Page 2 of Drifting

“Yep,” I say, popping the P. “And proud of it.”

My lips curve into an unconscious smile as I stand and leave the room.

Cin might be my blood, but she’s much more than that to me. We’ve helped each other through some dark hours. She’s one of the only people I trust completely. I’d do anything for her, just like I know she’d do anything for me.

A half-hour later, she walks out into the living room dressed in a t-shirt and blue jeans, with her black hair tied in a low ponytail. A small hoop ring flashes in her nose, and she wears her usual leather band on her left wrist. “I’m ready.”

I smirk. “About time.”

“You’re lucky I love you.” Cin sticks her tongue out.

“You have to love me. I’m your cousin,” I shoot over my shoulder as I unlock our front door.

She exaggerates a sigh. “Do you have to remind me of that?”

“Every damn day.” I smile.

We walk to school. It’s not that far. Only a few blocks. We could take the public bus, but they don’t have any stops close to school. We’d have to backtrack, and that’s just stupid. While we have a car, it’s strictly used for racing. I also have a bike I call Serenity. I’d ride her back and forth from school except Cin’s scared shitless to be on it.

Besides, the area of Westridge we could afford to live in isn’t the nicest or the safest. During the day, it’s not too bad, but nighttime is a different story. We try to stay in once it gets dark. If we have to go out, we do it together and with some kind of weapon.

If I had my bike here, she would get stolen in fifteen seconds flat. And if something happened to Serenity, it would crush me.

I built her from scratch and just got done with her a year ago. It pains me I can’t ride her as much as I like. Maybe, someday, I will. But, for now, she and Little Devil sit in the garage of one of our crew members.

When Cin pulled up looking for me almost two years ago, I still recognized our car. Cin finished our car on her own after I left, and we never got to do the detail on it.

We chose to put down roots in Westridge, which has the biggest racing circuit in the area. And we’re now in the second round of semi-finals for the Westridge underground racing circuit. Winning that race could set us up for a better life.

The next race is on Saturday, and we need the big prize at the end to pay our rent, which is past due.

When we arrive at school, we wait in a small line to pass through the metal detector before entering. Which is total bullshit. Knives still get in.

When it’s my turn to go through, of course, it beeps. I have a metal buckle on my boots.

I tell the guard that, but he still pats me down. The school is too cheap to buy those metal wands, so instead, they let the guards frisk us like we’re criminals.

Cin always says that’s how the guards get away with feeling us up, and I don’t doubt it.

We pass inspection and elbow our way to my locker, where I dial in my combination, but it won’t open.

I slam my hand on the front of my locker. This damn thing never works for me.

Cin chuckles as she tries, and it opens right away.

I hope next year’s locker will be better than this piece of shit.

“Just the two I’ve been looking for!” Kellie calls as she rushes over to us. “How are the twisted sisters today?”

I have no idea how or why we got the name twisted sisters, but that’s what everyone calls us. Kellie’s the school’s gossip. If you want to know something, she’s your go-to. She’s not a bad person, but she has a way of getting on my last nerve.

Kellie leans her lanky body against the locker beside me, waiting for my response.

“What’s so important that you came to find us first thing in the morning?” Cin questions

“John Brant is going to ask Shelby to the end of school carnival,” Kellie gushes.

I rub the bridge of my nose. John’s our quarterback and the prime catch in this school. Everyone wants to date him because they think he’s the only way to escape this dump.

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