Chapter 4

Race to Live

I don't want to do this…why did Ann have to open her big mouth? Can't I just leave my past were it is? Fuck, I have to tell them now. Language! where the things that went though Jess' head as everyone crowded around her, wanting to know all of her secrets. Ann sat in a corner with that smug look on her face. Jack and Jeff were up in Jess' room.

"B, where do I start?" she asked her brother who was sitting next to her on the couch. He looked up at her with unsure brown eyes.

"This is more your story right now then my story J," she gave him one of her annoyed looks. "Just tell them what you want." Jess let out a sigh.

"I was six when my dad moved out. He left my mom for another woman and opened his own garage. That's when I fell in love with cars. Dad taught Brandon every trick of the trade and in turn Brandon taught me just as much. As I learned more at dad's shop, the less I paid attention in school. I wanted to keep up my grades, like Brandon, but I just didn't have the smarts he did," she stopped and looked around at everyone. They all seemed so interested in her lame life. She stole a glance at Brian who was watching her closely. She couldn't tell if he was upset for lying to him about her age.

"My dad moved back in eventually and brought my half-sisters Melanie and Ellie with him. Don't get me wrong, I love my dad, but after what he did to my mom? I guess I was too young to understand. Anyway I was only 7, but I was becoming a better mechanic than most grown men were. It's hard to believe but cars were my life. That's when things went down hill. My mom had Jim and Jake, but after Jeff she started getting sick. She got laid off and the doctor ordered her to go on birth control. Only one person working full-time wasn't enough to feed 8 mouths. Hell even with 2 people it wasn't enough. It was never enough. Luckily Brandon was smart and he finished high school a year early. He got a job at some Auto Accessory shop. Me, I helped dad everyday after school. I remember begging him to let me quit school so I could help the family, but he told me not to waste my education. Now I know what he meant.

"Around this time Brandon got really into street racing. I'd always ride with him and watch. You should have seen the looks people gave me, but it wasn't anything to the look my brother got after he won a race. I think I was 12 when I "Borrowed" my brother's car. I'd driven a car ever sense I was 10 so I knew I could handle it. I drove everywhere that night and that's when I knew, the only thing I wanted to do was be behind the wheel of a car. Brandon never told mom or dad but he yelled at me as if he were them. He also had to give me props after I told him all the stuff I did." Jess had a huge smile on her face when she looked over at her brother Brandon.

"I was fourteen, the night my brother let me race. I had practiced against him and all his friends and beat them after a couple times. It was such a complete and total rush…" she was lost in memory when Brandon cut in.

"Ok this is part of my story too, so I got to tell you this. We practiced at an old, little airport no one ever used. When I had her use nitrous oxide for the first time, she nearly pissed her pants." Brandon was now rolling with laughter while everyone else had a little chuckle. Jess' face got red as she socked her brother in the arm.

"Well that's cause you pressed the button on me unexpectedly! It wasn't funny! Any how the first time I ever won a race happened to be the first time I ever raced."

"Wait, you were fifteen?" Tyler cut in with his mouth wide open.

"Fourteen and no kidding. Let me tell you it was the best and worst night of my life. My mom happened to give birth to Jack that same night; while I was racing she, died while giving birth to her 7th and last child. She never took her birth control; maybe if she had she'd be here. But then we wouldn't have Jack…" She looked up at Brian with pain in her eyes. It wasn't the pain he had seen the night before, but truly heart wrenching pain.

"Brandon and I went home to find all the kids alone. They told us mom was having her baby, but no one came home that night. When I got the news I was too devastated to even cry. A couple weeks later dad brought Jack home. A week after that, he shot himself in the garage. My aunt moved in to take care of Jack so we could stay together. Of course she didn't bring any money because she was poorer than we were. She didn't stay long, only long enough for Jack to grow up. So I dropped out of school and ran the garage full-time with Brandon.

And at night I raced,

I raced to live."