We reached Lily's home like nothing had gone wrong, like the world was still ours to conquer. Her green garden with yellow and pink flower welcomed us, swaying in accord with the occasional wind. 

The wind-chime that I had gifted her for her last birthday hung around her entrance door, jingling with a melodious rhyme. Her parents were not at home and it seemed convenient for us, since neither of us were in a position to explain why we didn't attend school.

We sat on her room's floor, pushing her bed to one corner, making enough space for all of us to fit in. We pulled the curtains and the room became dark and suddenly, our little home theater was set.

Like always, Lily and James snuggled together, whispering, giggling and occasionally kissing each other, not bothering to look at the film she had rented. Nick and I, still fresh from the conversation and confessions, sat staring at the screen in front of us. I was sure neither of us were attentive in absorbing what was going on in the hero's life.

A little while later, in the darkness, Nick's hand had found mine, entwining our fingers. Unable to resist his charm, I let him hold me. I nestled closer for warmth as he happily accepted me.

As I lay on his chest, listening to his steady breathing, I knew I was in deep trouble. There was no way I would be able to get over this, not at least for a while. Though we both had made our intentions clear, we still hung there in the moment, relying on each other for support.

We had never been a thing. But in that exact moment it felt like a heartbreak.

I still cared and loved him, in a way he could never reciprocate. Given our interactions, we were still best of friends and me asking him to stay away from me so that I could heal from this heart ache seemed too much to ask of him. With the knowledge of him being gay - something that he, himself recently learnt - wouldn't it make me a worst friend one could ever find?

I didn't want to risk losing him to safeguard my heart.

I gulped my sorrows and smiled at him as he kissed my forehead involuntarily. "You scared me, Scar." He whispered. "I thought I lost you in there."

"You know you wouldn't." I said, hugging him in response.

My phone buzzed in the silence and I bent forward to retrieve the call. Without looking at the caller ID, I received the call.

"Where the fuck are you Scarlet Stone?"

My slow moving school day was ruined by that one call and everything was fast forwarded. I seemed so jittery and nervous that Nick, Lily and James were all worried sick. I told them that I would be fine and left there as soon as I could.

It was seven by the time the call had come. How the time had passed, was still a mystery. Clouded by pain, I had forgotten everything. The only thing I focused on was my agony and in that moment, I was torn apart.

How could I have let it happen? How could I forget?

With all the party and confession fiasco, I had forgotten about that race.

My first race.

In my torment, I had been playing with my future. I hated myself for it. Here I was soaking myself in my tears cribbing about my non-existent love life, when I had to be there working my ass off to win that damn thing to make sure that I didn't fall on the streets when the actual racing started.

I was shaking with nerves when I heard Robert's voice. It was more deadlier than I had ever come across. It made me think over my borrowed time and if I was wasting it for the sake of me.

"Are you fucking playing with me, Scarlet?" Robert's voice was menacing, filled with copious venom. "Do you care about the sacrifices we are going through to just let you in?"

I swallowed my anxiety, scared that it will burst open any time. I didn't utter a word as I allowed him to put some sense into me. Really, what was I thinking?

Apparently, he had went to my school to pick me up and stayed till all the kids had scattered away. He even went further to ask one of the teachers to know if I was held captive by them. When he got to know about me missing, he had found his customer, Brian Thompson for whom he sold his best goods. It was then he had spilled the beans about how I had eloped with Nick even when Brian said he loved me or something along with those line.

Robert was furious knowing that I had been to a party when I knew I had to race the very next day. But what he didn't know was that I was only emotionally drained.

He had then gone back to my house to find it empty and had called me several times but it had gone to voice mail. It was then his rage had gone to the rooftops. Out of frustration, he called me by names I didn't expect him to call.

Robert had always been calm and gentlemanly, but today he was like a wild man, just got out of the cave, very new to the civilized world.

He was waiting by the time I reached home. I was late by half hour and he persisted on getting me dressed for the occasion. Deep down somewhere, the guy I knew seemed to resurface. But as soon as I reached for him, I only got hold of the cold, heartless person that I never seemed to gel with.

"Aren't you wearing those things I got you?" He asked when I said I was ready to leave. The race was starting at nine and it was eight. I was sure the place was far enough to keep the localities unknown.

"Rob, it's late." I reasoned. There was no time to update my wardrobe when I was supposed to be in my car. "We should be leaving."

