The growl of a motorcycle slowly comes to a halt in front of a gray and dingy apartment complex. "This the place?" JT turned his head and asked. 

Tara took off the motorcycle helmet and answered. "Sure is. In all its glory. It's the best I can get for now at least." 

"You know they're hiring at my job right? Start you out with some decent pay at fifteen an hour." JT replied with a coy smile. 

"And how many women work at your job?" Tara crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.

"Alright, you got me there." JT shrugged after getting off the bike. "Plus the work itself does kinda suck. Tight spaces up high in the air and getting covered in dust, fiberglass, and mastic. All my work shirts are covered in that shit." 

"Mhm. Exactly. I think I'd rather not." Tara replied in a sassy tone.

"Thought I would make the offer." JT said as he lit a cigarette and offered Tara one who accepted the offer. "Don't think you wanna get that stuff in your hair either. Speaking of which, I'm due for one." JT added as he ran his fingers through his hair. It wasn't long per say, but it was long enough for it to get in the way. 

"I don't know, I kinda like it that length." Tara took a drag of her smoke. 

"You do?" JT exhaled smoke before adding, "It gets in the way and usually gets mastic in it. That stuff dries, you'll never get it out. Same with beards. I'm also due for a trim in that department too." JT rubbed his short beard. It was getting a little long and scraggly for his liking. He usually kept it clean, but full and sharp.

"The beard, yeah, but your hair? It seems fine to me. Tell you what, you get it cut and show me and I'll tell you what I think." 

"And just how am I gonna show you? Walk right up to your doorstep?" JT leaned against his bike, taking a drag of his smoke.

"Or I could give you my number?" Tara shrugged coyly.

"I like that idea better." JT shot her a smirk as the two began to exchanged numbers.

"Well, I had fun tonight." Tara said as she tossed her smoke aside. The cherry at the end of it exploding in sparks on the sidewalk. "It was good to forget and just live a little." Tara hugged JT and added "Thank you, JT."

He hugged her back. "I'm glad you did. I had fun too. A night to remember I think."

"Now you're just getting cheesy on me." Tara giggled. "But no, it was fun. Thank you. Text me when you get home?"

JT nodded and smiled. "Sure thing. Have a goodnight, Tara."

Tara waved before turning around and entered the apartment complex. JT hopped back on his bike and looked at the helmet. He stared at the 'Certified Broom Pusher' sticker and laughed to himself before putting the helmet on and revved his bike up and started down the road.

JT pulled up to a red light and was waiting patiently when another motorcyclist pulled up next to him, wearing a helmet like his, but on a sports bike. Judging from the looks of it, it was a Susuki GSXR. A good competitor for JT's Honda. The two looked at each other and then the Susuki rider revved his bike as an invitation for a race. The growl from it was higher and sounded more like a squeal. JT revved his twice as an acceptation to the race. The two looked forward and waited for the greenlight.

Go. The two sped off. JT's bike growled like an angry, bloodthirsty demon bursting from the depths of hell. He was barely giving it gas. The Susuki rider caught up next to him and they looked at each other. The Susuki rider signaled he was just about full throttle. JT signaled him to give it all he had, when the Susuki rider did, he went ahead of JT. Giving it a minute, JT then went full throttle. The growl of it was angrier, like the demon within his bike set its gaze on some poor defenseless prey and he zoomed past the Susuki rider, leaving him far back in his dust. JT decided to show off and popped a wheelie while going full throttle and held it for a few minutes, then he set his front wheel back down and kept going.

Eventually JT stopped in front of a bar and hopped off his bike to have a smoke. The Susuki rider caught up to him and pulled up behind him. Pulling off his helmet to reveal a young man of about twenty-five years old and parked his bike.

"Got! Damn! Dude! That fucker's got some power behind it. Brings a new meaning to drop a gear and disappear. What model is that?" The young man said before taking a hit of his vape mod. "Name's, Austin by the way." He added before extending his hand.

"JT." He replied shaking his hand. "And she is a Honda CB1000R with a finely tuned motor." JT pointed to the engine decal that read 'Demon.' "Just like she's named, she's always hungry for the road." JT took a long drag of his smoke. "Susuki eh? They've got some good bikes, always preferred Honda's though. If not them, an Indian, though I'd like to just cruise on those."

"Sounds like it and yeah. I need to work on mine." Austin looked at Demon. "I need to work on mine a lot it seems. I thought I had the fastest bike around here."

