Author's Note: Thanks for being so patient while I finished up my senior projects! I have two finals to take, but these aren't going to get in the way of the next chapter. The next one should come out within the next two weeks as they usually do. c:
You'll also notice that the cover of the story changed to some digital art of Jane that I drew a little while ago. I think it looks pretty cute! Hope you like it too!
Also, there's a song being sung by one of the characters in this chapter. It's called "There She Goes" and I've already added it to the story's soundtrack on Spotify, so you don't have to go looking for it. c:
As always, thank you for reading! Please leave a review if you've enjoyed this chapter or if you're enjoying the story so far! You don't have to, but it'd sure be cool if you did. c:
And you should totally be part of the fun on my Instagram: artby0lemons0
Chapter 33 - "Outlaws and Legacy Laws"
In the dead of the night, the winds finally calmed. The air no longer carried the strength to pick up dirt from the ground. It all finally settled amongst the land, where it began, to lift once again when the next storm arrived. Even still, the wind blew enough to whisper into the cracks of windows and underneath doors in Carburetor County High School.
A young red and black Kia Sorento paused his journey to a bright future while graduation loomed in time's horizon.
"Attention students," boomed a voice through the hallways, "This is your Principal speaking. Due to the storm, you will be held here on school property until sunrise. This is for your safety, as the weather emergency does not permit a safe drive for you or your parents. That being said, the school will be closed tomorrow. There will be no classes scheduled for tomorrow. Once again, this lost day is the make up for the county weather emergency."
Caleb, once an ambitious Kia, stayed huddled in a dark corner of the boy's bathroom. He did not return to the gym after he implied to Murphy that he would be right back. Once the announcement was over, he flashed on his headlights. They reflected off of the tiles around him and their beams of light trembled from his nerves. His eyes shifted around every so often…for hours. He remained in that small corner, refusing to leave.
Finally, he slid his cell phone out from under his wheel well and checked the time. The light from the screen glowed against his paint.
2:48 A.M.
His lips curled inward, noticing the amount of missed calls from his mother. In the upper right corner of the screen blinked a cancelled out speaker symbol - meaning his phone was set on silent. Caleb couldn't hear his mother calling even if she were the only thing on his mind.
He was more afraid of receiving phone calls from restricted numbers. While he didn't give the foul Mustang his phone number, the paranoid Kia couldn't help but believe that somehow - someway - she knew how to get in contact with him.
Her words harassed his senses, "You and your entire family won't exist anymore before them county officers get to me. You got that?"
Caleb's bottom lip trembled as if she were right next to him. Suddenly, his own words began to replay in his mind. They haunted him just as much.
"I'LL TAKE YOU TO HER. I-I will take you to Jane. I will take you to h-her and you can have wh-whatever you want from her. You can't get to her without me. I can make it so you catch her before she gets to California."
He cringed, tightening his teeth together and furrowing his eyelids. Forget Jane. His family was definitely in trouble.
But...how could he face Vermella without a Porsche scared to the pit of her chassis next to him?
His eyes trailed up to the top of his windshield, trying to hold back his emotions. If any of his classmates found him, he couldn't be caught dead crying. He'd be mocked until graduation.
Even if his family was about to be caught dead.
"M-Mm…," he looked back down at his phone and unlocked it. He went into his contacts and immediately called his mother.
The ringing tone. It felt longer and longer the more it rang, until finally a middle aged woman answered.
"Hello? O-Oh thank the manufacturer in the sky."
"Mom."
"Are you alright, Caleb?"
"M-Ma," it was the only word the Kia managed to squeeze out.
"My sweet boy, I hope you are safe."
Caleb's mouth hung open on the next words he wanted to say, "I-..I hope you're safe, too."
"We are fine here," his mother assured him, "The wind isn't even near what it was. If you would like to come home, I don't see why you couldn't."
"I h-heard over the intercom that Principal Radner was holding us all here until dawn. Th-There's no school tomorrow too."
"You sound so shaken...listen to you…"
Caleb frowned, hearing his mother's concern. Just behind his windshield, his eyes began to burn with tears.
Does he say goodbye?
"Caleb, come home. Please."
He blinked, pulling a couple of tears out with his eyelids, "I have to go, Ma."
"But I'd much rather hear your voice for a few more minutes."
"The other cars are sleeping."
"I just want to hear you."
"I don't want to wake them up from talking on the phone."
"We can speak softly, dear."
"They'll be mad. I'll get in trouble."
"It'll only be for a few more minutes…"
"G-Goodbye, Ma."
"But, Cale-"
The Sorento hung up his phone and put it away. His mother was right, he shouldn't have stayed in that school any longer. He should have been out on the dirt roads waiting to face what he had been avoiding since Jane's unofficial loss.
Caleb stood up on his axles and swallowed a big lump in his throat. He drove to the restroom door and pushed it open with his front end. He looked back and forth down the hall and saw no headlights in sight.
The coast was clear.
He turned right down the hallway and drove all the way down until he reached another set of large swinging doors with long rectangular windows. Just before he pushed the doors open, he took a look through one of the windows. Suddenly a flash of light shined onto the rear exit doors from an adjacent hallway on the other side of the school. He gasped loudly and quickly shut off his headlights. He ducked his chassis down to the tile flooring.
