Chapter 12.
. 1 hour to bet .
Memphis sat and stared at the hands of the clock on his bedroom wall as they clicked onto 7am. 1 hour to go. Scary.
He hadn't slept all night, hadn't been able to. He knew it was stupid, he had to be awake and alert for another 24 straight hours yet, but he had always got like this before big boosts. It almost brought back a sense of nostalgia for years past, sitting there watching the clock, Sway asleep besides him.
Although the bet was due to start in 1 hour, he had told the crew to have a rest this morning. They would meet up at nine and start the day then. There was no need to be at the garage by 8am, they didn't have much left to do in their daylight hours anyway, except sit and wait for the cover of darkness to fall.
He looked back up at the clock. 7.02am. This was going to be a long morning.
. 20 minutes to bet .
Rachel sighed and clicked off the TV.
"I'm gonna call and cancel that crappy cable" She thought. She never even watched it during the day and at night when she sat wide-awake looking for entertainment; all it did was waste her money.
She stood and stretched out her aching muscles. It was 7.43am. She loved this time of day, very few others were up and it was quiet and empty outside. She decided to take full advantage of that fact and picked up a basketball from the corner of her living room. The hoop on the driveway of her building would soon be swarming with bratty little kids so she left her apartment to get in 20 good minutes before they woke up.
. 10 minutes to bet .
Sphinx walked into his kitchen and placed 4 pieces of bacon under the grill. He looked up at the clock as he sliced up a loaf. 7.48am, the bacon would be ready at 7.52 and 8 minutes after that, the bet would begin.
He shrugged, took a scrap of meat from his refrigerator and made his way into his bedroom. He stopped at the window and opened it. A few seconds later a big black tomcat appeared on the windowsill and purred at Sphinx who placed the ham scrap in front of his regular visitor.
. 5 minutes to bet .
Kip rolled over in his bed and yawned. He groggily forced his eyes open and waited for them to focus on the blinking red digits on his alarm. 7.55am. Oh shit. Five minutes and this all began. Oh shit! What time was he supposed to be at the garage!? He picked his cell phone up off the floor and hit speed dial 7. Tumbler.
. 1 minute to bet .
Memphis watched numbly as the second hand traveled slowly around. 55 seconds, 40 seconds, 38 seconds.
Sway stirred besides him. He glanced down at her and then back up at the clock. She pulled herself up against her pillows and swept the hair off her face.
20 seconds.
"You didn't sleep did you?" she asked, her voice husky.
15 seconds.
"Nope." He shook his head but didn't take his eyes off the clock.
Sway sighed and rubbed her eyes. Too many early mornings. After this, she was going to go out and get very drunk and then sleep of the hangover for a good couple of days.
Memphis drew in a deep breath as the second hand swept up towards 11.
5 seconds, 4 seconds, 3, 2, 1.
"Lets play ball." He muttered.
. 8.55am .
Otto listened to the sound of Sways Corvette pulling up in the driveway. It was unfamiliar. He was so used to hearing the bike.
Memphis had already been at the garage for half an hour. Otto had been expecting that he would arrive early, he never used to sleep before big boosts and was always eager to get on with things as soon as possible.
Memphis sat at the desk doing final name checks on the ladies, he looked up as Sway entered and she walked over to sit with him. They were all here now. All except Rachel.
"Hey Sway!" Tumbler called out from the back of the room "Where's that hot friend of yours? She bottle it?"
"Jesus Tumbler its not even nine yet, give her a chance! I only just got here myself, did you think I'd bottled it?"
"Wouldn't put it past you." He muttered under his breath, not quite quiet enough.
"What did you say!?" Sway leapt up of the desk and stalked towards him.
"Nothing." Tumbler raised his hands "I said nothing."
"Didn't sound like nothing to me you dumb f - "
"Easy Sway." Memphis caught her arm form behind "Just leave it."
She turned and stared at him, her eyes hard and flecked with the familiar fire of her anger.
"And tumbler," Memphis looked over at him "Shut the hell up."
"Okay, okay! All right man. And sorry Sway baby."
"Baby me and you'll be peeing through a catheter!" Sway glared.
They all turned around as Rachel laughed from behind them. "Well, looks like all the fun started without me this morning didn't it!"
