Yes... I fail. I had a real hard time just trying to sit down and concentrate on this chapter, so I'm very sorry it took longer than normal. I have more tennis tomorrow, and next week is the last week of classes. Then finals after that, so this is crunch time for me. I'm stressed beyond comprehension, I have more work that needs to be done than can be imagined, and... I don't have a lot of time to finish it. Yikes.
"Letty. Letty, wake up."
Letty ignored the voice, trying to sink further into the soft, warm bed. She inhaled deeply.
The pillow smelled like lavender.
"Fine. Five more minutes. Then I'm bringing out the big guns."
Letty managed to flip her wrist, waving the person away. True to her word, Emma returned five minutes later, Tye in tow.
The dog jumped onto the bed, nudging Letty's side with his snout. Letty jumped back.
"What the-"
She looked around, seeing the wood paneled walls.
"Oh... right."
"Come on. Kyle and I already loaded everything up."
Letty changed, following her up the stairs and into the kitchen, running a hand through her hair to try and untangle it.
She had forgotten her brush.
The trio, and dog, climbed into the truck. Letty had managed to snag the front seat, and Emma and Tye were lounged across the back one.
They were almost an hour into their trip when Kyle pulled into a small diner that was on the way to the track.
"Come on... today is a junk food day," he said, unclipping his belt. Emma cheered in the back seat while Letty blinked in confusion.
"Energy for the trails," Emma said, leaning in between the seats.
Letty slid out of the truck, blinking into the sun, which had finally rose. It had been mostly shaded on her side of the cab.
Kyle clicked the doors locked, as the three left Tye in the truck and entered the small eatery.
Letty looked over the menu with interest. Very rarely did she have a chance, or desire, to eat out so early in the morning.
"What can I start you off with?" a cheery teen asked, flipping open a note pad as she walked over to the table.
"Tea," Kyle said.
"Hot chocolate."
Letty looked back and forth from each roommate, before turning to the girl.
"Orange juice."
The girl marked it all on her sheet, smiling cheerfully as she disappeared behind the counter and into the kitchen. Letty turned to Emma, who was sitting between her and the wall.
"Isn't it a bit too warm to be having hot chocolate?"
Emma shrugged.
"Well, I can't drink coffee, and I don't like hot tea, so it's the next best thing."
Letty blinked.
"Why can't you drink coffee?"
"How long have you been hanging around with this girl?" Kyle questioned her.
Letty thought back, with a shrug.
"I dunno. Coming up on three months or so."
"Exactly. Do you honestly think she needs caffeine?" Kyle asked. "Ever."
Letty conceded to the point. Emma was as hyper as a small child at a state faire, and that was without any form of artificial energy.
She made a mental note to not let that happen.
"Here you are. Are you all set to order?" the upbeat teen asked, minutes later as she distributed their drinks.
"Yeah, I'll take a ham and cheese omelet, home fries and sausage on the side."
The girl scribbled down the order, turning to the remaining two.
"Chocolate chip pancakes. Scrambled eggs instead of meat, and toast."
"What kind of toast?"
"Wheat. Could I get a glass of skim milk as well."
"Not a problem."
Letty looked over the menu one last time before turning towards the waitress.
"Two eggs, with home fries and bacon."
"How would you like those eggs?"
"Fried. Over easy."
She finished writing on the pad, assuring them that their food would be out in a bit. Letty was finally starting to wake up, and she looked around with interest.
The diner was like something from the early nineties, that you would see in a show or movies. Vintage. It was interesting, to say the least.
"So what's for dinner then?" Emma was asking Kyle, when she turned back to them.
"I dunno. We'll figure it out when it comes."
Emma scoffed.
"How boring."
Kyle shrugged, not looking particularly remorseful.
"So, Letty," he turned his attention from his roommate. Letty raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah?"
"How's life been? I don't see you too often."
Letty shrugged.
"Okay. Business at the garage has been pretty slow, so it's been hard to keep busy... but this helps."
Kyle grinned.
"Glad to hear it."
The trio chatted for nearly a half hour before their food arrived. The conversation quieted, starting up occasionally between interments of chewing. It was well passed 8AM when they made their way out of the diner and to the truck. The sun was already shining brightly, and it was apparent that the already hot air would just get hotter.
Once in the truck, Kyle turned on the vents. He claimed to not like the smell of artificial air that came with the air conditioner, and as such each window that could be opened, was opened.
