CHAPTER FORTY FIVE
[45]
song: arrow by death valley girls

"Gonna be a wild one this year, Ash." The announcer spoke eagerly to the crowd.

Cassie walked alongside John B as he dragged his bike through the sand.

"What has gotten into you?" John B shook his head confusedly. "This is incredibly stupid—"

"You don't think I know that?" Cassie spoke quietly, not wanting all of her friends to hear what was on the line with this race.

"Who do you have in this race?" The announcers continued.

"Man, I've got my eyes on my man Meatball Howell. He's coming in hot into this race."

"John B," Cassie frowned examining his disappointed, frustrated expression. "Do you have any better ideas on how I can get twenty thousand dollars? Fast?"

"We be in this mess if you didn't make a deal with Barracuda Mike!" John B exclaimed.

"Yeah? But then the shop would be closed by now. It would've closed weeks ago. We were broke." Cassie explained, trying to be patient.

"We got Topper looking good. Rafe Cameron on that fire-breathing KTM, he could be your favorite today."

Cassie and John B both stopped pushing the bike as Rafe walked past them. She thought maybe she was in the clear, he was going on as if she didn't exist as usual and she'd go on without having to say a word to him.

But then he stopped, took a moment, then turned back around.

Cassie could see John B's shoulders fall as he turned to give her a knowing glance. Then he turned back to Rafe. "What do you want?" He asks, already annoyed.

Rafe glanced at Cassie, then to John B, then back to Cassie. His gloved hands holding onto the shoulder straps of his black chest protector.

"My dad went off with you and never came back." He nodded firmly. "I didn't forget that."

Cassie clenched her jaw, eyes trailing off to the cheering crowd around them, too annoyed to look at him.

"Had it all planned out." Rafe continued. "Didn't you, Cas?"

Cassie lets out a loud scoff, shaking her head. The nickname was used so intentionally. "When are you gonna stop blaming us, and start blaming your idiot dad who cared more about money than he did his own kids?"

Rafe was still for a second. Then he sprung forward, startling both Cassie and John B. "You fucking kidding me?!" His voice was raised, trying to get in her face, but John B stepped in between them.

"We've got a little bit of a tiff at the starting line— oh!"

Cassie was being pulled away before she could even process that he was yelling at her. That his face was so red, because of her. That the veins popping out at his neck, were because of her.

He'd never yelled at her like that before, and Cassie realized she'd gone too far.

"Well ladies and gentleman, the race hasn't even started and tensions are already high."

She had arms pulling her back as she watched Rafe storm off back to his bike.

"What the hell happened?!" Kiara asked concernedly, Sarah looking around the crowd to find her brother angrily putting his helmet on.

Cassie shook her head quickly. "I'm good, I—" she took a deep breath, still caught slightly off guard. "He's delusional."

"No kidding." Sarah sighs loudly, all of their eyes now glued to the starting line.

"Good thinking." Cleo nods. "Piss him off before the race."

Cassie rubbed her eyes, embarrassed, on a little adrenaline rush. She needed to chill out. This wasn't her. She felt like she's been in someone else's body lately.

"All right listen up!" Ruthie and Peeler got in the middle of the track, both holding green flags. "Race is to the old buoy and back."

Cassie looked over to the starting line, everyone lined up, pulling their goggles over their eyes, taking one last shotgun from a beer.

JJ was trying to cheer up John B, who wasn't taking it.

Topper yelled something down the line to JJ, but Cassie couldn't make it out of the sound of the crowd.

But she was startled to find Rafe's eyes on her. Just completely still, watching.

She matched his gaze. Stone cold. Empty.

But silently pleading everyone made it out of this race unharmed.

"Other than that, no rules." Ruthie continued.

He dropped his visor down from his helmet, turned to Topper, and nodded.

"You guys ready?! This is for all the money and respect!"

The crowd erupted in cheers. Flags waving, beers being sprayed everywhere, people shoving each other around out of pure anticipation.

Cassie felt Kiara's anxious squeeze on her forearm.

"On your marks!" Peeler yelled, flag raised in the air.

Everyone revved their engine. Cassie held her breath.

"Get set!"

She squeezed her eyes shut.

"Go!"

The bikes took off, she could feel the sand hit her, the breeze swiping her face and about knocking her over.

"Oh shit. Oh shit. Come on." Kiara started to panic, and Cassie opened her eyes.

JJ was still at the starting line, frantically kicking his bike into gear, the engine sputtering.

