Inside The Lines

| Chapter 12 |

Chapter 12 | The Treehouse

          To no avail Reece bombarded me with questions as soon as I got home. I wasn't surprised at how disappointed he was once he learned I didn't have anything to help him win the race. I felt stuck. Like I was caught in the middle of a spiders web. One part of me wanted to help my brother and the other part didn't want to deal at all.

Either way. Someone was going to end up getting hurt.

So that night as I failed to fall asleep. I took out my laptop and got to work. I went to the race tracks local website and emailed them a very long and detailed letter. Instead of two races I asked if they could make it one big race with the same cash prize.

This way I could stop stressing over this whole thing. The sooner the race the faster we get the money. Then I pressed send.

          Reece took me to school that next morning. We didn't say much on our drive there. The moment Reece parked his car I quickly stepped out and made my way to the front entrance.

Sienna and Kendal stop me in the hallway a few moments later. Greeting me with a smile I couldn't bare to fake. I was exhausted. Running on four hours of sleep.

"Are you okay?" Sienna asks. "You don't look so good."

"I had a long night." I tell her.

I walk over to my locker and drop my coat inside.

As we stand there someone else got busy slamming their locker shut. The noise that echos through the hallway sends a rush of fear throughout my body and everyone turns to look.

It was Flynn.

He was angered by something one of his friends had said. But his anger wasn't directed towards them. He was looking for someone.

He walks right passed us and straight towards my brother who was now entering the building. Again, I didn't want to get involved but I was curious to know why he was so angry. Instead of going towards them I confront his friends.

"Collin." I call out his name and he turns to face me. "What happened?"

My eyes exchange glances between him and my brother who's being threatened.

"Someone told the owners of the race track to merge the next two races into one."

I smile. "Isn't that a good thing?"

"No." Ricky adds. "This means the race will be twice as long. Those fucking rocks on the track destroy everything if you're out there for too long."

I keep quiet and finally decide to walk over to Flynn and Reece who are arguing.

"Why the hell would I have called them?" Reece defends.

"To sabotage the race I don't fucking know." Flynn growls.

"I'm just as angry as you are this is bullshit."

"Guys it's going to be okay." I tell them. "It's not the end of the world."

"Fucking hell Romee! When will you find someone else to bother?" Reece says it loud enough so everyone around could hear him. Now everyone was watching. Watching me. I try to shield my face from embarrassment. I want to believe he didn't do it on person.

But he did.

I turn my head to look at Flynn. There's a crease in the center of his forehead. His expression is worrisome as I step back to escape this moment.

Once I regain my composure I turn around and walk the other way. I go through the crowded hallway to find one of the many empty janitors closets. As soon as I close the door behind me I break down in tears.