Muahahaha!
I was up till ten last night finishing this installment. Jeez, was I drained.
And also: Fast and Furious, wtf? XD
neji's goddess: Hehehe. :D
AnimeFreak218: I stole information off Wikipedia and movies. I just can impersonate knowledge like no other. ;D
bright-rebellious: Thanks very much! :)
GreenRose58: Good suggestion. :) Thanks for the review!
Shubhs: Hahaha.
StrawberrySmoothie99: Bahahahah! Ganguro. Sounds like Kankuro. O.o Don't be fooled; I know nothing about cars either. And I really mean nothing. Thanks. :)
swartzvald: Eh. It's nice, but for some reason, I think the CTS is more . . . low-key. :)
:D
Disclaimer: Even though this has almost no relevance to the actual Naruto, I still don't own it. XD
Song: Fuego by Pitbull.
Part Two.
School was unfortunately a necessary evil.
It was Neji's last year of secondary school, and already it'd been by far the hardest.
The majority of his schoolwork consisted of preparation for college and the higher-level exams, which left him little time to do anything but study.
Two weeks after Neji attended the illegal street race, Naruto invited him to another one, this time in Shinjuku.
Neji had painstakingly declined; his studying was too extensive.
Naruto had shook his head, but had promised to inform Neji of the winner the following day.
It came of no surprise to Neji when he heard TenTen won her third race in a row.
-
Neji silently got into his car, waiting impatiently for Naruto to reach him.
Naruto was always the slow one, taking up Neji's valuable time.
Naruto went to the public school across the street, making it convenient for Neji to take him home so he didn't have to walk.
Neji glanced quietly at his cousin in the backseat, her eyes scanning the walking students.
"Hinata," Neji called.
Hinata visibly jumped, her head snapping to look her cousin in the eyes.
"What time does your practice start?"
Hinata quickly checked her watch.
"Four," she murmured in her small voice.
Neji huffed, glaring at no one in particular outside.
"There's Naruto-kun," announced Hinata moments later, a certain blonde-headed boy coming up to the car.
"Finally," Neji grumbled.
Naruto pulled open the door, throwing a furtive look at Neji as he slid into his seat.
"Naruto," began Neji as he started the engine, "we've discussed this before."
"Yeah, I'm sorry. Won't happen again."
Neji rolled his eyes but did not reprimand him further, expertly pulling out of the parking lot.
It took Neji fifteen minutes to reach the conservatory where Hinata would have her orchestra practice.
Hinata got out, gathering her instrument.
"I'll be back at six," Neji told her.
Hinata nodded and shut the door, meandering to the crosswalk to await her turn.
Neji waited until she was safely inside the conservatory until turning to his best friend.
Naruto was staring at the closest side of the street, where a big field was protected by fencing.
"Hey, Neji," Naruto muttered, distracted.
"What?"
"Isn't that. . . Do you remember that girl you were talking with at the race a few weeks ago?"
Neji recalled TenTen, her face springing up in his mind.
"Yes. So?"
"Well, isn't that her over there kicking that soccer ball?"
Neji craned his head to look, analyzing two distant figures on the field.
"I don't know," Neji responded, squinting to see clearer.
"Hm. I think it is her. Looks like her."
"Vaguely," retorted Neji.
Naruto grinned.
"Alright. Take me home, James."
"If you call me that again, Naruto, I swear I'll be letting you walk home."
Naruto grimaced and Neji started the ignition, pulling out onto the street.
-
There were less cars at the next race Naruto corralled Neji into.
Neji drove all the way to Shibuya, being directed by Naruto, who'd gotten the forwarded text message of the race only hours before.
"You know what, Neji?"
"What?" Neji asked as he pulled off of the highway onto a back street.
"You should race with them. This car's fast enough and you could handle it."
"Naruto, I'm not going to street race. It's illegal."
"Well, by even going to these things aren't you partaking in illegality? Therefore, you could go to jail too, even if you didn't participate."
