zak

        Zak was born in another part of the country, but his mother spearheaded the revolution against the Delegation. Because of this, his mother ended up moving to Modessa when Zak was very young so that she could directly lead the revolution. His father held a well-paying job as a mechanic and was often out working. As an only child, Zak felt very lonely in his own house without his parents. The only people Zak regularly saw were the nanny and Riley, the child of his mother's friend.
        He'd often watch motorcycle races, and he developed a love of the sport. Zak would talk extensively about how much he wished to ride a motorcycle, especially when his father was home, in hopes he'd have the abilities to get his hands on one.
        Zak started to notice how close his father was to the nanny, and it all came to a head when the nanny got pregnant. He asked his father when he'd tell his mother, but his father sternly told him that he would and that Zak should keep quiet. So, Zak kept quiet, confiding in Riley through all of it even if he felt sick to his stomach.
        His father kept the baby and took care of the nanny as if she was his wife. Zak would have to lie over the phone to his mom when the baby cried, his father's eyes digging into his back, and guilt would bob in his throat as he made an excuse. He felt like he was just a guest in his own home. He heard his father and his new lover giggling over dinner in the kitchen, while he was tucked under his blankets picking at a granola bar.
        After a year of this, Zak's mother visited suddenly, and Zak noted her darting eyes when he let her into the house. She caught up with Zak, but she never brought up the elephant in the room. It was just wrong, and Zak wasn't exactly sure what she came for. His mother left for Modessa right after hugging him, and he hated to admit just how much he enjoyed it.
        As night struck, Zak was met with a backhand slap and was slammed against the wall by his father. His father let go of him, stalking over to Zak's room. Zak ran after him and asked him what happened. Zak's father began throwing Zak's belongings into a suitcase as Zak pleaded with him. He shoved the suitcase at Zak, putting his hand on Zak's shoulder and squeezing it hard.
        "You told her."
        Zak's blood ran cold, and he immediately denied it. His father wouldn't let up, his grip tightening as Zak continued to deny it with tears running down his face. Eventually, Zak started apologizing for something he didn't do and begged for his father to let him stay.
        It's pathetic, the way Zak grabbed at his father's hands, his sleeves, as his father dragged him to the front door. His father placed keys in his hands and told his to get the fuck out so he could take care of his real family. He pushed Zak outside and shut the door.
        Zak looked at the keys in his hands, and parked in front of the house was a motorcycle. It wasn't exactly the prettiest, but Zak felt something weird crawl up his chest at the sight. He rode it, almost crashing several times due to his inexperience and the tears blurring his vision. He ended up in Riley's guest room. Riley took care of him, bringing him water, food, and other stuff.
        His mother called as she typically does, and Zak was already profusely apologizing over the phone about not stopping everything, for not being good enough, but his mother told him that he shouldn't have to deal with all of that as a kid and apologized for her absence as well.
        Zak rode the motorcycle around town to get his mind off things, explicitly avoiding his father's area, but he could still feel the ghost feeling of his father's hand bruising his shoulder as the keys jingled in the wind.
        Riley picked up a new job in Neo-Detroit, courtesy of his mother and Zak's mother, and he convinced his parents to let him move with Zak to a place inbetween Modessa and Neo-Detroit. Riley already had connections in Neo-Detroit and got Zak a new motorcycle so that he could stop associating something he loved with such a painful memory.
        Zak rode the motorcycle wherever he could go, perfecting every turn, every move, but it never felt good enough to Zak. He ventured into the darker sides of Neo-Detroit where he caught the attention of people organizing underground racing tournaments...