Outside the Oasis: Part 1

The air was tense as the two cars waited for the light to turn green. Mason bounced his legs in anticipation as Taylor concentrated on the road ahead of her. She wasn’t familiar with her surroundings, but asphalt was asphalt. This wasn’t the first time she had raced someone, and with the short amount of time she had behind the wheel of the solar car, she knew it was capable.

Beside them, the stranger continued to rev their engine. Occasionally the exhaust would pop and flames would creep out, which only made Taylor more curious about what he had under the hood. Both Taylor and the stranger had rolled their windows up, and they both anticipated the green light.

Then it happened.

The red light flicked to green, and both drivers reacted in an instant. The orange car’s wheels squealed against the road. Taylor, on the other hand, eased into the pedal so that the car could maintain optimal grip throughout the entire launch. Within moments, the solar car took the lead and left the other car struggling for traction.

Mason cheered as he twisted in his seat so that he could look behind them, “That’s what I’m talking about Taylor! Keep it up!”

Taylor didn’t reply. Her knuckles gripped the steering yoke tight as she focused on the road ahead of her. Various cars were traveling in the same direction, and she mentally mapped the fastest route.

The roar of an angry gas engine at peak performance increased in volume as the other street racer began to gain on their lead. Weaving in and out of traffic, the street lights streaked over the reflective orange paint. Its green, tribal decals popped in the low light, and its chrome wheels reflected the headlights around it. Mason felt a twinge of fear as the vehicle stalked them like a tiger in the long grass.

Taylor began gliding the car through different lanes and narrow openings, threading the needle through unsuspecting travelers. Mason’s head whipped from the windshield to the rear window as he desperately tried to look in both directions at once.

Both drivers bobbed and weaved through the traffic, battling for ground. The streetlights from the tunnel zipped by them and created a solid white line above them. The low humming from the solar car was now a high-pitched ring as Taylor pushed the car to its limits. A vicious roar from the gas-powered chaser reminded her that the other driver hadn’t given up, and at any moment she could lose her lead.

Mason had a smile plastered on his face, and he continued to cheer Taylor on from the passenger seat. This was the fastest he had ever gone in a car, and if he ignored the terrifying feeling in his gut, it was actually quite enjoyable.

White lines on the roadway sailed under her as Taylor’s eyes darted from one lane to the next. She was coming up to a car quickly and needed to change lanes, but she didn’t have enough information to decide which lane had fewer vehicles on it. She swayed the car to the left to get a better look at the lane next to her.

Just as her tires crossed the line, she saw the headlights of the opposing driver appear in her rearview mirror. He was going right and doing his best to cut her off. He must know something I don’t, Taylor thought to herself before pushing the car right. Mason grabbed the roof of the car and tensed as the entire solar car seemed to tip on two wheels.

Taylor cursed as the other car came up beside her. The low purr she had heard emanating from the tailpipe of the other street racer was now a loud and aggressive scream. Taylor pushed the accelerator down to the floor, but it wasn’t enough to compete with the other driver’s momentum. Her heart sank to her stomach as she watched an orange blur speed by her.

She quickly fell into his slipstream by positioning the solar car directly behind the orange vehicle. While she had lost the advantage of having the lead, she had gained the advantage of following her competition. Taylor no longer had to think about which lane to choose. She could simply follow the other driver. As long as she copied his moves, there was no way he could shake her. Then all she had to do was wait for him to slip up.

Red taillights, two on each side of the vehicle, flashed through the windshield and Taylor applied the breaks. The orange car ahead of her applied its turn signal and quickly weaved left. Mason watched Taylor grip the steering wheel, her body tense with concentration.

Taylor’s eyes darted around, sensing every movement like an apex predator. The walls and ceiling of the tunnel faded from her view as she concentrated on the road before her. Memories threatened to cloud her mind, but Taylor resisted.

Roaring and popping from the other vehicle echoed in the tunnel like a lone wolf howling, and the smell of exhaust reached Taylor’s nose and penetrated her mind. The smell of hot exhaust brought her back to when she was young. Her father would drive her around town with the windows down. Taylor could remember the feeling of the sun on her skin and the wind through her hair.

When Taylor was a child, her father would take her for a drive every weekend. They would load up in his restored muscle car, turn the music up, and just drive. Her father would take her to his favorite burger shop. After they got their burgers and fries they would eat them in the parking lot. The drive to the diner was never short enough, and the drive back home was never long enough. A smile crept over her face as she remembered her father singing along with the radio.

