Not That Bad #Wattys2018

Chapter Seven

The air smells like dirt and sweat even though the race hasn't begun yet. But it's about to and if Eli doesn't hurry up and park, they're going to start without us. There are already thousands of bikers and we have to go right to the back, crushing any dreams I had of winning.

Eli looks really awkward at first, but once I show him how to put his foot and how to lean, he looks okay. I take my eyes of the road for ONE SECOND to get gum off my boot and the next thing I know the race has started. Eli revved his bike and then he's speeding off with the rest of them, leaving me behind in a cloud of dust and fumes. After all my help.

"You little Judas!" I manage to choke out and he turns around and flashes his dimpled grin. 

I start my bike and speed after him, barely able to keep up. It took me years to learn this thing and Eli was already doing it like a boss. I speed up until I'm finally alongside his bike and I reach out with one hand and try to yank his shirt. But he goes even faster. I chase after him, weaving through the other bikers on the highway.

People actually stop to look at us. Some look completely horrified and disgusted with all the noise we were making and the dust we were raising. Some were being very stereotypical and I could tell they were judging us. But most--even the old ladies-- were looking at us in awe, like they would give any shit to be in our places.

I finally catch up to Eli again and he can't escape because of a line of bikers in front of him. I'm just stretching my hand out to pull his hair, for leaving me behind like that, when all the bikers start hooting and cheering in their deep, gruff voices. 

That's when I know we've reached the cosway. Then the bikers stand on their bikes and stretch their arms out like the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janiero. 

This is my favorite part. Very slowly, I stand up on my bike. I'm a bit wobbly at first but I steady myself, bending forward ever so slightly like Pat told me to. It feels like I'm flying because we're going so fast. I turn my head to look at Eli and I'm so surprised he's standing too. Our arms are spread wide and our fingers brush against each other. Eli laughs and throws his head back and hoots like everyone else. It makes me laugh too.

The beach comes into view. I see the wide stretch of white sand and the blue water. The sea gulls are squawking in the air, flying low over the sea. A stage is set up on the sand and a guy is already there, getting a medal for first place. It looks like he got there a long time ago. There are more bikers standing in the sand, drinking and smoking. I think like Eli and I placed 1000 and 999 respectively. But it's hard to feel upset when:

1. I knew we wouldn't place

2.Eli was acting so hyper and giddy

"That was so fun." Eli gushes when we sit on the sand. 

I couldn't see a thing so I gave up standing on my tip toes. All the men are a lot taller than me. They're even taller than Eli. I take off my helmet and shake out my hair. It comes out in a big poof and I run my finger through it, in an attempt to tame it.

"You're so fun." Eli says, reaching out and trying to smooth my hair too. 

He has this big grin on his face, stretching from ear to ear. And his eyes were blazing fires, they were so bright. I can't blame the guy. I bet Imogen was boring. I bet the only chemistry they had was literal CHEMISTRY.

"Yeah, yeah." I say, swatting his hands away, "Tell me something I don't know."

***

On Monday, when I walked into school, I thought everything looked the same. But every corner I turned, students and teachers saw me and sighed and shook their heads, like I was disrupting some peace that existed only when I was away from school.

I think I like having that effect. It means that my presence is felt.  Girls were rolling the eyes, the janitors were sighing and the boys were... Well the boys were doing different things. The weak ones were cowering away from me and the tougher ones-- the jocks-- were smirking and biting their lips. MY GANG, however, they grinned at me and welcomed me back with a cigarette. 

It got boring lounging around the hallways with them because they were talking about Naomi's boobs and I hated when they did that. And Chase went somewhere private with Skylar. 

I was going to have to break them up, because that girl was seriously stealing my best friend. So because there was no one to talk to, I decide to go to a class like I promised Eli. I mean, it was just one class. One Geography class and then I'd finish my part of the deal.

I'm the first there and I choose a seat in the second row. I could sit at the back, but I figured if I'm going to come to class, everyone should know I was there. I'd ask one ridiculous question that would basically scream 'Look! Rori Villan is at class!'.

Soon, the other students start filing into the class, bringing their noise with them. Was this what it felt like to be excited about learning? Because I wasn't feeling it. This one girl with a french beret stops by my seat and taps me with her glittery pink pencil, like she was afraid to touch me. I frown at her and blow the glitter off my shirt.

"Excuse me." she says, "This is my seat."

"Cool." I say, making a point of putting my legs up on the desk. But the girl doesn't leave. She just glares at me. "Sit somewhere else. I'm sitting here." I say.

Her eyes wander around the classroom. "But I need to be the perfect distance away from the board. I have myopia. That means I need to be close up or everything gets all blurry."

"Well, then, you be fine there." I point to the seat in the first row.

"But that's Micheal's seat." she says.

"Micheal's not at school." 

I don't even know who Micheal is, but this chick was getting on my nerves. I busy myself with my nails and after staring at me for a long time she sits at the desk in front of me. I put my legs down and lean over to stick my gum in her hair. She argued with me and she shouldn't have.

Ms Ford does a double-take when she sees me in class. I smile at her and take out my notebook. I only  bring one to school and all the pages are blank. I don't have a pen though, but it doesn't matter since I wasn't going to take notes. 

Geography is so fucking boring. While Ms Ford rants about contours, I take out a knife and start carving my name onto the desk.

Then there's a shadow over me and Ms Ford is in front of me.

"Rori Villan. Give me that knife."

"Hold a sec." I say, carving the wood, "I'm finishing my 'v'." 

Ms Ford grabs the knife from me, and it cuts my hand. 

"Fuck." I say, letting the blood run onto the desk, "You cut me!"

"Detention." is all Ms Ford says, not sorry or anything. "Detention, one, for swearing, two, for vandalizing school property, three, for bringing a weapon to school, four..."

I get up and sling my bag over my shoulder. "For what?" I say, heading for the door. "For coming to class?"

These teachers were picking on me, I swear.