Forgotten Love and Goodbyes – Ch 2
As he drove down the street, Leon looked at the around the neighbourhood of San Francisco. Though much hadn't changed in the ways of appearance, he still saw some improvement. There wasn't much drug trafficking or too many kids playing on the streets. As he turned left at the corner, Leon went back to the day he left. It was like any other day when one event would change it forever.
Flashback begins
He was driving down the street down the same street when a tall skinny kid suddenly ran in front if his car. Leon screeched to a halt as the guy ran around and jumped into the passenger seat. "Drive," said the passenger, sweat beating down his face.
"W-w-what!" stammered Leon.
"I said drive, just drive!" Leon put his foot on the gas and drove off.
"Look dawg are you okay?" he said as he drove aimlessly. He noticed that the guy kept looking out the rear window, like he was checking to see if they were followed. Leon stopped the car.
"Hey man what ya doing, keep going?" said the guy as he wiped sweat from his face.
"Uh-uh sorry man, unless you tell me what's going on, I ain't moving," Leon explained sternly. "Who are you running from?"
"The cops," he mumbled
"Who?"
"They cops, they caught my dad making weed and arrested him. They were gonna get me too, but I took off."
"Whoa whoa now wait a minute, you expect me to just drive around town form the next couple of hours, trying to head them off?"
"Please man if they find me again, I'm in jail for sure."
"Again, are you crazy? If I'm found with you, you're not the only one who's going to jail."
"Look man ya gotta help me, please."
"I'm sorry man no way; I'm not gonna be a part of this."
"But."
"Look I said no! Get outta the car now, find your own way out." The guy got out of the car and Leon drove off
Flashback ends
As Leon finished going over his first encounter with the guys who'd he later know as Jessie, he thought back to his leaving San Francisco. He couldn't really remember why, it was for a mixture of reasons he thought. Then as he approached Benny's house, he suddenly remembered, it had to do with the night he met Jessie at a street race.
Flashback begins
Jessie was racing that night, so was he. Before the race started, Jessie came by to thank him for helping him out. Leon accepted the remark and finished checking over his car. The race went on with Leon winning the race. Jessie later caught up with him and asked if he could stay over at his house, since he had no where else to go. "Why can't you go back home?" asked Leon.
"The cops have the place guarded, think they're waiting for me to come back."
"Where have you been staying then?"
"With friends, but I've overstayed my welcome. Plus I think the feds have been asking around for me."
"I don't know man, like I said before I don't wanna be part of this."
"Please man, just for one night."
"Alright fine," said Leon with a sigh.
"Thanks man." Jessie would follow Leon home and stay the night. Leon also remembered the cops also coming around that night looking and asking for Jessie. He kept his word to Jessie and didn't reveal that he was staying there.
Flashback ends
As he neared Benny's house, Leon wanted to stop and say hello, since the rest of the gang was there. He remembered what Akisha said that morning and just decided to drive on, hoping no one would notice. He almost succeeded if not for a pair of Latino twins about is age, who slowly approached the car, it forced Leon to stop the car beside them. One looked through the passenger window. "Well, well, well, if it isn't out buddy Leon."
"Hola Mario," he replied," hey Rico," he said to the one on the driver's side. "What's up?"
"That's what we want to know?" said Rico, "where've ya been man, Benny's real ticked that you left and almost cost him a lot of money."
"Yeah I know but…"
"No buts, out, Benny wants to see you," said Mario.
"Look man I would like to…"
"Out now," said Mario again, giving Leon a dirty look.
"Alright fine, I'm coming." Leon turned off the car and got out knowing it wasn't going to be a warm welcome.
Up in her room Akisha was getting dressed. She had just finished taking a shower and was now looking for something to wear. She finally decided ob faded blue jeans and a white halter top that tied up at the neck. As she got dressed on her bed, her eyes fell to a picture frame on her dresser. She got up and walked over to look at it. It was a picture of her and Leon taken at a park. The silver frame was inscribed with the words Me and My Girl. As she stared at it, she couldn't help shedding a few tears. As much as she loved him and thought about him, she couldn't forgive the fact that he just got up and left her. It was bad enough losing both her parents at a young age, it was worse that she couldn't confide in the one person she most trusted. Leon was the one who saved her life one night at a race where she was being bullied by two punks. It was five years ago when she was racing solo. She was pretty good for a female racer and big competition for the guys. One night at the aforementioned race there was a buy-in of 4 G's. It was supposed to be the one with all the best racers and she was one the few. The race was about to start and she found herself racing next to Leon. He gave her a smile and wished here good luck. She made nothing of it and just continued prepping herself. Soon the race started and she was off racing down the street. The speed was such a rush that she felt like she was flying. At times the lead was a battle between her, Leon and one of the punks who would later bully her. The road they were on was very tricky with lots of sharp turns, which was the reason why there weren't too many races there. Akisha had been on this stretch of road before and therefore knew her way around. It was this knowledge that would later almost cost her life. As she expected she won the race and the huge pot. She gladly collected her money and started to head to her car.
She was unlocking the door when the punks approached her, claiming that she had cheated to win. She told them that they were crazy and proceeded to enter her car. The first one pulled her out and slammed the door, while the other pulled out a switchblade knife. "Look baby you cheated in the race, now admit it," said the one holding her to the door.
"Yeah so give us the money, my buddy here should've won," said the other holding the knife an inch from her neck.
"I think you better leave," said Leon coming up to them.
"Stay outta this buddy," said the punk holding Akisha, "this is none of your concern.
"It becomes my concern when you call someone a cheater," said Leon. "It seems to me that the problem is that she's not a cheater, you guys are just sore losers."
"What did you say?" the knife holding punk said.
"I said you guys are the losers, not her."
"Why I outta…" the punk holding the knife lunged at Leon, who sidestepped and grabbed the punk's arm and twisted it, forcing him to drop the knife. The guy screamed and turned around, ready to punch Leon, but Leon was faster and punched him first in the nose.
"Now get outta here!" said Leon and the guys ran off.
"Thanks," said Akisha brushing hair away from her face.
"Hey it's nothing, plus they're the jerks anyway, name's Leon by the way," he said as he smiled and offered his hand.
"Akisha," she replied taking his hand.
"You were great and nice racing, it looked like you knew that road the way you handled it."
"Yeah I did, I've driven that stretch of road before, so I kinda had an advantage."
"Ha-ha no wonder your reflexes were so sharp. So are with a team or a soloist?"
"Yeah I'm by myself, never really found a good team. I wanna be on one where the racers have skills and don't have to resort to cheating."
"That's just what my team's about we're based on skills, not tricks."
"I just might hook up with you guys see ya at the next race."
"Why don't you come now, I'm sure Benny wouldn't mind meeting you."
"Benny?"
"Yeah our leader, he'd be really interested in meeting you."
"Well I don't know I just met you."
"C'mon it'll be worth it."
"In that case, sure."
"Excellent," he took her by the hand and they went off to meet Benny and the rest of the team.
To be continued