DREXEL GENESIS

The feeling was unlike anything I had experienced in my life before. I was overcome with disappointment and a deep sense of deflation as I realised that my chances of winning were gone. The feeling of utter defeat had me feeling like as if an anchor had pulled me down into a dark abyss.

It was too late.

My car was in shambles, unable to make it to the finish line.

"Drex, come out right now. The race is not over yet but still-" 

I take my earpiece off and toss it carelessly onto the passenger seat next to me. I lean back, staring blankly at the edge of 'Pride Rock' above me with a glimmer of hopelessness in my dull hazel eyes. A sardonic laugh escapes my lips. 

"Pride, what a joke."

I block out everything around me, not even flinching as I hear Kash's car reviving behind me. My body slumps on the seat as I let out a heavy sigh.

Guess I won't be able to face you at all, huh Crimson?

A bitter taste lingers on my tongue as I close my eyes and cover them with my arm, allowing the blood to trickle down my cheek. I lose the will to open them again, ready to fall asleep and wake up to find that it was all just a nightmare. I surrender to the darkness of a bare and lonely place, allowing it to wash over me.

Every thought is clouded with a sense of failure, every movement feels sluggish and uncoordinated. My mind is consumed by regrets and what-ifs, questioning every decision that led to this moment of defeat. 

I was a coward for agreeing to this stupid race. 

I should have just come clean to Crimson instead of trying to hide behind a competition. Now, I would be seen as a sorry loser in front of her and all of my friends.

"-el!"

Experiencing the loss of a race that meant so much was a new feeling for me. I couldn't help but wonder if Kash had ever felt this way when I had overtaken him in the past. 

Did you share the same passion for racing that I did, Kash? Were you familiar with the feelings of disappointment and exhaustion that I was experiencing now?

"-exel!"

Why do I feel like my life is over right now? This suffocating sensation leaves me feeling powerless and helpless, as though all the energy and strength have been sapped from my body. The weight of disappointment was dragging my spirit down and leaving my body to feel heavy and lethargic...Is this what utter defeat feels like?

"DREXEL!"

"You told me remind you to keep on fighting even if you were in the brink of death!"

I lightly turn my head in the direction of the little voice, it takes me a moment to realise that it was coming from the earpiece I had tossed aside earlier. Someone must have been shouting into it loudly for me to hear from a distance. 

I couldn't bring myself to care and I mimicked my earlier posture, closing my eyes and placing my arm over them...

...just as Kash's car passes by mine.

My hands clench into a fist as I grit my teeth in frustration, keeping my tears at bay.

"DREXEL! FLY HIGH!"

My eyes fly open. Did I hear Crimson's voice just now? I glance down at the abandoned earpiece lying on the passenger seat next to me, wondering if I had imagined it.

I look out of the shattered glass to see Kash's car a few yards ahead of mine.

"FLY. HIGH!! THE RACE IS NOT.OVER.YET! CROSS THAT FINISHING LINE BEFORE I DO IT FOR YOU!!" I hear Crimson's hoarse voice.

I look back at the shattered window and catch a glimpse of my own reflection.

A wave of self-loathing washing over me. 

Who was this pitiful figure staring back at me? 

This was not the person I knew myself to be - confident, driven, and skilled. I could almost see my Uncle Emmy, a stern look on his face, shaking his head in disappointment. I had let him down, and the weight of that failure felt crushing. Where was the guy that was all talk before? Pathetic.

I'm sorry, Uncle Emmy, I don't know what to do anymore.

"Don't give up now, man! Fight with all you got!"

Huh, can my friends see my pathetic self even from up there? How did I end up in this state, defeated and broken? It was as if I had lost a part of myself along the way. I knew I had to find a way to pick myself up and move forward, but the task felt daunting, almost impossible. '

I shake the image of my shattered reflection that lingered in my mind.

My eyes zone in on the steering wheel in front of me. Will I ever be able to touch it without remembering today? The pathetic self I was being right now?

"Don't be afraid to make mistakes. You will be a great racer one day, Drexel my boy," Uncle Emmy told me after 14 year old crashed me had the car into the stacked up spare tires behind The Garage once again.

My hands shakily reach out to graze the steering wheel- I grab hold of the anchor.

I shakily lift my head and see Kash seconds away from the finishing line.

"This not you, Drex!! Don't give up!"

"It's okay, Drexel! Whatever decision you take, we stand by you!"

Do I want to fall short at the last moment without having fought with everything I have?

I climb up the anchor surrounded by the dark abyss.

"Fly high, Drexel! Finish this!"

You are Drexel Genesis, this is your canvas, you paint it the way you want to.

A flicker of light is seen ahead in the dark abyss as I climb up the anchor.

Fly high.

-Those two words from Crimson along with the others' screams of encouragement. 