"What was that you said? 'Drop a gear and disappear?' I should get that on a sticker and slap that on my helmet."

"I think so. As far as I'm concerned, you've earned that right." Austin answered, taking another hit of his vape, blowing a massive cloud of blue raspberry cotton candy scented vapor into the sky. "Only other person who beat me in a race is a guy named Tommy. He rides a Harley Classic, but I don't think he's got anything on yours. With how you passed me, you'd smoke him. How much gas were you giving it when I caught up to you?"

"I barely tipped the throttle a quarter of the way." JT replied with a breathe full of smoke.

"Got damn, man. I've got some work to put in then. You think you maybe wanna ride with me and the boys tomorrow?" Austin asked, taking another hit of his vape and blowing a smaller cloud into the sky.

JT muddled the thought in his head for a minute. "Sure, I wanna see what kind of horsepower they're cruising the streets with." 

"Fuck yeah my guy. I'll let them know you wanna ride with us. Get your number so I can let you know where to meet up?"

"Sure." JT pulled out his phone and exchanged numbers before flicking his cigarette across the street. "Let me know and I'll show up."

"Fuck yeah my guy. I'll see you then." Austin hopped back on his bike, waved goodbye and rode off. His bike screaming like a panther into the night.

JT looked at his phone and noticed the time, 3:25 am. "Oh shit!" JT quickly hopped on his bike, gave it gas, and headed back home for the rest of the night.

***

The next morning JT woke up groggily and stretched in his bed. His room looked just about the same as it did, with the exception of Jessica's picture on his nightstand instead of the dresser. He turned to his side and stared at the picture longingly. "Everyday I feel like I miss you more." He sighed and slowly got out of bed and made his way to the fridge where when he opened it, he was greeted to the sight of some ice cold RedBulls. He promptly cracked one open and started drinking it. He could feel the cold liquid go all the way down his throat, a feeling he loved in the morning. "Hoooh shit. Talk about a kick in chest."

JT's notification sound played, the sound of Darth Sidious saying 'Do it' from Star Wars. Something JT did because of a meme from years ago. "I've got to change that." JT told himself before looking at his phone and seeing it was a message from Austin. 

Hey man, we're gonna meet up at the backroads heading to the countryside in about an hour. They wanna see what kind of horse you beat me with.

JT smiled and replied with:

Aight, I'll be there.

Austin replied with a devil horns emoji.

JT looks at his late night messages with Tara from after he got home. He smiled and decided to send her a good morning text before locking his phone and taking a sip of his RedBull. "Hell yeah."

JT grabs all his usual every day carry items. His pocket knife, a Gerber Quadrant with a bamboo inlay in the handle, his Glock, wallet, pack of Luckies, and made sure his backpack was organized nice and neatly. He glanced over at his desk and saw his old watch. A black analogue Casio G-Shock. He smiled and put it on his right wrist. "Been a while since I've worn this little guy. Kinda gets in the way of work, but I think I'll keep it on." He added before he made his way out the door, onto his bike and started to head towards the backroads. 

JT gets to the meetup point and takes off his helmet. Austin notices him first. 

"Fuck yeah my guy, you made it! How's it going?" Austin walks over to JT and holds out his fist.

JT bumps his fist and answers, "It's going good so far. Got a full tank of gas and Demon is craving some asphalt." He pats the gas tank.

"Hell yeah, let me introduce the boys." Austin points to a young man leaning against a BMW 1000. "That's Derrek, we like to call him Waterboy though."

"What's up. Nice horse."

"Thanks. You too man."

Austin then points to an even younger man of about 19-years-old standing next to a Kawasaki 1000. "That's Charlie, or Rocky as we like to call him." Rocky throws up a peace sign and nods his head up. Finally Austin points to an older gentleman of about 30-years-old. "That's Tommy. The beast of the streets."

Tommy walks over and extends his hand. "Heard your wheels smoked Echo here."

"Echo? You didn't tell me you had a nickname too." JT asks as he shakes Tommy's hand.

Austin shrugged. "Austin, Echo, whatever you wanna call me by. I'm cool with it. The wingman of the boys you know?" 

JT nodded. "Alright, I can roll with it."

Tommy looks over at JT's bike and sees 'Demon' on the motor. "Demon eh?"

"Because she's angry and always craves asphalt." JT replied coolly.

"If that's the case, let's hear how she sounds. Let's ride boys!" Tommy yells out while walking to his bike. 

