8

It wasn't much longer until I had fallen asleep. I'd become entranced in a dream which to me had seemed so realistic. Every scent, every sound only made it that much more believable. It was almost as if I had never gone to sleep or if I had what it made it seem as if the reality of my life had been the dream.

I opened my eyes to find myself in the car with both my mother and sister, driving towards San Diego. I couldn't hear them speak, however, I could just about make out what they were saying. They had been talking about the trip, it was long before my mother's cell phone had rang. I figured this had been the conversation between her and Carol before the accident. I watched as she hung up the phone and began picking at Mina, trying her best to get her to laugh or smile. I chuckled a bit as I watched her scoff and look away.

Suddenly there was noise, to me what appeared to be a car horn blaring in the distance. I look over just as the headlights shine in through the car windows and wake up just as it hits us; shooting up and looking around the room as I gasp for air. 

It was morning, the birds were chirping close by the windows and there was a slight scent of bacon from where Carol was cooking breakfast. As for me I was in bed nearly sweating like a pig and looking as if I had just seen a ghost. I run my fingers through my hair and jump a bit as I hear my bedroom door open as Casey walks in. I sigh lightly seeing her look at me with concern as I glance over at her. I flash a smile at her and she smiles back as she walks over to the side of my bed and scales the side of it to join me.

"Are you okay" She asks lightly as she crawls closer to me.

"Yeah sweetie, just a bad dream" I say lightly as I wrap my arms around her and hug her lightly.

I sat there with her for a while trying to piece together the dream that I had. Though I didn't quite understand it I knew it had something to do with one of the quotes Mina had once told me. It had something to do with seeing into the past rather than the future, but I didn't tie the dream to it; not at first anyways.

"James are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost." Carol says as she walks in.

"I'm fine, had a bad dream." I say as I fall away from my thoughts.

"Alright, well breakfast is ready."

"Okay" I say lightly. "I'll be down in a couple minutes"

"Okay. Come on Case, lets give your uncle some time to begin his morning." She says, watching Casey slide off the bed before leading her out of the room and down the hall to the kitchen.

I look around the room as I yawn a little and stand up, covering my eyes as I glance out the window. I quickly change into a clean outfit, grabbing my jacket from off the back of my bedroom door and heading downstairs, brushing my hair over my eyes for a brief moment as I slip into the warmth of it before pushing my hair over to the side. I slip past the kitchen quickly and walk over to the front door, easily sliding on my shoes and grabbing my keys from off the hook and putting them into my pocket. In the process I come across a note that must've been placed there last night by either Conner or Mika which read "meet me at the cafe closest to the school." I was confused for a moment but rather eager to find out who it was from or what it was for and before I knew it, I was already heading for the door.

"Where do you think you're going mister?" Carol says giggling a bit as she comes out into the hall way.

I stop for a moment and smile lightly before looking up at her and brushing my hair back. "I got some stuff that I have to take care of." 

"Oh, okay. Are you sure you don't you want to at least have breakfast first?" She asks, looking back as she hears Casey run up behind her.

"I'm not really hungry, thanks though." 

"Uncle Jay can I come please?" Casey asks as she walks past carol and up to me as I squat down in front of her.

"Not this time love, this is something I have to do by myself." I say as I kiss her forehead and stand up strait. "I'll be back in a little while depending on how long it takes."

"Alright" Carol says as she follows me outside. "Just be safe." 

"I will" I say as I walk over to my car and open the door. "I'll call when I'm on my way back." 

I quickly slide into the driver seat and pull the door closed as I start the car, throwing on my seat belt and quickly pulling out of the driveway and onto the road. I could see the worried yet rather curious expression on Carol's face as I looked back at them through the rear view mirror, but I put that aside as I returned my focus back onto the note that I found in my jacket as I had left the house. I couldn't place my mind on who left it but giving the fact that it was probably placed last night narrowed the characters of my answer. Some one was watching me, the only question that seemed to be on my mind now was whom.

