I Win
Chapter 1 - Feuding Families
Rounding another left turn at almost two hundred miles per hour, Jackson Storm was stuck in second place between his two top opponents: Cruz Ramirez and Edith Breeze. As if things couldn't get worse for him, he was getting outraced by rookies, female rookies at that.
But Jackson wasn't going to let a couple of girls beat him, not as long as he had to stand for his family's honor and dignity. Dating many, many generations back, the Storms have been racing rivals with the Breezes for as long as anyone could remember; in fact, no one even knows why their rivalry even started. And as long as he was still breathing, Jackson was never going to let Edith win…not again, at least.
For some odd reason, the victories between the two families always flip-flop. The Storms would win some races, the Breezes would win others, and so on and so on. It would always come down the last race of the season.
But neither Jackson nor Edith won the last season's final Piston Cup race, for that honor went to the rookie sensation: Cruz Ramirez. And now, here she was again, in the lead with just a few laps left.
I'll be damned if I let Ramirez win again, Jackson growled in his head, and then he checked his rearview mirror to find Edith drafting him, making him do all the work.
Edith was an electric GT Tesla, and covering her white paint on her sides and hood was the red and yellow Shell logo and a matching number eleven. Her brown eyes were fixed on Jackson's bumper, observing his every move in case she needed to move suddenly. Despite being a rookie, she was a very clever racer, since she started racing literally right as Jackson did.
So, as stated before, Jackson was not in a very good position; he was not only in second place, but a Breeze was slipstreaming him as well. The black racecar tried to jerk to the left, but Edith proved to be too slick for him.
"Get off my tail already!" Jackson demanded with a snap.
"Aw, does this bother you, Storm?" Edith laughed mockingly, continuing to follow Jackson's every subtle turn or swerve.
"Careful, Edith! You don't wanna make the little boy cry!" Cruz called tauntingly from the front, slowing down just enough to meet Jackson's side, "But how about we leave 'm in the dust anyway, just for old time's sake?"
"Oh, you know it, Girlfriend!" With that, Edith finally stopped drafting the black racecar and increased her speed alongside Cruz. The two girls were soon fender-to-fender on the last lap, but Cruz would occasionally pass Edith and gain way more ground, not that Edith really minded. As long as she was in front of Jackson, she wasn't going to complain. Besides, second place isn't all that bad.
But just inches away from the finish line, a black streak appeared in the corner of Edith's eye and passed her in seconds. Ultimately, she came in third place, with Jackson coming in second…maybe she underestimated him a little.
After the race was over, it was without a doubt that Edith was unable to beat Jackson this time; at least he didn't place first. And even after the sun had set, most of the racers still hadn't gone home because the after-celebration was in full swing, as most parties after races are.
Edith would almost always hang out with Cruz ever since she started racing, as they're both female rookies and despise Jackson. They had quite a lot in common.
But speak of the devil…
"Yo, Eddy!" Edith's conversation with Cruz was cut off, scoffing and rolling when she knew exactly who it was. "Are you full after that race, or are you still up for eating my dust?"
"Good evening to you, too, Jackson," Edith sighed sarcastically, slowly turning to face her rival.
"I'm seriously starting to think that you're going soft on me, Eddy, what with you letting me win all the time," Jackson mocked with a grin.
"You just got lucky, Jackson, but you won't be as fortunate next time."
The next gen racer only chuckled, "Whatever you say, Eddy."
"It's Edith."
"Alright, alright, get your negative vibes away from my driver, Breeze!" a black Ford F150 snapped. It was Ralph, Jackson's crew chief, and he hated the Breezes almost as much as the Storms.
"He started it!" Edith protested.
"She's telling the truth!"
"You stay outta this, Ramirez!" Cruz slightly flinched back when Ralph unexpectedly lashed out at her, too.
"Hey, now, there's no need to blame those who aren't at fault," a raspy feminine voice interrupted gently, as an old car rolled in. She was an Electric GT Tesla, just like Edith, with sky blue paint and calm brown eyes.
"Mom, please, you don't need to do this," Edith whispered to the old woman with worry.
"You're such a worry wuss, Edie! I may be old, but I can still drive laps around you youngsters," Edith's mom chuckled.
"No, you should listen to your daughter, Mabel. All those years of dangerous racing have certainly done quite a number on you Breezes," Jackson added nonchalantly.
"Yeah. Need I remind you of what happened to Danny?" Ralph inquired with an evil smirk.
"You leave my husband out of this!" Mabel snapped, but then sighed sadly, "Rest in peace, my beloved Danny."
"Well, prayin' to a dead guy isn't gonna help you win. But if you wanna defend Ol' Danny's honor, just make sure ya show up to the next and final race of the season," Ralph instructed firmly.
"Oh, you'll definitely see me there, Boys," Edith threatened, earning a chuckle from both Jackson and Ralph.
"Well, then, see you at the Sonoran Speedway, Eddy," Jackson chimed mockingly.
"C'mon, Jackson. We've got a long drive ahead of us, and Gale's already hooked up and waitin' for ya," Ralph pointed out.
Jackson didn't say another word, flashing his trademark sly grin at Edith, who only glared daggers back, as he left with Ralph and the rest of his crew.
Eventually, Edith decided it was finally time to call it a night, and she and her Mabel started looking for her own hauler. They soon found the trailer, a mostly blank white trailer with the large Shell logo on each side, in the very back.
"Oliver, you've gotta stop parking so far away!" Edith called in annoyance, as her hauler was literally the shiest big rig she's ever met…but he was her best friend nonetheless.
"I'm sorry, Boss, but-!" came a timid yet big voice, as a semi truck pulled out from behind the trailer. It was a matching white Mack Truck Pinnacle with dark green eyes, and his hat also had the Shell logo printed on it.
"But nothing, Oliver! I know you've got a small case of Social Anxiety Disorder, but you'll need to get over it at some point," Edith cut off her hauler.
"Besides, life's too short to live like a chicken," Mabel joked.
"I-I just can't help it," Oliver whimpered while hooking himself up to Edith's trailer.
"Yes, you can. I'll help you."
Soon, Edith and Mabel backed up into the trailer, and Oliver wasted no time in pulling out of the parking lot and making his way out onto the roads outside the race.
"California, here we come!" Oliver announced over the intercom system.
"Winner's circle, here we come!" Edith corrected with a cocky smile. The young racer then flipped the trailer's light switch, illuminating the large space inside with decorative multi-colored lights on the ceiling, and there were even a few old racing trophies on the shelves, all from different races from around the world and dating back many, many years. Each of them represented a victory by a previous Breeze, and future generations always treasured them for good luck.
"So, you ready for the next race, Edie?" Mabel asked her daughter with excitement.
"Oh, I'm not just ready for the race, Mom—I'm ready to beat that egotistical Storm once and for all." Edith's obvious determination got a little laugh out of Mabel.
"You're just like your father."
FYI, I just imagine the inside of Edith's trailer looking very similar to Lightning's. Now you know!
Whoo, after seeing Cars 3, my fanfic powers have been SKY ROCKETING! So, I couldn't help but have my first Cars 3 fanfic be a Jackson love story 'cause why not, right?
And before I go, I shall credit my dear friend, HUGE Cars fan, and Cars Beta Reader, Agent Sandra Cartrip. Thank you again, Sandra!
Until the next chapter, I'm TRikiD, bye-bye!