Jett

 

I can feel the adrenaline coursing through my veins. The races start in half an hour, and I’m pumped, mentally and physically. I’ve officially been racing dirt bikes for most of my life and yet the adrenaline never goes away. It’s always there, ready to take over the moment the gate drops and I speed off, competing with twenty four other racers for that coveted first place trophy.

Lucky for me, arenacross is a little easier than professional supercross. Not technically, since the track is still a beast to navigate, but the rest of the racers are a step below me in talent. Only a few of them have large sponsorships like me and the guys from Team Loco, so I have a feeling the top three places will be dominated by our blue and black jerseys. We’ll make our manager proud.

Keanna watches me get ready. I gave her my VIP pass so she’s allowed down here in the pits with me while all the other spectators have to stay up in the stadium seats. I buckle up my boots, throw on my jersey, fasten my neck brace, and then look around for my helmet.

“Right here,” she says, holding out my helmet.

“Thank you babe.” I take it and lean over and kiss her.

“Not fair,” Clay calls out from a few feet over where he’s also getting dressed. “It’s one thing to bring your girlfriend here, but another to rub it in our faces how happy you are.”

“Dude, no one’s stopping you from getting your own girlfriend.”

He snorts as he pulls the Velcro tight on his gloves. “Eyes on the prize, Adams. I don’t have time for girls when I’m too busy trying to beat you.”

Keanna watches him with this curious look on her face, and if I didn’t know any better, I’d think she’s trying to think of someone to set him up with. I know it bothers her that she’s the only girlfriend on the team and often feels left out when I bring her to places like this.

I slip on my helmet and poke her in the side. She’s wearing black workout leggings and a blue Team Logo T-shirt and she looks so damn sexy in those tight ass pants. I feel like a pig and a caveman when she’s all sexy like that because I know it makes all the other guys jealous, and I don’t care. I love it, actually. I’ve got the hot girl and they’ve got nothing but jealousy.

I poke her ribs again and she squirms. “That tickles.”

“Meet me at the finish line?”

She smiles. “You better be the first one across it.”

Aiden jogs up and smacks the back of my helmet. “Ready? I’m about to line up.”

“Sounds good,” I say. I crank up my bike and let it idle for a minute, and then I turn back to my beautiful girlfriend.

“Twenty laps,” I say, taking her face in my hands.

“So longggg,” she says with a groan.

“It’ll be over before you know it.”

“And then boring San Antonio, and then onto awesome Vegas!” Her smile reaches her eyes when she mentions Vegas, and once again I’m feeling like that’ll be the perfect time to do it.

“Only a few days away,” I say.

She reaches up and kisses the front of my helmet. “Good luck.”

“Love you,” I say.

“Love you more,” she says back.

Keanna waits with the other VIPs, who are mostly older mechanics, managers, and parents, and waves to me as I set up my bike on the starting line. The starting line is a long stretch, and you draw a number to see which spot you’ll get. I drew a shitty number so I’m right smack in the middle of the line instead of on the edge like I’d prefer. In the middle, you have to make sure to be the fastest at the drop or you’ll get stuck behind other people, and possibly end up in a pile up of bikes at the first turn. Not that I can’t pull away from something like that and regain first place during the twenty laps, but it’s a lot more annoying.

Soon the air fills with the roar of two dozen dirt bikes, and I steady my attention to the starting gate. It drops, and I pin the throttle, my focus solely on the race now.

With luck and talent, I manage to get the holeshot so I’m out in front of everyone. Now I just need to keep it for the next twenty laps.

Which is exactly what I do. I’m not trying to be some egotistical prick, but when Keanna is here watching me, I have way more drive to race hard and fast. Sometimes when I’m travelling with Team Loco, I can feel myself getting lazy after the tenth lap, but this time I don’t stop. I ride hard and I keep the throttle pinned, and before long the checkered flag whips out, signaling that I’ve won the race. I turn the bike sideways as I soar over the finish line jump, and then my heart beats faster knowing that I’m about to see her again. It’s so much more fun having my girl with me at these things. I can’t wait until this semester is over and she can spend the rest of summer with me traveling and racing. Hopefully she wants that, too.

Sweat pours off me as I slow down and ride to my slot in the pits, which is right between the other Team Loco guys. Clay is right on my tail, so he was probably second place. I see Aiden and Zach a few seconds later. I park my bike on the stand and rip off my helmet, then grab a bottle of water from a nearby ice chest. I glance around and see her walking quickly toward me.

“You were amazing,” she says, her eyes sparkling under the bright stadium lights. “I always love watching you race.”

I bend down and kiss her lightly so that my sweat-drenched body doesn’t touch her.

Zach comes by and shakes my hand. “Dude, good race.”

“Thanks, man.”

“Showers and then dinner?” Aiden says as he rubs a towel over his sweating head. “Shower separately, and then eat together, is what I meant just in case you pervs thought otherwise.”

Clay snorts. “I’m down. I’m starving.”

Keanna shifts on her feet and even though she’s smiling, I get the feeling she feels a little out of place with the guys.

“I think we’re gonna head back to the hotel,” I say, giving her a quick wink when she looks up at me. “You guys go on.”

“Look at him,” Aiden says sarcastically. “Always rubbing it in with the girlfriend.”

I flip him off and he laughs. “See ya’ll in San A?”

“Yeah, man. See you tomorrow.”

After packing up my bike and all my gear, we head back to the hotel. I head straight to the bathroom to rip off my sweaty riding gear, and Keanna calls my name.

“What’s up?” I call back.

“Your phone is ringing. It’s Zach.”

“Let it ring,” I call back.

When I get out of the shower, Keanna is sitting on the hotel’s desk chair, her face tight with worry.

“What is it?”

“Your phone has been ringing like nonstop. All of the guys have called you like twice each, and I wanted to answer it because I thought maybe it’s an emergency but I didn’t want to go through your stuff…”

“Babe,” I say, holding the towel around my waist as I lean over and kiss her. “My stuff is your stuff. I hope the guys are okay.”

I grab my phone off the nightstand and unlock the screen. I have a dozen missed calls and a few text messages.

“What is it?” Keanna asks.

I click on the first message. Shit.

“Well?” Keanna says, her voice growing impatient.

“Uh…” I don’t know what to say. I am temporarily out of words. I turn off my phone and toss it on the bed. “It’s um, nothing.”

“Doesn’t seem like nothing,” she says, standing up. “Why do you look like that?”

I bite my lip. “It’s … well, it’s about you.”