Demolition Lovers

Chapter 5

"That is kind of weird.. Are you sure you weren't up against any of his friends?" Hailey asked, voice coming from Jake's phone.

"No! Because as soon as the match ended he just.. walked off! He didn't wait or anything. He was looking at me but I couldn't tell what expression he was making.." Jake trailed off, his phone on the counter of his kitchen as he made himself a shitty microwaved dinner, the humming of the microwave a dim noise in the quiet house.

He had called Hailey as soon as he got home that night, after he had showered. He was in the kitchen now, the rest of his house asleep. He was still mulling over Drew on the bleachers, why would he have stayed in the shitty weather when no one else had? Just to watch Jake come third place?

His phone volume was low as Hailey responded. "I honestly don't know... Maybe he's just sizing up his competitor."

Jake stirred his meal before putting it back into the microwave again. "Yeah, but stay to watch me in pouring rain, thunder and lightning..?" Jake asked suspiciously, voice lifting. "He had an umbrella and everything."

"That is a little weird right?" He pressed buttons on the microwave and it started to hum again. Hailey was silent on her end of the phone before she finally responded after a long moment.

"I guess so. Maybe you're just looking too into things.." She teased lightly, and Jake rolled his eyes.

"Yeah but no one else was there, no other drivers... why just Drew?" He asked the last part quietly to himself, and his phone probably didn't even pick it up.

Hailey's yawn was cut off by the phone, and she spoke again. "I should probably be heading to bed, sorry to leave you alone with your thoughts."

Jake just hummed, "Okay, goodnight Hailey. Thanks for calling on such short notice."

"All good! I just don't wanna wake up Zander, he gets so grumpy." She laughed softly, her voice quieter. "Goodnight!"

The kitchen went silent as Hailey hung up, only the hum of the microwave. Jake looked at the end call screen before his phone turned off again. Maybe Hailey was right, he was probably looking too far into it. Drew's dad owned the place, maybe he just had to stay until the derby ended to... watch things?

Jake didn't know and was honestly too tired to think that hard about it. He stopped the microwave before it beeped and took out his food.

***

He had watched Drew walk off from the sidelines frozen in the middle of the arena. Around him cars moved, forklifts trying to clear the arena fast so they could get home.

Why had Drew been watching him? It didn't make sense. The tapping of rain hitting his helmet as it poured down was all he could hear. Not one driver had stayed besides him. Was he really that into the match? Jake didn't even come close to winning, and that made him embarrassed. Drew sat in the pouring rain to watch Jake and he hadn't even won. Why did Jake feel the need to impress him so badly? It was probably the factor of rivalry, he thought.

"Hey man!" He heard and he turned. It was Luke, "You mind moving?" He asked politely from his seat in the forklift.

With a hot face, Jake waved and nodded, walking off and to the back lot. His clothes were sopping wet, and the chill breeze gave him goosebumps. As he walked out, he ran into Sean. They greeted eachother but didn't say much despite that. They were both tired and the weather wasn't doing them any favors.

"Sick car out there tonight," Sean had complimented him once they made their way into the parking lot. Their cars were parked a couple of spots away. His bright ref shirt was soaked with rain, looking uncomfortable.