Car Accidents

Chapter One: Return

"You must be so excited to see Harry!" One of my friends, Anya, was basically bouncing in the drivers seat next to me.

I laughed, "Of course I am, I've not seen him in a year. But I'm excited to see everyone, you know."

She looked at me out the corner of my eye and gave me a knowing look. "What?" I shrugged.

"Oh please, Harley, you two probably barely went a day without speaking to each other while you lived it up in Australia, right? You guys were inseparable since the day he stole the ribbon out your hair on the first day of high school." I laughed at the memory. It was true. Although she hated him for stealing that ribbon, it was something she'd never forget. "Besides, you didn't tell him you were coming home, and you're surprising him. That's gotta count for something right?"

"Sure. Doesn't mean as much as you think it does though. I talked to you almost everyday I was away too. Annnnyway. What time is the race?"

"9. Chill out - we won't be late. I wouldn't make you late for your reunion!" I glanced at the clock on the dashboard, 8:45. Butterflies were forming in my stomach. "Aren't you exhausted? You did just get off a 24 hour flight."

"Trying to tell me I look terrible?" I snapped.

"Ha! Please I've never seen you look better. Harry is gonna love this tanned thing you got going on. Plus, the dark hair suits you."

I instinctively caught a stand of my hair and twirled it around my finger. Flipping the sun visor down, I looked at myself in the mirror. My blue eyes were wide, and I could see the excitement in them. Or maybe I was just imagining that, but my stomach was flipping over. I knew I was nervous.

I was excited to see Harry. It'd been a year since she'd hugged him, or ruffled his crazy brown curls when he said something stupid. I couldn't deny that, Anya was right. But I didn't have feelings for him in that way. I couldn't. Besides, being a drag racer was basically a calling for hot girls, and she knew a guy like Harry wouldn't be ignored by anyone. He had a quality about him that people were drawn to. Shaking my head, I tried to clear my mind of him with another girl.

5 minutes later, we pull into the race area, I could see the cars lined up on behind what I presumed was the start line. I glanced in the cars to try and find Harry, but there was no sign of his signature curls. I slumped into my seat.

Before long, I was surrounded by old friends, everyone was hugging me and welcoming me home, and I had to admit it was nice to see everyone.

"Okay guys, let the girl see her prince charming." Anya said, grabbing my arm and dragging me away from the small crowd that had formed.

"Wait, has he raced yet?" I asked nervously.

"His race is about to start. Last one of the night, means he's beaten everyone but the other dude he's racing. If he wins, he's won the night. Come on, watch. You'll love it."

Anya wriggled through the crowd that had formed on either side of the track, but she kept me behind her when we reached the front. "Stay behind me till he races off, god knows the guy will see you and kill all these people out of shock."

I didn't know cars well, but I knew his car was good, and I could tell it would be fast. He didn't have a helmet on, and my stomach sank, the nerves building in me. He wasn't safe. I wanted to run out onto the track and smack him for not being safe. He'd promised me that over many phone calls we had about this.

After I left for Australia, he took up the drag racing. I couldn't tell him no, I wasn't his girlfriend, but it made me nervous all the same.

And I really saw him then. I knew his hair had grown, but it looked longer in person. He wasn't looking at the crowd, he was wholly focused on the road ahead of him, his brow furrowed in concentration, forming a dimple right in between his brows, his green eyes full of intent, and a promise. A promise that he'd win.

A girl wearing next to nothing walked onto the centre of the track, right in between the two cars. Both of the cars engines revved, and my stomach seemed to swell full of butterflies, I thought I was going to puke.

The idiot isn't wearing a helmet! I am going to kill him when he gets out that goddamned car.

She raised the flags above her head, then dropped them, and the cars flew off the starting mark. Harry flew by us, and Anya pulled me out from behind her to watch. I couldn't tell if he was winning, but people were chanting his name all around me. He was clearly loved, and in a way, although he was risking his life doing this, I was happy he'd found something he was good at.

Both cars suddenly turned when they hit the end of the straight, and they were headed back to the crowd, Harry looked like he was in front, he took the turn better than the guy he was racing, but I couldn't tell.

Anya was screaming next to me, whooping and calling Harry's name in support, but I knew I couldn't open my mouth until he was across the line and he had won. Harry had always been competitive, and a sore loser if he didn't win.

They edged closer and the crowd moved backward to make way for the speeding cars. Before I knew it they had flown by me, and people all around me were jumping up and down bellowing out after Harry had crossed the line and won.

"COME ON, HARLEY!" Anya roared over the swell of people, grabbing my arm and racing through the crowd that was already making it's way to his red car. I wasn't at his door by the time he had stepped out, and before I could call out his name, he had clambered onto the roof, jumping up and down for joy.

He looked around the crowd in front of him and high-fived a couple of our old friends from school. But then he turned and as if he knew I was there, his eyes landed on me. He froze, a blank expression on his face, and for a moment I wondered if he was mad at me. But then he grinned, his dimples coming out on his cheeks.

Jumping down from the car, he pushed through the crowd toward me, and lifted me off my feet into his arms. I burrowed my head into his neck, and felt the tears prick my eyes.

"Finally," He breathed, "You're home with me."