Textbook Romance

"Oh no," I said defiantly as I shook my head, "I'm not getting on that track with you."

Max looked offended as he sat in the driver's seat of a blue and green go-kart. The other guys were seated in theirs and watching me with laughter as I retold the tale of how Max flipped his vehicle last time.

"Oh come on, Nev," he said as he rolled his eyes, "That was like two years ago. I'm a much better driver now."

I stood next to a purple go-kart and glared at it, hoping it wouldn't flip when I was driving it. I ignored the guys' hoots and hollers as I climbed in and strapped the seatbelt over myself tightly.

"Let go!" Craig shouted as he rammed on the gas and took off up the hill.

I waited for them to all get out in front of me before tapping the gas and becoming startled as it lunged forward.

The man working grinned at me. "They've got a little kick! Just go for it!"

I nodded my head and pressed down on the accelerator, gripping tightly onto the steering wheel as I ascended the hill that led to the second level of the track. The guys were lapping me now, coming up onside of me as they rammed into each other, ignoring the worker as he shouted at them not to.

"I'm going to kill you, Max," I shouted at him as he raced over to me and smashed into the side of my vehicle, causing me to screech again and hit the brake, causing it to halt automatically as Max whizzed past.

I was behind him on the hill as we went up, him trying to make the thing go faster than was possible. As I descended the hill Max was along side of me, laughing from inside of his helmet.

These weren't children's go-karts like at a fair or amusement park. These were expensive, fast, adult go-karts that you had to be 18 to drive. I went at a medium speed as the guy raced circles around me and some of the other people on the track.

There were 12 vehicles on at one time, and the guys made a joke out of racing the other people. There was another group of guys here, just three of them that lived here in town, and they bantered with Robert, Bryan, Craig, and Max and ended up racing them.

I watched as I drove close behind them. They started in a line and then took off up the hill and towards the bridge that had a dip in the middle that you could bottom out on if you weren't careful. I watched as Craig, Max, and Bryan slowed down slightly but when Robert continued at his fast pace, I shut my eyes and tap the brake, hoping he wouldn't damage the vehicle too much.

I hit something and squeezed my eyes shut tighter as I slammed on the brake, stopping all together and smacking the side of my head on the bars that went up over you to protect you incase you were to flip.

"Oh shit," I heard Max shouted, causing me to open my eyes. I saw that I had rear-ended one of the guys who were racing when he stopped.

"Sorry," I said as I looked up to Max, again. He was climbing out of his go-kart and tossing his helmet to the ground as Monte and Craig followed. I slid my helmet off and turned off the vehicle before racing over to where Robert had collided with one of the guys, sending them both off of the end of the bridge and down the small hill.

"Are they okay?" I asked as I stood on the bridge, looking down at them as Robert and a guy climbed out of the go-karts and faced each other.

"I'm really sorry, man," Robert said, shaking his head as an apology as he pulled his helmet off, exposing his wild curls.

"What the hell'd you do that for?" the other guy shouted when he got his helmet off of his head, "Now I'm going to have to pay damages on the fucking thing."

The guy's friends who had stopped their go-karts short in front of me, went sprinting down the hill and stood next to him, seeming just as angry as he was.

Robert said, "It was an accident. I didn't mea-"

"Save it, man, there's a sign clearly posted that says 'Slow down'. Or can't you read? Most 'musicians' are just high school drop outs who couldn't find anything better to do with their lives." The guy rolled his eyes and turned around.

Before anyone could stop him Max stepped forward. "Excuse me," he said sarcastically, "What'd you just say?"

"Max, leave it alone," Robert told him as he grabbed his arm and tried to pull him back before something could start.

Although the other guy turned back around to face them with lifted eyebrows. "You heard me," he said, "You guys are fucking losers."

Max chuckled and shook his head. "Obviously not," he said with a cocky grin on his face, "If you wussies could recognize us without us even having to say anything."

"Fuck you," one of the other guys said, "The only reason we know who you are is because we live by Mojoes," he said, referring to the venue that the boys were playing at tonight.

Max shrugged, "I don't see your faces plastered on posters, girls screaming your name, or money falling out of your pockets, so why don't you three run back to your college dorms and get back to fucking each other," he sneered, rolling his eyes.

I bit my lip at his words and headed down to them, catching the attention of the three guys as I walked over. Max looked up to me. "You okay?" he asked as he turned to me and threw his arm over my shoulder.

I nodded. "I'm fine," I said, glancing back at the three guys who were still standing there, glaring at us.

