Okay, I've had this story in my mind for a long time now, I've been writing it for a long time, so here it goes!
Lightning stared at a picture of Sally; it had been a few years since she had left him yet He remembered each word like it was yesterday, and the pain was still fresh in his heart. He had seen Sally and Chick together at a party but he didn't think anything of it. But, boy was he wrong.
It had been at Strip Weathers retirement party when he had seen the two talking to each other but he hadn't thought anything of it, he just let them be, he and Sally were happily in love.
That's when things started to go wrong, Lightning noticed that Sally hadn't looked at him the same way since that night; in fact nothing was the same. She wasn't herself that was for sure. Then it was Christmas, and he got the worse present of all. That morning they found that Sally was missing, no one knew where she was at first, but after a few weeks Sally came back to Radiator Springs with Chick the two announced that they were together. It took Lightning another few weeks to understand what they had meant, but once he did understand he knew it, the pain from the few weeks hit him instantly everybody had tried to help him cheer up but the only thing they got in return was angry threats, no one knew why he was acting that way.
Heck, even he didn't know why he acted that way.
But then it started, a couple of months after he had found out about Sally and his arch-enemy he needed something to keep his mind of the pain, so he began cutting himself. It had been going on since then, no one knew about it, just him and the loneliness of the empty house.
But now things were going to get worse for again, in just one day, it would be Sally's birthday, and she would be coming back to town. Sighing in despair he placed the picture on the table that was next to him. He stood and made his way to the bathroom, opening the medicine cabinet he took out the razor, placed it on his arm and pulled it back…
Doc looked down at his watch, it was half eleven, Lightning was usual out by this time. 'Where is he?' Doc thought he stood and made his way to Lightning's place. Knowing that he usually kept the door unlocked he let himself in, after looking around for a moment, he found Lightning sitting in his armchair, wrapping his jacket around his body.
"Lightning, what's the matter?" He asked, concern growing, it wasn't like his house was the coldest it had ever been.
Lightning sighed deeply, "It's about Sally, I don't know if I want her to come back tomorrow."
"Of course you do," Doc said in an 'I can't believe you just said that' tone, "why don't you want her to come back?"
Lightning looked away from him before answering, "I can't accept her with Chick."
"Why don't you tell her how you feel?"
Lightning sighed deeply in dismay, "why? It wouldn't make a difference."
Doc also sighed, "I know it might not make a difference, it's just that maybe if you do tell her what you think, then she may stay."
"Doc," Lightning managed to smile, "that's a great idea."
Next Morning
Lightning sat at the table nearest the door in Flo's V8 Café as he waited for Sally and Chick to arrive.
"Hey Lightning," a soft voice made him jump, he turned to see Sally.
He also managed to smile as he saw Sally's fingers intertwined with Chicks', "happy birthday, Sally." He said quietly.
"Thanks," She said cheerfully as she and Chick sat in the seats across from where he was sitting.
"Sally," he began unsurely, "can I speak to you for a moment?"
She looked at Chick for a moment before answering, "Sure." Chick shot a glare at Lightning before leaving the table.
"Sally, why did you choose him instead of me?" He asked.
She sighed deeply, "he's so kind and he treats me with respect…"
"And I didn't?" Lightning interrupted, "do you know how much it destroyed me that morning you told me that you were together?"
"Lightning, you did treat me with respect, it's just that, there's something about Chick that seems we're meant to be with each other…"
"But we had everything planned out," Lightning said, "I didn't get a goodbye; all I got was a broken heart."
"What's happened to you?" Sally asked, beginning to raise her voice, "you're becoming as arrogant as you were when you first came to town."
Lightning hit the table, "yeah? Well maybe I am what are you going to do about it?"
"Nothing, it's your problem," Sally asked, anger beginning to rise.
"Look, what's it gonna take to get you back?" Lightning asked, now sounding slightly desperate.
"More than you could offer."
"You're saying that I'm getting arrogant? Listen to yourself!" Lightning shouted.
"You said that all you got was a broken heart!" Sally yelled, "Didn't you ever think about me, how much I thought it through? You weren't the only one who was hurt by my decision!"
"So what's it gonna take to bring you back!" He shouted he slammed his hand down on the table, pulling up the sleeve from his jacket to reveal his scars he bellowed, "Is this enough?"
"Lightning?" She whispered in shock, "Why did you do this?"
He choked back the tears as he answered, "Sally, I need you to come back, please, all these years I've been living without you. I can't do it anymore. Even if you don't want to be with me come back to town before I do something that I'll regret. Sally, all them years ago I came to town, the first time I laid my eyes on you, I loved you and I still do, but for some reason you can't seem to grasp that can you?"
"Lightning, I do understand it's just that me and Chick are together and we've together too long to turn back the time."
"Didn't you just hear what I said?" He asked, letting the silent tears roll freely down his cheeks, "didn't you just see what I've been doing to myself since you left?"
"Lightning," She said softly, "I heard every word and saw every scar, there's no changing what's happened… I'm not coming back."
"You didn't see every scar! You can't see the thousands of scars you left!" He sobbed.
"Sally?" Chick asked. The two looked at him as he got down on a knee, from his pocket he pulled out a small box, he opened it to reveal a diamond ring, "Sally, will you marry me?"
She gasped with surprise and happiness, "of course I will Chick!"
He placed the ring on her finger and stood once he did, Sally brought him closer into a hug. Lightning stared at them, watching his dreams disappear before his eyes, overwhelmed with sadness he ran out of the Café.
A few weeks later Lightning's car was found at the base of river, his body also with it. The authorities classed the death as suicide, but just to make things worse for Sally Hicks is that in his pocket held a note:
Sally, love is like heaven but it can hurt like hell
What did ya think, I'm sorry it's a bit depressing but it's the first thing I thought of
