It has been several days since the food fight in the cafeteria, and it has been as many days since they last have set a foot outside the dorm room. Kezef didn't mind the time he got to spend with Dina, but their room wasn't that big. The dean or mister Cause brought them their homework for the day. Kezef looked up from the paper he was currently writting about car racing throughout history. It seems so strange to him that there were so much different type of racing, and now there was only one. Granted they are trying to change it up with changing the track once in a while, but it was still at the same spot and with the same set of cars. He wondered what Dina was doing, yesterday she already told him that she was done with the paper, no surprise there. But that could mean that she was busy with the other homework, or something else. He stood up and stretched, should he go to her side of the room to check on her. Something he had being doing for the last couple of days, or should he let her be? If she needed anything she only needed to whisper his name and he would rush over to her. He shook his head and sat down again, he really needed to finish this paper. He grabbed his pen, but he knew nothing to write. Maybe he needed to go over to her side of the room, to borrow one of her books. He knew for sure that she had a book about this topic, he frowned why didn't he have a book about the history of his sport? That was something he needed to look into, but now was not the time for it. He once again stood up and walked over to the curtain that suppurated their sides.

"Dina?" He said.

"Yes what is it?" She replied. He hated that her voice was muffled, normally her voice echoes her confidants. Was this because he had seen her cry, no this couldn't be it. It was probably the fact that those bullies finally got under her skin. Well they probably were always there, but she was able to pretend that they weren't.

"I need some help with my paper." He said, he stepped through the curtain. Dina was sitting at her desk, writting something in her notebook. That was her race notebook, were she kept all the information about the races.

"No you can't copy my work." She said, without looking up. He chuckled slightly, that was an idea that never visited him. But that was something to keep in mind.

"Who said anything about coping? I was just wondering if I could borrow a book?" He replied. Now she looked up and looked at him with narrowed eyes. "And before you are going to ask why I do not own one myself, I honestly do not know." She nodded and shrugged. He stepped closer, trying not to look at her notebook. But he failed, there were some type of drawings. Car designs, and lists with car parts. The parts were all universal, but it still looked amazing. Of course, it looked amazing, there was almost nothing about cars and racing that Dina didn't know. Maybe driving a car, but that could be solved with a some lessons. Something he would give her as soon as possible. Maybe he should contact Prentum to see if the track changes were already done. She looked at him with a soft smile.

"Do you like the view?" She asked and he nodded.

"It looks very good, perfectly detailed. I didn't know you could draw." He said. He walked over to her and bowed over her designs. By which ever God, if the other inside the school knew about her talent and knowledge. Maybe they wouldn't bully her this much. No they still would bully her. "Of course, a car works better if you use parts that are designed for it. But you do not have one, so keeping the parts universal is a smart idea. This way you know in which kind of direction you are leaning, and when you have one you can look to the parts that are matching that idea." He looked at her and she smiled, she really smiled. Something he hadn't seen in the last couple of days. And not only that there was some kind of fire in her eyes. A fire of passion, the same passion that he has when talking about cars and racing. He lay his hand on her shoulder. "Forget that book, and that stupid paper. Tell me more about your plans, maybe I can help."

"That paper isn't stupid." She said. While she leaned against him. "It is important to know were all of this is coming from." She was of course right about that. Still he wanted to know more about her ideas. "And besides that, I can't have you know all my secrets." She closed her notebook. So that was all he got, just some basic designs and a list of universal car parts.

"But you know everything about my car." He replied, while pouting. She nodded and wiggled with her head.

"That is true, let me think about it." She said, laying a hand on his chest. It was a small jester, but he knew her well enough to know what it meant. She was looking for his support, and like always he was willing to give it.

"Let's sit on the bed for a while." He said, she nodded and she stood up. He already missed the contact, but he knew that it wouldn't be long before she was back in his arms. They sat down on her bed, and she started leaning against him. He simply wrapped his arms around her, it was something of their thing. There was nothing to be said, while they did this. But sometimes one of them started speaking, like now.

"Kezef, I know you told Prentum that you would support me when I decided to race." She started, he noted that she said when, not if. "Did you mean that?"

"Yes I did." He said. "I will do everything I can to support you, except for fitting the race." She nodded and sighed. "I will teach you how to drive, help with gathering a team. Hell I will share Prentum with you." She nodded again.

"Thank you, I needed to hear that." She said, so she was really thinking about racing. Well he couldn't say that he didn't see it coming. She only needed to know that this road would be a hard one. A few women have tried to enter the sport, and none of them stayed after three races. Not because they couldn't race, but because of the bulling they needed to endure. Dina was no stranger to that, hell that is the whole reason that they stayed in this room. "I know what I will face more bulling then I have faced now. But I am still willing to do my best, and as long I have you to lean on." He nodded, she would always have him. He opened his mouth to say that when the secret door opened. Both of them looked shocked, they had forgotten about it after mister Cause had closed it behind them. In the opening stood Prentum.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"I heard that the two of you have being cooped up here. I didn't expect to find the two of you..." Prentum said, moving his hand up and down.

"We are just hugging." Kezef said quickly. Dina nodded, but stood up as if she has being stung by a bee. "But what are you doing in the secret hallway?" Kezef quickly changed the topic.

"Getting the two of you out of this room. Like I said, I have heard about what has happened and well it is time for the two of you to get some fresh air. Besides that, you need to train, mister." Prentum said. "And if she is serious about entering the sport, she needs to learn how to drive."

