A/N: I'll be going on vacation from Monday, 23rd August, and will not be posting for a few days across that time (I'll be attending a certain convention.) I'll probably post another couple of chapters of my RPM fic, and maybe this one before I go. Posting will resume as normal in early September. Enjoy!
Fred and Johnny stood in the workshop as the shop teacher finished running through the usual boring safety procedures, staring at the car before them. As they were told they could begin, Fred finally spoke.
"Well, it's um...something." He said in a slightly strained voice. Johnny could see the forced smile on his face, and the tension in him as he stood before their project for the year. Johnny laughed.
"You can say it." Johnny told him. "You won't hurt my feelings; I know exactly what it is."
"It's a piece of shit." Fred replied, approaching it. When Donny had accepted the full-time job at the school, he had gifted this car to Johnny in recognition of his efforts to improve his grades. It had been the one he had used to get around when he first arrived. It was a Ford Firebird exactly as Johnny had told his new friend, but that was all that could really be said about it. Fred approached it, running a hand over the bodywork. It was a little rusty in places, and the aerial had been replaced with a coat hanger. It was filthy as a result of the months it had been sitting in storage. Wiping the window a little, he could see the interior was also in need of serious TLC. The seats were torn in places, and the padding was coming out. "Does it even work?"
"It used to get Mr. Weaver around." Johnny replied with a shrug as he pulled off his jacket, hanging it up in the corner, before taking a set of coveralls off another peg nearby. Fred did likewise. "It's no chick magnet right now, granted."
"It looks like it's held together with duct tape." Fred commented.
"Some of the upholstery is." Johnny told him as he popped the hood, allowing Fred to open it up and take a look inside. "We can just replace it. Here, hold this light."
"The engine looks like it should work, that's one thing at least." He said with a shrug.
"Don't get too attached, we're going to be replacing most of it." Johnny reminded him as he looked around. "The pistons, the fan...screw it, let's just take the whole damn thing out and start again."
"I guess we could clean the bodywork..."
"Forget it; some of it is completely rusted through." Johnny stated as he looked for the connectors that held the engine in place. "We can strip it."
"So we're getting rid of the body panels, the seats, the engine...are we actually keeping anything?" He asked.
"The chassis is in pretty good condition, and I kind of like the steering wheel." Johnny told him.
"I guess at least it has four wheels." Fred commented. Johnny just shook his head.
"Don't get too attached to those." He said with a smile.
"Johnny, maybe we should be a little less...ambitious." Fred suggested. "It is only a high school shop class."
"Exactly, and with these plans, it's an A for both of us for sure!" He stated. "We're allowed access to the tools, and some parts. My Uncle Vinnie owns a wreckers' yard, I salvage stuff there all the time!"
He picked up a crowbar and handed it to Fred, before picking one up himself.
"We have a year to work on this, and a near-inexhaustible supply of parts." Johnny reminded him. "The only limit is how much work we're willing to put in."
Fred grinned and went to the side, using the crowbar to pry off the front right body panel.
"The sooner we strip it down the sooner we can build it up again." Fred replied. "Let's get to work."
Over at Storm Chargers, Charity was just finishing stocking up the shelves while Rad was out on the lunch run. She had just finished putting the last of the equipment away when a couple of customers came into the store. It was a guy in his mid-twenties, with long, dark hair and a baggy t-shirt, and a girl, not much younger wearing a leather jacket. Charity turned towards them and made her way to the front of the store.
"Welcome to Storm Chargers, how may I help you?" She asked him. The guy looked to his girlfriend, before bending over a little to come down to her level.
"I was looking for some board wax." He told her, slowly and loudly. Charity forced herself to smile as she fought her instinct to point out that she was paraplegic, not deaf.
"Certainly, right this way sir." She told him, turning around and making her way to the aisle where the surfing equipment was kept, and showed him the rack. "We have a wide variety available. If you'd like I could take you through..."
