Page 1 of The Hellcat Barbies: Storm
PROLOGUE…
LAVAY “STORM” TENSLEY
Chicago nights in the summertime always hit different. The city never slept; it was always something popping off, and shit to do. Car shows, air shows, R&B boat rides on the lake. Races at the track, kickbacks at the park, and if none of that is going on, just a regular block in the city or a local liquor store lot will be lit. Even though you will have the time of your life, something could jump off without notice, and you had to always be ready to get out of dodge.
My city was deadly, so you always heard sirens somewhere crying throughout the night. Tonight was no different. I shook my head as I pulled over to the side allowing a police car to dash past. Pulling off, I let my window up to a crack. It was a lil windy out tonight, but nothing compared to the breeze blasting from my car as it zipped through the streets. Even though the speed limit was forty, I was pumping my engine faster than a nigga trying to get a nut. The closer I got to my destination; the more adrenaline coursed through my veins.
No matter how much action kicked off in the city, it was nothing like being at the tracks. That’s what we called the spots we met up at to do our illegal racing. You would think the shit was a televised Nascar event with how many people showed up. Especially when we didn’t have a location until thirty minutes before.
Turning into the lot, I smiled with pride as I saw the admiration from crowds once they saw my car. My baby. A glossy, all pink Hellcat, sitting on twenty twos, and an engine that purred like a wet pussy getting fingered. At the track, it didn’t matter what you did for a living, who you fucked, or how lame you were outside of the blocked off streets. The only thingthat mattered was your car, and my baby had me on celebrity status.
Parking, I revved my engine to get the crowd going. I hadn’t been out here in a while, and I’m not gone lie, as soon as I pulled up, I knew how much I missed it. It was hard being a woman racer. The men tried to treat us like groupies, and they don’t know how to accept when we win. My last race got a lil touchy, and I decided to take a break. I dusted this nigga who swore he had the fastest engine in the world, and it wasn’t even close. I didn’t even turn on the Hemi either.
I didn’t work a job because the money I made from the races funded my lifestyle. My stash was getting low, and I never allowed my account to drop below fifty thousand. Hence, why I had my ass out here looking for a sucker to take a bet. Since I’ve started racing at eighteen, I’ve never lost. I was that bitch, and everyone knew it.
I smirked at the onlookers that was pulling out their phones snapping pics of my car. It was a whole vibe out here tonight. Music was blasting, the niggas was out, and if they were here, you know the bitches wasn’t far behind. They sat on top of the cars in their too lil clothes hoping to catch a rider. Seeing the organizer who always put this shit together trying to get my attention, I let my window down all the way.
“Storm. I see you.” He wasn’t speaking about my car. Everyone knew what I brought. He was speaking on me being back out here.
“What up, Jip?”
“You racing tonight?” I nodded as a smile crept up my face.
“I see yall missed me out here. I’m trying to see what’s shaking.”
“Gone head on with the bullshit. You know we wanna see if you still got it. You been off the scene for a minute.” Wavinghim off, I took the bait. It wasn’t nothing better than a lil shit talking on the tracks.
“You see how quiet it is. I been sitting here five minutes, and no challengers have stepped up. Mufuckas ain’t trying to see me out here.” Before he could respond, a car crept up parking next to mine. Black on black Corvette GT3. King Donny was well known throughout the city. Being one of the chiefs of the Traveler Vice Lords, everyone feared him. That fear caused them to throw races scared of what he might do if they won. Not me.
“Hey, I know what you thinking, but let it go. Let one of these niggas race him.”
“If he wanna hit the asphalt, who am I to turn him down? I’m an equal opportunist. If his ass can’t accept a loss, he don’t need to be out here.”
“I hope you race as good as you talk.” I didn’t see King Donny get out of his car, but he was standing outside my window now mugging me and talking shit.
“Say, if you didn’t know what it was, you wouldn’t be over here. Either we racing, or you can take the L and just pay up.”
