“Girls don’t board!” A guy came up to Liz and protested her being there.
“And guys don’t think! Am I holding that against you?” Liz asked cocking her head to the side before turning to walk off.
“I said girls don’t board.” The guy hollered as he hurried after her.
“Funny Jack, something tells me she could take your ass.” Max said boarding up to them.
“Max this chick thinks she can board.” Jack said laughing slightly.
Liz turned around and punched him. No one laughed at her.
Jack grabbed his eyes and went to grab her. One thing got in his way. Max.
It had taken Max slightly aback when she had laid into Jack but he now was very amused by Liz’s actions and angered by the guy’s actions.
“Why don’t you go have your boys take a look at that?” Max said squeezing Jack’s arm to the point of amputation.
“What ever. West lover.” Jack scoffed as he skated away.
Liz turned around and walked towards her group. Her cerise board in her hand and her matching helmet in the other.
“You’re welcome!” Max yelled after her shaking his head making his raven hair toss around, and his eyebrow ring glint in the lights. He looked at her thoughtfully for a moment and stuck his tongue ring in and out of his mouth. Chicks…
*
“Nice right hook.” Maria said appreciatively as Liz walked up to her.
“Taught by the best.” Liz said smiling slyly.
“Damn right.” Isabel said as she lay back on the hood of her car.
“They going by titles or sponsors?” Kyle asked as he stepped out from his mustang.
“Sponsors.” Liz pouted as she put her board down and sat on it.
Suddenly a loud voice boomed over the crowd. The man on the makeshift stage began to speak, “As you all know East and West are here tonight.”
Liz, Maria, Kyle, and Isabel screamed when he mentioned West as others from the appropriate division did as well.
“So to keep things fair I’m gonna need the East and the West Bookies up at the front.”
“Later Kyle!” Liz said as he strode towards the stage in his baggy red pipes and white wife beater. He and Liz always had similar tastes.
As he made his way on stage another person did the same on his left, his opposite side.
“Yu guys got five minutes till betting starts and an hour to take the bets that are made.” The guy said to them both before turning towards the Mic, “All bets begin in five minutes!”
“Tess.”
“Kyle.” Kyle said introducing himself.
“So,” Tess said scratching her head, “How you want to do this?”
“We got a couple of options, by sides, alphabetical, or by event.” Kyle said thinking of all their choices.
“Event.” They said in unison both knowing from experience that sides would cause fights and alphabetical would be too hard for a crowd this size.
“I’ll take boarding, and cycling.” Kyle offered.
“I’ll take boarding, and racing.” Tess said smiling.
“I got boarding.” Kyle said glaring at her.
“I can handle it.” Tess said her smile becoming tight.
“Listen Blondie I said I got it.” Kyle said crossing his arms across his chest.
Tess glared at him the smile gone. No one messed with her. She was ‘Hell on Wheels’ and on guys.
*
“They look happy.” Maria smirked as they watched Kyle and the blonde girl yell at each other with out sound.
“As per usual.” Liz said sarcastically.
“You gonna go watch your competition?” Isabel asked as they announced the pre-boarding skaters.
“Nah. I got this.” Liz said as she smiled.
“Whatever you say.” Isabel said grinning down at her youngest sister.
“We got an hour wanna go check out the show?” Maria asked sliding off of her bike.
“Sure.” Isabel and Liz said together.
“YO! LAURIE!” Maria called over one of the on hand auto mechanics.
“Yeah babe?” Laurie asked wiping her hands clean.
“You watch our rides?” Isabel asked looking warily at the girl.
“Yeah.” She nodded.
Maria, Isabel, and Liz, board in hand, walked towards the other side.
Isabel and Maria wouldn’t trust their bike or car to anybody but Kyle. The only reason they let Laurie watch them was because it was too hard to drive over and drive back and they both knew that she had a deep love for the machines.
“Wanna start here and work our way back? “Liz asked as they came up on the first set of riders talking as they rechecked their autos.
Maria nodded her head in the affirmative, as she looked the bikes over meticulously. This was her trade after all.
They slowly moved through the line-ups checking out all the bikes and cars. Maria and Isabel lived for this.