"Naruto?"
"Yeah?"
"Don't ever become a lawyer. You'd lose miserably," Neji stated flatly.
Naruto huffed.
-
There wasn't a warehouse to hold the competitors for this certain race, instead, the cars parked on the same street.
Leaving Neji no choice but to park on the same street as the racers.
Which, unfortunately for him, gave him attention.
A boy with a computer came around, saying to Neji, "Hey, man, pop the hatch."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Neji returned, his voice level and even.
"Pop. The. Hatch. Who the hell are you, some kind of newbie?"
Neji glared at him.
"I'm not a racer. Spectator."
The boy pulled a surprised face.
"With this kind of car?! Jeez, you're stupid. This kind of car was made for racing."
The boy shook his head pitiably and moved on down the line.
Neji noticed Naruto's eyes on him, and he reluctantly met them.
"See?" Naruto muttered, shutting the door to the Cadillac.
Neji rolled his eyes, stuffing his keys into his jeans pocket.
Neji and Naruto started walking down the line-up of cars, both racers and non-racers.
Naruto pointed, easily informing Neji of the drivers of certain cars.
Finally, at the end of the line, they reached TenTen's car, parked on the right side.
It was brightly white, the crimson ribbons shining glossily.
TenTen was not working on the outside this time. Rather, she was sitting in the driver's seat, the door open.
From what Neji could tell, she was writing, a binder propped open in her lap.
Neji meandered closer, approaching her from the front.
He leaned down, over her car door.
"What are you writing?" he asked, only loud enough for her to here.
TenTen started, looking up at him.
Her brown eyes sparked with recognition.
She glanced down, smiling.
"Homework. I have an essay due tomorrow."
Neji raised an eyebrow, surprised.
"Yeah. I won't have any time after the race, so better to do it now."
TenTen snorted, the very thought of it seeming funny to her.
"You were at the race a few weeks ago right?" she inquired, visibly trying to recall his name.
Neji nodded.
"Neji," he reminded.
"Right," TenTen exclaimed. "You got away from the cops then?"
Neji chuckled.
"Yeah, I did."
TenTen smiled up at him.
"So, are you a racer?" queried TenTen, shirking her binder into the passenger seat.
Neji scoffed.
"No, I'm not. I just like to watch."
TenTen appeared suspicious.
"What kind of car do you drive?"
She easily got out of her car, slamming the door so she could lean against it.
"Cadillac CTS-V."
TenTen's eyebrows shot up, disappearing behind her bangs.
"Shit, that's a nice car," TenTen breathed. "Is it here?"
"Yeah. . ." Neji murmured slowly.
TenTen considered him for a long second.
"You should consider racing with us. With that kind of car, it's a shame you're not doing something with it."
"My car is not outfitted for street racing."
"You might not need it," TenTen commented in an undertone, grasping his forearm as she pulled him along. "Where is it?"
Neji sighed grumpily but started toward where he had parked his car.
"Hm. CTS-V. . . That means you have a 6 point two Supercharged GM LS V8?" she mused aloud.(1)
Neji shot her an astonished look.
"Yes. . . How do you know that?"
"Well, I've been into cars since I was little. My dad taught me everything he knew before he died. I guess it kind of just . . . evolved from there."
"No kidding. You don't hear of many girls who know of different engines."
"Or ones that win three street races in a row."
TenTen grinned and she raised an eyebrow at him.
They walked up to Neji's car, and he watched curiously as TenTen examined every inch of the dark exterior.
"You need some different tires," she commented. "These won't allow you to drift very well."(2)
"Who said I'd be doing any racing of the sort?"
TenTen snuck a sly glance at him.
"Oh, you will. Sooner or later it'll drag you in. I'd take a guess to say sooner."
Neji narrowed his eyes at her.
"Can I see the inside?"
Neji grudgingly unlocked his car, where TenTen was already swiftly moving into the driver's seat.
