Vivian's POV

I felt my body being shaken rigorously.

I opened my eyes to the rays of sunlight and my college roommate giving me the death stare.

"What the hell is wrong with you Vivian?"

"What... what... just happened?" I stuttered.

My roommate scoffed "What's going to happen is you are going to lose your chances of entry for the world's best car racer if you don't stand up from that bed right now!" She yelled. Pulling my arms.

"Ruby?" I called.

She stopped to look at me. "Are you sick or something?"

"How is this possible?"

"What nonsense are you saying?" She yelled at me. Pointing to the wall clock in the room. The only thing I inherited from my mom.

"It's almost ten. You are still here, on your bed. Don't you want this?"

I spaced out.

This can't be happening.

"How's this possible?" I muttered

"Vivian?"

I ran out of my room. Went out to the roadside exactly as it was three years ago.

I was wearing the same clothes I wore on this day three years ago. Ruby was also wearing the same clothes. The only difference was that this time around she was the one waking me up.

I began to touch things. I could really feel them. I had also felt Ruby's arm on my body earlier. Which meant that I wasn't a ghost.

I went back into the apartment, sat on the floor. Just breathing. For almost twenty minutes.

Ruby stared at me, confusion evident in her eyes.

Everything that had happened, the accident, the baby, my legs felt like a memory. A bad dream.

Just to be sure I touched my face, my stomach, everything was whole. The knees that should have had three screws were perfectly fine, the baby, never conceived.

I got a second chance.

My phone buzzed. Racing show reminder 12 PM. In less than two hours John Mitchell will see me race and offer to sponsor my career.

Or wouldn't he?

The alarm rang exactly the same time it had rung in the past.

"Hey Vivian!"

I turned around to see Maxwell, my neighbour.

He had run in the same way he did in the past and stood at the exact spot he had stood.

Yes, I remember details especially because I saw that day as the best day of my life.

But not anymore.

I needed one more thing as confirmation that I had gone back in time.

I went straight to my wardrobe, pulled out a little big box from inside and then opened it.

The only thing I had inherited from my father. His racing kits. Helmet, gloves, and even his racing sportswear, all folded and arranged the exact way I had done it.

"I am really alive," I muttered.

"Vivian? Are you okay?"

"Yeah... yeah... I am." I stuttered.

"You sure? You seem like you are crying"

I hadn't even noticed it until the tear dropped down my cheeks.

Then just before closing the box my eye caught a white paper.

I picked it up and it was my father's handwriting.

I couldn't remember seeing this paper on this day. Well, I wouldn't be surprised if I hadn't noticed it.

I was very happy and trying to prepare for the race, so everything else didn't matter.

I picked up the paper and flipped it.

It read: ME AND GONZO. BEFORE EVERYTHING WENT WRONG 1997.

My chest tightened.

Gonzo. Gonzales. Marcus's father.

I remembered Marcus.

Gonzalez was the corrupt politician who had introduced my father to his bad drinking habit which ruined him.

Could Marcus have known me?

Marcus was the quiet mechanical engineering student always sketching cars, watching races from the back of the crowd.

Thinking of him, I could remember that he always showed up everywhere I was.

I never paid him any attention except for one time when he tried talking to me after a race, but then John showed up and I had to leave.

What could be the connection between Marcus, my father's death and my second chance at life?

I placed the letter back. There had been so much I had been blind to.

****

I arrived at the University track at 1:30. Students were already setting up. My beat-up Honda Civic waited in the pit area-modified with money from three part-time jobs.

This exact spot was where John Mitchell had seen me.

"Hey."

I heard a nervous whisper. I turned around to see Marcus standing behind me.

"Uhm, that's a custom suspension setup."

I smiled.

He had a big, solid body with messy hair and he held a worn notebook covered in sketches.

"Yeah, I did it myself."

"Cool, but uhm..." he paused moving closer and taking a better look at my car. "The angle is wrong, you will get oversteer in tight corners." He pointed "The rear seat is too low. You'll lose control if you steer too hard."

"And you know all this because...?"

