Chapter 12: Speculation of the Future
Kira watched as the racers all approached the line and saw as a couple of the teenaged boys her age looked in her direction. Feeling a bit apprehensive about the fact that they were looking in what appeared be her direction, she lowered the bill on her ball cap to hide her eyes from view. All the while careful to not move the wig underneath the hat as she did so.
Michelle had insisted on getting her the hair piece during one of their shopping trips. She'd said that it would make her feel better while out and about. Not that Kira really cared much about what others thought of her. In fact, she disliked anything that drew attention to her. But then, not having hair drew the eyes of others as well in a way that made her just as uncomfortable as any other time that she caught the eye of strangers before her cancer caused her to lose her hair. She now wondered what was worse; people looking at her with hair or without.
After shaking her head, Kira decided to ignore the actual riders and instead focused on the bikes as they took off around the track. She was amazed at both the speed that the bikes took off as well as how close they could pass one another without interfering with one another. The bikes crisscrossed as the riders vied for position at top speeds while practically flying off of the ramps that had been set up for them.
Kira watched in envy of the speed and the freedom that those on the bikes had while on the racetrack. Part of her wanted to know how it felt to be zooming around the track at such speeds with nothing but a few inches worth of rubber along with a bit of metal separating her from the hard road beneath. She wondered what it felt like to leave the ground below while jumping off of a ramp and landing after being in free fall for of a second or two. Could she make it look as effortless as those on the track made it appear?
The riders had made an entire lap around but as the bikes went into the first turn of the second lap it looked as if the bikes got too close and sent one of them careening toward the wall along with its rider. As the rest of the bikes flew past the wreck a yellow flag began to wave to tell them to slow down. Only after the medics made it out to the track did Kira see the rider who had been flung from his bike sit up. It was only due to the color of the riding suit that she could tell that he had been one of the boys who had looked in her direction prior to the race. After a few moments, the rider in black slowly stood while cradling an arm. The medic walked him off the track and towards an ambulance. The race was over for him nearly before it had even began.
Kira wasn't sure why but the fact that racing was obviously dangerous only made the sport more intriguing to her. She'd never been afraid of pain. If she had been she would have never been able to eat while on the streets since she had earned more money in street fights than by any other means.
Once the injured rider was off of the track the rest of the racers once more took to the track without injury. Those who won each of the races of the day were awarded their prize money in the winner's circle which interested Kira. She knew that eventually she'd be back out on the streets and it never hurt to know of various ways to earn enough cash to eat for a few days. Fighting had always been her fall back but racing definitely piqued her interest for now. She decided that she'd learn more about it just in case it was something that she could use to fall back on.
At the end of the races, Kira followed Ben back out to the car that was waiting for them. The evening was cool and the warmth of the heated car was welcoming since she felt the night air right through to her bones. It was nights like tonight that Kira was fortunate to not be out on the streets but the fact that she was only a choice away from going back to them was never far from her thoughts. If Ben tired of her, she would be sent back to the foster care system that she'd spent much of her life trying to hide from. And he would tire of her. It was only a matter of time.
Once she was back at the house, Kira headed back up to her room and prepared for the night. In the morning she would be returning to the hospital for a few doctors' appointments before yet another cancer treatment. She knew that when she returned to this room next she would be completely exhausted.
Kira glanced at the bed with longing before she grabbed her blankets and pillows and took them with her toward the bathroom. She'd make her bed in the large tub so that once again she'd have two locked doors, both barricaded, between her and the rest of the household. She knew that she'd been in the house for several months now without being given any reason to distrust those who lived there but she just couldn't help it. She felt more at ease in the other room when she tried to lie down to go to sleep at night.
Besides, there was no reason for her to get used to a bed like that while knowing that it wasn't really hers. This was just her temporary home. She had no doubt that the moment that the doctors declared her well enough, her stay in the grand house that belonged to Ben Kyle would come to an end.
Jebb had been going out of his mind in his room and was all too eager to leave it when the nurse suggested that he could go to the common room that had been set up for the adolescents in the hospital. In the room there were areas for both young children for teens as well. Jebb saw a T.V. along with various games but that wasn't what caught Jebb's attention when the nurse wheeled him in. It was the fact that he saw the same girl who had given him the cold shoulder at the race was sitting in one of the chairs reading a big thick textbook. When she looked up at the sound of the nurse setting him up in front of the T.V. Jebb gave her a smile only to have her look away much in the same way she had done at the track.
Jebb couldn't believe it! She'd dismissed him not once but twice! And this time Jebb figured that he deserved at least a little sympathy considering that he was both injured and in a cumbersome cast that covered much of his upper body. Not being one to let a girl just dismiss him like that, Jebb decided that he wasn't about to go back to his room without finding out what this girl's problem was. After all, there wasn't anything else to do right now. The only other teens who were in the room were watching cartoons.