Was I really going to let them down?

I close my eyes, take a deep breath and I open my eyes after exhaling it. 

And I slap myself.

A bolt of lightning strikes through the mind, illuminating everything with sudden clarity. 

I grip the steering wheel with sudden strength, I was at the end of the anchor, ready to haul myself up from the dark abyss, from the dark waters that had threatened to drown me. Blood seeps down my face, reddening my vision.

Give me that adrenaline and energy back.

A dark smirk makes its way into my face as I look up with hooded eyes at my opponent. A series of loud laughter bubbles from inside me as a maniac grin shrouds my bloody face. 

 "You've brought a new side out of me. I'm going to CRUSH you, Kash Grater." 

This is MY race.

With my heart pounding in my ears, I try to start the engine for the keys with a hopeful twist, but it remains stubbornly silent as the car refuses to cooperate with me. With a loud cry, I keep on twisting and turning the key. I plead with my trusted vehicle, hoping against hope that it will hear my entreaties. 

"Don't do this to me. We've been best buddies for so long. Don't let me down now, come on, START!" I screech, hitting the steering wheel with my fist.

I continue to turn the key, over and over again, with each unsuccessful attempt, my frustration mounts until a faint sound rumbles from under the hood. My heart leaps with joy as the engine stutters to life. 

"Yes!" I shout triumphantly, feeling a surge of relief and gratitude wash over me.

Ignoring the ominous smoke billowing from the hood, I cling to the steering wheel with white-knuckled determination. 

I look ahead at the distance between the finishing line and my crumpled car, accessing everything around it in a blink of an eye.

"Just fifteen more seconds," I whisper, my voice tinged with a little bit desperation. "We can make it, old friend. Just hold on a little longer. I don't care if you blow up or catch on fire along with me, as long as we cross the finishing line, first or last, okay?" I pat the dashboard endearingly(Shhh, what happens in the car, stays in the car, alright?).

This car had carried me through countless races and never let me down. We've been through thick and thin together, and I refuse to let a little smoke and flames come between us now.

We will cross that finishing line together.

The deafening roar of the crowd outside and the frantic cheers from my earpiece fill the car as I throw it into reverse. 

There's no time to waste, no room for doubt. I have to finish this race.

With gritted teeth and fierce determination, I push my foot down on the gas pedal and feel the car lurch backward. The smoke from the engine grows thicker, but I ignore it, focusing instead on the race at hand.

As I put some distance between myself and the 'ride Rock-like formation. I catch sight of Kash's car barreling towards it, leaving behind a trail of smoke and dirt. The sound of Archer's voice crackles through the earpiece, breathless and petrified.

"Please don't tell me that you're going to do what I think you're going to do."

I smirk to myself, feeling a surge of adrenaline coursing through my veins. 

Oh, I'm definitely going to do it. 

I'm going to pull off the most insane move of the race.

Oh well, I might not make it alive tonight, but I could die doing something I love without any regrets, knowing that I didn't give up at the last minute.

I tighten my grip on the steering wheel and take a deep breath. I know what I have to do, and I'm not going to let anything stop me.

I rev the engine and slam my foot down on the accelerator, hurtling towards the summit of 'Pride Rock' at breakneck speed. The engine roars as I push the pedal to the floor, the car surging forward with an unbridled fury. The wind whips through my hair, my heart pounding in my chest as I blast past the stunned and wide-eyed onlookers lining the tracks.

The audience screams, petrified and horrified at the disfigured car that was incoming at a different direction than the intended one.

Fly high.

I don't hesitate or second-guess myself as I exhale harshly, gripping the steering wheel and pushing down on the accelerator with all the strength I have left. My car surges forward, propelling me up the steep incline of the 'Pride Rock' without any second thoughts.

Suddenly, the view changes; my wide eyes take in the night sky stretching out before me, the stars twinkling like a million tiny eyes watching in wonder as the distant mountains greet me in the distance.

I was flying high.

My car soars over Kash's vehicle, the wind whipping through the shattered windows and pelting my face. My battered face splits into a wide grin and I laugh until my sides ache at the audacity of Crimson's words. 

I can barely register that my car is airborne and that I am flying with it.

The emotions inside me overwhelm me, and I feel hot tears prick my eyes. I blink them back with a euphoric chuckle. This is why I race. I had forgotten that feeling.  I love racing with a fierce passion, and I am grateful to Crimson for reminding me of the pure, unadulterated thrill of racing. 

"Fly high," I murmur to myself.

I owe it to you, Crimson, to win this race, as a token of gratitude, and respect, and to repay the surge of adrenaline and courage you instilled in me. I will win this race for my friends, Archer, Zeke, Jed and Ayla, for all the encouraging words that drove me forward.

