Tied Up in Knotts Ch. 03

I finally found Ryan outside. He was talking to Penn privately. The conversation looked a lot like Ryan was trying to calm Penn down. I tried to backtrack unnoticed but it was too late, they both saw me.

Ryan smiled brightly and waved me over.

"I was just looking for my keys," I said as I walked toward the two.

"What?" Ryan looked confused. "You're not leaving yet. The birthday party hasn't even started."

"Birthday?"

"Penny is the big three-eight today," he patted Penny's back a little too hard and Penn smiled none too genuinely.

Wonderful. I was crashing a birthday party for the one Knott who didn't care for me that much. I looked at Penn, apologetically. "Happy birthday, Penn. I had no clue it was your birthday. I feel like a total jerk for intruding. I'll just grab my keys and head out," I held out my hand out and waited for Ryan to hand me the keys.

"Forget it, you're staying. You're not intruding at all! We're glad to have you here, ask anyone."

I wanted to ask Penn, just to prove my point, but that was rude and unnecessary. I ended up staying. It was hard to leave when Ryan had my keys and my phone was locked in the truck.

I distanced myself from the party and hung with the teenagers; Koby, Kayde, Jay, and their friends. We played football in the field for a while before they led me to the shop. It was full of big boy toys. I knew they were avid adventurers but I had never seen anything like it. Classic looking SUVs that had been revamped with big tires and roll cages, sand rails, four-wheelers, dirt bikes, and anything else you could think of.

It was the big go-cart looking things that the boys were interested in. Kayde pointed me to the passenger seat of one that looked a bit more custom then the others. It was all black and terrifying to look at. It screamed death. I strapped myself in the passenger seat and waited for everyone else to get ready. I wasn't sure what we were doing or where we were going but I trusted Kayde.

The engines came to life one by one. The noise and vibration echoed through the shop like a Beethoven symphony—the rock n' roll version.

"What's going on in here?" Penn stood at the large roll up door with his arms crossed. He was all business and none too happy. I worried we were doing something wrong. I hoped I wasn't a willing accomplice to something bad.

"We're gonna rip a bit. You coming?" Kayde yelled back, hope filling his face.

"Yeah," he said as he walked towards us. "Now go find your own ride," he waved Kayde away. "And why is no one wearing helmets? Do you guys have a death wish?"

Kayde mumbled a curse under his breath and unlatched the safety harness before crawling out. Apparently, he picked the wrong go-cart to ride. Not wanting to piss off an already angry Penn, I started unbuckling my harness. Kayde stopped me.

"You ride with Penn."

I didn't want to ride with Penn but I wasn't going to beg an eighteen-year-old to trade places with me. Penn tossed me a helmet. Everyone was ready, engines revved in excitement, but no one moved. They were waiting for something.

Just as I was about to ask what was going on, Penn took off like a bat out of hell. The second we left the building I could hear everyone racing after us.

They'd been waiting on Penn.

The ATV bounced wildly, yet surprisingly gentle, as we zoomed down the narrow dirt path. My heart raced and my knuckles were white as I gripped anything I could find in an effort to hold myself steady.

The screaming started without my consent. I was torn between wanting to cover my eyes and seeing the last moments of my life.

We turned off the road and into the trees. There was no road, yet it felt like we were going faster and taking corners sharper. We caught air more times than I can count. Each time left my stomach in knots.

Penn drove us off the cliff, at least that's what it felt like. I don't know how we weren't tumbling. It was probably the way I pressed myself into the seat that counterbalanced us. Then I saw the ground and I knew death was moments away. I closed my eyes and let out a low hum (manly scream) as I braced for impact.

Penn laughed at me.

Suddenly, we weren't falling. Hell, we weren't even moving. I opened my eyes and put my hand over my heaving chest. My heart was trying to pound its way out.

"What the hell?!" I shouted as others came to a skidding stop around us. I tried to undo my harness but my shaky hands made it impossible.

"What are you doing," Penn asked.

I looked at him like he was the devil incarnate. He might not be the devil but he was a goddamned idiot if he thought I was staying in that death trap for one more minute. "Getting me out of here. This is insane!"

