Speed Freak

by Fleur Beale

  CHAPTER THREE

  I SPENT THE evening checking the website to see who I’d be racing against at Manawatu in the weekend. There were only going to be eight in my class, and I knew them all. I was reasonably sure I could beat them all too.

  I jumped on to Skype and called a few of my karting buddies. Jack from Rotorua was as optimistic as ever. ‘I’ll be after you this year, Archie.’

  ‘So what’s new? You’re always after me.’ Of all my mates, Jack spent the most time off the track when he should have been on it. He’d spin out and have to sit in the paddock waiting for the truck to take him and his kart back to the pits. ‘You’ll be competing in the Challenge?’ That was a surprise.

  ‘Might be. All I’ve got to do is beat you this weekend and the old man’ll be putty, mate.’

  ‘I’m real worried, Jack. You can probably hear the old knees knocking.’

  ‘Well, here’s something to worry you. Craig reckons he’s as good as stitched up a sponsorship deal.’

  ‘The prick! He never said. And I talked to him on the weekend. Who with?’

  ‘He wouldn’t say, but judging by the hints he let drop, it sounds like a nationwide automotive parts outfit.’

  Out of long habit, I kept my mouth shut. But bugger it all, if Jack was right, then Craig and I were chasing the same sponsors.

  Jack was never one for keeping his own mouth shut, and I knew he’d be after more gossip to spread around. Yep. ‘Well? Aren’t you worried? You know Craig — he’ll probably get what he asks for.’

  ‘Good luck to him.’

  ‘Come on, Archie! You must be gutted. He talked like it was a done deal.’

  ‘It probably is if that’s what he’s saying.’ I grinned at him. I knew he wanted to reach into the computer and drag information out of me.

  He tried another tactic. ‘You should be worried, Archie. He’s good.’

  Yes. He was. For the past year it had been either him or me on the podium in first place. ‘I won’t make it easy for him.’

  ‘So tell me something I don’t know. See you in the weekend.’ He logged off without a goodbye, a bit pissed off that I hadn’t filled him in on my own sponsorship plans.

  My meeting with the nationwide automotive parts firm was scheduled for after school tomorrow. My gut clenched. Had they already made up their minds to sponsor Craig?

  I sat for a minute thinking about it. ‘Come in for a chat,’ they’d said. I knew what that meant: Tell us why we should throw good money at you and not at somebody else. I was well prepared. Poor old Dad had listened to my spiel about how wonderful I was at least ten times. I was tempted to go over it again — talk to the curtains, persuade them to sponsor me, seeing Dad wasn’t around. But no — best not over-think it. I didn’t want to come across like a goddamned parrot.

  I distracted myself by skyping Selwyn. We only met at Nationals and Secondary School Champs because he lived in Dunedin, but we’d been friends since we were about eight years old when Dad took me to my first South Island meeting.

  ‘Heard about Craig?’ I asked.

  ‘Falls on his feet, that one,’ Sel said. ‘If anybody doesn’t need sponsorship, it’d be him.’

  Damn. It seemed like the entire karting world was behind Craig, but all I said was, ‘ True. You know, he should be a real wanker. Stinking rich father. Everything given to him. Pity he’s such a decent guy. Hard to hate him.’

  We had a bit of a moan about how our own fathers had jobs that didn’t bring the dollars rolling in. Dad owned an aluminium joinery outfit. Sel’s father was a mechanic.

  My last and longest Skype call of the evening was to Kyla. If we lived closer we’d probably have hooked up by now. She was cool, and funny and a babe. On the track, she showed no mercy and she was an ace driver. But she lived on a farm near Wyndham. The first time I’d met her I didn’t admit I hadn’t a clue where Wyndham was, but I looked it up when I got home. Way the hell south, not far from Invercargill.

  I’ve raced in Invercargill. It’s a long, long way from Wellington.

  We were just about to say goodnight when she said, ‘I knew there was something I meant to tell you. You remember that girl called Silver?’

  ‘The chick from Christchurch? What about her?’ She’d stopped karting a couple of years ago but it was hard to forget a name like Silver.

  ‘She’s back and she’ll be racing against you. According to reliable gossip, she’s going to do the Challenge.’

