I came around the turn using a little drift, not a lot. I was in second place, and coming up on the leader. I know he saw me coming, but I didn't really think he could squeeze any more speed out of his car. I crept up on him and was about to pass, edging up beside him, the guardrail just whipping by beside me.
There was a sudden sharp screech of rubber and road and before I could react he'd slammed sideways into the nose of my car, driving me into the guardrail. I fought for control, sparks flying as he kept the pressure on, forcing me hard against the rail.
Quick as a thought I jammed on the brakes, effectively popping backward out of his forceful embrace, and cutting the wheel a little to the left, away from the guardrail. He wasn't expecting the move, and it took him a second to react to my absence beside him. A second too long.
Without my car to act as a buffer he slammed into the guardrail just as we entered the last turn; a sweep to the right. I slipped out to the left, behind him, and twitched my wheel to the right as I hit the gas again, setting up a slight left drift. As he rebounded hard off the rail, swinging wide to the left before regaining control and entering the turn. I, in my slight left drift, feathered my wheels to the left, just slightly into the skid. My wheels suddenly gained purchase, gripping the road like some clawed metal beast, and I floored it.
My angle was perfect, and I slipped past on the inside track, shooting through the widening gap between his car and the rail at a much better angle than he had. I roared across the finish line a mere car length ahead of him.
Completely forgetting where I was, I let go of the WII controller with one hand and threw my fists in the air in triumph. My legs flexed hard as I started to jump to my feet and throw a one-man victory party. I say 'started' because, as I said, I had forgotten where I was.
As my butt left the edge of Handsome's bed, where I had been perched, the very top of my head connected forcefully with the underside of his upper bunk. My cry of "Did you see that?" degenerated into "Did youwaauughh!" My vision went a little funny for a second, but that may have been the tears of pain blurring up my view of the world. I nearly knocked myself silly again when I tried to grab my head without first releasing the controller.
"Are you okay, Dad?"
Handsome was horrified, but laughing. I managed to bite back the first response that sprang to my lips, and then the second. And the third. I finally gave him the fourth response that came to my mind, just happy that I'd finally thought of something to say that didn't involve a swear word or five.
He went to his closet, and came back with something for me, and we continued playing. He giggled, but I didn't care, I wore the thing he had fetched from his closet.
I know it was meant for skateboarding, but it fit and I didn't have to worry about my head any more.
I may be the only one I know who actually wears a crash helmet to play Mario Karts for the WII.
But, dammit, I won!
Talk to you later
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