16

Adelaide

Tanya and I travel in the dark alone without anywhere to go. It's best to stay in the dark. Caleb's crash was my responsibility. I deserve forfeiting this win. It wasn't right of me to be rewarded with Caleb hurt.

I'm loyal to this legacy. I swear I'm loyal, but I broke my promise. I broke my vows. I wasn't good enough for them. I hurt him. I hurt my brother. It shouldn't have happened. It should just be me, but he wanted this. He wanted to race. What should I do?

"Where are we going?" Tanya asks.

I don't utter a word. Should I go home or the center? What should I do? We're far away from both places, home and Charleston. Tanya and I travel to Georgia. At least, I'm free. However, I still shouldn't be doing this. I can't leave my family like this, but they might hate me.

I'm not going home! It's too far away, and I have to leave when I return back home. They don't want me anyways! I'm not going back to the center! What if Mademoiselle Renault thinks I'm a coward?! I'm not a coward! I deserve it. I deserve a punishment like this. It's best to run away.

"I'm not sure," I say.

"You don't know?" Tanya says.

"As long as we're away from the racing world, that's what matters."

I made my promise for the past six years. Dad surprised me and Caleb, but in an unusual way, an unusual way in this isn't what it seems, an unusual way in which nothing's happy. No sunshine, no rainbows.

The three of us were in an old room, and Dad led us here. This old room was behind the Doc Hudson Museum. The room reeks with terror, and I could go back. However, I wouldn't. This was important.

"Can you handle this?" Dad asked.

"Yes, Dad," I said.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure you're not going to regret it?"

"Yes."

I could handle anything, and I've learned so much about the Hudson Hornet Legacy. We can go above and beyond with everything. Doc Hudson meant a lot to you, Dad. You were friends with him since forever unless…but you can't be. You never lied to me.

"Kid, this isn't funny business. This is serious. Can you handle it?" Dad repeated.

"Yes," I said again.

"What about you, Caleb? Can you handle this?" Dad asked Caleb.

"Yeah, maybe. You said this is serious, right?" Caleb said to Dad.

"Yeah."

Dad turned on the TV. It was one of Dad's races. It was just a harmless little race, and nothing bad happened. Dad had tried to beat Storm, but Storm had been taking the lead. Well, Storm was awful and always had been. He deserved tons of punishment that he probably got scared of us.

"McQueen's fading…fading fast!" the commentator on TV said.

Dad's tire has blown up. He has flown in the air until he has hit his roof on the asphalt. I looked on screen, stiffened. It's too much! This is giving me too much sadness! No, this can't be! It's not true! It shouldn't be! I hit my tire on the TV.

"I…crashed, and this…might happen when you race. It's a bad thing to go through, but you'll survive it…It's going to be alright…," Dad said.

I ended up crying, Caleb finished watching, and Dad stopped lecturing. The other two face me with concern. I had made my vow at last: Never let my little brother race. He'll get hurt. You're on your own.

"Oh, Addy," Dad said, "I'm so sorry."

Dad stopped uttering another word. Why didn't Caleb react to the crash at all? However, I lean on Caleb a little bit. Dad comforted me too. I should've raced alone! Caleb wouldn't have to suffer! This might happen to one of us. I'm an awful sister and daughter.

Everything at Charleston makes me suffer in tears. Everyone is going to get hurt. They're better off without me. This was nothing but embarrassing. I've humiliated everyone, including the racing greats.

"Adelaide, where are we going?" Tanya says.

"We're leaving!" I say.

"Leaving where?"

"Anywhere as long as it's in the dark."

Tanya and I stop at an old racetrack. What was this place? I open my trailer door, and I leave my trailer. I open the speedway doors and enter the place. It's so…lovely I guess. No, it really isn't. No one's here except for me. The only things here are "Thomasville Speedway'' written on the wall, some old racing signs such as "Piston Cup" and "Smokey's Garage," and empty parking spots.

The place looks like a ghost town. This is giving me creeps. My tires crunch on the dirt. I turn my headlights on, but I blink them off for one second. That's some good old dirt. Dad and Doc used to train on a track like this. The Fabulous Hudson Hornet is a great racer. That's what Dad said.