  ‘Silver Adams. She was pretty good. She must be serious about it if she’s conned her old man into doing the Challenge. It’ll cost a bomb, all that travelling up to the North Island. What about you? Any chance of you doing the Challenge?’

  She laughed at me. ‘I don’t have your dreams, Archie. All I want is to drive fast, drive well and win.’

  ‘But I’d see you more often if you entered the Challenge.’ Six times a year instead of one or two if we were lucky.

  ‘There is that.’ She sighed and looked wistful. ‘But no. Dad can’t take that much time out from the farm.’

  ‘Yeah. Sorry. Should keep my gob shut.’

  ‘Hey, it’s fine. Anyway, I don’t want to race in Europe.’

  We talked for another five minutes. I blew her the usual kiss and then logged out, wishing the kiss could be for real.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  THE FOLLOWING MORNING, Dad was all hyped and trying not to show it.

  ‘Erica’s going to move in, then?’ I asked.

  ‘She is indeed. Next free weekend.’

  ‘Tomorrow?’ Hell. I needed time to get my head around this.

  He reached across the table and ruffled my hair, rubbing in about half a Weetbix along the way. ‘Back up the trailer, Archie. I’m not that heartless. We’ve got a free weekend in March. It’ll happen then.’

  It was a done deal. It was going to take some getting used to.

  ‘She wants her kid to get into karting, does she?’

  Dad almost leapt at me to slap his hand over my mouth. ‘Absolutely not! In fact, that’s her one condition about moving in. She says if we try and get Felix into a kart, she’ll move out.’

  I gave him a look. ‘And you told her we wouldn’t? Come on, Dad! That’s just freaking dumb!’

  ‘No, Archie, it’s not. She’s seen too much carnage, and somehow it’s all got mixed up in her mind and now she sees all motor sport as dangerous.’ He shook his head. ‘I don’t even try and talk to her about it now. She just gets so upset. It’s when she has to patch up kids who’ve been in car accidents — gets to her every time, she says.’

  I just shook my head. The relationship wouldn’t last. No way. He was crazy to think it would. Just shows what love can do. My face might have shown some of what I was thinking because he said, ‘It’ll be fine, Archie. Come on, you’ve got other things to worry about right now. Text me when you finish with those chaps this afternoon. And don’t expect anything. Just do your best.’

  It sounded exactly like one of his karting lectures.

  School dragged. I kept thinking of stuff I could include in my sponsor-me speech, then I’d think No, don’t put that in.

  The final bell went and I pushed my way out of the building. Nina grabbed my arm. ‘Are you always this jumpy before a race? It’s a wonder you win anything!’

  I stopped and stared at her. ‘You, my friend, are a genius!’

  She looked puzzled. ‘Not that I’m arguing — but why?’

  ‘Focus. It’s all about focus. Being calm. In control. Goal in sight.’

  She gave me a shove. ‘Whatever. Good luck anyway.’

  THE MEETING WAS much more formal than I’d been expecting. Five guys, all in suits, sitting at a long table and staring at me. They didn’t ask me to sit down.

  Okay. You want me to work for this? Right. I’ll bloody work my arse off. Thanks to Nina, I was in my pre-race space, alert and ready to show what I was made of — one hundred per cent fighting mongrel.

  The guy I’d already met in
troduced me. I walked across the room and shook hands with each of them, him included. I made sure I called each one of them by name and I looked each one of them in the face. Then I stepped back a couple of paces from the table.

  ‘Right then, Archie. We’ve got your CV here along with your race record.’ Brendon Schurrick, managing director, tapped the papers in front of him. ‘What we need now is to hear why we should support you, and not, say, Craig Bateman.’

  Did that mean the deal with Craig wasn’t sewn up and signed off ? A surge of adrenalin punched me. This was a battle between him and me, off the track this time. I intended to win it.

  I put my hands behind my back and held my head high. ‘It’s going to be a fight to the death between Craig and me this year. We both want to win the Challenge, but I fight harder than he does.’ None of that was what I’d planned on saying. Oh well, go with the state of the track and watch for when conditions change.

  ‘You fight harder? Explain what you mean.’

