Ride or Die Pt. 01

The Mazda and Tesla are neck and neck before the Tesla veers out of the way of oncoming traffic. I on their tails as we come up to a traffic light. I pull out into the other lane and speed past the Tesla just as the light turns red I pull out in front of him and into the intersection just behind the Mazda.

Out of nowhere, a car t-bones the Tesla, taking him out of the race. I'm bumper to bumper with the Mazda. We're this way for the next few blocks. As we get close to the intersection a few blocks away, the Lambo in front of us smashes into a car at the intersection, causing a pile-up.

I quickly drift off on a road just before it and take a left on the street running parallel to it. The Mazda went the opposite direction. I continue down this road until I get an opportunity to turn back on the main road as the Mazda does the same thing, pulling up right next to me.

I glance over at him. He gives me the stare down, but doesn't see the car in front of him and slams into. Dumbass.

I managed to catch up to the tricked out Subaru as we turn right down a four-lane street. He's definitely not willing to let me pass him, cutting me off every time I try to shake him.

I can barely see the Camaro a few blocks ahead of us.

No sign of Ez.

The guy driving the Subaru's good. No doubt about it.

I can't get him to budge.

The traffic light ahead of us goes green as he flies past the car that was waiting there. I follow suit, tailing his ass.

I'm gaining on the Camaro.

I give the guy in the Subaru a love tap on his bumper, which pisses him off.

He honks the horn and accelerates, but his car is nowhere near as fast as Eleanor. I still can't manage to pass him.

We're only a few blocks away from the road we need to turn on.

Fuck it, I take a left down a side street and put the pedal to the floor. Roaring down the road, I find my opportunity and take a right down another side road before drifting out in front of the Subaru. Holy shit, he's a girl!

She honks her horn at me, but I speed up, leaving her behind. Her car isn't able to match Eleanor's acceleration or speed.

Now it's just the Camaro and where ever the hell Ez is.

The bright yellow Chevy is only a few car lengths ahead of me. We're coming up to the freeway we need to get on.

Instead of following him up the on-ramp, I turn right down the road in front of it that runs parallel with the freeway.

The road's practically empty and I floor it. Normally with the old gas engines, Eleanor would only be able to reach up to around 172 miles per hour, but this isn't a gas engine. Breaking 172 mph is easy, especially with no one to get in my way.

I get up to 260 before letting off. Everything is a blur and I have to rely more on luck at this point. Another on-ramp is in 3 miles.

I'm there in less than 12 seconds and soaring up the ramp, coming out well ahead of the Camaro.

That's when I see her. The back of Ez's Mustang ahead of me.

How the fuck did she get ahead of everyone?

Because a little traffic, I had to slow down, so I'm not able to catch her so easily.

Plus, I got the Camaro not too far behind me.

We're not that far from the finish line.

The stakes are too high to lose.

I need to find a way to pass her.

Flying past a semi, I slowly catching up to her.

My speedometer is reaching well over 100 mph.

White knuckling the steering wheel, I take a deep breath as I push down the gas pedal. Normally it's the combustion of gas that makes a car accelerate, but not my modded Eleanor.

The battery my brother managed to get his hands on is unlike anything else. Normally the purpose of a battery is to supply the necessary current to the starter motor and the ignition system while cranking to start the engine.

But, I can't think about that right now. Ez manages to squeak past two semi's as one decides to past the other. Fortunately, it's a 5 lane freeway, so I manage to get around both of them.

Fuck me. A slow as the hybrid's in the lane next to the second semi.

Pulling into the 4th lane, Ez is pulling ahead. I stomp on the acceleration, closing the distance between us.

It takes me a couple of miles before I get less than a car length behind her.

I try passing her in the other lane, but she manages to cut me off.

She's not giving me an inch. We're still about 20 miles away from the finish line. At the speed we're going, we should be there in less than 10 minutes.

Know that, I need to be more aggressive if I'm going to pass her and win. She switches to the right lane in order to pass the slow ass Sudan.

Now's my chance. I switch into the left lane and floor it. Eleanor reaches over 200 mph, flying by her before I let up.

But I don't have room to breathe, she's on my ass. The exit we need to get off at is in sight.

Fuck! A car just pulled off on it.

Ez pumps into me as I turn onto the exit lane.

