The students began to show up and Lightning was afraid of Cleo talking to them right now. Lightning made them come in the back at the track. There weren't many students as put before. Lightning took them out and they sat down on the ledge as he started the lesson. "Alright.. So.. A few announcements. Um.. Lapps and Storm have temporarily quit." "What!?" Shouted one student. "What about us?" "Are you going to close the academy again?" "Does this mean we are going to teach us now alone?" The students started panicking a little. Lightning motioned for them to stop.
"I know it's a little unexpected.. But I'm pretty confident that they will both return." Lightning assured. One young man raised his hand and Lightning let him speak. The kid asked "Where is Mr. Swift?" "Um.. He went for a walk." answered Lightning. Another kid raised their hand. "Yes?" Lightning asked. "Yeah, um.. Whose that?" And pointed to Lightning's office balcony. Lightning and the other students looked up to see a woman, Cleo, staring down at them. Lightning sighed then looked at the students. "I'll be right back.." He growled then went inside. He had to deal with Cleo already. Lightning made his way up to his office where Cleo was back inside and sitting on his desk.
Lightning shut the door and asked "Why are you in my office?.. You have your own." "Yea, I needed paper clips.. Don't have any gold colored ones? Do you?" Cleo asked. "Gold would be an excellent accent color." Lightning glared then had to explain. "I can't.. You can't... Dammit.. You need to stay out of my office and keep out of sight of the students." "Why? I'm a partner." "Because I'm your boss here. This is MY academy You do as I say here." Lightning said firmly. Cleo smiled a bit and hopped off the desk. "Fine.. Boss.. But it won't last forever. " She then walked beside him, her hand grazing across his chest as she left, but Lightning grabbed her arm tightly!
Cleo made a distraught face amd snapped "Let me go Lightning." Lightning was giving her a threatening look and said. "Know your place here.. You are nothing.. A slut, a maniac, an evil little bitch maybe.. But worthless and VERY disposable.. You do as I say here or I will put you in your place." Cleo glared a bit saying. "You won't do anything to me. Not if you wanna protect your little family." Lightning snickered and let Cleo's arm go. "Leave me." Ordered Lightning in a deep tone. Cleo glared a little more before leaving the room. Lightning sighed and rubbed his head. He was going to have to actually find a way to get one up on Cleo. He needed something on her...
One of the students, Ken stood up saying "I'm tired of these old racing ways. We haven't actually learned that much." He complained. Another young man stood up agreeing. "Yeah, I say we start training our own way." One other young man, Ollie spoke up disagreeing "I think we should just be patient and wait.. Mr. McQueen knows what he's doing." "Does he?" A young lady asked. "Over half the class has left." She added. A few other students began debating amongst thenselves. That first young man Ken then reminded "And Mr. Storm and even Daniel Lapp quit. Dan was Mr. McQueen's racer for Chrysler's sake!" "Yeah!" A woman agreed. Ollie sighed replying "I don't know guys.." "I say we need a real race car. That'll be how we show Mr. McQueen we're ready to race." Suggested Ken.
"That's an even better idea!" One man said! Another stood agreeing. "For sure! If we show Mr. McQueen that we can handle the next level, he's sure to really start training us to race like the legends!" A few others agreed, but most didn't. "I don't know.. I say we still wait and just let Mr. McQueen decide when we're ready. He is the expert." Ollie reminded. "More like Ex- sport." Ken joked rudely. Ollie glared a bit saying "That doesn't even make sense.." "Whatever nerd. You wanna take your time and follow the rules, great.. But I'm tired of waiting. I want to race now." "I think it's a bad idea.." A girl, Patricia said. Ken rolled his eyes saying. "Ofcorse you do. Look, go ahead and follow Mr. McQueen's guide to racing while I take what's mine. Let's see.. That should mean you'll be starting your racing career by the time I'm retiring on a million dollar yacht." He joked.
Patricia glared and crossed her arms. "Sure Ken.." She snarled. Ken snickered and mitioned a few of his friends to follow him out of there and plan their own way of racing. One man stood up asking "How do you even plan to get ahold of a race car anyway?" Ken smiled answering "Oh I have a few ideas.." Before turning with his click and leaving. Ollie and Patricia glanced at each other with concern. Patricia asked her friend, "Should we tell Mr. McQueen?" Ollie shook his head answering "Nah.. Ken won't actually do anything." Lightning walked up a few minutes later to continue his class. He did notice a few students missing and asked "Hey.. Where did some of you go?" A girl answered saying. "Ken and some of his friends left saying they could train better their way." Lightning sighed. Patricia and Ollie glanced at each other again, but neither said anything to Lightning.
