165 — 24 YEARS AGO.

**— MICHAEL O’NEIL (POV)**
[…] *24 years ago.*
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“Look at this little beauty!” Jack says with a smile that almost reaches his ears. He pats the hood of the car, *his newest toy,* as he would say. The yellow of the sunset paints the sky and reflects in the red of the bodywork. “This baby is fast! Faster than anything I’ve ever seen!”
I cross my arms, looking at the new car. It’s long, beautiful, sporty, and visibly fast. With a single glance, even a layperson can see that this thing is fast.
“Faster than Mike’s car?” Julian asks with a mischievous grin. His loud voice shows that he’s up to something. “I thought Mike’s car was the fastest.”
*“It is,”* I say with a playful tone, winking at the nine-year-old who raises his eyebrows.
“I’m telling you, my baby can easily beat Mike’s speed. I mean, this one’s the top of the year, huh?” Jack says, stroking the hood of the car as if it were a pet or something.
It’s funny, really. Jack was never much of a car lover until he was sixteen. He deeply respects the technologies and how humans went from riding horses and exploiting them in coaches and whips to rechargeable machines.
However, his interest grew with his license drive, although the reason he started collecting cars is because Julian seems really fascinated by them. I think it’s natural for boys his age to be dazzled by racing movies and create a certain admiration for such fast machines; it’s like they could feel the adrenaline rush through the screens.
Julian, however, is different from those kids who may never see such a car with their own eyes.
He gives a contagious, silly laugh as he jumps to take a closer look at the new car, almost dazzled by the red paint in front of him. I notice Jack’s eyes soften as he sees his brother’s enthusiasm, which can only be a child when he’s around us.
They exchange a few words, and Jack strokes his blond hair in a clumsy, almost rough caress. The kid sticks out his tongue with a mischievous grin, having his cheek playfully pulled by Jack.
He wipes off the laughter from Julian’s face and puts on an expression of annoyance.
I can’t help but chuckle softly.
“Don’t you agree with me, Mike?” Julian’s voice catches my attention, and I realize I’ve lost myself in thought. “Don’t you think you should test out which car is faster?”
“Mine, of course. Nobody can beat that machine, not even your brother’s new toy.” I shrug.
Julian laughs amusedly, pleased to see my competitive side and catch the challenging glint in his brother’s green eyes.
Although we’re best friends and have known each other all our lives, we were both brought up to be leaders, so we have a strong competitive streak. It was always healthy, though. I’d win, and sometimes Jack would. At the end of the day, we’d be just laughing and teasing each other.
And, of course, this brat loves to provoke the best of us.
“I don’t think so. Your car’s a bit... *old.”* Jack says with false concern, clearly amused by the teasing.
“Old? It was launched two years ago.”
“Exactly, its time has passed!”
“My car is definitely better than that crap you have in the garage.”
“Oh? That’s your first and only car, *but I have experience,* and I can tell by a fact that this little beauty here,” Jack taps the hood again, his smile turning wicked. “I’d kick your ass.”
I give a wicked smile.
“Why don’t you two race, then?” Julian asks excitedly, stopping between us. “A race! The car that arrives first is the best!”
I feel a sudden discomfort and look at Jack apprehensively.
“No, buddy, real life isn’t like the movies... people don’t take fast cars and go racing around the city!” Jack gets away from the car, looking seriously into his brother’s eyes.
“Of course they do. Why do you think they make fast cars?”
“You really are a smartass, huh? Who are you taking this personality from?” Jack goes back to stroking Julian’s hair, messing it up playfully and roughly.
“I can think of someone,” I say with a teasing tone, catching Jack’s eyes, which sparkle with amusement.
“Really? I can think of *two.* Although your personality sucks more than mine.”
The two of us exchange a look and then break into mingled laughter. There’s no longer any rivalry between us, just a mutual understanding that no longer needs words.
However, Julian pouts and slaps Mike’s hand away.
“Why are you laughing? People race fast cars. Isn’t that why they’re fast? You’re stupid, stupid Mike, stupid Jack...”
Jack sighs, looking at his brother tenderly. His hand is still on the top of Julian’s head, which seems so small when it’s next to his hand.
Even from here, I can see that Julian is gloomy, with his lips down in a very cute pout. And I confess... seeing his eyes watering as he struggles so hard not to show sadness really hits my soft spot.
“It’s really dangerous, you know?” Jack says, putting his hand on Julian’s shoulder. *“And illegal.”*
The boy stays still, wiping his eyes with his forearm, trying to appear strong. Julian is a dedicated boy and rarely shows that he’s upset about anything. He doesn’t allow himself to cry or show feelings like sadness, anger, or disappointment... Sometimes, it’s even hard to remember that he’s still a child.
