14

Caleb

I wake up, and the racetrack is gone. It's just a room. What the heck is pinching me? The TV looks at me. Empty parking spots lay below the window. The curtain covers the other side of the room, where the door stands.

Someone visits me in my room. She checks everything in the room. She mutters a few words and must've stutters some too. What was going on with her? Was it me? Was something wrong with me?

Everything feels so confusing. I feel like I'm in a complete dream, but this is not a dream. This is reality, and I have to accept this confusion as reality. Will I ever be home to see my family and family friends?

I clear my throat, and I get the woman's attention. I won't be talking to anyone in this nightmare. Am I in wonderland? I'm not home, and I'm not at the racetrack. It's most likely a dream.

"Hello, where am I? What happened?" I ask someone.

"Thank goodness you're awake!" she said, "I'm Nurse Joan, and your name is Caleb McQueen, correct?"

"Correct."

"Ok, I'm just checking something. It said that you crashed in a race? Wasn't it Charleston?"

"I don't know. I was racing at Charleston, but everything blacked out! I don't know if I crashed exactly."

Perhaps, I did crash. What am I talking about? It's not like I crashed, right? I just woke up here. It must be a dream. Get me out of this dream! However, I'm still stuck here. I'm still stuck in this room with the nurse.

"It's fine, but you should relax," the nurse says.

"Can I watch TV?" I say.

"Of course. The remote is right next to you."

"Thanks."

I press the power button on the remote, and the screen turns on. I press the change channel button three times until the RSN channel shows up. Wait? Someone crashed? Adelaide forfeited? What's going on?! Why would Adelaide do that? I guess the crash part was true. No wonder. Where is everyone? My loneliness wakes me up. I can never sleep. Someone pushes the door open. Was the nurse back?

The nurse doesn't return. However, Cruz returns. Thank goodness she's here. Hey, at least, I could have some company. Where did Mom, Dad, Zachary, and everyone else go? I feel like I need to ask Cruz everything.

"Hi, Caleb!" Cruz says.

"Cruz!" I say.

"Thank Hud, you're alive!"

"Was it true?"

"What was true?"

Cruz eyes on the TV. Charleston events keep playing and announcing across the room. I'm crying, and my eyes fixate on the crash. The news on TV probably isn't true. Everything blacked out, and I woke up here.

Can I trust the news? News are reliable and true, so…However, they keep on talking about my crash, but it can't be true. My crash can't be true! I should just close my eyes again. Nope!

"Oh, that. Unfortunately, yes, but it's okay," Cruz says.

"Was it true that Adelaide forfeited?" I say.

"Yep, she did."

"Also, how did they know about my crash?"

"You were in a coma."

This was my crash? It can't be! I don't get it! It's so confusing! It's just blackout and waking up here. I couldn't have crashed! I'm too young to crash! Who would do such a thing to me? Could it be Leah? Leah always hated me.

The door pushes open again. A dozen tires emerge in the room. All three of their voices mutter. They almost sounded like Mom, Dad, and Zachary's voices. They probably wanted to see me awake from my long sleep.

"Hey, Kid," Dad says.

"Dad!" I say.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, but I'm confused."

Cruz talks to Dad. I stay on my lift, in the clouds. However, chaos sends me back to the room. The recording roars with announcements, and it triggers my nerves. I guess it was my crash after all.

Maybe, everyone was right. That crash probably made me forget things. TV news never lied to me, so…Well, I'm alright, but I'm a mess. Good thing my family's here. I can't believe everything.

"Mom?" I say.

"Yes, Caleb?" Mom says.

"I'm scared!"

"It's alright. Do you want the TV off? You don't have to have it off."

"Yes, please."

Mom turns off the TV, and everything remains silent. The six of us stare, and we stay still. Zachary darts his eyes to Mom's side, Zachary faces me with concern, and he eyes at Mom again.

"Mom, can I join?" Zachary asks Mom.

"Yes, Zach," Mom says to Zachary.

