Cal was packing up his small suv when he heard a loud car pulling up. He turned and glanced over. Lightning.. Ugh. He shut the hatch when Lighting parked next to him. Lighting got out and asked "What are you doing? This place isn't really closing. Is it?" He was concerned. Cal sighed explaining "It's not yet.. But.. I have advised my students to prepare and start looking into new schools." "That's why I have transfers coming." Lightning muttered. Cal nodded and began walking back into his school with Lightning following close behind. "I turned them down." Lightning exclaimed. Cal stopped dead in his tracks and snapped a little "Why would u do that? They need a school, a racer, a teacher!?" "And they have one. You Cal!" Cal shook his head and snarled "Not anymore, not for long. I can't. I, I'-"Lost yourself for a little there. That's okay. I did the same thing.. But I let it destroy so much of who I was and my family, my work.. I can't let you do that." Lightning really was concerned.
Cal frowned and it was a little painful but he let Lightning know "I forgive you. And Meg.. It was a mistake... But I love her and.. Looks like I'm stuck with you." He joked. Lightning snickered. "Thanks for caring but.. I don't have a racer.. No one wants to race for a failing school.." It was sad the way Cal said that. "How is she? Megan?" Lightning asked. Cal smiled a little as he answered "She's giving me another chance. Says she knows I was hurting and wasn't myself. We got some work to do but.. I think we'll make it." Lightning was so happy to hear that! So thankful!
"That's great news Cal. Look, we don't have to be friends. I get it. But thank you." Lighting said with a warm heart. Cal nodded once. A few students stared as they passed by. "Still.." Cal replied "I have ruined so much of my reputation that?.. I look like Chick and Storm now." Lightning snickered assuring "No, you don't. You just gotta get your school back up and running and you gotta be positive." Cal raised a brow and stared a moment confused. "How can you be so sure and positive when you barely even have a school?" Lightning smiled answering "I have what I need. Now, let's get your name back on the track." Cal was a little confused and explained "My best racers left. I have no one to sponsor right now. I told you that. And I can't throw some trainee in that mess with Storm? Storm would wreck him!" Lightning agreed "I know, you're right! That's why your taking my racer." Cal had to take a step back as he was surprised,
having to confirm he asked "Woah? Cruz? You're giving me the Lightning McQueen Racing Academy's ONLY RACER!?" Lightning nodded explaining "She's the best. She'll do well being back with Dinico and Tex and you. She can get your school back up and get your name back out there and BELIEVE ME, Cruz is really smart about how to use all that media stuff for good attention." Cal was stunned. "No, I can't do that. Cruz is your racer. And she's all you have there. You need her." Lightning raised a brow but assured "I am not losing anything here. I can find me another racer one day. She's yours." Cal still shook his head saying "I won't. I won't take the only thing you have for your academy to thrive." Lightning nodded thanking Cal.
Then, Lightning grabbed out his phone and dialed a number. Cal just watched unsure what Light was doing? "Hey Cruz, yeah. Good. Your fired. Yep. I'll explain it to you a the academy. It's done Cruz, but Cal needs a racer. Dinico would love to have you back. Yeah.. Sorry. It'll be fine Cruz. I need this break. Yeah. Bye.." He hung up. Cal glared and muttered "You are unbelievable." Lightning shrugged replying "Cruz will be here shortly after school hours. Better get the papers ready." Cal shook his head snapping "You never knew how to take no for an answer did you?" Lightning shook his head, that was kinda true. "See ya Cal. Take care. I'll be cheering you on from the stands."
Then Lightning left. He got into his car and let out a sigh. Did he just send his academy into the ground? Yep, probably. But a break sounded good. He could focus, get back into shape, be himself, no Cruz, no tempting there and be with his kids more maybe if Sally would allow him to take them out of daycare while she works and time for him to be the man that Sally wanted...
