I sat on the driver's seat, my nerves tingling. I had dreams of me racing every time I watched the fast and the furious movie series. But never had I thought those dreams would actually come true.

"You ready?" Robert... err... Bert asked me.

I gave him a toothy smile, the one that always said that I was containing my enthusiasm pretending that it didn't affect me.

"I'll take that as yes." He said, giving back an amused smile. "So your name is Scarlet?"

My smile fell. "You didn't hear what Dan just said?"

"Wanted confirmation." He declined, taking the front seat next to me and strapping on the seat belt. "It was supposed to be a SUV, but I changed its features and I present you— Maria!"

I laughed. "Maria?" I asked, holding my hand over my mouth. "What is she? A dying ship?"

He gave me dirty glare. "Maria, I'm so sorry." He said, placing a hand on his dashboard. "She's just mean. Please don't kill her in the track for the mean things she says to you."

I rolled my eyes, not getting intimidated by his words. Yet, I pulled the seat belt across my chest.

"It's not because I care for her. It's because I could lose my job if she did." He continued. If he still went on with the crap for another ten minutes, he was the one who was dying. "I love you Maria."

"Congratulations!" I said, as he completed. "I'm a thousand years old now."

"Ignore her, Maria." He said, looking away for a second. "It's what I do."

"God!" I wailed. "Are we driving or what?" I asked, patience running out on me.

When he didn't turn back to guide me on what I was doing, I tried to experiment a little. I turned the key on, only a little bit. The radio started to rumble against the silence that hung in the air. I turned the key a little bit more and the engine roared to life.

"Whoa," He said, turning back at me. I rolled my eyes; it was now that he recognized that I was here too. "Easy there. It's your first time."

"Well?"

He sighed. "So the right leg is used for acceleration and for break, while left is for clutch."

"So, clutch is for changing gears? And I turn this wheel right, when right and left when left, right?" I asked.

Robert only laughed. "It's not that simple. But yes, that's the basic."

I stared moving ahead and instead of telling me what to do next, Bert sat next to me, eyeing me as I wondered how to get the car moving ahead. I had seen enough racing movies to know that I had to release the clutch but each time, the car danced in its position instead of moving ahead.

"Seriously?" He asked, his eyes holding laughter. "You have been the daughter of Edward-the-great for your entire life and you haven't touched a car?"

To say my ego was hurt was an understatement. It was humiliating. That was what I was afraid of. Judgement. And Robert was quick in giving me one. I looked away, cursing my Dad in my mind for making me go through this hell for his greedy bets.

"You need to slowly release the clutch and the break. They need to move in sync." Robert rolled his eyes as if I were the dumbest girl he had ever seen. "What else don't you know, Miss-I-know-everything?"

I remained silent, not bothering him with a smart remark.

"Since its dark, we switch on the head lights." He continued, turning a knob that was struck to the steering wheel. "You need to know why it's used too?"

"Just shut the fuck up!" I shouted, anger etched on my face. I swear my face was red with frustration.

I agreed that I lacked all the genes that needed to know about the cars and the engines. It was mainly because my Dad had never made me step near his garage, reasoning that I was a girl. I had seen him race though, and I knew most of the tricks they used.

But that didn't mean that Robert had to make fun and embarrass me for every tiny thing that I said or did.

I hurried out of his bloody Maria and slammed the door with a loud thud. I was done trying to learn from him. Let Dan find another guy who can teach me, for all I cared. I was not spending another minute with him.

"Scarlet!" I heard him shout after me when I pulled my bag along with me. I heard him sigh and I guessed my classes for the day was over. I would talk to Dan first thing in the morning and get things straight.

I had to take the bus, but I didn't know how long I would be able to contain my anger. So I walked instead. It was a three mile hike and I thought it would be a good way to let my frustrations out. I walked ahead without turning back.

