Chapter 2
I sat in my 1956 Corvette, thinking to myself, "If I had my car at home, I wouldn't be in it right now"
School had just gotten out. I only had one more month until school got out. But I was still testing. I had quirt smoking but I really needed one. I chewed the crap out my gum and was on my tenth stick.
I lowered my head, blocking out the sounds of students going home.
"Hey." Someone banged on my window. I jumped and looked up to see Mia and Letty standing there.
I rolled down the window and tried to smile. "Hey."
"This is your ride?" Letty asked.
"One of them."
"Wait." Mia said. "There's more?"
"Yeah. I got me a 68 Shelby Gt500."
"Aww shit." Letty said. "So, you gonna give us a ride?"
"A ride?"
"Yeah. We saved your parents; you can give us a ride. Sound's fair."
"Yeah it does." I said. "Get in."
They smiled and got in. I drove them while they talked. I thought I was driving them home.
"Hey, hey. Turn here." Mia said.
"Oookay." I turned and they continued to talk about cars and racing.
"Hey Em?" Letty started.
"Yeah?"
"You into racing?"
"Not really. I'm just into the cars."
"Any thing about the car in particular?" Mia inquired.
"The body work. I play around with engines and shit but not enough to be considered a pro or something."
"So you put the body of this thing together." Letty asked.
"Nah. I put all of it together. It was a pain in the ass to find the right parts. But I did find them."
"And got it running like this? I think Dom would be impressed."
"Please." I said. "You guys are into the more recent stuff. I do classics."
"Hey, you never know. You could always take your classic style and mix it into a new thing." Mia said.
"Hmm, true. But for now, I'm sticking with the classics."
"Turn in here." Letty said.
I pulled in and turned off my car. They got out and I looked around for a bit, not getting out. I opened my glove department and found one cigarette. I hurriedly lit it up.
I inhaled deeply, the taste reaching my tongue.
"Emerald, you coming?" Mia asked.
"Hold on." I said and took on last puff before putting it out.
I got out and walked inside. I followed Mia and Letty to the garage in the back.
"Hey Leon, if you drop one more tool, I'm going to drop you." Dominic's voice boomed.
"Alright man. Don't get your panties all in a bunch."
"Hey man, shut up." Letty said. " This is Emerald." She turned to find me standing in the doorway. She walked over and grabbed me by the arm to the group.
"Em, the stupid looking one over there is Vince. The big one is Dom, you should know Dom. And the thug looking one is Leon."
"Hey." I waved. My attention was drawn to the 1994 Porsche 911 turbo. "Whoa. Cool."
Dominic noticed my excitement first. "So, you like it?"
"Like it? Of course. I am working on a '64 Porsche 356."
"You found a 1964 356?" Vince asked.
"Yeah but it was run down and rusted."
"She has a '56 Corvette outside." Letty commented.
"No shit?" Leon said and followed the rest of the guys outside.
When they came back, they came at me with questions galore.
"You did the body work?" Dominic asked.
"Yes."
"And the engine work?" Vince asked from behind me.
"Yeah."
"The whole car?" Leon asked.
"Yes." I couldn't help but smile. "I got Shelby too."
"What year?" Dominic asked.
"1968."
"Aww." All three of the guys said, laughing.
"Look at you. You're what, barely 17 if that old and rolling around with cars that cost more than must of the stuff we put in ours."
"What can I say, I just love cars. Just won't race them."
"What?" Leon asked.
"Yeah. See, my older brother was just driving one night. He had just won a race and was going home in my Honda when two other idiots hit him, one hit the front, and one hit the back. He was thrown from the car. He even had his seat belt on. Ever since then, I have sworn off racing."
"Damn." Letty whispered.
I looked at my watch.
"Crap. I gotta go. I have an English section."
Dominic laughed. "But don't know you already know English?"
"Not that kind of section. I'm an English comprehension and literature tutor. I'm working with a guy who has ADD. It was nice meeting all of you."
I ran out to my car and pulled off.
