{ back to school race / 21st September / with Jesse }
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The kitchen smelled faintly of butter and toasted bread… but not like the nice kind you may want to wrap yourself in before the day officially started. Rudy stood over the stove like he was headlining a cooking show with spatula in one hand and apron tied carelessly around his waist even though it was already stained from last night’s culinary experiments. ”Alright, sous chef,“ he announced in his best fake tv host voice, pointing the spatula toward his sister who was still rubbing sleep from her eyes. ”Pass me the salt! Chop chop… audience is waiting.“ She giggled but played along, sliding it toward him.
”Excellent, excellent,” Rudy muttered, stacking bread, tossing lettuce in the air… you know, the usual way one might make a sandwich. ”Presentation is everything, you know. People pay hundreds for this artistry.” “Hundreds for your soggy sandwiches?” she shot back. ”Hey! Watch the attitude in my kitchen,” he said, smirking as he added the finishing touch: a crooked little smiley face sticker slipped onto her lunch bag. He tucked it in without her noticing, just the way their mom used to do for him. Satisfied, he leaned against the counter, munching on a piece of crust. ”So, you sure you got a ride? I don’t want you wandering around like a lost duckling.” “Sarah’s picking me up,” she said, casual as ever. Rudy arched a brow. ”Sarah is… a girl, right?” Her eyes immediately rolled. “Yes, Rudy. She’s a girl.” ”Hm… And her mom’s driving you, not her dad, right?” This time, the eye roll was so dramatic it was almost a full body sigh. “Yes. Her mom. Can I go now?”
"Alright, alright, sass machine,” Rudy said, laughing as he ruffled her hair. “Just making sure. Dad left you some cash on the table… don’t spend it all on the vending machine.” She nodded, already halfway out the door, but he leaned against the counter, watching her with a fondness he didn’t bother to mask. The whole house felt quieter when she started walking away and though he’d never say it, he hated that silence. “Hey!” He called just before she stepped outside. She turned, exasperated. "Don’t go around embarrassing me, alright? I’ve got a reputation to maintain.” She muttered something about him being more annoying than helpful to which Rudy just grinned, watching her go.
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Rudy slid into his truck, still grinning faintly from the breakfast chaos and turned the key in the ignition. The engine roared awake, a little louder than necessary but he didn’t mind… it suited his mood. He drove with the windows down, one arm hanging lazily out the side. His destination wasn’t the school just yet, he had another mission first: Jesse.
Jesse was quieter lately, not himself and Rudy wasn’t about to let him sink into that rut so soon after starting school. If Jesse thought skipping or sulking would go unnoticed, he clearly didn’t know Rudy well enough… Lies, he did but doesn’t this make it sound more dramatic? Pulling into Jesse’s neighborhood, Rudy parked right in front of his house, angled just enough to block a neighbor’s driveway, and leaned hard on the horn. The blaring sound shattered the early morning silence, carrying across the street, probably rattling windows and drawing curses from anyone still sleeping. Yeah, he was waking people up. Yeah, he was being that guy. But that was the point. A scene big enough to drag Jesse out, because Jesse couldn’t ignore him when the whole damn neighborhood was probably glaring out their windows. Rudy chuckled to himself, but beneath the laughter… he was nervous. He wanted Jesse out here…not his dad, not some pssed neighbor, no one else… Just Jesse.
Sure enough, after a few more obnoxiously long honks, the front door finally opened. Jesse stepped out, squinting at Rudy like he’d just committed a felony. “What-” ”There he is! I was about to send a rescue party.“ He threw on his most innocent grin, like this was all perfectly reasonable, leaning back in his seat, one hand tapping the steering wheel. Before Jesse could fire back, Rudy launched into his pitch. ”*Okay, listen. You’re not gonna believe this… but there’s this big competition happening in like, two months. Huge deal." He paused for dramatic effect, lifting his brows. ”Racing! Big! Deal! Obviously, I can’t just go into this unprepared, so I need someone to practice with and lucky you, you’ve been drafted.“ It was such a weak lie, but Rudy sold it with all the confidence he could muster. He didn’t even pause long enough for Jesse to question the details, already revving his engine like the countdown had started. ”Here’s the deal… First one to school wins… something. Bragging rights? Lunch on me? Whatever you want.“ He shot him a grin, eyes bright and daring. ”So what’s it gonna be, man? You gonna stand there looking like a grumpy old grandpa or you gonna try and beat me to school?“
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