Max looked at me skeptically so I threw in a smile that probably looked more nervous that reassuring. He nodded anyways though, and turned back around to them.

"Are we good now?" he said while rolling his eyes, making it very clear that he wasn't 'good' with them and had no intention of caring if they were 'good' with him or not, either.

One of the other guys stood up a little straighter. He was the guy who I crashed into from behind. Without his helmet on I could tell that he was a blonde. "We're not paying for this," he said, malice coating his words as he implied that we were to pay for it.

The guy who was working had now gotten everyone else off of the track and was standing just a few feet away from us, giving everyone dirty looks because he thought he was going to be jipped on money for damages.

"Someone has to pay," he said, motioning towards the go-kart that had obvious, but not horrible, damage.

"These assholes caused it," the first guy said as he stood next to his blonde friend, glaring holes through Max's head.

Max rolled his hazy eyes and reached for his wallet that was always tucked into his back pocket. "Because you guys are poor," he said, adding a little inflection on the last word, "I'll cover it this time. What's a couple hundred dollars?"

I was nervous as he reached over and handed the money to the worker.

"That's enough, right?" he asked, casting a smug glance back at the three guys, "Because as a loser musician I make lots of money and hang out with hot girls all the time."

I nudged his side to tell him to knock it off. He looked back to me and laughed at the nervous look on my face. "It's fine, Nev," he said with a shrug of his shoulders, "These pansies aren't going to do anything."

He was about to say something more to me but the blonde rolled his eyes. "Hot girls?" he asked, seemingly disbelieving, "You're that faggot that kisses your singer on stage," he laughed nodding towards Craig who shoved his fists deep into his pockets in order to conceal his anger, something Max had never done a day in his life.

Max, who had started to step away, froze. "Do you not see this girl right here?" he questioned, only half turning around to face them as he motion to me. I jabbed him in the side as a warning not to bring me into this.

But like himself, he didn't listen and continued to talk as the three of them looked me over. "This girl sleeps on my bus," Max said flat out, offering them a shrug like it wasn't a big deal. Which it really wasn't, but Max didn't want them to know that. "This girl is fucking hot."

I rolled my eyes at him as he slung his arm over my shoulder and led the rest of us away from those three. "You're going to get your ass beat," I told him, "One of these days."

"I know," he replied simply, causing me to scoff at the still cocky look on his face.

When he caught my look he stopped. "What?" he questioned, "It's fun to piss people off."

I sighed and rolled my eyes, knowing that he was dangerous to hang out with him in public places where other personalities could clash with his. He was a blunt and brutal person, saying anything he wanted and everything that came to mind.

Max and I walked side by side back to the front of the track as more employees came out to round up the go-karts since we weren't allowed on them any more.

We got to the gate and the guys started off down the street but I turned back for a moment. "I'll be right there," I told them, offering a smile as I walked back over to the guy who was working in the front, the guy Max paid.

"I'm really sorry," I said as I walked up to the raven-haired man, "It really was an accident. They get a little crazy sometimes, though."

He turned to me and smiled. "It's fine, honestly," he replied, "I just would've been fired if your boyfriend hadn't offered up some money."

"He's not my boyfriend," I told him with a smile, glancing at the name tag that was clipped onto his power blue shirt, "But he didn't want to cause trouble for you."

The raven-haired guy, Eben, stood up once he got the go-kart rearranged and stood in front of me. "It seems like he would've tried to take those other guys down," he said though, "If you wouldn't have walked down and distracted him."

I shrugged. "He was just making sure I was alright," I smiled and then looked over my shoulder where the guys were waiting for me. "I have to go, though," I said, "I have to get to work."

"Are you in a band?" he asked, obviously interested.

I couldn't help but laugh as I shook my head. "No, just work for one."

He nodded and smiled lightly. "I guess I'll see you then."

"Probably not," I said honestly, "But I'm sorry again." I turned and walked back to the guys, leaving Eben standing behind me.

"What was that about?" Robert asked as I walked back over to them.

I shrugged, "Just apologized for you idiots."

Craig pouted and threw himself on me, hanging on me in a hug as I wrapped my arms around his waist. "I love you, Ginevra!" he claimed, lifting my feet up off of the ground and twirling me around once.

I laughed and nodded my head. "Yeah, yeah. I need a smoke."

The guys busted out laughing as Craig became crestfallen at my lack of reply. I smiled and him and shook my head as Max handed me his lit cigarette. I grinned as my muscles relaxed and we started back towards the venue.