As I was making my way almost five blocks from home, huffing out obscenities, someone caught my arm and pulled me to a stop. Being in the shady part of the town, my other hand had already fished for the pepper spray that I always carried around. As the guy who pulled me, turned me to face him, I sprayed the itchy liquid right on the guy's face with my eyes closed.

"Ow!" The person grunted, immediately letting go of my hand. I took the opportunity to sprint away from him. But his next words rooted me to the spot. "Scar..."

I put the leg that I had lifted to run, back in its position and turned around to see none other than Bert, holding his eyes with both his hands. Though a part of me felt sorry that I had sprayed him, a bigger part of me enjoyed it—he deserved it.

"Yes?" I asked, crossing my hand against my chest.

"It's hurting." He winced like a school boy and I had to muffle my laughter. He was bragging that he was the master behind the wheel, yet he cried like a child when he was sprayed. He hadn't opened his eyes yet, and was rubbing them furiously to get the spice out.

Taking pity on him, I pulled out my water bottle and handed him. "Here, wash it off before you create a scene."

He grunted something in response which I didn't feel like responding back as he took the bottle from me. He poured water on his eyes trying to cool them off. I walked my way as he was at it.

Just because I sprayed him, didn't mean that I felt guilty and sorry for him.

"Hey wait!" He called again when he noticed that I was not standing in front of him. He jogged towards me. "I'm sorry, okay? Though you are the one who has to be sorry here." He pointed towards his puffy eyes.

"You deserved it." I said and turned my heels away from him.

I heard him take a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have made fun of you."

"Fun?" I fumed, letting out a humorless laugh. I turned back to face him. "You first make comments about my Dad's racing. Then you come back with this stupid theory of how he meets his accident and funnily the same thing happens. He cannot race and now, I'm stuck with you trying to learn racing."

"Well, when you put it that way—"

"So in brief, it has all started with you, in the first place." I continued ignoring his remarks. "I stay for some goddamned reason and yet you, you are just a dead carcass of a rat."

I was fuming with rage as I put everything out in the open.

"Even though it's not my fault that your Dad crashed that day, I'm sorry." He said slowly.

"You better be." I said, folding my arms.

He smiled, a genuine smile that I had never seen before. "So, friends? He extended a hand towards me, keeping his smile intact.

I pouted, thinking if it was actually a good idea. I ran through all the possibilities if I wanted a teacher change. I had already asked Dan for the change and he had mentioned that no one was available. Perhaps, Jake was free or...

"Come on, Scarlet." He said, his hand extended.

"Fine." I said, rolling my eyes at him as I took his hand in mine, shaking it briefly.

"Hi, I'm Robert Hastings and I will be your trainer." He said, with the same smile.

"Robert?" I asked perplexed. "I thought you said your name was Bert."

"It's just the last four letters of my name." He said with a small shrug. "I didn't want my name to be out, so it's just Bert on the grounds."

"You are sounding like a murderer on a hunting spree." I said, taking a step back.

He laughed, a devious one, at my remark and shook his head. It was the first time that I noticed his hair. Massive curls that needed a good wash and preferably a nice cut. As he shook his head, his curls dangled from one end to the other making him look like a model for a shampoo advertisement. His left hand swept across it and dumped all the hair towards his left, making him look like he had escaped from the gangster hunt.

As far as I knew the way Calvin took new members, he always executed background checks on the new entries. A small part of me wondered if they had done all the background checks on him.

"Don't worry," He said, with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "I'll have a little concession on you." When I didn't laugh at his oh-so-funny joke, he sobered up. "I'm kidding, Scar. Learn to laugh a bit."

I rolled my eyes at him, as I made way to my house. I was done for today's session anyway. "Oh, I will, but it's only with my friends."

"I'm your friend too, Scar." He said and I could hear a hint of amusement in his voice. "You just agreed to it and there's no backing out on this one."

___

"I'm home!" I called out as I reached the front door and secured it with a lock. It was already eight and I had to make dinner yet.