The next thing I knew I was plastered to my seat once again as we shot forward. I could hear the loud whine of everyone behind us. It was one version of cat and mouse that I wanted nothing to do with. When I dared to open my eyes, we were weaving around trees. The kids were getting ballsy and I could see them on either side of us, racing.

"Hold on," Penn yelled as he accelerated up the mountain.

"What do you think I've been doing?" I screamed back.

I peeked out of one eye to see a narrow trail leading up a very steep hill. I turned my head back and saw no one following us. That was a bad sign. The higher we went the steeper the incline became. It wasn't long before it felt like we were hanging upside down.

Physically impossible, I know. That's what made it so terrifying.

I wasn't one to curse but there was a steady flow of choice words as I squeezed my eyes closed. Nothing we did felt right. We definitely weren't supposed to be suspended in air...forever

"Brace yourself," Penn shouted.

I was braced. I could not brace myself any more than I was. If I could, I would have. I wasn't sure what he wanted me to do and it worried me. What was going to happen that I needed to brace myself more than I already was?

Suddenly, we hit the ground, then suspended in the air again, then hit the ground again. There were a few more aftershocks before he found enough traction to zoom away. We were alone. No one had followed us. That should tell you how smart kids are these days. They knew the difference between life and death when they saw it.

Penn slowed down enough for me to stop being terrified. I was just starting to wonder where we were when I saw everyone sitting in a clearing ahead of us.

I thought we were going to stop and take a break but Penn drove by, accelerating as he did and, once again, the air filled with the whine of motors as everyone tried to catch up.

I didn't like leading the pack. I wanted to be in last place, to eat dust. Dust was highly underrated. God made dirt and dirt don't hurt. I was going to tell Penn that as soon as I was standing on solid ground.

Eventually, we were back on a dirt road which was oddly comforting. Then I could see Ryan's house in the distance and I could finally breathe. It was almost over.

Penn passed the shop where we were supposed to park and drove straight to the house. He started whipping cookies in the front yard, making me scream like the chicken I was—in front of God and all his witnesses.

He finally stopped and everyone whooped and hollered. I wanted to tell them there was nothing to whoop or holler about but I was too busy trying to free myself from the vessel of death.

"What'd you think?" Logan asked, laughing—at me.

"I think consent is something that should be taken more seriously; inside and outside the bedroom."

I was still shaking and my legs felt like they were moments away from collapsing. I ran a hand through my hair which was dripping with sweat—and that wasn't the only part of me that was sweaty. I was a mess.

"I'm sure it wasn't that bad." Judging by the smirk on Logan's face, he knew it was, in fact, that bad.

"Nah, it was an easy ride. More of a stroll really," Penn said. Ryan looked between us in amusement.

"A stroll?" I asked, sarcastically. "I sweated more than I do after a marathon," I lifted my arms to show them the obvious pit stains. "And the swamp ass is no joke."

Penn had a little sweat built up around his hairline but other than that he looked unphased by the adventure. I hated him even more for it. They enjoyed giving me a hard time. Even Penn was smiling at my expense.

After my heart slowed, I wasn't so upset. I still grumbled and complain but it was mostly for entertainment purposes. The kids thought it was hilarious.

I stayed a bit longer. Penn actually engaged with me, which was a stark contrast from his earlier behavior. I found he had a charming way about him. He might not smile all the time, but when he did, it blew his brothers out of the water. He had an amazing smile that highlighted his one dimple and naturally perfect teeth.

I might have had a nothing crush on Ryan, but I was feeling something a little more real for Penn. I found myself wanting a friendship with him.

"You're hanging with us next weekend, right?" Ryan asked as he dangled my keys like a carrot.

"If we don't have plans, sure, I'll see you next weekend," I reached for the keys but Ryan pulled them away.

"That was a terrible answer, try again," he held the keys up once more and waited for me to give him the answer he wanted to hear.

"Fine," I rolled my eyes. "I will see you guys next weekend. Can I have my keys now?"

Ryan let me snatch the keys out of his hands. "We know where you live," he hollered as I walked away.