Beer bottle in hand, ice cold, the man wiped sweat forming on his brow. The garage, shop door, was all the way open which let in a comforting breeze. He cleaned off more of the grease on his tanned fingers onto his work shirt giving a less than satisfied sigh to commemorate his handiwork.
"Only a half hour more," he breathed.
Thomas stood up gingerly and stretched to the blue, cloudless sky and overheard the grinding and cracking of bones. Another groan and a small grin showed. "Better."
Karts suddenly whizzed by the driveway and a gaggle of excited children and tweens ran far behind—
"Go! Go!"
"You can do it 'Taffyta'!"
"All right Vanellope!"
Left in the dust of the race and its fans, the mechanic walked towards the street, peering ahead at the finish line. Looked like a tie which set off quite a bit of banter and arguing that thankfully wasn't going to end in a fistfight anytime soon. Thomas was real glad that his miniature cars could take a beating and still keep together. He smiled warmly at nostalgia, when he was still small enough to fit into one of those things. Now any chances he got racing were at red lights going against a fellow neighbor. Dangerous hobby that was certain, but he couldn't think of much else to relive his glory days in the cool kid crowd.
The rush of adrenaline, tantalizing dopamine—that was enough to reinforce his behavior.
He was about to strut down the street when a honk made his neck screw—"You done?"
"Yes, sir," setting the glass down on a large metal box of a ventilator fan. The man got here much earlier. The last of the grime onto an old rag, he spoke again, "In the shop."
A burly dude lumbered out of the truck along with a rather petite being of a girlfriend. Thomas grinned at her although she did little but wave back. He returned the gesture before running into the office to pick up the key.
Once back, "So who's driving it home?"
The other man grunted and got inside his Dodge again. ". . ."
"Here," She handed the boy, in comparison, the full payment in cash, "Thank you for your service."
"Much obliged m'am." Trying to have someone be in good spirits. It was a hot day but that was no excuse for her mate to be a d—
"Thanks." Before hopping into the cushion and igniting the engine.
He needed more work. Damn those chains in the pretty part of town..!
The hand took yet another swig of the liquid now close to room temperature. His grip on the neck of the bottle tightened but loosened considerably at the sight of the kids coming up the drive, "Hey, 'Turbo'!"
"Yeah." Suddenly finding his lips tugged upward like they were suspended by hook and wire. 'Turbo' finished the last of his warm beer and crossed his hands behind his back casually, although him drinking really didn't matter to them.
Their eyes were alight; the raven-haired chick and the bleached blonde were in the middle, dirt coated and exhausted.
"You saw, didn't you?" Intense blue and golden yellow curls inquired.
"See what, Randy?"
"'Rancis'." Correcting.
Blinking, "Oh right yeah."
Tanya crossed her arms and put on an impatient stance legs spread, leaning back some and tapping a sparkly tennis shoe, "Who'd you see win the race, Thomas?"
"T-'Taffyta'." Smiling sheepishly clearly not in the position to be the referee, "I couldn't tell; a tie?"
Hazel irises got off the view of the concrete locked onto brown with a hint of orange, "Are you sure?"
The man cleared his throat and averted his eyes embarrassed more than anything, "Yeah Vanellope." At least her name didn't have a pseudonym attached to it. Count it on Thomas and some of his old friends to come up with "Sugar Rush Racers" based on their then undying affinity for sweets and other unhealthy snacks and drinks. Now just looking at a slice of cake topped with buttercream frosting was enough to make him just a bit queasy.
Those "buddies" were now either married with kids or in prison, give or take a few..
The girl hung her head down again before perking right back up, "Thanks for being honest, 'Turbo'." He could only shrug; he couldn't see shit much less when his client showed up.
Other racers and their audience groaned as if convinced they had to start the whole competition over. 'Swizzle Malarkey' mumbled under his breath with a Hispanic accent, "I gotta get home," brushing his dyed green over naturally dark brown hair with tense fingers.
"Tch, man me too." 'Snowanna' sighed. The sun was blinding their side view as it began sinking into the watery horizon. Taffyta shielded her eyes and gave a glance at her rival, and friend,
"You did good, Vane." Heading off kinda slow, looking behind her to see if the slightly younger one would follow. The man sat down on a folded out metal chair which creaked at his weight, crossing a leg over the other seeing the others off, except her.
"Vane, you're staring at me." Stating it matter-of-factly. "Long day, huh?"
The 12 year old blinked at his initial sentence and shifted one foot behind her ankle, rather shy. "Yeah. Sorry I—"
Tanya took a hold of her shoulder, "Come on. You can have dinner at my place." The male went close-lipped at Vanellope's simple nod and somber expression. For a long time now, through casual observation, he figured she was much more energized and sociable than that.
Odd, really.
"Night, you two, or evening."