I take a look at the speedway, and Tanya enters. I explore the place even more, and I continue to do so. I climb up the ramps and to the empty parking spots, but a spot creeks. I drive back down.

"I messed up," I cried.

"Do you want to get going?" Tanya says.

"Sure, this track's empty."

Everything makes me cry and panic. I'm such an awful daughter, and I'm such an awful sister. Six stars shine bright in the night sky, but they stop shining. The fog separates, and the clumps of fog turn into my loved ones.

"Hey, Addy?" Mom asks.

"Hey, Mom," I say.

"Are you alright?"

"No, did you see what happened at Charleston?!"

"Ad, we saw what happened."

Mom, we saw Caleb crash at Charleston! It's awful! You and Dad might as well leave me be for screwing up. It's my fault Caleb crashed. I didn't check. All I did was win first place, but that's pointless. I hurt Caleb. I don't deserve it.

"I shouldn't have won! I don't deserve it! Caleb crashed, and I look like a fool now!" I cry.

"You're no fool in my eyes," Mom says.

"You're just saying that!"

"You've done brilliant things before this. You've made mistakes, but that race isn't anything. You're still young and beginning. I love you."

"I love you," I freeze, "too."

My feelings worsen as Mom fades away into clumps of fog. I'm sorry, Mom, but I have to be your perfect little Adelaide. I am your daughter…it must…it must be this way. You are Dad's consort, and he's famous. I'm technically the princess.

"You okay, Miss Addy?" Mater asks.

"I'm fine, thanks, Mater," I mutter, "Dad's going to kill me!"

"Kill you for what?"

"Ruining Doc's legacy! It's my fault that Caleb crashed! It's my fault!"

I already disappointed everyone, and I ruined the legacy. No one will want me back for this. If only I was good enough for anyone, I wouldn't have to be such a mess. However, I am a mess, that mess, and no one will love me again, ever again.

"But that's nothing to your father these days. Well, for the Caleb part, you didn't actively do it. It's that nasty Leah Tran. She musta gotten jealous of you and Caleb, so she decided to take Caleb off the race and boom! Caleb crashed," Mater says.

"I'm a bad daughter and a bad sister. I'm responsible for him, and I forgot about him. I didn't want him to race, but I let him. Now he's suffering because of me!" I say.

"Oh, but he might be okay."

Mater fades away, but Cruz gives one thing before leaving. You shouldn't be here, Cruz! You shouldn't, but why are you here?! You're the greatest racer ever! I'm not good enough for you! I'm not good enough for the Hudson Hornet Legacy.

"Adelaide, it didn't have to be this way. You didn't have to forfeit and run away from us. Are you scared of us or something?" Cruz says.

"No…,No, Ms. Ramirez!" I say as Cruz fades away.

Dad and Zachary glare at me. I'm sorry, Dad! I'm sorry for everything! The Legacy's my dream! You and Doc lived great! I must, I must! I wanted this! I didn't mean for my brother to get hurt! I never meant to! I'm a good daughter, right? Maybe? Not. I love you, but I'm not enough!

"You shouldn't have meddled with Doc's legacy!" Dad yells, "You've already hurt everyone including Caleb! Wasn't he your responsibility?!"

"Yes, but I didn't mean to!" I say.

"You've done enough! Just leave! You're dead to me!"

As Dad fades away, Zachary continues on. I'm sorry, Zachary, but it had to be this way. The Hudson Hornet Legacy is glorious. It shouldn't end. Just please understand! We all have our dreams and hard work for it, especially putting everything in line.

"He's right, you traitor!" Zachary says.

Zachary fades away, Caleb cries and parks next to me. I tell him, "It's gonna be alright," and Caleb fades away. You were the only thing that kept me sane, Caleb. I had to do what was best for you, and you didn't deserve getting hurt. However, I didn't, and I couldn't. I didn't notice.

Everything leaves me in shock. I can't take it anymore. I can't be the best racer for you, I can't be the daughter you wanted, and I can't be Adelaide McQueen, the daughter of the Great Lightning McQueen. I can't be a racer in this legacy. It's all my fault.