My Racer Soul

Chapter 5

 We didn't even realize how fast time was going until it was Jake was second in the heats, he started getting ready.

"So, heat race is only a few cars or the whole group of open wheel?"

He chuckled as he continued tweaking his car, "Heats are only a group of cars. Features are every car in that series, or 'class' as you call it."

I nod and he walked over, "Is that all ya wanted to know," he asked, standing not even a foot away.

"No, but, not gonna make a comment," I think, forgetting he can hear.

"No comment ey?" He smirked.

His dad yelled for him to get in the car, he sighed. "Well we'll continue this later sweetheart~." I chuckled shaking my head and followed to his car.

His dad was talking to him, really close up, whispering. Or maybe it was because of all the cars it seemed like whispering. I couldn't tell what they were saying, that was until Jake's reaction made me listen to his thoughts. "Jake, don't get tangled up with this girl. She seems like a keeper, but who knows if she'll be loyal."

I froze, shocked his dad would even say that about me. Like a mouse grabbing the cheese from a mousetrap, it sprung other thoughts to swarm over me, break me down, slowly suffocate me. "Useless....ugly...weak."

Jake got out of the car and ran to me, wiping the tears from my eyes. He held me close, trying to push all of my broken mind back together. He kept shushing me, "Hey, hey, don't listen to my dad. He's just worried, I promise."

He kept whispering to me, I eventually stopped crying but was still upset. Keeping his arm around me, he walked me to his dad demanding an apology. His dad stammered, "I-I'm sorry, you just-you seem like a popular kid so I was worried about Jake and-"

Because his dad brought up popularity, I understood. I put my hand on his arm, giving him a look of understanding. Despite having to get into his car, Jake never let me go. At the line for heats, he rubbed his thumb against my hand to comfort me. My face was still tear stained, but otherwise, it was okay.

"You sure you're okay?"

I gave a half-smile, "Still shaky, but I'll be okay." Looking down at our hands I smiled more, "Thanks for the help; normally only Alyssa's ever done that for me..."

He chuckled, "I'm glad she's your friend, even though she doesn't like me."

His dad walking over, talking about getting out into the track for heat. He looked at me and gestured to the stadium, "Come on kiddo, we gotta watch. During the feature we'll go to the in-field."

I nod and follow him to watch the heats. The second heat, third car. He kept readjusting his hands, constantly moving them, wiping them on anything. The dashboard, his suit, wiping sweat off. "Hey, don't sweat it, you got this."

He stopped moving his hands around, letting me see this face through the visor. Going from panicked to focused in a matter of seconds. The green flag waved and I smiled.