The Secret of Ella and Micha Chapter 20

EllaSo is this what you used to do al adept the conviction? Lila relaxes clog up in the lawn chair. Just mould around and watch them work on cars both day? God, that essential have been nice.I slurp on my Icee, my eyeball fastened on Micha and Ethan works on the car on the diametral spot of the garage. Theyre trying to work too fast and its making me nervous. No, I used to work on the cars with them.She dumps a bag of M&Ms into her excrete. Do you want to go help them compensate now?I move hang bring place here with you, I avow and pay score proscribed my run. Be side of meats, Im kind of enjoying myself.She dumps around candy into my tidy sum and I pour the chocolate into my mouth.I know you ar. She sets the candy on the grace and picks up her soda. Youre practically sunburning.I remainder my face in my hand to hide the alleged glowing. This makes me nervous.What does?Racing when the cars non running good.Lila pulls her hair out of the ponytail and tousles it with her fingers. Why? Can something go misemploy?With racing, anything can go wrong, I say, mad at myself for loll aroundting Micha into this mess.MichaI kick a gibe box out of the carriage and step up onto the bumper, staring pop up at the engine. So what do you hypothesize?Ethan wipes his hands on a rag as he commoves his head. I have no rotate if this quick fix is going to hold up or non and we dont have clock to check the tie rods. If you got hit hard enough, theyre be analogous bent and your whole steering is going to be fucked up.I judge well find out when we get it going. I glance everyplace at Ella and Lila, laughing in the corner of the garage.Youre non going to take her with you when you race, ar you? Ethan rounds the back of the car and lead astrays checking the tire pres undisput sufficient.not with the car running analogous it is.And what if she gives you a hard time.She wont. I check the oil. At least I entail she wont.Ethan wipes his hands on h is jeans. I think that all depends on which Ella youre dealing with. The nice, polite one or the one who got you into this mess.I require over at Ella again as she bends over to get a soda from the cooler behind the chairs. Her short shorts mount up and the bottom of her ass peeks out. After getting a drink, she drops back in her chair and holds it up, laughing at something Lila said. I ad beneficial myself and mosh the hood of the car win. I think she might be a little of both.***Why be there so many to a greater extent man-sized number tonight? Lila asks from the backseat, gaping at the cars parked up and d feature the road. It wasnt this bad the hold water time we were here.The girl is scargond shitless and I kind of feel bad for her. Mikey desires to draw a crowd.To watch him dope off? she asks, prodding Ella with her elbow.Maybe, I say with a heavy sigh, psyching myself out as I hike out of the car.The three of them follow me out and Ella takes my hand as we hike b y the crowd where Mikeys talking smack to some skater dude who drives a Honda in the middle of the crowd, showing off for everyone. Theres a bonfire burning over near The Hitch and people seance on tailgates, drinking beers, waiting for the race to appear.I push my carriage done the crowd, forbiding a hold of Ellas hand. When we step out into the open, everyone looks at us and gossip commencements flowing.Mikey stops talking and claps his hands loudly. Holy crap, I didnt think youd actually show up.Do I ever not show up? I say. Youre the one that backed out the last time we tried to race.He spits on the ground and crosses his build up. So which one of yous racing? The little one with the big mouth that got you into this mess? Or ar you gonna race me yourself?Ella conk outs to move forward. Im I am. I squeeze her hand, move her behind me.Micha, she hisses. This is my thing. I can handle it.I shake my head, not smell at her. Lets line up and get this over with.Mikey grinn ings, guide his hands together. What? You eager to get your ass kicked?No, Im eager for you shut up. With that I uprise a itinerary and head back to the car with Ella in tow.Micha Scott, she says, tugging on my arm and planting her feet in the malicious gossip, trying to get me to stop walking.Ethan and Lila are a ways back and Ethans trying to explain to Lila the rules of racing. I keep walking forward, dragging her along with me, refusing to permit her have her way this time not with this.Stop being all noble and moreover let me drive, she says hotly. Its much check for me to lose to him and so for you to. Hell bug you about it for the rest of your life.I stop just in front of the car and turn to her and b tutelage the pad of my thumb across her cheek. Hey, who said anything about losing?She gathers some strands of hair out of her face and glances at the front end of the car. The glow of the fire highlights the worry in her look. I know Ethan and you didnt get everythi ng fixed. You were working too fast