“Hey, watch out!” Mason’s voice disrupted her happy memory.

Taylor’s concentration returned as she quickly scanned the street ahead of her. Traffic had increased and the orange car in front of her wildly darted around, looking for the fastest route through.

Large garbage trucks had entered the highway and increased the density of the cars around them. The orange car was a couple of car lengths ahead of her and was just beginning to realize that the route he had chosen would intersect with a group of slow-moving trucks. Quickly, Taylor pressed her foot on the accelerator and zipped the solar car to the other side of the highway, leaving the orange car in their rearview mirror.

Mason cheered, “There’s the finish line! We did it!”.

Taylor and Mason crossed the intersection seconds before the light turned yellow, and then red. The cars behind them slowed to a stop, forcing the orange car to a grinding halt.

She let her body relax and take a deep breath, “That was the most fun I’ve had in a while,”.

Mason let go of the handholds he had been gripping and flexed his fingers, “There were a couple of times that I thought we were going to die, but for the most part that was fun! Let’s get this car home. I think the solar car has had enough fun for one day.”

--=|=--

Mason sat at the dining room table and eagerly picked up his fork. His mom had made one of his favorite meals, and he couldn’t wait to devour it. When Mason woke up this morning, he thought the day would drag on forever. Now, recounting everything that had happened that day, he was surprised that the sun was already setting.

The table was quiet at first as Mason and his father began eating, but his mother hadn’t touched her food yet. With an elbow on both sides of her plate, she clasped her fingers together and looked at Mason.

“Mason,” his mother’s voice broke the silence at the dinner table.

He looked up with a puzzled look, “Yes?”

“Why is it that your father and I received a notification that you got a speeding ticket today”

Mason’s mouth went dry and his heart began to quicken. During the race, he didn’t even think to watch for traffic cameras. Who knew how many Taylor and he had passed? His parents would have received a notification of the speeding ticket immediately, which meant it was dangerous to lie about the details.

“Taylor and I were driving by Euphoria Reservoir, and I got a little carried away,” Mason squeaked.

“A little carried away?” His mother pressed, “You were going one hundred and five where the speed limit was seventy. Were you racing someone/”

Mason shook his head. He didn’t dare speak, or else his voice would give away his guilt.

She sat back in her seat and shook her head, “You are grounded from the car. I didn’t even know you had access, but you will not be using it for the next couple of weeks.”

“Mom,” Mason tried to salvage the situation, “I was hoping I could use the car to take Taylor, Claire, and me to the greenhouse tomorrow,”. Mason hoped that his eyes weren’t bulging as much as he felt they were. Trying to keep a cool composure was taking every ounce of his concentration.

“No way. Not after the stunt you pulled today. And you said Taylor was in the car? How would her parents feel about your reckless driving?”

That would be terrible. Mason could see it in his mind; His mother telling Taylor’s parents and her parents grounding her on the spot. Taylor’s parents deserved to know, but they didn’t need to know right away. Mason tried to think of a plan, but his mother’s glare disrupted his mental focus. “I will tell them myself.”

This caught his mother off guard, letting Mason continue formulating his plan.

Mason spoke slowly, “I made a mistake, and I should be capable of owning up to my own faults. Let me tell her parents what I did.”

Mason’s father had stopped eating as he watched the conversation unfold. After his son’s comment, he nodded his head in approval.

“That is very noble of you,” Mason’s mother replied, “I think that is your next step. But you are still grounded from the car. What you did was dangerous, and you risked someone’s life as well.”

“Honey,” Mason’s father interjected, “Maybe let him use the car for his greenhouse trip. His friends and he could really use it.”

“They can find public transportation, or they can walk,” Mason’s mother crossed her arms, “And don’t think I’m not upset at you. I know I didn’t give Mason permission to use the car.”

Mason’s father sunk in his chair and he continued to eat his food silently. The two men at the table knew that the conversation was over. The rest of the meal was consumed in silence. Mason’s mind raced: How was he going to use the car to take his friends out of the city? He had no idea how to use public transportation outside of the city, and no other family had a car that they could use. He feared that Taylor and his irresponsibility were reason enough to cancel the trip.

Plates were placed in the dishwasher, and everyone in his family said goodnight and headed to bed. Sleep was still so far away from Mason’s thoughts. The only option that he could think of was the plan he hated the most.

He was going to take the car anyways and hope that no one found out.