Monday night
There was a testing glance, one that got Jay's back up and he felt threatened just being in their presence. Suddenly he had turned to Cole and he became concerned. Not that he would normally back down from a tournament or race of endurance. This just seemed, dangerous and it was all in the name of proving that Cole would pander to their requests of him. Even at the expense of his life?
"Cole?" The man with the short blonde hair called.
Subconsciously he kicked his gear into neutral. "Cole, don't!" Jay pleaded, whilst firmly holding Cole's handlebars. He was doing all he could, in an attempt to impede his insistence to follow through with this stupid race. His final warning being issued, "Dude this is stupid, just let her go. It's obvious she's just stringing you along!"
"COLE?" He called again, a small grin spreading across his face. He sounded like he was speaking down to him, like a teacher would, questioning him, testing him to see if he would bite. His insistence to be heard, cut straight through Jay's voice and grated on the lightning master. "Not scared are ya?"
Jay, was still trying in vain to divert his brother's attention, "Cole, please." Desperately trying to reason with his brother but it was no use. Even shaking the handlebars with both hands wasn't enough to break the glare that the blonde haired man was giving to Cole at this exact moment. "Cole?"
"What would you know Jay? You've let Nya string you along, for years!" Cole growled, his eyes were still burning into the blonde haired man's eyes.
Jay narrowed his gaze and clenched his jaw at the cruel words and belittling tone that seemed to come from nowhere. He chose not to retaliate or rise to the very obvious baiting. Now wasn't the time, he'd have this up with Cole when he was thinking straight. "COLE, don't do this. It's dangerous!"
Cole had kicked his bike into first gear without Jay realising and within a few seconds he took one final look at Jay with a sick grin. "Go home Jay," He hissed and opened up the throttle. His bike lurched forward so fast that Jay had no time to react. Cole had driven off and was following the other four bikers as they began to ride down the steps that joined the boardwalk to the beach.
Cole had pulled away ruthlessly, with one selfish thing on his mind..., He was going after her, after Star. He guessed that if he could keep up, as opposed to beating this, as yet unidentified male and his small biker gang, maybe he could speak to her and get to know her better. After all, she didn't seem to be dating this other blonde haired guy. She just rode on his bike like a trophy.
Sadly, when Cole had pulled off as fast as he had, Jay's hand was still on the handlebars at the time. And unbeknown to Cole, his lightning brother almost fell flat on his face with the forward momentum. Jay's bike, bore the brunt of that miscalculated error of judgement and he dropped it onto the boardwalk as he fell on top of it.
Jay was lucky he hadn't broken any ribs with how hard he fell. Although, the fall had knocked the wind from his sails, he was more annoyed about his bike.
"Dammit, COLE!" Jay fumed at a fast disappearing master of earth.
He winced, hissing when he got back up to standing. He knew that was going to ache in the morning and he had a week full of nights to do from tomorrow. It was only when he cocked his leg back over his bike did he notice the amount of people looking over him and the unintended spectacle he'd made of himself.
Feeling the starts of a large bruise forming where he'd landed on his own handlebars. It radiated across his entire chest and a further one where the pedal had hit his uncovered shin. And then, of course, was his bike, his pride and joy. The one he had saved up for, now bore the brunt of a somewhat scratched gas tank on one side, where it came in contact with the concrete section of boardwalk.
He could have cried right then and there, the paint job alone had cost him a few hundred dollars. Jay pursed his lips and restarted his bike quickly. He could just make out the four disappearing bikes whizzing down the beach and he decided then and there, to tail them or maybe catch up and give Cole a piece of his mind.
Remembering his bike had no lights, Jay had to resort to a head torch so he flicked it on and opened up his accelerator rapidly.
Following the same route, he cut through the pedestrians and rode quickly down to the eight or so concrete steps. He gasped out loud when his bike's soft shock absorbers and endurance suspension reverberated the bouncing action through his body. The fast and unpractised jump jarred his chest, and most definitely buckled his front wheel but he carried on.
The fire lit barrels allowed him some view of the tire tracks and even though his bike was loud. He could still see and hear were up a good few hundred metres away, not too far luckily as Jay could still see the brake lights clearly but fading ever so slightly.
His face was anything but calm, Jay was angry. He opened the accelerator and drove off fast in hot pursuit, following the tracks in the sand.
Within a few minutes he had caught up. It wasn't difficult, his bike was exceptional on sand or earth. No so fast on asphalt though because the tires were too textured and it slowed him down. It looked like these guys were all going in a straight line towards the ocean. The tide was out so it left a long stretch of dry sand to travel over before they would be likely to change course.
He said nothing as he neared Cole's bike. He didn't smile but he shot his earth brother a look of annoyance.
