Lightning just parked and began making his way into Flo's cafe diner. Greeted by a few familiar faces like Sheriff and Sarge. Then Mater who was in his truck parked at one if the gas pumps muttering "Oh come on.. Turn... Come on." Lightning stopped in front of the tow truck and greeted making himself known. "Hey there Mater." Mater stopped what he was doing and smiled "McQueen!" Mater then jumped out the trucks cab, hitting his head on the way out. Lightning chuckled a little as Mater walked over and exclaimed "What you been up to? Seems like forever sense we done did hung out." Lightning nodded agreeing "I know Mater. I seem to be always busy." Mater frowned but smiled "I undertand." he replied "You got that fancy school of yours and the kids." Lightning smiled but did think he and Mater should hang out more, "You should come over this friday night. You, me and the kids could have a little cook out or somethin. Kids love you." Mater's eyes lit up as he asked "You mean it?" Lightning nodded.
Mater was excited about getting to spend time with Lightning, "Shoot sounds great! I will definitely be there. Some how." he muttered. Lightning raised a brow ans sighed asking "What's wrong with the truck this time?" Mater shrugged explaining "Well I use to give her a good kick then a pump while turning over and she'd be a little stubborn but always came through. But now lately she barely starts and keeps dying while I'm driving!? I can't figure it out..." he admitted with a frown. Lightning smiled though saying "Let me take a look at her. But you are buying my coffee." Mater nodded and ran inside to get Lightning's drink. So Lightning popped the hood to take a look around there first.
Immediately spotting a few problems. Lightning then grabbed the small tool set from the bed of the truck and got down and crawled half way under the truck to look from the other view. Mater walked out and set the coffee on the ground asking "Find anything?" Lightning snickered "Oh yeah.. You immediately and desperately are in need of a fuel pump Mater. And for a mechanic, you should know better than to let your battery get that bad!? It looks like it came from a swamp!" Mater apologized "I'll go see if I can find that pump!" then took off. Honestly Lightning was looking at all the rot and rust on this thing and even he knew when to call it quits. This truck had just had it. Poor Mater loved this truck. It was his father's truck and Mater would never want to part with it. But it was just.. Scrap.
Suddenly Lightning felt someone accidentally trip over his feet. "Sorry Mater. Didn't see you there." Jesse. Lightning didn't say anything sense it didn't bother him and he was waiting for Mater while he looked at other things this truck was needing. Like a new everything. "There you are Sally. I was wondering if you were gonna show?" Jesse said. Lightning's movement froze and he lay there under the truck listening. He wasn't spying. Just in the right place at the right time you could say. "Sorry. I know I'm busy. I just got hung up while I was dropping the kids off at daycare. I decided to take your advice though." Sally said. "Which advice?' Jesse asked. Sally sighed answering "Try being or pretending to be friends with Cleo. I invited her out to lunch tomorrow. Should maybe help ease the tension between us both running for mayor." Jesse nodded with a smile "That's great Sal. You are definitely a bigger person. You wanna eat outside? It's a beautiful morning." she asked.
Sally shrugged "Sure. But I can't be too long." The girls must of sat down not to far, Lightning heard Sally greet "Oh hey Mater." he didn't answer ofcourse sense he was indeed NOT Mater. But he didn't mind getting to over hear the girls chat over breakfast. "So did you really go?" Jesse asked. Sally nodded. Jesse snickered a quiet giggle "I can not believe you followed Lightning out there!" Sally shushed her friend correcting "Yeah well, I didn't. Not technically. Lightning said he didn't even go. So I felt pretty silly none the less." Jesse raised a brow and asked "So what did you do? Watch the race?" Awe, they were talking about the weekend. Sally stalking Lightning to that race. Funny.
"A little. I met someone." "Really?" Jesse asked. Wait? Lightning wondered. Did she mean him? Did Sally mean Chester? Was she talking about Chester? Sally nodded continuing "Yep. I mean he wasn't exactly the best looking man. Mostly cause he had this odd flat facial hair going and this ragged brown hair. But he was funny and kind of nice." Not the best looking? That was funny. "Nothing happened right?" Jesse asked curiously. Sally shrugged explaining "We went out for drinks. Got to talk a while and it was nice to just.. Be a little free. No one knew me. So I could just let loose." Jesse raised a brow and asked "Wait? So this man didn't know you were married to the great Lightning McQueen?" Sally shook her head "Nope."