“Bitch, please. How much? I’mma let you set the wager since I’m sure yo broke ass can’t put up much.” Smiling, I grabbed the bag off my seat and handed it to Jip.
“Fifty thousand. I don’t do IOU’s and I don’t want yo trash ass car. Money only, see you at the line.” Not waiting on him to say anything else, I pulled up to the marker and waited for him to pull beside me. Once he did, Jip stood in the middle with the flag in hand. He tried to give me one last look hoping to plead with me. Ignoring it, I zoned out.
“One mile, first to cross wins. Yall ready?” Both of us revved our engines in response. Rubbing my dash, I silently talked to my baby getting her ready. She purred under me letting me know she was good. Jip dropped the flag and all you heard was tires screeching. We both took off full force, and eventhough he talked tough, I could tell King Donny was nervous. His ass kept swerving, so that told me he was watching me.
When I raced, I had blinders on. It was just me and the road. I didn’t give a fuck what the other car was doing, as long as they weren’t in front of me. The end was approaching, so I kicked my shit up a notch. King Donny tapped the side of my car, causing me to fish tail slightly. Oh, this nigga was grasping for straws. After he did that, I knew he was about to be on bullshit. He was on the side of me going full speed, so I knew he was about to side swipe me. Watching him closely, I waited for his telltale sign.
Timing it perfectly, I slammed on breaks causing him to spin out of control. Going back in mode, I took off and right as I crossed the finish line, I heard the crash. I still had adrenaline pouring through me, so I didn’t think anything of the crash right away. I was too busy relishing in the fact that I won an easy fifty thousand. Knowing I got the race on my dash cam, I calmed down. I could properly celebrate later. Right now, I was going to make sure he was okay, get my bread, and bounce.
Climbing out of my car, I didn’t realize how bad it was. My nerves kicked in the closer I made it towards the crash. His car had flipped, and even though it was now a fire sparking, he hadn’t climbed out causing me to panic. Picking up my pace, I began jogging towards him when the car exploded. I had no idea how long I stood there in shock, but Jip finally shook me out of it.
“Storm, take this money and get the fuck out of here.” I nodded, but he made sure I understood. “Not the race, Chicago. You have to go. They are going to kill you once they find out what happened. STORM! PLEASE, GO AND NEVER LOOK BACK!” I stood there for a moment longer, but once I heard the sirens approaching, I ran back to my car and jumped inside. Wiping the tears that fell from my eyes, I jumped on the E-way, andheaded out of the only city I knew. As much as I wanted to stay, I couldn’t. I don’t think it was anything I would be able to say to save my life. He was a chief; they have killed for less. Now crying harder, I turned on my Hemi and took off into the night with only my bread and my car. Even though I was gone have to go to a new city with no job, and no family; I knew I would be straight as long as I had Pinky. On to new beginnings and racing new suckers. Wiping my eyes, I hit the dash.
1-LAVAY “STORM” TENSLEY
Eight hundred miles from home, I was tearing the roads up. I was driving through North Carolina when smoke started coming from my hood the same time I heard rattling. Pinky was my prize possession, so there was no way I was about to disregard whatever was going wrong. Grabbing my phone, I typed in nearest car shop into my GPS and followed the route. I saw a sign that said Diamond Cove and exited there.
From the population, it let me know it was a small town, but it might have some action if you looked in the right places. I was a city girl through and through, so I knew the slow life wasn’t for me. Back home, I would be posted up on the block, while someone bbq’d on the sidewalk, with the whole hood out there kicking it. The skyline always showing in the background; giving you a hint of beauty even when you were in the roughest parts.
Riding through Diamond Cove, people were sitting on their porches quietly. The grass looked full and green, the buildings were intact, and I know I looked out of place. From the way they turned their heads, to the way they crossed the streets. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. Knowing how shit goes, and what I was running from, I knew not to take that for granted. Slow didn’t mean safe, so I was gone have to keep my head down.