The blonde gave a polite grin and whisked off with the other, whom she gave a very quick, very intense stare. The sky pooled itself into blue before the humming sodium lights of the inner city changed it to black and purple. Turbo just stayed there settled for almost an hour, attempting to relax. His soundscapes were the pulsing choppers of helicopters and the occasional siren a few blocks down.
He was lucky that he didn't live on a main street.
"Really?"
Vanellope stared down at her hands within her lap, fingers twisting and meshing in her fiddling. Her fair complexion revealed an obvious shade of pink darker than her cheek's natural tinge. Taffyta facepalmed before undoing the twistable plastic licorice that served to keep the blushing girl's hair up.
"You liking him? I mean he's kinda cool and all."
"Yeah.."
"But you can't just be like, 'Hey I'm crushing hard on you; can you be my boyfriend?'"
Slight pause, ".. Why not?"
The blonde was so glad to have been sitting cross-legged behind her on the bed as she brushed the thick black keratin. Her face frozen in shock if not paling in horror, "You're joking. He's so—
"Old? I can see that—I'm not stupid, Tanya." Frowning and folding her arms.
"I didn't say you were—
"You're thinking it." Vane sounded hurt, believing that her on-and-off comrade would get it by now. Tanya tugged back strands of hair as if to retort, 'I was not!'
"ow."
The girls slipped into some silence until the older of the two chimed in, "Do you think he'd like you back? I mean, in 'that way'?" Trying a tone that was meant to be comforting. Out of habit her fingers worked in braiding Vanellope's longer hair. It was late and both were already in their pastel-colored flannel PJs. The caretaker gladly handed the girl over to spend the night or two.
The younger one bit her lip, "I don't know." Overhearing some action movie from the living room made her space out for a bit. "I don't have…." Looking down at her flat chest, the lack of rounded hips. The only thing she had going was her youthful face without a hint of makeup. But surely that wouldn't be enough to leave an impression on her current interest. "Probably not. He'd, maybe even tease me for saying that."
She resumed a downcast gaze. Taffyta sighed while securing the end of the rope.
How to let the lovestruck racer know that this attraction was a bad, even dangerous idea? There was no way to beat around the bush with this and it went without saying that this little female could know very well what having a relationship with an older male would entail.
"Look. I don't want him to.. I don't want to see you getting hurt."
Vane about laughed at that, wrapping her arms around herself, "You know why I'm here." Voice strained, knees now up to her chest.
The other chick got in front and hugged her tight, "Yep."
"Get off." Trying to smile as her way of thanks.
Thomas gave a simple wave of the hand to acknowledge his next door neighbor's appearance. The middle-aged approaching her 40s fought herself from giving a condescending stare, sulking back into her apartment and clicking the last of the three locks shut before a sliding of a chain bolt. The younger man found her rather sour and there was really no reason as to why she'd act that way. Part of him went, "bitch" while the other chastised him for being inconsiderate of her background. Everyone around him surely fell on hard times in their past, or now.
A quick shower and change of clothes and he stepped out into the living room, held-on towel still drying off his pitch only to find his lighter-skinned and taller doppelgangers with broads glued to their sides.
I should've locked the door too.
Pretty soon they'd wear out their so-called welcome. The oldest of the twins turned 'round and smiled cheekily, "oh oh! Who's this?" The woman saw "little Turbo" and giggled. Yes; he was the youngest of the three.
"Your mom!"
"Our mom!"
"Whatever," not caring much that free flesh was available to him. An annoyed air about the 27 year old prompted him to head into the kitchen to prepare dinner for one. If the guys and their guests were so hungry they'd get off their asses and do it themselves.
He pulled out a simple wooden chair with a pad for a cushion and partook in his meal of mainly seasoned vegetables and white rice, with few pieces of chicken breast. To drink, room temperature water in a bottle. Thomas searched for hot sauce in the pantry and came face to face with yet another spider lounging on its web. "I'm getting you in a mil—no use in running." So relieved that it wasn't a cockroach; he had been witness to so many in his childhood it tired his eyes easily now. At least he tried maintaining cleanliness unlike some of the residents. It would be a matter of time before.. "Ugh."
Tiny ones were the worst.
Mind quelled into some silence while trying to enjoy his meal. By the end of it the voices of the adjacent room were falling hard on his ears. "Christ." Escaping into his room to put on a mixed CD on his CD/cassette player. The 80s blared from the closed door yet it wasn't deafening. An hour passed by before he came back to planet Earth and noticed the people leaning over each other. The beer had been accessed and it looked like they had 2 or 3 each. Once the boys and girls straddled one another the man knew it was time for them to get "Out!"
The girls laughed, not taking him seriously. Benjamin groaned, "'Does it really hurt you that we didn't bring a lady friend for ya?"
