thinking. Throughout my whole blabber, Robert sat next to me patiently listening to what I was saying very intently.

I realized that, it was why he was hired in the race tracks in the first place. He was good at analyzing and making the whole scene better with his predictions.

"Okay. You can start the engine now." Robert said, when I finally completed my blabber. "This time, you will go the exact same way, but you will be listening to what I'm saying and doing exactly that."

I nodded.

I started the engine and slowly released the clutch. The car moved forward just as my fears increased. I went straight not raising the acceleration above twenty.

"Scarlet, it's okay." Robert said. "Raise the acceleration. You and I both know you go beyond forty in straight roads."

I stopped the car in the middle. "Robert, I don't think I can do it." I said, scared to go any further. What if I was going to crash again? This time, there was a responsibility of Robert's life along with mine. I couldn't risk it.

Robert took my shaky hands in his warm ones. "That's exactly why I want you to do it." He smiled warmly at me. "Moreover I'll be there with you this time. I won't let anything happen to you, okay?"

"What if I kill you in the process?" I voiced my fears.

Robert snorted at this and kissed the backside of my hand. "Awe babe, it's actually first time someone has worried about me."

I withdrew my hand as soon as his lips made contact with my hands. Ewe. I rubbed it against my baggy jeans making Robert chuckle even more. Frustrated, I started the vehicle again, this time not minding if I was killing him.

I hit the accelerator again and the car zoomed. "Whoa, not this fast, slow down." Robert said and I smirked as I slowed down a bit. "Now, that's better."

As the curve where I looked back at the mirror arrived, I tensed. "Rob, this is where..."

"I know. Look at the mirror just as you did before." He said. But instead of obeying the orders, I looked at him asking silently if he was crazy making me go through the same incidents again.

"Just do what I say." He said, rolling his eyes at me. "But I can understand if you would prefer my handsome face instead."

In reflex, I looked at the mirror.

"Now, do you see anything coming behind?" He asked, humor evident in his voice.

"Are you seriously sane?" I shouted at him.

"Just answer my damn questions." He said, pulling the steering wheel towards his side, as I was going astray with his demo experiments. "This is how we will have to communicate during the races."

"No, Robert." I said stressing on the word, no. "There are no vehicles behind me. It's all free."

"You don't have to make a whole sentence about that. You can just say no. It kind of saves time, okay?" He said in all seriousness.

"I'm nearing that freaking turn, you idiot." I screamed.

"Slow down further a bit and look ahead." He said calmly. "You know there are no vehicles behind, so you can go just as you wish as long as you don't hit the vehicles in front."

"Okay." I said, trying to trust him for once.

"Do you see anything in front of you?" He was asking such silly questions that I was getting so irritated that I wanted nothing more than jamming his side of the car.

"I don't see any, you bastard." I said, sparing a second to look at him.

"I don't really need your sass." He said. "And eyes on the road sweetheart, you know the consequences if you don't."

"I'm turning towards my left." I informed.

"Okay, put all your muscle strength and turn it towards your left." He guided. "You are still in speed to make it okay."

"What!" I shouted, looking at him. "You couldn't fit that in your sarcasm."

"Watch it!" Robert said, helping me steer the wheel towards my left. We missed the same turn again by an inch. "Concentrate, Scarlet. Eyes on the road." I could see him smirk and I was keen to smash it the very chance I got.

"I could've killed you." I said, hitting his arm as forcefully as I could.

"Relax, I'm sure I won't die this young." He chuckled, making me smile. "Again."

Soon, my smile dropped and I started to frown. "Your heart may be strong to withstand it, but I'm done for the day. Please spare me." I begged.

"I'm not letting you go until you can make it without me guiding you." He said in all seriousness. "I don't care if you are going to make it in the next lap or in the fiftieth lap. I want the result."

"Again."

"Again."

"Again."

Every time, Robert was sure to pick out some or the other mistakes, making me repeat my steps back to the initial spot. I would go rather too fast, or too slow for his liking. Sometimes, the way I handle the gears were not right. The other times, I would almost miss the hit of the tires by a few millimetres.

"It's okay, if you hit." He told me, when I jerked to a stop thinking that I was going to hit us against the tires. "You have already damaged the beauty of the car, it won't matter anymore."

It was like a punishment that I didn't commit. I agree that I was a bit dimwit to get into that accident in the first place. I mean, even kids below my age drive cars in supersonic speeds and one part of me had accepted some kind of penalty. But this was going out of bounds.

I was at my thirty second lap trying to impress my one and only master of my car drives. The sky was turning dark. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Nick tapping his feet and looking at his watch. I knew his mom was pretty strict when it came to obeying one of her rules.

"You may take a break." The sentence alone made me cry of happiness. I looked at Robert, stunned that he had actually, indirectly said that I had reached his expectations. "But the training for today is not yet over."

"But I was par at the turning thing?" I asked excited.

"I'm giving you a break Scarlet, don't push it though." He said, but when he turned to get out of the car, I caught his smile and then I knew. I had passed his test.

I could tell that I was proud of myself. At least once in my lifetime, I had reached the expectations of my master. I smiled at myself as I got down too. I picked my cell phone and called Dad.

Out of all the craziness the day had to offer me, I had not called to check on him.

He said that he was staying over at Dan's just like the time when he hung out with his people. He promised to take his medicines on time and would be back home by morning. With Dan in the picture, I heaved a sigh. I knew he would take care of him for me.

I walked towards Nick as I cut the call. He looked more handsome with the last of the sun rays falling on the side of his face, making his five o'clock stubble look more distinct. His green eyes shone brightly, as I sat next to him.

"You were good at it." He said, after a few minutes of silence. "I think you'll do wonders in here."

"Like crashing and making the cars look ugly?" I asked, with a smile on my own. "Maybe I will."

Nick snorted. "Yeah, that too. I can promise you that."

"So, why are you here?" I asked. I had been meaning to ask him, since I saw him, but the situations were different and I couldn't form the words or find the privacy to do it.

The smile on his face fell immediately as I asked him. "You just walked away from the library."

"You were busy." I said, not looking in his eye.

"It all seems like my mistake." He said finally. "You were angry on me and walked out. Out of anger you pushed yourself a little too hard and you had your accident."

"Nick..." I said, placing my hand on his. "It's not your fault. And me being angry on you was a big misunderstanding. So... can we just drop it?"

Nick nodded his head. "Of course. Come, let's go home now."

"One more thing." I said, tucking my hair behind my ears. "I'm not done here yet. But you should go. I'm totally fine now."

"Oh yeah, she is." Robert piped up from behind.

"I could stay if you want." Nick said, not giving any attention to Robert.

"That's okay. I know how your mom gets when you are not home on time." I said, with a smile. "Besides, this idiot can give me a drive home for making me go through hell today.

Nick stood looking at me with dubious eyes. "Okay." He said finally.

"Come on, babe." Robert said, a little later after Nick had gone. "You still have five more laps to complete."

---

A/N: Yay! They made up! What do you think of Robert's way to take the fear out of her system? Healthy?