Lightning went back to the academy, mostly to give Celia and Jethro the news that he was going to take a break for some time. Maybe that is what Lightning really needed. Some time off. NO more race drama. What he did not expect was to find Cruz there waiting for him and ready to chew him out it seemed. Lightning walked up to the door and before he could even open it, Cruz walked out and started "How could you do that!?" "Do what!?" Lightning yelled! "Fire me like that! I had your back! I have been here for you and this place sense like day one!" Lightning sighed and explained "I just need a break and Cal needs a racer. It's a good fit anyway. Cal can give you so much more than I can at the moment." Cruz crossed her arms.
She was pouting like a child. Lightning chuckled slightly and continued "Come on Cruz. You said you'd do anything for me. Cal needs our help." Cruz didn't understand? "Why would you wanna help him after all the things he's done to you?" "Because we're the good guys Cruz! That's what we do!" Cruz stared at that answer. She softly and quietly replied "Storm says the good guys are push overs." Lightning stared and scolded "Storm is clueless. AND Reckless."
Cruz sighed and frowned a little but out on a smile and asked "Is this really what you want me to do? Race for Cal Weathers?" Lightning nodded once confirming. Cruz shrugged then asked "What are you gonna do? Close the academy?" Lightning shook his head and stared up at the sign. LMRA. 'No. Just a break. I can still train you if you'd like from time to time. I am still your friend and I'll be there anytime you need me. But Cal needs help or he is gonna lose his school. Dinico needs you, those students need a racer there. You have nothing here with me." Cruz knew he was right. Lightning's academy wasn't failing exactly.. But it wasn't thriving either.
Cruz also knew though that Lightning's image was at stake if he did indeed take a break. "I have to advise against this Mr McQueen. After all the work we've put into your social status? If you call it quits now than that could be it for you.." Lightning shrugged replying "It's just a break. I'll come back with bigger and cooler stuff." Cruz raised a brow and had to explain "It doesn't work that way on the internet. You drop off the face of the earth, so to say, and you will lose veiwers and followers for good. They'll look for something else and that will more than likely be"-"Storm?" Lightning asked. Cruz tried to smile as she nodded. Lightning sighed. He didn't think about that. "Is there really no way for me to just?.. Temporarily quit the internet stuff?" Cruz thought a moment but shook her head "The internet doesn't work like real life. You stop uploading and you will become a no nody." Lightning frowned. He just thought that this was such a good idea, a good plan!
"Look, why don't we just go inside and talk up some ideas with Celia. She is paid for this after all. Right?" Cruz suggested. Lightning thought a moment. He just was so sure that this is what he needed but... The begging look Cruz was giving him? He couldn't say no to that. "Alright." He agreed reluctantly. So once inside, yeah, Jethro and Celia had a few words for Lightning. But Cruz quickly got them to listen. "Go ahead Mr McQueen, Lightning. Tell them what you wanted to do." Celia was a little upset that Lightning didn't talk to her to begin with. He had put her in charge of his media image or digimage, and he didn't even consult her.
"Well.." Lightning began, "I am sending Cruz to the Dinico Rusteze racing school to race for Cal Weathers. And I thought that maybe I could take a break from the whole media scandal and stunt trick videos." Celia immediately shook her head and explained "Uh no. If you did that? You'd be signing a virtual death certificate for you and your academy." "Why?" Lightning asked. Celia sighed and rubbed her head trying to explain "It's like this, You have..." She looked around and tried to find something to use to relate and better get Lightning to understand quickly before he did anytning actually irrational. Her eyes widened staring at one of the race cars in the show room!
"Here!" she shouted as she walked over to it! "Why is this car in the show room?" she asked. Lightning glanced at Cruz then answered "Because it's one of my race cars." He chuckled a little. Celia nodded "Exactly! But!, What if?... We take off these racing tires? hmm And... The wing, and the sponsor and the paint job entirely and hey! Let's go ahead and replace the engine with a four cylinder." Lightning realized what she was doing and his expression changed from a smile. "Is the race car really that special anymore than? Or would you look at the other one next to it from now on?" Lightning sighed but asked "What are you getting at Celia?" in a low and grumpy tone. The young lady shook her head before explaining further,
"You are old news Mr Mcqueen. You wrecked. And during your come back race? you quit and sent another racer out. You quit!" Lightning frowned a little. "Yeah.. I guess technically I did quit. But no one really looks at it like that?"-"Yes! They do. Then you had an affair that even a video went public and you ruined your rep with that. "Celia added. Lightning and Cruz glanced at each other. Both ashamed of that one. But Celia wasn't done yet. "Then you and Cal had that crap go on. Ruining you more. Then you tried starting your own school which isn't going well because of Cal. Then you get Cruz back and we all pitch in to grab attention. Get you positive attention and it's working! If you seriously fire Cruz? You are definitely gonna lose some viewers and followers the minute Dinico announces her."
