Chapter 3 - If Only

19 years earlier…

Cruz couldn't wait to see her new friend again, so as soon as she came home from school she hastily made her way out to the same field she met Fritter.

"Hey, Fritter? Friiitterrr?!" the little Sports Coupe called out in excitement, but her smile disappeared when she received no response after a while, "Fritter?"

But just as Cruz gave up hope, she was suddenly attacked by none other than Fritter, as the said young bus attacked her and rolled across the grass. While Fritter laughed and poor Cruz screamed, Fritter gave her a fierce noogie on her head when they stopped rolling.

"Nice ta see ya, Cruzy!" Fritter chuckled when she finally let go.

"Y-Yeah…good to…see you, too, Fritter," Cruz groaned in pain, subtly trying to shake off the pain, "Can you please stop that?"

"Not really. It's the only way I know how ta have fun," Fritter replied with a smirk.

"Well, there are safer ways for everyone to have fun, ya know," Cruz replied with a gentle smile.

"Oh, yeah? How?"

"We could race!"

"Race?"

"Sure!" Cruz started humming as she quickly glanced around, and then she perked up. "See that tree over there? The first one to touch it wins."

"I dunno…can't we just play Hide and Go Break?"

"No…but what's 'Hide and Go Break'?"

"Ooh, it's this neat game me and my brothers play all the time! The hider has ta go around and break stuff to distract the seeker, so that they can get ta base!"

"Wow…that sounds pretty smart, actually."

"What's that supposed ta mean?"

"N-Nothing!" Cruz panicked inside when she walked into that one, and she was glad Fritter didn't ask again. She then turned back towards the tree in the distance, and revved her engine.

"Look, this'll be fun! I promise!"

"Ok…" Fritter sighed and revved her engine as well, watching Cruz closely to see if she was doing it right.

"Ready?" Cruz asked.

"Sure."

"Set…go!"

In the blink of an eye, Cruz was off, leaving a surprised Fritter in the dust. The said school bus tried to keep up, but her slightly larger size and bumpy landscape made it difficult.

"W-Wait!" Fritter called as she jittered over the uneven fields.

"That's not how you win!" Cruz laughed and sped up.

"Seriously, Cruzy…!"

"But we're so close to the tree!"

"CRUZY!"

Cruz finally had the sense to slow down a bit and look behind her, and she wished she had looked back sooner. As Fritter drew closer, she bounced higher as the ground got rougher, and it wasn't long before the bus flipped over and crashed hard into the ground.

"Oh, no! Are you ok, Fritter?!" Cruz cried as she rushed to Fritter's aid.

"Ow…" Fritter groaned in pain, pulling her head from the ground. And Cruz gasped when she saw the bus' mouth.

"Fritter, your tooth!"

Fritter finally noticed the aching pain in her mouth, and she maneuvered her tongue to the top of her mouth to find a gap between her front teeth.

"Whoa…I hit the ground so hard, I knocked out a tooth," Fritter began slowly in awe, and then she smiled brightly, "Awesome!"

"W-What? You're not mad?" Cruz questioned in surprise.

"Nah, I've been through way worse! Besides, racin' really is kinda fun!"

"Ya think so?" Cruz giggled.

"Sure do! Thanks fer showin' me, Cruzy," Fritter added with a much softer playful nudge to the Sports Coupe's side. And in that moment, Cruz really liked the gentler side of Fritter, especially considering how rough she has been.

"Agitha Fritter!" the same haggish voice the girls heard yesterday called again, and this time the owner of the voice made herself known. It was a large 1980 Ford B school bus, just like Fritter, with amber eyes. And Cruz thought Fritter had an intimidating gaze, but this larger bus' was even scarier.

"Whadda ya think yer doin' out here, young lady?!" the older bus screeched, she had a heavy accent as well, as she towered over little Fritter.

"I'm just playin', Ma!" Fritter protested while trying to be brave, but she was visibly shaking in her mother's shadow.

"You know you ain't allowed ta leave the house alone!"

"That's stupid! I ain't even grounded!"

"You are now!"