Damn it! The Taurus in front of me turns into the left-hand lane. I speed up as the light turns red and drift past him as I turn left with Ez on my tail.

She takes a wider drift into the far right lane as I speed ahead in the middle lane past the Tauras.

She's now in my blind spot. Even though I can't see her, I can feel her. I know she's there.

She's definitely got the drop on me as we come out from underneath the freeway.

We're about 8 miles away from the finish line. We still have to turn right in 3 miles.

We're both going over 90 miles per hour as she pulls up beside me.

The turn is coming up.

I switch into the left lane in order to get the width I need to turn without reducing my speed too much. Ez follows suit.

We both drift into the turn, neck, and neck. But she's got the advantage of being on the inside as we hit the last road.

She pulls ahead, but not enough. I sink my foot on the pedal, giving the burst I need to pull up next to her.

She looks over at me and our eyes meet.

There's no way I'm letting her win.

She smirks before her car accelerates forward. Fuck, she's got nitro.

Even so, I can match her speed with mine. I slam on the accelerator.

We're both going over 200 mph.

I'm right on her tail. I pull up once more beside her as we come up to a roundabout. She gives me a smile before once again she accelerates. She has two tanks of Nos. Fuck!

She pulls ahead onto the roundabout.

Just out of the corner of my eye, I see a dump truck coming in hot on the roundabout.

Ez barely misses him, but I have to pull onto the shoulder, letting her gain a good lead on me.

Fuck...

The finish line is in sight.

I press the pedal to the floorboard as I watch helplessly as Ez passes the finish line, pulling into a parking lot full of other cars and people.

Fuck! Fuck! Fuuuuuck! I slam my fist into the dashboard.

The dump truck just cost me the race.

God damn it!

I never lose.

I hesitantly pull into the parking lot as people gather around, banging on my car.

Ez is already leaning against her car when I put it in park.

This can't be happening.

I can't lose this car.

Fuck.

My gut is all clenched up. My mind is at a lost.

How could I let this happen?

I reluctantly step out of the car.

"Time to pay up, bitch. Your car is mine now," she says as she walks up.

"Cops!" someone shouts out as the fate sound of Sirens gets louder and louder.

Ez glares at me. "This isn't over," she says before rushing back to her car.

I do the same and get in Eleanor and take off.

A minute later cops swarm as everyone scatters.

I speed out of there and turn down the closest road I can as the po-po close in on us. Ez is right behind me, but the police are right behind her.

I take a left and then a right. Zigzagging down streets, desperately trying to lose both Ez and the police.

But Ez is on my tail.

We've managed to shake the police momentarily as I drift a corner down a back road. But Ez drifts a little too far and collides with a ford truck...

I slam on the breaks.

What the fuck am I doing? I should get the fuck out of here while I can.

The sound of sirens means the cops aren't that far off our trail.

If I leave now I can easily get away.

Who cares if she gets caught. That means I won't have to pay up.

Arrrrgh. For some odd reason, I can't just leave her. I put the car in reverse and pull up next to her. I open up the passenger door as Ez crawls out of her totaled mustang.

"Quick! Get in!"

Shock visible on her expression, she stares at me for split second before shaking off her surprise and getting into the car. Shit, she doesn't even have a scratch on her.

I tear out of there like a bat out of hell.

It takes a few miles, but I manage to lose the police for good. We drive in awkward silence for a little bit. I can feel her gaze on me as I keep my eyes on the road.

Finally, I pull into a Walmart parking lot and park Eleanor. We sit there for a few seconds before she finally breaks the silence.

"Why did you come back for me?"

I look into those dark eyes of hers as she desperately searches for the truth in mine.

"I... I don't know..." I take in a deep breath and let it out.

"You could have easily of gotten the fuck out of there and I would have gone to jail. And you probably would've been able to keep your car for a while longer."

"I know! I know... I... I just couldn't, okay?"

She sighs a breath of relief. "Whatever the reason was, thank you. But that doesn't mean I'm not taking your car. Or should I say my car."

"Come on? After I just saved you, you're still going to take my car?"

"You lost it fair and square."

"I'll buy it back from you, I swear. I'll do anything. Just please don't take my car!"

"Hmmm, let me talk it over with my crew. We'll think about it. For now, let's chill here until things die down."