"Hey," Jebb said as he tried to get the girls attention. When she looked back up Jebb gave her his most devastating smile. "My name's Jebb." When the girl just looked back down at her book Jebb could feel his dander get up just a bit. "You know, when folks introduce themselves most people do the same."
Kira sighed as she closed her book, "And most people would take the hint that I don't want to talk."
"So she speaks after all." Jebb gave the redheaded girl with short hair a lopsided grin. "I saw you out at the race, didn't I?"
"Probably. I was there yesterday. I see that your stunt out there worked out real well for you. You know, if you can't ride a motorcycle then you probably shouldn't be out there trying to race them."
Jebb's eyes grew wide. Did she just insult his riding? "Who says that I can't ride?"
"Oh, you're right; you can ride. Your bike just decided to go on strike right in the middle of a turn." Kira opened her book back up hoping that the blond would take the hint and leave her alone. She didn't like speaking with a lot of folks (she didn't trust them) and after talking to him it was clear that he was better to look at than to actually speak with.
"I didn't see you out there racin'. Do you ride?"
"Well, no but-"
"Then don't be tellin' me how to do it," Jebb's jaw set and he started to grind his teeth. "If you can't ride then what do you know about racin'. I'd like to see you do better out on the race track."
Kira saw the challenge in the boy's eyes and she'd just love to tell him that she planned to meet that challenge. Of course first she had to make sure that she didn't have to have anymore extended stays here at the hospital. But as soon as she was well again he'd better watch out. She didn't know how she was going to do it but she would make him eat his words.
"I'll keep that in mind. Of course I can't do any worse than you did yesterday. That race looked like amateur hour out there on the track."
"Hey now! That is not fair! Anyone can have a bad day! It's not my fault that Kinnison cut out in front of me!" Jebb felt his blood boil just a bit at the idea of someone insulting his ability on the bike. After all, no one else in his division had placed as well as he had in their first event; he hadn't even crashed until his third race of the day. When it came to riding or driving, there wasn't anyone better than a Duke! Not no one!
"Sounds like you're making excuses." Kira snickered as she kept reading her book. She didn't know why but she could tell that the fact that she didn't even look back up at Jebb got to him; which made it even more fun to act like she was ignoring him.
"I am not," Jebb kept working his jaw as he saw that the yet to be named girl started to laugh at him under her breath. "I'm just pointing out some facts that you clearly aren't aware of since you don't race."
"Well for the rest of the season it looks like you won't be, either," Kira looked up to see Jebb's face as she pointed it out.
Jebb wanted to argue with that but he knew that his season was not only off to a rough start due to his injury but his mother likely would kill him if she knew that he'd arranged it with his buddy, Blake, to buy the bike off of him. His mother thought that he had just borrowed it for the race. When Blake came to sign his cast Jebb asked him to keep the bike out at his place in Atlanta for now; he had no idea how after this accident he was going to explain to his parents that the bike was his. He'd hoped that after the race it be obvious just how good he was on one. He hadn't figured on doing the exact opposite instead. Jebb had shown his mother just how dangerous riding on a motorcycle really can be.
Over at the door Ben shook his head as he watched the teens bicker with one another. So much for thinking that it wouldn't take long for Kira to pick up on flirting. Here she was picking a fight with the very same boy who had caught her eye the day before. He'll have to explain to her that making a dig at a boy's ability to ride on a motorcycle isn't a good way to start off a friendship or anything else with him.
There was one thing about the small argument with the blond-haired boy though; Ben saw a glimmer of a fight in Kira's eyes that he had to admit was good to see. When he first met the girl she'd all but given in to the cancer that coursed through her system. Seeing her willing to fight, even this strange boy, was something to be thankful for; though Ben figured that he just might want to rescue that same boy since he didn't look like he'd be able to fend for himself right now. As he walked up he could hear that the two were still bickering over the race that had caused the boy to be admitted into the hospital the day before.
"Like I said before, you've never raced so you don't know what you are talkin' about. Come back when you've actually been on a bike."
"You don't think I'd do it, do you? I'll bet you that come next season I'll have learned how to ride better than you ever have!"
"Talk is cheap. I'm willing to bet that you'll never even set foot on a track." Jebb started to look around for a nurse to wheel him back to his room. Why should he stay in here just to have this girl make fun of him for wrecking his bike? "I might have had a bad race but I think I still proved that I was the best rider out there in my division. When it comes to racin', ain't no one better than a Duke."
"You'll eat those words-"
"That's enough, Kira." Ben walked over to the teens to end the argument. "I see you're already starting to make friends." Ben had to suppress a chuckle as both teens shot him a look that clearly said that neither was interested in being friends right now. Kira rolled her eyes and shrugged before turning back to her textbook.