"Shut. Up." Opening the door wide for them, "Go get a motel room for all I care—just go on! You two barely do any productive shit around here anyway."
"What kind of production, little brother?" With an almost vile sneer. Joseph was the quieter of the two and kept his currently loopy sight glued on the carpet, swaying, knowing how angry "Turbo" could get. A 2-year old phonebook's weight out of nowhere prompted the lot of them to obey.
"How rude, boy." Thomas folded his arms at the straight-haired brunette in defiance, "Out, girl." A kiss made him draw breath and push her back. Of the two Joseph finally got up and shoved him over the arm of the arm of the couch. "Oof!"
"We'll leave now, you uptight prick."
The kid sprawled for a few minutes after the door closed behind them, staring up at the grainy chunks of stucco of the ceiling.
Vane awoke the next morning, blushing a little red. She sat up in "Taffyta's" bed rubbing at her eye and sniffing a little, "uh..?" Her friend was already up; she could smell something pleasant and hopped out of the covers, bumping into the little brother right after—"Hey!"
The girl nearly knocked him over, "Oh! Sorry!" Holding his shoulders reassuringly to let him know that it was an accident.
I'm so clumsy.
She smiled up at a slender Russian woman carrying a light accent, "Morning Vicky."
"Have a good sleep?" She placed the last pancake on top of a heaping pile to serve, which Vanellope took to do it herself. It was the least she could do, "Yep."
"Tanya, breakfast is ready!"
The guest glomped her friend who was mesmerized by E! Television. "Vanellope..!"
"Yelp." A set of giggles got the blonde to chuckle, "Okay; what did you dream about?"
"Nnnnothiinnngg~ But it was good!"
Both kept their frumpy look all throughout that morning, relaxing on this Saturday, with no talk of who was better at racing or other such competition. The "T" word wasn't even uttered, although just a fleeting thought of him got the girl to mesh her fingers and crook in her head to her shoulder. Surely he'd be working—he always was..
"Psst. Vane."
"Hm?" Tanya shook her shoulder gently, "Get up now."
The girl felt great lying in the cool grass and hummed refusing to do so. This was one of the more decent parks closer to the upper class area of town. The sun was up high and the chatter of small children became a lullaby for her. "Taff you should really try this…"
"But you're getting stains on your shirt." The other sighed and sat up. A splotch of green had decorated her off-lavender t-shirt with a pink swirl lollipop at its center; luckily that stain was only on the side of the torso area. "Meh." Flopping back down again to which the other growled in frustration, "Move your butt!" Pulling at her arms.
"You mean, move your a—"
"Vane!"
The girl laughed, "Hmmm.. I love him." Circling fingers on a patch of dirt in absolute naivety, sighing contentedly. Rather than spoil the mood, blue eyes closed with a tiny smirk following. "Come on Vanellope. Your mom's going to pick you up soon."
"Yippie." Rolling eyes.
At some point she was going to have to 'fess up, not knowing when or how. Truth to tell she believed that Thomas barely noticed her. Vanellope locked the door to her space and fished out her homework, pencil and eraser missing until she dug into the pockets of her teal zip-up sweater. Her room was a mess. Unfolded but clean clothes were pushed to the floor to join scattered pairs of shoes and books. Lying on her stomach with feet suspended in the air, white tennis still on.
"Let'sh sthee.." Biting on the wood of the Ticonderoga barrel. An hour of tedious math about put her to sleep again, yet the 55-question set was at last completed save a couple more complex items. "Time for English." What was the point of studying a language that's already learned just from living in this country?
Ten pages of the textbook finished, 20 to go. Noises proven to be teeth-grating sounded from the living room. Someone was home. "Come on Vanellope let's do this reading." The sun set low. Lights were turned on and blinds shut on the 2nd floor of the apartment house. Not so comfy on her stomach now, she pushed herself up on the backboard to prop the book up on her knees, neck hurting like crazy after a half hour but it would have to be allowed. The tween had tongue in cheek, thinking that she should invest in an mp3 player of any kind just to drown them out. Almost done.. There. The book shut and tossed into the opened pack.
Gingerly, Vanellope unlocked her door walking into a dingy hallway. Worn carpet in need of a good deep cleaning, the spots consisting of those past messes from other families that resided here, their pets, and then some. The girl looked ahead and half smiled at whoever was there, "Hi." Before grabbing a couple Nutri-Grain bars not being that hungry. A few small bites prompted her to think of a movie she could take back to her room to watch on the box television with an embedded VHS player. Comedy? Romance? No; adventure sounded good.
"Mom?" A woman peered up at her looking rather tired. "Want to..?" Blank stare. "N-never mind." Grabbing whatever movie from the genre she chose to dash back into her room. Locking the door. Getting a pillow before turning on the hum of the TV and letting the VCR do its thing. At least this one had both speakers working!