The beam of light became smaller and smaller as the car it was coming from drove closer down the hall. When the car stopped, he pressed a tire against the exit door. Caleb leaned up again and watched the car through the window again. He narrowed his eyes as they grew more used to the darkness of the school. Finally, he was able to see who it was: that darn Ford Ranchero who, as far as Caleb and Murphy knew, only lived to give teenagers detention for pleasure: Principal Radner.
With his tire on the exit door, he gave it a swift nudge, making sure the door was completely shut, then turned around and drove away, humming an old unidentifiable song.
Caleb growled under his breath and rolled his eyes. The last thing he needed was to be held back, but Caleb put his side up against the door, and listened to the changing echos in the hallway. He listened to Principal Radner's tires eventually rolling away and disappearing.
He then nudged the door open completely and continued his escape without turning his headlights back on. He followed the glow of the red exit sign above the rear door, then brought his tire right up onto the same spot Radner had his. The large steel doors had orange emergency handles. If they were pressed in, the alarm would sound, but if they were moved just the right way, the alarm would stay silent.
The Sorento exhaled a breath he held in since the last hallway, then began applying pressure to the handles in the opposite fashion Radner did. His teeth clenched behind his tight lips the more pressure he applied. After a few seconds, the orange handles popped up and made a loud clank which radiated down the halls against the student lockers. He sucked in air through his teeth and jerked back. His tires squeezed into his wheel wells, knowing he was caught. He kept his eyes on the handles, waiting for the alarm to sound, but the silence continued.
With a sigh of relief, Caleb calmly rolled back to the doors and guided them open. The emergency doors were so rarely opened that the metal didn't make a single squeak. He freely drove outside and let the weight of the doors shut themselves.
Once in the school yard, the Sorento decided to make a left around the school. He turned his tires and followed the perimeter onto the main road. Finally, he flashed his headlights back on and just drove. Every so often, he felt his tires slip on the thin layer of dirt coating the asphalt from the storm.
"I know you're out here," he said to himself. He continued driving until the school was far out of sight, bringing the young man to a clearing in the desert.
"J-Just come out," he begged, scanning the desert with his eyes. The soft night's breeze gently brushed against his metal. It made his lips tremble, "K-Kill me and get it over with.."
But alas, not a single car in sight.
"I-I don't believe you," Caleb turned his tires and drove off the main road entirely. His body vibrated and shook on the uneven ground while dirt kicked up against his rear bumper and dissipated in the air, "Come on out.."
After about a mile off the map, Caleb flashed his high beams on and off, advertising the little piece of bait that he was.
"M-Maybe you're asleep...y-yeah," he flashed his lights some more, hoping they'd catch the reflection of another car's metal in the distance.
"Guess again," said a sharp voice behind him.
"V-Vermella!" Caleb yelped and spun around fast, "I-I was-"
"Turn off your headlights."
Caleb obeyed and shut them off, "I was l-looking for you t-to tell you-"
"I don't see Jane here," the blood red Mustang had dirt all over her paint, as if she was idling around outside during the entire dust storm. She grit her off-white teeth and spoke, "You said you'd have her here before she went to California. You said you'd bring her to me yourself."
"A-About that.."
Vermella revved her engine hard and snarled, "DON'T YOU TELL ME AN EXCUSE."
"It's not my f-fault!" Caleb backed away.
"Get. Back. Over. Here," Vermella pointed in front of herself with a wheel and directed him like a dog.
Caleb lowered on his axles and stumbled forward.
Vermella pulled even closer, so Caleb could feel her breath against his grille.
"Tell me what ain't your fault," she said.
"She was r-racing with Murphy...f-for the time trials…and-"
"TELL ME WHAT AIN'T YOUR FAULT."
"Ve-Vermella, I could've sworn she won that race, but they said she didn't!"
Vermella kept silent. She narrowed her eyes and licked her lips, "So you ain't no liar. That's good."
"S-Stop speaking in riddles," Caleb felt his rpms rising in fear, "I don't know what you mean."
"DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO," she swiftly brought her tire up and slapped Caleb across the face.
"O-Ow!" he yelped. He went to lift his tire, but Vermella knocked it away just as fast as she hit him.
"On the radio I heard that other brat schmoozing with Piston Cup staff on the Racing Sports Network," she explained, "That whiny man...Chick Hicks. His kid."
Caleb nodded quickly, "Y-Yeah, that's him…"
"Hm."
"BUT that's good right?" Caleb spoke with heightened panic in his voice, "M-Murphy won so you can just go after him!"
Vermella's eyes lit with anger. She grabbed Caleb by his bumper and yanked him forward, "I ASKED FOR JANE."
Caleb couldn't take the intimidation anymore, "I-I CAN'T CHANGE THE WIN!"
"That boy is worth NOTHING more than his last name," Vermella threw him back and yelled, "JANE is worth an entire LEGACY and YOU FAILED."
"I DID NOT!" Caleb screamed, "IT WASN'T MY FAULT," he held up a wheel in front of his face, "G-GIVE ME ANOTHER CHANCE! PLEASE!"
"You gonna scream at me, boy? Huh?" Vermella's oil boiled inside of her and she fidgeted around her wheel wells.
"Wh-What are you doing..?" Caleb asked, watching her with wide eyes.