Jesse giggled and shook her head. "What's his name?' Jesse asked. Here it was, momebt of truth. Was she talking about him? "Chester. Although I can't remember his last name. I'm not sure he even told me it. He was a little crude on the humor side. He really kinda... Reminded me of Lightning. Even this guys scent did!" She admitted. Jesse raised a brow "Oh gosh what a nightmare..." she mumbled. Sally hummed correcting "Mmmmm... Not really." Lightning was so curious now. Would Sally really.. No. Did she wanna see him again?
"I kissed him." she stated. Jesse gasped "What!? Why? To much to drink?" her friend asked. Sally nodded explaining "I did have a one to many I think.. He pulled away. He was married and says he wants the next woman he's with to be his last. Which really made me melt a little."
Lightning shook his head. Seemed Chester was better than him with Sally now. Which was a little unnerving.. "You get his number?" Jesse asked. Sally snickered answering "I tried to. He lied about having a phone to my face. It even went off in front of me!" Jesse frowned "How pathetic.. I'm sorry babe." Sally shrugged and muttered "Will I ever find a man whose not a lying jerk?" Okay that whimper of a remark made Lightning feel terrible. But he had to lie about the phone and he should have placed the phone on silent. Lesson learned. "Did you?.. Want to sleep with him?" Jesse asked carefully. Oh how Lightning wanted to hear this one.
Sally hesitated answering "I don't know.. I mean.. I can't say I wouldn't.. Mind a little something.. Here and there. Chester felt.. Familiar and there was this fun energy up until he lied like some loser." she griped. Jesse nodded. Lightning did again, feel bad about the lie. But he couldn't give her his actual phone number! "So you aren't going see him again?" Jesse asked. Sally sighed explaining "See that was a weird thing about this man?.. He asked to see me again at the races this weekend again. He really seemed like a good a guy but then the phone thing was weird. Right?" Jesse agreed saying "Oh yeah. And rude." she then added playfully. "Maybe you should go and see him again. This time with dirty intentions?" Sally laughed and scolded "You are awful Jesse!" "I am. But you love me." she replied with a sly smile.
Lightning knew he couldn't, even if he wanted to and had the chance, he couldn't do much with Sally or Annie rather, as Chester. She would figure it out. She'd know Chester was actually Lightning. Years of sex together and fooling around. He couldn't risk that. Mater then appeared back and announced "Got the pump! And a battery while I was at it." Sally stared pale at Mater and leaned toward Jesse whispering "Oh my god.. That was Lightning!?" Jesse sighed. Sally then asked "Do you think he heard us?" Lightning got out from under the truck and took the pump. "Good. This will work. Good idea with the battery to." he couldn't help glancing over at the girls. Jesse snickered mumbling "Oh yeah, he heard us." Sally was embarrassed.
And she didn't want a fight with Lightning over some guy she had just met and kissed. Jesse, being Jesse. Then shouted toward Lightning "Hear that Light!? Sally's getting some new dick this weekend!" a lot of people stared. Not just Lightning. Sally hunkered down in her seat as she became so bright red with embarrassment. Lightning tried not to, but he couldn't help the slight smile that appeared on his face. It was funny sense the girls were cluelessly talking about him....
Lightning walked into his academy and smiled surprised as he saw Cruz back. "Cruz!?" he exclaimed! Cruz smiled and greeted "Hey Lightning! I'm back!" she smiled. Cruz walked up and hugged Lightning which also surprised him a little. "Oh? Okay." Lightning muttered. Cruz pulled away and apologized. "Sorry. Hey, if you have the time? I'd love to have some practice with you. Get ready to get back into the races." Lightning nodded. "I always have time for my best racer!" he said with enthusiasm. Cruz was happy and ready to get whipped back onto the track! Celia then ran up to them panting out of breath!
Lightning looked concerned and asked "What's wrong?" Celia took a second to breathe then explained "You actually have a hand full of students asking to apply!" "What?" Lightning asked. His and Cruz's eyes widened a bit. "You want me to start accepting some?" Celia asked. Lightning had to think a moment. "What changed? I didn't post anything. Did I?" Lightning asked Celia. She shook her head and played on her phone a moment then turned and showed some post from students of Cal's school.
Dinico Rusteze School of Racing Shutting It's doors!?
What will we racers do now?
Guess it's back to fast food for me!
"Closed? What happened?" Lightning asked. Jethro stepped in answering "It's not official. Bunch of rumors from students so far. But it doesn't seem so far fetched. Cal had to step down and let Strip take lead a while." "And Cal doesn't exactly have a good digital image after going off and threatening you in public." Celia added. Cruz was kind of lost and asked "Hold on. What all have I missed?" Lightning sighed and stated "I know how much that school meant to Cal. This isn't right. I gotta go fix this." "But this is good for you! Let Cal fail and you prevail!" Jethro shouted. Lightning's brows lowered and he scolded "No. That's not right. If that's what and how I'm paying you to think you can leave! Cal is my friend. Or he was.. I know Cal and I know how much racing meant to him. Just like it does to me. Cal has already lost racing, his job, if he loses this school and Megan!? You guys just don't know what it's like to lose everything you were and all you built.." Lightning then turned and quickly left. Cruz ran after and followed.
