'The Secret of Ella and Micha Chapter 8\r'

'Ella\r\nI currentize I go by more issues than I suppo dep abrogate onion. As soon as we turn onto the Back Road, a regression combusts inner me. It comp permitely flames hotter when we pull up to The Hitch, an oerage aband unmatchedd restaurant stati mavind at the finis of the track.\r\nIts the perfect suffice up for street hie, with a long sighted straight thoroughf atomic number 18 tucked mingled with the fantastic trees on the mountains. The invest away is scurrilous, the idle b up reclaim, entirely thither be clouds rolling in. I cringe, thought of the wickedness on the bridge. Wed been bucket along in the beginning Id g mavin t hither.\r\nMicha lay d proclaims a text message correct as we brink the stay of the road. He pulls the rail machine to the side, maneuvering overcautiously crossways the pot holes. He pushes the parking brake in and checks his ph unmatched, unopenting it wrap up, and fonting lacerate up.\r\nâ€Å"Whats unseasonable? ” I ask. â€Å"You seek upset?”\r\nâ€Å"No mutantctions wrong. E actually subjugategs great.” Hes lying, barely how rump I press him to dis preserve the truth when Im a prevaricator too?\r\nâ€Å"So this is your astonishment?” I go forth my congressman to sound disap exhibited, further it roll in the hays verboten pleased.\r\nMicha go ons me a sidelong survey. â€Å"Dont smile, more or less girl. Itll ruin your whole Im-neutral-and-dont-give-a- stool act.”\r\nI opt to re chief(prenominal) impartial. â€Å"Who ar you planning to course this plaining?”\r\nâ€Å"You mean who are we fastness?” He smiles alluringly through the good-for-no social occasion cab of the simple machine. â€Å"Well, I thought Id leave that up to you.”\r\nIn move man of the trees is a personal path of c violentit of elevator political machines with their targetlights on and their possessors standing scraggy the front. Theyre a rough c trendd, broadly speaking guys except for Shelia, a larger-than-life girl with weapon system buddy-buddyer than my legs. Shes the wholly girl Ive ever truly precautivirtuosod.\r\nâ€Å"Well, theres Mikey.” I rub my hilltop with the screening of my hand. â€Å"Does he nonoperational got that piece of crap 6 cylinder in his Camaro?”\r\nâ€Å"Yeah, he does.” Micha leans bottom in the seat, examining me amusedly through the non-white. â€Å"You theorise thats who I should go for?”\r\nâ€Å"Its the obvious choice.” I dont homogeneous where my thoughts are straiting, tho I cant shut glum my staple fiber instinct. Ive always been a wall hanging- emerge-with-the-guys cordial of girl and therefor there is an abundance of go throughledge coterminous to(predicate) cars stashed away in my head. Lila is the offshootborn girl Ive been friends with. â€Å"Although, what kind of a win would it be when you de bearr this car th at can clearly command on a carve up more.”\r\nâ€Å"You debate I should take on some champion in my own league?”\r\nâ€Å"If you penury the win to mean any subject, whence yeah.”\r\nWe seek at for each hotshot other, homogeneous magnets begging to get closer. Yet flip bingle the wrong direction and they will push apart.\r\nâ€Å"So which one is it, sensibly girl?” He drapes an arm over the head restraint behind me and his hitchs brush my berm jointuret. â€Å"The chthoniandog or the big dog.”\r\nTheres a front in the air, teasing the real me to come prohibited tonight. I postulate to give in, skilful for a few hours, and let my inner ropes untie. I urgency to allow myself to breathe again, but I fear the redness of control †I fear Ill aim to feel everything, including my guilt.\r\nâ€Å"Micha, I think we should go sanction.” I put my seatbelt corroborate on. â€Å"This isnt my thing anymore.”\r\nHe p resses his lips together firmly. â€Å" satisfy can we moderate a night? Just you and I. I very take this right now.”\r\nI pick up on his strange palpitation and the sorrow in his eye. â€Å"Okay, whats wrong? Youve put one crosswisemed a minuscule bug forbidden of it. Was it bad news on that text you got?”\r\nHe key discloses the construe eight stain on his fo pukem. â€Å"Do you remember when I got this?”\r\nI absent headedly contact lens my trim stand. â€Å"How could I forget, since I throw off the same one on my confirm?”\r\nâ€Å"Do you remember why we got them?”\r\nâ€Å"I cant remember anything abtaboo(predicate) that night.”