After searching around, Vermella pulled out an object.
"What is that?"
She didn't answer. She held the object in her tire, then pulled her axle up so that it lifted and aimed right for Caleb.
The moonlight revealed a small stainless steel pistol glistening in the night.
"N-No...," Caleb's pupils constricted, "N-No, please...," he dropped his chassis to the ground, "Y-You don't want to do this…," both of his tires clenched for the earth, "Put the g-gun down…"
"I ain't putting it down," Vermella smirked, "I just bought it," she jerked the gun back, pulling the pistol's hammer, "...and this ain't just any gun."
"I-I'm begging you," Caleb didn't know what else to do, staring up at her from the dirt.
"You ain't even graduated high school, so I know you barely know how to play with yourself let alone know what kind of gun this is."
"Vermella," Caleb's temperature rose under his hood, "P-Please…"
"Son, this is a desert eagle," she chuckled, "My favorite. It matches my home, don't ya think?" she winked, then her expression dropped right back, "Figured I'd be pointing this at a...much faster car than I am right now. My speed ain't what it used to be. That's why I brought it. Juuust in case I couldn't catch that quick girl."
"D-Don't shoot me…," Caleb could already feel his tears from earlier coming to the rim of his windshield again.
She scoffed, "This bullet is for Jane, you idiot. I only have one bullet in this gun. One tiny little bullet, but since she's not here, I guess you can be a wonderful example. I may not be as fast," she jerked the gun forward again, "But, little Caleb, I don't miss."
"VERME-N-NOOO!" Caleb shut his eyes tight, "DON'T SH-SHOOT M-ME!"
"Then you WILL find her," she slapped the gun against Caleb's chin. It left a small silver cut in his bumper.
"N-NNnn!" his eyes pulled open.
"You WILL drive HER to me," Vermella demanded, "I don't care if the sun or the moon is high in the sky when you do it. YOU WILL BRING THAT PORSCHE TO ME."
"I WILL!"
"You better understand," she pressed the gun against him once more, "Or the next gun I shoot with is gonna be made of your steel."
"P-Please move the gun away…," he looked up at her with pleading eyes.
Vermella exhaled part of her anger away, then rolled her eyes. She moved the gun and calmed her voice, "Such a hard girl to catch, she is."
"Y-Yeah…," Caleb sighed.
"Shut up. You don't know the first thing about any of this. You just focus on bringing her to me," she looked down at her gun, then caressed it against the desert floor, "But you best believe the next time I see her, she ain't getting away."
"Y-You're gonna shoot her?" he asked.
She stopped moving the gun, but didn't take her eyes off of it, "Not if you catch her first."
Caleb perked up, then shifted into reverse, "So, I'm free to go…?"
"You didn't hear me say that," Vermella slid her gun back into her wheel well, "I ain't letting you out of my sight. You're staying with me and we're gonna find Jane together."
As the sun peeked over the horizon, lighting the valley with the new morning's sunlight, a giddy young police interceptor with the sizzle of his first kiss still on his lips, was making his way to Radiator Springs.
He drove with a slow swerve, bouncing on his axles every third beat and humming to himself. It wasn't until he drove past the welcome billboard did he come to stop. The sound of chatter amongst the smell of coffee and sugar caught his attention. He looked over and turned his wheels, to find an older Mercury police cruiser speaking to a Ford Fairlane 500 police cruiser.
"Mom!" called the young police car, "Oo! And Sheriff!"
The adult officers both turned to the younger voice and grinned.
"Austin," Sheriff simply said. He gave him a gentle nod of his hood.
The Ford Fairlane turned her tires outward, gesturing for Austin to drive over, "Hey, honey!"
Austin zipped on over and jumped his front end up to hug his mother with his axles. He sniffed the air with his grille, then reversed off of her.
"What are you doing in this town so early?" she asked.
"I wanted to make sure Jane was here and made it home after the storm," Austin licked his lips, "I smell donuts!"
"Brenda brought-," Sheriff corrected himself, "I apologize. Your mother brought them."
Brenda nodded, "I was just on my way to pick you up from the overnight stay you guys had to deal with. I figured I'd drop some coffee and donuts over to Sheriff here first. This town is on the way anyway."
"And I couldn't appreciate it anymore even if I tried," Sheriff said, reaching down for a donut, "Plus, she brought some evidence of that Mustang we're looking for," he presented a crushed pack of cigarettes on the ground.
"It's only a possibility," Brenda reminded him, "I'm not exactly sure if the evidence points to her, but a convenience shop owner said a Mustang came into his shop asking for cigarettes. When she didn't have the money to pay for it, I guess she stole them, but the shop owner never mentioned that she stole anything."
Austin tightened his axles with excitement, "Ooo! I want one too!" he brought his tire over Sheriff's grabbing the exact donut he already had his tire on.
Sheriff's eyes widened, "Hey - er - fine…"
"But when I left the shop and drove down the road, I found this pack of cigarettes all tattered up," Brenda continued, "But, look," she reached down and shook the pack so that one of the cigarettes slid out about halfway, "Look what's on the tip here."
The cigarette had a ring of lipstick covering its filter.
"If I see the evidence, does that mean I get to help too?" Austin asked excitedly.