"I'll come with you." she said. Lightning stopped and turned to her replying "No. You definitely can't help me with this Cruz. This has to be me. I'm sorry, but stay here." Lightning had lost his career. He tried chasing it back, but in the end he couldn't keep up with racers like Cruz and Storm. He lost his wife making some shitty choices and he almost lost his academy because of problems with a friend. He didn't want Cal to suffer like this. In the end, Cal was his friend...
Lightning stormed into the racing school and asked the front desk for Cal. She directed Lightning to Cal's office. So Lightning quickly made his way to his old friend. He stopped at the door and took a deep breath to prepare for any sort of fighting Cal might start. After what happendd with Megan, Lightning and Cal weren't on good terms still. And then Cal kissed Sally and don't even get Lightning started on that mess!
Lightning knocked and heard Cal mutter "Come in.." Lightning slowly ooened the door and walked in with a nervous smile. Cal glared and asked "Oh great.. What do you want? You here to gloat?" Lightning shook his head and sat down beginning "No. Cal I'm sorry all this is happening to you.." Cal only snickered hearing this from Lightning. "I am. For what I did to you and.. To Meg. For our constant fighting. Come on and talk to me pal. Please. I wanna help you." "Help me!?" Cal snarled and hit the desk! Lightning and Cal stared at each other silent a moment. Cal frowned and leaned back in his chair before venting "Megan is gone.. She left me, kicked me out. I came home and she had all these bags packed and I begged her not to do this and then she hands me my suitcase and makes me leave. I mean she didn't make me. But I couldn't fight her and had no choice really!?" Cal was broken. Lightning knew the feeling.
"So she's home?" he asked. Cal nodded. Lightning sighed replying "Give her some space.. You've treated her pretty badly Cal. Just.. Let her breathe and you need to forgive her and show her you can forget." "But I can't!" Cal whined. Lightning grabbed Cal by his shirt and pulled him forward on the desk and got real tough and firm in explaining "Look at me Cal. Look at me!" "I am!" "You want to be like me so much!? Because you are going to be! You're gonna be alone and lose your job! Your life is going to change so drastically! You think it's tough now? You just wait for that first woman after Megan! Wait til you look back and realize how badly you fucked up to! Wait until you are alone, without the woman you love for months! Without your kids and you sit alone and think wow, You could have still been with her, with Megan! You could he getting ready to lay down next to the love of your life to sleep and wake up to a family! But no! You fucked up and decided being mad and angry and that getting the little bit of revenge you got!? was better!? Is that wjat you want Megan to think and feel the rest of her life!? That pushing me in the dirt was worth more to you than being with her" Cal shook his head and whined "No!?.. ofcourse not!?" Lightning let Cal go and stood up.
Cal stared up at Lightning and asked rather than accused "Did you sleep with my wife?.." Lightning glared answering "No. I've told you this. And even if I did you have to choose what's more important. Don't be like me? I'm so fucked up Cal!? I chose to see Ben everytime I looked at Sally. And because of that, I began to look for someone or something else. Then I ruined mt marriage. Because I wanted to get back at Sally and punish her. If you want to destroy your marriage so badly? You are doing a fantastic job! But if you want to save whatever you can and stop acting like you are up on some high horse? You could probably save her and save your marriage. But you have tp get up, go to her and beg for her forgiveness now." "But she"-"No! Shut up! I'm trying to help you! And if your school is closing? When you have no place to go? You can come to me Cal. Because I am sorry for what I did. I betrayed you and Megan amd I crossed a line and I am so sorry!"
Cal frowned. "I can not redo it but I regret it. I did not sleep with her. I never would do that to you. But if you want to? Anytime you need me, I am here for you and I truly hope you can save your marriage because I know you and Megan both love each other. You two have been together sense I met you. That alone is a really long time! You two have made it through so much! Don't let your pride be the thing that ends this." Lightning was done. Cal sighed then stood up and replied softly "Please go." So Lightning nodded and left. Hoping that what he said knocked serious sense into Cal.
The more provocative words in prior chapter were only to see how it went. like a test. i see that its not as wanted or cared for. so i will probably continue to use words as member or area. :) you guys arw awesome!