Sorry it's been so long! I was lost in a different fandom and just ugh. Also, Tumblr doesn't like to let me do anything that's not... Well, Tumblr. Nevertheless, it feels good to post on this story again! I should probably try to work out an uploading schedule, but I'm horrible at meeting deadlines.
An extremely pumped Soul Eater was perched on his tailgate, chest bare with his jagged red and black patterned racing pants hanging low on his waist. His toned chest was shining with a thin coat of sweat caused by the blistering heat of midday. His ivory locks were as unruly as ever, styled just a bit nicer than usual for the race. The Monster sitting in his hand was already missing over half of its contents, despite being opened hardly a minute before. There were a few random riders asking him questions about the track and which ruts he preferred standing in front of him.
Maka sat beside him, hair pulled into a ponytail. Her bangs were hanging loose under the snap-back she had chosen to wear, pony tail sticking out the other end of the hat. She had decided against her usual get-up and instead wore a pair of black shorts, a white band tee, and her usual combat boots. She had taken interest in the current conversation, despite swearing up and down for two days straight that she did not want to come to this race.
"I really liked the inside line through that turn right before the rhythm section." One of the riders commented.
"Yeah, but that one is so crowded when the pack comes through." Another complained, rolling his bright blue eyes. "What about you, Soul?"
"I hit the second line. It's pretty smooth through that little sweet spot if you hit it just right." He explained, using his hands to symbolize the motions. The others nodded, obviously soaking in this information.
"Well, our moto is about to start. It was good talking to you, Eater." A rider waved, turning in the direction of his camp. The others followed not too far behind.
"Nice to meet ya'." Soul called after him. He turned to Maka. "See, this isn't so bad."
She nodded her head, agreeing with him. "What was that? The fourth group to walk up since we got here a few hours ago?"
He let a cocky grin spread out across his face. "Sorry, I guess I'm a pretty cool guy." She responded with an eye roll. Soul noticed another group of riders on their way to his site. "Here comes number five." He whispered.
"Oi, Eater! 'Bout time you started racin' again." A shorter boy with dark brown hair yelled, waving at him as if they were old friends.
Maka's eyes widened upon seeing the group. She ducked her head down, hoping that the bill of her snap-back would hide her face. Soul watched her unusual behavior with mild curiosity. What was her problem? He shook his head, turning back to the riders in front of him. He smirked at them. "Yeah, yeah. I needed to save up some cash. Races aren't free."
"Yet." The taller blonde joked. "I'm sure you're rackin' up the sponsors with all the titles you've won."
Soul beamed. "Yeah, and it's a huge help too."
There were a few moments of silence as the riders frantically tried to think of something to keep the conversation going. They finally got to meet the infamous Soul Eater and they were totally blowing it! He scratched the back of his head awkwardly as they all just stood there.
"So who is this?" A black haired rider asked suddenly, a stupid grin plastered across his face. It seemed one of them finally came up with something to say. "Girlfriend?"
The white haired teen's eyes widened at the question. He certainly wasn't expecting something like that. "W-what? No, this is Maka. She's a friend of mine."
The riders all shared a glance before turning their attention back to the pale blonde on the tailgate. "Albarn?" One of them asked in surprise. "I didn't know you were gonna be here, and with Eater of all people!"
She cringed, picking her face up to force a smile at the boys. Soul looked surprised to see that they already knew each other. She twiddled her fingers awkwardly. "Uh, hey guys. It's been a while."
"Wait, you guys know each other?" Soul questioned, arching a pale brow at the petite girl to his left.
The tall blonde boy's mouth hung open dumbly. "Are you kidding? How could we not know each other? We used to-"
"Go to the same school." Maka ended matter-of-factly, cutting the boy off.
The group sweatdropped, sharing a look amongst themselves. The crimson eyed teen glared at her, not believing her story in the slightest. She fidgeted nervously under his intense gaze. The others, sensing her discomfort, slowly backed off and returned to their respective camps. Maka quickly scanned the area for an exit, eyes landing on the concession stand not too far away. Not wasting any time, she hopped up from the tailgate and started her way towards the line.
Soul leaned to catch her wrist, just barely missing her. His fingertips brushed against her smooth skin, shooting unfamiliar sparks through his fingers. He was too distracted by the foreign feeling to realize that he was still leaning in the direction she had walked in. By the time he finally noticed, it was far too late. He ended up falling from the tailgate of his truck and landing face first in the patchy grass. A groan escaped his lips as he rubbed his head.
