Rebel Rising: A Dystopian Romance

"Oh you will." She pulled a clear plastic case from inside her jacket and shook it at him.

"Does it work?" he asked, leaning forwards with more interest.

"Only one way to find out." She snapped the case open and pulled out a shiny, circular piece of plastic which she slid into a slot on the dashboard.

A second passed and the number one flashed up in green next to the slot.

I glanced at Coal who was suddenly looking really happy and was about to open my mouth to ask why when noise filled the car.

There was a lot of crashing and banging but it all worked together somehow to create a beat. A smile spread across my face slowly as a male voice kicked in and started to sing. Music in the city never sounded like that.

“I hope you like rap music." Alicia laughed and cranked the volume up so that the speakers pounded.

Hunter pulled up next to us, the same excited expression on his face as Alicia's. She flicked a button and the window descended so that we could talk to him.

"We're gunna make use of these trucks today, it'll be the full off-road experience," he called over to us.

"That's if you can keep up," Alicia yelled over the music, revving the engine.

"Do you really wanna challenge me, little lady?" Hunter shouted as he sped off, splattering mud up from his wheels which flew in through the window and coated us.

"I'll kill him," Alicia gro

wled, flicking mud off of her face and slamming the truck into gear.

“Is there something I'm missing on the whole car front? I mean they make traveling easier and all but-" I waved a hand at Alicia who was practically bouncing out of her seat with excitement. The truck span wildly as she turned it back towards the road and the rear end slid sideways in the mud before levelling as we shot forwards in pursuit of Hunter.

"I'll teach you to drive some time." Coal glanced at me. "It's great fun, but Alicia and Hunter do have a kind of obsession with big engines that's beyond most people's enjoyment of them."

We were flung sideways as Alicia sped out onto the road and the tyres squealed in protest as they skidded on the tarmac before gaining traction. I fell into Coal’s lap, like honest to god face to fucking crotch.

“Shit,” I gasped as I scrambled back, my cheeks flaming as I pulled myself upright hastily, hanging onto the door so that it didn't happen again.

“Can’t say I minded,” Coal joked and my blush deepened as I tried to think of something to say in response to that.

"Erm, so…how about you, do you like cars too?" I asked, changing the subject back hastily.

“Yeah, I guess so, I prefer motorbikes though," he said, still giving me that cocky smirk.

“How do they work?" I asked, ignoring the look he was giving me and having to speak loudly to be heard over the music.

"I'll take you for a ride some time." He raised his eyebrows at me invitingly and I cleared my throat at the double meaning to his words, wondering if I was imagining it or not.

The engine growled as we hit top speed. Alicia and Laurie were whooping and laughing in the front and I couldn't help but feel exhilarated by the drive too.

The wide, straight road provided the perfect race track and the truck roared its challenge as we pulled level with Hunter. We nosed ahead and then Hunter did and then us again. Finally, I was looking at Hunter through the window next to me and we were still speeding up.

Eventually Hunter gave up, he smacked his hands down on the steering wheel and let us take the lead. Alicia laughed triumphantly and we all cheered in excitement as the final leg of our journey began.

***

The songs on the disc played around several times until I was able to sing along to some of the choruses. I wasn't really sure singing rap music was my life's calling but I liked it.

“What happened to the coyotes?" I asked as I grew bored of the view once again.

"I guess they went off looking for something easier to catch," Coal shrugged like being hunted by something that wanted to eat us was no big deal. And maybe it wasn’t to him.

The truck lurched as Kaloo rearranged herself in the back and my gaze shifted to look around at her.