Author's Note: Here's chapter two! I hope you enjoy it! I was hoping for a few more reviews though….maybe I just won't update till I get at least ten reviews per chapter…. I'm so evil…bwa ha-ha!!
Disclaimer: Nope, I still don't own it….
Five days later, Lightning was packing his stuff to put in his trailer. Much to Sally's pleasure, he had completed his guest list.
"Be safe," Sally said, following Lightning out to his trailer.
"You know me," Lightning said. "I'll be fine. There are only seven races left in the season."
"I know," Sally said. "But that doesn't stop me from worrying about you."
"I know it doesn't," Lightning said. "But I know a thing or two about racing, so I should be okay."
"Okay," Sally said, smiling up at Lightning.
"Time to load up, Kid!" Doc called from around Mack.
"Okay!" Lightning called back.
"How long until you can come home again?" Sally asked.
"Three or four weeks," Lightning replied. "But it's just for a day or two."
"Okay," Sally said. "I'll keep planning.
"You do that," Lightning said. "I'll talk to you later."
"Okay," Sally said. She drove up to Lightning and kissed him. The couple ignored the paparazzi around them as usual.
"Break it up, kids," Doc said shortly, driving around the trailer.
Lightning gave Sally a significant look. "I told you," he said quietly.
"Okay, maybe so," Sally said. "But I'm not totally convinced."
"You will be," Lightning said. "But I have to go."
"Okay," Sally said. "Bye."
"Bye," Lightning said. He backed into his trailer, smiled down at Sally, and shut the door.
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Ten hours later, Mack pulled into Houston International Speedway. Lightning lowered his ramp and drove down it. He saw Doc talking to a fellow crew chief, so Lightning waited patiently for Doc to finish talking.
"Hey, Doc," Lightning said, approaching his crew chief as the other one drove off.
"Hey, Rookie," Doc said. "How was the trip?"
"Fine," Lightning said, stretching his wheel axles. They were very stiff. "Is everything okay?" he asked.
"Yeah," Doc said, avoiding Lightning's eyes. "Now, about your training schedule. I want you to break the one hundred lap sprint record."
"Okay," Lightning agreed. "Do I start tomorrow morning?"
"Yeah," Doc said. "Go into the city and get something to eat, come back, and get a good night's sleep."
"Will do," Lightning replied. "You wanna come with me?"
Doc hesitated. "Yeah, okay," he said.
"Good," Lightning said.
"Nothing fancy though," Doc said. "Let's just do something quick."
"I agree," Lightning said.
Thirty minutes later, Lightning and Doc were at a small diner in Houston. Lightning ordered his usual fuel that was high in electrolytes and Doc got a blueberry fuel.
"How far ahead of Chick are you in points?" Doc asked.
"A lot," Lightning said. "If I finish in the top fifteen of every race before the Dinoco 400 I'll get the Piston Cup."
Doc nodded. "That's what I figured. I was like that before my wreck, so don't let it go to your head."
"I know," Lightning said. "Believe me. Last season definitely woke me up to that possibility."
"I know," Doc said. "Chick's been fairly gentle out there this season, but you never know what he'll do."
"Yeah," Lightning agreed. "Did you race against someone like him when you raced?"
"Kind of," Doc said. "He wasn't as rough as Chick has proven to be, but I got my fair share of scratches and dents from him."
"What was his name?" Lightning asked.
"He went by Edge," Doc said. "I think his real name was Bradley or something."
Lightning snorted. "You guys went by nicknames?"
"Back in the day, yeah," Doc said. "I was the Hornet."
"Nice," Lightning snickered.
"Well Lightning is an unusual name," Doc said. "It is your real name, isn't it?"
"Yeah," Lightning said. "The kids at school had a lot of fun with that."
Doc laughed. "I can imagine," he said.
Just then, Lightning's phone started ringing. The caller I.D. said it was Sally.
"Hey," he said.
"Hi," Sally said. "What are you doing?"
"Just eating dinner with Doc," Lightning said. "What about you?"
"I just got finished ordering the food for the wedding," Sally said. "We're giving our guests a choice of blueberry, grape, or pineapple fuel."
"Oh," Lightning said. He did not like any of the fuel Sally had ordered. "That sounds good."
"Good," Sally said. "Anyway, Lizzie's having a nervous breakdown again, so I have to go deal with that. I'll talk to you later."
"Okay," Lightning said.
"I love you," Sally said.
"Love you too," Lightning muttered quickly, hoping Doc did not overhear him. He hung up his phone and sighed. More wedding plans to fret over.
"I'm guessing that was Sally," Doc said.
Lightning nodded. He did not want Doc to leave, so he quickly changed the subject. "So, what injuries did you sustain from your wreck?" Lightning asked randomly.
"Uh, let's see," Doc said. "Fractured wheel axles, new aluminum, a couple fractured pipes. It was bad, but not as bad as yours was."
"How did you get in your wreck?" Lightning asked. "What happened?"
"I tried to pass between two cars and I was shut out," Doc said. "I wasn't focused on the race. My mind was other places."
"I can relate," Lightning said. Sally had dumped him before the race he wrecked in.
Doc nodded. "You need to keep your mind in the game on the track," he said. "That's the most important rule out there."
Lightning nodded. "Why couldn't you concentrate on the race?" he asked.
Doc froze. "Don't go nosing in my business, Rookie," he said coldly. "Mind your own."
And with that, Doc stormed out of the restaurant.
Author's Note: Yeah, I know, I'm sorry…this chapter is sooooo short. It was going to be a lot longer, but I cut chapter two in half so I could update sooner. I should be able to update sometime next weekend if AP Statistics and Precalculus allow me to….
And btw, was anyone else shocked that Owen Wilson tried to commit suicide?! That sucks so bad! He's my favorite actor! Without Owen, there could never be Cars 2! (Which is, btw, rumored to come out in 2011…
Review if you want more….