Ride or Die

Chapter 9:Arguing

Above the din, I clearly make out Marc's voice.

"That wasn't fair Felix and you know it!" Shouted Marc, holding back his tears.

Peter's eyes meet mine. The two of us run toward the commotion.

"Peter! Man,this is bad!" Shouted Marc desperately, hoping that Peter would help him.

"What's going on?" Asked Peter, and immediately everyone turned around to see him.

"Can't you find some time for your sweetheart?" Asked Felix, the man who was keeping me company and annoying me at the same time. Peter's clenched fist and aggressive glare is enough to make Felix stop talking about me us. "Your boy's here is crying because he wagered his truck on a race and lost."

"Marc... did you bet your truck against...?" Peter waits for his name.

"It's Felix Martinez." Said the man, and flipped his platinum blonde heir. "I've been waiting for a long time for you to realize that I existed. And now I'm your biggest enemy."

"I admit, now you are my enemy but you definitely aren't my biggest one." Said Peter, trying to piss Felix off.

"I'm screwed man! That truck is all I got! I'm so stupid!" Said Marc. Several Felix's goons join in, laughing at Marc as a crowd gathers around.

"The only thing that you will be eating right now is dust!" Mocked a Felix's goon.

"Peter, you've gotta win it back!" I Said and squeezed his hand, as a sign for him to listen me.

"That's the plan." He Said with a raspy voice. Peter stops holding my hand and goes chest-to-chest with Felix. "You feel like a big man, beating a food truck? Too scared to race against anything less than eight tons?"

"Yea? You wanna go double-or-nothing for your little friend here?" Asked Felix.

"Both of us enter the next race. If I finish ahead of you, I win back Marc's car." Peter Said aggressively.

"And what if I beat you? What do I win? Your Devore GT? That's a nice deal." Said Felix.

"Trust me, you won't beat me. And it worths ten times your pathetic life, Felix."

"Pete, you don't hav—" Marc tried to say but Peter gave him a death stare.

"You're on kid. I've already have too many cars to drive home, so one more won't hurt." Said Felix making Peter clench his jaw. Felix and his goons head over to the starting line.

"Pete, I can't let you do this. Please." Begged Marc.

"You can't stop me either. So relax and enjoy the fireworks."

"But Peter, you can't lose your car to that guy." I mumbled.

"That's why, I'm not going to lose it."

"You promised—" I tried to say but Peter interrupted me.

"I know what I promised. But Felix made this personal." As I hurry to keep up with Peter, I overhear people in the crowd talking excitedly among themselves.

"He's gonna race against him? Doesn't know that this guy is in S.C?" Asked a random man.

If they are as dangerous as my dad described them then Peter has to be more careful.

"Seems like your boyfriend is looking to add an insult to injury!" Said an other man.

Felix has his cronies gathered around him.

"I need you all in that race, gunning for Peter. No way I'm losing that punk!" Felix commanded. "Whatever it takes to knock him out. His Devore GT worth of all of yours combined."

"Hey, my pleasure."Said a goon.

Unsettled, I head over to Peter's car to warn him as he makes last-seconds tweaks to the engine.

"Peter there's something you need to know. Felix is going to cheat." I Said really quickly.

"Wouldn't expect anything less from that scumbag." He replied. "Take it easy. It'd take a dozen of them to knock me out. Besides... some things are worth the risk."

"Are you worth the risk? Because that's who I'm most afraid could get hurt."

"I know this isn't the date you were expecting, but Marc's always been there for me. And I've doing this for a long time."

"Not when it's five racers against one! Not when your favorite car and your cousin's livelihood are on the line."

"Look, I get that you're scared. But I've got to do this, no matter the odds against me." Peter closes the hood, his gaze distant, thinking. "Actually, What if.... what if you were my extra pair of eyes on the road?" He Asked. "You used to take part into races like this one. You can be my lookout for Felix's people. You'll have my back. It wouldn't be five against one."

"Yeah, it would be five against two."

"I dunno about you, but I like these odds." He Said and a charming smile appeared on his face. "You're smart, you're observant, and I need someone who can think on their feet."

Peter looks at me expectantly. I feel my heart quickening, hungry for the rich of velocity again.

"I see it in your eyes, Bailey. I saw it last night. You can still feel it."

"Feel what?" I Asked.

"You know damn well what." I sigh not knowing what to do. "You want to be out on that road again, Bailey. So come with me. I can't win this without you."

"Fine!" I Said and got in his Devore GT next to Peter. "Okay. Let's do it!"

"With you next to me, feels like we could do anything."

Peter idles to the starting line. Felix's car lines up, behind us. One of Felix's goons lines up on our left, grinning ominously.

"Last chance to back up Bailey. You sure about this?" Asked Peter and as a response, I squeezed his hand.

"I'm sure." I murmured.

The organizer steps up to wave the starting flag. Peter holds down the clutch and presses the throttle. Beside us the eight racers rev their engines.