Pitbabe S2, Chapter 21 pg 3

 Pitbabe S2, Chapter 21 pg 3

   

   BABE:

   “Put on a good face.”

   “Ouch!”

   Deep down, I wanted to make a bigger fuss, but since I still had some sense of propriety, I only groaned softly and shot a glare at the captain who hit me like I was a kid.

   You said you’re an adult—what kind of adult smacks someone’s neck in public like this?

   “Stop whining, it was a light tap,” the old man said with a smug look, seeming like he wanted to hit the same spot again. But with more people around, he maintained his image as the captain of a famous racing team (which, honestly, he should’ve thought about earlier). “And fix your face and eyes, too. Don’t act like I dragged you here in handcuffs.”

   “If there were handcuffs, you’d probably have used them already.”

   “I have them. Just didn’t want to use them on you.”

   “Ugh,” I covered my ears, shuddering, wishing I could rewind ten seconds and stab my eardrums or punch this creepy guy’s mouth to shut him up for good. “I’m telling Jeff.”

   “Go ahead and try.”

   “Funny how you get all bold when he’s not around.”

   The fearless captain struts around with a smug grin, unchallenged today since no behavior warden is tailing him as usual. I’m not sure how to feel about Jeff skipping this event. At first, I was relieved not to hear his grating complaints and cutting remarks delivered with that stone-cold face, but now I’m starting to miss the guy. Without the real boss around, that old geezer’s getting cocky enough to make my blood boil.

   “Wow… looking sharp, Phii Babe!”

   He hasn’t even arrived yet, but his voice precedes him. Sonic, scurrying over with quick steps, pokes my waist before eyeing me head to toe, as expected from a fashion-obsessed nut. The little fashionista probably can’t contain his excitement seeing me in a full suit like this for once.

   “Thanks,” I mumble, unsure what else to say. Honestly, I always feel awkward dressed up so formally. I checked myself in the mirror a dozen times before leaving the house. But getting a compliment, especially from Sonic, boosts my confidence a bit. “You’re looking good too today.”

   “Polite flattery, huh?”

   “Well, you’re always dressed to the nines anyway.”

   “Of course. I’d rather die than look in the mirror and see an ugly outfit,” Sonic declares proudly, and I believe he means it. Since we met, I’ve never seen him wear anything remotely plain—not even today. Though he’s in a black suit like me, his is tailored to a snug fit, no shirt underneath, with a glittering diamond snake pin on the lapel and a pearl necklace I could never picture myself wearing. Yet on Sonic’s neck, it somehow looks perfect. That’s probably the superpower of fashionistas. “But today, you nailed it. I’m proud of you, bro.”

   “You never say that to me,” I shoot back.

   My reply becomes irrelevant as Sonic’s “real deal” arrives. North, in a sleek dark gray suit, strides forward with a scowl, followed by Dean, grinning cluelessly. They must’ve been parking the car, arriving later than the pampered Sonic, who likely hitched a ride with North but, as usual, didn’t bother waiting while he circled for a spot.

   “I picked out your entire outfit from head to toe. What’s there to compliment?” Even in fancy clothes, standing in front of a posh mall, these guys act no different than they do at the garage. North curls his lip in annoyance, while Sonic plants his hands on his hips, refusing to back down. Meanwhile, I’m trying to keep these two from brawling. “You should be praising Phii. Who turned this stray dog into a millionaire mutt, huh?”

   “Oh, come on, I wasn’t that rough around the edges,” I protest.

   “Honestly, you were worse than a stray,” North jabs.

   “Hey!”

   I look at my little brother gang with exasperation, starting to understand how Phii Alan feels having to wrangle these clowns. I’m lucky my job is just to race. If I had to babysit these kids too, Ex-Hunter would be a name-only team for sure. I’m not as patient as Phii Alan, after all.

   “So cute.”

   I flinch when a voice suddenly whispers in my ear. I whip around, fists clenched on instinct, but thank god my reflexes didn’t go full throttle. Otherwise, this foreign-looking kid wouldn’t be standing there with that cheeky grin.

   “What the hell are you playing at, Willy?” I grumble as my body slowly relaxes, realizing the sneak isn’t a threat. That doesn’t mean I’m thrilled to see him, though. “Wipe that smile off. You’re lucky I didn’t deck you.”

   “Why do you keep ordering me around? Can’t you just smile?” The foreign kid put on a fake pout, though the corners of his mouth were still curled up in amusement. “What do you feed your little brother, huh? Why’s he so fierce?”

   Willy turned to ask Phii Alan, who was standing nearby. The older guy deadpanned, “Dog food,” before walking off to take a phone call.

   “What are you sticking your nose in here for?” I narrowed my eyes at him, not entirely trusting his intentions. It was a bit odd that no matter where I went, I kept running into this kid. Sure, we’re in the same circle, but did we really need to bump into each other outside of competitions this often? Or was the real issue that Willy was way too chummy with our team?

   Or, wait—was he actually a stalker?

   But showing up so blatantly like this—could you even call that stalking?

   “I know you’re super into me, but following me around like this is kinda creepy. Should I call the cops?”

   “People with cute faces aren’t usually that smart.”

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