"I HATE YOU!" Fritter shrieked, tears spilling from her eyes as she raced off. And within the awkward silence, the older bus growled and rolled her eyes in disappointment. But she then noticed a frozen Cruz close by.

"You that 'Cruz' Agitha mentioned?" the older bus asked with a sneer.

"Uh…y-yes, Ma'am," Cruz responded meekly.

"Well, stay away from 'er!" the bus snapped and unexpectedly got closer, making Cruz back away.

"W-Why? We're friends!"

"I don't care! I don't want my daughter gettin' hurt again because a' you." Cruz looked down in guilt, remembering how she goaded Fritter on to racing her, and how she lost a tooth in the process.

"Listen ta me, ya little runt," the older bus hissed, "Stay away from Agitha—or else."

With that, she turned and left little Cruz all alone. She was scared and confused, not only of Fritter's terrifying mother, but she also felt terrible that Fritter had such a mother.

Ever since that day, seeing Fritter again was a forgotten dream, and Cruz wouldn't see her again for many years.


Sixteen years old. That's how old Cruz Ramirez was turning, and she had nearly perfected her racing skills by now; her parents had even signed her up for the Junior Speedster's Racing Camp, a perfect gateway to get into the big leagues, like the Piston Cup series. But to get into the camp, Cruz was going to have to pass initiation.

To pass initiation, Cruz would have to win a race against numerous other a-game cars, so she knew it wasn't going to be easy. The race was tomorrow, but she was going to celebrate her sweet sixteen today.

It was a great time, really…but Cruz felt like something was missing. So, to jog her memory, Cruz headed out when the party was over, and looked for a certain field she played in when she was younger.

The field hadn't changed as much; there was still plenty of hills and tall grass. It was rather beautiful and serene, and Cruz liked it. And as the Sports Coupe looked up the at the clear night sky, she hadn't realized that she wasn't alone.

"I didn't know you still came out here." Cruz gasped when she heard that recognizable voice, that husky voice with the sweet accent. She turned around, and there she was.

"Fritter?" Cruz asked with a smile, and she could hardly bottle her excitement. It was indeed Fritter, and she was much bigger since last time, and after all these years, a crooked tooth had grown into the gap in her smile.

"Hey, Cruzy," Fritter chuckled nervously, "Long time, no see."

"Yeah, no kidding? I-I haven't seen you in ages. Where've you been?"

"Oh, ya know…livin' out my life with my loving mother." The disgust and sarcasm was quite obvious in Fritter's voice, raising Cruz's concerns.

"Well…I really missed you." Cruz's hood turned bright orange when a red blush mixed with her yellow paint.

"I missed you, too, Cruzy." Fritter then pulled the Sports Coupe in for one of her infamous noogies, but she was much gentler this time. "So, what're you doin' out here?"

"I was actually going to ask you the same thing."

"Actually, I…I-I've been comin' out here fer a while." Fritter slightly turned away while nervously fidgeting.

"Really? Why?"

"I-I was hopin' ta see you again."

Cruz was taken aback. All these years, Fritter was looking for her, but she never thought to look for her, too. She was so busy with racing to become the best that she had forgotten about something just as important: her best friend. And now, it was too late.

"Fritter, I'm so sorry," Cruz sighed in shame.

"Aw, it's ok. We're tagether again now, aren't we?" Fritter gently protested.

"No, it's not that…I'm moving away."

"W-What?"

"My family and I are moving, so that I can get into the Junior Speedster's Racing Camp. I-I would've told you sooner, but I just…kinda forgot."

Fritter looked at her "best friend" in shock, and her shock soon turned into a scowl. "Ya mean ya just forgot about me," the bus pointed out matter-of-factly.

"No, Fritter! I just-!"

"No, it's fine! Go live yer dream, and just leave everythin' else behind…it's what ya do best, anyway."

Fritter turned and drove away before Cruz could say anything else, leaving the said Sports Coupe in silence and regret.

I'm so sorry, Fritter, Cruz thought with guilt, as tears welled up in her eyes, If only I could've told you…


So, that's what happened between them...but what did Cruz want to say?

Also, did anyone catch the little MLP reference?

Until the next chapter, I'm TRikiD, bye-bye!