She's A Trouble Maker

Chapter Nine:

                             -Harley West-

"Do you want a change of clothes?" Ryder asks as we enter his bedroom, which surprisingly wasn't as I expected. I had expected it to be messy and stinking of old pizzas  but actually it was neatly organised and smelled like roses and vanilla.

"Why would I want to change my clothes?" I ask, folding my arms against my chest, Ryder however was starting at me with a what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-you- kinda look.

"Your clothes are soaking wet, you're going to catch a cold." Oh yeah, forgot that it was raining. To save me from sounding extra dumb, I just nod. "The bathroom is that door." Ryder hands me a hoodie and some of his shorts as he points to his en-suite bathroom.

Once I thank him, I head to the bathroom and start getting changed.

Damn his clothes smell good! Shut up Harley!

When I finished getting changed, the argument I was having with myself also ended and thank God for that because I started getting tired of myself.

"So, what's the reason you left me hanging?" I get out of the bathroom and get straight to the point. He taps on his bed so that I sat on the bed and so I did but he stayed standing.

"My parents may come across as caring and lovely people but it's all an act"

"Ok but what does that have to do with anything, Ryder?" He rolls his eyes at my statement.

"Patience is a virtue. You have to find out the backstory before you find out the reason or it won't make sense." I nod my head and then he starts speaking again. "In reality, my parents aren't like that at all. They're cruel and horrible human beings, they don't care about me or Snow they only care about themselves and their stupid work and because of that I had to provide for me and my sister."

"Provide? Didn't they feed you and give you the necessities?"

"No, Harley. I told you the little show they put on outside of home is nothing but an act." His jaw clenched and his hands were tightly packed together. "The way I provided was getting into illegal street racing. It was good money and I always won so it started becoming my job. Ever since I was thirteen I had to do this because no one was going to allow a thirteen year old to work so illegal street racing was the only option."

"So that night at the event you left me hanging because you needed to street race?" He nods his head before answering.

"Exactly, usually it last two hours max but my competition was harsh and I had to keep betting on myself and I had to keep doubling the money and so did my competition. It took longer than usual but I wasn't going to let all the money I had bet go to waste."

I get it, I really do. I can't stay mad at him, he did it to provide for him and Snow.

"When's your next race?"

"Tomorrow, why?"

"I'm coming and before you say no, that's the final decision and I'll keep annoying you until you say yes." I smirk and he rolls his eyes before nodding, hesitantly.

Even though I didn't completely agree with the idea of him street racing, he needed the money to support himself and his sister and if street racing was the only way to do so then be it. Also, it's not as if i hadn't seen worse, my dad is in a gang!

———

(The next day)

What's appropriate to wear to a street racing competition? I don't know if jeans are appropriate? Leggings? Shorts? Skirts? I never thought choosing clothes for street racing would be this hard. I wish I could call Molly and ask her, but I don't know whether if she'd agree on me going to an illegal competition, so I called the only person I could.