Chapter One

                                    

                                          
I stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around myself, and entered the room to find Maddie tweaking over her outfit for the night.
She had invited me to a street racing event in Tokyo and I obviously said yes. Legal? Probably not. Did I care? Not in the slightest.
I enjoyed the thrill of watching cars race, and I was grateful to Maddie for inviting me.
Taking a seat beside her at our shared table, I pulled out my makeup bag. I started to apply my makeup and wait for my hair to dry.
"I have no idea what to wear! What are you wearing?" Maddie asked, sounding stressed. Even though she always had 20 million outfits for any occasion, sometimes she acted as she had nothing to wear.  
"Maybe something blue to match your hair," I suggested, and she thanked me.
After finishing my makeup, I dressed up. Normally, I stuck to sweats and a sweatshirt for school, but tonight called for something extra.
I wore a white tube top paired with baggy low-rise jeans. Adding some jewelry, I slipped on two rings, a necklace with my initial, small hoop earrings, and changed my belly ring to a blue one to match Maddie's streak. I left my hair down, letting it air dry.
"First time you look like a girl," Maddie teased, then gasped as she pointed to my back. "Is that a tramp stamp?" she asked in shock.
"What else would it be?" I said with a smirk, laughing along. "Shouldn't we be leaving?" I glanced at the clock; it was nearly ten.
"Oh my god, yes!" Maddie exclaimed, grabbing her bag. She practically dragged me to the subway station, insisting we couldn't take our cars to stay low-key and be able to escape easily if needed.
The subway ride took thirty minutes, during which Maddie briefed me on everything. I was grateful to have her by my side. She seemed to have my back. Before leaving the train, we made a pact to stick together and communicate if we ever separated. We also agreed to return home together.
"Okay so, here we are" she said as she dragged me across a door which revealed a full car show. In the abandoned parking lot, there were many cars lined up. Hot girls and guys were chatting away and there were bets being made for some races. 
Maddie wasted no time in introducing me to her friends she had made in the past week. I mostly stayed quiet, I was unsure of how to insert myself into their already established group. However, I did take my time to admire the variety of cars surrounding us. One car, in particular, caught my eye—a 1997 white Toyota Supra with gorgeous, hot accents. I quickly took out my phone and snapped a picture. 
"Like it?" a deep voice asked behind me and I turned to see a 5'10 blond man. "Yes, your car, I assume?" I replied, and he nodded. "Sorry for taking pictures without asking," I apologized, and he chuckled. "You don't seem too sorry," he remarked.
"Not my fault you have such a nice car," I retorted with a grin. "I'm Y/n," I introduced myself.
"Mines Gustav," he responded. "That's an unusual name, Gustav. Where's it from?" I asked, hoping it didn't come off the wrong way.
"Germany, you're American, right?" he asked and I nodded.
"Let me guess, the accent gave it off?" I said with a sigh and he laughed at my misery. "Obviously"
The conversation lulled for a moment before picking up again. "So, do you race?" he asked while looking me up and down with a critical eye. 
"No, I'm new here, just exploring Japan. But I know my way around cars," I replied, and he nodded in acknowledgment. "Do you race?" I asked, and he scoffed.
"Of course I do! I'm one of the top five racers here," he boasted. "My friends are also among the best. I'm actually racing against them today."
"Cool, maybe we could race sometime? I've got a Honda back home," I suggested, and he grinned. "I'll ask Tom, he runs this place, and he only lets good people in," he explained.
"Need to go through a trial or something?" I joked, but his nod made me realize he wasn't joking. Before he could elaborate, he was called over by an emo-looking boy.
"Sorry, race is starting soon. How about I give you my number so we can chat later about racing?" he offered, and I handed him my phone.
"See you later, Y/n," he said before hopping into his car. "Good luck on the race, I'll watch," I called after him, waving goodbye. As I turned back to the group, they all wore wide-eyed expressions.
"What's wrong?" I asked, confused and Maddie squealed with excitement. "Girl, you just talked to Gustav. The Gustav from Tokio Hotel Racing Group," she said jumping up and down.
It turned out that Gustav was infamous in the Japanese street racing world. Along with his group, they practically dominated the streets. Apparently, him talking to me was a huge deal, and getting his number was even more significant.
"Oh my god, I think he has a crush on you!" Maddie exclaimed, and I grimaced. "No, he was just being a normal person, Maddie. Besides, not my type."
Maddie rolled her eyes at me and nodded. "True, but let your girl be delusional," she said, and I laughed.
"Racing's about to start!" someone yelled, and the crowd suddenly rushed toward the starting line. There was a Japanese girl standing in the middle in a skimpy outfit, she had a microphone in her hands, she was a gorgeous announcer. 
"Tonight's a good night! We have Georg," the announcer began, pointing to a tall guy with long brown hair. "We have Gustav!" she added, and I spotted the same boy I had been talking to earlier; he waved at me, and I waved back.
"We have Bill!" the announcer continued, and the emo-boy from earlier grinned excitedly at everyone. The crowd erupted into cheers, and I clapped politely. "Lastly, Tom!" the girl announced, causing the girls to scream and cheer even louder.
I turn over to see a handsome 6'2 guy with locks. He had a lip piercing and smirked as he waved confidently. He seemed cocky and self-assured, the type of guy who usually annoyed me, no matter how good-looking he was.
Our eyes met, and he looked me up and down with a grin. I couldn't help but roll my eyes as I waved back. The race soon started and my heart raced as I watched them drive and drift through the streets. Tom was so captivating, he demolished everyone around him with his crazy skills. 
When the race was over, Tom was announced the winner, and I cheered for him. As he came back out, he waved at me, signaling for me to come over. I shook my head, pointing at my watch. I had to leave. He nodded in understanding, and I internally smiled at myself, thinking maybe he wouldn't be so bad after all.
The next time I saw him, I realized how much of a jerk he actually was.