"It wouldn't have been late, if certain someone didn't waste their time over some stupid school kid." He said, twisting his words back at me.

I held my head low and walked back in. That day, he had bought me a dark leather jacket and a matching jeans. He had even asked me to buy those Tom Cruise goggles to add to the look. He had said that I looked like a super hot detective. His mere remarks were more than enough to buy them.

I dressed up as quickly as I could, not bothering to look at the mirror to double check if I looked okay.

I put on the dark aviators, which was my Dad's, to match the outfit. It was mostly because I didn't want anyone to bother about my dark eyes which were a result of my crying from last night.

I came out and locked the door. My Dad knew that I was going to be late, but I had not mentioned him about the race I was participating in. If I had, I would have been begging him to let me go right now.

Robert didn't speak a word as I jumped in on his new car. I wanted to ask him when he was going to sell that pretty car of his. Personally, I would have advised him not to. But it was his baby and he would know it better than anyone.

We drove in silence and I did not ask him where we were going or how much more time might it take for us to be there. I was so wrecked about the things Robert had said to me that I was more than ashamed of myself. I was frightened to look anywhere, so I concentrated on the mole on my left thumb. If I had any magical powers, it would have vanished by the time we reached the exact location.

"Ready?" Robert asked. It was more to himself than me. "Let's go."

I was left behind, wondering what just happened. I had interacted with Robert since past few months and never once he had acted this way with me. It was always flirty, casual talks. In all of these times, he never showed his angrier self with me and sometimes, I thought it didn't exist. 

Now, seeing him throwing tantrums around me, made me feel if I had known him long enough to go out with him tonight. If he were to harm me in anyway with his outbursts, I would have no where to go and no one to ask for help.

I followed him reluctantly, pulling my leather jacket around my waist, feeling self conscious. I wondered if anyone might find me ridiculous in dark jacket and dark jeans along with a dark aviators when it was already pitch black.

When we got past the guards at the main entrance, with Robert showing our ID's and all, I was mesmerized. It was like a great carnival my favorite story book had to which I yearned to go, except there were cars. At least a hundred of them. Blue, red, black, pink and you name it, it was there. Some were branded while some were not. The air smelled of beer and rum mixed with petrol and diesel. It was toxic.

The people seemed to mind their own business. I was not the only one who had kept her glasses on. Most of them had put a variety of dress. If one stood and observed, you could also see men and women half dressed, who would make anyone sprinkle holy water on them.

I stood there with my jaws on the floor, taking it all in. It was a different world all together. I remember the first time I had gone with Dad to his shows. Mom was there then, she had held my hand and guided me through the crowd to the stadium from where we could see the race. Though it wasn't as extravagant as this one, I was younger and I seemed to think that there would be nothing greater than what I had seen back then.

I was proven wrong.

Robert took my hand, much to my surprise and held it tight. He didn't look at me and just went by pulling me along with him. If I were to be left alone, I would have stood there, like a kid on her first day in Disney land.

"Come on, Scarlet." The way he put my name, made me feel as if he had forgiven me. But the way he squeezed my hand, to an extent of making it go blue-black, I wasn't so sure. I clung on to my nerves; it was the only thing that I was familiar with.

The crowd was getting denser as we made to the smaller cubicle where the MC of the night stood. That was when it hit me - I was driving tonight in front of all these crowd.

I stood frozen in my spot. It was one thing to talk in front of the whole class when you suffered from stage fright, but driving in front of a full crowd was a whole different ball game. Even though Robert, Daniel and Calvin thought I was ready, I knew I really wasn't. Robert, being the hot head of the night, pulled me with him, but I knew I was not budging.

"What the fuck is your problem?" Robert growled, if that was ever possible. "We all made a terrible mistake of accepting to teach you to race when you are clearly not interested in it! Get in this one race and then we might even reconsider!"

I was grateful that I had the goggles on. I didn't want him to see me cry. That statement alone hurt more than the fact that Nick was gay.

"Just this time, for our sake." Robert said with clenched teeth. "Don't make a scene here."

I was too hurt to mention anything. I just nodded, making sure that my tear drops didn't roll down my cheeks.

"Wild here." Robert said after pulling me to the MC. "New, registered yesterday."

The MC nodded, scribbled something on his notepad and pointed towards the next counter with his pen. He seemed more like a college kid, with a goatee beard and a spectacle dangling on his nose. He looked least interested in the activities that were going on, as if it was his every day routine. He didn't even acknowledge me or even make sure if I was the one that he was expecting.

