Azalea

The dark side of ambition

She is late.

Neiha is never late. The entire time I've known her she has never been late. She was meant to meet me here, I would talk to Jeremy and everything would be ok.

But she isn't here. Why isn't she here?

I've been waiting two fucking hours for her. I'm pretty sure I have blown up her phone trying to get ahold of her but it's disconnected, why is it disconnected?

I look around the park and notice that the few kids that were here have since left. The families packed up their picnics and went home.

"Excuse me miss, you've been here for a while. Are you ok?" I hear a soft female voice say from behind me.

"Oh yes I'm fine. Just waiting for a friends, she probably got caught up with something" I say with a slight chuckle

"Ok, it's going to get dark soon, you may want to start heading home" she says as she starts to walk off.

I have my head in my hands and I take a few seconds to steady my breathing. Fucking Neiha.

I stand up and look at my watch, if I walk fast I can make it to my old race club. I need to take my mind off this shit.

I walk through the doors and I'm hit with the smell of burning rubber and petrol.

"Ahh, Reina. You're back" I hear the familiar purr from behind me.

"Hey aunt jasmine. Not back just visiting, speaking off, you got a race I can slip into?" I sign to her.

"Mmm I might, I got one in an hour. You can hang here till then."

"Thanks aunt jasmine" I sign and walk away, readjusting my mask.

I'm probably just going to hang out here until I can race.

It's short notice so no doubt I'm racing a rookie. Oh well, better than nothing.

I walk up the stairs and examine the track, I haven't raced in a while but the track is the same. I know these turns like the back of my hand .

"Didn't expect you back here anytime soon. I though you fled to Italy" I hear the deep grumble from behind me.

"Hi Jared" I purr, smirking at him.

"No I didn't flee to Italy, I moved her because I couldn't find any worthy opponents" I say sweetly.

"Well, you're racing me in..." he checks his watch and clicks his tongue "20 minutes, better get ready" he says before turning on his heel and walking away.

Mother fucker.

I walk down the stairs again and out to the sheds, I still have my car here seeing as I'm not planning on staying in Italy after my 18th.

I pull the cover off my car, marveling at the beauty of her. The latest paint job still fresh, the pink swirls combating the black paint.

i normally studied the competition, but him? i know him well enough.

he'll try to cut me off my the last turn, so i have to wait until the last possible moment, so he won't be able to make the distance in time to see me coming. i can toy with him a little, stop him from seeing my skill, but then again i know this guys is good so i should leave him in the dust.

the starting line is in the middle of a straight strip of dirt. after the straight, there is a hairpin turn followed by a sweeping curve to the left. then another, shorter straight, followed by yet another curve to the right. at the end of that is another hairpin turn and a final, long straight leading to the finish line. it's dangerous to jump the gun here, as you could easily lose control of your car and have a nasty accident. i've seen it so many times, i know exactly what the injuries would look like at each turn.

i'd have to stick tight to the corners but not tight enough that he's been able to push my off the track. The first-person there wins. any means necessary. once during a crash where both the cars were totalled, it turned to a foot race. Sangre won of course, she always does.

no, i can't be thinking about her, especially not now. i climb into my car and i hear the engine roar to life. the cold start of the engine caused the entire shed to echo the loud noise.

i pull out of the shed and towards the track, my race starting any second now. i pull up to the line and see my competitor staring at me. the lights start counting down, ready to start the race. before the last light clicks on i flip him off and rev my engine. i see him laugh out the corner of my eye as i hit the gas pedal.

the acceleration sends me past the line and down the straight stretch onto the first curve. i feel the car weave slightly as the tires lose traction ever so slightly causing the car to fishtail. i get control back and weave my way around the curves of the hairpin.

i reach the left sweep and throw my car around the corner, kicking up dust and essentially blinding my competitor. i turn right a few seconds before he does, stepping on the gas pedal to gain speed and lead him down the right curve. as soon as i'm around the corner i see his headlights in my rearview mirror. i put my foot to the floor and drive even faster down the final straightaway to the finish line just inches ahead of him.

i won, i did it, i won.

i climb out of my car as i hear the commentator announce my name as the winner. damn it feels good to be racing again.

i take my racing jacket off, revealing the cast on my arm. i see him stop dead in his tracks when he sees the cast. well, probably should have mentioned that earlier.

i flex my wrist a little, feeling a slight bit of pain but not much.

i turn my car off and start the walk back to my aunt Jasmine. well, she's not actually my aunt, she's Neiha's god mother and she treated me like her own.

i hand my key's to her and tell her she can sell my car or put it in her museum or something. it was nice to race it again but, i don't know. i'm going to be stuck in Italy for another year and a half, it's not fair to the car to be sitting idle.

i say goodbye and she hugs me tightly, wishing me a good flight.

"good luck," she says as she gives me another hug and then waves me off to the car.

i landed in Italy around 20 minutes ago and i'm in the back of the car being driven back to the estate. when we pull up the house i get out and walk up the stairs, ignoring the weird feeling i've got. i open the door and i immediately know somethings wrong. it's almost 3 in the morning and yet all the lights are on. somethings not right.

i walk into the lounge room and i see all of my brothers, tied to the dining rooms chairs. Dad shakes his head, warning me to run. i still have to play innocent so here goes my amazing acting.

i rush fowards and try to untie their arms or legs, pulling the tape from their mouths.

"Azzy, you need to get out of here. there is a panic button in the guard shed, you need to go press the button" Ares says as i yank harder at the tape, tears filling my eyes. fake tears, don't worry.

i shake my head and keep pulling the tape, not getting anywhere.

"well well well, she finally showed up. hello Reina." i hear a deep voice from behind me. i stand up straight, dropping the mask of panic.

i see my brother's faces flicking between me and the man behind me.

i see the recognition pass across their faces before i say,

"hello Rostov, you mother fucker" 

just gonna say that this was a recommendation from the one and only @Guppy_Eren 

Don't blame me!