"Put on something good," Emma ordered as they pulled out of the parking lot, and back to the road.
"CD's are back there."
Emma looked through the case, before picking up a blank CD.
"Mix?"
Kyle glanced back, and nodded.
"Probably. Toss it in, lets see."
Emma handed the CD up to Letty, who switched it with the one in the player, handing Rascal Flatts back. Emma rolled her eyes, but slid it into an empty spot.
She grinned widely when the laid back, relaxed sound of Marcy's Playground filled the cab.
'Hangin' 'round,
Downtown by myself.
And I've had so much time,
To sit and think about myself.
And then there she was,
Like double cherry pie.
Yeah there she was,
Like disco superfly...'
Emma leaned against Tye.
"I haven't heard this song in forever," she admitted. It reminded her of when she was little, and her parents would bring her on road trips, music blaring and wind whipping strongly through the opened windows.
'I smell sex and candy here.
Who's that lounging,
In my chair?
Who's that casting,
Devious stares,
In my direction?
Momma this surely,
Is a dream.'
So caught up in the feeling from the flashback, as she sang quietly along with the lyrics, she did not notice Letty looking back and studying her.
The Latino had never been big on music. It was at parties, it was at races, but she never actually paused to just listen to it. Most of the time it was rap or hip-hop, rarely something so laid back. But she did recall hearing the song a couple of times when she was younger.
And watching Emma sing and nod her head, eyes closed as she leaned against the dog, made her smile. It was such a candid moment, that Letty wished she owned a camera to capture it.
Kyle was nodding slightly with the beat as well. He studied his roommate in the rear view mirror, remembering the same things that she was. He glanced over at Letty, and was surprised to see that she was looking at Emma, with a small smile on her face.
She looked somewhere between amused and content, which was odd for Kyle, since he was used to the tough girl persona that she usually wore.
He turned back to the road, mind thinking as fast as he was driving. They pulled into the dirt lot shortly later, driving past most of the cars to the big field.
"Time for some fun," he said to both girls, shutting off the truck.
"Brilliant."
They piled out of the truck, Emma wrapping Tye's chain to a nearby tree. They then set about putting on the riding clothes and unloading the machines.
"Okay," Emma told Letty, after she straddled the dirt bike. "You know all about the clutch and shifting and gears... all that jazz. How not to stall an engine."
Letty rolled her eyes.
"Only since I was five."
"Exactly. I'm not going to explain that part. Riding is... well, it's actually pretty much like riding a pedal bike. Except, the engine does all the work, not you. And it's heavier. You have rode a pedal bike before, right?"
Letty gave her an annoyed look.
"What do you take me for?"
"Just checking. Balancing is pretty much the same, cornering too, except, you know... more weight, you have to be careful. Okay, anyway, the clutch is at the left handle bar, and throttle at the right handle bar. You have a hand break," Emma tapped the break just in front of the throttle. "And a foot break, right in front of your left foot peg."
Letty nodded, tapping it with her borrowed boots.
"Gear shifting is with your right foot. Neutral is a half click up from first. Second is a full click up from first, and then... yeah, you can guess."
Letty rolled her eyes again.
"Kick starting is not too hard. It might take a while before you can do it efficiently on the first try, but whatever. Don't feel bad."
Emma reached down to where Letty's right foot was at the peg, reaching to the side of the bike and turning the kick starter out.
"It's already in neutral, so go ahead. Try and start it."
Letty obeyed. It resisted at first, but she leaned her weight into the movement, and the engine sputtered before dying.
"It's like a lawn mower," she mumbled. Five more tries later and the bike was purring beneath her.
"Good. Now, you have the engine kill switch right here," Emma pointed to the flat red button next to the throttle. "And... that's... pretty much what you need to worry about for now. Just riding is really not as hard as you would think."
Letty raised an eyebrow doubtfully.
"Trust me. Try it out," Emma waved to the flat field. "Just go gently on the throttle and ease off the clutch. Otherwise you will pull a wheelie, and you will probably fall flat on your ass with the bike on top of you."
Letty took the advice and Emma grinned when she was riding slowly away from the group. Her turn back was slow, and stiff, but Emma did not expect too much more than that.
"We might make something of you yet," Emma informed her, when she was parked next to the car again, a minute later.
"Sure you will," Letty said, but she was smirking.
