Fuel For Obsession:A Race

~Ariana Cross~ I was late again. The heavy auditorium door let out a loud, embarrassing groan as I slipped inside. Every single head in the packed lecture hall turned in my direction. Whispers spread like smoke through the rows. “There she goes, the charity case who somehow made it into one of the top automotive engineering programs in the country." I kept my head down and hurried to the nearest empty seat at the back, ignoring the heat crawling up my neck. “Miss Cross,” Professor Lila’s voice sliced through the room, sharp and disappointed. She didn’t even pause her lecture on advanced vehicle dynamics. “My office. The moment class ends.” I sank lower in my chair, already dreading what was coming. The next forty minutes dragged painfully. My mind would not stop drifting to the stack of hospital bills on my kitchen counter and the text from my night-shift manager asking why I couldn’t pick up more hours this week. The moment the lecture finished, I followed Professor Lila to her office, as if I were walking to my own execution. She closed the door behind us and gestured for me to sit. I obeyed, gripping the edge of the chair. Professor Lila removed her glasses and rubbed her temples wearily. “Ariana… I’ve reviewed your attendance records and your latest assignments. It’s not good. Your grades are slipping badly, and your absences are becoming impossible to ignore.” She paused, her expression softening with genuine concern. “I know you’ve been through hell since your mother passed away two years ago. And with your sister Lena battling Lupus Nephritis… the constant flares, the pain, the expensive treatments, I can’t even imagine how heavy that burden must feel. But you’re one of the most talented students I’ve ever taught when it comes to understanding performance systems and mechanical engineering. You have real potential. You’re throwing it away by missing this much class.” I stared at the floor, my throat tight. There was nothing I could say that would fix this. I worked two jobs, sometimes three, to keep a roof over our heads and pay for Lena’s medication. Pride was the only thing I had left, and even that was cracking under pressure. Professor Lila leaned forward. “Let me reach out to your father. From what I understand, he’s financially stable. Maybe he can—” “NO.” The word shot out of me like a reflex. “That bastard is not my father.” My fist slammed onto her desk before I could stop myself. A loud crack echoed in the small office. Professor Lila flinched, eyes widening. Shame flooded through me instantly. I dropped my head, my voice barely above a whisper. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that. I’m really sorry, Professor.” She watched me for a long, heavy moment, then sighed deeply. “You can go, Ariana.” I kept apologizing even as I backed out of her office, but she remained silent. The door had barely clicked shut when my phone started vibrating violently in my pocket. “Hospital”. My heart dropped. I answered with trembling fingers. “Doctor Kane?” There was a grim pause on the other end. “Miss Cross… I’m sorry to tell you this, but Lena is missing.” The hallway tilted beneath my feet. “She had a severe Lupus flare last night. The pain was unbearable. She wouldn’t stop crying… When the nurse checked on her this morning, her bed was empty. We’ve searched the entire floor and spoken to staff. We tried calling you earlier but couldn’t get through.” My knees nearly gave out. Lena….. My 16-year-old sister was missing. I bolted down the hallway, panic clawing at my chest, when I nearly collided with someone rounding the corner. “ARIANA!” MIA gasped, grabbing my arms to steady me. My best friend’s eyes widened at the look on my face. “What’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” “Lena’s missing,” I choked out, already moving again. “She was in horrible pain after treatment. The hospital just called. I think she ran to the old racetrack the one Mom used to take us to when we were kids. She always said it made her feel closer to her.” Mia didn’t hesitate for a second. “I’m coming with you. Let’s go.” We took off together, sprinting across campus toward the student parking lot. My old, beat-up Honda sat waiting like a tired soldier. As I jammed the key into the ignition, my hands wouldn’t stop shaking. Lena had trie d to end everything once before during a bad flare. If she was out there alone, hurting this badly… I couldn’t lose her, either.