*******

The track was lively, but not as busy as when there is a race. And there were no other racers among the beehive of people. Only their teams, busy with working on the cars. And viewing the new racetrack, there was not much changed except one of the turns was much steeper. And there was another chicane added. It felt good to be out of the room, and most of all out of the school. It also felt good to see his team being so welcoming to Dina.

"Alright you all, listen up. I have two things I want done today." Prentum said, and all in the box went quiet. "First, I want Kezef to make as many rounds on this track as possible. I want as much data as we can get." The men inside the box nodded. "Second thing, Dina is here to learn how to drive. If she gets the hang of it, she will be our back-up driver until she gets her own car." This time the men started to murmur. They all liked Dina, but of course they had their doubts about her being behind the wheel. "Do not forget, that she was almost born at this track. I would know, I was there." Kezef looked at Dina who smiled. "So now that we know the plan, let's get to work." The men didn't say much and just went to their stations.

"Dina, we are going to start with you." Kezef said. She nodded and they both stepped in the car. It took just two rounds around the track. Just two and Dina was driving like she had never done otherwise.

"Are you sure that it is her behind the wheel." Prentum asked through the board radio. Kezef nodded, but didn't answer. Dina started to speed up, and took the steep curve like a pro.

"Are you sure, that she has never driven before?" Kezef then replied. "She is even better than me, and I am driving for two years." All he heard was Prentum laugh on the other end.

"Well we have at least a back-up driver." Prentum replied. "Bring her in, and I will go over the details with her." Kezef looked at Dina.

"You heard the old fart." Kezef said. She started to laugh even louder. Which was like music to his ears, he was not even paying attention on the road. He was looking at her, and the glimmer of joy in her eyes. She was in her element, behind the wheel. She really belonged there, somehow he already knew that. But now he was able to see it, and there was nothing in the world he loved more.

"I heard that." Prentum said laughing. Dina parked the car inside the pit lane, and all the mechanics rushed out. All completely changed their tune. Dina who smiled from ear to ear, there was nothing more beautiful then that. "Alright, alright. She currently has enough praise to decorate her..." Prentum stopped, for a moment. "Her behind." Everybody started to chuckle. "Now mister boyfriend, it is time for you to get in the car and time for me to have a serious conversation with your girlfriend." Prentum lay a hand onto Dina's shoulder. Kezef nodded and walked around the car. From the corner of his eye he could see Sorath.

******Dina didn't know what Prentum was about to say, but he sounded serious.

"Dina, I can't believe that I am about to do this. But I was serious when I told the rest of the team that you would be Kezef's back-up driver. At least until you have your own car. Still I hope that you are well aware that the men inside this sport are not going to make things easy for you. You will not only be a new driver, you are also a woman. And even not only that, you are your father's daughter." Prentum said, and she nodded. This was the thing Kezef and she were talking about when Prentum entered the room. She knew that she needed to create a thicker skin, they couldn't hide in their dorm room forever. And that was not only because she wanted to enter the sport, it was just a fact that she needed to face her bullies sooner then later. "Then there is the fact that you do not have a car."

"But that is something I can cure." Somebody said, and she knew that voice all too well. Sorath Banks a senior member of the Jersey Boys, one of the gangs inside the slums. The last time she had seen him was a few days ago, he was busy beating up her father. Her father later claimed that the Jersey Boys did that to protect him, against the other gangs. She didn't agree with this method, but her father was right. They needed to do something, other than pulling him into the gang. "A view days ago I was talking with your handsome boyfriend. He told me that you would need a car rather sooner then later. I do not need to tell you where our main base of operations is, so you know were this is coming from." He said while motioning them to follow. Outside the box they were met with the rest of the gang, and the body of a Volkswagen Atreon. Was this a joke, he had found this piece of art on the junkyard. "She needs some work, but I think she will be a beauty once it is done. However, she is not for free." Dina suppressed the urge to roll with her eyes. She didn't think that it was, nothing ever was.

"How much?" She asked. Prentum furrowed his eyebrows, he of course didn't trust the gang member and she couldn't blame him.

"I am not asking for credits. I am asking for a way out of the slums, I ask the old man to train use to be mechanics." Sorath said, he didn't look at her, but at Prentum.

"You want what now?" Prentum said, but he raised his hand when Sorath wanted to repeat his question. "No need to repeat, I heard you the first time. But do you really think that this is a way out of the slums?" Dina nodded in Sorath place. It was thanks to her education that she was able to get out of the slums, and she had her job in the cafeteria to fall back on. That would happen when these guys learned a trade. Prentum looked at her. "What do you think?" She wasn't sure about that, after what she had witnessed them beating up her father. After promising her to protect him, of course they explained to her that this was their way of protecting him. But still how can she trust them after that, how was she able to trust them with her tools. The once that were currently stored inside a vault, the once she worked so hard to get.

"I think we can agree on a trail, you all need to bring your own toolbox. I am not going to share mine." She said. Sorath nodded and reached out his hand.

"That is a deal." He said. She reached out her hand and shook his. "Alright gang, bring this baby to the box. Old man, we will see you later."

"One thing, do not call me old man. Just call me Prentum." Prentum said.

"But where would be the fun in that." Sorath said. Dina need to do her best not to chuckle, Sorath winked at Prentum and rushed towards the rest of the gang.

"Well, I have something that resembles a car, something that looks like a crew. Now the only thing I need is a thicker skin. Because hell knows I am going to need it." She whispered. Prentum nodded.

"I am going to register you as a back-up driver. While you work out some kind of plan for that piece of scrap metal." Prentum said before walking away.