"No offence sweetheart, but I think I know my way around board wax." He replied, taking a tin and handing it to her. "Here, run this up will you?"
"Are you sure?" She asked him. "We stock this because we stock a lot of this company's brands, but to be honest from what I've heard..."
"Listen sweetheart, I'm on the pro circuit. I think I know more about board wax than an armchair fan." He said derisively, causing his girlfriend to elicit a little snigger. "Just ring up the sale."
"Whatever you say." She replied as she made her way over to the counter. Rad walked into the store, carrying a large bag from the local Subway. He noticed the customers by the counter as Charity started to ring up the sale.
"That'll be 19.95." She told him. The guy reached into his pocket, pulling out a 20 and handed it to her.
"Keep the change sweetheart." He chuckled. "And in future, try saving your advice for something you know about. If I want to know where to get a kick-ass parking spot, I'll let you know."
"Hey!" Rad called out, slamming the bag onto the counter. "What's your problem man?"
"The girl here tried to give me advice on board wax." He said in a laugh. "Can you believe that? She tried to tell me, Rocco Nelson about board wax! I was a state champion!"
"Rocco Nelson?" Charity asked him, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah, you were a state champion. A state Pee Wee champion! You haven't won a thing since 1999!"
He was about to answer, but Rad stood between them with a little smirk on his face.
"In fact, I've heard from my friends on the circuit that in the last four years you've been so wasted that you can barely stand on a board, never mind ride one." She remarked. "And you have the gall to ask me what I know?"
"Trust me man, this chick knows more about the x-games scene than you ever will." Rad stated confidently. "Now, apologise to her, take your crappy wax and get out."
Rocco was about to answer, but Rad just folded his arms defiantly in front of him and glared at him.
"What happens if I don't?" Rocco asked him. "What are you going to do about it?"
"Me? I'm not going to do a thing dude, I don't believe in throwing hands with assholes that piss me off. Life's too short." He replied. "Of course, we'll just tell our boss what happened and you can get your board wax somewhere else. Have fun driving to Blue Bay every week."
"Presuming I don't call ahead and tell them what kind of jerk you are." Charity chipped in. "Have you heard of Kelly Bradley, formerly Kelly Holloway? How about Tori Hanson? Blake Bradley? I met them all back in the day, and they're all good friends. Good luck getting them to sell you anything if they find out what you said to me."
Rocco just looked a little sheepish as he heard this, and realised the error he had made. Because of Charity's disability, he had been dismissive of her knowledge of the subject, but clearly she did know what she was talking about. She was obviously aware of Rocco's standing in the surfing world, and listening to her talk, clearly she knew a lot of the players in the community. She had referenced Tori Hanson, a former champion and now one of the major names in custom surfboards among others, citing her as a personal friend. He turned to her and extended a hand her way.
"I'm sorry." He said quietly. Rad coughed.
"I didn't quite hear that." Rad stated.
"I'm sorry for what I said." Rocco reiterated a little louder. "It was disrespectful."
"Apology accepted." She told him a little gruffly, shaking his hand quickly. Rocco didn't say anything else, just taking his bag and leaving, his girlfriend not far behind him. Rad turned back to Charity.
"Are you alright?" He asked her.
"Don't worry about it." She sighed, waving it off. "It wouldn't be the first time I've heard shit like that before."
"That doesn't mean you have to take it." He stated in response. "It's not right; you shouldn't have to put up with shit like that."
"If I talked back to everyone who said stuff to me because of this chair I'd be fighting every day of my life." She whispered as she looked away. "It's like you said to Rocco, life's too short to spend your time throwing hands with everyone that pisses you off."
Rad didn't know how to respond to that. He could see that Charity was indeed used to such behaviour. Almost everyone that came into the store loved her, and was well aware of her knowledge and experience. She was genuinely happy working there, and the customers didn't seem to notice or care about her wheelchair. If anything, many of them respected her courage in staying part of the scene despite no longer being able to participate. He reached to the bag on the counter and fished out her sub.
