Speed Racer
Chapter Deux: Pancakes are Love
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. As much as I'd like to. (:
Trixie paced in front of the mirror of her bedroom, the denim of her short skirt rustling against her thigh. Again, her bottom lip was between her teeth. Her big, brown eyes scanned the room as they made their way to her digi-clock. 9:54 Speed would be up in about ten minutes, if not later. She couldn't put this off, and maybe if she got there before he woke up, he wouldn't be able to pull her aside right away. She needed to compose herself, figure out what she was going to say, and how she wanted to.
Taking a deep breath, she grabbed her keys off the nightstand and left her bedroom. She locked the door behind her and got into her car, made especially for her, as a birthday present three years ago, by the Racer family. How they'd kept it a secret from her, she still hadn't figured out. Zooming out of the driveway, Trixie floored it down the empty street, might as well get there soon and get this over with.
How in the hell am I going to tell Speed that Racer X lied to him. He was so crushed by the loss of his brother the second time. He was so sure…Rex is alive. I know he is. I just have to prove it. Trixie thought about lying, but she had never lied to Speed and it would be unfair, not to mention difficult, to start now. She cut the engine as she got to the Racer household; its colorful outer walls somehow seemed less inviting than usual. Putting her keys in her purse, the yellow one that matched her halter top, she climbed the steps to the side door, her black heels clicking on the smooth concrete.
"Trixie, good morning," Mom said, as she knocked twice and stepped into the kitchen. Trixie repeated the greeting and looked around the table, Spritle and Chim-Chim sharing a plate of pancakes, Pops with at least seven pancakes on his own plate, Sparky reading the morning paper, a bite or two taken from his breakfast, Mom still over at the sink, cleaning the pans, and Speed's door still closed as he continued to doze. Trixie felt herself relax as the mission was accomplished; Speed Racer hadn't won this time. She couldn't believe she felt so different, and yet everything looked exactly the same as it had every other morning.
She didn't have long, so she couldn't bask in her glory. Go figure, only Speed got the chance to do that. My goodness, was she bitter today? She told herself to cool it as Speed's bedroom door opened and he stepped out, drowsy and adorable. His hair was flat on one side, but Trixie's favorite little curl in the front looked untouched. She smiled to herself, even though she feared the day with Speed. He looked up and saw her, barely registering the chorus of good morning he was receiving, and he smiled at Trixie. "Hey Trix," he said, in the soft, I'm-still-half-asleep voice. The sound of his voice sent a shiver up her spine, the good kind and she grabbed hold of the kitchen counter, since it was the closest thing, inconspicuously, for support.
"Hey Speed," somehow she sounded slightly out of breath and that amused her boyfriend. Sparky put down the paper, sighing. He glanced down at his pancakes, then slid them across the table, toward Spritle, who was reaching for the plate in the center. He forgot about the pancakes meant for Speed and Trixie and went after Sparky's, sharing with Chim-Chim of course. "How'd you sleep?"
"Good, only one thing that coulda made it better," he winked at her, smirking as he came around the table and kissed her lightly before taking her hand and sitting them both at the table. Trixie could feel the soft burn on her cheeks, even after all this time. Speed had dropping sweet nothings on her since the seventh grade, and he always got her all heated up. Now-a-days, in more ways than one.
He kept his hand in hers, his thumb lightly running over the back of her hand while he ate his pancakes with his lucky fork. Trixie just watched him, he even ate elegantly. She could feel the shadow of a smile on her lips, one she couldn't get rid of, as she cocked her head just a little as he ate one handed. After a couple minutes of silence, except for the clinking of forks on plate and the rustle of newspaper and clothes, Speed looked up at Trix, the fork, full of syrupy pancake chunks, hovering in front of his open maw, and he gave her a questioning look. Then he sat up a little and offered her the forkful of sticky, yet what Trixie knew was delicious, mess of pancakes. Trixie hadn't eaten breakfast, it was true, and the pancakes were so close to her face she was inhaling their scent and it made her stomach rumble. She shrugged and opened her mouth, why not? Speed laughed a little, more to himself than aloud, and put the fork right over her tongue. Trixie closed her mouth around it, imagining the taste of the pancakes a second before the taste was real. Cinnamon. Yum. She closed her eyes to the taste, the beautiful texture, and she felt the silverware slip back between her lips as Speed took back his lucky fork.