Brenda sighed, "Austin, this Mustang is a-"
"Absolutely not," Sheriff replied, interrupting her, "The only thing you need to worry about is staying in school until you graduate."
Austin groaned, "Fiiiine," he lifted the donut he took from Sheriff and brought it to his mouth. He took a big bite out of it, then started to chew.
"How was the dance?" asked his mother, "Did Alyssa make it home safely?"
"Right, how did that go?" asked Sheriff, "I'm sure you have a lot more interesting things to talk about than a Mustang."
"Mmm!" Austin chewed faster, quickly swallowing his bite, "Alyssa's mom picked her up! And it was so much fun!"
"I'm proud of you for waiting with her," said Brenda. She smiled, "That's my boy."
"A young gentlecar, that's for sure."
"I kissed her too!"
Brenda and Sheriff's eyes widened at the same time. She rolled closer with an opened jaw, "You had your first kiss?"
"Uh-huh!" Austin took another bite of his donut, chewing with a grin.
"Your first...real kiss?"
A sprinkle from the donut stuck to his bottom lip, "Yeeep!"
Brenda took a deep breath and eventually smiled, "Ah...I knew you wouldn't be my little boy forever…," she lifted her wheel and nudged the sprinkle off of his lip, "I hope your kiss was every bit as magical as I've always hoped it would be for you."
Sheriff watched them interact and he sunk down on his wheels. While he had a family in Radiator Springs, he never could say that he had a real family of his own.
"I have some news too," said Brenda. She lifted Austin's front end by his chin, "Sheriff and I had a date this morning."
The old Mercury's tires turned inward and he gasped, "Wh-...?"
Brenda looked in her side mirrors and gave Sheriff a wink.
He calmly stood firmly on his axles again and drove up next to Brenda. This time, he pulled up closer, just a few centimeters apart.
"You did!?" Austin looked up at Sheriff, "I knew my mom would find someone new one day!"
"Didn't I tell you, Austin?" Brenda giggled, "I told you that when we moved down here from Nebraska, you and I were going to have a brand new life. If your dad wanted to waste his life away in that old town, I wasn't going to let you fall into the same path."
"The country music was better up there," Austin critiqued, stuffing the last piece of the donut into his mouth.
"That may be so," Brenda glanced at Sheriff, "But the music is...happier down here," she leaned her tire against his.
Sheriff smiled, pushing his gray mustache up into a curve.
"You're right, mom!" Austin's engine purred, "Now at least you don't have to deal with some guy going after other woman while you're out all night fighting crime."
Brenda gasped softly and the spot on her hood, just by her windshield, turned a bright red, "A-Austin..," she glanced at Sheriff, who was frowning when he heard the news.
Suddenly, Austin's phone rang. He nudged his phone out of his wheel well and took a look at the screen, "Speaking of dad…," he looked up at his mother, "Should I pick it up?"
Brenda took in a deep breath, "Sure.."
Austin tapped the screen for speaker phone, "Hey, dad! Good morning!"
"Will you quiet down?" said a grumbling male's voice on the other end of the call, "You know I hate it when you yell."
Sheriff raised an eyelid and listened intently.
"I'm not yell-"
"I said be quiet."
"Yes, dad," Austin's mirrors drooped down, "Mm.."
"I'm just calling to do my monthly check on you for court. Don't get too excited."
"I-..I'm here."
A brief sound of rustling paper came from his father's end of the call, "It says here that I'm supposed to ask you what you did in school lately. Ain't school over for you yet?"
"I went to a dance last night," Austin told him, "And-..," suddenly, Austin perked up. He had a story that might make him proud, "Actually, dad! Guess what!?"
"Oh! I don't know!" his father said sarcastically, "Whatever it is, I know you ain't finally learned how to stop yelling!"
"R-Right..I-...I-uh-"
"Spit. It. Out. I don't have all day. I just need to fill out this form. What is wrong with you? Why can't you just follow simple instructions?"
"I-I kissed a girl today," Austin pressed his tires into the dirt, "Y-You know, like when you said that a real man-"
"You expect me to believe that?"
"Well, well...y-yes?"
"That you kissed a girl?"
"Y-...yes?"
"Since when did you become brawny enough to have any girl like you? You're a disappointment. I didn't raise you to be the car you are."
"I promise I'm gonna be a cop, dad," Austin's eyelids lowered, "But, dad...d-dad, I really did kiss-"
"I bet you're only telling me this to hide the fact that you actually kissed a boy," his voice raised, "Your mother turned you into a singing little MISTAKE."
A wave of emotions slammed Austin right in his grille.
Brenda gasped and yelled into the phone, "Garry, don't you speak to my son that way!"
"Your son? HE is little GIRL."
Austin pulled his lips in, trying to firm them up so that it wasn't obvious he was frowning. He turned his wheels and went to drive away, but Sheriff quickly brought a tire to one of his doors, "Austin…"
While Brenda battled on the line with her ex-husband, Sheriff took her son off to the side and spoke to him.
"What he said about you isn't true," Sheriff assured him, "You are not a mistake."
"H-He..he.."
"Austin, breathe," Sheriff pointed at him, "You're gonna be an officer of the law one day, so you need to breathe, and you need to be brave."
But the phone call grew louder as the divorced couple continued their war.
"Brenda, you've corrupted that kid. I told you he should have lived with ME."
