ANDY
Day 2, 11:05 AM
I'd seen the question coming. I knew she was going to ask that, I just didn't know what to say to it. I, myself, didn't even know the answer.
"I'm not sure," I replied.
"Tell me!" Kori ordered.
"I did! I don't know. I think… I don't know."
"What do you mean? Andy, c'mon. If you wimped out, just tell me."
"I think it was kind of a mixture. I mean, I wasn't going to at first, but then a thought of maybe, possibly doing it entered my mind, and before I knew it…" I left it at that. "But I didn't try to, I don't think."
Kori shook her head. She was disappointed in me. I felt ashamed that I'd let her down. "Just… do me a favor, Andy?"
"What?"
"Don't ever do what that creep tells you to again, OK? You're so much better than this."
"OK. I won't."
"You'd better not," she said firmly. "Or I'll deck you. And I think you'd rather face him than a very angry me."
I smiled. "OK, I promise."
~*~
About 45 minutes later, people started leaving the course. Kori and Dean came up to me and asked me how I was, and I told them that I was fine. Because I was. I felt pretty good, as a matter of fact.
I noticed Briggs coming out. I prayed that he'd just walk past me, but I had no such luck. He stopped to see me.
"Aw, Carson," he said mockingly. "That was too bad, back there. You'll probably be out for, what? A week? My sympathy."
I stood to face him. "I'm in it tomorrow."
"Good idea. Then we can see a replay. Maybe after that one you'll wise up and back off."
Kori hit him on the shoulder, but not hard. She was only trying to get his attention, not hurt him. "Hey, what's your problem?"
"Excuse me? Am I talking to you?"
"No, I'm talking to you."
Briggs chuckled. "What are you? Some guy's hood ornament?"
"I'm a rider, and I'm 3 times as good as you," she spat.
He smirked. "This is a joke! Too bad I won't have the honor of competing against you, doll face."
"Actually, I'll see you at Step Up." With her head held high, Kori stalked away at that.
Dean tried to control his laughter. Briggs turned to him. "You know that chick?"
"She's my cousin," he replied.
"Well I hope you aren't too attached. Her mouth is gonna get her shot, and sooner than you think." Then he also left.
Dean shook his head. "The guy's right," he said. "Kori's gonna get nailed one of these times."
I began to worry about Kori. Was what Briggs said about her being shot a threat, or did he mean it as Dean took it… a joke?
"Yeah," I said. "Is she as good as she pretends to be?"
Dean shrugged. "Yeah, basically. I think she's gonna get silver this year in racing."
"I didn't know she did Step Up."
"Oh, yeah," he said. "She's really into it. She can easily make 30 feet. She's gotten 34, but I'm not sure if she can do it in two tries. But she was getting really excited at the 2001 games when Pastrana and Clowers were duking it out. I don't even know how to pronounce some of the things she called Pastrana when he lost, though. She was going on and on saying stuff in Chinese."
"She doesn't like him?"
"She did… till he lost. She was actually his biggest fan. But I think Kori could beat him in Step Up at least, and not many girls can say that. I hope she does well."
I shook my head. Wow. Kori had reached 34 feet! That was over what Clowers had won with in 2001, and if she could make it, he had serious competition.
"Yeah," I agreed. "Me, too."
A/N: from now on, I'm gonna update every Saturday just for the simple reason that school is here. On a rare occasion, I MIGHT update during the week, but for the most part it'll be every Saturday. Reviews are appreciated!