"JJ, I swear to God..." Cassie muttered quietly.

The bike finally started up, and you could hear JJ hollering over the sound it made as he sped past the crowd.

They all lean over and look past one another to watch them drive further and further down the beach. The music growing louder.

"Can you see them?!" Sarah asked frantically, everyone trying to land their eyes on JJ and John B.

"Too far away." Kiara shakes her head.

"Rafe Cameron gets the holeshot and beats the pack out front, and boy, he is blazing down the straightaway!"

Sarah looking away, frustrated. "This is insane. Rafe never competes and all of a sudden—"

"He's not thinking straight." Cassie shakes her head slowly, still eyeing down the beach as they continue on. "Clearly."

It startled her. Snapped her back into reality for a moment. Rafe was dangerous, and she wasn't someone he would never hurt anymore— he's made that very clear— she had to be more careful.

"All supportive girlfriends, huh?" Ruthie approached proudly. "Kiara and JJ, Sarah and John B and Cassie and— oh wait."

"It's been over a year and you're still talking about it." Kiara spoke impatiently, looking at Ruthie like she was an idiot. "Like genuinely, do you have nothing better to do?"

Ruthie smiles, following the girls' gaze down the beach.

"It looks like Rafe Cameron is first into the trees, he is gonna be tough to catch in there."

"Shit." Kiara muttered.

"I'd just head home now, save you guys the embarrassment." Ruthie eggs them on.

"Go, please." Cassie started swatting her away like she was a fly. "Back over to your side. Go, go—"

Kiara holds her heart with fake sincerity. "I know we'll be on your minds. Even across the track."

Ruthie got the idea after Cassie started physically turning her shoulders and gently pushing her in the other direction. Not without flipping them off as she made her way to the other side of the crowd.

"I understand Topper's a dick, but holy shit." Sarah gets out a loud laugh. "She is actually in-sane."

"We've got some seriously contact in the brush. Oh, and it sounds like Topper didn't like Maybank crowding him there, taught him a little lesson."

"What?" Kiara snaps her head towards Cassie. "What did he just say?!"

All Cassie could do was bury her face in her palms.

You could start to hear the engines again as they left the woods. Everyone's head turning around to try and catch sight of them.

"Looks like they're turning around the buoy. We've still got Rafe Cameron in front the group of riders— Cameron seems to have things well in hand."

Cassie looks over to Pope and Cleo who stood farther down in the crime, locking eyes as they all exchanged worried, knowing glances.

"He's just gotta coast it home from here. No mistakes, and he should take home the Kildare Enduro."

You could start to see the racers again as they turned around. Rafe was ahead, and everyone else followed shortly behind.

"Where is JJ?!" Kiara asks.

"I can't see him." Sarah says. "Is that—? No."

"Oh my god." Cassie squeezes her eyes shut.

She should've thought this through better. She shouldn't have acted so impulsively.

"There's Maybank bringing in the rear. Yeah, tough race for him— oh! He's down again in the deep sand."

This was it. She was out of options. They spent all of Mike's money on repairing the shop after the storm, and taxes. They're done.

"Cameron and the other riders are probably half-way back through the trees by now. Not a chance he's catching up with them."

"Guys this is not good." Cassie was in disbelief as JJ got back onto his bike after falling off at the turn.

"It's alright, John B is still in the race." Kiara reassures herself.

But Cassie didn't bet on John B.

The racers started to turn back into the woods where they came from, their engines loud as they tried to catch up to Rafe.

They watched JJ, they watched him start to turn left like everyone else, then they watched him turn the complete other direction.

"What the hell is he doing?" Kiara says quietly.

"Wait, hold on! What are we seeing ladies and gentlemen?!"

He revved the engine louder, going straight towards the inlet.

"Looks like he's gonna try and jump the inlate— that's a fifty foot gap!"

"What is he doing?!" Kiara grabs Cassie's arm. "He's gonna get himself killed!"

Cassie bent her knees and dropped down, burying her face in them, unable to watch. She felt like she was gonna be sick.

And she sat there and waited for the news, holding her breath. Waited for everyone to scream, and gasp, and for the announcers to call it one big disaster.

But the crowd around her erupted into loud cheers, and Cassie was yanked back up to her feet.

"JJ Maybank absolutely full send!"

She opened her eyes just as JJ landed on the other side, sand erupting around him as the wheels hit the ground, and he found himself in first place.

