Part - 1
Rivera. Everyone calls me River. I'm the one who always finds joy in little things. Small things can make me happy ~ like chill weather, the chatter of the hot dosa tava when maa calmly sprinkles water on it, seeing my dad first thing in the morning after he wakes me up, sudden cheek kisses from my sister, cuddling with my family, visiting my grandma's home, and stargazing.
Many more. I love to read, and I love writing a lot too. I'm not an introvert, I'm just silent. I observe a lot. I love to travel, I love to dance, and I love singing too. I'm just a simple girl cocooned in this world's whirlwind emotions.
Rivera Lawrence. I'm a dentist. A final-year BDS student. I don't know love, but I love being in love. I'm still a stranger to that feeling. Never intended to dive into it. If I dive, I'll dive deep into it. Nothing is predictable. What if the opposite side is scared to dive deep too?
“Come with us, I won't ask again. I won't trouble you too,” Ashley said, my best friend. An Italian. I'm studying in Georgia.
“I'm unaware of that culture, Ash,” I muttered, tucking the book Still With You closer to me.
“What is there to be aware of? You need to come, scream your lungs out, that's it,” she said, shrugging her shoulders.
“Come on, River. It's gonna be fun,” Ken said, the crazy head.
“It'll be fun for you guys. Me and racers don't go hand in hand,” I said, looking at them.
“River!!!!”
I flinched, looking at Ash.
“You're coming. I'll introduce my boyfriend to you,” she said.
I looked at her bewildered. “Madam? Since when did you have a boyfriend?” I asked her.
“Not long ago. He's one of the racers,” she said.
I contemplated for a second.
“If it gets too much, I'll leave without notice,” I said to them.
“Sure!!” Ash said, hugging me. Ken just shrugged his shoulders.
“Get ready, my dear Labubu,” she said.
Getting ready in a black crop top and cream lowers, I didn't do much. I was just going to see the race, see Ash's boyfriend, and come back fast. I needed to finish the book soon.
It was away from the main city, a place where races usually happened. But at night time, it was all adrenaline rush. The weather was unavoidably chill. There were two teams.
In the far corner stood a guy beside a sleek black sports bike, a black-and-white helmet on his head, many girls swirling around him.
The eye cap was lifted, and he was talking to the person standing before him.
“River, that is J. He's the drool-worthy handsome fellow. Girls go crazy for him. On the opposite side, it's Den. He's a killer in racing. He's a national-level racer. J is undeniably a racer too, but he doesn't race nationally.”
I nodded at her knowledge in racing. How did she get this much interest in it?
“Where is your boyfriend?” I asked her.
“There is no one!” she said.
Ken nudged me.
“You lied?” I asked her.
“No, actually I like Den. Maybe I'll make him my boyfriend. So we're here to see him,” she said.
I narrowed my eyes at her.
“Okay, okay, it's starting,” she said.
I looked towards the starting lane. The two bikers bet whatever price, I don't know, but I could feel the tension in the air. The nervousness was palpable in the atmosphere.
I looked towards them.
J.
He closed the eye cap of his helmet.
Looking at him… why did he feel familiar?