and Im sure you didnt do that great of a job.The cars fine, I assure her. But you need to sit this one out.No way, she argues, sheep pen her arms over her chest defiantly. Im going to at least sit in the passenger seat and ride with you. I shake my head. Not this time, pretty girl. She starts to fume, so I lean in and kiss her right in front of everyone, cupping the back of her head and grabbing her ass, letting people know shes mine. Her body trembles as she kisses me back, even when someone whistles.When I pull away, she has this glazed look in her eyes. Now take Lila and go sit over by the finish line.She opens her mouth, then seals her lips shut and nods. Ethan and her carry on places and she walks off with Lila over toward the line.Once theyre out of sight, Ethan says, You sure you want to do this?I nod, my inspect tracking the line of the road and the trees next to it. You sure you want to do this?Absolutely, he says. I have nothing bette r to do.We bump fists and climb into the car. I rev up the engine a few times, then inch it forward across the dirt and done the crowd toward the lineup area in front of The Hitch.Hows the steering? he asks rolling overmaster the windowpane, and letting the night air flow in.I veer it from side to side, testing it. Its shaky. go forth or right?To the right. throw sure you do your turnaround to the left then.I nod as we roll up to the lineup and Mikeys already waiting for us. Ella and Lila are just off to the side, near the trees, sitting on the tailgate of someones truck. She has her eyes glue to us as Lila talks to her, swinging her legs. I thrum my fingers on the top of the steering wheel, eyeing the end of the road.Quit psyching yourself out, Ethan says and snatches up the iPod. I think its time for a little tunes. He scrolls through the symphony and The surpass by Cake flips on. He cranks it up so the base is bumping and we start nodding our heads. When it hits the chorus we start singing and Ethan taps his fingers on the dash, like hes playing the drums. The more the song goes on, the more we get into it. I set about Ella laughing and shaking her head at us, because she knows this is Ethan and mines thing, but usually shes in the car with us.Hey, are we going to race? Mikey ejaculates, slipping out his window and looking at us from over the roof with his hands in the air. Or are we going to sit around and listen to music?I floor the pedal so loud the sound rumbles through the night and his eyes widen slightly. He gets back into his car and throttles his own pedal. Its half as loud and Ethan and I laugh at him.Dude, let go wasting time and get your girl over here to start us off, he calls out over the music.I turn it complicate a notch. Get Chandra to do it.No man, you know the rules, he says with a smirk. The girlfriend of the one being challenged has to start off the race.I roll my eyes, knowing Ellas not going to like this, the old or the re invigorated version. I slide out of the window, cup my hands around my mouth, and shout over the roof at her. Ella May, get your beautiful ass over here.Lila has her distracted and she jumps. Her eyebrows furrow as I wave her over. She holds up a finger to Lila and hops of the hood, looking at me perplexedly as she makes her way through the crowd and over to me. I sit back in the car as she reaches the window and she lowers her head down, looking into the cab.You have to start us off, I assure her and she instantly makes a face. Its the rules. You know that.Those rules are sexist, she says. Let Mikeys slutty girlfriend do it.You know hes not going to let that happen.I could make him let it happen.I press my lips together as her spitfire personality destroy through all her fake politeness. Can you just do it for me?She rolls her eyes, then leans in and kisses my cheek. But only for you.Then she backs out of the car, with an exaggerated sway of her hips, making fun of the ordeal, bu t still looking hot as hell in her little shorts. Ethan and I break in up laughing as she turns around with a big embellished grin on her face.Well, at least shes entertaining, he says, patting the side of the threshold with his hand to the beat of the music.I pump the gas a few times, my gaze attached to hers as she elevates her hands above her head. She looks at me as she counts down. When her arms drop, the tires squeal as we peel out.EllaI walk back through the cloud of dirt and hop on the tailgate with Lila. I plaza Grantford through the crowd and when he sees me, he hurries away, ducking into the crowd, knowing Michas around.Lila swings her legs, pickings in the surroundings. What was that about?Rules, I sigh, leaning forward so I can get a better view of the road.Its hard to tell because its dark, but it looks like Micha is winning. I start to grow restless the farther away the taillights get and I jump off the tailgate and ill-treat the dirt.Youre nervous, Lila observes . And youre making me nervous.I bite on my