"Here's your helmet, boots, gloves and coveralls. We expect to see you in thirty minutes." Lauryn threw Jett those things after throwing her into the bathrooms by the racetrack.
Jett sighed, and changed into her clothing. For the first time in a long time, she cried. And not out of frustration, out of pressure and fear of losing Phillip. Even though they basically argued all the time, it wasn't out of hate. It was out of love.
Jett loved Phillip like a brother. She would never do anything to hurt him. Now these crazy people had to make her responsible for his death if she loses this race. The ultimate pressure was thrown onto her shoulder. Her brother's life.
The Vertigo Project was like a family. They all loved each other very much, no matter how much drama went on between them. They were a dysfunctional mass that couldn't get untangled.
"Jett?!" April called from the entrance to the bathroom, "Jett?! Jett, what're you doing?"
"Oh, you know, the usual. Just crying my eyes out." Jett's shaky voice replied, trying to hide her sadness.
April came into the bathroom and hugged her friend. "It's gonna be okay."
"No," Jett sniffled, "It's not. You wanna know why?"
"Why?"
Jett pulled out of April's grip. She walked to the opposite wall, faced it, said, "An automatic transmission is heavier than a manual one. If the car is heavier, it won't go faster. Thus, making it virtually impossible to win against manual cars. Not to mention, I'm racing against professionals! You know I'm gonna lose, April. I know I'm gonna lose. So what's the point in telling me I'm going to win?" Jett faced April, whom was leaning on the sink. The girl looked down, accepting defeat.
Jett continued, "And you can't just tell me that it'll be okay when Phillip's life is on the line! This suit smells awful! It smells like butt-hole!"
April laughed, and said, "You're right, Jett. You might lose. But there's also a possibility that you might win. Depends on luck."
"Ten minutes until the races start!" Matt's scratchy voice boomed over the speakers.
"C'mon, let's race." April said, Jett following. The two walked out of the bathroom, and up the hill towards the metal bleachers. "You're right, that suit does smell like butt-hole."
"I told you!" Jett laughed, giving April a huge hug.
"Ew! Get away from me!" April screeched, shoving the taller girl away.
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Toby, April, Jackson, Akio, Heidi, Joseph and Phillip all sat down on the metal bleachers toward where the announcer man stands. They all sat in a tight group, facing the dirt track.
Lawrence walked over to them and said, "You might wanna wear these," He handed them each a pair of construction glasses, "There's gonna be dirt flying everywhere."
"Thanks." All of them said at once. With a mean tone slithering its way into their voices. They all put the glasses on, and waited.
Over by all of the cars, out of te others from the Vertigo Project's sight, Lawrence offered to Jett, "You can drive this one, a manual transmission," Pointing to a very sleek-looking car, "Or this dark ol' thing, which is an automatic." Pointed to the hover-car Jett had fixed. But she wasn't going to tell him that.
Jett looked at the cars, pretending to think about her choice. Although, se already knew what she was going to pick.
"I'll take the automatic." She stated.
"You sure? An automatic is heavier than a manual. But I bet you already knew that. Alright, let's get it to the raceway."
Matthew overheard their conversation and jumped into the car. He started it, and drove it to where the pit stops were.
Jett sighed, knowing that her eyes were puffy and glassy and red.
"Three minutes until the races start!" A voice other than Matt's sounded over the speakers.
"Well," Jett said to herself, "Might as well get going." She then ran across the track and to her car. Her car. Jett just prayed that it wouldn't fall apart under the stress it was about to be subjected to.
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Phillip was stressed. The kids were stressed. Everybody was stressed. This wasn't just about winning or losing. This was about two lives being put on the line.
Jett's car could fall apart, explode, the brakes could stop working and/or she could crash into the wall, as well as many other things. Or Jett could lose which would cause Phillip's life to get taken away from him and all of them to become new "recruits" for all these crazy people. Which, against these drivers who've done this time and time again, the latter seems to be more than likely.
Without warning, the cars were on the track. But they weren't racing just yet. It was a practice run so they could warm up their engines.
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Jett was driving behind some jug head that didn't know what the steering wheel's purpose was. He kept swerving like he was totally wasted.
"I might wanna stay away from him." Jett murmured to herself. She drove around him, and tried as hard as she could to steer clear of the guy.
About ten minutes later, all of the cars were announced, and people especially cheered when Jett was. Which she never expected.
'Probably because they know I'm gonna lose.' She thought, heart sinking even deeper. If that was possible.
After fifteen minutes, the cars sped up. "Alright folks," The announcer said, "Let the race... Begin!"
A car smashed into Jett's, sending her off balance.
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Phillip and the kids watched in horror as Jett's car's backside was thrown to the left. But to their relief, she almost immediately began fixing her position.
Jett focused on getting to first place. She was in a race with about fifteen cars. Currently, she placed eighth.
She really, really, really wanted to turn on the option to hover, and just fly over these cars. But that wasn't a good idea. Not yet, anyways. On the last few laps, that's when she'd do it.
The kids tried so many things to help Jett, even though they were on the bleachers, behind a fence. Some even tried telepathically communicating with her, others putting effort into their telekinesis powers. Which they didn't have.
Jett drifted around the second turn, dirt and mud flying everywhere. The car shuddered. Jett got even more worried that the car would give way. And this was only the second lap out of who knows how many.
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YOU ARE READING
The Vertigo Project (CRINGE-FEST 2K15)
Adventurefor gods sake why am i keeping this
