*Chapter 4*
"Well, well," Oliver spat. He waved his large hand around a few times to clear the air, though he could easily see the annoying stunned facial expression of his older sister through the clearing dust, "Looks like someone went on a joy ride."
"Oliver," Tessa barked as she gestured her arm harshly outwards, she furrowed her eyebrows in anger and could feel Penny's tense position unwind behind her, "How did you get all the way out here so quickly?"
"Oh, I don't know," Oliver fibbed as he tucked his hands behind his back and looked about the deeper part of the forest they were in. He wrinkled his nose and kept his eyes to the canopy, "It's humid in these parts."
"No sugar, captain Schweetz, it's the Evergreen Mint Forest," Tessa muttered as she relaxed on her bike. She finally turned the key, which cued the engine to take a break.
"How did you find us so easily?" Penny finally chimed as she peered over Tessa's shoulder, "We're half way through the forest. There's no way you could have walked here that fast."
"I have my ways," Oliver said slyly, Tessa furrowed her eyebrows harder in anger; she hated the fact that Oliver was the most unreadable person she knew. She glared at him, hoping somehow it'd make him cave, though it only made him tuck away further into his shell.
"He probably snuck into the code room," Tessa muttered under her breath. Oliver shot her a dirty look.
"You know I'm too honest for that," Oliver volleyed as he took a lingering step or two about the wide dirt path they were sat on. He eagerly peered about and admired the scenery, "Nice day for a rule breaking joy ride."
"If you so much as tell mom or dad that we're out here, I'll tell mom what you did to her wedding dress that one day," Tessa said with a smirk of victory; Oliver shot her a gaping glare.
"Even after Tammy fixed everything?" Oliver barked in defense, "That's not even fair, nor would it make sense! Besides, that tear was an accident! This stupid joy ride, however, is no accident."
"They're not going to find out," Tessa argued as she pointed a firm finger in his direction, "Right?"
"Not by me," Oliver uttered, Tessa cocked an eyebrow.
"Well, I know for certain Penny isn't going to tell on us."
"I'm not THAT stupid," Penny rolled her eyes, though Oliver bit his lip in contemplation.
"Here's the deal," Oliver firmly stated with an eager smile, "You let me drive back to the castle, and none of this gets back to any of those racers on the Sugar Rush roster."
"How about you just get on the bike, we'll spin around the horn one more time, and we'll call it good?" Tessa suggested with a smile that oozed of ending patience.
"I want to drive," Oliver pushed, the need to race and be free was just as strong as he was worried it would be.
"How about, if we get out of this mess ungrounded, I'll let you drive tomorrow," Tessa urged as she slumped her shoulders, her knees finally relaxed from her tense position, "If we show dad that we didn't get into any trouble today, maybe he'll give us more breathing room tomorrow."
"That way, you can drive without feeling too guilty!" Penny chimed with her usual, sweet smile. The curl in her hair looked wild and messy from the whipping wind.
"Because clearly I have no shame, here," Tessa said through an annoyed giggle as she looked up to the gaping, gorgeous canopy above her. Oliver furrowed his eyebrows in contemplation, though he flinched once Tessa flung out her arm and hand, as if to extend her invitation to get on the bike.
"C'mon, Olly," Penny griped as she lulled her head, she eagerly looked over her shoulder in a worried way, "We don't have all day."
"You promise to let me drive tomorrow?" Oliver wondered in a still tone. Tessa shook her hand around a little bit.
"Yes, yes, I promise," Tessa rushed, "Now c'mon! The forest awaits."
"Fine," Oliver sighed as he finally neared the bike, though he shot his gaze all around the beautifully crafted bike and eyed his sister in annoyed curiosity, "Where do I sit?"
"In front of me," Tessa said dully, "There's no where else for you to sit."
"Tessa," Oliver started to complain.
"Either you sit in front, or I'm leaving your sorry hide here," Tessa rushed as she cocked an eyebrow. Penny nodded once, as if to agree with her same aged cousin.
"Stop threatening me," Oliver rolled his eyes as he finally took a wary step towards the bike, though it took no time for Tessa to grab his larger hand and yank him towards the bike.
"Then stop being such a baby," Tessa laughed as Oliver let out a noise of protest, he wobbled to the bike and finally began to climb aboard. With ease, he sat cross legged in front of Tessa and held onto the rim of the handlebars, just near the single headlight Tessa's bike was equipped with.
"Ready?" Penny wondered as Tessa cranked the engine once more, it roared with life. Tessa flinched as Oliver jumped in slight nervousness, though her and Penny bursted out in a small fit of laughter towards the younger wrecker.
"Startled yah?" Tessa teased, Oliver shot her a glare over her shoulder.
"You may be good at racing, but I am good at wrecking," Oliver furrowed his black eyebrows as his honey brown gaze looked sharp. It had the potential to be threatening one day, though Tessa chuffed at his feeble attempts.
"Likewise, buddy," Tessa rolled her eyes and prepped herself to see the rest of the beauty the forest had to offer, "We're both from the same parents, doy."
