The Pitstop Articles (C) Holly Wolfe discussion

((Closed))

Salem waited by the counter as the officer searched the back room for a background check form. Salem sighed. He hadn't even known fast food restaurants performed background checks. Not like I have anything to hide, he thought. He looked around, noticing a single holding cell. There was also a couple of chairs nearby so he moved to place himself into one.

Cobra sighed as he sat in the holding cell. Hearing movement made him look up, seeing Salem waiting for something. He raised an eyebrow, but smiled. He's cute. "Hey." He called out to him, watching his cutie flinch & meet with his cyan eyes.

Salem tried not to look at the prisoner who had called out to him but found himself unable to resist meeting the cyan eyes with his hard red stare. "What?" he demanded.

"Ooo, a feisty one." Cobra tried to mask his kind stature & moved onto the flirty, smirk on face type of guy. "What's a cutie like you doing here?" He asked, his curls bouncing as he got up & walked around the cell.

Salem scowled, unsure of why he was going to dignify the prisoner with a response. "If you must know, I am getting a background check so that I can get a job and don't have to steal to provide for my ill mother," he spat.

"Hey, hey." He raised his hands in the air. "No need to scowl at me." He said, smirking. "How about if I find you a job that'll make you provide for your mother & have you have fun at the same time?" He suggested.

"I don't want any job a criminal has to offer," he replied curtly, hoping the man would get the message and leave him alone. "Got that?"

"I'm not a criminal. & are you sure? The prizes you get are the same as two years working wherever you want to work." He said, licking his lips with a smile. "I'm just in a holding cell. Doesn't make me a criminal."

Salem frowned. "If you're not a criminal then why are you behind bars?" he asked. Then, before Cobra could answer, he went on. "Your not talking about prostitution, are you?"

"Oh no, my dear cutie. I'm utterly against selling my body with sex." He said. "I mean racing." He told him, the smirk still painted on his face.

Salem clutched at his ear, searching for his tag that presently wasn't there. He had been told to take his piercings out by his mother before looking for a job. He gawked. "Racing, like street racing?" Something stirred inside him as he spoke the words.

Cobra saw the change of Salem's voice when the topic was spoken. "Yeah. Street racing." He purred. "It's fun & you get to meet new & exciting people. & the added bonus of nearly a quarter of a million every race."

Salem gasped. So much money! He could pay off all of his mother's hospital bills, get her a new pacemaker, and maybe even buy something nice for his brother. Maybe. "Is that why you are in there?" he asked.

"Yes, sadly some people are...jealous of our money making that they find every way to bring us down." He didn't care about the police force in Locksley, but in Strike...god, just thinking about Officer Curse made his body tingle.

"Okay," Salem said after several minutes. "What do I do? How do I get started? Where do I go?" He had heard that the street racers of Raymond were very well organized and even had a retirement plan for its racers. He wouldn't mind being a racer until retirement. He just wouldn't let anyone know.

Cobra just grinned. "What's your name kid?" He asked with a chuckle, loving his enthusiasm.

Salem's frown returned. "It is my understanding that street racers don't reveal their legal names to rival racers," he stated. "Right? So why would I tell you that?"

Cobra laughed. "I see your point. But with rivals, you can have friends to, can you not?" He countered.

Salem flinched, having never been a person to have friends. Sure, he'd had lovers in the past but that was different, especially after every single man he'd ever been with had broken his heart after trying to get more intimate then Salem was willing to go. He roughly shook his head. "I-I guess," his voice came out shaky and tinged with fright.

"Afraid? Don't be." He smiled. "Tell you what, I say my name & you tell me yours? I can help you get a car & make a name of yourself. What do you think?"

Salem thought about it for a moment. Finally, he said, "Okay, but it can't happen here. Meet me at the Cafe Rouge on Broadway tomorrow at four o'clock and we'll talk then." Without waiting for a response, Salem left the station, wanting to be gone before the officer returned.

"See you then." He said, watching him leave. A smile can be seen on his face as he saw the officer enter the room. "Why hello there." He said, giving him a gentle smile, added with his sweet cyan eyes.

((Skip?))

Salem climbed into his ex's car wordlessly.
"How'd it go?" the ex asked.
"Fine, now just take me home," Salem spat.
"Why? Can't we hang for a while?" the ex asked.
Salem scowled. "We're over, take me home," he growled.
The ex shrugged and drove away from the station.

(Sure. To when they meet up again?)

((Yeah))

After school, Salem promptly took off towards the cafe. He wondered briefly if Cobra was going to be there. If not, maybe Salem would be able to pick up the attractive waiter that was always there. He figured Cobra might still be in that holding cell or perhaps the jail by that point. There's no point in hoping, he thought. Might as well look for a real job. . . The cafe came into view and he wondered if Cobra would be inside or perhaps in the parking lot. He clutched at the tag hanging from his ear, the one he wore today sported the word "Bitch," and went inside the cafe.

Cobra had his shades on when he saw Salem walk into the cafe. He grinned, softly waving at him. "Over here." He hollered. His green Viper was parked outside & close to where he sat; a window seat so he could eye his magnificent car.

