Nathan seemed to have completely misjudged Zane. He thought the boy was lazy, rude, and mean. But all of that was actually the opposite of the truth.
First, the boy did seem lazy and uninterested in anything. But he was smart academically and even had unexpected talents.
Second, after getting to know him well enough, the boy was not rude at all. Maybe his words were sometimes blunt, but he avoided conflict as much as possible.
The last, he was not mean at all. Nathan saw that the way Zane showed his concern was a little strange and awkward, but he could tell that the boy was sincere.
So when he heard the boy invite him to a car race, he just stood there, not knowing how to react, because he had never imagined Zane would be involved in illegal street racing.
"I don't know. I don't think I can. My brother won't like it," Nathan said.
Zane clicked his tongue. "You don't have to tell them. Are you going to report anything?"
