Page 85 of Trading Paint
“But you want it to be?” Justin continued, still laughing at me.
Why they found this funny was lost on me.
“I don’t know what I want anymore.” I grumbled picking at my fries.
“Didn’t you fuck that Erin chick?” Tyler questioned taking a large bite of his hamburger.
The woman shushed us again. Ryder started laughing at my expression of pure disgust that her snot nose kid sneezed on my goddamn arm.
I dumped my entire glass of water over my arm to wash off the rheum.
“Who in the fuck is Erin?” Once again, the woman shushed us so I turned around in my seat to face her. “Fuck you, sit somewhere else if this bothers you!” I turned toward Tyler. “Who’s Erin?”
“That chick from Banks,”
I racked my brain trying to remember who Erin was but then again I never knew any of their names. I didn’t care to. If I recalled correctly, Erin was the trophy girl the night my engine blew and we used the one out of that guy’s mustang.
“Oh, yeah...I guess so.” I finally answered.
Justin let out another laugh and leaned back in his chair stretching his arms over his head. “You either did or didn’t.” his voice was muffled from his yawning. “Itain’tthat complicated.”
“What is wrong with you guys?” I barked. “I’m not talking about this with you.”
I was never one to share personal details and I wasn’t about to start now. I didn’t do the whole kiss and tell thing, Spencer used to and I saw how many times that back fired on him throughout the years but most of all, I was just private about that sort of thing.
“Hey wegottaget the dirt somewhere,” Tyler said. “None of us aregettin’ any and you seem to have the largest following.Must be the eyes.”
“Yeah, it’s the eyes.” Ryder commented in a voice I was sure would be considered gay.
This surprised me for a number of reasons, not that Ryder could make his voice sound that feminine but that they didn’t sleep around. I thought for sure Tyler and Ryder would be. I also knew I was the last person Ryder would talk about this with after I found out that he took my sister’s virginity this last summer.
Justin was head over heels for that Ami girl so I didn’t feel I could connect with any of them.
“I’m sure you two have had your fair share.” I said.
“Nah, I have a girl.” Ryder said in a normal manly voice again, well, normal for his pint sized being. “And no, it’s not your sister.” He added.
Tyler never answered but I saw him leave with a few at times so I knew damn well he wasn’t perfect.
Thankfully, the conversations changed to racing because I’d had enough questioning into my relationship with Sway. I couldn’t answer the questions because I myself had no idea what our relationship was.
Texts messages were something fairly new now and I got ones from Sway, mom, Emma, dad, Spencer and even Tommy wishing me good luck the night of the race.
They all made me smile but Sway’s hit home when I read it.
Thinking of you right now.I have no doubt in my mind you’ll win tonight.
I felt an unfamiliar ache when she wrote the words “thinking of you.”I hoped like hell she was and then that scared me. I was all sorts of a mess during the drivers meeting but calmed down when I was around the boys.
The format for the race was a little different; they ran both midgets and sprints that night with a 98-lap midget main event.
I ended up qualifying sixth, Justin got fast time while Tyler got fourth and Ryder ended up tenth.
When the green flag dropped for the main, I was on a mission feinting my way to the lead.
Justin had pulled away to a good lead around lap thirty-five when I caught him. He seemed to be using up his tires because I passed him with ease and that wasn’t normal for him. Justin started strong and stayed strong. I should have known he wouldn’t stay back there for long and with ten laps to goheand Tyler were all over me.
I held my ground but with one lap to go, Tyler came on strong and passed us both like we were sitting still.