Kiara clutched her stomach, letting out a breath that sounded more like a nervous-gag.

"Come on!" Cassie yelled excitedly, jumping up and down with everyone around her.

"No regards for personal safety, he has gone worst-to-first and leapfrogged the entire pack!"

Sarah cheered loudly in here ear, all three of them clapping and cheering him on.

"Oh, shit." Cassie came to a stop, letting out a sharp breath as she tried to make out what was happening down the track. "Is that—"

"And Rafe Cameron's closing in fast, looks like it's gonna be chippy here."

Rafe was right behind him. So close, his front tire could have touched JJ's back tire. She could see her brother panicking, and she could practically hear them yelling at each other.

JJ swerved quickly out of the way. "Oh, shit!" Cassie exclaimed.

And then he swerved back into Rafe, about knocking him off the bike. Cassie's palm going to her mouth with a gasp as everyone else's did.

It was JJ and Rafe at the lead of the race. Swerving into each other, dipping in and out of their paths to try and knock the other off the bike.

And then they were kicking, and trying to swing at the other.

"They're hitting! They are hitting!"

Cassie was full adrenaline as she screamed loudly with the rest of the crowd. They were almost to the end of the race, neck and neck.

She could barely catch her own breath, so pent up with anxiety and excitement all at once. "Let's go, JJ!" She yelled loudly as both him and Rafe made their way down the final stretch.

"Come on!" Kiara yells.

"Maybank is in the lead, Cameron's close but not gonna be able to over take him!"

Cassie was springing in and out of the sand, straining her voice with each cheer. "Let's—"

Before anyone could realize what was happening, Rafe swerved his bike into JJ's back wheel.

The sound of loud metal clanging— the sound of their bikes crashing— rang out and silence the loud crowd. JJ flipped, his bike completely flipped. Five feet into the air, JJ with it.

"Oh, mayhem, carnage! They're both down!"

Rafe too. His bike slid into the sand, but he was thrown about twenty feet backwards. You could hear the sound he made when he hit the ground over the music.

Cassie flung herself the crowd— adrenaline turned a panicked reflex— only for Sarah to yank her back into the crowd before the rest of her bikers zoomed by in her place.

"And here comes Topper in the lead now, Routledge right on his tail!"

"Stop!" Cassie yelled, waving frantically to the announcers. "Stop the race!"

Neither Rafe nor JJ had moved. Not enough to alert anyone they were okay, no, they withering on the ground in pain like they'd all broken every bone in their body.

"Routledge is not gonna make it! He's not gonna make it!"

"JJ!" Kiara yelled.

"Topper takes the win!"

As soon as the rest of the bikers crossed the finish line, Kiara sprang out into the track. About collapsing into the sand as she yelled after JJ. The crowd followed, but most of them were running to Topper.

"Is he alright?!" Cassie asked frantically as her, Sarah, Pope and Cleo rushed over. "Take his helmet off!"

JJ lazily brushed them off, coughing up some sand.

Kiara let out the loudest sigh of relief Cassie had ever heard.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Topper Thornton is your Enduro champion this year!"

"Yo, dude!" John B rushed over, bending down to help JJ to his feet. "You alright? You good?"

He appeared fine. He was covered in dirt and sand, but he was fine. He got to his feet with John B's help, still struggling to catch his breath as the crowd rushed past them and toward Topper.

Cassie was bumped to the side as she stood in the middle of it, only to find Rafe off in the sand on his own. People practically stepping over him to greet the winner.

She told herself it was another reflex of hers that made her rush over to him. To kick up so much sand that it got in her boots, to dig her knees into the ground so hard as she fell next to him, that it burned.

His eyes were squeezed shut under the visor to his helmet, his groans of pain muffled as he writhed in the sand.

Cassie was panicking, her whole body felt like it was in shock. Like she too had just been flung off the bike. "Hey—" she spoke loudly, trying to get his attention. "Do you need me to call 911?! Rafe— Rafe hey—"

"This was insanity! It was carnage right there at the end and it looked like..."

"Rafe!" Cassie yelled, almost stern, like her panic had reached a point of anger when she wasn't getting a response.

He let out a pained cough, clutching his most-likely broken ribs.

"You good?" Cassie asked, eyes wide with concern.

Rafe breathed for a few seconds. Adjusting to his surroundings. Adjusting to the bright sun above her head, adjusting to the feeling of the air getting knocked out of him, of the ringing in his ear.

