Heartaches

Chapter 19

By Kellyq

Misty led Carly to the fitting room. A couple of women were ready to take some measurements.

"I, um... I already know what size pants, shoes, and tops," Carly stammered, her nerves palpable. She felt a wave of unease wash over her.

Misty's eyes flashed with amusement. "Don't worry. These girls are skilled at what they do, and besides, there's an outfit that I want you to try on."

Carly shifted her gaze to see one of the women holding up a black tank top with a shawl. The outfit also included knee-high boots and black shorts long enough to reach her hips.

Misty's voice took on a seductive murmur as she stood behind Carly. "Go ahead," she urged, her tone adding a layer of tension to the moment. "Try it on."

"Do ... do you think that Jack will like it?" Carly asked, her voice trembling with uncertainty, her heart torn between hope and fear.

The vibes changed as Misty turned her around. She removed Carly's glasses and stared into her eyes.

"You should forget about that man," Misty's voice held a sharp edge of jealousy and anger, adding a layer of complexity to her character.

Carly squirmed a little. "I ... I know ... it's just that I still care about him," she said, trying to keep her voice calm. "I mean, is it wrong to still care about him?"

Misty sighed, not wanting to scare the woman she loved. "Look, he's just hurting you, and you're letting him do it without regard for your feelings."

At first, most of them thought Rally was a girl until he said in a timid voice, 'It's nice to meet you.' Their shock was palpable when they realized Rally was a boy.

"Don't scare him, Leo!" she scowled lightly. "He probably has reasons why he wears a dress and doesn't want to share it."

"Geez!" Leo huffed, "I was just asking, considering I always wanted to dress up like a girl!"

By this point, Yusei and Blister were in the main room, setting up their laptops with Wi-Fi and the latest hacking software. Rally slipped out of the kitchen and entered the main room just as Jack's cell phone, which Yusei was borrowing, went off. He grabbed it from the table and walked out just as he put it to his ear.

Rally watched Blister turn on both laptops and fiddle with the connections.

"So," he started, trying to make ideal conversation, snapping Rally out of his thoughts, "What's your story? Did theLostaholic Monsterget you before Yusei saved you?"

Rally caught on to what he meant and cringed. "You can say that," he said timidly.

Blister frowned and was about to ask a question when his Blackberry beeped. Rally watched Blister with curiosity as he pressed a button on the screen. The sound of a crowd talking and engines was in the background.

"Hey," he said in a gentle and yet casual voice. "How was your first drag racing experience?"

"A bit rusty but not too bad, but it would've been better if you were here,"came an elegant, soft male voice from the speakerphone.

"I know, but right now, I'm helping Yusei do some investigations, so I'm not going to come home until late," Blister explained, typing on his laptop.

A gasp of excitement came from the other end of the line."Yusei?! Well, tell him I said hi, for me."

"I will," Blister said, chuckling.

"See you tonight,"the teen said.

"Yeah, be careful on the way home, okay?"

A light chuckle came from the other end."I will, and you too."

Blister rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I know."

"Love you."

"Dido," Blister said warmly. He pressed a button on his Blackberry.

Rally was about to ask whom he was talking to, but Yusei beat him to the punch. He and Jack had walked into the room moments before with their helmets under their arms.

"Was that Aero?" He asked. Blister nodded his head. "How is he?"

"He's doing fine," Blister answered, "Trying out drag racing again."

"That's great! Are you his drag race partner like you were before?" Yusei probed. The atmosphere in the room turned cold right then.

"You guys better get going," Blister said, avoiding the question.

Jack shrugged, turned, and walked out, followed by Rally. Yusei stood there, determined to discover what had caused Blister not to be Aero's drag race partner.

Yusei stepped up and took a seat next to Blister. "There's no reason to be scared."

"Who said that I was scared?" Blister responded, a hint of irritation in his voice. The tension in the air spiked.

"Aero still wants you to be his partner," Yusei informed a hint of anger in his voice.

"And what gave you that idea?" Blister replied. Yusei didn't respond, and Blister read the vibes right away. "I know what you're trying to do, and I've already made up my mind; I'm not going to do drag racing anymore."

Yusei sighed out of disappointment. He got up, turned, and walked toward the entrance. He then stopped, looked over his shoulder, and glanced at Blister.

"Aero won't choose anyone else because he still trusts you despite the horrible drag race accident you both had a couple of years ago." The tension in the room flared up.

Blister let out a grunt of irritation. "Fine, I'll do it. If that's what you insist."

Yusei turned fully, an intense look in his eyes. "I'm not making you do anything. However, Aero has a right to know your reasons for not drag racing." Even though I feel it's because he doesn't want to hurt Aero again.

With that last thought, Yusei turned and walked toward the front door.

To Be Continued