"Six inch chicken tikka with lettuce and onion wasn't it?" He asked her. She nodded and took the sub. "If you want to take this in the back and have a few minutes..."
"I'll be fine." She assured him. "As long as you got my coffee order right that is."
"Mocha latte with a shot of caramel syrup?" He asked, taking out another bag from a Starbucks. "Subway didn't have it, so I went to Starbucks on the way back."
"Wow, you remembered." She remarked.
"Why wouldn't I?" He asked her.
"Well, it's just..." She tried to think how to say it diplomatically; the last thing she wanted was to hurt his feelings after he had stood up for her. "You do smoke a lot." He just laughed and shook his head.
"It's alright; you aren't the first person who's said something like that." He told her. "I know I talk a little weird, and I do smoke quite a bit. I know a lot of people don't really take me seriously. I guess a lot of that is my fault."
"I'm sorry." She replied.
"What for?" He asked her.
"I get so angry when people judge me because of the chair." She said honestly. "I guess I didn't really thing about the fact I was doing the same thing with you."
Just then, Gabby came in from the back, fixing her hair having just gotten changed out of her racing leathers, and back into her street clothing. She smiled as she came in.
"Rad, if I ever had any doubts about you, consider them well and truly kicked into touch." She announced happily. "The bike ran like a dream! Seriously, I doubt it ran this well straight out of the factory!"
"Glad I could help dud...er...I mean boss." He replied. Gabby just made her way to the counter, finding the bag and pulled out her lunch.
"Ham and turkey with tomato, salad and mayo." Rad rhymed off confidently. "Just like you wanted boss."
"Great, I'm starving after that ride." She responded. "So did anything happen while I was away?"
"Nothing we couldn't handle." Charity assured her. "It's been pretty quiet."
"Alright then, I guess it's time for me to take care of some books." She told them, taking her lunch and heading for the door to her apartment. "You know where I am if I'm needed."
Back at the High School, an impressive collection of body parts was quickly piling up as Johnny and Fred stripped the car down to the frame in record time. Johnny looked to Fred a little impressed as he removed the last panel.
"You know your way around a car." He complimented him.
"I've taken a look at the odd vehicle in my time." Fred assured him. "My mom has the mechanical ability of a baboon. I've been doing all the repairs around the house and on the cars for years."
"What about your dad?" Johnny asked him.
"He split once they found out Julie was blind." He answered him sadly.
"I'm sorry to hear that." Johnny replied. "Um...if you don't mind me asking, how did Julie become...you know..."
"Blind?" He asked. "You don't have to worry; you are allowed to say it."
He put the last panel on a trolley, and Johnny joined him in helping to take it out to the disposal area.
"She didn't become blind, she was born without retinas." Fred informed him. "She's always been blind."
They started loading the panels into dumpsters to be collected as they continued to talk.
"So what are we doing first?" Fred asked him. "I mean, we have basically stripped the thing naked."
"Well I was thinking of checking out the chassis." Johnny told him. "It's in pretty good shape, but I was thinking of adding a roll cage to the frame."
"A roll cage?" Fred asked him. "Don't you think that's a bit overkill?"
"Not really." Johnny said with a shrug. "Have you seen the way some of the idiots drive around here? Trust me, that cage could save someone's life some day."
"Well I don't know about you, but I don't plan on crashing." Fred stated honestly.
"Who does?" Johnny asked him in response. "I figure if we sort out the frame first and get it ready, that'll give us a week or two of relatively simple work, just some basic welding. That way we'll be ready for the real fun when we start on the engine."
"Hey, I'll trust your judgement." Fred stated. "You're the mechanic, I'm just a tinkerer."
"Anyway, we've got a few minutes left before we have to clean up." Johnny told him. "Let's take a look at that frame."