NASCAR Imagines

Chase Elliott

"I'm really gonna miss you, Khloe." Chase breathed softly, his face pale as he looked down to me. I smiled softly and bit my lip as I looked at my feet, nervously scuffing them on the pebbles crowding the pavement. Because every word died down into the back of my throat, I finally noticed all the cracks in the pavement.

Grass grew between each zig-zagging crack, rocks and flakes of tar all over the sidewalk. The same sidewalk the very man facing me now and I had decorated in old chalk. The rainbows, racetracks, smiley faces, and hopscotch sketches have since washed away in a rain shortly after summer, never to return again. Because those racetracks and smiley faces became a reality a lot sooner than either of us knew.

Now I stood before my childhood best friend, who I've known since I was just a couple months old. Leaving him when he never left me-- not for one race. He always brought me. Yet here I am, leaving him after my first college exception letter. I felt my bottom lip tremble as I leaned against Dawsonville's old bar's bricks. Even those had aged in the years we've been here. And I'm leaving all of it, all of him behind.

"I'm gonna miss you too..." I choked out, my voice cracking. Behind me, my mom shut the trunk and offered Cindy a small smile as she glanced over at us, silently telling me we had to get going. 

"Don't cry, Khloe." He said softly, reaching out and gently setting his hands on my shoulders. He ducked his head to try to catch my eyes but I refused to meet his dark brown ones in fear I'd break down.  He brought me in close, wrapping his arms tightly around my waist. I slid my arms up around him and tucked my head in the crook of his neck as tears finally broke free.  "Hey, hey, don't cry, K.... We can stay in touch, visit." I sniffled softly, a sob escaping my lips as I squeezed my eyes shut.

"Promise? He pulled back slowly, just enough to press a tender kiss to the top of my head.

"I promise."

That was one promise that was broken. The worry I felt as I walked along pit road with my best friends Alissa and Sophie was vague, but there. Sophie smiled cheekily as she held up her phone, snapping a quick selfie before posting it on her story. After explaining to Sophie about Chase, with Sophie being my roommate at UCLA, she proposed the idea of going to a race. Maybe meeting up with him again, seeing how he's doing.

Or in her words, 'restarting an old flame' Not that there was anything there anyway.

Which wasn't the whole reason why we're here at Bristol Motor Speedway... Us three are all close and watch the races whenever we can together. This was something fun to do on our break, and we were going to indulge.

"Khloe, wanna go get us a soda?" Alissa asked with a wide grin as she pulled out her wallet. Sophie did the same and they each handed me their money.

"Sure, because I have nothing better to do." I teased and tucked my phone into my back pocket. I wandered down pit road until I saw a guy standing beside a food stand and walked over with a soft smile. I ordered mine and my friend's favorite drinks and waited for the guy to grab them when a hand landed on my shoulder.

I felt my heart skip as I spun around, involuntarily backing into the cart. I cursed and caught myself, looking up to meet the eyes of whoever scared the living shit out of me. My eyes locked with brown ones, mine blazing with anger. Who the hell had the audacity to sneak up on someone lik--

My thoughts were cut short as my anger-filled eyes flooded with surprise. "Cindy?" I choked out, my eyes casually glancing down her. Her dark brunette hair was combed to perfection-- as always. She wore a cute little white jacket, zipped up with a skirt and flats. Just how I remember.