  Shit. I didn’t want to bad-mouth Craig. I took a moment to work out how to explain. ‘He’s a fighter and he’ll work hard for his sponsors. They couldn’t ask for anybody better to back. Except me. I know how to fight too, but I also know how to work. I’ve always had to work for what I get. I’ve earned money by mowing lawns since I was ten. I cook dinner every school night, and I share the housework with Dad, fifty-fifty. I help out, earn what I can and he pays the rest of the karting expenses. That’s the rule in my house. There’s another rule — if I slack around at school he’ll pull the plug on the whole deal.’ I gave them a grin. ‘He says it’s character building.’

  The guy on the end, Martin, asked, ‘What do you say to that?’

  ‘I tell him I must have one hell of a character by now.’

  They all smiled, then Brendon said, ‘Your mother’s not in the picture?’

  I shook my head. ‘No. They broke up when I was six. She lives up the coast on a lifestyle block. She’s into self-sufficiency. Doesn’t like me doing the karting but she doesn’t go on about it.’

  Brendon pushed the papers into a tidier pile. ‘Thank you, Archie. Can you give us a minute or two? We’ll call you back shortly.’

  I found the waiting room and made myself sit down when my instinct was to prowl and howl out Sponsor ME!

  They didn’t keep me waiting long. I walked back in, and this time they asked me to take the seat across the table from the five of them. I sat, making sure I didn’t perch nervously on the edge of the chair.

  The few seconds it took for Brendon to break the silence weren’t exactly stress-free. ‘Archie, you’ve impressed us.’ I could almost hear the but waiting to fall out of his mouth. Sure enough, he went on, ‘But we’re not convinced that we wouldn’t do better getting behind Craig.’ He held up a hand to stop the protest I wasn’t going to make. ‘Yes, we do know that your records are fairly even, but there’s little doubt we’re looking at a future champion in him.’

  To hell with that for a reason. I put both hands flat on the table. This was a fight? Right, I’d fight. ‘And we all know why he’s got a better chance than I have to keep going in motor sport. It’s because his father’s got the money to back him, to pay for the travel, the accommodation and everything that goes with it. My father hasn’t. But I wouldn’t swap my family for his. I can set up a kart, and I know for a fact that Craig can’t because I’ve helped him sort out more than one problem.

  ‘I know how to work. I already know how to fight for everything I get. I fight when I’m out there on the track. We both do, and we both fight fair. But I know what it’s like to build your life around what your dreams are. I know what it’s like to juggle my time so that I get the chores done and keep up with the schoolwork. I’m one hundred per cent committed to winning the Challenge. I want to be New Zealand Junior Champion, too. I want my name on that cup. I want to be the driver going to Europe. I’ll work my butt off for both of them. And I’ll work my butt off for you.’

  I sat back, wondering if I’d said too much. Too bad. It was all true.

  They said nothing, until Brendon glanced at the others, then asked me to wait outside again.

  I flopped down in the waiting-room chair. Shit, this was tiring. Given the choice between this and cleaning the shower and the bog, I’d take the cleaning duty every time.

  They made me wait longer before they called me back in. I sat down, couldn’t tell a thing from their five expressionless faces.

  ‘You’re a most persuasive young man, Archie,’ Brendon said, after an age-long silence. ‘So this is what we’ve decided.’

  I tried not to look hopeful. I know that I did look hopeful.

  ‘We’ll sponsor you for a full set of slicks for each of the first three Challenge meetings.’

  That would be a help. A set cost around $300. ‘Thank you, sir.’ I tried to sound grateful rather than disappointed.

  He must’ve seen through it, because there was a definite gleam in his eye as he went on, ‘If you beat Craig at two of those three meetings, then we’ll sponsor you for the rest of the series. New slicks for each race.’

  I sat back, a grin busting out all over my face. ‘You won’t be disappointed. Thank you. Thank you all very much.’

  Smiles all round. Brendon came with me to the door and shook my hand. ‘You might like to know that you ticked all the boxes, Archie. We’re pleased to be supporting you.’

  I thanked him again, wondering what boxes I’d ticked. I sent Dad a text: 3 sets slicks.

  He texted back: Helpful.