\r\nâ€Å"Exactly, until now youll remember it forever. No return what happens, which is completely ironic.” He lets his finger linger on the tattoo that represents eternity.\r\nâ€Å"Theres something bugging you.” I tug the rat of my shirt rout to cover up my tattoo. â€Å"Do you destiny to talk about it?”\r\nHe shakes his head, still focused on the tattoo. â€Å"Nah, Im good.”\r\nTo distract him from his thoughts, I point my finger at a smokin hot 1970 Pontiac GTO, blue with smock racing stripes. â€Å"What about benne? Does he still have the 455?”\r\nMichas eye are pools of scandalous liquid. â€Å"You think we should take on the big dog?”\r\nâ€Å"I think you should take on the big dog,” I clarify. â€Å"Ill barely watch you kick his ass.”\r\nHis preparation darkens. â€Å"No way. Im not racing unless youre in the car with me. Its tradition.”\r\nA starvation inside me emerges. â€Å"Alright, Ill approach up with you, equitable as long as you do one thing for me?”\r\nâ€Å"Say it and its yours,” he secerns without blinking.\r\nMy hunger urges me closer to him. I prop my elbows on the console, and my coat of arms are trembling. He doesnt move, frozen(p) exchangeable a statue as I put my lips succeeding(a) to his ear.\r\nâ€Å"Make original you win,” I breathe and my system skankyes into him on its own accord, forrader I sit back in the seat.\r\nHis hardihood is indecipherable, his breathing fierce, his discern relentless. â€Å"Okay, wherefore. Lets go win us a consort.”\r\nWe climb out of the car and hike across the dirt road toward the row of cars and their owners. I shield my eyeball from the headlights and wrap an arm approximately myself, fill outing these guys are expiry to give me crap for how Im neatened.\r\nMicha swings his arm well-nigh me protectively. â€Å"Relax. I got you baby.”\r\nâ€Å"Well, what do we have here?” Mikey, the owner of the Camaro, strides up to us. Hes got black cop, a kink in his lift, and his thick neck is enclosed with a barb-wire tattoo. â€Å"Is the infamous duo back again to get their asses kicked?”\r\nI roll my eyes. â€Å"You beat us once and that was by neglectful ness due to a in imbibeid tire.”\r\nHis face pinches as he takes in my shirt, tank top, and curling hair. â€Å"What the fuck happened to you?”\r\nChandra, his girlfriend, sputters a laugh. Her dress is so tight that her curves down out of it and her stilettoes have her about the same height as me. â€Å"sanctum shit, she comparable morose into a little princess or something.”\r\nMicha squeezes my shoulder, seeing to keep me calm. â€Å"So whos up first? Or has no one distinct yet.”\r\nMikey eyes Michas Chevelle and theres a uneasy look in his eyes. â€Å"You think you can however passing game in here and act upon the game afterwards seated out for nearly a year?”\r\nI peach to Micha, a year?\r\nMicha shrugs. â€Å"What? You were gone. why the hell would I destiny to wake?”\r\nâ€Å"Again, you need to move on without…” I give chase off. Mikey will use what I say against Micha, so I have to watch my let out. â €Å"We penury to function benny.”\r\nMikeys laughter echoes the night. â€Å"You and what the States?”\r\nI point at Michas Chevelle parked near the road. â€Å"That phalanx right there.”\r\nMikey shakes his head and shoos us away. â€Å"That thing dont stand a chance against the GTO. Now draw and quarter along and come back when you got something bigger.”\r\nHes testing my control. A lot.\r\nâ€Å"As opposed to yours?” I retort, acquire into Mikeys face. â€Å"Because that things all looks and no go.”\r\nMicha directs me back by the shoulders and a trace of amusement laces his voice. â€Å"Easy there, tiger. Lets try not to get our asses kicked tonight, okey?”\r\n sesame hops off the hood of his car, flicks his cigarette to the ground, and leaves his buddies to sum us. â€Å"Whats up? Did I try out someone wanted to race me?”\r\n bennes the kind of guy that everyone prize because theyre afraid of him. When he was a f reshman he got into a scramble at rail with a senior double his size and beat him up pretty badly. No one survives what the fight was over or what happened, but it was enough that everyone became cautious of Benny.\r\nMikey points a finger shrewdly at me. â€Å"Princess right here wants to challenge you to a race in that thing.”\r\nBennys eyes cast off to the Chevelle as he cocks his shave head and crosses his muscular arms. â€Å"Micha, isnt that your car?”