I turn left onto the main road as I come to the light, and proceed towards the cafe; flying past the school in a matter of minutes. I honestly never realized how close we lived to it until then. I figured as close as it was I could've walked, however, I chuckled at the thought. I enjoyed driving to much, somehow I found a slight amount of peace and comfort in it. For once, I was free of the shadowy thoughts which plagued my mind and for me, that was more than what any anti-depressant could've ever done.

I slow down as I near the cafe and pull into the parking lot, easily finding a space and shutting off the engine as I take off my seat belt and get out. I take the note out of my pocket again and look at it as I lean against the car door, looking back up just as Mika pulls into the parking lot shortly after my arrival and parks her car.

"So what, are you following me now?" I ask her as she gets out of the car.

"Who do you think left you the note?" She says as she walks towards me. 

"What's this about?" I ask, a bit curious as to why she's summoned me.

"Nobody knows that much about cars James, I wanna know how you do. Also, why you shut me out last night."

"I'll tell you, but you have to do something for me in return." I say smirking a little.

"I'm listening."

"You race right? Teach me how to drive the way you do and you got a deal."

"Fair enough." She says as she begins to head into the cafe. "Come on we can talk over some coffee."

I chuckle lightly as I push off my car and follow her inside, stopping beside her as I approach the counter.

"So tell me, why go through all this trouble just to ask me a couple of questions?" 

She pauses for a moment as she pays for her coffee and heads over to a table, waiting for me to order mine with a slight smile on her face. I shake my head lightly and order my coffee, looking back towards her as I wait. The look on her face and her body language made it difficult for me to profile her, however, in a way I could tell she was up to something. I pay for my coffee as the man working the register sets it on the counter, grabbing the cup and sitting down across from her at the table. I take a sip of my coffee as I wait on her answer, but she continues to stare as I do so; keeping the same tiny smile as she watches me before she finally laughs.

"What?" I say a bit confused"

"You" she says continuing to laugh lightly. "It's so easy to make you uncomfortable, It's cute that's all." she says as she takes a sip of her coffee. "Anyway to answer you're question, it's because I like to see how people react to certain things. Like the note I left you last night, though honestly I didn't think you'd go for it."

"So, why'd you leave it then?"

"I had a hunch. So tell me, how is it that you know so much about cars?"

"Books mostly, that and my father was a motor head before he became a cop so, I learned most of it from him." I say taking another sip of my coffee.

"Really?"

"Yep, he told me it would come in handy one day."

"Wise man." Mika says smiling a bit. "So why did you shut me out when I asked about you're mother and sister last night?"

"It's really just something I like to talk about honestly." I say lightly. "But since you went through all this trouble just to get me to meet up with you, I guess I kinda owe you the truth about what happened to them.

"Damn right you do, making me work this hard" she says teasingly causing us both to laugh.

"Alright well, my mother and sister were supposed to head out of town that night to work at this new hotel in San Diego that just opened up. Since they were short staffed and didn't have anyone in town or even in the state to help out they invited them to work there for a couple weeks so they could get things going." I begin taking another sip of my coffee as I continue the story, watching Mika's facial expressions change as her interest grows. "Now the plan was only for my niece and I to stay at my aunts until they got back.."

"But let me guess." Mika says lightly. "It didn't work out that way."

"Nope, a few hours later we get a call from the hospital saying that they had been involved in a hit and run accident that killed them both on impact. They, found the car that hit them but the guy that was driving is still out there somewhere."

"James, I'm so sorry" Mika says her smile now faded.

"it's alright, I've slowly started to move past it but, Case...I can tell it still bothers her, even when she smiles. Honestly that's what gets to me."

"Well, she's lucky to have a guy like you as an uncle"

"Thanks" I say smiling softly at her before looking back as I hear Conner's voice.

"James I never took you for a coffee guy" he says as he walks over to our table.

"You'd be surprised about what you can learn through observation." I say chuckling a bit.

"So, what's up? Are you two on a date or something?"

"No, Just a couple friends having a conversation over coffee." Mika says, looking up at Conner.