*** End chapter 12 ***
. 1 hour to bet .
Memphis sat and stared at the hands of the clock on his bedroom wall as they clicked onto 7am. 1 hour to go. Scary.
He hadn't slept all night, hadn't been able to. He knew it was stupid, he had to be awake and alert for another 24 straight hours yet, but he had always got like this before big boosts. It almost brought back a sense of nostalgia for years past, sitting there watching the clock, Sway asleep besides him.
Although the bet was due to start in 1 hour, he had told the crew to have a rest this morning. They would meet up at nine and start the day then. There was no need to be at the garage by 8am, they didn't have much left to do in their daylight hours anyway, except sit and wait for the cover of darkness to fall.
He looked back up at the clock. 7.02am. This was going to be a long morning.
. 20 minutes to bet .
Rachel sighed and clicked off the TV.
"I'm gonna call and cancel that crappy cable" She thought. She never even watched it during the day and at night when she sat wide-awake looking for entertainment; all it did was waste her money.
She stood and stretched out her aching muscles. It was 7.43am. She loved this time of day, very few others were up and it was quiet and empty outside. She decided to take full advantage of that fact and picked up a basketball from the corner of her living room. The hoop on the driveway of her building would soon be swarming with bratty little kids so she left her apartment to get in 20 good minutes before they woke up.
. 10 minutes to bet .
Sphinx walked into his kitchen and placed 4 pieces of bacon under the grill. He looked up at the clock as he sliced up a loaf. 7.48am, the bacon would be ready at 7.52 and 8 minutes after that, the bet would begin.
He shrugged, took a scrap of meat from his refrigerator and made his way into his bedroom. He stopped at the window and opened it. A few seconds later a big black tomcat appeared on the windowsill and purred at Sphinx who placed the ham scrap in front of his regular visitor.
. 5 minutes to bet .
Kip rolled over in his bed and yawned. He groggily forced his eyes open and waited for them to focus on the blinking red digits on his alarm. 7.55am. Oh shit. Five minutes and this all began. Oh shit! What time was he supposed to be at the garage!? He picked his cell phone up off the floor and hit speed dial 7. Tumbler.
. 1 minute to bet .
Memphis watched numbly as the second hand traveled slowly around. 55 seconds, 40 seconds, 38 seconds.
Sway stirred besides him. He glanced down at her and then back up at the clock. She pulled herself up against her pillows and swept the hair off her face.
20 seconds.
"You didn't sleep did you?" she asked, her voice husky.
15 seconds.
"Nope." He shook his head but didn't take his eyes off the clock.
Sway sighed and rubbed her eyes. Too many early mornings. After this, she was going to go out and get very drunk and then sleep of the hangover for a good couple of days.
Memphis drew in a deep breath as the second hand swept up towards 11.
5 seconds, 4 seconds, 3, 2, 1.
"Lets play ball." He muttered.
. 8.55am .
Otto listened to the sound of Sways Corvette pulling up in the driveway. It was unfamiliar. He was so used to hearing the bike.
Memphis had already been at the garage for half an hour. Otto had been expecting that he would arrive early, he never used to sleep before big boosts and was always eager to get on with things as soon as possible.
Memphis sat at the desk doing final name checks on the ladies, he looked up as Sway entered and she walked over to sit with him. They were all here now. All except Rachel.
"Hey Sway!" Tumbler called out from the back of the room "Where's that hot friend of yours? She bottle it?"
"Jesus Tumbler its not even nine yet, give her a chance! I only just got here myself, did you think I'd bottled it?"
"Wouldn't put it past you." He muttered under his breath, not quite quiet enough.
"What did you say!?" Sway leapt up of the desk and stalked towards him.
"Nothing." Tumbler raised his hands "I said nothing."
"Didn't sound like nothing to me you dumb f - "
"Easy Sway." Memphis caught her arm form behind "Just leave it."
She turned and stared at him, her eyes hard and flecked with the familiar fire of her anger.
"And tumbler," Memphis looked over at him "Shut the hell up."
"Okay, okay! All right man. And sorry Sway baby."
"Baby me and you'll be peeing through a catheter!" Sway glared.
They all turned around as Rachel laughed from behind them. "Well, looks like all the fun started without me this morning didn't it!"
*** End chapter 12 ***