This last lap; I've done no thinking, I've acted on impulse, allowing my instincts to guide me to race up that huge rock and take flight into the sky.

I don't worry about the consequences of my actions or how my car will land or what will happen next. I trust my instincts and let the moment carry me.

With a harsh jolt, my car hits the ground, causing me to bounce in my seat. My head hits the roof harshly, increasing the pain in my head a tenfold. Despite the fall, my car races forward, more damaged than before. I grit my teeth, but my excitement was too intense to contain that I don't feel any pain when the finishing line was right before my eyes. 

"HELL YEAH! We can do this!" I let out a wild howl and laugh like a mad scientist as my body convulses with cold jitters.

The dust clears slightly ahead, and I glance in the rearview mirror. 

Kash was right behind me.

The finish line was within reach, just a seconds ahead of me.

"Come on, don't fail me now, my Ford. It's just a few meters. You can do this after that incredible flying performance," I plead with my car as it struggled to keep going, losing its parts with each dying second. 

My eyes widen as the back door of my car rips away from its hinges and flies off into the distance.

Kash was in a frenzy behind me, trying every trick in the book to overtake my car, knowing he was running out of time. 

In a desperate move, he attempts to crash into my vehicle once more, but his tire gets wedged against my bumper, which had already fallen off along with other parts of my battered car. 

The bumper had a sticker on it that read, "Bye-bye b*tch," courtesy of my dear friend Jed (yes, Jed), who gifted it to me on my sixteenth birthday last year.

He has a twisted sense of humour, I know.

I could imagine Kash's loud curses and profanities as he struggled to free himself from the grasp of my beloved bumper. I could make out the jumping and squealing figures of my friends from afar who had left their observation deck to cheer me on at the finish line.

My car shudders and groans, protesting against the strain I'm putting on it. But I refuse to back down. I've come too far to give up now.

Major renovation after the race, Drexel. 

I can feel the wind rushing in from the cracked dents and openings behind, threatening to topple my car over, but I clench my teeth and push on, determined to cross the finish line. My heart is pounding in my chest, and my hands are shaking with a mix of fear and excitement. The cheers of the crowd grow louder, urging me on. In this moment, nothing else matters except crossing that finish line. I am one with my car, the two of us united in our quest for victory.

The crowds huddle near the finishing line, jumping and screaming with everything they've got.

I'm so close now and I can feel the tears stinging my eyes as the realisation that I'm about to accomplish something that I never thought was possible hits me like a ton of bricks.

The world around me becomes a blur, nothing but a frenzied rush of motion and sound as I hurtle towards the finish line with every ounce of strength and determination I possessed.

And then, in a burst of smoke and debris, I zoom past the finish line, Drexel Style.

Overwhelmed with emotion, my heart was racing faster than ever before, and I feel a sense of pride and accomplishment wash over me. People break into cheers and hoots around me and I take a deep breath, sinking into my seat and patting my dashboard.

"You did great, you held up well. I'm proud of you." 

The tires deflate from the praise, taking the car down with them.

A wave of frenzied laughter overtook me as I processed the improbable series of events had led me to victory.

I was really going to give up, wasn't I?

I step out of my smoking and wheezing car, my legs feeling wobbly and weak despite the adrenaline that was rushing through my veins. But my exuberant laughter, laced with disbelief, echoes loudly into the bustling air as I still tried to comprehend what just happened. 

My eyes fall on Kash, who was sitting in his car with a stunned expression on his face. I can see the disappointment and disbelief in his eyes, but I don't care.

In that moment, I felt invincible, as if I could conquer anything the world threw my way.

The same could not be told about my friends, whose faces were laced with tears and snot. Zeke was the first to sprint towards me, throwing himself onto my body and bursting into loud sobs., 

"I-I thought y-you were g-going to d-d-die!" he hiccups as he clutches onto my body for dear life.

 Before I could get in a word, Ayla was next, throwing herself at me and staining my shirt with her tears, "You-you...! B-b-blood o-on y-you! W-what would I tell Ro-Rowan if y-you h-had d-d-died?" 

I try to pull away from my dramatic friends, internally surprised that they were actually crying, before my eyes met with Archer's infuriated ones. His expression was one of pure fury as he walks up to me, stoically delivering a hard slap to the back of my throbbing head. 

"You-" he clenches his teeth before his eyes also fill with angry tears and he shoves Ayla and Jed off me. 

I let out a relieved breath, but soon groan aloud as my best friend's shaking body envelopes mine, "What were you thinking, Drex?" he whispers roughly. "You literally flew up that rock, what made you think of such a ridiculous idea that could've killed you! I can't- Why did you risk your life that way!?" His voice rises a few notches as he tightens his embrace on me. 

I could only laugh with overwhelmed tears streaming down my face as I tighten my own quaking arms over him.