Dad sucked at cooking. When my mother had died, it was always a takeout day for us and I was fed up of eating the hotel food. And when he didn't return from his tracks I always survived on the leftovers. That was when I had decided to learn cooking. If not for Dad, but for myself. Now, I was a pro.

"You look tired, sweetheart." Dad commented, pushing himself into the hall. "What did you learn today?"

Out of all these days that I had gone to school, never had he asked this question. It would always be how was school or no homework today. But today I could tell that he was nervous. He was letting me into that field he was afraid I might join. He had kept his track shenanigans a secret and I wondered if he was scared to let me go near it.

"Nothing much." I said, frankly, washing my face and hands in the wash basin. "I will have to race Ashley after six months though."

"What?" He asked, turning his chair towards me as I went into the kitchen, opening the cupboards to see what I could experiment on.

"Does pasta seem okay to you?" I asked, taking out the packet. When he didn't answer, I assumed it was fine for him. "It isn't so bad." I said, regarding the race. "I would win over her and we wouldn't have to pay back anything."

"And what happens if she wins?" Dad asked. I was sure he was holding his breath.

"Well, the property goes to her and the money we had agreed to pay? That goes to her too." I said, pouring the pasta into boiling water.

"What did Dan say?" He asked, clearly tensed.

"Dan says that I'm going to rock the tracks." I said, with a smile.

"Scarlet." He warned, not wanting me to take the situation lightly.

"For this period of time, a guy called Robert will train me professionally." I supplied, not wanting my father to worry about me.

"And who's going to pay for that?" He asked. "Oh God, what situation I've put my kid into! I'm really sorry, Scar. I've left you on your own when you should be out there enjoying your school life."

"Hey, Dad." I said, walking towards him. I hugged him bending down to reach his height. "You have done great, okay? Don't be too hard on yourself."

"You are just saying this." He put his head low.

"Many kids at the track don't even go to school, Dad." I sighed. "For what it's all worth, mom would be proud of what you have done."

"Oh, honey." He hugged me tighter.

After about an hour, we had finished our dinner. I had cleaned up the kitchen counter, washed all the plates and had wiped the counter with a wet cloth. I had even given all the medicines that the doctor had asked me to give Dad, before I went to my room upstairs.

It was finally time for my homework. It was a tiring day and I still had to read a chapter in English and complete the history essay. I sat down by the computer and searched for some information regarding the history essay.

History was the boring subject for me and I might have probably fallen asleep during the class. Instead of reading the whole text, I thought I would make the best out of the internet that provided the information.

My phone vibrated, indicating a message. It was Nick.

Cheating on History essay? – Nick.

No

Well, it's cheating nonetheless ;) –Nick

I wondered if he had hidden any cameras in my room. He always got to know what I was up to.

I slept during class and the submission is tomorrow. I don't want to end up in detention.

Ha! You agreed. Then it's going to be a long night for you. Good luck ;) – Nick

I rolled my eyes with a smile tugged on my lips.

So, pick you up tomorrow? Usual time? – Nick

You have no idea how much I love you Nick.

As I hit send, I started to panic. I had never said that I loved him before, not even as a joke. But now saying it, made my stomach knot.

What if he became furious at me and stopped talking to me? What if he loved someone else and I was the idiotic villain? What if he laughed at me and made fun of me the next time we met?

I thought I would send back a message telling that it was stupid and I never meant it that way, but chickened out the very next minute. Probably, in my subconscious, I too wanted to know his reply.

As the clock ticked by, I just wanted to bury my head in a six foot deep hole and never come out. My hands trembled as I clutched my phone tight, thinking of all the ways his reply would come rocketing at me. He was taking all his time, making me have a small meltdown of my own.

A whole freaking minute later, a message popped back. I closed my eyes as I tried to open the message. I peeped at it with a single eye open.

Awe, I love you too, Scar.