“Oh My God.” Maria said looking at an exact replica of her bike only in black with blue flames and a different motto on the side, ‘Hell on Wheels’.
“She’s gorgeous.” Maria said a puddle of drool practically forming at her feet.
“Girl you get too caught up in bikes.” Isabel said shaking her head.
She caught a glimpse of something black and beautiful. A few paces away sat a car that matched the bike perfectly.
Isabel slowly sauntered towards it her eyes popping out of their sockets.
“She’s my favorite.” Alex said walking up behind her.
“I can see why.” Isabel said not even embarrassed about being caught staring.
She slowly made her way around the car before spotting the slogan on the back window, ‘Hell on Wheels’.
“Hell on Wheels?” She asked.
“You’ll see when the race start.” Alex said.
“Afraid I won’t.” Isabel said as she ran her hand parallel to the car careful not to touch it. Her voice and eyes took on a hard glint. Race mode… dangerous if ever.
“Why is that?” Alex asked watching her appreciation.
“I’ll be too far ahead of you.” She said as she smiled at him before walking back to her sisters.
She found Maria talking to a guy she supposed was the owner of the bike. Their competition.
“She your baby?” Maria asked as the guy walked over and caught her attention.
“Yeah.” Michael said curtly.
“She’s magnificent.” Maria said smiling wildly at the bike.
“I know. Please get away from her.” Michael said gruffly as he made sure there were no fingerprints on his baby.
“It’s a pity she’s not kept better.” Maria said now critiquing the owner.
“Excuse me?” Michael asked his head and eyebrows skyrocketing.
“I mean she’s been so neglected.” Maria reached her hand forward to caress the spotless body.
Michael’s hand snapped out and grabbed hers none too softly, “Don’t. Touch. Her.”
Max took that time to skate up to the group.
“You.” Liz said with clear disdain.
“It’s Superwoman.” Max said with a cocky grin as he popped his board into his hand.
“Bite me.” Liz growled.
“Is that an offer?” Max asked his tongue ring going from side to side.
“Can ya feel the love?” Alex asked sarcastically after an awkward moment of silence.
“Oh yeah.” Max said still smirking.
“We need to get ready. You little girls should run along.” Michael said looking straight at Maria.
“Listen here, LITTLE BOY,” Maria said her teeth showing, “When you get the chance, come down to our station and see what a bike’s supposed to look like.”
“If I’m such a little boy why don’t you get on you knees and blow me up?” Michael asked sneering at her.
“Cuz’ I’m afraid nothing short of the Hubbell Space Station could find the damn thing.” Maria retorted as she turned, Liz and Isabel behind her, and left.
“Something tells me we didn’t make the best impression.” Alex said as he stripped his baggy Linkin Park shirt off to reveal a thin baggy black shirt with the arms ripped off.
Around his rather defined right bicep coiled a black dragon with blue fire wrapping around it. It’s silver eyes and teeth glinted as he moved.
He watched as the bets started to slow down on the stage and the gamblers thinned out.
“Max you sure your ready?” Alex asked looked at his brother.
“Positive.” Max said looking calmly over the crowd of people.
“Sure.” Michael and Alex said under their breath knowing their brother all to well.
*
“The Boarding will begin in ten minutes everybody to the…” The Speaker came on over the PA system.
“I’ll go watch till my turn then send some one to get you.” Liz said as she walked towards the gathering crowd quickly maneuvering herself to the front of the crowd.
“Superwoman.” Max said formally as a body appeared next to him.
“Boarder Boy.” Liz said back with a glare.
They looked at each other for a moment. Max grinning and Liz giving him a more or less twisted smile.
“First up from the East, sponsored by Artall Studio’s, Frank Harrison.” The announcer introduced the first boarder.
Max and Liz broke eye contact to watch the guy do his thing. Half way up the ramp he missed his jump and tumbled down the side of the ramp. Total Slam.
Liz and Max both grimaced as they heard the bone in his arm snap at the impossible way he landed on it.
“It’s all right Frank! Good try!” Max called over the crowd to a fellow East boarder.
“When do you go on?” Max asked after the next boarder had been introduced.
In response Liz looked over at him and stuck her tongue ring out while rolling her eyes.
Max smiled and turned back to the ramp.
