Chapter 51 - Red-haired college student

Chapter 51 - Red-haired college student
Author’s POV

"This track is called the Serpent's Back. It's a narrow road that goes up a mountain. There's no fence. Just a big drop off the side. People have crashed here. One guy died last year," Simon said, his eyes shining with amusement.

Harriet listened, but she didn't look scared. She was looking at her car, a simple silver Mazda. She touched it. It looked old, but she could tell it had been taken care of. The tires were good. The engine sounded smooth and strong.

"His car is like a big, heavy hammer," she said to Simon, her voice calm.

"It's made for going fast in a straight line. But the mountain road is twisty and narrow. It's a job for a small, sharp knife. This car is like a knife," she muttered, her lips curling up.

The race was one trip up the mountain and back down. The first car to cross a painted white line on the ground would win. A crowd of people watched. They were all betting on Charlie's big, loud car to win.

A woman with a black and white flag stood between the cars. She looked serious. She waved the flag down.

The race started.

Charlie's Lamborghini shot forward with a huge, thundering roar. It sped away, leaving Harriet's small car far behind in a cloud of smoke. She pulled out a lollipop from her pocket, unwrapping it and putting it in her mouth.

“What the hell is she doing?” Someone asked, making them chuckle. At this rate, Charlie was definitely going to win.

Harriet didn't pay attention and started the car, driving off.

The people watching cheered for Charlie, making Harriet snort.

She didn't try to go as fast as him right away. She knew the first part of the road was easy. She focused on handling her car smoothly, saving her energy for the dangerous part ahead.

Soon, the wide road ended and the Serpent's Back began. The pavement became narrow and bumpy. On one side was rock, and on the other side was nothing but a dark, scary drop.

Charlie had to slam on his brakes. His car was too wide for this path. It wobbled and swerved, getting too close to the edge. Loose rocks tumbled over the side. He was no longer laughing; he was sweating, fighting with the steering wheel just to stay on the road.

This was Harriet's chance.

Her small car was perfect. It handled the bumps easily. It fit on the narrow road with room to spare. She didn't fight the car; she worked with it, gliding through the turns. She started to catch up. The people watching couldn't believe it. The cheers for Charlie started to lower, eventually turning into shocked murmurs. How could a college student be that good?

Charlie saw her headlights getting closer in his mirror. He panicked. He pushed the gas pedal too hard on a corner. His back tires slid, throwing dirt and stones over the cliff. His heart hammered in his chest. He had almost lost control.

They reached the worst turn, a place called the Widow's Peak. It was a super sharp bend right on the edge. Charlie was going too fast. He slammed the brakes. His heavy car slid sideways, its back end swinging toward the deadly drop. For a terrifying second, the back tires were right on the edge. He stopped completely, his car blocking most of the road. He was shaking, too scared to move. He was stuck.

Harriet saw this. All warmth had left her face, replaced by a deadpan expression. Simon knew this expression.

“Go boss!” He beamed, pulling out some takeouts and munching on a huge burger.

She saw a tiny space between Charlie's car and the rock wall. It was a crazy risk, yet without hesitating, she pressed the gas and aimed for the gap. Her car shot forward.

SCRAAAAPE!

The terrible sound of metal grinding against metal filled the air. The side of her car scraped hard against the Lamborghini's door, smashing her side mirror right off. But she squeezed through. She was past him. Now, she was in the lead.

Slamming on the accelerator hard, the small car whisked forward at an inhumane speed, making Simon throw his burger away, clutching on to his seat for dear life.

She was just a few miles away from the finish line, but automatically pulled to a stop.

The whole crowd stared speechlessly as the seemingly college student got out of the car, pulling out a box of takeout with her. She picked up her burger, staring behind as if to mock Charlie as she ate.

When she was done, she dusted her arm before getting back into the car.

ZOOM!

She crossed the finish line.

Silence reigned for minutes, followed by a loud chair. People who had betted on Charlie now felt furious and ashamed. They had lost all their money. While the few people who decided to believe in a college student were now reaping their fruits.

Murmurs erupted, wanting to know who the college student was, but only Charlie had seen her face before the race.

She now had a mask covering her face, her red hair slipping out of her helmet. When she took it off, it got loose, cascading down her back.

“Oh my God, she's so handsome and beautiful at the same time!” A few girls blushed, and Simon could only hold his chin up in pride.

After receiving the money, they decided to give it to charity. Meanwhile, Charlie had not kept his own end of the bed. He refused to admit that girls are amazing.

“You– you can't take back the bet!” Simon yelled, but Charlie had already started walking away. Harriet was not in a hurry, she calmly followed him, pulling him back by the collar.

“You–how dare you touch me?” Charlie screamed, wanting to run away after being humiliated. Yet, this college student still wanted him to go about chanting some stupid words.

“How could you—Ah!” His words were cut off, a scream erupting from his throat. Harriet had grabbed his index finger, breaking it with a crack. She despised people who didn't keep their end of the deal. Without saying anything more, she walked away with Simon.

Meanwhile, somewhere among the crowd, Rael wore a black mask, staring at the red-haired college student as she walked away.