She steps out of the car and I follow her. "Why did you bet the car if you can't afford to lose it?" she asks as we walk inside of Walmart.

"I... I don't know. You just... You're hard to say no to. Besides, I didn't think I was going to lose."

"You've got skill, I'll give you that. You might've even won if it wasn't for that dump truck."

"I know..."

She laughs. "Don't get cocky. But... I'll admit I was wrong about you. I thought you were some rich kid who has his dad buy him a car he doesn't know how to drive."

"Ehh, you weren't that far from the truth. My parents, they're wealthy, but my dad would never buy me a car. In fact, I don't get along with my parents all that well."

"Well, I guess we have that in common."

I look up at her. "You have parents? And here I thought you were built in a garage."

"Ha, you've got jokes. I did have parents, but..."

She looks at me. For the first time, I see a hint of fear mixed with sadness behind those eyes of hers.

"But what?" I ask.

Her gaze drops from mine as she ventures down an aisle of can food. She grabs a can off the shelf and twirls it around her palm. "How should I say this..."

She turns back at me and looks deep into my eyes as if she's seeking out something.

"I'm... I'm transgender."

"Woah!" Holy shit! No way. I would've never guessed. She looks all woman to me.

She quickly turns away from me. I can tell that wasn't the reaction she was hoping for.

All of a sudden I feel kind of guilty for it. "I'm sorry, I was just... surprised."

She looks back at me. "You don't have to apologize. I don't really know what I expected."

"You shouldn't have to expect anything. Is that why you're parents are no longer in the picture?" I ask.

She nods her head yes. "They couldn't accept me for who I am or even acknowledge the fact that I'm not the little boy they raised."

"But, you're still their child. They should love you no matter what." She looks up at me. I can tell the subject is touchy. She looks as if she's holding back the tears.

"You'd think so."

For some reason, I can't help but think about my parents. They'd probably do the same. That makes me chuckle. She gives me a glare. "Sorry, it's just. Our parents sound a lot alike. I'm sure mine would probably do the same."

Her expression lightens up.

"How old were you when it all happened?"

"I was still in high school."

"What did you do after that?"

She turns away from me and puts the can back on the shelf. "I was homeless for a while."

"Really? You had no one to help you?"

"No. Not at that time in my life."

"What did you do? How did you survive?"

She looks back into my eyes. "I did a lot of things I'm not proud of, but eventually I met people who helped me through it. They became my new family."

"Your crew?"

"Yep. I would die for them. I know they would for me." She continues to walk down the aisle.

"Must be nice to have someone like that."

She stops and eyes me for a sec. "You mean you don't have anyone you're close to?"

"No... Not anymore."

"What happened?"

"My twin brother Charlie and I were close. Really close. Practically shared the same mind. But he..." This time it's my turn to turn away. The memory of Charlie is just too painful.

"I see. So you've been alone ever since?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

"You know, I think it might be safe to finally leave," she says.

"Yeah, I suppose you're right."

We walk out to the parking lot in silence. I walk up to the driver's seat.

"Woah, what do you think you're doing?"

I look up at her as follows me to the driver's side. "Seriously? You know she takes my thumbprint to turn it on?"

"Then I'll just have to cut off your thumb."

"What!"

"Relax, I'm just kidding, but that's definitely going to make things difficult. Either way, I'm driving."

"Huhh, fine."

I unlock the car and stroll over to the passenger side.

Once we're in, she looks at me impatiently.

I put my thumb on the pad and she starts right up.

"That wasn't so hard, was it?"

She pulls out and we leave the Walmart. She glances over at me. "What the hell did you do to this car? It's almost silent."

"It's a long story, but the entire engine was replaced."

"Wow! She runs so smooth."

"She's the fastest car I know of."

"So, where do you want me to drop you off? Although..." She bites her bottom lip. "If you want, you could stay at my pad for the night, but if you do, I'm going to fuck that sexy tight ass of yours."

The hair on my neck just stood up. Did it just all of a sudden get hot in here? I turn to look at her and she has the most sadistic grin on her face.

"I... uh..."

"Relax, you don't have to. I was just putting it out there. I like you. A lot, but I understand if you don't want to do this."

Fuck... The thought of taking her up on her offer has my heart is pumping faster than the rpm of this car. I've never done anything like that before. And yet, that's not even the thing that really makes my blood pump faster. This woman... She has some kind of power over me. I swear. I've never felt this way before.

