Above the Skyline

The adrenaline rush I felt every time I went over the speed limit was exhilarating -- I'm a total road demon. With the top of my black Lamborghini convertible down, the strong winds blowing past me, I felt like an eagle; powerful and free.

"Lou, can you please go a little slower?" Stan complained, clutching onto the dashboard dramatically. It never ceased to amaze me on how he was an F3 driver, yet speed was something he despised.

How ironic.

I tightened my grip on the steering wheel, a grin creeping at the corners of my lips. Instead of slowing down like Stan asked, I applied more pressure on the accelerator.

"You son of a -- "

The tires burned rubber on the deserted stretch of road, our favourite shortcut home.

"Relax, Stan! It's three in the morning and the streets are clear!" I shouted, the howl of the wind deafening from the open window.

Stan flipped me the finger, looking a little green in the face. I sighed and slowed down in fractions until I was keeping to a fair speed.

"You're a pussy," I chided playfully, a familiar tease. We had grown up together in the fields of Doncaster, sneaking into farms and stealing fruits on trees. There isn't much we haven't said to one another.

He shook his head. "And you're a bloody wanker. That was not funny. I want to get home in one piece, alright?"

"I don't understand why you formula race as a career when you're afraid of a little speed." I turned to glance at him with a raised eyebrow and he rolled his eyes.

"Are we having this conversation again? Because I'm not repeating myself. You already know my answer," Stan replied in a huff. "Our job is already risky enough and I don't want to see you getting into another accident. It's horrible seeing you lying on the hospital bed, hooked onto damn life support."

I thought back to two years ago, when the F3 car I was driving ran off track and I lost control, colliding with an oncoming car. The other lad managed to escape with a few scrapes and bruises, but I wasn't as lucky. My car had flipped over and I was trapped underneath it. I was in a coma for three weeks, but by some miracle I woke up and managed to recuperate.

I shook my head and turned to the road again.

"Louis, watch out!" Stan yelled seconds later. A girl in a white dress appeared out of nowhere, standing in the middle of the road like a deer in headlights. Reflexes kicking in, I tried to swerve to the left and hit on the brakes, but it was too late for me to stop. My car rammed into a nearby tree, the airbags popping out a second too late to absorb our impact.

"Urgh," I groaned, turning to Stan. He appeared to be in one piece, but wasn't moving.

I felt immediately sick as panic lodged itself into my gut. Ignoring the pain in my ribs and the headache thumping steadily against my temple I unfastened my seatbelt and reached over, taking Stan's limp wrist and checking for a pulse.

My heart was beating erratically in my ears as I pressed against his vein, and when I finally felt the weak beat I let out a sigh of relief. Sitting back in my seat, I went for my phone to call for help, groaning when I twisted wrong. As I turned I nearly jumped out my seat.

There was the girl in the white dress, eyes wide, standing outside the car window.

"Oh my God, a-are you both alright?"

I could only grunt my reply as I fell back into my seat, the pain creating a dizzy feeling in the back of my skull. My eyelids felt terribly heavy as I stared at her through the window. The last thing I remembered was the girl's face hovering above mine, before everything went black.



When I finally came around, I was on a hospital bed. My ribs and chest were battered and bruised, but I was instantly grateful to be alive. Waking up in hospital beds mean I survived.

My head was throbbing and the glare from the overhead lights burned. I scanned the room, squinting, when my eyes caught a sleeping figure curled up in a chair at the corner. A female.

The girl stretched sleepily before opening her eyes. Her gaze met mine and my breath hitched in my throat. She suddenly grinned widely and hurriedly made her way over to me.

"You're finally awake!" she exclaimed. She hugged me awkwardly, arms wrapped around my shoulders. I let out a small, pained squeak and she let go of me immediately, mumbling an apology. Her light green eyes searched mine curiously.

At such close proximity, I could make out the freckles running across her nose and scattered around her cheeks. She grinned and I couldn't help but offer a small smile in return.

"Uh, Mr Tomlinson, I apologise from the bottom of my heart for causing you such mishap," she said, interrupting my train of thoughts. She bit on her lower lip anxiously. "I'll pay for your medical expenses, the damages to your car; anything. I don't know how to begin to compensate for what I have done to you and your friend."

My ears perked at her mentioning Stan and I glanced around the room. "Where is he?"

She fingered a copper curl and her smile was a little fond, a little scared. "He's in the room beside you. Don't worry, he's safe. He's in a better condition than you are. He's been awake for days already."

I fell back into the pillow with relief. I could never forgive myself if anything were to happen to him. I'd made a promise to his family that I'd take care of him.

I looked up and my grin faded a bit. "Who exactly are you?"

She flushed pink, clashing a little against her rich crimson lipstick. "Evangeline Adams. I'm the one who was standing in the middle of the road that night." She paused, wringing her hands together nervously. "I'm terribly sorry for causing the accident, but I needed help. I -- I was stranded." Her green eyes filled a little and she shook her head to rid of them.

I couldn't bring myself to feel angry, not when her face crumpled merely by looking at me. "What were you doing there?" I asked softly.

Evangeline didn't move for a moment before she pulled a blue, plastic chair close to my hospital bed and sat down, leaning on the mattress with her elbows, chin in her hands. Her eyes still looked vaguely watery.

"My car broke down on that stretch of road... and my cell phone was flat," she explained, shaking her head in disbelief. "I stood for hours waiting for a vehicle to pass through, but there wasn't a single one. I was stuck there for almost three hours, and when I finally saw a pair of headlights coming my way, I ran to the middle of the road to wave you down." Evangeline dropped her face into her hands and sighed.

"I was scared and desperate and I know it was a stupid thing to do," she continued, voice muffled.

I smiled encouragingly when she looked up. "It was. But if not for this mishap, we probably wouldn't have met, huh?"

Evangeline stared at me wide-eyed, tears still threatening to fall, but her face was beginning to brighten. I smiled wider, having to hide a pained grimace but really not caring.

Little did I know that Evangeline Adams would spell trouble for me.