"If my son lived with you he'd-"
"He'd be a man now. He wouldn't be in school anymore. That kid would have been an all star officer. YOU are the one who littered his mind with CRAP."
Austin took a couple of deep breaths, relaxing his axles a little bit, but they were still quite stiff, "He…"
"Austin, you're in high school," Sheriff reminded him, "You can be an officer very soon just the way you are, but for now, you're in school. You only have to learn. You'll become stronger on the way."
Austin's father added in some final words before disappearing for another month, "And YOU tell that rolling disappointment on four wheels that if he's not in a training academy this summer I will NEVER speak to him again."
Sheriff pulled in between the young man and the sound of his father's voice, "Listen to that, son, he just gave you an opportunity…"
"I-I don't wanna speak to him again…," Austin pleaded at Sheriff with his eyes, "Don't make me go back on the phone."
"I will protect you," Sheriff promised. He glanced over to Brenda, who was just ending the call, "I'll be right here. For you and for your mother. I'm not going anywhere."
A drive away from Radiator Springs slept the residential town of Couperville, where Jane was still staying with Murphy.
Her tires were all tucked into her wheel wells, snuggled under his plaid blanket with her chin resting on a pillow. As the moments passed, she shifted her weight in her sleep, eventually sprawling her wheels out on the bed when she naturally felt that she had more room to move.
In the air, the soft sound of a guitar floated around the room.
Jane's mirrors flicked with the sound, hearing the strings so clearly, but a muffled voice as well. She furrowed her closed eyelids and opened her mouth to let out a big yawn. Just as her yawn was finished, Jane blinked her eyes open. She caught the sight of a dark wooden headboard and gasped. Her eyes shifted back and forth, wondering where on earth she was.
She was saved when she saw the Hudson Hornet's Piston Cup sitting on Murphy's desk and in that moment, she realized she was still in his room.
The music became much clearer now that she was more awake. Not only could she hear the guitar, but she could also hear the voice singing along.
A boy, singing with his guitar.
"And I just can't contaaain," he sang, "This feeling that remaaains."
Jane raised an eyelid and looked over to the other side of the room. Facing one of his bedroom windows, Murphy calmly watched the sunrise with his guitar resting against his body. His left tire held a steel tool which pressed the right chords while his other tire tenderly strummed the strings.
Jane smiled, standing a bit taller on her axles and leaning back so that the blanket slid off of her body. She watched him play.
And he continued to sing, "There she goooes...there she goooes again...racing through my brain...she calls my name, I call her-" he stopped, hearing the shuffling of the bed sheets, "-Jane?"
Murphy adjusted his mirrors and glanced at her.
She grinned, "Good morning to you too," she stepped off of his mattress and pulled up next to him, "I wondered why you had a guitar just sitting here."
"Ever occur to you that it might, I don't know, play music?"
"Ugh," Jane rolled her eyes and nudged him with a tire, "It's too early to deal with you."
Murphy smirked, "I'm never up this early, but like I said, Mister Springwheel wanted me to look for you, so I was out all night before homecoming," he laughed, "Being up that whole night made me sleep like a baby last night."
"Whoa…," she shook her hood, "I don't even remember falling asleep…"
"I can tell, because I woke up to you practically kicking me off my own mattress."
Jane brought a tire over her mouth and her hood immediately turned rosey, "O-Oh no…"
"Don't worry about it," he laughed again, "I gave up trying to wake you. I must have said your name like a billion times, but you're as stubborn as a sleeping tractor, so I just gave you my blanket and picked up my guitar."
"I did sleep pretty good last night," she took her wheel off of her mouth, "First time in a while. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable."
Murphy's eyelids raised with concern, "Your mind wasn't being all loud again...was it?"
Jane simply shook her hood, "Nope...actually, it was pretty quiet. Silent."
Murphy nodded, "Good."
"We need to get ready for school," she said, "I don't know how you have time to idle there playing your guitar."
"Caleb sent me a text this morning," Murphy leaned his guitar back onto its stand and turned toward her, "Said that school was closed for the day because of holding the students last night."
"Oh!" Jane exclaimed, "That's great!"
"Mmhm," Murphy smiled, "Because I have a lot of homework I need to hurry up and never get started."
Jane giggled, "You'd probably get better test grades if you did your homework, you know."
"I'm sensing a bit of an attitude," Murphy scoffed, "And here I was going to spoil your birthday present for you."
Jane's eyes widened, "My birthday is in two weeks. You actually remembered…?"
"I remembered. But ya ruined it,," Murphy chuckled, "Happy Not-Your-Birthday."
"Oh come on!" Jane giggled, "Just tell me!"
"There's nothing to tell," Murphy insisted, "It's...something I'd have to show you."
"Then show me, duuuh," Jane rolled closer.
"Not with that attitude," Murphy winked.
Suddenly, Murphy's house phone rang. He glanced at Jane and furrowed his eyelids, "Chrysler, who on earth could be calling this early?"
He rolled around Jane and opened his bedroom door. He rolled out into the hall and nudged the speakerphone button on his home phone.
"Hello?" said Murphy.
"Good morning," said a familiar voice on the other end of the line, "Is this Chick?"
Murphy's eyes widened. Jane peeked into the hallway from Murphy's room, curious to see who it could be.
