One Step Forward and Two Steps Back

“I’m in Annapolis, bitch,” Lauren sang as LMFAO blared in her ears.

The guy she was walking towards smiled at her. Neither of them could remember the last time they had seen each other.

“Travie!” she shouted while running towards him.

She jumped up into his arms as she hugged him tightly. His smile widen as he hugged her back and her legs locked around his waist.

“Did you miss me?” she asked resting her hands on the back of his neck as she pulled away enough to look into his light brown eyes.

“Of course I did. But the real question is did you miss me?” he asked smirking as he put her down gently.

“I did actually. Things at Parslow’s just got... awkward. It’s amazing what can happen when you sleep with someone,” she said with her usual sarcasm. Travis would never have thought that he would miss that.

“I really didn’t want to know any intimate details between you two. Dirt jumping on the other hand. That’s what I want to hear about,” he said as he opened the passenger side door for her.

Once she was settled in, he hurried into the driver’s seat so that their conversation could continue.

“It was amazing. Living with Parslow for five months has been the best decision that I have ever made in my life... and maybe the worst,” she said with her sarcasm again.

“Just tell me about how it was the best.”

“The set up at his house is just amazing. I literally rode it from when I woke up until I couldn’t see anymore,” she said excitedly as she replayed the memories.

“So you only rode his little set up?” Travis questioned while weaving through traffic.

“No... I rode him too,” she replied looking over at him with a smirk.

“Jesus, Lauren. I told you I didn’t want to hear about the intimate details,” he said trying to act all offended.

“They weren’t intimate. They were just…”

“Ok… I get the picture,” he cut her off with. “What other dirt mounds did you ride?” he went on rephrasing his previous question.

“Lots of them. Luke took me pretty much everywhere there is to ride in California; Nasty’s, Pinter’s, the Compound. You name it. He took me there. We even ventured out to Vegas to ride at Lavin’s. Vegas was fun though… even without the riding,” she smirked at him.

“How could you be with a guy like Parslow when you were supposed to be filming?”

“What do you mean a guy like Parslow?” she asked shooting him a look. He glanced over at her as if to say you know what I’m talking about. “He was just hot… and there. It never blossomed into anything. He thought it would though.”

Travis started to feel a little uncomfortable. One of his bestfemale friend’s sex life isn’t something he wanted to comment on.

“So are you ready to get me into FMX mode?” she asked once his house came into view.

“You know I am. You have no idea how happy I was when you told me you wanted to ride dirt bikes again,” he said as they climbed out of the vehicle and walked to his garage. “You’re favorite color’s green right?” he asked as he walked deeper into the facility.

“Yeah… why?” she asked losing him in the darkness. He remerged a few minutes later pushing a bike with him. “Have I ever told you how amazing I think you are?” she asked smiling from him to the bike.

The Suzuki that he was pushing was a bright shade of green. It was definitely her favorite color.

“Don’t be shy. Try her out,” Travis said smiling just as much.

Her smile remained as she mounted the bike. She started it right away and zoomed off. Travis walked out to watch, amazed of how well she transferred from a regular BMX bike to a dirt bike.

“Are you going to join me or just stand there and watch?” she asked stopping right in front of him.

“Don’t you think you should at least put a helmet on before things get too crazy?” he suggested while walking over to his bike.

“Luke never made me wear one,” she said while crossing her arms.

“I clearly look like Luke right?” he smirked towards her. She went on to mumble something along the lines of ‘no, he was hotter’. “So how many time did you actually hit your head while you were out there then?” he went on to ask as he walked back towards her.

“I don’t know,” She replied quickly.

“You don’t know or you just don’t remember?”

“Hey, I was only concussed three times over a five month period. That’s pretty good… by your standards anyway.”

“You’re still wearing one,” he said while pushing his helmet down on her head.

“It doesn’t even fit me,” she glared at him while making her head shake slightly, causing the helmet to move.

“You’ll live. We’re just in the foam pit,” he said casually while mounting his bike.

To lead by example, he pulled another one of his helmets on.

“You know I’m going to lose Rockstar as a sponsor for this because of you,” she said with a hint of sarcasm while they worked their way to his huge foam pit.

“And why is that?” he asked going along with her.

“You put your huge ass Redbull helmet on my head.”

“You’re too good for Rockstar to just drop you like that.”

She went to reply, but Travis didn’t stick around. As the foam pit came into view, he gunned the throttle and attempted a trick that Lauren had never seen him even try before.

“What the hell was that?” she yelled as she worked her way up the ramp to see him.

“I don’t know,” he said, who Lauren could tell, had a huge grin on his face.

“That was insane. I don’t even care how you landed. It was just… wow,” she said unable to describe her excitement for him.

He worked his way towards his bike to tie it on the lift. Once that was done, he maneuvered over to Lauren, who had her hand reached out for him. His grin reappeared as a thought came to him. Once their hands were cupped and she started to pull him forward, Travis pulled all his weight back causing her to fall into the blue cubes.

“You asshole. What the hell was that for?” she asked in anger as she unbuckled her helmet and threw it at him.

He managed to laugh as he dodged it, which wasn’t thrown at her full strength.

“How could you laugh? You’re so mean to me. You always have been since we were kids,” she said in frustration as she attempted to get out. “I fucking hate foam pits. Why can’t you just do it the old fashion way and pull it to dirt?” she went on.

Travis smiled. She hasn’t changed since they were little. Ever since their first race together, she’s been out spoken and very opinionated.

“Why are you here?” was the first thing she ever said to him.

It was at one of their races. They usually had a girl’s and boy’s division, but Lauren was the only girl. That always happened. But her sourness towards him came from a not too long past between the two racers. As long of a past as nine years can get you anyway. But he remembered their whole conversation.

“To win,” he replied confidently. He started to walk away, but the self-assured Lauren had something to say.

“Don’t bet on that. I’m going to kick your butt, Pastrana,” she yelled as he kept walking.

Travis didn’t believe her… but he should have. He led the whole race until the last lap. Lauren seemed to come out of nowhere and then left him in the dust. After the race, Travis didn’t want to look at her. His parents had to demand him to go congratulate her.

“Good job, Lauren,” he said through his teeth as he looked over her trophy that was taller than her.

She looked from him to her trophy for a few seconds. An idea struck her and she held the trophy out to him.

“Here… you can have it,” she said nicely.

“Really?” he asked as he looked up at her wide-eyed.

“Yeah… It doesn’t matter. I’m just going to beat you again anyway,” she said with a shoulder shrug as she sat the trophy down and walked away.

“Travis, get your ass up her before I figure out a way to make you concussed with a helmet on,” she shouted at him, bringing him out of his memories.

He smiled as he pulled himself up. She hasn’t changed he thought again. If anything, her language has become a little foul and she some how went to a regular bike instead of a motorized one.

“What do you say we call it a night? I know you have to be tired and it is dark out,” he suggested as he walked towards her.

“You’re kidding me. I’ve been stuck on a plane for five hours and you just want me to go to bed?” she said with her normal attitude.

“I didn’t say you had to go to bed. I meant I wanted to go to bed. I picked you up at 10. It’s what, around midnight?”

“You better be prepared to ride all day tomorrow then,” she huffed out as she sped her bike back to the garage.

Travis shook his head as he followed. She continued on to the house, slamming doors and thumping up stairs on her way.

“Night,” Travis said softly as he walked past the guest room on his way to his.