"You guys ready to see it?" Lightning called from inside Ramone's garage, the smell of wet paint still lingering in the air and enveloping the senses of the eager citizens of Radiator Springs. These days excitement was hard to come by in the sleepy little town, so even something small like McQueen getting a new paint job was enough to draw everyone out of their homes.
This of course, included Mater, who was anxiously waiting to see his best friend's new digs. Of course, Mater loved the way McQueen looked before. He liked the way he looked all the time. But McQueen had said he was trying something different this time around, so Mater wanted to be among the first to see the racecar's transformation. "Well come on now, don't leave us in suspense here, stickers!" Sally called back, earning a chuckle from a few of the others.
The garage door opened up painfully slow, and out of the paint shop strode Lightning McQueen. But Mater could already tell, this was a brand new side of his friend. McQueen had kept his signature red color, but had replaced his lightning theme with a mural of a swirling, fire breathing dragon that stretched from bumper to tailgate. It was a sleek, edgy look McQueen had never had the nerve to try on before. It struck the whole town silent.
With mouths agape, McQueen was met with stares. He cleared his throat, followed by a nervous chuckle. "So... a little different huh?" "A little? It's WAY different!" Mater hollered, speeding through the crowd to meet his friend's side. "But in a dad gum good way, that's for sure! Why, if I was a racing car, I'd be scared to death racing against the likes of someone with a paint job like that! Hoo, boy!"
Now that Mater had broken the ice, the tension had calmed down enough for everyone else to agree and compliment McQueen's new look. And Mater could tell from his sigh that the race car was very relieved about that. As Lightning thanked the others for their kind words and made small talk, Mater couldn't help but stare. The way the corner of McQueen's mouth rose a little when he laughed, the sparkle in his eye as he talked passionately of his artistic inspiration, the slight crack in his voice when someone put him on the spot... it all caught Mater breathless.
"...Mater? Hey, buddy? You in there?"
The sound of McQueen's voice was enough to break Mater out of his daydream. He blinked hard and gulped. "'Course I am!" He laughed hardily the way he normally did in hopes of making the moment pass quicker. He didn't know what her say if McQueen called him out. Even Mater didn't know what came over him. It must have been the new dragon tattoo... that was it, Mater was only trying to get used to it. That's all.
"Did you hear me? Sally and I are gonna go for a drive through the valley for a little bit. I'll meet you at Flo's for dinner still though, alright?" Mater hadn't noticed that Sally had cozied herself up next to Lightning in his moment of mental absence. Lately it seemed like the two were glued to each other. Mater felt his engine sink in disappointment. "But I thought we were goin' tractor tippin'? Remember?" "Oh come on Mater, we can go tractor tipping later! I just wanna take some time with my girl for a while. You get it, right?"
Mater glanced between the two cars. Lightning was good at putting Mater in a position where he couldn't say no. This wasn't the first time he pushed his friend away to rub bumpers with his girlfriend, and it wouldn't be the last. Mater tried not to hide his disappointment. "'Course not! You two lovemobiles have fun, I'll be here!" He put on his facade of jubilance to mask the sadness in his engine. "Thanks, Mater. You're the best friend a car could ask for." Lightning gave Mater that signature smirk that was plastered on every racing magazine since the Piston Cup, before speeding off into the hills with Sally trailing behind.
Mater watched them go, his smile slowly fading back into a frown. His best friend. That was Mater, a great friend. Nothing more. He backed away slowly, McQueen and Sally's laughter echoing in the distance.
Mater knew deep down, he was forever doomed to fein over the Kachow with the dragon tattoo.