I lowered my head, even though my eyes were safely covered with a layer of dark glass. I promptly followed Robert without another protest or shock or nerves. I didn't want him to make another judgmental comment about me and how dare he!

He didn't know me, at all. I thought he was the one with great analyzing abilities, perhaps I was wrong about him, just like he was about me. I wanted to quit racing, throw a few ugly words about him in the air and be done with it. But I couldn't do it.

I needed him more than he needed me.

And it was terrifying. What if he pulled out another stunt like this, hurting me in the process of helping me win the damned race?

I hadn't understood when Dad had told me it was a wicked world out there and there would be no one by my side to protect me. Now it all sat there in front, laughing at my innocence. I needed to be strong, not only for myself but for Dad as well.

When Robert was not looking at me, I wiped my tears away and followed him with more determination. I had a purpose here, once I was done it with, there was nothing more to deal with him.

My personal life, whether I drank or danced or flunked, it wasn't his fucking concern anymore. By the end of the day, I had to win and I was ready for it.

Calvin and Daniel stood at one of the cars and I heaved a sigh of relief as someone was there other than the freaking Robert.

"Scar, wow!" Daniel was fast to respond to my new wardrobe. "You look stunning. Black is definitely your color."

I took my aviators out, more in style than I intended to and Dan let out a low whistle. I bent my head lower, more to my discomfort avoiding all eye contact.

"Scarlet," Calvin said, grabbing my attention. He was like his usual self, calm and collected, dressed formally enough to look like a manager for someone behind the wheels. His coat was brown, which held its color when lights fell on it, unlike most of his coats which were always faded. I smiled at him in reflex as his blue eyes pierced at me. "You are named here as Wild, like a nickname, you know, to provide two lives for you - with and without fame."

I looked at Dan for some consolation, but he just nodded his head. Normally, if things hadn't gone down the lane with Rob and me, I would have turned to him in times like these. But now, after seeing that he just wanted things to go smooth on his part of the sail, I didn't want to weigh him down.

"This is your car." Calvin said, moving towards his left. 

He gestured his hand to point the car, like the girls who were promoting cars in those fast and furious movies. The car was rich yellow in color with black stripes at the bonnet and at the side doors. A big 'WILD' was written on the bonnet with black. It was half of my height, its roof only coming to reach my stomach. I bent a little to get a look at the interior - there was only one seat which looked like I could sleep on it; it was that big.

"Dan and Bert will show you the usage of those buttons and pistons." Cal smiled.

I nodded my head, not looking at him, as I noticed there were so many buttons on all sides of the interior of the car. Car? Could I even call it that?

"Kiddo," Calvin's voice was much softer now, which made me turn towards him. He had a fleecy glint in his eyes, his smile distant. "I know you are scared and you've not reported this back home. But remember, win or lose, we are all there with you. It's your first legal race, enjoy it and just... try not getting hurt, yeah?"

I looked at the other two guys who had stood silent. Dan was smiling supportively at me but Rob... there was something off radiating anger all around him. As soon as our eyes caught each other, he turned his gaze away and crossed his arms.

So much for looking up to him.

Calvin gave me a brisk handshake wishing me luck and brains to win the race. He turned around to walk away, leaving me with Rob and Dan to figure out the yellow toy they wanted me to play with. Just then, he walked back with a guilty smile, his hands in his pocket. "I just forgot." He pulled out a card and handed it to me.

I looked at him questioningly.

"Your driving license." He explained. "We worked it out at your last race with the home boys. You earned it, honey."

He placed my DL in my hand. I looked at it, grazing my finger tips on my name. 'Scarlet Stone' it read. I had earned it.

Wow.

With all the energy drained out of me emotionally, I could not form words or thank him for what he had done. If my Dad had seen it, I was sure he would have sued Calvin on spot.

I didn't even give a test to get it!

"Oh, Scarlet." To my surprise, Calvin pulled me into a hug after seeing my pathetic state of being mute. "You will need it for when you drive that BMW." He whispered, making me hold him tighter. "I'll leave you guys, just don't do anything that you would regret." 

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A/N: Are you ready for the legal race? But most importantly, do you think Scarlet will be able to win, especially with all the emotional baggage? And Robert, do you think he will help her?

What do you think of the story so far? If you are enjoying it, then please press that star and make my day shine :)