CHAPTER 19: DON'T HATE THE PLAYER. (PART 1)

MAYA.

One week!

One hellish week since I last saw him.

One whole agonizing week since the event that led to him and I sharing a bed, and him telling me nothing happened between us.

I spent the better part of the past few days feeling sorry for myself. It felt like I was rejected even though I hadn't confessed my feelings to him.

Halfway through sulking around all day and feeling sorry for myself, I decided I'd had enough of that bullshit and I was gonna do whatever it takes to get my mind off him. However, the task of finding what to do led me to a painful realization that I have no social life outside Sasha and Eric. Hence, I spent a considerable amount of time going through my list of very few hobbies to come up with an activity that would have such an effect and I eventually found something I loved doing more than anything.

And what was this something I loved doing more than anything you might be wondering?

Street racing of course!

YEP! You heard that right!

I chose the only thing I have in common with the one person I was trying so hard to forget. Ha! How great is that?

You might be thinking 'It's a dumb idea Maya, don't do it' and you might just be right about that but I can't help it, not when it comes to racing. Racing it not just something I enjoy but an activity that somehow has a

way of making my darkest days brighter. Because when you're racing you can't think about anything but racing alone.

I could literally race all night but it just so happens that there's a party at one of Noah's friends tonight coupled with the fact that it's a Friday night meaning it's officially the weekend so I can't use school as an excuse to skip the party. Sasha simply will not stand for it, not when she's going to see her crush. So, to be able to survive a night filled with drunken young adults; I need to prepare myself with some sort of an antidote.

So yeah, racing is a must!

"Damnit!" I cursed under my breathe dodging behind the piller under the bridge when I sighted Andrew and his group of friends standing in what almost looks like a circle chatting animatedly.

Wait a second!

"Why am I hiding?" I whispered checking my choice of attire for the night. There's no way anyone would recognize me in this disguise.

"It's alright, you're okay.You got this!" I said petting my pounding heart as I gave myself a little pep talk.

I tugged on my hoodie to make sure it won't slip off when I walk into the crowd or get on the motorcycle as I walked out of my hiding place trying my best to avoid you know who and his friends. I can't have them look me in the eyes because I know for a fact that one look into my eyes and Hossein will know I'm the one.

"Think he would agree to do it?" a voice that sounded way too familiar with Min's questioned as I walked by and everyone in the group started talking at once.

I wonder what that's about.

"Alright everyone, gather around!" one of the street race organizers shouted clapping his hands and everyone stopped whatever they were doing immediately.

"One of you proposed something that's never been done here before and after giving it some serious thought among ourselves and the racers of course! We decided this might actually turn out to be one of the most exciting race ever seen on these streets." he announced a little too happily.

What crazy shenanigans are they up to now?

"So, without further delay. I would like to officially call for the start of the betting for the legendary race to the North Side to begin!"

What the actual fuck?

He didn't just say what I think he said.

A race to the North Side! Is he fucking insane?

"Am I the only one who didn't know about this?" i thought out loud as everyone else around made excited noises of celebration.

The 'North Side' or 'Death North' and sometimes 'No Good North' is a small but dangerous gated community and one of the oldest communities in Abuja. As the name indicates, nothing good ever comes from stepping your feet into that place.

Those individuals will steal anything and everything as long as it's worth a penny and they would often beat the hell out of outsiders for no reason at all and that's just among the few things they're known for. It's the single most terrifying community that even cops don't venture into carelessly.

Whose fucking idea was this?

"As usual one of our top riders has agreed to race anyone daring enough for a whooping sum of 20 million!" The announcer barked making the crowd go wild. Pifts! Who's crazy enough to bet their lives and that amount of cash on such a dangerous race, I thought looking around the crowd of crazy shit heads.

"Drew my man come up here!" the bald headed man shouted pointing at Andrew.

'Of course, it's that psycho!' I screamed in my head when he made his way to the front of the crowd.

Why would Andrew agree to do something like this? I couldn't help but wondered looking at him as our eyes met briefly and he smirked while I scowl under my mask suddenly realizing he's doing this because of me.

But why?

Because I kicked his ass like once or twice in a race?

I narrowed my eyes when he bent over and whispered something to the announcer whose pupils went wide before he spoke.

"Wining prize has just been upped to 30 million!" the crowd is in frenzy as everyone tried to stake a claim for the wining prize by asking to race him but he didn't even budge and his smirk only grew bigger as he looked in my direction silently daring me to back out so I'd become the loser by default.

One good thing about this type of race is that Andrew is the only one who gets to decide who he wants to race which means I can walk away now and nothing will happen to us except I'd be the loser of the race which I don't really mind and he'd still go home with his cash and life.

And for a second I really did consider walking away but I glanced at a group of weird guys whispering amongst themselves and I remembered Andrew having a beef with one of them. If the brutish looking guy could somehow get Andrew to look his way after I walk away from here I have no doubt that Andrew would race him because it won't just be about winning against me anymore as this has to do with bruised ego and that could really endanger his life.

It dawned on me that this isn't just about Andrew reclaiming his title from me anymore, those guys want revenge and they'll stop at nothing to get it including taking his life.

The thought of him being in danger brought chills to my bones and I moved before I could comprehend my thoughts. I didn't know how it was possible but the crowd got even louder when Andrew gave a slight nod signalling he'd accepted me as his opponent for the race.