He leaned down a little to talk to her but didn’t face her, “You know I have a vibrating tongue ring…”
He straightened up and kept smirking when he heard her cough to clear her throat.
“I’m sponsored by Whitman’s Garage.” Max offered.
Liz looked up at him and just turned and left.
*
“Hey, what are you doing back here?” Isabel asked as she propped herself up on the hood of her car.
“Making sure you two are ready to go on.” Liz said smiling.
“Yeah, uh huh.” Isabel said laughing at her sister.
“Sure.” Maria said shaking her head making the fire red tips glisten in her otherwise short blonde hair.
“So where’s Kyle?” Liz asked searching for her almost brother.
“He was here a minute ago then he started to talk to himself about some blond bookie and he left.” Isabel said leaning back all the way.
Suddenly Max, Michael, and Alex strode up to the girls.
“Are you following me?” Liz asked glaring at Max.
“Only in the literal sense.” Max smiled at her.
“She is a beauty.” Michael said looking at the bike Maria was sitting on. His eyes widened at the bright colors and sleek frame.
“She’s treated very well. Put her together myself.” Maria said running a loving hand down her bike’s body.
“Too bad, she probably runs like shit.” He said watching the glint in her eyes.
“Come again?” Maria asked glaring at him.
Michael gulped inaudibly, surprised the blue tips of his hair weren’t on fire from her intense scowl, “I mean she’s a girl’s bike, and you put her together. She’s probably runs as well as a two legged dog.”
“Depends, how well do you run? You have two legs and you’re definitely a dog…” Maria said her lips in a tight sardonic smile.
Michael stayed silent as Alex and Max bite back a smile.
“My bike against yours anytime. I could wipe the floor with you.” Michael said menacingly.
Maria looked him square in the eyes and then laughed. The other two girls joining in.
“Will see come the races.” Maria said her smile firmly in place.
“Yeah we will.” Michael said as he turned to leave.
“Later Superwoman.” Max said smiling sexily at Liz.
“I’m so gonna deck you.” Liz yelled after him.
Alex looked from the car to the girl lying on top of it, “So what kind of engine you sporting?”
“ALEX!” Michael screamed at his brother.
“OK, bye-bye.” He said as he turned and quickly tailed after his brothers.
He turned around to look at the three of them; his eyes resting on Isabel who was watching him in amusement, “Hey, Princess.” Alex said nodding his head at Isabel, “When I’m in front of you during the races, don’t let my dust bother you.”
*
“You miscounted.” Kyle said pointing at the notebook in Tess’ hands as he looked over her shoulder.
“For the last time I didn’t not miscount the damn thing!” Tess screamed as she whirled around to yell at him.
“Listen you said you could handle this and I let you do this and then you screw up…” Kyle started to grab for the book.
“No!” Tess said as her hand darted out and smacked his away.
“Need some help?” Michael asked as he came up behind his little sister and stared at Kyle with threatening eyes.
“No. The West’s bookie and me are just figuring out the numbers. Besides I could take care of him.” Tess said smiling at her brothers.
“Listen I know there’s a lot more than 34 people betting on Liz. I counted myself as they came up.” Kyle protested ignoring her comment.
“Who is Liz?” Tess asked looking at her list.
“Valenti’s Auto Repairs.” Kyle said pointing to the name on her list.
“She a boarder?” Max asked.
“Yeah.” Kyle said absently.
“She any good?” Max asked curious about his competition.
“You could say that. Why you so interested?” Kyle asked eyeing him suspiciously.
Max, rather than admit he was scared an East would beat him, settled for lying, “Most girls aren’t that good.”
“Well don’t let her hear you say that or she’ll deck you.” Kyle said smiling at the thought; he had taught his little sister well… his almost little sister anyway.
“What’s her title?” Max asked his eyes wide.
“Bitch on Wheels.” Tess said reading the side of her Sponsor’s name.
Max laughed out loud before he set his board down and skated away.
Kyle glared after him not trusting him one bit.
“She had 34… I’m telling you…” Tess said looking at the writing that had been smudged slightly, “Uh… make that 84.”
“THANK YOU!” Kyle yelled in victory throwing his arms up.
Michael and Alex looked at him warily as Tess snickered at him.