Filed To Story: Returning to Her Not-So-Poor Family
Candice had never cared for their antics, but with only five minutes to race time, she wondered about Mirabella’s whereabouts.
“Audrey, is Mirabella going to show?” Mignon, another teammate, whispered to Candice, her gaze fixed on the scene before them, “We’re running out of time. Should we call her?”
They knew Mirabella was Ophelia’s close friend and wouldn’t stand them up without a good reason. Still, a quick call might be prudent.
“Ms. Almond said she’s swamped and not to rush her. We wait,” though worry creased her brows, Candice couldn’t reveal any trace of panic. If Mirabella didn’t show, she’d step in. Her skills weren’t on par with Ms. Almond’s, but she wouldn’t go down without a fight.
Harlan and his crew were unabashed in their public displays, embracing and kissing the women eagerly.
With just two minutes to spare, Harlan peeled away from his entourage, strutting towards Candice and taunting, “Looks like your captain’s bailed on you tonight.”
Candice ignored him.
“How about you keep me company instead? I might even let you have a round,” Harlan lifted Candice’s chin with a lecherous smirk.
Furious, Candice smacked his hand away, delivering a stinging slap across his face. The Light Fleet rallied to her side in an instant.”Talk is talk, but hands off!”
“You think you’ve got the right to touch Audrey like that?”
“Get a clue about who you’re dealing with.”
Harlan’s cheek stung from the slap, and his team, inflamed by the affront, surged forward.
“Believe me, we can make you do it right here, right now.”
“You’re on our turf. Don’t get too full of yourselves.”
“Are you gonna take a slap from Harlan, or give a kiss to make Harlan feel better? Your choice.”
Just then, the thunderous roar of an engine pierced the night, growing louder as it raced toward them.
A beam of headlights washed over Harlan, who squinted against the glare, instinctively looking toward the source of the light.
“Captain, someone’s coming.” A member of the Drift Kings shouted as he noticed a red sports car barreling their way at breakneck speed, and quickly tugged Harlan back a few steps.
Mirabella slammed on the brakes just in time, the car coming to a halt where Harlan had been standing moments before. If he and his crew hadn’t moved so fast, they would’ve been sent flying.
Mirabella rolled down her window, and a few members from the Light Fleet saw her and cheered, “Bella!”
Bella had finally arrived! Talk about perfect timing. They had nearly scared the daylights out of them.
One of the members hurriedly texted Ophelia to share the excitement.
Hearing the name “Bella,” Harlan narrowed his eyes, sizing up the girl in the driver’s seat. The headlights obscured her face, but he could tell she was a stranger – and a knockout at that. He scoffed, “Do you know how to drive, or what? You almost turned my boys and me into roadkill!”
“You seemed quick enough on your feet.”
Harlan, noticing the passenger seat was empty, pressed further, “Where’s Ophelia? Got cold feet, did she? Who the hell are you?”
“Bella’s one of us, the Light Fleet, and she’s more than enough to take you down!” Candice stepped forward to announce.Mignon moved up, deadpan, and bluffed, “Bella only shows up for the big races. Her being here is practically a compliment!”
Harlan scoffed at Mirabella, who looked to be about Ophelia’s age. What’s with kids and fast cars these days?
“If you win, I’ll give you the Kowloon Bay track.” Harlan’s eyes were locked on Mirabella’s stunning features, “But if you lose, how about you spend the night with me?”
“How about ten nights?”
Harlan’s ears perked up at that. A deal like this?
The entire Light Fleet crew was stunned. Was Bella playing for such high stakes right off the bat? What if she loses?
“Ahahaha. You said it. Never thought you’d be so open-minded. I like you,” He couldn’t imagine getting bored with a face like hers in ten days.
“But if you lose, you crawl from the start line to the finish of Kowloon Bay, shouting all the way that you’re a beast. How’s that?”
Harlan’s tongue clicked against his molars, his arrogant grin widening, “Deal. But I’ve raced a ton of times and never lost.”
“What if you do?”
Harlan’s interest only grew with her challenge.
“Dare to tell everyone about our wager?”Harlan turned to his crew and shouted, “You all hear that? If I lose, I crawl from the start to the finish shouting I’m a beast! And if I win, as of tonight, you guys get a new sister-in-law.”
The Drift Kings whooped and hollered, eagerly anticipating Mirabella’s humiliation.
“Your car’s not up to snuff, doesn’t have the power mine does.” Harlan patted the hood of Mirabella’s car with a self-assured smirk, “Wanna borrow a real race car?”