"Word of advice... pay extra attention to your back end. You know, rear wheel drive, just catch the edge of one rut, or one rock, it could kick out. I'm sure you'll see what I mean."
Letty accepted the helmet from the taller woman, putting it on quickly.
"Kyle, we'll meet you out there in about fifteen or twenty minutes. Just wanna take Letty around to get her used to it before I throw her on the trails," Emma informed her roommate. He nodded, taking off. Emma lead Letty on an easy cruise back across the parking lot and to the private road, that went on for a few miles. Letty pulled to a stop next to her as they looked down the road in the opposite direction they had driven in from.
Emma drove an easy pace that Letty kept up with in third gear. There was a curve in the road, and Letty followed the four wheeler around it, slightly nervous as it just winded further and further in either direction. It was several minutes later when they had stopped and turned around. Emma had more or less spun around, and Letty took the safer route, half walking the bike through a turn on the narrow roadway.
"You wanna see how fast that thing can go?" Emma asked, motioning with her right hand to help explain.
Letty though for a moment before nodding slowly.
"Sure."
Emma jerked her head down the dirt road, taking off. Letty followed much slower, but shifted up when the engine whined at her.
This is... fun.
Letty was surprised to keep with Emma, but then logically concluded that the blue eyed girl was going only as fast as the dirt bike could go.
"You think you can handle the trails?"
Letty's nod was more sure this time.
"Lets do it."
You could not see Emma's grin behind the face shield, but her eyes lit up.
"Come on."
With that Emma lead Letty off to the trails.
"I'm surprised how well you took to that," she admitted later, when they were settled at a table near the concession stand.
"Yeah. Like you said, it's a lot like riding a normal bike," Letty replied after swallowing a bite of her burger. Emma was nodding in agreement though.
"But still."
Letty shrugged
"You racing tonight?"
Emma shook her head.
"No, but I was planning on going to watch," she replied.
"Bummer. I think I could beat you."
Emma laughed.
"Maybe one day we'll see."
Letty smirked, shaking her head slightly. Kyle was watching one of the heats that was going on at the track.
"Why don't I eat this more often?" Emma asked, taking a chunk out of her steak and cheese sub. Kyle glanced at her before turning to the race.
"It's not very healthy."
Emma scoffed.
"Says you."
Kyle did not bother to defend himself, but turned away from the track.
"So, a few more hours and we'll head back. Sound good?"
Emma shrugged.
"Works for me."
Letty agreed more slowly.
"Sure."
She wanted to get to the races early, but at the same time she did not want to stop riding.
"Don't worry," Emma said, as though reading her mind. "We can come back next weekend."
Letty grinned.
"Really? Great."
"We'll convert you yet."
"What, not bike today?" Carlos asked, when Emma climbed out of Kyle's truck later that night.
"Sorry C. I thought I'd let some other people win some cash tonight, you know?"
"No problem chica, I got you. Oh, meet Anthony! You missed him last week."
Emma sized up the dark haired guy. His brown eyes had a mocking gleam in them.
He gave the two New Englanders a lazy, but charming grin.
"Call me Ant."
Emma's eyes narrowed at his cocky tone. Kyle shook his hand.
"Kyle."
Emma ignored the proffered hand, but went ahead to greet herself anyway.
"I'm-"
"Rudy, right? Yeah, I've heard a lot about you."
Emma gave him a wide, though fake, smile.
"Good for you. I'll be going now," she turned on her heels, finding Letty's car in the crowd. She went over and leaned against the side of it, studying Letty and Jessie as they looked over the engine.
"So you met the newbie."
Emma scowled.
"I don't like him."
Letty chuckled.
"Don't worry about it. He's just some kid who thinks he's so hot because he's got daddy's money to blow on fancy parts."
Emma grunted.
"He any good?"
"Yeah, he's pretty good. But he's beatable." Jessie answered. Emma crossed her arms, looking at the newcomer through the mess of people.
"Well, I still don't like him."
"Why not?"
"He didn't let me talk. And he seems like an ass."
Over-confidence was one of the few things that annoyed her in a person. She did not have to interact with Ant any longer to pin-point his character.
"Well, whatever helps you sleep at night," Jessie dismissed her, as Letty was checking the fluids.
"Oh... I have absolutely no problems sleeping."
I got another muse. Well, yeah... additional:
www . iballer . com/divas/rodriguez/images/r11_jpg . jpg
As usual, I am sorry for any errors or mistakes that I may have overlooked.