"...who's callin'?" Murphy asked.
"I apologize. This is his racing history teacher," he chuckled on the other end of the phone, "Very nice to hear your voice again, Chick. It's Phoenix Springwheel! Long time no race."
Murphy's jaw dropped and he looked behind him at Jane. She put a wheel over her mouth and giggled softly, then nodded to Murphy so he could continue.
"Ah-uh-...uh..right!" Murphy cleared his throat and tried to lower his voice even more to disguise it, "Been a while, Mister Springwheel."
"Mister Springwheel?" asked the confused Pontiac on the other end. He snickered some more, "Just because you were a rookie the last time we spoke like this doesn't mean you have to speak to me like I'm really your teacher, but I'm flattered."
Murphy stomped his wheel twice in amazement, as he desperately held his laughter back, then gestured for Jane to come over quickly. Jane giddied up and rolled on over, pulling next to him.
"Uh-sure! So whaddya want?" asked Murphy, in Chick's voice.
"I wanted to know if Murphy made it home last night. He wasn't in the school when I looked for him after that dust storm….and knowing your son so well, I figured he hauled on out of there and drove back home."
Jane nudged him, as if to tell Murphy to take the phone call as himself. Murphy nodded to her.
"He's here," said Murphy, "I'll go get him," he leaned away from the phone and yelled out to the hall, "Hey! Champ! Your best friend in the whole wide world is on the phone!"
Mister Springwheel could be heard laughing in the speaker. He knew Murphy couldn't stand him.
Murphy leaned back toward the phone and spoke in his own character, "Murphy here."
"Murphy, hey there. It's Mister Springwheel."
"...why?"
"Listen, did you end up talking to Jane at all?"
Murphy groaned, "This again," he looked at Jane and quietly mouthed, "Listen to him."
Jane rolled in even closer and listened carefully.
"Murphy, this is important. I know that I'm probably annoying you with asking all of the time, but you need to understand Jane won that race. She deserves to be there. She belongs there."
Jane turned her tires inward, listening to her teacher stand up for her.
"And?" asked Murphy, fanning the flames on purpose, "I belong there…," he glanced at Jane, "...just as much as she does."
"You're absolutely right," Mister Springwheel agreed, "Which is why you two need to show that same sportsmanship in front of the RSN and support each other."
Murphy kept his eyes right on Jane, "...I support her."
Jane smiled softly, "Hm.."
"Good, then if she's home, go to Radiator Springs. I'm gonna call later and we're gonna have a video chat with a few of my friends."
"Yeah, you got it Springwheel."
The racing legend exhaled into the phone, "You're a better kid than you let on, Murphy. Just don't know why you refuse to show it."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Murphy rolled his eyes, "The longer you talk the longer it's gonna take for me to get to Radiator Springs."
"Talk to you later," said the teacher. Then he hung up the phone.
Jane cleared her throat, "Looks like Austin and Alyssa were right."
Murphy raised an eyelid, "...about?"
"I do have a fan after all," she laughed, "Two fans, actually. Springwheel and...you."
Just as Murphy turned his wheels and shifted his weight on his axles to lean on her, the front door flung open.
Murphy quickly moved himself away from her and stood up straight again. His eyes widened with shock.
"Champ, I'm home!" called his retired father, driving through the front door, "And BOY do I have news!"
Chick rolled inside and kicked the door shut. He stared right and Jane and Murphy, but it didn't even register yet.
The two teenage cars idled very still, paint faded slightly with fear.
He kept speaking, "I went out for a meeting with the Racing Sports Network and years after racing for them, they are giving this Former and Forever Piston Cup Champion his own racing talk show!" he was smiling cheek to cheek, "It's called Chick's Picks with Chick Hicks!" he nodded to the young Porsche out of place in his home, "Hey, Jane," he sighed, "I knew the racing world wouldn't have let me go. It just can't resist me! It can't get enough of-"
Jane backed away slowly.
Chick's eyes locked onto hers, "...Jane? What are you doing here?"
Murphy pulled ahead of her, "She was just-"
"Move it, Champ," Chick started barreling toward her.
Jane gasped, "Mister Hicks!"
"Dad! Stop!"
Chick nudged Murphy out of the way and got in Jane's grille, "What do you think you're doing here with my son? Huh?"
"DAD."
"Shut up, Murphy," he said, gritting his teeth, "You know he's in a relationship. You trying to take advantage of him or something?"
"Mister Hicks, I swear it's nothing like that!"
"GIANNA AND I BROKE UP," Murphy yelled. He hoped that would stop him.
Chick's eyes widened and he paused. He reversed away from Jane and focused his attention on Murphy.
"Dad, she's just here because of the dust storm last night. Nothing else."
"You expect me to believe-"
"LOOK AT HER FENDERS," Murphy pointed, "She's all cut up."
Chick took a better look at Jane this time and his eyelids raised in disbelief.
Murphy was actually telling the truth.
"I'm sorry," said Chick, moving out of her personal space, "I'm very sorry. I shouldn't have gotten so angry."
Jane nodded fast, "It's okay."
"I'm really happy for you, dad," said Murphy, trying to clear the air, "But my teacher called and we need to get to Radiator Springs for a very important meeting."