Salem flinched and dropped his hand, hurrying over to the racer. "How'd you get out?" he demanded. "You didn't break out did you?" He was relieved to see that the waiter wasn't around.

Cobra just laughed. "I'm not that sly. I was released." He said. After sleeping with the officer that arrested him, he was set free. He grinned. "Come, sit." He said to Salem.

Salem cocked his head, clearly suspicious. Regardless, he took his seat. Today, he was adorned with all of his piercings, save for his nose ring. The only one that he had from yesterday was the tongue piercings since it was new and he had to leave it so it could heal. "Did you want coffee?" he asked just to be polite.

"No, I'm fine." He said, staring at Salem. "Not to be rude or anything, but what's with that...tag on your ear?" He asked. He remembered seeing a glimpse of it before he took it off yesterday, but now he saw it & the word on it.

Salem looked away with a light blush in his cheeks. "It's just my style," he replied after a moment. "I have others, like "Whore". . ." he shrugged. "At one point, there were people telling me what would look good on me, piercing wise, and they offered to pay to have it done. . . I was in love so each time I did it. . . Now it is just a part of who I am." He wasn't sure why he had just told the stranger that but it came out.

"Oh." Was all Cobra said. He honestly didn't get labeling yourself with obscure words, but everyone was different. "I guess. Now," He grinned. "Still want to race? Or are you just wasting my time?"

Salem frowned, picking up a menu. He made a show of reading through it though he already knew exactly what he wanted. He set it aside and told the waitress his order then finally returned his gaze to Cobra. "Yes," he whispered. "I do. I really want to. Don't worry about getting me a car, I can handle that much on my own. I just need to know how I can get into the business." He was beginning to feel slightly uncomfortable, having spilled so much of himself over his tag and receiving a simple "Oh" in response.

Cobra just smiled. "Great. I can help with all of that other stuff." He said. "But before starting, you have to know the ranks in all of the counties." He told him with a grin. "I was going to head over to Strike County later this afternoon if you want to tag along."

Salem was confused. Strike County? What could possibly be important about them? Then he realized why Cobra might be so enthralled in that county. "You mean because of Mercedes?" he asked.

Cobra nodded, but he barely cared about Mercedes. He just hoped Officer Corey was working this afternoon when he went there. "Maybe I'll go tomorrow. Today, I'll show you the perks of being a street racer."

"Like what?" Salem asked. He thought for a bit. "Can I swing by my place first and pick up my ride?" he asked, hoping his tone conveyed an eagerness to be in a race. He realized also that Cobra had somehow forgotten that they had promised to possibly exchange names. He needed a street name and he had a pretty good idea of one, should Cobra inquire. Plus then I won't have to give him my real name, he thought.

((Just let me know when you want me to join in))

Cobra smiled, nodding. "Sure, go right ahead." He said. He wanted to ask Salem his name & what would be his street name, but didn't ask. He would find out in the near future...

(Maybe now we can skip & have Kitty join :))

((Cobra can tell Salem to meet him at such and such location, where they meet Ranger and all go to Strike together?))

Salem nodded. "Okay," he said. "Where shall I meet you?" he asked, obviously not wanting to let the street racer know where he lives.

(Alright.)

"How about near the huge stadium around here?" He offered. "I'll show you this guy I know." He grinned.

((^^))

Salem nodded. He set a small tip on the table and stood. "Okay, I'll be there in a bit," without waiting for a response, Salem hurried out of the cafe and disappeared around the street corner.

Cobra watched him leave, leaving himself & heading to his car, turning on the engine & sighing softly. He took the car for a ride before heading to the stadium. He should've been on his way to Strike County right now...Oh, well.

Salem walked all the way home. He dropped off his school stuff and then went to his secret hideout a few blocks away where he kept his motorcycle stored. He didn't want his mother or brother to know of the bike (since he was too young to legally drive it). He assumed it would be the perfect ride to keep each life separate, and the bike would get some use. He stripped and donned his all leather riding gear, capping it with a sheer black helmet with the eye shield being tinted pitch black. The only piece of him left visible was his mouth and the bottom of his nose. He climbed on the bike and sped off towards the stadium.

(Got to get off. I'll reply tomorrow.)

((Okay. Night!))

Cobra was soon at the stadium, waiting for Salem. He sighed. It was good that he was recruiting a racer & he smiled at that, parking his car. "Ranger, you here?!" He called out with all his might after turning off the engine & stepping out of the car. He knew Ranger mostly hung around the stadium, the roar of the crowd when a game was being in place relaxing his friend.

Salem neared the stadium and spotted the bright green viper that he knew must be Cobra's. He smiled slightly, wondering if Cobra named himself for his car or bought his car for his name. He skidded to a stop a few feet away from the viper and climbed off his bike. He left his helmet on, still covering his face, and went over to Cobra. "Where's this friend of yours?" he asked.

((I may disappear in a few minutes for dinner))

(Alright. Should we wait for Kitty now?)