A Test of Loyalty

Ch. 1: Two Girls on the Road

"Oh, Miko~" A voice sang over the noisy, crowded school hallway.

The girl in question looked towards the one walking down the hall in her direction, a wide grin on her face. That expression could only mean one thing and it made Miko match the grin with one of her own. "What happened this time, Paige?"

A gleam entered Paige's forest-green eyes as she stopped next to her friend's locker, the grin never leaving her face. "I just got invited to…" She made a show to glance around them before leaning closer to be a little more discreet. "...another race."

An excited gasp left the foreign exchange student's mouth as she hopped in place a few times, her pink-tipped pigtails bouncing with the motion. "No way," she nearly shouted, receiving brief odd looks from nearby students passing them. "When is it? Where is it? Can I come with?!"

Paige threw a hand over her chest and faked a hurt expression. "Miko, really? You should have already known you're invited!" By the end she had dropped the act and was full on grinning again, earning a shrill squeal of delight from the girl in response. "It's tonight. About a two-hour drive out to some spot near the border." She shrugged nonchalantly.

Miko slammed her locker shut carelessly and leaped at her friend to lock her in a tight hug. The two giggled as they shared the hug before making their way towards the exit. "Do I hear another sleepover tonight?" She asked with a knowing smile.

"You know it!" Paige winked at her as they exited the school building. She dug out her keys and easily flipped the one she needed into her awaiting fingers. "Is an hour enough time to get ready?"

"Totally! I'm so pumped!"

Paige laughed, "Thought so. I'll pick you up at your house then."

"See you then!" Miko waved over her shoulder as she took off running down the sidewalk, eager to get packed for the night.

Smiling in amusement, Paige headed towards her ride. In one of the front parking spaces was a motorcycle colored Sacramento green with neon green highlights along the frame like racing stripes. She swung her leg over the seat and immediately plugged her key into the ignition, starting up the engine. She stuck her helmet on her head before backing out of the parking space and heading out onto the street. The familiar sound of the engine revving at her fingertips had her grinning as she sped down the street as fast as she dared, knowing full well the police liked to monitor the area when school ended. There were quite a few teenagers with vehicles who usually did not-so-smart things while driving, like showing off for their friends or crushes. It was the main reason the police patrolled the surrounding area during this time and she knew to be careful.

She turned off the main street and headed towards the outskirts of town, where few buildings stood alone. She pulled up to a large flat building - an old auto repair shop - and drove into the awaiting garage door. Parking the bike and shutting off the engine, she pulled the helmet off her head. She shook out her hair before setting it down on the workbench nearby. Closing the garage door with a press of a button, she jogged over to a set of stairs and took them up two at a time.

The top floor of the two-story building was made into her own personal living space. Off to the left was a two-person wooden table and chairs directly next to a kitchen equipped with all the necessary appliances she needed. Off to the right of the stairs was the main living room, a bathroom, a closet, and a bedroom at the far end. She made a beeline for the bedroom. Swinging the door open, she immediately tossed her backpack onto the bed and dug into her wardrobe for some clean clothes. She debated on an outfit for a few moments before taking them to the bathroom with her.

Closing the bathroom door, she turned on the shower and turned it as hot as she could stand it. She slipped out of her current clothes while it was warming up before stepping into the tub and underneath the steady drizzle of water. She closed her eyes and let out a content sigh, allowing the water to soak her hair and skin. She took a few moments to just enjoy the warmth before even beginning to wash herself. She first rubbed a soap scrub over her body before rinsing it off. Then she massaged shampoo into her hair and scalp. She rinsed that out and rubbed the conditioner in. Once that was done, she took another few moments to enjoy the warmth before turning off the water and grabbing a towel to dry off.