"No sugar," Oliver muttered as Tessa gently began to ease the bike forward.
Slowly, at first, she proceeded. She eased into the idea of now carrying three people on her bike, though she knew her younger brother wasn't sat properly into position. She bit her lower lip, knowing full well this bike of hers only could technically seat two individuals, though she figured if she was wrecking the limits and pushing he forest's boundaries, why not break all the rules involved. She shrugged lightly and let the bike rocket forward even faster. She could feel Oliver's demeanor practically reek of nervousness, though she was thrilled to find that, after a few minutes, he began to ease up and even let a few excited laughs escape his sturdy, mysterious exterior.
With one wild, spur of the moment decision down a straight in the road, Tessa flung her arms in the air and let the bike control itself. Over the rushing rind, she could hear Penny and Oliver laugh and wail in nervous excitement. She inhaled the cool, whipping wind and let her eyes lull close for mere split seconds. She felt her heart soar, she knew racing was the core of her very being. She wondered if getting away with this adventure of theirs could potentially be a thing. As her mind and her bike raced, she wondered what the next month ahead of them would look like. Free rides around the game, not a care in the world. She knew she would have to live it up as much as she could before Academy, the strenuous school days would cloud much of her free time.
Before any more milliseconds could pass, she slammed her hands back to the handles of the bike and eagerly peered ahead of her. She laughed with the excitement of her younger cousin and brother. She smirked and continued to rocket down the rough straight of dirt road they were on, though Penny quickly tightened her grip around Tessa and pushed her chin to her shoulder.
"Wow, your bike has a nice growl to it!" Penny exclaimed as the forest seemingly began to rumble a little louder. Tessa furrowed her eyebrows with accomplishment and let a wider smile grace her face.
"Uncle Gloyd certified!" Tessa bragged as she could feel her core begin to tremble. She glanced down at her bike in hidden confusion and cranked the gas harder. She figuratively shrugged it off and let her eyes dart around the forest.
"Tessa, I don't think that's your bike!" Oliver exclaimed nervously as he shoved his back into Tessa's center. His hands grabbed her wrists as Tessa pushed on.
"Oh calm down!" Tessa exclaimed before she suddenly veered off into a hidden dirt path she spotted not long ago.
The three wailed in compliance as they pushed past thick brush, branches and twigs. Tessa hunched over her bike nervously and shielded her face from oncoming branches that were eagerly reaching out their tender, green branches. The bike whirred and chaotically soared over the rough terrain, though before Tessa could comprehend exactly what was happening, the bike hit the sharp turn of the road, which ramped up and over a few bushes. The three hollered as they were sent flying, though to Tessa's surprise, they landed with enough grace to not go flying in all directions. The bike skid to a hard, annoyed stop, though as Tessa's feet hit the ground, she instantly felt grains of candy sand. As quickly as she could come out of her discombobulated state, she looked up and around through harshly squinted eyes.
"Tessa!" Penny hollered.
"The Sugar Rush racing tracks!" Oliver bellowed as he sat up straight and whirled around to shoot his older sister the most nervous look he could muster, "Quick, back up!"
"O-Okay!" Tessa worried as she tried to crank her bike, though to her misfortune, the bike sputtered and puffed black smoke.
"Oh for User's sakes!" Penny cried as she gripped the side of her head in nervousness.
"Maybe no one is using this track right now!" Tessa urged as she gestured her arm out to the vast, sprawling, rainbow road track.
"It's right next to diet cola mountain! Of course they're using it, it's the most popular track in the game!" Penny squealed as Tessa tried over and over to get the bike started.
"Let's just walk it back to those bushes over there," Oliver pointed behind them.
The very edge of the Evergreen Mint Forest seemingly taunted the two, as if it were the forest's idea to lead them astray. The three tensed in readiness to get off the bike, but before they could get anywhere, at least half a dozen of the Sugar Rush racers cars came screaming around the corner, which sent shards of the candy road in all sorts of directions. They were reaching speeds that the three couldn't even begin to comprehend, and in the sudden adrenaline rush of core rumbling fear, the three froze. As if Tessa couldn't move fast enough, she quickly shoved Penny behind her and grabbed Oliver to her body. She huddled the two near her and her bike and shut her eyes tight. Before she could see the insides of her eyelids, she felt her heart drop with the sight of her mother's fierce car rocketing towards her, in none other than first place.
The three grabbed onto each other and the bike of theirs like a lifeline. As fast as the rumbling, bellowing cars arrived, they vanished into thin air down the tracks, the dust around them hung in disturbed peace. Specks of candy dust and sugar particles hung dainty and floated back down to the now calm earth below them. The three shakily relaxed from each other and coughed a few times. Tessa waved her large hand around and felt goosebumps plague her body. In a whirl of fear and excited adrenaline, she trembled. She looked Penny and Oliver in the eyes, they each had the same knowing look. They knew they were more than in trouble, though the twinkle in their eyes held suspicion that they believed all of it was more than worth it.