He held out his notebook "Studying mechanical engineering. Major in car dynamics. And I watch a lot of races too."

"You race?"

"No, I just watch."

Of course, I knew all that information but I had to keep the conversation flowing.

Marcus never approached me on this day. There had to be a reason why the past was changing.

"You should fix that? You would get an accident if you don't."

"No I won't."

He smiled "Trust me. You will crash if you take turn seven"

"Why do you care?"

"I don't. I just feel it's going to be a waste if such a nice car is ruined by a bad Setup." He said then walked away.

Back then I remember seeing him pacing back and forth not so far from where I stood, his eyes fixed on my car.

But I saw him as a weirdo so I walked away and didn't give him a chance to talk. I guess he was trying to warn me.

I had spun out in turn seven, it looked dramatic and impressive. That was what drew John's attention to me.

I felt like fixing it now might change the course of history.

But I grabbed my tools and fixed it.

At exactly 2:00PM I was done.

"Vivian Chen?"

I recognised the voice immediately.

John Mitchell. He stood in front of me, tall handsome and in designer clothes that looked expensive than my car.

"Yes, I am" I replied coldly. "What do you want from me?"

"I love to spot talent early. I have heard about you, seen you race in the local town."

"I see" I replied sounding uninterested.

"I want you on my team, you've got the look, underdog story, dead father, unavailable mother and a rough past." He said it casually just like he had said in the past.

He said it like my trauma was a product.

Those were the same words that made me fall for him. I thought he had good intentions, he really wanted to help me but I saw the truth now. In my past life, he had seen my pain and knew exactly how to use it.

My body stiffened as he kept on talking. Memories of what happened in the future flashed through my mind.

I looked down to where all my tools were and then grabbed the tyre iron and swung it towards john’s face.

Chapter 3: NEW Vivian's POV

Just before it could hit his face I tilted my hands a little and flung it over to another car racer who needed the tool.

John didn't flinch.

Didn't even bat an eyelid.

I had just made a risky gamble. I remembered that in my past life, the racer who stood next to me requested that particular tool. But then I had not given it to him.

I had calculated the timing, hoping and praying that it would go according to plan.

Luckily for me it did.

I didn't want to hurt John. No. At least not in that way. I just wanted to scare him or something. But obviously he wasn't.

"For a second I thought you were gonna hit me with that tool."

"And what if I did?"

"Well, you didn't." He said folding his arms and moving closer. "So about my offer?"

"I'm not interested in being anyone's narrative" I said.

John laughed. "Come on beautiful? Okay, tell me the reason why you race?"

The question caught me off guard. In my past life, the reason why I raced was that that was the only way I felt like I could conquer the world.

"Uhm... come on don't tell me you were thinking about that." He said smiling "Okay let me help you, you're racing because you want something. Recognition. Money. A way out." He stepped closer "I can give you all of that Vivian Chen."

"No."

The word hung in the air.

"No?"

"I don't want your help, I don't want your money, I don't want anything from you."

John's smile disappeared. "You don't even know what I'm offering-"

"I know enough John. You are looking for someone desperate someone you can control. That's not me"

His face hardened and for a moment I saw the real him the man who would leave me to die.

Then almost immediately the mask returned.

"Come on, you are misunderstanding this, I am only trying to help."

"I don't need your help"

"You are making a huge mistake Ms Chen. I don't offer sponsorships twice."

"Good. We both know where we stand on this matter."

John stared at me. Then smiled again but this time his smile was cold.

"We'll see how you feel after you crash in turn seven." He walked away.

My heart pounded. I'd done it. Rejected John before he could trap me

But his last words sent shivers down my spine.

I took in a deep breath.

John had known that my car would fail.

I looked at my car once more.

I had fixed it.

Maybe he hadn't taken note or probably I had not fixed it well.

This only meant that he had known I would crash in the past but chose not to say anything.

I looked across the pit. Marcus stood by the fence. Watching me.

Our eyes met and then he nodded once.

I walked towards him.

"Can you work with me?" I asked.

He looked up at me, confusion in his eyes.