They had specific cars for official races, with standardized 2.4L V8 engines capped at 850 horsepower to ensure fair competition and driver safety.
But Mirabella just laughed it off, “We’re here for thrills, not kids’ play.”
A little horsepower like that was nothing to her. Harlan hadn’t expected her to be so gutsy, “Well, I won’t go easy on you later.”
His sports car had a 10 kilometer-per-hour advantage over Mirabella’s – he could push 350, but she was capped at 340.
“Best two out of three, first one to the finish line takes the crown. You got the rules of the underground street race, right? A little bumping is all in the game.”
Mirabella’s lips curled into a smirk, “Sure, let’s get this show on the road.”
Seeing Mirabella so nonchalant, Harlan couldn’t help but chuckle again. Gutsy little thing, he thought, impressed by the young woman’s courage.
He wondered if she’d keep that cool composure when their cars started trading paint. As he slid into his sleek white sports car, folks from Mirabella’s crew, the Light Fleet, rallied around her with cheers and support.
“Go Bella! You’ve got this!”
“Don’t stress it. Even if you lose, Ms. Almond knows how to handle him. No need to play the sacrificial lamb.”
“Knock on wood! What’re you even saying? Bella’s gonna breeze through to victory.”
“Yeah, yeah, Ms. Almond’s been talking you up, Bella. That championship is as good as yours!”
The referee, a leggy dame with a whistle around her neck, piped up, her voice broadcasting through a tiny mic clipped to her collar.
“Drivers, get ready. Cars will line up at the starting point in one minute.”
“Here, Bella, have some water first,” A Light Fleet member handed her a bottle with the cap already off.
“Are you nuts? It’s freezing out here! Get her some hot coffee or something.””Bella, don’t sweat it. Let me give you a quick shoulder massage to loosen up,” another crew member reached into the driver’s seat to knead her shoulders.
“Just gotta ask, Bella.” piped up Mignon, her curiosity getting the better of her, “Ever been in one of these underground races before?”
“Never.” Bella replied, her voice calm and even, adding after a pause, “First time.”
Eyes widened all around, especially Mignon’s; she took a good long moment to mentally reassure herself, “Well, you must’ve been in some official races with Ms. Almond, right?”
“Not those either.” Mirabella said coolly, “Never been in any race, actually.”
The shock rippled through the crowd again. So Mirabella had zero racing experience? Mignon, refusing to give up hope, prodded further, “Then you must be like, a serious car enthusiast, right? You’ve probably spent a lot of time racing for fun? You’re familiar with cars, surely.”
“I know how to move forward, reverse, and brake.”
The crowd took another deep breath. They were expecting a ringer brought in by Ms. Almond, not a complete novice.
“So, um, if you don’t mind me asking,” Mignon ventured timidly, her heart in her throat, “do you have a driver’s license?”
“Yes.”
A collective sigh of relief – at least there was no illegal driving. But tonight’s race was fierce; it wasn’t just any driver’s game. Harlan had left many pros battered and bruised, and some had even landed in the hospital.And Ms. Almond was putting this girl, with no racing chops to speak of, in the hot seat. If Mirabella got wrecked, how would they ever explain it to Ms. Almond?
“Maybe we should let Candice take over.” Mignon suggested out of concern about safety.
Candice might not be as sharp as Ms. Almond, but she had some racing under her belt and had done her homework on the Kowloon Bay track.
“Don’t worry,” Mirabella reassured as the clock ticked down, easing her car to the starting line.
A red and a white racer revved their engines, primed and ready to set out.
The roar of the crowd was relentless, with most of the cheers echoing the name “Harlan,” the hometown hero and a celebrated racer who had competed in plenty of races and earned his stripes as the deputy captain of the Drift Devils.
But Mirabella, not a single spectator seemed to know her. Only a scant few voices chanted, “Come on, Light Fleet!!”
Candice tried to keep the spirits up, “We’ve got to trust Ms. Almond’s judgment, and have faith in Bella!”
Mignon wanted to say that she really worried Mirabella might get hurt. She knew all too well that Harlan would stop at nothing to win.
“I’ll just go remind Bella to be careful of Harlan,” Mignon quickly trotted over to Mirabella.
Mirabella replied with calmness, “Don’t worry about it.”
Meanwhile, Timothy Bynes received a tip that the mysterious girl who had caused a scene last night was spotted at Kowloon Bay, evidently drawn to the excitement of the night’s car race.
Her unconventional ways extended even to her hobbies. Timothy raced to the venue, scouring the stands, unable to find the girl with the black mask, no one whose eyes resembled hers.