Everyone else starts their bikes up and watches as JT starts his up. When he does, that deep and lowly growl he had heard so many times before. The other guys, even though they are wearing helmets, JT could see the look of satisfaction on their faces. Waterboy even threw up some devil horns. 

They all begin to ride off and start cruising down the back roads. After a few hours, Tommy signals his hands raising two fingers and making a circling motion before holding a fist and then point to a spot up ahead where everyone should group up. It was a gas station where they could fill up. When they do, everyone takes off their helmets and Tommy begins to speak.

"Well, it looks like it cruises nicely, but how well does it tear up asphalt?" He asked, looking at JT.

"Like a rabid honey badger. She doesn't give a fuck." JT replied. "She drops a gear and disappears. Ain't that right Echo?" He adds, looking over at Austin. 

"Barely giving it gas when I caught up to him." Austin replied looking at Tommy.

"Alright, well where we are at, it makes a perfect loop. We start here and first one back is the beast of the streets."

"Alright, bet." JT answered with a smile on his face.

After filing up their rides, the two line up next to each other and look at each other and nod. JT as a funny joke starts playing Gas Gas Gas by Manuel on his speaker. Tommy shakes his head at the sound of it, thinking it's funny. The two the look straight forward and wait for the signal. Austin walks in front of them with his arms up. He looks at Tommy, then at JT and in one swift motion he lets both his arms down. They both gun it. A low growl coming from both bikes.

Tommy takes the lead by fifty feet, then JT slowly creeps up on him, and signals how much throttle he's giving it. Tommy replies with a signal of a quarter of the way. JT signals "okay" with his hand and signals at just a little less than Tommy. He was going to pull the same stunt that he did with Austin. He pulls it to full throttle and the motor, with a full tank of gas, growls with a hunger that rivaled last nights races. It sounded even more angry and hungry. JT's Honda truly lived up to her name of Demon. Just before JT goes out of sight, he throws up devil horns and puts it to his head before speeding off. JT hugs the rocky and as he turns left, never letting up on the throttle. 

Tommy gets closer to JT, but still behind him by about 150 feet. Tommy full throttles his bike and gets closer, hugging the wall like JT, but still behind him by about fifty feet. The two are making the last turn, where they can now see Echo, Waterboy, and Rocky. 

"Holy shit! It looks like JT's gonna beat Tommy!" Waterboy yells out. 

"No fucking way." Rocky looks in awe. "He's actually going to beat him."

"Fuck yeah my dude. He is smoking him. But just wait for it." Austin tells the other two.

"What for what?" Asked Waterboy.

"You'll see."

JT is about 200 feet from the finish line, he looks back to see Tommy at about fifty to seventy-feet behind him and JT feels like he needs to show off again. He waits until he is about fifty feet from the finish line and pops a wheelie, staying at full throttle and throwing devil horns with one hand as he crosses the finish line before setting his wheel down and slowly begins to turn around to meet up with everyone at the finish line.

"Holy fucking shit dude! You just beat Tommy!" Waterboy exclaims.

"Never thought I would see it. The beast of the streets." Rocky says with a surprised look on his face.

Tommy then pulls up and takes off his helmet. "Well hot diggidy dog! You weren't kidding when you said she eats asphalt. Looks like you're the beast of the streets now, Demon. You done beat me."

JT smiled at that thought. "Demon. I like it. It was good racing you, Tommy." JT extends his hand.

Tommy walks over and shakes his hand. "You've earned it fair and square. Didn't think American muscle was gonna get beaten by some overseas wheels."

JT lit up a cigarette. "What can I say? I like to take care of my bike." He takes a drag of it before adding, "It's all in how you tune it and what you put in it. Take care of her and she will take care of you."

Tommy grinned and nodded at that. "I like that attitude. You're more than welcome to ride with us anytime you feel like it. 

"I'll have to take you up on that." JT chuckled.

"I think you've also earned this." Austin hands him JT a sticker.

JT looks at it and its a motorcycle tire with wings on the sides and flames coming from the wheels that says 'Drop a gear and disappear' JT smiles and nods at the sticker. "Fuck yeah my guy." He adds before take it and slapping it to the back of his helmet.

"I say let's head back to the city and call it a day eh? You lead the way, Demon." Tommy says clicking his tongue and pointing at JT. 

"Sounds good. I could use a drink after this." JT fixes his helmet to his head and revs up his bike and begins to ride off with the other following behind him.