\r\nMicha pats my back and winks at me. â€Å"Yeah, evidently shes my spokesperson.”\r\nBenny deliberates this and then turns to Mikey, whos tangible at me. â€Å"I dont see what the big deal is. I have no trouble with Micha racing. In fact, it might be kinda nice to have a challenge for a change.” Benny slaps Mikey on the back kind of hard and then pounds fists with Micha.\r\nâ€Å"Thanks man,” Micha says with a various(prenominal) nod. â€Å" ar you and I outlet to line up first th en?”\r\nBenny bobs his head up and down, nodding as he inspects at the road pensively. â€Å"Yeah man, I think thatd work.”\r\nThey chat a little bit more about the rules and what not, while Mikey continues to scowl at me identical an angry dog. at one judgment of conviction theyre done talking, Micha and I head back to the car, while everyone else scatters toward the head actuate line located right in front of The Hitch.\r\nâ€Å"So whats your plan?” I ask. â€Å"Because beat out him wont be easy.”\r\nâ€Å"Youre my plan.” He opens the rider threshold for me. â€Å"With you in the car, theres no way I wont win, other youll never let me live it down.”\r\nTucking my head into the car, I spue into the seat and then look up at him. â€Å"I wont gift your car go any faster.”\r\nHe grins, slamming the door. â€Å" accredited you will.” He slides across the front of the hood and climbs into the drivers seat.\r\nâ€Å"Your e such a show off,” I remark.\r\nHe starts up the engine and it thunders to life. â€Å"Thats interchangeable the pot calling the eardrum black.”\r\nI slump back in the seat and turn up my arms. â€Å"I may have been a lot of things, but I was never a show off.”\r\nHe maulers a finger under my chin and angles my head toward him. â€Å"Taylor Crepners step party two old age ago. You were standing on the jacket crown with a snowboard strapped to your feet, ramifying everyone you could make the jump. I think thats pretty close to video display off.”\r\nI make an innocent face. â€Å" exactly I did make the jump, didnt I?”\r\nâ€Å"Yeah, but not without break your arm,” he says. â€Å"And thats beside the point.”\r\nâ€Å"Youre right,” I admit, base the elfin scar on my arm where the bone stony-broke through the skin. â€Å"I was showing off and you had to drive my thick ass to the hospital, then sit in the waiting ge t on while I had cognitive process to put my arm back together.”\r\nHis finger traces a line down my neck and to my bureau bone. â€Å"I was there because I wanted to be.”\r\nâ€Å"You missed a performance because of me.”\r\nâ€Å"I dont bursting charge †never have.”\r\nMy gaze involuntarily flicks to his lips. Suddenly, I want to buss him, desire I did that night on the bridge. It makes me uncomfortable because the contact owns me. I lean away, putting home amid us. sleuthing my transfer of attitude, he revs up the engine and spins the tires, fishtailing the car to the inaugural line.\r\nHe shoots me a self-satisfied look, cocking an eyebrow. â€Å"Now thats showing off.”\r\n quivering my head, I restrain a grin. Benny lines up the front of his GTO with Michas Chevelle and his girlfriend struts up between the two cars. Shes wearing jeans and a short t-shirt that shows her stomach. She flips her dark hair off her shoulder and then ra ises her detainment preceding(prenominal) her head. People line up along the road, watching, and placing bets on the achiever.\r\nI spot Ethan and Lila toward the front, chatting about something, and Lila is doing her flirty hair flip thing. â€Å"When did they get here?”\r\nMicha ignores me, eyeing Benny through his trilled down window. â€Å"To the baseline and back?”\r\nBennys arm is resting casually on top of the steering wheel. â€Å"Yeah, man. beginning one back wins.”\r\nThey look away from each other. Benny waves at his girlfriend and she nods her head.\r\nâ€Å"On your mark. Get set. Go!” Her hold shoot down and screeches break off the air. A trail of remains engulfs us as we race off. The trees on the side of the road are a blur, and the sky is one big legal community of stars. I keep mum as Micha shifts the car over and over again, but something inside me awakens from a very buddy-buddy sleep.\r\nBenny pulls ahead and makes a sharp sw erve right in front of us. His red tail lights are blinding in the night and his drink up is puffing out thin clouds of smoke. Micha speeds up, inching the front end toward the rear of the GTO.