Obnoxious cackling filled the air, accompanied by a shadow looming over Soul's sprawled out figure. "Soul, buddy. That was so UNCOOL. A GOD like myself would have NEVER made that mistake!" The blue headed teen screeched, howling with laughter.
"Black*Star, could you be a little quieter?" Tsubaki mumbled, bending down to offer Soul a hand. He took it gratefully, glaring daggers at his menace of a best friend as he was pulled from the ground.
"I wasn't expecting to see you here, Tsubaki." Soul commented, folding his arms behind his head. "Did that idiot drag you along?" He jutted his thumb in the direction of Black*Star.
"We're here for support!" Liz piped up, seeming to materialize out of nowhere. She stood beside Kid and Patty.
"Hai!" The younger Thompson giggled, light blue eyes twinkling.
Soul nodded at Kid in greeting. The -mostly- ebony haired boy returned the gesture, thumbs hooked into the waistband of his solid black racing pants as symmetrically as possible. His jersey had been abandoned after the cool morning melted away to give into the heat. His toned abdomen was glistening with a thin layer of sweat.
Black*Star was in similar attire to Kid and Soul. The only difference was that he had a fresh white towel hanging around his neck. He pulled it off to wipe away the drops of sweat that were rolling down his face. His well defined muscles seemed to ripple with each movement, causing Tsubaki to avert her eyes with a faint blush.
Liz had traded her usual crop-top and jeans for a pair of white shorts and a pink camisole. Her hair was pulled into a high ponytail, saving her from the bother of it sticking to her face. Anyone could tell that she wasn't too fond of the heat, though she had decided to stick it out and cheer on her friends.
Patty was dressed similarly, though her camisole was a yellow and brown giraffe pattern. Her short blonde locks were pulled into tiny pigtails on either side of her head, making her look adorable. Her face was flushed from the heat, but she didn't seem to mind it as much as her sister had.
Tsubaki settled for a pair of denim shirts and a dark blue Fox Racing tee. Her long black hair was pulled into two braids on either side of her head. She was also flushed from the heat, though it may have had something to do with chasing the overly excitable idiot known as Black*Star all around the MX park. Kid had warned her that he liked to start fights- more like all out brawls- at the races, so she had taken it upon herself to keep him out of trouble.
Maka returned a short while later with a soda and a burger from the concession stand. She greeted her friends with a smile, pleasantly surprised to see the other girls here as well. It was safe to say they were equally as surprised to see her. Soul narrowed his eyes at her. He still hadn't figured out where she'd known those racers from.
"Well look at this! The gang's all here." Liz shouted enthusiastically, giving a single clap.
Tsubaki beamed. "This is exciting! It's our first time hanging out together outside of school, Maka!"
The ash-blonde nodded, giving her a smile of her own. "Yep."
Soul elbowed her in the side, "Tch... And you said you didn't wanna come."
She simply stuck her tongue out at him in annoyance. The others watched their playful teasing in amusement.
"Does anyone have the time?" Kid asked, noticing the 'B' class riders lining up at the starting gate for their race. It couldn't be too long before they had to be out there.
"It's 3:38... Why?" Liz stated, checking the time on her cellphone.
Soul's crimson eyes widened. "Oh..."
"SHIT!" Black*Star finished, hands going up to pull at his teal spikes of hair.
The three racers shared a brief look of panic before letting out screams. They sprinted off in separate directions towards their camps. They needed to get ready, and fast. Their race was the one right after this. Maka, Tsubaki, and Liz all let out a collective sigh. They each said their good-byes before chasing after their friends. Patty burst into fits of giggles over the entire ordeal, not that they really expected any less.
Soul frantically ripped through his gear bag, throwing on his jersey and chest protector. He ignored the heat as he continued to gear up. There was absolutely no time to waste! Maka strolled up and offered to assist him in getting ready. He thanked her before asking her to get the things that he needed. She happily obliged.
After everything seemed to check out, the ivory headed boy leaned against his truck with a sigh of relief. The first few racers pulled off of the track, giving him the signal that it was time to head to the starting line. He shoved the custom helmet over his wild mess of white hair and mounted his crf 450r. He smirked cockily at his roommate.
"Wish me luck." He teased.
Maka shook her head with a smile. "You don't need it." She replied matter-of-factly.
Did I really just incorporate mild fanservice into this chappie for my female readers? Yes, yes I did. Think of it as an apology for updating so late T.T. My fandoms have been totally insane lately, especially with Fairy Tail going on hiatus. Next chapter: Soul, Kid, and Black*Star's big race.