"I said to go home Jay,"
"Don't tell me what to do Cole. Someone's gotta watch your back when you choose to do these stupid things without thinking of the consequences."
Cole was struggling to keep up with these guys. Jay could tell that their bikes were faster and, as he had assumed. Their bikes were unrestricted, largely illegal, just like his was. "I can slow them down a bit, if you really want to do this." Jay said, his face stoic.
Jay could hear that Cole's bike was in it's highest gear, it was going flat out on the sand. And, to make matters worse they were approaching the underneath of the boardwalk pier. He was struggling to see much as these bikers took a more dangerous route as he had predicted. Jay had swerved just in time to avoid a Pier strut. Choosing to stay in a straight line as opposed to having all of his ribs broken on a solid piece of barnacle encrusted wood.
"Cole, you can't keep up with them on your bike." Jay stated loudly.
He didn't turn to face his angry brother, "What are you suggesting then?"
Jay kept his eyes and face forwards, "I could slow them down, if I raced ahead?"
Cole smirked, that same calculating grin again, "Or you could lend me your bike!"
"No way-" He shouted, "-Not happening." There wasn't even a grin or humour behind that. Cole had damaged Jay's bike enough tonight.
"They're psychotic lunatics Cole."
"And you're being a baby." Cole teased without making eye contact.
Jay licked his teeth in annoyance, "We're all gonna die. and when we do Cole, I swear I'm coming back to haunt you." Jay hissed angrily and opened up the throttle on his bike leaving Cole behind the pack.
A small smirk on his face at just how stupid that sounded. Jay obviously wasn't thinking straight anymore. He was up at the front howling wildly too.
Suddenly and without warning they began veering left and Jay had followed just as eagerly, although his line of sight was getting harder to see the further they travelled. The dense undergrowth was no exception. Cole was growing nervous for his brother now. He had no light, only that stupid light on his helmet and these bikers were going far too fast to stop in time to avoid a nasty accident.
But there she was again, she looked over her shoulder and her eyes found his. It spurned him on and he pushed his bike harder, lowering his feet to give him more stability as he neared the sharp corners of the dirt track they had found themselves on.
Without any warning the lead biker had slowed.
Cole thought it odd but he'd at least managed to catch up, although he wasn't sure where Jay had gone. He also noticed that the terrain had changed and there were no trees anymore, just rough and dry crackled and crumbling rocks underneath that sent shock waves up his bike frame.
"Come on." He motioned and smiled with the most heinous grin possible.
'Where's Jay?'
Star was looking at him again but this time she was anxious, looking between both David whom she was riding with and Cole, who was riding alongside.
Looking back at the both of them and seeing his wide grin and Star's scared expression, Cole put two and two together and yanked his back brake on. This quick thinking action allowed the back end to step out to slow his controlled slide, thereby preventing a harsh skin burn.
'Where's Jay'
Cole sat up and grimaced at the fact his bike was scratched up, before casting a glance at his surroundings. He could hear the ocean, it was perilously close and then he saw how close he'd been at going over the edge. "WHERE'S JAY?" His heart was racing, thumping out of his chest.
"Cole," Jay called meekly from the back. His bike, luckily was still in one piece. "I'm still here." Jay looked dazed and confused but still in one piece, although his helmet was destroyed, meaning he'd taken a fall in the woods. It would explain why Cole hadn't seen him in the wide open. Otherwise Jay would have fallen to his death first.
Cole had jumped up and had made a beeline straight for the man who had dared him to pull off this reckless stunt. And despite Jay's dire warning both could have died this night. "What the hell were you thinking huh?" Cole said as he swiped the man around the jaw.
"NO." Star had shouted at Cole. An attempt so as not to provoke the already tense situation but it was too late. The punch had already been thrown and had landed squarely on David's jaw.
Within a few seconds the other three bikers had surrounded Cole and were closing in, but he didn't care. "Just you." He pointed at the blonde haired man, the one whom Star was still clinging onto nervously. "Come on, just you." He pointed threateningly. Not bothered in the slightest at the smug grin that was still painted onto this mans face like an eternal mocking smirk.
The man was still smiling, he wasn't intimidated at all. He ran a hand through his hair and raised his eyebrows at his brothers to let Cole and Jay go. "How far are ya willing to go Cole?" He mumbled.
Jay had fallen to the ground and Cole was quick to help him up. Cole wondered if it was a rhetorical question, he didn't answer though. Just followed these four peculiar bikers, whilst Jay hobbled behind. "Are you okay, Jay?" Cole asked quietly.
He didn't answer straight away. He shot an extremely aggrieved look into Cole's eyes. "Reckless, dangerous and you still wanted to do it. I hope it's worth it Cole, I hope she is." He replied bitterly.
