Page 77 of The Fast Track

“Thought that was you.” She smiles. She looks gorgeous as always, pale highlights shimmering in her wavy gold hair.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, ignoring the stabbing feeling in my chest. There’s a good chance she ends up with Cameron after all. He’ll probably be relieved to be with someone who will never pass him despite team orders or compete against him for an F2 seat.

“My little sister’s doing practice laps with her club. Come see!” She threads her arm through mine in a way that makes it clear she has no idea what disaster has befallen me since we last saw each other.

“I’ll meet you back here in an hour.” Mom gives me an encouraging nod.

I let Chloe guide me down the hall and through a pair of metal doors to a state-of-the-art indoor track. We lean against the waist-high railing, watching with the other parents and guardians.

Chloe had said the kids were running practice laps, but as far as I can tell, they’re driving as ferociously as they would in a real race. In front of us, a driver in a black helmet tries to push another driver, with a green helmet, off the track. Green Helmet fights back fiercely, taking advantage of the upcoming turn to squeeze out and escape.

Chloe cups her hands around her mouth. “Go, Maddie!”

“Your sister?”

She nods. “She gets bullied a lot. Boys taking turns shoving her off for fun, that sort of thing, you know?”

I grimace. Chloe might as well have been describing my childhood. I’m happy Maddie is giving it back as hard as she got.

When Chloe’s sister crosses the finish line first, I clap so loudly, my palms sting. Maddie gets out of her kart and sprints over. The sisters hug and jump up and down, unadulterated joy and pride shining on their faces.

“Did you see how I got Stuart?” Maddie squeals, taking her helmet off and revealing a splash of blond hair even paler than Chloe’s. She looks about nine, maybe ten years old.

“You were fire!” Chloe tells her. “Guess what! I’ve got a surprise for you…”

She turns her sister around to face me.

Maddie’s expression transforms from adrenalized triumph to sheer delight. Then she blushes bright red and ducks behind Chloe with a loud squeak.

“Oh, come on, now… Sorry,” Chloe says to me. “Maddie’s normally not this shy.”

Maddie is peeking around Chloe, chewing on the ends of her messy ponytail. Something about her big, nervous eyes disarms me.

I bend down so we’re eye level. “How long have you been karting, Maddie?”

She turns bright red again.

“Go on, tell her!” Chloe urges.

“Almost two years,” Maddie whispers.

“She was a top-ten finisher for the West England Karting Championship in her age group,” Chloe says.

“Wow, that’s awesome!” I hold my hand out for a high five.

Maddie slaps it with a loudsmack. “I almost quit because the boys were so mean, but I stuck it out because… well, because I want to be you someday.”

“Me?” That Maddie—anyone, really—would ever want to be like me is something that’s never occurred to me.

“I told you, didn’t I? She’s bonkers about you,” Chloe says. “She spent hours putting together that entrance display.”

“Girls Run the World—that was you?”

Maddie nods proudly, shyness melting away. “Some people really like it.”

“She’s being modest.” Chloe tuts. “Why don’t you tell Justine about all the girls who signed up after seeing that display?”

“The age group below has five girls now.” Maddie beams. “Mum says I can host a watch party for everyone for your next race.”