I sat in my 1956 Corvette, thinking to myself, "If I had my car at home, I wouldn't be in it right now"
School had just gotten out. I only had one more month until school got out. But I was still testing. I had quirt smoking but I really needed one. I chewed the crap out my gum and was on my tenth stick.
I lowered my head, blocking out the sounds of students going home.
"Hey." Someone banged on my window. I jumped and looked up to see Mia and Letty standing there.
I rolled down the window and tried to smile. "Hey."
"This is your ride?" Letty asked.
"One of them."
"Wait." Mia said. "There's more?"
"Yeah. I got me a 68 Shelby Gt500."
"Aww shit." Letty said. "So, you gonna give us a ride?"
"A ride?"
"Yeah. We saved your parents; you can give us a ride. Sound's fair."
"Yeah it does." I said. "Get in."
They smiled and got in. I drove them while they talked. I thought I was driving them home.
"Hey, hey. Turn here." Mia said.
"Oookay." I turned and they continued to talk about cars and racing.
"Hey Em?" Letty started.
"Yeah?"
"You into racing?"
"Not really. I'm just into the cars."
"Any thing about the car in particular?" Mia inquired.
"The body work. I play around with engines and shit but not enough to be considered a pro or something."
"So you put the body of this thing together." Letty asked.
"Nah. I put all of it together. It was a pain in the ass to find the right parts. But I did find them."
"And got it running like this? I think Dom would be impressed."
"Please." I said. "You guys are into the more recent stuff. I do classics."
"Hey, you never know. You could always take your classic style and mix it into a new thing." Mia said.
"Hmm, true. But for now, I'm sticking with the classics."
"Turn in here." Letty said.
I pulled in and turned off my car. They got out and I looked around for a bit, not getting out. I opened my glove department and found one cigarette. I hurriedly lit it up.
I inhaled deeply, the taste reaching my tongue.
"Emerald, you coming?" Mia asked.
"Hold on." I said and took on last puff before putting it out.
I got out and walked inside. I followed Mia and Letty to the garage in the back.
"Hey Leon, if you drop one more tool, I'm going to drop you." Dominic's voice boomed.
"Alright man. Don't get your panties all in a bunch."
"Hey man, shut up." Letty said. " This is Emerald." She turned to find me standing in the doorway. She walked over and grabbed me by the arm to the group.
"Em, the stupid looking one over there is Vince. The big one is Dom, you should know Dom. And the thug looking one is Leon."
"Hey." I waved. My attention was drawn to the 1994 Porsche 911 turbo. "Whoa. Cool."
Dominic noticed my excitement first. "So, you like it?"
"Like it? Of course. I am working on a '64 Porsche 356."
"You found a 1964 356?" Vince asked.
"Yeah but it was run down and rusted."
"She has a '56 Corvette outside." Letty commented.
"No shit?" Leon said and followed the rest of the guys outside.
When they came back, they came at me with questions galore.
"You did the body work?" Dominic asked.
"Yes."
"And the engine work?" Vince asked from behind me.
"Yeah."
"The whole car?" Leon asked.
"Yes." I couldn't help but smile. "I got Shelby too."
"What year?" Dominic asked.
"1968."
"Aww." All three of the guys said, laughing.
"Look at you. You're what, barely 17 if that old and rolling around with cars that cost more than must of the stuff we put in ours."
"What can I say, I just love cars. Just won't race them."
"What?" Leon asked.
"Yeah. See, my older brother was just driving one night. He had just won a race and was going home in my Honda when two other idiots hit him, one hit the front, and one hit the back. He was thrown from the car. He even had his seat belt on. Ever since then, I have sworn off racing."
"Damn." Letty whispered.
I looked at my watch.
"Crap. I gotta go. I have an English section."
Dominic laughed. "But don't know you already know English?"
"Not that kind of section. I'm an English comprehension and literature tutor. I'm working with a guy who has ADD. It was nice meeting all of you."
I ran out to my car and pulled off.