"Never thought I'd hear my teenage son talk about a very important meeting," replied his father.
"Dad, it's about the racing program. I promise I'll be right back and you and I can celebrate your new Piston Cup TV show thing all you want," Murphy gestured for Jane to follow him. Jane quickly put herself in drive and followed after Murphy.
"Good, because I really want you to know that I just won something for real this time," said Chick, turning his wheels while his son drove away from him, "I want you to be proud of me."
"Yeah, yeah, dad. I'll be around later."
"We both have jobs and priorities based in California now, so we can actually move! It's just like you wanted!"
"Sure, sure, I'll be right back."
"We don't have to wait for you to finish high school here! I can enroll you in a private school in Los Angeles!"
"That's great, but-"
"We can leave Carburetor County next month!"
"L-Leave?" Jane's eyes widened as she listened and followed Murphy, "Hey, Murphy, I think he's-"
"We need to go," Murphy yanked Jane out of the house with him and slammed the front door shut.
Chick stood in the middle of the hallway with saddened eyes. He dropped down and eyed the floor.
Back in town, everyone in Radiator Springs was parked at Flo's having brunch and talking amongst themselves. The sound of classic 50's music twirled in the air as the cars enjoyed their food and drinks.
"So have you thought about what you're gonna do next season?" Ramone asked Lightning, who was parked across from him.
"Well…," Lightning thought about it.
Meanwhile, Sally pulled up next to him and ran over the wire to ring the service bell. The bell rang twice and within less than a minute, Flo zipped out of her cafe and drove up to Sally.
"Hey, girl!" said the show car, "What can I get you?"
"Just a nice warm cup of tea," Sally said, "Jane should be on her way back very soon, so I'll wait for her before I order food."
"I'll be right out with that for you then!" Flo turned her wheels and scurried away.
Mack cleared his throat. He was parked next to Ramone, "I think Lightning had a rough season altogether, but whatever he chooses to do, we know it'll be the right choice."
"My buddy can handle anything!" Mater called out.
Lightning broke his silence, as Flo drove back out with the tea for Sally, "Mack and I drove all over the country this season training for that big race with my new friend, Cruz Ramirez….and while Jane was right - I'm not a new car anymore - I've decided-"
"You're not thinking of quitting, are you?" asked Flo in passing.
Sally leaned over her cup of tea, glancing at her husband, "Tell 'em, Stickers…"
Lightning nodded, "I won't be retiring. Not yet."
The townsfolk all breathed a sigh of relief when they heard McQueen's decision.
"But-"
Suddenly, all of their eyes opened wide again.
"-and this is the last thing I want to mention about it...because we need to think about what we're going to do for Jane's birthday in a couple of weeks."
"Tell them!" Sally smiled.
"I am, I am," Lightning chuckled, "I'll continue to work with Cruz. We'll make the best of the rest of the time I'll have in racing."
"Annnnd," Sally nudged him.
"And, who knows?" Lightning shrugged, "Maybe one day, Jane will be racing next to her."
"We're proud of you, buddy," Mater snorted, "But you'll never be faster than fast when it comes to my ice cream eating contests!"
"Oh! We should have one of those for Jane's party," Mack suggested.
Mia and Tia shuttered at the thought.
"Imagine," Mia said, shaking her hood, "All of her friends here eating ice cream."
"The mess we'd have to clean up…," Tia continued.
Flo raised an eyelid and cleared her throat when she heard the girls speaking.
"I-...I mean it'd be great!" Tia corrected.
"Lots of fun!" Mia added.
"Floooo," a hippy's voice groaned, "The V8 Cafe's old video phone isn't working again."
Flo sighed, "Are you sure?"
Sarge grumbled, "Maybe the 60's are calling to ask for their bus back."
Luigi and Guido snickered next to veteran.
"Let me see," Flo drove on over to the video phone, a base with a computer monitor secured inside of a booth, and messed with a few of the switches.
After a moment, the screen lit up again. Fillmore's eyes widened with the glow of the screen and he gasped, "Coooool."
"Move it, hippy," said Sarge, "Don't break it again."
"It's from the fuuuuture, but it's from the past, and it connects you to someone in the present."
Sarge sunk on his axles and shut his eyes, "Help me, Manufacturer."
"I just hope Jane's alright," said Lightning, "That kid had enough this week."
Sally leaned against him, "She's gonna be okay, Stickers."
In the distance the sound of a horn beeped twice, along with the calling of a chipper young voice, "Helloooo!"
All of the townsfolk lifted on their axles and grinned widely. Recognizing the voice, Lightning and Sally pulled out of their bays and into the center of the cafe.
Jane was just arriving into town. She was smiling with a car just a little older than herself driving next to her.
"It's Jane!" Sally's engine purred.
"And Murphy," Lightning mentioned.
"Howdy, guys!" she called out, turning into the cafe. Murphy pulled in as well, but he wasn't smiling.
"Hey, Ja-," her mother's eyes caught her fenders all slashed and cut. The rest of the townsfolk also froze their attention in shock. Lightning and the rest of the town's eyes all shot to Murphy, who didn't have nearly as many marks on him, minus his hood from being stuck in the fence.
Murphy leaned over to Jane, "Every time I come here, they all stare like this...is that a town thing?"
Lightning pulled forward, "What on earth happened to you?"