Jebb was still hot and didn't want to drop the argument but it was clear that after just a few words from the man, who could only be her father, the girl just dismissed him again. At least now he had a name for her though.
"Mr. Kyle?" A nurse came walking up to the three in the T.V. area of the room. "We're ready for Kira now."
Ben nodded as he went around to the back of Kira's wheelchair and started to wheel her towards the door. But not before she looked up at Jebb and gave him a look that he took to mean that she fully intended to follow through on her words. Maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't be surprised to see Kira Kyle out on the track after all in another year or two. Though he doubted that she'd be half as good as him.
After Kira's treatment, Ben wasn't surprised to see just how exhausted she was. He had something that he wanted to discuss with her but it would have to wait until the next day. In the meantime, he figured that he'd best inform his children of the latest change that he planned to make in his life. His daughter and son were both coming over shortly after he and Kira returned from the hospital. Ben supposed that it was just as well that Kira would be sound asleep long before his children were scheduled to arrive.
Ben had hoped that his children would have changed their minds about the young girl that he'd brought into his home back in January but with it being nearly April neither of them had yet to take to her. Well, whether they like her or not really wasn't the issue any longer. He'd made his decision and he wasn't asking them for their permission; he was only informing them of it instead. Once both of his children were seen into the den, Ben sat down and prepared himself for the responses that he was sure to get from them.
"Alright, Dad. What is this all about?" Shawn asked since he had better things to than to sit with his senile father.
"Well, I know that the two of you have had your reservations about me fostering Kira since Christmas; though for the life of me I can't see why." Ben saw the eyes of both of his children darken at the statement so he moved on. They had their reasons, alright, and they had everything to do with greed. "Well, I've come to a decision and I figured that I'd tell you about it before you hear about it from someone else. I've set the paperwork in order to adop-"
Ben never got the chance to finish his sentence as both his son and daughter jumped in with their exclamations of disapproval. Much of what they said was indistinguishable from what the other said but it was clear that neither were pleased.
"What could possess you to do such a foolish thing?" Shawn stood and paced the room as he glared at his father. "And you've already started the paperwork? Can it be stopped?"
"Why would I want to try to stop it?" Ben crossed his arms as he returned his son's glare.
"Why? Because you are too old to take in and raise a worthless piece of street trash. That's why."
"I'll not have you talk about her like that. Kira is far from being a piece of worthless trash. She is bright and intelligent. She has been given a hard life but she hasn't let it break her. She deserves to be given a chance at a better life."
Elizabeth remained strangely quiet as her brother and father began to argue over the issue of having the girl sitting upstairs join their family permanently. She knew that there was nothing that she could say that would change her father's mind at this point. Instead, her thoughts went to how this bit of news could be beneficial to her and her husband. Dave had been trying to find something that would make him more sympathetic to the voters in his district in his run to be appointed to the Georgia State Senate. Elizabeth felt that she just might have the perfect way to turn this disaster of a negative turn of events into a positive one for her family.
"If that's what you want," Elizabeth spoke up from her place on the couch. "I suppose that we have no other choice but to accept it. Besides, I know that you've become quite fond of her in the last few months."
Shawn turned to look at his sister as if she'd just lost her mind. How could she betray him like this? Didn't they both agree about how much they had thought that their father had wasted both his time and money on the urchin that he'd brought in from off of the streets every single time they had discussed their father's recent activities?
Elizabeth smiled at her brother since she'd have to fill him in on her intentions after they left their father's house. For now, she decided to placate her father since she just might need more of his help in the upcoming elections.
"Well, I suppose that I should see what I can do to make her feel a bit more at home with the family. Maybe I should take her shopping with me this weekend."
Ben eyed his daughter a bit confused at her sudden change in attitude toward Kira. She'd never so much as would agree to come to dinner with her at the table. Now she was offering to take her out for a day of shopping? Something didn't feel right about that.
Ben shook his head in reply to his daughter's suggestion. "She's not much for shopping when Michelle has taken her. Not to mention, she just had a treatment today which usually leaves her pretty wiped out for a few days afterwards. But I would like for you and Shawn to try to get to know her better. After all, she'll soon be your little sister."
Shawn couldn't suppress the sneer that found its way to his face. That creature would never be his sister. She had seen her chance to get out of poverty and latched onto a foolish and senile old man during his vulnerable years. He made up his mind right then and there that he would see to it that the urchin didn't drain his father of all of his resources that had taken years to build up. After all, those resources would one day be his.
After giving Elizabeth a glance, he felt that the two of them should leave so he could find out just why it appeared that she had lost her mind along with their father. Surely she couldn't be as stupid as she sounded just a few moments ago.