Her frown deepened, and she clenched her fists harder. Nobody looks down on me, especially not trash like you. Fine. Iâm not going to talk you out of the race anymore. âIf you want to race, then do your best, Miss Dillon.â
Iâll show her what Iâm truly capable of and embarrass her. Julia might be the top co-driver, but sheâs not the one behind the wheel. Without a good racer, sheâs nothing. The mere thought of showing off her skills and humiliating an amateur like Amelie on the racetrack made Elyse smile. Interesting. She swayed off into the distance and returned to Leo! Shrugging, she grumbled, âSheâs too stubborn. I canât even dissuade her.â
He said nothing to that. Then, he turned and went elsewhere.
The lot drawing was done a moment later, and Julia came back. She gave the results to Amelie, while Amelie gave her the details of the track. âThose rich kids are complaining. They said they donât want to race you, thinking youâre weak. Letâs show them who the actual ace racer is,â said Julia.
Amelie smiled. âIf I let you take the wheel, can you get us to the finals?â
âWait, youâre asking me?â Julia pointed at herself. âWow, what are you trying-â
âWell, thereâs no fun showing our hand right from the get-go, right?â Amelie interjected languidly as she narrowed her eyes. Now, she looked like a languid cat waiting to pounce at her prey. âLetâs switch places. Iâll be the co-driver while you take my place as the racer.â
âHoly f*ck!â Julia cursed before giving her friend a thumbs up. âMan, I donât envy your enemies.â
Unlike her, Amelie kept her feelings close to herself. However, she was no pushover. If anyone tried to cross her line, sheâd teach them a painful lesson. She could be more cunning than Julia if she wanted.
Julia happily accepted the arrangement and honked a few times. âI might not be a racer, but I did partner up with Dash. My driving skill is more than enough to beat those rich kids in a race.â
Not too long after that, it was their turn to race. Elyse pretended she didnât care but kept an eye out for Amelieâs car nonetheless. When she saw Amelie in the passenger seat, she sneered. I knew it. A useless woman like her couldnât be a racer.
Chris, on the other hand, was looking forward to the race despite his earlier grumblings. However, when he saw Amelie in the passenger seat, his anticipation for the race plummeted. Frustrated, he kicked a tire. Four years. Dash has been gone for four years. Did she retire? Or did she pass away?
What if itâs the latter? Everyoneâs going to think sheâs better than me forever, dammit! The thought of that happening soured his mood. He didnât want to take part anymore, so he got into his car and tried to leave.
However, his friends quickly stopped him. âAt least watch the whole thing through.â
âI mean, itâd be a waste if you go back without watching anything.â
âYeah, and besides, you came up with this event. You shouldnât leave so soon.â
It was frustrating, but Chrisâ friends refused to let him go, so he sat in his car, seething and fuming in silence.
The racers looked slightly appeased when they realized Julia would be the one driving.
Some came and tapped on her shoulder. âThanks.â
Thanks for not letting that amateur drive. For not insulting us. Then, he left without even looking at Amelie.
Julia snickered. âThey think youâre trash. Just wait till they find out who you are.â
âOh, shut it and drive,â said Amelie calmly. Even though she was a co-driver, she took the event seriously and reported all the track conditions to Julia âGot it.â Julia buckled up and held the steering wheel with both hands.
The moment the gun was shot, she stepped on the gas pedal.
There was no need to tell her about the surroundings. Years of co-driver experience gave her enough spatial awareness. All Amelie had to do was teach her some tricks. âSpeed up! Closer to the line! Now, hold still!â
Julia drove smoothly under her friendâs guidance, and the race ended a few minutes later. She didnât come out first, but she at least made it through the race. âI did good, didnât I?â She waved her phone, and the screen showed the results. She barely made it to the finals.
Amelie chortled. âYeah, I guess.â
Elyse saw the results from afar, and she chuckled silently. On the borderline of getting disqualified for the finals, huh? So what if she made it through the match? Sheâll still be in last place in the real race.
Coming all this way to embarrass herself. Oh, Amelie, youâre a dunce. And you dragged your friend into this.
Then, a loud voice broke her train of thought. âMiss Clayton, I challenge you!â The challenger was none other than Julia. She held her head high and had a bright smile on her lips, yet it looked sardonic.
Elyse scoffed at her silently, though she put on a smile.
Bob sneered upon hearing Juliaâs words. âWhat a joke. You almost couldnât make it to the finals, and you think you can challenge her?â He took the words right out of Elyseâs mouth.
However, Julia was unfazed. She smiled and ignored both Bob and Elyse. Instead, she approached Leo. âWhat do you think, Mr. Alston? Can I challenge her?â
She was being rude at this point, but they didnât say much about it. Everyone knew she was trying to get back at Leo for her friend.
He looked ahead coldly. âItâs up to you.â
âGood.â Julia came back and finally looked at Elyse. âDo you dare to take the challenge, Miss Clayton?â
âAre you calling me a chicken?â Sheâs a joke. Iâm the best female racer around. Does she think Iâm scared of her? Despite her internal scoffing, Elyse remained polite. She had an image to uphold, so she advised without a hint of ridicule in her voice, âMiss White, you might be a good co-driver, but it requires a different skill set to be the racer.â
âOh, I know I canât win. But she can.â Julia pushed her friend out. âSo, once again, do you dare take the challenge?â
Some friend you are. Pushing me to face a challenge you canât complete. Oh, well. Should I go all out or make it look exciting? Amelie could feel her friend squeeze her shoulder slightly, telling her to humiliate Elyse and Leo.
Elyseâs facade finally faltered right there and then. Her face darkened, fury filling her eyes. Julia only barely made it, and now she expects an amateur like Amelie to win against me. Is she trying to insult me?
âDo your best, or youâll lose, Miss Clayton,â Julia added.
What?! Does she think Iâm going to lose? How much is she going to look down on me? Elyse held her scream back and nodded. âFine.â
âThatâs a bit insulting, Julia.â Bob and his friends came to protest.
However, Julia only smirked in return. âThe race isnât even on. Donât be so sure about the results.â
70Yeah, right. The results are clear. Your friendâs going to lose big time. Youâre just doing this to insult Elyse.
Julia knew what was going through their minds, but she didnât bother explaining. Instead, she pushed her friend by the shoulder. âYou should start preparing for the race.â
Amelie wouldâve argued with her friend in another place and time, but not now. Not when her friend was trying to get back at those who mistreated her. She nodded and approached the driverâs seat. However, the moment she opened the door, someone held it down and slammed it shut. Surprised, she looked up and was met with a furious face.