Mom and Zachary group together and huddle at my side, and I calm down. However, it's not the same. It wouldn't. It's all about the entire family and me. A broken family will fall apart, but a stable will keep everything together.

Everything has to stay together, and everything has to be fine. What would I do without a family like this? What would I do without a family unable to stick together? We've had our ups and downs, but at the end of the day, we'd still get along. Adelaide, please come back and visit me someday. I would love that.

"Can everyone in this room join in?" I ask.

"Alright, Kiddo," Mom says, "Stickers, Cruz, Caleb wants to see you both."

Dad and Cruz join in. At least we're together again. We're somewhat united. Adelaide isn't anywhere in the room. I don't know. She might return anytime soon. She's probably running late.

The door opens again, and Mademoiselle Renault enters the room. However, she tears up. Was it my crash? I don't know. However, a small trailer stands in the room. Oh, she has her stuff with her. It can't be…

"What's the matter, Mademoiselle Renault?" I ask.

"I'm fired!" Mademoiselle Renault slips a letter on the floor.

"What have you done?" Cruz asks her.

"I haven't done anything," she says to Cruz, "Someone threatened me to fire Adelaide and Caleb, or I'd be fired!"

"Why would someone fire my kids?" Mom asks, "They're rookies."

Fired?! No wonder! I can't believe someone would do such a thing to her! It's also rude and inconsiderate to do that to her! She gave me a chance to race despite being a year younger than everyone else! Such jerks these days.

"I don't know," Mademoiselle Renault says to mom.

"How could the sponsor's owner be fired?! That's not how it works!" Dad says to her, "None of the other owners I've raced for have been fired!"

"Well, they made it work."

"What's going to happen to Dinoco-Rusteze?" Cruz asks Mademoiselle Renault.

They couldn't have done this to Mademoiselle Renault! I swear sponsors' owners can't be fired! How can the top dog of business be fired?! Why did it have to be a letter?! Why did it want us fired?!

"They'll probably replace me," Mademoiselle Renault says to Cruz.

"Brielle, I'm so sorry for this," Cruz says to her.

"C'est d'accord, Cruz. It's nice seeing you four. Oh, where's Adelaide?"

"I don't know. She left Charleston."

They can't replace Mademoiselle Renault! Nothing can replace her! Our sponsors wouldn't be the same without her! I mean…Tex has been a good owner…Well, I guess he had to retire and give us Mademoiselle Renault. However Mademoiselle Renault is irreplaceable.

Also, Adelaide leaving Charleston? Is something wrong with us? Why run away? Is it Zachary again? He's just being ridiculous. Why didn't she let me know? Did she want us to know? Did she betray our loyalty? No, she cannot! She'll never…unless…she was right. She might've been denying she was right. My state might've just made her feel awful. She worried and worried this would happen, and it came true. I shouldn't have scared her like this, but this was the best part of my life. It was fun being alongside Adelaide racing together, two sponsors in one. However, I scared her without knowing. She's got to be fine out there. Please be fine out there.

"She left?" Mademoiselle Renault says to Cruz.

"Yeah, I don't know where she went. Sorry about that," Cruz says to Mademoiselle Renault.

"I gotta go now. Au revoir Cruz."

"Bye, Brielle," Cruz says to her.

Mademoiselle Renault approaches my lift. She almost cries. Poor Mademoiselle Renault. She just got her job owning Dinoco, and now she lost her job? I can't believe someone would do something like that. She's the manager! No one should mess with her!

"Au revoir and get well soon," Mademoiselle Renault says.

"Bye Mademoiselle Renault and thanks," I say.

Mademoiselle Renault leaves the hospital room with all her things packed up, and the door closes on us. I scream and pant. No! She can't be fired. Who would threaten us to do so?! It's not fair!

The racing world shouldn't have messed with her like that, and that Leah shouldn't have gotten away with a win! Such racers these days. Is that how Leah races? Cruel and unfair treatment towards anyone? Of course. That's how it works. Nothing will be fine for the innocent.

"Mom? Cruz? Dad? Zach? Will she be alright?" I ask.

"She'll be alright," they all say together.