"Alright, Alright I'll leave you two love birds too it then." He say putting his hands up as he walks over towards the counter and orders a cup of coffee, paying for it as the man hands it to him. "Oh, James the guy's and I are holding a few races if you're interested."

"Thanks, but maybe another time." I say as I look back at him.

He shrugs and heads out of the cafe, watching us as he walks past the window and heads up the street. I look back over at Mika seeing her roll her eyes at him before looking back over at me.

"Why, do you even hang out with him?" She asks as she takes as she finishes her coffee.

"You know, I've been asking myself that same question lately."

"Come on, lets get going."

"Where to?" I ask her as I stand up and follow her out of the cafe.

"You'll see, just follow me."she says as she walks over to her car and gets in on the driver side.

I laugh a little as I head to mine and get in, starting the car and pulling out of my parking space easily and following behind her as she turns onto the main road. I turn right a the next light as she does, hearing my cell ring as the car straitens out. I shift a bit in my seat and take it out of my pocket, glancing between both the screen and the road. I was a bit confused by the sight of Mika's name on the screen; seeing as to the fact that I have never asked for her number nor has she once asked for mine. I smirk a bit as I realized what she had done and laugh lightly as I answer.

"Oh you're good" I say still laughing a bit.

"It helps that you get distracted easily" Mika responds, as she begins laughing herself.

"Still not telling me where we're headed?"

"Nope. Besides we're here already" she says as she turns into the parking lot of a small auto shop, hanging up as she gets out of her car.

I pull into the parking lot after her and find a parking space, shutting of the engine and getting out of the car as I look over at the building. It was a bit run down for a modification shop; the paint seemed to be falling off of the sides and the front window had been boarded up and painted over with the shop's logo. It had an urban theme to it, however, I couldn't say the same for the interior.

"Now's not the time to shop for spare parts love." I say letting my accent show without meaning to. I tried my best to hide it and unlike my sister, I wasn't a fan of it. For me it drew too much attention; so many people would question it and eventually I thought it had become tedious. However it still manages to show every now and then making talking a living hell for me.

"We're not shopping for me" Mika says laughing a little as she leads me into the store. "We're shopping for you."

"But there's nothing wrong with my car" I say a bit confused.

"You've got a lot to learn there rookie" says one of the workers as they walk up to us.

"Says who?" I ask as I turn to face him.

"I'm sorry where are my manners, the names John but everyone just calls me Cooper. You must be James."

"How do you..?"

"Mika's told me all about you" he says, cutting me off before I can finish my sentence.

I look over towards Mika as she looks around the room shaking my head lightly as I look back over at Cooper.

"Alright well, what did she recommend starting me off with?" I ask him as I brush my hair back.

"Just a standard upgrade pack. A Turbo upgrade along with a suspension adjustment, small can of nitrous oxide, bumpers, spoiler, led lights, and an inter-cooler."

"Jesus Mika are we buying the pack or everything in the store?"

"Just the essentials" She says as she smiles lightly.

"Really and how much of this is essential?"

"All of it" Both Cooper and Mika say simultaneously.

"Don't worry though" Cooper says as he places his hand on my shoulder. "This one's on the house."

I turn to face him as he walks past me and glance over at Mika. She shrugs as she begins to follow him and I do same as we make or way back to the parking lot.

"So, where's this car that I'm supposed to prep?" Cooper asks as he stops and looks back at us.

"It's over there." I say as I point to my car.

"You've got your work cut out for you Coop" a passing worker says as the enter the shop.

"Tell me about it...um, keys?"

"Don't scratch it" I say as I toss him the spare key.

"What?" I ask as I hear Mika giggle and turn to face her.

"Nothing" she says as she continues to giggle. "Come on, I'll take you home." She says as she begins to walk over to her car.

I get into the car after her and and throw on my seat belt watching her as we pull out of parking lot and take off down the road. We didn't talk much on the way to the house. It was mostly small talk or me giving her directions. Most of the time I just watched the way she was driving, how often she would change gears, or glance over at me just as I was looking away and smile. All I could think about was a question I had been asking myself since we met. Why was she interested in me?