Not even with Chelsey, that was a totally different feeling altogether.

"Yeah... I'd like that. I mean... I've never really done anything like this before, but I would like to see where things go, I guess."

Her smile turns genuine. "Okay, then. We're not that far from my house. I just have to drop this car off."

"You're not going to scrap it, are you?"

"Relax. I'm just storing it there for now until I decide what to do with it. By the way, I don't think I actually got your name. You know mine. It's only fair."

"My name is James."

"James... I like it."

"Thanks." She honestly just made me blush for some weird reason.

We pull up to what looks like an abandoned warehouse. She gets out, walks up to the door, types in a passcode and walks in. A second later, the large garage door opens up, she walks out through it and gets back into the car.

She pulls into the warehouse and parks it. I put my thumb on the pad and Eleanor goes to sleep.

I get out of the car. I don't know if I can just leave her here. She and I have so much history.

"I promise we won't scrap her."

I look over at her. "I swear, I'll do anything to get her back. Don't make me beg."

"As appealing as that would be to watch, I can't make any promises without talking to my crew first. This our business."

"I understand. I just... I can't lose her. She's all I have left."

She bites her bottom lip. "Why does this car mean so much to you, aside from the obvious?"

"My brother built that car. It's the only thing I have left of him."

"Shit... You're really putting me between a rock and a hard spot. Let me talk to my crew. I'll see what we can work out. For now, let's just go back to my place."

"Alright."

I follow her to a truck. One of those old 2019 F-150 Raptors. I get into the passenger's seat while she starts it up and pulls out of the warehouse. We hit the road after she locks it up.

"You sure she's going to be alright in there?"

"Relax, only my crew knows about it."

Ez's Place

It doesn't take long before we pull up to what must be her place. Looks like she's got quite a few people over. Her driveway is full, so she has to park on the curb. Her crib is actually pretty nice. Just a one-story house, with a garage. The siding is the typical tan color with clay shingles. We get out and I follow her inside. Music is pumping and there's a party going on.

"What is he doing here?" a black girl asks. She was the one who was talking to Ez before the race.

"He kept me from going to jail. He's going to crash here for the night," Ez says.

"Do you have the prize?" she asks.

"Yeah, it's at the shop. We'll talk about it tomorrow," Ez says.

"Ez! I knew there was no need to worry," Bryce says as he walks up. "Ah, looks like you made friends with the kid you hustled."

"Hustled?" I ask.

"The only reason you were invited to the race so we could win your car," he explains.

"Bryce!" Ez snaps at him.

"Oh... I thought that was obvious. But if I'm being honest, the kids got skill."

"Is that true?" I ask her.

"Of course it's true, but that's before I got to know you. It's not like you didn't have a chance to win. You almost came close at the end," she says.

As much as it stings to hear, can I honestly be mad at her? It's not like I didn't know what I was getting myself into when I made the bet. Still, it sucks being the one getting hustled. I'm the one who does the hustling.

"Come on, let's go to my room and talk about it."

"Ez! I knew you'd make it back." The Hispanic girl that was working on Ez's car says as she pauses from making out with the Asian girl who worked the traffic lights, Yuki I think her name is. Holy shit, they've got a real set up going on.

"No thanks to any of you. If it weren't for him, I'd be in handcuffs. Now I'm tired. We're hitting the hay." Ez grabs my hand, locking her fingers in between mine and leads me into her bedroom.

Once the door is closed, she pushes me up against it. Her lips are on mine as her hand runs through my hair. Her other hand touches slides up my neck and she starts to stroke her thumb on my cheek.

Her tongue slips through my lips and starts exploring my mouth. Finally, I pull away. "Wait a sec. So you mean to tell me, you hustled me?"

"Didn't we just go over that?" she asks.

"Yeah, but..."

"Look, we're always looking for a sucker to hustle, it's a sure fire way to make money. Don't take it personally, it's just business."

"I know... Charlie and I have hustled plenty of people back in the day, it just sucks being on the other side of it. I guess, at least you're honest about it."

"For the record, if I'd known you were actually a decent guy, I probably wouldn't have gone through with it. I really thought you were another rich douchebag."

"Yeah... I did insult you when I first met you."