Lightning shook his head then said. "Alright, um.. Well let's continue class without them. Today we will work on the time it takes you in the pits. This is very important. The average pit stop takes twelve seconds. A pit stop for four tires and fuel can last as long as sixteen seconds, and a stop for two tires and fuel may even take up to eight seconds. Late in a race, a team may only need fuel to make it to finish. This technique is called a splash and go, and may take as little as two to three seconds. The record time is one point ninety two seconds. The slowest.. Well... If you take it over eleven seconds... Your team will be disqualified and today... Winning team gets dinner at the diner. On me."
The idea of getting a prize, a free meal out of this only grabbed the kids attention. Lightning kind of figured it would. One girl raised her hand and reminded "But you said it can take as long as sixteen seconds.. Why do we only get eleven?" Lightning nodded replying. "I know it seems a little unfair, but that's because my students will average above that. Only the best will graduate from this academy. Everything you need is in the entrance hall. Go in, grab what you need and get back out here to set up. Pick a driver amongst yourselves for your team. There is no room for error today guys. Let's suit up and split into.." He paused and counted. "Two teams. Let's go GO GO!" The students quickly rushed to get ready and set up their pit row...
With the winning team announced, Lightning took them and his family out to the diner for dinner that night. Cleo was left with filing paperwork for the students she had caused Lightning to lose. It just seemed like a fitting job for her nee status. The students and the McQueen's sat at the largest table in the corner of the diner. Colton, Ece, and Landon next to their parents were behaving quite well at the moment. The students were having a great time talking about the fun of that little competition and what they did wrong, right. What was the best or their favorite part of it.
One young man said, "I can not believe that you literally drifted that turn there Mikey!" Mikeg laughed admitting "Me too! I was so sure I was going into the ditch!" "You mean the tulips." A young woman corrected kindly. Mikey nodded agreeing. Sally smiled seeing the students so hiped up over the racing class. She took Lightning's hand proudly. This sort of reminded her of one of the reasons she loved this man of her's so much. Lightning glanced down at their held hands then at Sally's face and smiled lovingly. Patricia and Ollie were on this team. Ollie laughing at something another team mate said as Patricia noticed Ken and his group of friends enter the diner snickering to themselves suspiciously as they went and grabbed some drinks. She watched them carefully.
Just watching when Ollie nudged her asking. "You okay?" She looked at him then motioned for him to look over. Ollie looked over and saw Ken and his buddies getting some alcohol then paying and leaving with drinks in hand. Patricia leaned closer asking her friend. "Weren't they going out to race?.." Ollie nodded discreetly. "Alcohol and driving never go well together.. Should we tell?" She asked. Ollie and Patricia looked over at Lightning, who seemed pretty busy and entertained between his family and the other students. Ollie shook his head saying. "Nah.. We can go check it out though. At least remind Ken that safety is most important." Patricia raised a brow asking "And you think he'll listen to us?" Ollie shrugged. "Worth a try. Least we can see exactly what he's up to and at the very least, take his keys." Patricia nodded in agreement and the two snuck away from the group...
They followed their friends back to the academy. They parked further away and watched the group of fellow students drink and drunkenly stand around the academy entrace and what seemed to be talking. Patricia had to ask. "Why did they come back here? They shouldn't even be out after drinking like that.." Ollie didn't say a word, just watched. Ken and his friends joked around a bit then one walked around back. "Now where's he going?..." Asked Patricia. Ollie just remained silent and watched the guy disappear behind the academy. Ken and the others joked and played around some more, then one tried opening the locked entrance doors. "Why do they want in?" Asked Patricia. Ollie looked around them. No other cars, so they were all alone.
He shrugged answering "I don't know.. I'm gonna go talk some sense into them." He began to get out, but Patricia stopped him. "No, wait!.. Ken doesn't like you and even more hates being told what to do." Ollie watched Ken grab a stone and rear back. "Wait!" He shouted as he rushed out of the car! Ken froze and he and his friends watched Ollie approach. "Oh great.. Buz kill showed up.." One griped. Ollie caught his breath and asked. "What.. Are you guys doing?.. Mr. McQueen.. Will kill you." Ken stared at the stone and realized this was wrong and placed it back down saying. "You're right.." "Really?" Asked one. Ken shot him a harsh look and elbowed him in the side!
