He pulled away from me and walked back toward his car.
I watched as he slapped fives with Kevin. He gave me one last look before he climbed back into his car.
“What’s going on?” Kate came over to ask.
“I don’t know.” I shrugged.
“Sean said it’s a race or something.”
My heartbeat sped up as I watched Ace pull off. Behind him was the car that Kevin drove. I didn’t know what was happening, and I had the feeling that I didn’t want to watch it either, but I refused to leave.
“Stand back,” another boy I didn’t know well said, holding out his arms as if he was a security guard ushering a crowd away from a celebrity or event.
The rest of the onlookers pushed back to either side of the road.
Ace drove far down to one end of the dirt road, while Kevin drove in the opposite direction. When the two cars turned to face each other at the far ends of the road, my knees almost buckled.
“They’re playing Chicken,” Kate said.
My stomach dropped to my feet. I knew what this game was. A boy a year earlier had been killed in this stupid game of seeing who would give in first.
“On your mark,” one of the guys yelled, standing halfway between Ace’s and Kevin’s vehicles. “Get set.” He paused for theatrics. “Go!”
Engines roared.
Dirt, rocks, and dust kicked up.
And tires peeled as the two cars raced in the direction of one another.
“Please stop,” I quietly begged, not wanting to watch but unable to look away. Every inch the cars grew closer to each other, my heart sank lower. “Please,” I begged as if Ace would magically hear me and slam on his brakes.
But it was too late.
He didn’t hear me. He kept going.
If one or the other didn’t swerve soon, they would smash in a head-on collision. At their speeds, death was almost guaranteed.
“Noo!” I yelled as tires screeched.
Kevin was the first to give in. But it was almost too late. By the time he swerved to avoid a direct hit, Ace’s car was so close that Kevin clipped Ace’s car with the back of his.
That time, my knees did give out. I collapsed to the ground, confident that Ace’s car would flip over, killing him on impact.
My eyes squeezed shut against that reality. Instantly, images of walking into my apartment in Georgia and seeing my mom lying on the couch, cold and not breathing, pelted my mind.
“No, no, no,” I repeatedly said, trying to escape those memories. I couldn’t lose another person I loved.
“Savannah, get up.” Kate pulled my arm, helping me to stand back up. “He’s okay,” she said.
Finally, I opened my eyes to see that Ace’s car was right-side up. While there was a dent on the front end, he was okay as he stepped out of the car.
I took off running in his direction. My fear and anger urged me forward, and I pushed a few of the other onlookers out of my way to get to him.
“What the hell is wrong with you?!” I shouted as I shoved him so hard, he stumbled back against his car. I was well aware of the tears streaming down my cheeks, but I didn’t care.
“Are you crazy?” I demanded. “You could’ve killed yourself.”
“Jeez,” Kevin said as he came up behind me. “Dramatic much? Fucking chicks. Oof!”
