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2-The escape and the second gift
🕑 Added 2024-11-25 22:40:01 +0000 UTCThe night passed in the blink of an eye. The race had been an unforgettable spectacle, and Marcos won it effortlessly, proving the Skyline's supremacy over its rivals. The crowd clapped and cheered as he crossed the finish line, but the celebration didn't last long. As soon as they returned to the meeting point, a disturbing sound broke the excitement of the moment: sirens. Dozens of patrol cars burst onto the main road, lighting up the parking lot with frantically flashing red and blue lights. It was a raid.
"Alex, in the car! Quick!" Marcos shouted as he opened the door of the Skyline.
Without thinking twice, Alex jumped into the back seat, his heart beating as if it were going to explode. Vanessa, as agile as ever, climbed into the passenger seat, slamming the door shut.
"Hold on!" was all Marcos said before stepping on the accelerator.
The Skyline's engine roared to life, tires skidding on the asphalt and leaving a cloud of smoke behind them. In an instant, they shot out of the parking lot, dodging other cars and leaving the chaos behind. Two patrol cars immediately joined the chase, speeding up to catch up.
"They're following us!" Alex shouted, looking at the approaching lights from the rearview mirror.
"Easy, kid," Marcos replied with a confident smile, as if this was just another normal day. "These patrol cars have no idea who they messed with."
The Skyline rocketed forward, and Marcos shifted from third to fourth gear with impeccable precision. The engine roared even louder, and the patrol cars began to fall behind. Alex felt the car stick to the asphalt as they took a sharp turn at full speed. The outside world was a blur of light and shadow, and the sound of sirens was beginning to fade.
“That was close,” Vanessa said as she glanced in the side mirror, making sure there were no patrol cars in sight.
“Don’t even tell me,” Alex replied, his voice shaky. His hands were still gripping the seat as if his life depended on it. He could still feel the adrenaline pumping through his veins.
Marcos, however, seemed more relaxed than ever. He slowed down a bit and turned on the radio, letting a hip-hop song fill the car. “The night isn’t over yet,” he said with a mischievous grin.
“What? It’s three in the morning, bro! I have school tomorrow!” Alex protested, still trying to calm himself down.
“School you can have every day,” Marcos replied as he turned onto a back road. “But this… this is special. There’s still your birthday present.”
“Present?” Alex asked, his curiosity piqued despite his exhaustion.
"Patience, kid. We'll get there," Marcos said as he sped up again, moving further and further away from the city lights.
The ride to the garage was uneventful compared to what they had just experienced. The adrenaline was beginning to fade, but Alex's curiosity was growing. What gift could be so important as to justify everything that had happened that night?
Finally, they arrived at the garage. Marcos parked the Skyline in front of the dark building and turned off the engine. Vanessa got out first, stretching as she let out a sigh of relief. Alex got out more cautiously, watching as Marcos pulled a keychain out of his jacket.
"Come on, kid. I want you to see something," Marcos said, walking into the garage.
Alex and Vanessa followed him. The garage, illuminated by yellow lights, was filled with tools, car parts, and the unmistakable smell of oil and metal. But what really caught Alex's attention was a car covered with a gray tarp in the center of the place.
"What's that?" Alex asked, pointing toward the object with a mix of curiosity and excitement.
Marcos smiled and approached the car. “It’s your present, kid. Happy birthday.” With a quick movement, he pulled the tarp back, revealing what was underneath.
Under the shop lights sat a 1997 Honda Civic, two-door. The car was in decent condition, with a somewhat worn blue paint job and stock wheels. It wasn’t a luxury car or a race-ready machine, but to Alex it was something special.
“Is… is it mine?” Alex asked, incredulously, as he approached the Civic. His shaking hand touched the hood, feeling the cold metal beneath his fingers.
“All yours,” Marcos replied. “It’s not perfect, but it’s in good shape. It has potential. And if there’s one thing I know, it’s that you can turn it into something amazing.”
Alex stepped back, still processing what he saw. He’d never owned anything he could call his own, much less something that meant as much as that car.
“Why… why are you doing this?” he asked, looking at Marcos with a mix of gratitude and confusion.
