My Lethe

You'll go on the date with me, huh?

Zhang Wei looked at the tracks.  At the beginning of each lane, there was a medium sized go cart.  One red, and one black. 

"If I beat you, you have to agree that you will let me see you one more time."

"You will.  In class, tomorrow morning, having a race isn't really necessary is it?" Zhang Wei teased.  Of course he knew it wasn't what Qiang meant.  He knew that Qiang had meant he wanted to see him out side of school.  But truthfully, Zhang Wei had seen Qiang outside of school too many times now.  He wondered if it were even a coincidence.

Qiang aggressively took Zhang Wei's hand in his own.  His hand was much larger than Zhang Wei's, and even though Zhang Wei was at a decent height and had a pretty good build, there was a difference between him and Qiang.  Perhaps it was the way that Qiang carried himself that made him appear so much larger and Zhang Wei so smaller. 

"Not in school, but alone, like a date." He said and forced him into the red go cart.  Zhang Wei quickly turned around, a date?!  The words " a date" just slipped out of his mouth and he dared to make it seem so nonchalant! Those two measly words had turned Zhang Wei's stomach into a pit of butterflies. And he wasn't so sure if they were the good kind.  No guy in his life time had ever wanted to go on a date with him.  He's never had the thoughts himself either, and truthfully he didn't know how to handle it now.

Zhang Wei's go cart jerked forward.  He turned around out of annoyance, wondering what asshole had bumped into the back of his go cart.  His helmet wasn't even on yet," Hey, get that thing on and let's get started! The sooner I beat you the sooner we can go on our date!" Zhang Wei sucked his teeth and messed around with the helmet.  It slid down his head, and hearing Qiang's hurrying words, he quickly buckled the latch. He knew if he didn't want to go on that date, he would have to beat Qiang.  And even though he didn't know how to drive a car, he would have to make this work.

"Ready?" Zhang Wei shouted.  Qiang tightened his grips on his steering wheel, perhaps more determined to win then Zhang Wei was.  Qiang didn't know what he was thinking telling Zhang Wei he wanted to go on a date with him, because he had never even thought that far into his feelings, but now as he thought of it he knew he just had to win.  He wouldn't accept anything but a date with Zhang Wei.  His insides turned in all the right ways when he even thought of it.

"Where should we go for our date?  A nice upscale restaurant? Or maybe you're trashy and like sketchy buffets.  I'll take you where ever you want to go," Qiang said sending frustration into Zhang Wei. He would absolutely never let Qiang win.

"1..2..3..." Zhang Wei shouted the count down and as soon as the three second mark hit he pressed down on the gas petal as hard as he could.  The go cart shot forward at a speed Zhang Wei wasn't expecting, and sooner than he knew it he was approaching a curve.  He turned the wheel quickly, crossing his hands over each other, in almost a panic.  It was harder than it looked! It required a lot of strength to get a wheel to turn against a curve so sharply.

Meanwhile, Qiang who was taken aback by Zhang Wei's quick start that gave him a distance, was speeding pass Zhang Wei. He didn't intentionally make a bet against Zhang Wei knowing he didn't know how to operate a go cart, but now he was glad he did.  Zhang Wei was surely going to loose.  Qiang was a good driver when it came to actual cars, this was a piece or cake.

Eventually, Zhang Wei was able to get the hang of it.  Soon, he was making the turns almost as good as Qiang.  Of course, when ever a turn approached, he released on the gas and the go cart went slower.  The small go cart in the distance was Zhang Wei's visual proof that he was losing. Qiang was so far ahead!  It almost wasn't fair.  Qiang was experienced, and he was not.  Qiang was showing himself to be someone who played dirty. 
Zhang Wei violently pressed down on the gas, and as usual, the go cart shot forward.  Zhang Wei was speeding, hoping that he could at least catch up to Qiang and some how get pass him.  His foot began to ache as he didn't relax his foot for even a second. He wouldn't lose so terribly.  And eventually, he did make it close to Qiang. But Qiang was too good, and when he saw Zhang Wei had caught up, he pressed on his gas even harder.  That was his win. Qiang had made it over the finish line.