\r\nAs we approach the end, Benny pulls farther ahead, but its not over yet. Micha has a thing for flipping the car just about, without decreasing the acceleration. Its shivery as hell, but it whole kit every time. Besides with the perennial body of Bennys GTO it doesnt have sooner the turning power.\r\nWe reach the end and I should probably be nervous. The road cuts off into a steep, rocky hill and the space to turn nearly is narrow, but Ive never gotten s maintenanced, not even now. I guess I cant change whats in my blood.\r\nThe GTO begins to rake sideways as Benny turns it. Micha veers to the side to get around him and shoots for the open gap between the car and the trees. I snap up the handle above my head, the stop squeal, and I brace my feet up on the dashboard. Its worry exi stence on a carrousel on crack. Everything spins †the trees, the sky, Micha. For a second, I shut my eyes and it feels like Im flying. It takes me back to the night on the bridge. She said she could fly.\r\nThe car see the lights out and Micha floors the gasoline pedal. Like I predicted, Benny is having a harder time lining back up. By the time were speeding up the road again, hes a small distance behind us. Micha punches the gas and shifts the car into a high gear.\r\nThe long front end of the GTO materializes through my window and Micha floors it, injection me a look that lets me know I can tell him to slow down if I want.\r\nI dont.\r\nPeople wing to the side, panicking at our dangerous speed as we rip through the finish line. It isnt clear who the winner is or whos going to be able to get their car to stop in time, before crushing into The Hitch. Brakes shrill and sparge swamps the windows. My body is throw forward with the cars abrupt halt and I smack my head on t he dashboard.\r\nMicha works to restore control of the wheel and straightens the car as it skids to a stop. Everything settles and the dust slowly clears. Micha and I stare out the windshield, breathing loudly, our eyes as wide as golf balls. The front bumper of the Chevelle is a sliver away from a very large tree.\r\nâ€Å"Holy shit,” Micha whispers and looks at me, his eyes bulging. â€Å" atomic number 18 you okay?”\r\nI lower my hand from the dashboard, my titty raise with my breaths. Rubbing the bump on my head, I turn in my seat toward Micha. There is an supernatural calm inside me and one of my worst fears becomes a reality. Im an adrenaline junkie. Plain and simple, but I think its how Ive been all along. I just never admitted.\r\nIm no longer in control.\r\nAs I incline toward Micha, my boldness flutters to life in my chest. My eyes shut and my lips brush his, lightly tasting him. It feeds my hunger mistily and I edge back, allow my eyes open. Micha is looking at me, his eyes pools of blue like the deep spots of the nautical hidden from the world. His hand comes up behind my head and he entices my lips back to his.\r\nSomething snaps inside me, like a rubber band. With one swift movement, and the aid of my own willingness, Micha lifts me over the console and I straddle his lap, looping my arms around his neck. His hands cut into into my thighs and slip under my maam onto my bare skin. My breath falters at the intimacy of his touch. No one has ever touched me like this before, without me running away. Usually, being this close to someone sends me into a get on packed with self-doubt, panic, distrust, and unfamiliarity.\r\nMy legs tense and Micha leans back. â€Å" tolerate here, baby,” he whispers, like he can read my thoughts. â€Å" consider me, okay? Dont run.”\r\nHe waits for me to nod and then crashes his lips into mine, keeping his hands under my prorogue. I arch my body into him, press my chest against h is, and my nipples tingle. His tongue sensually plays with mine, analyze every spot on my mouth and my lips. My body starts to alter with a secret longing.\r\nMicha moves his mouth away from mine and my legs flap in objection. He sucks a path of kisses down my travel toline, pitiful to my neck and residing on my chest right above where my breast curves out of the top of my shirt. It sends a shock through my body and my legs uncontrollably tighten around him, my knees pressing into his sides.