Page 13 of Trading Paint
I laughed trying not to let on how attractive I thought Sway was in fear that my brother would give me shit.
“I’m not blind.”
“Just...be careful.” He nodded. “It’s easy to break a girl’s heart that way.”
That’s exactly why I never pursued anything with her. I knew damn well where my interest resided and that was with racing.
Anything I had to offeranygirl wouldn’t be anything more than physical.
My desires...they were racing and racing only. I was also sixteen and I hardly knew the ways of the world but I sure thought I did.
Sure, Sway and I experimented with each other on occasion; kisses here, touches there and we had made out on more than once occasion but it never led to anything of substance and was usually ended quickly by one of us pulling away or Sway giggling.
There were a few girls I had also made out with from school or at different tracks where I’d been racing but that had never went anywhere either and it was usually kept PG-13.
The rumbling of my dad’s diesel truck pulling into the pits pulled me out of my thoughts and I jumped to my feet.
Sway was getting out of the truck with my dad.
I smiled as did she and she ran full speed at me.
Launching herself into my arms, she whispered. “I missed you Riley.”
I pulled her inside the hauler when my dad approached the chief steward about a fuel problem my car had during pre-race inspections. They thought we were using some sort of additive in the fuel, which was not allowed in any of the USAC Divisions.
“So, how’d the race last night go?”
I grumbled for a minute before answering.
“Shitty, I wrecked with three laps to go.”
“That sucks...does that mean we need to party tonight to get you in the spirit of winning.”
“I guess so. I really missed having you around.” I threw my arm around her shoulder.
Surprisingly, tears glazed her eyes.
“I did too.” She admitted softly.
My hand rose to cup her cheek. “Hey...are you all right?”
Sway, never being one to show a lot of emotion, chewed on her cheek for a minute before answering. “I just...it’s not the same when you’re not at school. Girls well, they...think I’m into you and constantly give me shit about it. It’s annoying...sometimes it gets to me. That’s all.”
“Are you?”
“Am I what?”
“Into me...I thought we were friends.” I mumbled. I didn’t want to hear she felt anything more than a friendship.
“No. I mean...as friends. I don’t have feelings for you if that’s what you’re asking.”
“Good. Friends,” I smiled and hugged her.
Glancing at the pit bleachers, I saw Amber eyeing me. Amber was Justin West’s cousin that followed me around any race she attended. She was nice I guess, but annoying. She was also fourteen. Being sixteen, almost seventeen, that was not an option to me. I didn’t go for the younger ones. Besides, she seemed clingy, that was another trait that was not an option.
I pulled Sway closer. “Domea favor this weekend?”
“Sure,” she said without question.
