"Hey, Stickers. Look at the sunset. Isn't it amazing?" The blue Porsche softly said, the sunset reflecting off her paint.
"Great way to end the year, huh?" The rookie racecar looked at his girlfriend and smiled.
The two lovebirds were up at Wheel Well, avoiding all of the New Year craziness going on in town. The sun was almost fully down, but they still sat up there, the noise of the highway mixed with the noise of the town slightly peaceful.
Sally sighed when the sun was gone from sight and turned slightly so she was facing Lightning. He transferred his glance from the highway to Sally.
"First one to Flo's buys?" He asked with a smirk, his face lighting up at the look on Sally's.
"No. Today is special. Let's take a drive back to town." She gave Lightning a small smile and reversed, heading to the road back to Radiator Springs.
Sally knew something that Lightning didn't. Flo pulled her aside earlier that day and told her about a surprise. Lightning's birthday. By the looks of it now, he had totally forgotten that he was now 24 years old. She was giving him a little more time to remember, and giving Flo a little more time to put the finishing decorations on whatever she had planned.
"Sal, what's with the all of a sudden drive?" He looked nervous, and slightly guilty.
"What? I'm not allowed to take a drive with someone that I love?" She chuckled lightly.
"Okay, you caught me. I accidentally ran over one of your cacti. I swear, it got up and walked right in front of me when I was moving. I didn't even see it!" He started to apologize.
Sally started laughing really hard. It was hard for her not to blow the secret, especially when McQueen was acting like a nut. Her face turned red with laughter, however Lightning's became redder than they already were.
The sounds from the town were getting louder, the more they got closer.
"Okay, well, I told you something, now you tell me!"
"Anything?" Sally gave him her 'attorney' look.
"Yeah."
"Well, the thing I want to say to you…" Her voice trailed off and she stopped. He stopped and looked at her to with pleading eyes.
"I've been sworn to secrecy. I can't tell you." She cut off his hope of knowing what was going on. He pouted like a little kid
"Bu… bubububububutttt?" He stuck his lower lip out, trying to make a 'puppy dog' face.
They were parked right by the 'Welcome to Radiator Springs' billboard.
"Stickers. Look," She pointed a tire in the direction of a totally dark town.
His face went from pouty to confused.
"Wha-whats going on?" He rolled closer to town while Sally trailed farther behind.
"Lightning Alexander McQueen. Don't you even realize what day it is?"
He parked himself in the center of the town, right underneath the only traffic light, right were everyone could see him.
"Yeah, its New Ye…"
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY LIGHTNING MCQUEEN!" All the lights in the town blinked on at once, and all the town folk started cheering. McQueen jumped at least a good 3 feet into the air.
"So… How old are ya?" Lizzie, the old model T rolled up to him and smacked him lightly on the side.
"Heh, too old for you Lizzie. I'm 24." He chuckled at the old car. Her face lit up.
"Well, that means that I must be at least 22." She smiled and rolled over to her lovers' statue.
"Stanley, who would have thought. I'm 22." She said to the statue.
Lightning and Sally laughed at that.
"Hello? Earth to the red and blue lovebirds? You want some cake?" Flo came out of the café, pushing a trolley that had a giant cake on it.
Sally's eyes widened.
"Boy, McQueen! I sure done hope dats chocolate flavor'd." A rusty tow truck named Mater drove up out of nowhere and scared McQueen.
"Oh, come on!"
"I think you beat your record. That was most definitely your highest jump ever." Sally laughed.
"Shoooot! You scared a cake? I ain't seen anybody scared a cake, ever!"
"I'll get you boys some cake. How 'bout that?" Sally drove off and parked next to Flo. She started whispering and the old show girl nodded.
Five minutes later, two big slices of cake flew through the air and landed on McQueen and Mater.
"AHHHH! It's that ghost cake!" Mater took off backwards, nearly hitting Guido, yelling bloody murder.
Lightning stood in one place, staring cross eyed at the piece of cake on the center of his hood.
The town was totally quiet.
"FOOD FIGHT!" Lightning yelled and everyone started throwing stuff. Oil cans, cake, tires, Guido. When they were all done, it was five minutes until 2014.
"Hey. HEY! I wanna say something!" Sally's voice could hardly be heard through all the yelling and laughter.
That is until Red honked his horn really loudly.
"Thank you. I want to say happy birthday Lightning. You helped our town into something that we never thought it would be again. No one still really knows how to repay you, but we'll find it out eventually. Thank you for making this a better year for all of us. Now if everyone would help me do the honors." She looked up at the clock in the corner of the café.
"TEN
NINE
EIGHT
SEVEN
SIX
FIVE
FOUR
THREE
TWO
ONE…. HAPPY NEW YEAR!" Everyone started cheering again. Mater had stopped screaming like a banshee to set off his surprise to the town.
The sky burst into color with fireworks.
"Yeee heee! I'm happier than a tornader in a trailer park! Wooo!" Maters voice yelled from his yard.
"Happy Birthday and New Year, Stickers. I have something for you. Close your eyes." Sally rolled up next to Lightning. He did what he was told.
Sally leaned a little bit closer to the racecar and kissed McQueen on his fender.