Marcos crossed his arms and looked at him seriously, though with a smile on his lips. "Because this isn't just a car, kid. It's the start of something bigger. This is going to be your project. Your underground project."
"Underground project?" Alex repeated, still trying to understand.
"Exactly. This car is just a base, a blank canvas. It'll be up to you to turn it into something worthy of these streets. But don't be mistaken, Alex. It's not just a car project. It's a life project. If you want to be part of this world, you need to work for it. Earn it. Are you ready for that?"
Alex nodded slowly, his mind already full of ideas. He could see the potential of the Civic, the modifications he could make to it, the races he could participate in. This car wasn't just a gift; it was an invitation, a chance to enter the world he had always dreamed of.
Vanessa, leaning against the Skyline, smiled at Alex's expression. "It's a nice gift, kid. But don't forget that this world isn't for the weak. So be prepared."
Alex looked at the Civic once more. In his mind, he was already beginning to imagine how he would transform it.
Marcos smiled, albeit somewhat uncomfortably, as he pointed at the Honda Civic he had just discovered. "Maybe it has some details, after all," he said, scratching the back of his neck. "Like for example that... it doesn't run," he added, laughing with a mix of embarrassment and amusement. "But what does it matter! We're in a garage, right? We'll see what the hell we'll do with it."
Alex kept looking at the car, as if it were the most valuable object in the world. "I have some money saved up," he said, his mind already working on the possibilities. "Besides, with the pay you give me here at the garage... Yeah, I think it will work. But there's one problem." He paused and looked at Marcos with a half smile. "I don't have a license."
Marcos let out a laugh that echoed throughout the shop. "That's the funny thing, kid. In this world, none of that matters. Everything is illegal: no names, no papers. You get caught? Bye bye car. Simple as that."
Alex frowned, surprised. "Is your Skyline illegal too?"
"Of course not!" Marcos replied, laughing. "That baby cost me an arm and a leg. I wouldn't have it without papers, there's no way I'd have it. It's in my name, with everything in order. But a Civic like yours... let's just say it can go unnoticed. For now, it's perfect for you."
Alex looked at the car once more, imagining all the things he could do with it, even if it didn't work yet. There was something about that car that called to him, like it had a personality of its own waiting to be discovered.
"Anyway, kid. Hop in the Skyline. Time to take you home," Marcos said as he put away the Civic's keychain and headed out of the shop.
The trip home was much calmer than the frantic escape from the patrols a few hours earlier. However, the Skyline was still an imposing presence on the silent streets of Alex's neighborhood. Although Marcos drove at a moderate speed, the roar of the engine and the roar of the huge exhaust pipe did not go unnoticed. The few pedestrians who remained at that hour turned their heads, attracted by the sound of the car.
"Well, kid," Marcos said as he turned down the last street leading to Alex's neighborhood. "Tomorrow at the same time. We'll see what's wrong with your Civic and where to start. Don't worry, spare parts are cheap, and here at the shop we have everything."
Alex smiled as he rested his head against the back of the seat. "It's a good plan. I hope we can get it going soon."
Marcos laughed and added with a mischievous smile, "And don't forget one more thing: now that you have a car, the girls will be after you. Look at Vanessa, isn't that how I won her over?" He glanced at his girlfriend while blowing her an exaggerated kiss.
Vanessa, who was looking out the window, laughed out loud and shook her head. "You're such a jerk, Marcos. I met you when you were still living with your parents and riding around on a beat-up bike. You didn't even know how to talk to me!"
"They all lie," Marcos replied, laughing as he sped up the Skyline a little to impress, if only for fun.
Finally, they arrived at Alex's house. A small two-story building, with the lights off and a somewhat depressing air. Marcos parked in front of the house, turning off the engine with a final roar of the exhaust that echoed in the silent street.
Alex got out of the car, looking at the house for a moment. It wasn't much, but it was his home. Still with the excitement of the night in his head, he turned to Marcos and Vanessa. "Well... it was the best birthday of my life. Thanks for everything."
Marcos winked at him as Vanessa waved goodbye with a friendly wave from the passenger seat. "Tomorrow will be the start of something big, kid. Get ready, because this project is going to change you."
