Page 32 of Trading Paint
No one seemed to understand me.
I had my reasons and they were mine. They may be wrong but they were still mine. Sway never asked me to be someone else. She never asked me to change and when the weight of the world was on me, she was there, lifting it away. But that’s exactly why I wasn’t willing to change anything. This worked for me. She was mine, just in other ways.My friend.
A friend was exactly what I needed right now. I didn’t need complicated. Ineededto keep focused. Ineededto be the best. Ineededunrivaled greatness and to do that, Ineededto be vigilantly focused.
Easier said than done when you’re seventeen but I also knew if there was one thing I was good at, it was being vigilantly focused on what I wanted...racing.
6.Ignition – Jameson
Ignition – An electrical system used to ignite the air-fuel mixture in an internal combustion engine.
“Hey, you ready for tonight?” Sway asked approaching my locker.
Her hair was pulled back under her white Bowman Oil Racing baseball hat. The contrast against her dark hair made her green eyes stand out.
I smiled—so did she.
“Yeah, I’m ready. I need to be at the track after school and then I’ll ride up with Spencer and Alley.” I reached for my chemistry book before shutting my locker, turning to face her. “Do you need a ride?”
My perverted teenage brain instantly began contemplating all the ways I could give her a ride.
Damn it.
We began walking toward our chemistry class. I found the need to strategically place my book in front of me.
“No, actually—Cooper said he’d give me a ride.” My stomach dropped at the thought.
I’ll bet he did. I thought to myself.
I never cared for Cooper Young but I guess you could call him a friend. We grew up right next door to each other but when I introduced him to Sway three-years ago, he slowly began showing interest in her. I knew it would happen eventually. Sway was beautiful and if I thought she’d stay single forever, I was in being stupid.
One thing was true; I’d be having a talk with Cooper later today about keeping his hands to himself, something I should have done before prom but I had been distracted.
I hated to even consider where his hands could go, would go, or have gone. Cooper was a nice guy but I knew he had a thing for women and never dated the same one more than once, precisely why I didn’t want him with Sway. He’s not nearly as bad as Dylan Grady was but he’s close and not what Sway needed.
When I said I didn’t care if he asked her to prom, I never thought he would continue to hang around. Now that he was, I was cursing myself.
When I glanced over at Sway, I saw her lips moving.
Shit, she’s staying something. Pay attention.
“Hey...are you even listening to me?” She punched my shoulder.
“Yes...sorry...what were you saying?” I ginned trying to use my smile as a plea bargain.
“Asshole,”
“I said I was sorry.” I opened the door to our classroom, watching her walk through.
The room was already half full with our fellow classmates, most of whom I had no idea who they were. I didn’t go to classes often as I usually I had tutor that came to our house but during my senior year, I did attend school more often.
“Stop thinking about racing and listen when your best friend is talking.” She told me with a goofy smile. “Sometimes I wonder if youeverlisten to what I say.”
“Idolisten to you.”
“Really?” she took her seat next to the window dragging out her book from her bag. “Could have fooled me,” I glanced at her book where she had stuck various racing stickers all-over it and smiled when I saw my car number outlined in aSharpie.
Chelsea walked in at that moment so I couldn’t say much more. “Hey,” I said in her general direction as she sat down next to us.