She opened her eyes to find him watching her now, the blue of his eyes dancing with laughter. She could almost hear him chuckling, though his shoulders weren't moving up and down, so she knew he wasn't really. His mouth, however, was grinning, his side-grin, at her, three and a half of his teeth visible between the pink of this lips. She licked her own; ridding herself of the syrup the fork had left, as a trail, behind. Speed's grin widened and Trixie saw his tongue right on the edge of his bottom lip. At the same time, they both seemed to remember where they were and brought their gazes down and then up from the side to stare at the middle of the table.
Sparky got up from his chair, the scraping sound of the chair legs on the linoleum seemed extra loud all of the sudden. She must have jumped, because Speed tightened his grip on Trixie's hand as he finished off his pancakes. The taste of Mom's pancakes had filled up Trixie's mouth and if it'd been cotton she'd be dead already. Unable to stand it anymore, Trixie exhaled and said, "So, Speed, what's on the agenda?"
He glanced sidelong at her, raising an eyebrow. If they were alone, he'd say you. Trixie had learned long ago how to hear what Speed was saying by the looks on his face. Even his parents weren't that good, but it was almost like she was reading the words on his pupil, and she could imagine his voice, him speaking the words.
"Trix?"
Here it comes she held back a sigh as she leaned back in the red leather seat of the Mach 5. "Yeah?"
"What happened?"
"Whatdoyamean?"
"Don't play games with me, Trix. Something really bothered you. Why wouldn't you tell me?"
"Speed-"
"I mean, is it something I did? Something I said?"
Trixie was quick to shake her head, "oh, Speed." She reached out, her hand cupping the side of his face as she turned to him, "no, never."
" What, then?"
"It was something I saw…" Speed didn't interrupt this time, so Trixie continued, "…Racer X…he was watching you, from the-"
"Yeah, I was wondering why he didn't drive in the last race. Do you know what happened?" Trixie shook her head, saying nothing more. Speed seemed to realize his mistake in interrupting her and jumped to apologize. "Keep going, Trix. Sorry."
"Well, he looked like he wanted to," this sounded so silly all of the sudden, "like he wanted to hug you, Speed." His face changed, it wasn't amusement, or hurt, even. Trixie couldn't place it, but it nearly broke her heart. Before he could say anything, Trixie added, "like you meant something to him. A lot of something."
"What are trying to say? I mean, Racer X is a tough guy. He doesn't go around hugging people. Are you sure?"
"Speed," her voice had gone to the I'm-telling-you-and-you-better-listen tone, "he was completely relaxed up there. Like he forgot where he was and he," she grabbed his forearm with a tight grip, urging him to understand, "he was so caring. I could see it, his face was full of affection toward you, Speed. He loves you. You're like his little brother."
There was a long moment of pained silence. Not awkward, just pained. "…Trix…"
"Speed…"
"No, Trix. You're crazy. What, are you working for Royalton now? Are you trying to reach your hand into my chest and crush everything in the world that matters to me?"
"NO. Oh, Speed. This is why I didn't want to tell you."
Speed turned the car on, backing it up and down the hill, back to the road. He sped off, heading home, without saying another to Trixie the entire way there. He stopped in front of her house, not saying goodbye, no 'I'll see you in the morning,' not even a 'come on over soon.' But what hurt more than all of that is that, even as Trixie got out of the car and closed the door, Speed didn't roll down the window before streaking out of the driveway back to his place, nor did he say, before she shut the door, 'I love you.'
A single tear rolled down Trixie's cheek as she heard, but could no longer see, the Mach 5 down the street, engine revving at the stop sign between her house and his. They'd never gotten in a fight before, not ever. "I love you anyway," she said, kissing her fingertips and blowing the kiss in the direction he'd disappeared.