Jed clears his throat as he appears beside me, but quickly looks away when I comically widen my eyes at his red eyes. I bite my lip to refrain from teasing him as he congratulates me in a steady voice. 

"You won, congratulations." Then, he stiffly turns away from me, his body shuddering as he breathes heavily. I watch him in confusion, while Archer still clung onto me with Ayla and Zeke trying to contain their sobs on the ground. 

Suddenly, Jed's body stops shaking as he turns back to me with a glare that sends chills down my spine. He stomps towards me with determined steps. 

"I had no idea you wanted to be a pilot so badly that you flew so recklessly above with a wrecked car," he sneers. "If you wanted to fly, I could have bought you a plane. All you had to do was ask. And if you wanted to die, I could have easily killed you painlessly. All you had to do was ask!"

These people....did they really think that I was going to die? 

My eyes find the 'Pride Rock'.

Oh.

How come I didn't die?

I gently separate Archer's quivering body from mine, wishing I had a camera to capture this rare moment. Then, I cautiously bring the red-faced and scowling Jed into a hug, his dark brown hair, frazzled and messy- he had dyed it the same colour as mine to support me although he never said it out loud. 

"I'm alright, just a little blood," I feebly protest, though a blinding smile was plastered on my face. I couldn't help but laugh again as I looked at my friends in disarray. 

I wish I had this moment on record.

It was unbelievable how traumatized and terrified they looked, even though I was standing in front of them, alive.

I had really won.

I've never had a challenging race like this in my life.

Amidst the shouts and cheers of the onlookers and the wails and hysterics of my still-sobbing friends, my eyes eventually found the wide-eyed, frozen and shivering figure standing in front of me.

Crimson.

My hands fall away from Jed's arms and slowly walk towards her, stopping in front of her still-shaken form. The only thing I could hear was the increasing beat of my heart, which flooded my ears as my feet brings me closer to her.

She had tightly covered her trembling hands over her mouth while she looks at me with unblinking, saucer-like eyes which were fear-stricken with pooling tears. Some strands of her frazzled red hair had fallen on her face, as she stares intently to ensure that it was indeed me, still intact and alive.

I hold my breath as I crash into her and bring my arms tightly around her into an embrace that awakened every cell in my body.

Fly high.

I wrap my arms tightly around Crimson, not wanting to let go and bury my face in the crook of her neck. 

"Thank you," I whisper. For giving me strength, for reminding me why I love racing, for being there. 

Her body stiffens more, but eventually, she returns my hug, her tears soaking into my shirt as she trembles in my arms.

I had won the race, I remind myself.

Drunk on the high of my thorny victory, I pick up Crimson and twirl her around, laughing uncontrollably. Her sobs are replaced with broken laughter as she holds onto my shoulders, and I gently set her back down on the ground, but we continue to hold onto each other, trying to catch our breath. 

She looks up at me with her glistening, honey-brown eyes. 

"That was the most exhilarating thing I've ever seen," she breathily says through drying tears and a chuckle laced with disbelief. 

Her words and expression made my nerves and heart pulse with happiness as fondly look down at her, and my breathing quickens.

I watch her enticing self with a dazed expression.

I was still lost in the aftermath of my victory that I place my hand on the nape of Crimson's neck and pull her closer, 

...and slam my lips onto hers.

My body trembles with delight as I feel her soft, still lips, igniting sensations in me that I had never experienced before. It was an indescribable feeling, a different kind of high from the victory. I angle her jaw up toward me as she clenches her fists in my T-shirt, tasting each other's lips and revelling in her warmth.

I wanted her closer, I wanted to feel her more.

But before I could deepen the kiss, she pulls away with a look of alarm and shock in her eyes, her hand covering her reddening lips as she exhales deep breaths. Her legs give out, and we both fall to the ground, me holding onto her.

Everything else fades away as my focus solely falls on Crimson.

I grasp her shoulders firmly and meet her gaze, my voice filled with conviction, "Crimson, I really like you. Please, be my girlfriend."

If possible, her eyes become even larger as she gapes at me with disbelief, while she opens and closes her mouth, unable to voice any words.

After what feels like an eternity, she finally manages to speak, her voice choked up and thick with distress, 

"I-I'm s-so sorry, but I-I can't."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WHAT JUST HAPPENED!!!??

THE THINGS THAT THIS CHAPTER DID TO MEEEEEEE

WHAT DO YOU THINK?! SO MANY QUESTIONS, I HAVE TO ASK YOU! 

DREXEL'S AWAKENING?

DREXEL FLYING?

DREXEL WINNING?

DREXEL...BEING REJECTED?! HOW? WHY? GIVE ME YOUR PREDICTIONS!

What was your favourite moment from this chapter? I cannot decide!

Don't forget to hit that vote and comment! Stay tuned for the next chapter!