"Ollie is right. We shouldn't be doin this. We shouldn't be using a stone to bust in, we should be using him." Ken joked. But then he grabbed Ollie by the collar, spun him around and threw him at the glass door! Ollie hit it with a CRASH, breaking through the door and landing inside on the cold floor, surrounded by shattered glass. Ken reached in and unlocked the doors then pushed it open. "Thanks pal. Now you're one of us." Ken joked. As the others entered, one joked cheering "One of us, one of us." And chuckled a laugh. Ollie sat up and watched Ken and his friends look at the cars in the room. All the different Bolts from over the years.
Ken looked to one guy and asked. "Yo.. Where's McQueen keep the keys to these?" He shrugged. Ollie stood up slowly, dusting glass off of him. It hit the floor like rain, "Woah.. You aren't taking these?.. Are you?" He asked. Ken snickered then explained "We need real race cars to race man.. Relax, don't be such a pussy. You've made it this far." Ollie felt sick to his stomach and looked up in the corners at the cameras. He then walked over to Ken saying. "This place is going to be filled with cops in a matter of seconds Ken.. We should all just go." Ken shoved Ollie back yelling "No! I'm going to prove to these old guys that I am better than all of you!" The other guys seemed a bit concerned, but not enough to say anything.
Ollie's brows lowered as he said, "Fine. Get arrested and lose your fucking scholarship. I don't care." He turned and began to leave, but then suddenly extremely loud sirens blasted from inside the academy! Red lights flashed from the ceiling and everyone covered their ears! "What the fuck!?" Yelled one, "Make if stop!" another! Ken furiously grabbed one his friends yelling at them! "Find the keys now! We may not be recorded, but the cops can still catch us!" One ran in the back saying "The oldest ones can be hot wired easily. Find the first generation models!" Quickly the group found two older ones. Ollie had enough and grabbed out his phone, but Ken snatched it and busted it on the ground!
"No ones getting caught on my watch!" "Ken, I got this one!" One yelled by a red race car. Ollie watched Ken and that other kid get into the car and one the other kids open the back door. Ollie shouted at them not to do this because the consequences would be HUGE! Ken didn't listen and took off in the race car! At this moment, the other two got another car to start up and took off in it to. Ollie sighed and then felt a hand on his shoulder, he turned and saw Patricia! He grabbed her shoulders yelling "We gotta get out of here! Now! Before the cops show up!" Patricia saw the two race cars gone and asked "What happened!? Where are the Bolts!?" "I promise if we leave now, I'll explain later! Come on!" The two bolted out quickly and left before the cops showed up!...
Lightning's phone rang as he sipped some water. He set it down as Colton climbed into his father's lap. Lightning chuckled a bit and helped Colton adjust on his lap as he answered the phone. "Hello?... What?.. Oh my god.. I'll be right over." He hung up and Sally, overhearing the concern in his voice, asked. "What's wrong? Who was that?" Lightning handed Colton off to her explaining "The academy was broken into.." "By who!?" She gasped! "Do you think it was Cleo?" she asked quietly. Lightning sighed answering "I'll bet so... Can you?"-"Yeah, yeah.. Go ahead. I got this." Sally interrupted, but meant well. Lightning nodded then kissed Sally's head before heading out to his academy...
Lightning parked in the middle of the cop cars and walked up to the front where Sheriff was waiting. The place was already taped off due to the broken glass everywhere. Lightning stepped under the tape along with Sheriff and walked iver the glass in crackling shattered steps. "What happened?" Lightning asked. Sheriff sighed and explained "The cameras were turned off." "What!?" "Two of the cars are gone. Older ones.. If that makes any difference. Makes me think that whoever stole them wasn't in it for the money sense the newer ones are worth more." Said Sheriff. Lightning sighed again and looked around. Cleo had to have been behind this. Who else was at the academy that could have turned off the cameras!
Lightning stepped forward where he stepped on something. He looked down and saw a phone, so he picked it up carefully. It turned on, but the screen was to messed up to actually use the device. "Can you have your guys find out whose this is? Might be the thief's." Asked Lightning. Sheriff nodded and carefully took it. "Think this was Cleo?" Asked Sheriff. Lightning was very suspicious of it being Cleo, but it didn't make sense. This was more petty than Cleo's usual and way more messy. "I'm not sure.." He answered. Sheriff handed the phone off to another cop who placed it in a bag. "We'll find out who owns the phone then get back to you.. Shouldn't take more than a day or two." Sheriff assured. Lightning thanked him before heading to his office to make sure nothing more was taken...