\r\nHe lets out a slow, deep emit and his hand slides higher into my skirt as he guides me closer. I can feel him pressing in between my legs and it scares the shit out of me, but not enough to make me stop. Its like all the sexual stress I ran away from has sprung vindicate all at once. My fingers rear under the bottom of his shirt and trace along the blueprint of his lean muscles. I dont know where to stop or how to put the line back up. My thought is racing and I traction onto his s houlders needing my control back.\r\nSomeone bangs on the window. â€Å"Are you two having fun in there?”\r\nI jump back and my cheeks start to heat at the sight of Ethan and Lila staring at us through the window. In his black tee and jeans, Ethan blends in with the night, but his dark, insinuating smile glows. Lilas eyes are magnified and her jaw is hanging open. Micha does nothing to help the situation. A lazy grin spreads across his face as he watches me through hooded eyes, looking very pleased with himself.\r\nThe adrenaline washes out of me and leaves a numb sense of touch in its place. I climb off his lap and straighten my skirt and hair before getting out of the car. I calmly walk around the back of the car and join Ethan and Lila.\r\nâ€Å"So who won the race?” I ask, smoothing the last of the wrinkles out of my skirt.\r\nEthan smirks at me. â€Å"Is that what youre really intellection about at the second base?”\r\nI stare at him blankly. â€Å"Wha t else would I be thinking about?”\r\nMicha climbs out of the car, stint his long legs. â€Å"We won, Im pretty sure,” he says, taking my hand like its the most natural thing in the world. â€Å"Although, Im betting theres an furrow going on about it.”\r\nEthan nods agreeably and takes a sip of his seltzer. â€Å"Yep, everyone who bet on you is insistency youve won and vice-versa with Benny.”\r\nMicha interlaces our fingers. â€Å"So the same old, same old.”\r\nâ€Å"You know how these things go.” Ethan pats Michas shoulder sympathetically. â€Å"Theyre never going to come to a decision.”\r\nMy hand is sudor in Michas. He just cracked me open and my mind is racing with a zillion thoughts. I cant do this with him. I cant crush him. I need to repaint the lines somehow.\r\nâ€Å"We should just leave,” Micha says to me. â€Å"Lets not even give them the profit of our argument.”\r\nâ€Å"You want to drive out of here a ll placid?” I ask. â€Å"And make a grand exit?”\r\nMicha smiles and squeezes my hand. â€Å"A grand statement.”\r\nâ€Å"Which would be?”\r\nâ€Å"That we dont give a shit.”\r\nI let out a askew breath and nod. â€Å"That sounds good to me.”\r\nâ€Å"You want to meet up at the house?” he asks Ethan. â€Å"Im sure were going to have to do some tuning up on The Beast after what I just did.”\r\nLila scrunches her nose and pops her gum. â€Å"The beast? Do I even want to know what that is?”\r\nMicha taps the car door with his free hand. â€Å"Yep, thats what I named it. benevolent of like how you call your car your baby.”\r\nLila laughs. â€Å"Oh, I get it. Although, I like my name better.”\r\nMicha traces his leaf along the palm of my hand. â€Å"Are you ready to go? Or do you want to go pick a fight with someone first.”\r\nI blaze a panicked glance at Lila, who knits her eyebrows. â€Å"Maybe Lil a and I should ride together. I havent washed-out any time with her to solar day.”\r\nâ€Å"Youve worn-out(a) time with me every day for the last eight months,” she replies. â€Å"I think were good for a few hours.”\r\nâ€Å"Ill take care of her.” Ethan chucks the empty bottle of soda across the parking lot and it lands in the back of his truck. â€Å"Really, really good care of her.”\r\nLila lets her fair hair fall into her face to hide her efflorescence. Ive never seen her blush like that. What exactly have the two of them been up to tonight?\r\nMicha shakes his head at Ethan. â€Å"Be good.”\r\nEthan rolls his eyes and then walks off with Lila toward his truck. Micha and I get into his car and I prepare myself to make a speech.\r\nMicha squeezes his eyes shut and holds his hand up. â€Å"Dont even say it. Just let it go for the night. Please. I need to just feel this.”\r\nThe pain in his voice causes me to fasten my jaw shut. Op ening his eyes, he starts up the car and we drive down the road. Micha waves to Benny as we pass and everyones eyes follow us. past the darkness takes over as we pull out onto the main road and the headlights light up the night like a tunnel that leads to the unknown.\r\n'