Alex nodded with a smile as he watched them drive away in the Skyline. The roar of the engine slowly faded into the distance, leaving the street completely silent.
-x.X.x-
Inside the Skyline, Vanessa looked at Marcos, who had a thoughtful expression as he drove. "Do you think he can handle it? He's just a boy."
Marcos smiled as he rounded the next turn with one hand on the wheel. "He's got potential, babe. More than he thinks. But this world isn't for everyone. If he wants to be a part of it, he'll have to prove he's got what it takes. This Civic isn't just a gift; it's his trial by fire. His underground project."
Vanessa nodded, looking out the window. They both knew this was just the beginning of something much bigger.
-x.X.x-
Alex looked at the dark windows of the house. He knew he couldn't enter through the front door; he had done it this way so many times before. Stealthily, he skirted the house and began climbing the rusty pipe that led to the second floor. He did it so naturally that it seemed part of his daily routine. He climbed carefully, avoiding any noise that would alert his mother. When he reached his window, he carefully pushed the frame open and entered his room like a burglar in his own home.
Stepping onto the floor of his room, he closed the window behind him and took a moment to breathe. He looked around the small room: the bare walls, the messy bed, an old coffee table with a couple of books and worn-out car magazines. This was his sanctuary, his refuge from the world, and although it was small and humble, tonight it felt different. For the first time, he wasn't thinking about what he lacked, but what he had. He had a project now. A car. A chance.
He took off his jacket, throwing it over the back of an old chair, and began to change his clothes. The excitement still filled him, but before he went to bed, something stopped him. He glanced at the closed door to his room. He thought about his mother.
Although they didn't have a good relationship, something inside him always cared about her. Sighing, he left his room and walked barefoot down the dark hallway. The wood creaked under his feet, and the cold night air seeped in through the cracks. When he reached his mother's door, he paused for a moment before slowly pushing it open.
The room was dimly lit, with moonlight filtering weakly through the curtains. In bed, his mother slept soundly, her messy hair falling onto the pillow. Beside her, a half-empty bottle of alcohol rested on the floor next to an overturned glass. Alex sighed. The scene wasn't new to him, but every time he saw it, it brought a mix of sadness and resignation to him.
He slowly walked over and picked up the bottle from the floor, carefully placing it on the nightstand so it wouldn't spill. He looked at his mother's face for a moment. There were lines of exhaustion and pain marked on her expression even as she slept. Alex knew she wasn't a bad person, but life had hit her too hard, and it had distanced them.
"Good night, Mom," he murmured quietly, even though he knew she wouldn't hear him.
With some relief that she was okay, Alex returned to his room. He closed the door behind him and dropped onto the bed. The ceiling was the only view he had, and even though his eyelids were heavy, his mind wouldn't stop. He thought about his Civic, about the engine he would have to fix, about the modifications he could make to it, about the clandestine races he had always dreamed of. That car was so much more than a vehicle to him; It was a symbol of freedom, a gateway to a world he had always wanted to be a part of.
Even though he was overcome with exhaustion, he couldn't sleep. He was too excited, too alive. He thought about Marcos and how he had given him the opportunity of a lifetime. He thought about Marcos' words: "This will be your underground project." That thought filled him with energy and renewed purpose. He imagined the Civic roaring by, the city streets blurring out to the sides of him as he crossed the finish line.
He let out a small squeal of excitement, quickly covering his mouth as he remembered that he wasn't home alone. Then, chuckling, he turned over in bed and closed his eyes.
But before he fell asleep, a darker feeling washed over him for a moment. He thought about his mother, about the empty bottle, about the years he had spent trying to ignore the weight of his family life. Maybe the Civic was more than just a car to him because it represented something he'd never had: a chance to build something of his own, something that worked, something that wouldn't fall apart around him.
Finally, exhaustion overcame excitement, and Alex fell into a deep sleep. That night he dreamed of the roar of engines, of traffic lights turning green, and of the Civic shining under the city lights. He dreamed of the freedom that could only be found on the streets, with a steering wheel in his hands and the future ahead of him.
The Civic wasn't just a car. It was his escape, his dream, and the key to a new beginning.
And with that last image in his mind, Alex finally fell asleep, ready to face the day that would follow.
End Of Chapter 2
