“Hmm, let’s see,” she said, holding both hands in the air as scales. “I could be around a bunch of snot nose six year olds all day,” she said moving one hand higher or, “I could sit in an office and scheme up catchy phrases for advertising,” she countered, moving the other hand up right before dropping them both.
Liz didn’t reply. It was best she didn’t. “Your dad is coming to take you and Reese out for supper and a movie tomorrow night,” she explained instead.
“Great,” Quill replied sarcastically as she turned her attention back to her show.
Aquilla, of course, hung out in her room the entire next day, waiting for her so called father to arrive and happily spend the evening with him and her annoying sister. Something had to give. She couldn’t take much more family bonding.
She called Seri and complained. Seri told her to stop being a baby and go spend the evening with her family.
“You said I could come and visit you for a week,” Aquilla reminded her.
“I did. I will talk to your mother this week and arrange it. It can’t be for a couple of weeks because of work stuff, but I promise, I will organize it.”
“I have to go. Liz is yelling for me. I’ll call you later,” Aquilla said.
“Alright, go have fun with your dad and sister,” Seri tried.
“Yeah, okay,” Aquilla replied with the best sarcastic tone she could muster.
“Dad, this party has been planned all summer. You always do this. You don’t show up for a month and then expect me to just drop my plans and do what you want when you show up out of the blue,” Reese complained as Quill descended the stairs.
“Your mother was supposed to tell you,” he countered.
“She did. LAST NIGHT! That’s hardly a notice.”
“I think you should let her go with her friends,” Quill coaxed, more for her benefit than Reese’s.
“Thanks,” Reese offered.
“Where is this party, and who’s going to be there?” he asked, giving in.
“It’s at Chloe’s house. A lot of people are going to be there and yes, it will be supervised. The boys have to leave by ten and the girls are all camping out.”
Emmanuel looked to Liz to see if he was doing the right thing. She stood with crossed arms and nodded.
“Fine,” he cracked.
“Yes!” Reese exclaimed, throwing her arms around his neck.
“Do you need a ride?” he asked, hugging her back and kissing her hair.
“No. I’m going to call Lil and tell her to stop and get me on her way. Thanks dad,” she added, disappearing upstairs to gather her things.
“Looks like it’s you and me, kid,” he said, turning to Quill.
“Do you mind if we don’t go out to eat or to a movie?” she asked.
“Not at all, did you have something in mind?”
“I kind of wanted to go to that race track and watch the race.”
Emmanuel raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Really? Okay, we can do that. I wish you would have told me. I would have gotten us tickets to a real race.”
“I’m fine with that one,” she assured him.
“Well, let’s go racing then,” he smiled. “You ready? We have time to eat before the race. I thought we would go to that little Italian place by the school, figured they would have more pasta and green stuff for you,” he joked about her vegetarian status.
“Yeah, I’m ready,” she said, grabbing her jacket.
“Are you staying in town tonight, Manny?” Liz asked.
“No, I have to head back. Why?”
“Just curious, if you’re home before me, lock the door,” Liz told Quill.
“Okay,” Quill replied, trying not to sound as sarcastic as she felt.
“Where are you going?” Emmanuel asked, turning to Liz.
Liz gave him a look without an answer, warning him that it was none of his business.
Emmanuel didn’t let Quill have a nice quiet dinner. He talked her ear off, asked a million questions, and rattled on and on about his job that she thought sounded tedious and boring.
Aquilla was surprised by the amount of cars in line for the race. She didn’t think there would be that many people at a place like that.
Her dad paid their way in and followed her to the middle bleachers, front and center. She found herself looking to the pits for the green number 18. She didn’t see him, but there were so many cars down there now that he was probably in the middle or the other end or something.
The first race was some kind of like dune buggy cars that her dad explained were called midget cars. It was fast, loud and exciting. She loved it. The next race was a truck race, which she didn’t care for, and then finally, the stock cars, which her father had to also explain.
Aquilla saw the fluorescent green 18 against the white car door, but it wasn’t the same car. She wasn’t sure if it was Patchette or not. Maybe he was just practicing in an old car. This one looked nice, like a real race car should look.
She knew it was him when the announcer called out the names and the positions of the 21 cars.
“Sitting in the 4th position is Patch Eugene Patchette, but don’t let him hear you call him Eugene,” he announced. Aquilla smiled when she saw his middle finger out the side of his window net.
Aquilla felt like she was in a horror movie. The cars were so fast and she was silently rooting for Patchette. Her adrenalin was pumping like mad, watching the speed in front of her. Patchette was back and forth with car number 3. He would get around him and then get passed. Aquilla was inaudibly cussing and calling him an idiot every time he let the other guy pass him, always in turn four. Turn four, which on the last lap, he let number 3 do it again and came in second. What an idiot.
Aquilla’s dad asked if he wanted her to come in, seeing the dark house, and knowing her mother was probably with her teacher friend.
“No, I’m just going to take a shower and watch television. Thanks for taking me to the race. I enjoyed it,” she smiled.
He smiled back. “You’re welcome. I was thinking of not taking a shower. I think I might just plant grass seed in my hair and see what happens,” he teased.
Aquilla laughed and thanked him again.
She knew what he meant by the grass seed when she looked into the mirror. No wonder her mother complained about the dust. She looked like a raccoon and could feel the layer of dirt on her skin. She didn’t care. She loved it, and would be back there every Saturday night for the rest of the summer.
Chapter 16
Aquilla continued to do her own thing which consisted of Law and Order and reading everything she could about dirt track racing. She figured if she was going to become a regular, she may as well learn the game.
She was sitting out on the front porch reading on her laptop when her mother came out with a glass of lemonade and sat beside her, handing her one.
“Guess what I got in the mail today,” she smiled.
“What?” Aquilla asked, sipping her drink.
“Your test results. You’re kind of a genius,” she smiled, proudly.
“Does that mean I don’t have to go to school?” she asked, hopeful.
“Nope, I still want you to experience that,” she assured her.
Aquilla started to argue when Reese pulled up with Lil and her brother. Reese introduced her to Blain with a big smile. Quill could tell that she was crushing on him. VOMIT…
“Blain is a senior too, Quill,” Liz explained.
Aquilla only nodded. She already didn’t like him. He looked at her like he wanted to devour her. His wandering eyes didn’t go unnoticed. He was cute in a baby kind of cute. She wasn’t the least bit attracted to him. She suddenly wanted to go for a walk when she heard the roar of an engine in a distance.