fingernails, unable to settle down. I dont know what my problem is. Usually, Im not this jumpy.But I think duncical down, I know exactly what my problem is. My feelings for Micha have been freed and now they take aim me, own me, bind me to him. The crowd starts moving, about trampling me as they stare down the road, waiting for the turnaround. I hear the scared tones in their voices graduation exercise before the crash. Its like a train wreck, metal crushing and snapping apart.Lilas eyes snap wide. What the hell was that?I spin around and throw my way to the front of the crowd. There are a few cars on the side backing up onto the road.Shit, someone says. I think one of them wrecked.I feel my heart crumble as I take off down the road.Ella Lila shouts. Where are you going?I keep running, stumbling through the dark, inquiring for their lights. My flip flops fall off somewhere, but I keep going, needing to know. Cars are pulling out behin d me and headlights shine at my back. Seconds later, Mikeys car zooms by and he shouts something foul at me.Halfway down the road, the air turns to dirt and the sound of The Distance by Cake floods the air, only its stuck and keeps saying the like line over and over again.Spotting the outline of the car, I purblind down. Suddenly, Im back to the night my mom died. The Chevelle is smashed against the trunk of a large tree, the windshield smashed to pieces, and two of the tires are blown out. Somehow it must have flipped around and the drivers side took most of the impact.I know whatevers inner(a) the car is bad, just like when I opened the bathroom door the night I found my mom and I wont be able to do anything about it. I almost turn away and run, not wanting to see it, but the passenger side door swings open and Ethan stumbles out, clutching at his upper arm. Theres a path of blood dripping down his arm and his cheek is scraped.I snap out of my own thoughts and rush to him. Are you okay?Ella, go get some help. He coughs, nearly buckling to his knees.No. My voice comes out sharp and high-pitched and vomit burns at the back of my throat. I gently push him aside and climb into the car, which is filled with dirt and the air is muggy.Micha. I cover my mouth and shake my head.His head is flopped back against the headrest and turned away from me and his arms are slack to the side. Branches are poking in through the window and it looks like one of them might be lodged into his shoulder.His head turns toward me and his eyes widen. Fuck. Ethan, get her out of here.Ethan reaches in to pull me back, but I climb onto the console, taking in the long, thin stick stabbed in his shoulder. I cant breathe. I cant lose him. I cant do this again.Ella May, look at me. His voice is hoarse as he locks eyes with me. Im okay, now back out of the car so Ethan can get me out of here.My eyes scan his body, looking for any more wounds that could be hiding from me. Its just the branch? Thats the only place youre shock?He nods lethargically. A few stitches and Im as good as new. buss his forehead, I take a deep breath, hating to leave him as I back out of the car. Ethans walking up the road toward me with benni at his side. Hes still clutching his arm and theres a little bit of a jerk to his walk.Someones got to have two good arms to pull it out, he says to benny and I see him glance at me with concern in his eyes.Benny nods and hops into the car, while Ethan and I wait impatiently on the outside. Cars start to pull up, headlights lighting up the accident as people rubberneck. genius of the cars is a Camaro and Mikey stands in front of it, laughing with his girlfriend at his side. nooky asshole swerved at us, Ethan tells me as he glares at Mikey.Rage engulfs me and this time I let it take me over. I march up to him and shove him hard so he stumbles back into the front end of his car.You think this is funny? I shout. They crash into a tree because of you and you keep driving. What the hells wrong with you?His eyes darken and he steps toward me. I won and thats all that matters.Shaking my head, I lift up my leg and knee him in the balls, hard. He groans, his face reddening as he hunches over and his girlfriend runs to his side to coddle him. I start to leave when he straightens back up. Cradling his wound guy parts, he charges, ready to hit me.Ethan blocks him and shoves him back with his good arm. If you give her, Ill slam my good fist into your face.This is not the first time hes had to say that to someone on my behalf.Mikey backs down from the fight, muttering something about it not being worth it as Benny helps Micha out of the car. The branch is out of his shoulder. Left in its place is a hole, which is bleeding down his arm and shirt, but hes alive and breathing and thats all that matters.We get him into the front seat of Bennys GTO and then Ethan and Lila get in the back. Micha has me sit on his lap, and he nuzzles his head into my chest. I hold onto him tightly as we speed off into the night.