Race to the Finish

Race to the Finish chp.1

I can feel the adrenaline pumping through me. I can't keep the smile off my face. All sounds around me are muffled from the engine running. I am almost at the end. I can feel it. I push the pedal a little further and cross the finish line. The crowds are cheering like crazy. I get out of the race car and wave without taking my helmet off.

"Well there you have it folks. Reed has won yet another race. We haven't seen a racer car driver this talented in years" says a reporter looking into a camera from the sidelines before approaching me, "Well Mr. Reed how does it feel to win yet another race? You are a newcomer and have won the past fifteen races! That is outstanding."

"It feels amazing. I always get such a rush when I'm on the track." I say in the deepest voice I can.

"Well come on tell us your secret on how you win all these races."

"All I do is close my eyes and say over and over again 'race to the finish' no matter whether I win or not I have to get to the finish. I won't allow myself to quit or slow down before I get to the finish."

"You folks heard it right here, today's winning man, Reed's motto is 'Race to the Finish'!" after the reporter said that the cameras shut off and he turned around to shake my hand. He congratulated me and walked away.

I walked towards my pit crew to check up on my car. My nascar car is black with blue and has the number 47.

"Reed are you ever going to take that helmet off?" asks Jerry, the crew chief.

"Nope I rather not. Too risky." I say.

"Come on Reed, there's nobody here; just me. The whole crew went home." Jerry says.

"So? Another racer or a reporter or even a fan can suddenly come back here and discover everything."

"Why don't you just tell everyone? What is so wrong about them knowing?"

"If they find out it will go all over the news and not only will people in my school find out, but my family will too, and that isn't going to go well for me."

"Fine. Whatever. You should go home now, I'll check the car once more before I head off too."

I nod and turn around. The last place I want to be right now or ever really is home.

"By the way great job today. You make me very proud" Jerry said before I left.

"Thanks Jerry, I couldn't have done it with out." I turned around and slowly walked away.

I went into a bathroom making sure no one was around. I unzipped my suit and pulled off my shoes and gloves. I grabbed a bag hidden behind one of the stalls and put on my leather jacket over my white tank-top and slipped on my faded skinny jeans and put on my black combat boots. I took my helmet off and let my wavy light brown hair fall down almost reaching my lower back. I put my racing stuff in my bag and hurried off to my crappy beat up car waiting for me in the parking outside.
I drove all the way to my house in silence. I really don't want to go home. Just one more year and I can finally escape the torture that is living in that house. But at the same time I feel like I need to stay and try to protect my mom and my sister. If my mom could just get some strength and take me and my sister away from there. Away from him. Most teens my age are out drinking and partying, but I can't. I have to race cars because I love it, but all the money I earn goes to my pit crew, the car, my motorcycle, my college fund, my sister's college fund, all my school supplies, all my sister's school supplies, food, and necessities, all the bills, and my dad's boos. So the racing money isn't enough, so at night I have to do illegal street racing to try to earn extra money, the thing is that if you don't win you lose the money you put into the race, and if the cops catch you, you're going to jail. I can't afford to get caught. My life would be worse than it is now.

I reach my house and immediately hear a scream and cries begging to stop. I get out of the car and sprint towards the house. I slam the door open and there I see my father beating my little nine year old sister, Jaiden. I see her on the floor crying her little eyes out. She screams in pain, begging for him to stop. Anger flares in me and I rush towards her and push his drunken ass out of the way. She is badly bruised and has a black eye. I bend down to help her when my hair is being harshly pulled, pulling my head back and making me stumble to my knees.

"Jaiden go to your room!" I order her.

"No. Alex..." she pleads tears streaming heavily down her face. Her honey colored eyes, that match mine perfectly, staring back at me in horror.

"Just go Jaiden! Now!" I yell through gritted teeth and he tugs harder on my hair.

Jaiden hesitates, but runs to her room and I hear her lock it. Good. She doesn't deserve this. None of us do.

He lifts me up by my hair and slaps me so hard across the face that I fall hard on the ground.

"This had nothing to do with you!" he yelled and I could smell the strong sent of liquor in his breath, "You just made it worse for her. I don't know why you had to intervene, you were getting your turn after." he spat out.

"You are such bastard." say looking up at him.

"That is no way to speak to your father." he said with a wicked grin before slapping me again with the back of his hand. Did I mention he was wearing rings?

I felt some blood prickle from my cheekbone. I had tears in my eyes, but no way was I spilling any for this asshole. I wasn't giving him that satisfaction.

"You stopped being my father the day you laid a hand on me." I say before I spit at his face.

Infuriated he grabbed my arm forcefully digging his yellowish nails deeply into my arm and dragged me up. He pulled off his belt and began beating me with it. All you could hear throughout the whole house were the whipping sound from the leather belt making contact with my skin. I held back all my tears and screams. I whimpered a bit because it was way too painful. He hit me until he got tired and passed out on the couch. He is nothing but a piece of shit. I whipped away a stray tear and when I looked up there was Jaiden sobbing in a little dark corner. I hurried next to her and held her tight in my arms. We made our way back into her room and I lied beside her on her tiny bed waiting for sleep to overtake her.

Once she fell asleep I cried silently, but not because of the beating, but because Jaiden had to experience this. She not only had to witness it happening to my mom, but also to me. This is something she will never forget. All I wish is that I can make her forget and that she never be beaten again. I would give up everything for that to happen. I would give up my dreams of becoming a NASCAR driver, my motorcycle, and even my education. All for her; so she can have a better life than I've ever had.