Adjusting to her voice, to seeing her here sat beside him.

They just sat there for a few moments, breathing, staring into the other's eyes like they'd forgotten the color. The tension was palpable, memories of their past lingering in the air.

It was always so jarring seeing her, hearing her voice. Because in those moments he forgot that over a year had passed. With her here beside him, it felt like nothing had ever changed.

"I've never seen anything like it in all my years, Ash."

Rafe quickly pushed himself off the ground, the sudden movement startling Cassie. She leaned back onto her hands to get out of his way, then stood, watching as he pushed his shoulder back into place.

Cassie was still panicked. "Are you—"

He spit into the sand, rubbing out his shoulder. "Don't."

And it all quickly came flooding back. These few seconds prior were nothing more than what Cassie would do for anyone who she thought was hurt.

But this was Rafe, and she was reminded of that in the way he ripped his helmet off and shoved past her, knocking her shoulder back.

"Hey!" Cassie yelled loudly, her voice coarse from previous cheering.

Rafe ignored her, rotating his shoulder around as he walked away.

"You could've killed him!" Cassie yelled after him. "What the hell were you doing?!"

Rafe turned around quickly. "I was trying to win!" He raised his voice.

"Hey— hey!" John B shoved himself out of the rest of the crowd, over to Cassie and Rafe.

"You were trying to kill him!" Cassie yelled back, getting in Rafe's face.

"Yeah?" Rafe nodded at her with a slight grin. "Yeah? Get used to it."

"What?!" Cassie was afraid she was about to lose her voice.

"What'd you say?" John B says, pulling Rafe backwards, Sarah following shortly after. "Huh?!"

"I said get used to it!" Rafe shoved John B back, hard.

"Go home!" Sarah screams, pulling John B out of the way and waving off her brother.

Rafe steps out of John B's way as Sarah struggled to hold him back, getting back into Cassie's eye-line.

"Do they know?" He nodded at her again, knowing he was going too far, knowing that's exactly where he wanted to go. He was talking quiet, aggressive, but quiet enough for only Cassie to hear. "Do any of them even know what you did?"

Cassie was shaking her head in disgust. Disbelief. Though her heart was pounding with how close he just was.

Rafe shrugs proudly, taking a slight step back, a grin on his face.

"Sarah, uh—" Topper comes shoving out of the crowd, Ruthie at his hip. "How's that Pogue life treating you?"

"Screw you, Topper." Sarah exclaims angrily.

Ruthie points at Cassie and barks out a laugh. "Oh, look— what's happening here? Did someone have to put you back in your place?" She taunts.

Cassie lifts her heated gaze off of Rafe and over to Ruthie.

"You're not one of us." Ruthie frowns. "No matter who you've slept with."

It was three seconds of thinking, and three seconds of Cassie pulling her hand back and slapping Ruthie so hard the girl fell backwards into the sand.

"Oh, shit!" The crowd erupted in gasps and hollers.

"O-kay." John B quickly moved from Sarah to Cassie. "We gotta go. Gotta go. Sarah, get every—"

"You fucking bitch!" Ruthie cried out, disregarding Topper and pushing herself up off the hand. "I'm gonna—"

"What?!" Cassie yells, despite John B actively pulling her away from the scene. "What are you gonna do?!"

"Don't ask her that—" John B mutters as he wrangles her.

"Pope! Kie!" Sarah had shoved herself back into the cheering crowd to retrieve everyone else. To let them know they needed to get out of there.

And Rafe just watched. He watched as Ruthie started to wail and cry, watched as her cheek started to redden. Watched as Topper attempted to calm her down, watched as the announcers found pure amusement in all of it.

He watched Sarah sling one of JJ's arms over her shoulder, Pope on the other. Watched as JJ had someone, no, he had several people there in the stands cheering for him. He had several people who helped him walk off the pain.

Rafe rubbed his broken ribs, his teeth still chattering with a simmering rage as his eyes trailed over to Cassie and John B.

Cassie, who was five feet ahead of him, storming off on her own. Still yelling. John B, patiently following behind and hearing it all out.

Rafe couldn't hear exactly what she was saying, the crowd was still too loud. But he saw her yell something, he saw her fists ball up, and then he saw her shake out her hitting hand, and start to laugh. John B, too. He mocked the way she hit Ruthie, and Cassie laughed harder.

He couldn't hear it over the crowd. Not really. But he could remember its cadence so perfectly, he didn't need to hear anything at all.