Fuck, he won. Zhang Wei thought to himself.
~~~~~~~

"Have some pizza," Qiang handed Zhang Wei a long slice of pizza.  The entire go cart complex was empty, aside from the two and a few workers.  The cafeteria was brightly lit and catchy pop music could be heard in the background. Usually, you couldn't hear it over the loud voices that typically filled this place on a Thursday night, but today it was quiet. 
"Why is it so empty? " Zhang Wei asked Qiang.  Qiang chuckled slightly and put the pizza onto his paper plate.  Of course it would be empty, it had to be.  He only wanted to be with Zhang Wei alone.
"I rented it out for the night. " Zhang Wei couldn't help but to think that Qiang was the exact opposite of him. Qiang had abilities the wealthy had, he was bold and aggressive, he was popular and somewhat alluring. He's never met someone who was like Qiang.  Qiang was like an entirely different breed of human.  One that got what he demanded no matter what.  
"Who are you? " Zhang Wei asked.  He had gotten so curious about Qiang that he no longer wanted to go without knowing who exactly he was," I mean... How can you rent out an entire go cart complex? How did you get that limited edition manga? How can you go around paying for people's lunches and offering to take them where ever they want? A normal student can't do those things."

Qiang sat back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest.  Zhang Wei was asking him questions, and for once, he seemed as interested in him as he did in Zhang Wei.  He took a deep breath and uncrossed his arms.  He was willing to answer any questions that Zhang Wei would have for him.  He was an open book and had absolutely nothing to hide.
"When my father was a teenager he had a dream one night. He says that in his dream a man in a white suit appeared and told him that the future was in locks.  Security locks. My father woke up and told his father that he wanted to go out and buy locks and so he did.  He bought locks and noticed that locks can so easily be broken into, and that if that happened, a lot can be lost.  That was when he decided that he wanted to create a security system that promised it's consumers the ultimate safety.  My father has become a billionaire off of security. Every house in wealthy neighborhoods uses my dad's security system.  It's fool proof and guaranteed safety.  Since then he's created an empire, and now it isn't just security but it's everything you can imagine.  Security, TVS, luxury watches, sneakers... My father was a genius and now if I want, I can get away with murder but on a lesser scale, I can buy an island and name it Zhang Wei's own oasis," Qiang took the watch off of his wrist and slid it across the table to Zhang Wei.  Slowly, Zhang Wei picked it up and studied the watch.  It was truly a nice watch," Only one on this entire planet.  You want one?  For our date I'll take you out to design your own."

Zhang Wei snickered and handed Qiang the watch carefully.  So, Qiang was filthy rich. He was filthy rich and came from a family with great power. To Zhang Wei that was an amazing blessing, and of course Qiang viewed it as such, but to Qiang it wasn't everything to him.  Qiang was grateful for the fortune, but he knew that money could only go so deep in his heart.  It couldn't grant him the happiness and content that in the end he wanted most.

Qiang fingered the watch in his hand. He wondered how money can give you anything you ever wanted, a fancy sports car, a giant mansion... Anything.  But he still remained so empty.  In reality, this watch was just a cold feeling against his wrist.  It was just a status symbol. It didn't hold any depth.

"No one on this planet can have this watch, only I can, but there are things everyone else has but I don't.  Content in their heart," Zhang Wei studied Qiang's face.  He never noticed how dull it looked.  He never noticed the dark circles under his eyes.  He couldn't help but to feel that some where in that aggressively consistent boy there was an entirely different person. 

"So what are you, classy or trashy?" Zhang Wei's lips turned into a grin.  In the moment that he recognized the pain on Qiang's face, his heart softened.  He saw that there was someone in front of him reaching out to him, and since Wei felt such a great deal of pain, he understood Qiang's.  Zhang Wei was straight, he knew that much was true, but if he thought that in some way it would bring content to Qiang he would go. 

"You'll go on the date with me, huh?" Qiang asked.  He leaned in closer to Zhang Wei, with a devilish yet heart melting grin on his face. 

"One date.  And this time, don't rent anything out." Qiang laughed and sat back.  He would do anything Zhang Wei requested.  Even if he wanted to be alone with him, he would be okay as long as they were simply together. Somehow, he felt best when he was with him.