That’s why this is a truly rare sight… I’ve never seen him throw a fit about anything before.
Jack exchanges a worried glance with me, probably thinking the same.
“I think it’ll be okay if we go on the road near the forest,” I say, and Jack’s eyes turn harsh on me.
“Mike!” His voice is disapproving, but it’s too late... Julian is already beaming, with big, wet eyes staring at me.
“Really?!” He’s almost jumping for joy... How adorable.
Jack parts his lips to protest, but no words escape... just a long, tired sigh. He runs a hand through his own blonde hair, giving up.
“Yeah!!!” Julian throws his arms up.
“But another time-”
“Now! Let’s go now!” Julian interrupts his brother, opening the car door to sit down, already putting on his seatbelt. He’s so excited that he swings his legs around, waiting for Jack to close the door.
“Honestly, you owe me one,” Jack says with sharp eyes at me, although the corner of his mouth threatens to turn up in a smile. “Let’s make this quick.”
He closes the car door and cuts off Julian’s excited sounds for his first run. For some reason, I feel my stomach twist, and my heart squeeze as he circles the car and disappears into that red bodywork.
Jack starts the car, and the sound of the engine wakes me up from this sudden bad feeling. I take long strides towards my own car, and I feel strange as I get in. All the way, every time I hit the accelerator and approach the track, my chest tightens a little more.
However, we are soon at the agreed location, a route that connects the villas to the NY big city. The surrounding forest isn’t very dense, and it’s certainly part of the properties. It’s a bit steep, a track that climbs a small hill with turns that aren’t too complicated. The biggest challenge is the downhill, where the cars pick up speed. But if the point is to show that these little beauties can run, there’s no better place than here. What’s more, there’s almost no traffic in the area, which makes it safer.
We stop side by side in the car, and my heart beats faster. I can see Julian lowering the car window and sticking out his tongue before Jack suddenly accelerates and starts this race. I press down hard on the accelerator and let my car pick up an absurd speed, already reaching the red car.
On the horizon, the sun is setting. We’re going down this small hill so fast that my blood is freezing in my veins. The adrenaline is so strong and delicious that it makes me laugh and cheer as the wheels almost come off the asphalt because of the fall.
I slow down a little for a curve, noticing that Jack is doing the same on the opposite side of the road, but even so, that damn car is really fast and turns before I do.
Just as I’m turning the corner, the sound of brakes and tires scraping the floor erupts over the roar of my engine. My heart rises to my throat as I finally see the road ahead and almost hit a car that has invaded my patch. It’s not a red sports car — it’s actually overturning off the road, tumbling down, and going into the sideway forest.
I slam on the brakes hard.
My car comes to a sudden halt, throwing me forward and making me hit my head on the steering wheel. Suddenly, I feel dizzy and confused. The adrenaline is pumping strongly in my blood, leaving me with a ringing in the ears.
Slowly, I get out of the car, taking slow, fearful, and trembling steps. I follow the trail that the tires have left on the ground, approaching the broken-down barrier and the red car below, with the front of the car stuck in a tree, completely destroyed.
This sight makes me hold my breath.
“Jack, Julian!!!” Their names come out slurred, and even though I hear the driver of the other car calling me, I try to get down the hill and get to them.
The smell of gasoline is getting stronger and stronger, unbearable, intolerable, but the open window allows me to see Julian’s unconscious face with a scratch on his cheek, and this gives me a boost of courage and determination.
I approach the car, noticing that it really is stuck to the tree. I lean on the window, looking inside the vehicle, checking that Julian is apparently fine, with the airbag deployed. However, he’s pale and unresponsive. I try to touch his face, but I feel the shock of his cold skin against my fingers. He looks limp and lifeless... making the cry catch in my throat.
“Julian... Julian!” I call out, my voice shaking and my eyes wet. “Oh, God, please...”
He mumbles something, but his eyelids seem heavy. *Thank God he’s alive!* I feel the cry let out with a strained, relieved sigh, but it’s not long before the realization falls heavily on me. The most affected part... It’s the side where Jack is.
I circle the car quickly, my heart pounding in my throat. The smell of gasoline is so strong that it stings my nostrils, but I force myself to lean on Jack’s door and look through the window. Like Julian, Jack looks unconscious, but as soon as I touch his face, his eyes open with effort.
“Jack! Oh, shit, you’re alive!” I say in a relieved and, at the same time, worried voice. I’m not sure if it’s sweat running down my face or simply tears. “Shit, shit...”
“Julian...” Jack tries to turn his face, but the simplest of movements brings a grimace of pain to his face. Even so, he tries his best to turn and touch his brother’s still unconscious face, checking his arm, his legs... every inch of him. “Get him out of here...”
“What?” His words stun me, and I blink my aching eyes.
“My little brother... Please, Michael, get him out of here.”