Number Nine

Chapter Eighteen

    Whether it was a result of the adrenaline from being chased in the dark, or the affects of a headache so great I saw fireworks whether my eyes were open or closed; sleep evaded me for hours that night.

   I spent the majority of the night in that awful daze we all know; where you're so sleepy but just can't do more than lightly doze, aware that you are awake the whole time. Where the sheets wind around your ankles, lashing you to the bed that's become ever so slowly damp with your own sweat. 

   Despite having taken a painkiller as soon as I got back to my home on wheels, I felt like every brain cell was bouncing off the others, pinging around inside my skull indpendantly. 

   Although I don't know what moved faster, my imaginary mobile braincells or my thoughts.

    For a while I gave up on sleep, and sat straight up in bed. While watching dust motes float around in front of me in the dull, barely there light emanating from the lot lights outside; I wallowed in disgust with myself.

    How had I not seen and dealt with what a pig Bowman was? To come on that strong, that fast wasn't normal... was it? But if he was faking it why?

   Then it dawned on me.   

       If I'm the league historian, the way my job is set up- I pick and choose which driver gets stories written about them. I have the power to impact any of their legacies as I memorialize the moments of NASCAR that we all know and love. 

    The pieces clicked in to place.

      Alex had cozied up to me upon finding out what my position was, what I did for the league. All of it had to be fake, I was sure of it. No one that had genuine emotions one way could just turn it off and be so animalistically self centered like he was tonight with me. I just heard him talking to Kyle Busch about getting Chase in trouble with their boss, Mr. Hendrick. It's a painfully well known fact that Hendrick and Chase have an almost father- son bond. He sensed that Chase felt strongly one way or another towards me so in the process of wanting to cozy up to me to help ensure that his legacy would be written well, he figured out he could use me to bring down Chase; once again furthering himself.  Alex mentioned wanting to impress Gibbs too... once again Joe Gibbs gets brought up in the midst of all sorts of iffy business. What is it about them?

   Alex was purely power hungry. He never cared at all.

   And why when I think of the name "Joe Gibbs" does my mind send me some sort of alarm that makes me feel like I need to fly into action? Of all things why does that name trigger such a strong instinct?

     Eventually, with my headache dulling as I focused on the mental gymnastics it took to figure out exactly what had been happening around me, sleep found me at last.