Disclaimer: Just so you guys know, I'd rather not get sued for all that I could make off of this plus thousands extra that I don't have, so I don't own Speed Racer no matter how much I want to and don't intend to profit from this. ;)

This takes place after "Speed Actor," and makes references to it. Enjoy.

"A Healing Scar" – X

It's not like I didn't try to forget about her; I still try to wrap my mind around the fact that we weren't close like we might've been before, it's just hard. I still can't believe that it escalated to something so serious. Speed wasn't even part of this. He was dragged into the middle, and almost died. Because of me, I still firmly believe.

It all started almost a month ago.

Everybody was preparing for the big race. Sound familiar? I thought so. It seems like the Racer Academy drags in all the media hype. But, that's beside the point. It was only a short week since the Mach 6 had been stolen. I could faintly hear the distinct rumble as he drove laps for practice before the qualifier in a few days. I was resting on my bed, thoughts running through my head. For some reason, my time alone got me remembering the times before I had learned about my little brother.

I glanced over at the shelves, the ring I had given Annalise when we had first started dating resting on one beside her picture. I couldn't put my finger on why I still had either trinket, but I just couldn't get rid of them. Hidden deep in my mind, I knew I still had feelings for her that I couldn't shake.

Mildly troubled, I stood up and flexed my shoulders before walking over to the shelf. Feeling a frown emerge on my lips, I picked up the intricate little piece, examining it as it glinted in the fluorescent light illuminating my room. The gold band still glimmered and the frosty blue gem in the center almost looked violet at the right angle. I sighed.

"Hey X!" My brother's sudden voice behind me nearly gave me a heart attack and I found myself quickly setting the ring back on the shelf and turning around to face him more abruptly than I intended. I narrowed my eyes at him. "Sheesh, knocking: Ring a bell?" I grumbled. He opened his mouth to apologize but I spoke first. "Never mind. I thought you were practicing?"

Speed grinned. "I was, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to ace that qualifier." I chuckled and smiled, putting my arm over his shoulders. "You know what? You go ahead and do that, 'cause when you do race, I'm gonna kick your butt no matter what position you're in!"

It nearly breaks my heart at how close we were before this whole thing started.

The next day, I was eating my lunch at alone. I just barely missed my brother glance over at me, double-taking. He probably figured that I would at least be sitting with a couple of girls or something like that, but my covered remaining feelings for Annalise were being drove back up to the surface by who knows what, and I couldn't help but stare at her as she chatted casually with the Deuceys a few tables over.

I jumped a little as Speed was suddenly beside me, tracing my gaze over to my ex. I sighed and looked up at him, but he simply frowned back down at me. "X, do you want me to talk to her?" he said, his voice much more sympathetic and patient than I thought it might've been. "Knock yourself out. It's not like she'll change her mind," I replied, my voice flat and bitter. He walked over to her table, and though I couldn't hear what they were saying, hope flashed in my mind for a second as I saw her grin and look over at me. Sadly, I didn't notice how devilish of a grin it was or how alarmed Speed seemed at whatever she had said as I tossed the rest of my lunch, my appetite lost.

The next day, things started to get out of hand.