  I told him the rest of the deal when he got home. He rubbed his hands. ‘That should spice up the competition nicely. You did well, Archie. I’m proud of you.’

  ‘I’ve still got to win two out of three.’

  ‘One race at a time. No point in bending our chassis out of shape over it, whichever way it goes.’

  That night I got a text from Craig: Congrats u arse!

  CHAPTER FIVE

  SATURDAY MORNING, DAD rewarded me for getting the sponsorship by hauling me out of bed. ‘Up you get, Archie. We’re painting the spare room today. Get it all nice for young Felix.’

  What that turned out to mean was me clearing the room while he went and bought the paint. My father has as much taste as a wet-weather tyre. He chose vivid yellow for poor old Felix.

  ‘No,’ I said. ‘We are not making that kid live in an egg yolk.’

  ‘What’s wrong with it? He’ll love it.’

  ‘I bet you a weekend off cooking he won’t.’ Dad was always a sucker for bets that had the chance of letting him off the cooking roster. ‘I say we get Felix here and we ask him.’

  So that’s what we did. Dad painted a wide yellow stripe down one wall while I rang Erica.

  ‘But Archie — I’m at work and he’s at his carer’s. Why do you need him?’

  I ran the egg yolk past her.

  ‘An emergency situation. I’ll call the carer and your dad can pick him up.’ I was about to hang up when she added, ‘Thanks, Archie. Thanks for looking out for my boy.’

  Oh, crap. She was already moulding me into a big brother and he hadn’t even moved in. She possibly hadn’t factored in that I was a big brother who was a major speed freak. I went off to deliver the message to Dad.

  Fifteen minutes later, Dad strode into the room, followed by Felix, who looked miserable.

  ‘Take a look at that, Felix,’ Dad said. ‘A real man colour, eh!’

  I eyeballed my father. ‘Play fair, Dad. Get out of here and let Felix make up his own mind.’

  Dad laughed but he ambled out. I shut the door on him. ‘Right, Felix. I think this colour stinks. Dad thinks it’s better than spaghetti. You’re the one who’ll have to live with it. Do you love it or hate it?’ I gave him a friendly big-brother grin.

  He looked at the floor, muttered something and a tear splashed down. Shit and double shit. I put an arm around him and turned him away from the ghastly stripe of yellow. ‘How about we look at some colours? Y
ou can say if you like them. Okay?’

  He gave the tiniest nod. I guided him out of the room. Dad took one look and changed his approach. ‘Ah, I see that Archie was right. Win some, lose some. Looks like I’m on kitchen duty tonight.’

  He came with us to the computer and the two of us had to clown around for about five minutes before we could get a peep out of Felix. Eventually, he whispered that he liked blue, and could he have orange doors.

  HE ENDED UP staying with us all day. Dad gave him a small paintbrush, and he sat on the floor painting the skirting boards orange. Later, when Erica came for dinner, Felix showed her the room while Dad served up the meal. ‘It’s wonderful. I love it,’ she said, but what she was really looking at was her kid’s proud smile.

  ‘Shy little lad,’ Dad said when they’d gone. ‘It’ll be good for him to be around men more.’

  ‘Well, he looks like being your soulmate,’ I said. ‘You’ve both got lousy colour taste.’

  I figured what he really meant was that karting could be the making of Felix — bring him out of his shell and all that. Well, Erica knew her own kid — maybe she knew he’d run a mile from the roar of an engine. Still, it was tempting to think that if we did try and get him into it, she’d move the two of them out. But no, I’d told the sponsorship guys I played fair. So I would.

  Felix was quiet and little. As my mates said, it could have been worse.

  THE NEXT WEEK was full on. Every teacher took it into their heads to dump assignments on us. I cooked, mowed a couple of lawns, did my chores and slogged my way through the homework. There was no time to skype, except for short chats to Kyla. Maybe the workload at home would decrease when Erica moved in. I went off into a dream where she did all the cooking, hired us a cleaner and refused to let us touch the garden. Nice.

  Dad put in quite a few Erica hours during the week. I didn’t say anything, but on Friday after school I dumped my gear, changed into work overalls and took myself into the garage to do some prep on my kart.