Lightning shrugged saying "I can lose some fans. It's not like I don't have any?" Celia nodded agreeing "This is true. But then add on top of it you quit uploading stunts? Slowly by each week, you will lose hundreds. Thousands will drop and evantually no one will be watching much of your videos. People watch what's popular and people who are constantly uploading." Lightning frowned and mumbled "So I can't quit?.." Celia disagreed and explained "No, you can. But it'll be a death sentence for all the work we did. You'd have to start from the bottom of the bottom of where you and all of us started before." It was horrible. In a way, Lightning felt trapped.
Cruz saw how disappointed Lightning was and tried to talk with Celia "Maybe he could stop the stunts for a lottle while? I mean just a few weeks?" "He already has. He's been off looking for racers to come to school here instead of acting being at the academy." Lightning glared at Celia. She was rude and he didn't like it "Because we needed racers." He explained. Celia shrugged and asked "Where are they? Because you had students coming to you from the school. You turned them down!" she yelled. Lightning wasn't gonna stand there and be yelled at by his employee "I wasn't and will not take Cal's students!" "Than you are letting him win! You are going to fail! Just like you did your last year racing!" she snapped back.
"Hey! Not cool!" Cruz snapped at the girl! Jethro rolled his eyes and growled "I quit. If this is what's happening and you want a break anyway? I have bills to pay and a life. I'm not losing my job and pay because the boss wants to relax." Jethro walked out right there. Celia shook her head and asked her boss "You sure you wanna do this? We could upload less and try something else Mr McQueen?" Lightning sighed and really looked at Cruz for an answer. Cruz frowned as she was thinking quickly for some kind of answer. "I can always help with videos. When I'm not racing." She replied. Lightning nodded then answered Celia with a question "If I'm not doing the stunts and tricks, what would I be doing?" Celia shrugged. She had no clue.
Cruz was positive "We'll think of something. And I'll help." she smiled. Lightning smiled slightly. Cruz was always one to lighten spirits. Lightning looked at the time and ordered "Cruz, get what you need and head to Cal's school. He neede a racer, he needs you." Cruz hesitated. She didn't want to leave the academy but she said she'd do anything for Lightning. "I'll come by tomorrow and we can start getting new ideas for you. Just cause I'm back with Dinico doesn't mean I'm not part of your team." She giggled. Lightning snickered and agreed. "Go get em." Lightning replied. Cruz nodded and left. Celia sighed and muttered "This is gonna really hit your image. Losing Cruz, loses followers." Lightning knew it would and that was okay. "It'll be fine Celia. One day I'll get another racer. I just need to focus a little and get back to being myself." Celia didn't seem assured. She was sure this was the death of the school but this was her job for now and she was gonna stay.
Celia played on the phone for a moment and continued "Which speaking about media and social status... Jethro was going to tell you before he just walked out. A certain someome was recognized the other night sitting with a certain someone." Lightning's eyed widened. Celia turned and showed Lightning a picture of... Chester and Annie er well Sally! He sighed and said "I can explain.." Celia laughed a little and joked "I think Sally or your friend Chester are the ones who need to explain." Lightning stared a moment. Right! Celia and Jethro met Chester! She didn't mean that Lightning was recognized! She meant Sally and she was with Chester! "Who posted that?" Lightning asked. Celia took a minute to look then answered "Some guy. A no body." Lightning nodded but as long as know one knew that he was actually Chester. It should be fine...