"Obviously you are good with cars, you know how to fix them and how they should be." I paused waiting for him to say something but he didn't. I continued. "I know a bit about how to fix cars, but clearly I don't have enough knowledge as you do. So what I am saying his-"

"You want us to work together?" He interrupted.

"Yeah, I race, you innovate. "

"You don't even know me."

"I know you are a genius who loves cars, besides you just saved my life by spotting the issue in my car and telling me how to fix it."

His eyes went straight to where my Honda Civic stood. "Uhm... I don't think that's properly fixed yet." He said. Standing up. "You're still going to crash in turn seven."

He stood up and went straight to the car. Picked up my tools and began to fix my car.

In less than twenty minutes he was done.

"You are good now."

"Does this mean you accept my partnership?"

"Maybe." He said with a smile then walked away.

Playing hard to get I guess. Well, I wouldn't blame him. I practically didn't recognise his existence in my past life. Maybe this was my KARMA.

On his seat, he whispered. Goodluck.

The race started at exactly 2:30PM Sharp.

I sat in my Civic at the starting line. Heart pounding. Hands steady on the wheel. Around me, five other cars revved their engines. Student drivers looking for glory just like me.

Well, my past life was looking for glory. This reborn me was looking for something more than a race glory.

In my past life, I had crashed in turn seven, but in this life, Marcus had helped me fix my suspension. And I had three years of memories that no one else had.

I knew every mistake I would make for the next three years. Every risk I shouldn't have taken and the ones I should have taken.

This time would be different.

The flag dropped.

I hit the gas and shot forward. My car wasn't the fastest but it was nimble. Took the inside line on turn one slipping past two other drivers.

Turn three. Turn four. I pushed harder, feeling the suspension hold.

Marcus had been right. The car worked better. More responsive.

I stared at turn seven ahead of me.

This was it. The turn that had nearly killed me.

I didn't hesitate. I went straight in. Hit the apex perfectly, felt the tyres grip, and accelerated out cleanly.

There was no spin. No crash. No drama.

Just clean, precise driving.

I crossed the finish line in second place.

In my past life, I managed to escape death and came out in fourth place.

Things were definitely changing.

I drove to the pit and killed the engine.

I came out. Marcus stood by the fence, notebook clutched to his chest. Smiling.

I started working towards him, but before I could reach him someone grabbed my arm from behind.

I turned.

John stood there. His perfect smile was back in place. But his grip on my arm was too tight.

"Impressive" he said softly. "You took my advice and fixed the suspension. Smart girl."

"I didn't take your advice. I took his." I said pointing to Marcus. "He helped me fix it."

"Oh, I see..." His eyes drifted to Marcus briefly and then back at me "Well that was a mistake." He said smiling. "Don't worry, you'll learn" He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a whisper only I could hear. "I always get what I want. Vivian. Always. And I don't forget those who humiliated me."

My chest tightened.

He sounded very dangerous. More dangerous than I can remember.

He released my arm and then walked away.

In my past life, I couldn't see this evil side of John because I had said yes when he approached me. But saying no to him brought out his true character.

"Hey, are you okay?" Marcus said waving at me.

I was lost in thought I didn't know when he got to my side.

"I am sorry.... what?"

"I said are you okay? I saw him grab you." He pointed in John's direction.

John was already with Sharon, his arms around her waist and they were both smiling.

I felt sick at the sight of both of them.

"Yeah I am fine, I don't even know him, I am just meeting him for the first time."

"It didn't look like he was just meeting you for the first time."

"What do you mean?"

"The way he looked at you?"

"And what about that?"

"It doesn't look like he's just meeting you."

My blood went cold.

Thinking back at what happened earlier, how he had approached me before the race. In my past life, he approached me after the race. The way I survived the crash was what drew his attention.

Then he had also mentioned my crash in turn seven too.

How did he know about that?

Just then our eyes met and a wry smile appeared at the corner of his lips.

My chest tightened.

My body froze.

My heart pounded to fast.

My hands shook.

Could he have also been given a second chance like me? Gone back in time?