Page 36 of Hyperspeed
Jeremy pumped his freckled little fist in the air, like he was ready to deliver a war cry. “Let’s crush ’em into the ground and dance on the bodies of the losers.”
Lyla and Vaeri grinned, looking a little too feral. Even Korvi’s tail swung faster, and the lines on his skin glowed emerald green.
Rev and I looked at each other and then at Jeremy with wide eyes.
“I like the spirit, Jer-Bear, but let’s pull it back a little, yeah?” With a shrug from the kid and no signs of imminent violence, I pulled everyone into a tight huddle. “Okay, team. Let’s get out there and win—” Rev cleared his throat and glared at me. “Andhave a shuttleload of fun, yeah?”
“Yeah!”
“Okay, hands in.”
I put my hand in the middle of the circle, and Lyla, Vaeri, and Jeremy followed suit. My heart swelled when Korvi placed his on the top of the pile, but there was still someone missing.
The kids must’ve thought the same, because we all looked up at Rev. He frowned, clenching the hand that wasn’t in Korvi’s at his side.
“Come on, rookie.” I said. “You with us?”
Rev opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Korvi tugged on the hand he was holding, making Rev look down.
“Let’s crush them into the ground,” he whispered.
It was so quiet, so at odds with his innocent appearance, that a sharp laugh burst out of me before I could stop it. It did the trick, though, because Rev laid his free hand over the others.
“That’s the spirit!” I quipped, tossing him a wink.
“Don’t push it, Kai.” But he couldn’t hide the way one side of his mouth twitched.
“Okay, on three, everyone shout ‘winners’ as loud as you can. One . . . two . . .three!”
“WINNERS!”they yelled, raising their hands to the sky.
We broke the huddle and walked towards the first event. I glanced over at Jeremy, watching as he discussed intense war strategies with Vaeri.
Better keep an eye on that one . . .
The Fast & the Flustered
Rev
The first event was an egg-and-spoon race.
Eight at a time, one kid from each team would run to the finish line, hoping to earn the maximum number of points. Unlike the ASL, it didn’t matter if you finished first or last; there were still points to be won.
While the volunteers distributed plastic spoons and foam eggs, Kai gathered our team into another one of his stupid huddles. He waved at Korvi, encouraging him to come closer. The little mouse being glued to my side meant I had to go too.
But while Kai annoyed me, I didn’t mind joining in for Korvi’s sake. He reminded me of myself.
I’d never met another Iskari beyond my family, and seeing one at Karting for Kids was unexpected. When I’d seen him standing alone, segregated and wary of connecting with others, it had shifted something inside me.
I was looking at a mirror image of my childhood.
I’d always wanted to join KFK, but I’d never been brave enough. My parents had offered to sign me up when they’d seen how obsessed I was with the busted-up kart my dad brought home.
But school was rough enough. I’d been the weirdo, mocked by my peers and called a freak when my skin lit up. That’s the way it was when your species was basically nonexistent. They dropped you from the history curriculum, and didn’t teach your classmates about your differences. Instead, they filled in the blanks with cruelty.
I turned down each one of my parents’ offers to join KFK. Not because I didn’t want to go, but because the thought of something I loved being tainted by bullying and name-calling made me sick.
At least I could do what I enjoyed at home. Love surrounded me in that space, regardless of who I was. So I’d found solace in driving up and down the hallway in a rusted metal kart until the carpet beneath it gave way.