"You could make the alterations easy. . ." she murmured, half to herself. "They wouldn't be that hard."
"What would I need if I started racing?" Neji asked, intrigued.
"Some NoS, definitely. . . I don't know. I'd have to check out the engine to be sure."
Carefully, TenTen got out of his car, shutting the door behind her.
She caught Neji's eye, making up her mind about something.
"Why don't you ride with me during the race tonight? I'll give you the privilege of seeing racing for what it is."
"Are you allowed to do that?" inquired Neji, his eyebrows raised.
"I can do whatever the hell I want," TenTen assured. "I'm the one winning, remember?"
Neji shoved his hands in his pockets, rocking on his heels.
"All right," he finally responded after much hesitation. "I'll ride with you."
TenTen smiled.
"Good. Now let's go. The race'll start soon."
-
"Don't touch anything that looks important."
Neji threw her a swift look before climbing into the passenger seat, careful.
It was meticulously clean, the windows clear and without streaks.
"You're not a backseat driver, are you?" TenTen asked as she maneuvered the car with ease to the front of the forming line of cars.
"Not particularly."
"Good. I don't need someone else riding my tail while I drive. I have enough of them to worry about."
Neji nodded, strapping on his seatbelt, glancing at her.
TenTen was gazing out the windshield, her chest slightly rising and falling as she breathed, relaxed.
Her brown irises were a shade darker than Neji recalled, but he figured it was the dim lighting of the car.
Without turning to him, TenTen murmured aloud, "If there's a wreck, stay in the car. More than half of these drivers are shady, and I wouldn't be surprised if they're carrying guns."
Neji raised his eyebrows, but nodded once to show he understood.
Finally, TenTen looked at him.
Her expression softened, thoughtfully considering him.
"Does that scare you?"
Neji sighed, glancing at the cars in the rearview mirror.
"No. I just wasn't expecting to be told that I have a possibility of dying tonight."
TenTen snorted.
"So you're one of those people that is only grateful for their life when they're forced to think about it."
Neji stared at her, thoughtful.
But before he could answer, TenTen revved her car, the motion vibrating the interior.
A nineteen-year-old boy sauntered his way to the front, catching Neji's eye curiously before glancing at TenTen.
She nodded once, a mere slight movement of her chin.
"Go!"
TenTen slammed the gas pedal down and shifted gears, the car kicking up past its attempt to hesitate.
Neji fought the instinct to grab onto something.
They zoomed ahead, and if not for the shifting of the car, Neji would have thought they were flying on air.
The whole thing gave him a rush of adrenaline.
The turns came fast, the drifting even faster, and just when Neji thought the car would spin out of control, TenTen kept it steady.
Neji threw her a quick glance, thrown off by the euphoric concentration that had attached itself to her features.
He wanted to shout something to her, but didn't, fearing it would screw her focus.
The cars seemed miles and miles behind them, and it was just them and the black asphalt of the road and the roar of the car as it shifted again.
Neji's eyes sent an intriguing look to the speedometer.
They were going just over a hundred miles per hour.
Neji could sense the power of the speed in the car, like its heartbeat, throbbing and perfect.
"Damn it," TenTen suddenly cursed.
Neji cast a swift glance to the rearview mirror.
A suave Nissan Skyline was catching up to them, the driver clear through the windshield.
He swerved behind them before swerving back, easily moving next to them.
TenTen flipped him the bird, smiling poison.
"Fucking show-off," she muttered to herself.
Neji smirked ever so slightly.
The Skyline sped past them, going over a small hill.
What they only realized at the top of the hill though, was that there was a tight curve, right below them.
The Skyline had slowed down to take the curve at ease, but TenTen was going to fast.
They were going to crash.
Neji gripped the seat, nervous.
"Idiot," was the only word TenTen said.
But even as they approached the Skyline in a split second, Neji looked at TenTen and realized she wasn't afraid.
Her face was full of determination and anger, but there was control in her eyes.
