Page 46 of Send It
Colson
Lincoln rode really well in the first moto but it wouldn’t be Lincoln if she wasn’t irritated that she didn’t win. She’s a perfectionist and sometimes that’s her biggest downfall.
She did amazing but still to her, it wasn’t good enough.
Motocross is an individual sport so there is only one winner, but that’s why it’s called racing. If the same person won every single time it would be called winning.
Third place got us a good gate pick for today, which is moto number two, and she still has a chance to beat Landon and Reiss off the line to secure a win. If she rides like I know she can, then she will absolutely do it.
“What are you doing?” I ask, watching Lincoln and Stassie in the middle of some kind of meditation.
Lincoln is sitting in the middle of the tent on the ground with her legs crossed and Stas is dancing around her like an idiot while chanting something that sounds oddly familiar.
“ Y’all look crazy as hell. All those spectators over there are watching. ”
Stas shrugs, her tits spilling out over the top of her Bane Racing racerback tank top. “Let them stare, we are in the zone.”
“Ahhh skeet skeet god damn!” She growls dancing around Lincoln in a circle.
I can’t hold the laughter in another minute and neither can Linc.
It’s a reenactment straight out of The Proposal and all I can picture is Sandra Bullock dancing around with Gammy in the woods.
I’m done with these girls. They are crazy as hell.
Stassie stops dancing and grabs my bicep, “Stop laughing, I’m giving her good mojo over here. You want her to win, don’t you?”
I whisper back, yanking my arm away, “Of course I do but y’all are going to end up all over YouTube. Some of those kids are probably live streaming.”
She laughs, “We are silly. That’s how I get her out of her perfect little mind. If you want her to stop over thinking it then let me do my work.”
“You have lost your mind, Stas.”
She crosses her arms and cocks her hip out all sassy, “Colson Raines, I think you have lost your mind. I can’t believe y’all haven’t been caught yet. Reiss is smarter than we all give him credit for. He’s gonna find out that it’s not you out there.”
She says it low enough so Lincoln can’t hear but I feel some guilt when she looks at me. She’s right, Lincoln could do something at any moment out there that could tip Reiss off. Then all hell will break loose. I’m just hoping it doesn’t happen in front of everyone. Or worse, on camera .
“I tried to get her to pull out. She’s stubborn as fuck. She wants to do this.”
Stas rolls her eyes, “Because she wants to prove to all those fuckers that she can. Why do you think she’s not just racing in the women’s class? She’s just as good as all of you and she wants everyone to know it.”
I feel a bit of sadness wash over me as I watch Lincoln, legs crossed with her elbows on her knees, eyes closed. “She wants her dad to know it.”
Stassie’s eyes flash from Lincoln and back to me, “That’s part of it but she loves you Colson. She always has, she’d do anything if she thought it meant helping you.”
I nod stiffly, not wanting to share anything too personal with Stassie when my words about Lincoln are meant for Lincoln.
“Get up,” she says to Lincoln. “Let’s go inside for a real therapy session.”
I shake my head, Stas is far from a therapist.
“Don’t look at me like that,” she huffs, grabbing Lincoln by the wrist and dragging her inside the motorhome. “Best friend time is therapy.”
The door slams and I laugh.
What in the actual fuck just happened?
A few kids run up to the tent after the girls go inside, right as Reiss is walking around the other side of the trailer, and we give them some Bane Racing merch and sign a few hats.
A couple of guys doing some live streams on YouTube also drop in and chat for a few minutes.
By the time that’s finished, we walk over to the bikes and get ready to go to staging.
“You coming?” He asks, once he gets all of his gear on.
Obviously, I’m stalling for Lincoln. “I’ll be right behind you. I need to get something out of the motorhome.”
He eyes me down, like he might say something, but just nods. “Alright.”
When he rides away, I walk into the trailer and bang twice on the door, signaling Lincoln to come out.
Stas opens the door and Lincoln comes out dressed exactly like me. Stas tosses her a pair of goggles, and walks by us both. “I’m going on over to watch, knock ‘em dead, you bad ass bitch.”
Lincoln grins, pushing the helmet down over her head.
She looks over at me before pulling her goggles over her helmet, not saying a single word.
Instead, she just hops on the bike and rides over to staging.
She’s in the zone and I wouldn’t dare break her focus.
Instead, I head over to the deck with my dust mask on and try to blend in so I can watch without anyone recognizing me.
I decide to stand in a different spot today, so I don’t get to see the holeshot but I’m not surprised when the first bike I see is Lincoln.
She’s fucking moving, too. She’s got at least three seconds on second place, who happens to be Landon Tate and by the way he rides by, I can tell he’s out for blood.
I watch intently for the next few laps and Lincoln’s lead just keeps getting bigger. She’s riding like an absolute maniac.
She’s riding like I used to .
With absolutely no fear. She’s doubling up on the breaking bumps, leaving no space for error. There’s no way anyone is catching her. Not unless she makes a mistake on the last lap. I watch as she continues to kick everyone’s ass and when the checkered flag goes out, she takes the win.
Several people slap her back as she rides off the track and she goes straight to the trailer like she’s supposed to. When I get there she’s just taking her helmet off, a dirt ring under where her goggles sit.
The giant smile on her face is my soft spot. I take her face in my hands and bring her mouth to mine, kissing her so deeply that her back slams into the side of the trailer.
“You were amazing,” I say, pulling back to look at her. “That was the definition of sending it.”
She places her hand in the middle of my chest and pushes me back, “Let me in before Reiss gets here and catches us.”
I nod, because honestly I forgot anyone else existed when she pulled her helmet off. I only saw her.
“Talk later,” she whispers before disappearing inside. “Go do your interview before someone notices.”
I put a Bane Racing hat on and leave my goggles around my neck. Straddling the bike, I fire it up and head over to the Monster Energy victory tent. When I get there, everyone is waiting for me. Ryan, my dad, and Lincoln’s dad.
Everyone gives me a look that says what the hell? and I just shrug. I whisper to Ryan, “I had to use the bathroom.”
They put my bike on the stand in the middle of the tent.
“Here he is, your winner, Colson Raines.” The announcer says. “What a picture perfect race and amazing lead and finish. Guys put your hands together because he is also your holeshot award winner.”
They hand me a metal and a plaque. “Colson, tell everybody back home how amazing that felt to be in first place after that first turn.”
“It felt great,” I say. “It was a good start out of the gate. I knew I had to focus on the line and put down some good early laps and by then I had enough of a gap to settle in.”
“Well, you did what you came out here to do on that one and showed everyone that you are still in it after that brutal injury last year. Congratulations on a great race man, I know you have an amazing team behind you. Anyone you need to thank?”
I look out into the crowd and notice Lincoln standing in the back.
“Yeah, man. I just want to thank everyone at Bane Racing and all the sponsors. My dad who came out today, my teammate Reiss, my trainer Ryan, and Lincoln…” I say the words and instantly explain, “My friend Lincoln who helped me train after my injury. Thanks.”
Our dad’s share a look and I know when I get back to the trailer I’m gonna be cooked for mentioning her but seeing her standing there in the back, and knowing she was the reason I was standing here, I had to acknowledge her.
I look around as I step down off the podium for Reiss but he’s already stepping up to take the silver.
Which means he beat Landon. So that puts Reiss in the chase for the title tomorrow.
I watch as Reiss gives his interview and I continue to sneak glances at Lincoln. Each time, she’s looking right back at me.