Her white hands tensed on the steering wheel and she turned, maneuvering the car in a series of shifts and swings.
TenTen's S2000 cleared the Skyline by inches, and they quickly passed by them.
But not before Neji saw the guy in the Skyline yelling silent obscenities at them.
TenTen snickered.
"Sucker."
Neji looked at her in disbelief, only to see her staring back at him, grinning.
"Having fun?" she asked.
Neji didn't respond.
TenTen obviously took his silence as a yes, and seconds later she said loudly, "Hold on to something!"
Neji didn't even have time to ask her, 'What?' before the car lurched at a dramatic speed.
The force of it made Neji sink back into his chair, and the street outstretched before him had become a blurry, black mass.
It was over as quickly as it had happened.
TenTen's car slowed, and the tires screeched to a stop.
Neji realized how hard he was breathing, his mouth dry.
He felt a hand on his forearm.
"Are you okay?" TenTen asked, sounding genuinely concerned.
Neji eventually turned to stare at her, stunned.
"Yeah," he croaked out, noticing the white flecks of brown in her eyes. "What the hell was that?"
TenTen slightly turned and patted a blue tank in the backseat, mounted to the floor.
"This baby right here is my pride and joy."
When Neji cast her a curious gaze, she grinned, a little sheepish.
"Sorry. This is NoS. Makes your car go faster."
"No kidding," Neji said under his breath.
TenTen let out a snort, but shut the car off, getting out.
Neji stayed in the passenger seat, watching as the other cars came in second, third, fourth. . .
TenTen smiled at each one of them proudly, and with just the right amount of gloating, accepted the money they offered her.
Several minutes later, when she returned to the driver's seat, she was holding a thick wad of cash.
Neji noted the sight of at least two one hundred dollar bills.
"The sooner you start racing, the sooner you get the cash," she commented passably, shifting the car again to drive off, circling back by taking a hidden shortcut.
"I doubt my uncle would just let me walk in with two hundred dollars in my pocket, and not ask where I got it from."
"My grandmother doesn't ask. All she knows is that if I come home with the money, all of her bills are going to get paid."
Neji didn't ask her the questions burning through his brain. He didn't want to sound too eager.
-
When she dropped him off back at his car, Naruto was waiting irritably.
"You just left me, you—!" he stopped when he saw TenTen, leaning inquisitively out the window.
"Who's your friend?" she asked, a small smile on her mouth.
"This is Uzumaki Naruto," introduced Neji.
Naruto stumbled forward and briefly grasped TenTen's hand, awed.
Neji put a hand on his shoulder and drew him back, just in case.
"You're an amazing driver!" Naruto eventually spurted.
Neji shook his head and pushed Naruto lightly back towards the Cadillac.
TenTen ran her eyes over Neji's face.
"Well, I hope you enjoyed yourself. And let me see your phone for a second."
Neji raised an eyebrow but held it out to her.
She grasped it, her thumbs swiftly tapping out information.
TenTen handed the phone back to Neji.
"I put my number in there so you won't freak when I text you the track coordinates."
"But, how did you get my number? I didn't give it to you."
TenTen smiled broadly.
"I have my ways," she said.
And before Neji could say another word, she sped off, winking in his direction as she left.
Neji's smirk widened as he turned back to his car, unlocking it.
"You like her, don't you?" Naruto accused.
Neji rolled his eyes and said sarcastically, "Yes, Naruto, I like someone I just had an actual conversation with a few hours ago."
But even as he got into his car, he couldn't get rid of the electrified feeling coursing in his veins, his hands twitching towards the ignition.
(1) Yeah. . . I have no idea what this means. XD
(2) Drifting refers to a technique where a driver oversteers, causing a loss of traction on the rear tires through turns. Though, if you do it right, the car should maintain its speed and control. In the previous chapter, I screwed up and used touge as a general term when I really meant drifting. . . So, my mistake. :)
XD
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