"Daddy we were caught in the storm last night," Jane said.
"We thought you said you were staying at Alyssa's house," said Sally. She furrowed her eyelids.
"I did stay at Alyssa's, but I had to drive Murphy home first. He has no headlights," Jane gestured to her friend.
Lightning wasn't happy. He looked right over to Murphy, "Oh, so because this guy wanted to go home he put my daughter in danger?"
Murphy narrowed his eyes, "It was her idea."
"I don't believe that for a second."
"Well, it's the truth, bud."
"First you blow her first shot at racing and then you convince her out into a dust storm."
"SHE wanted to do it."
"Dad, it really was my idea!" Jane insisted.
Lightning revved his engine, "Every time you're near her, you hurt her."
Sally interrupted, "Jane, why would you ever think of doing that? You could have gotten seriously hurt."
"It's just some cuts, Momma," Jane nodded her hood toward Mater, "I get 'em all the time when I go tractor tipping with Mater."
Mater tightened his lips and backed away slowly.
Sally blinked, unimpressed, "That's not my point."
"Listen, she dropped me off at my place and drove to Alyssa's," Murphy kept his eyes right on Lightning's, "That's it. She asked me if I wanted to follow her because I couldn't go myself. I said yes."
"And look at you," Lightning said, "You're cut up too."
Ramone drove out from his bay and took a look at the teenagers, "That's nothing I can't fix, guys. I can go and get my tools set up and have you both looking brand new again."
"Look, it happened," said Murphy, "No one can do anything about it."
"Why are you even here?" asked Lightning.
Sally nudged him, "Stickers.."
"DAD," Jane grit her teeth.
Murphy pulled forward, "I'm here because our racing history teacher wants to have a conference call with the RSN officials to get her into the program. He wanted me to be here too because they picked me."
Lightning's sharpened stare became softer, "...really?"
"Oh, but every time I'm near Jane I hurt her, so-," Murphy put himself in reverse, "You can handle her yourself, right?"
Jane quickly turned around, "Murphy, wait!"
"Don't leave," Lightning said. He waved his wheel, gesturing for Murphy to come back, "I'm not happy about what happened, but-," he sighed, "-but you're part of this. I'm sorry. She's been through alot this week. I didn't think I'd see her get any worse."
Murphy glanced from Lightning to Jane, then took a deep breath, "Okay."
"So there's a chance she's getting in?" asked Mack from behind them.
Murphy shrugged, "Maybe."
Sally pulled her lips in and looked at Jane, "Do you think you're-"
"Momma," Jane smiled, "Yes, I think I'm ready."
Lightning brought a wheel to Jane's, "Hey."
She looked over, "Yes, daddy?"
"Whatever happens-"
The ring of a classic phone called from the booth.
Lightning, Sally, and Jane all perked up along with the rest of the townsfolk.
Lightning continued, "Whatever happens at the end of that phone call-"
Murphy interrupted, "-you're still gonna be just as fearless as before."
Jane's tightened axles relaxed only a bit when she felt her father's touch, her mother's gaze, and Murphy's words. She nodded, "I-..I will be."
"NO!" Sarge yelled.
Everyone turned to face him.
"Quick! Don't let that hippy touch that phone! He'll break it!"
Fillmore approached the ringing phone, about to pick it up, when Flo gasped and quickly scooted over. She put a wheel out to stop him, then picked up the call herself, "Hello! Flo's V8 Cafe!"
A 1982 Dinoco blue Pontiac Firebird blinked onto the screen. He was smiling, parked in what looked like his home.
"Hello, there," he said, "I was told to call here for Jane."
"That's right," Flo replied, "You've called the right place. She's right here."
She backed away from the phone while the rest of the townsfolk, including Lightning and Sally, moved over to give Jane room to drive.
"So that's how it works," said Fillmore, astonished at the technology.
Jane stood tall on her axles and drove across the cafe. Everyone watched her drive - the bravest little Porsche they'd ever seen.
"I'm here, Mister Springwheel," she said, pulling up in front of the camera.
The racing history teacher exhaled into the phone, "I feel like I haven't seen you in years," he pulled closer to the camera, "How are you?"
"Could be better," she said. She swallowed hard, hoping to loosen her throat. Lightning, Sally, and Murphy all drove up behind Jane, visible in the camera.
Mister Springwheel noticed, "Hello, Mister and Missus McQueen, and...Murphy," he smirked.
"Joy to see you when I'm not in school," Murphy grumbled.
"Nice to see you," said Lightning.
"Hello," Sally replied.
The rest of the townsfolk in Radiator Springs quieted down so they could hear the conversation. Flo even drove into the cafe and turned off the music.
"I'm calling because your daughter was not chosen for the Racing Sports Network program," Mister Springwheel continued, "However...the student chosen, Murphy Hicks, was chosen as a result of the remarks from our school's racing coach. He spoke to Bob and Darrell and with persistence, convinced them to choose Murphy for the Piston Cup's legacy law."
"You said they chose me because of my racing too," said Murphy.
"They did, Murphy, but you remember what I told you. They chose you for your talent and the fact that your father, Chick Hicks, is no longer racing, and there is a spot that needs to be filled."
"What does this mean, Mister Springwheel?" asked Lightning.
"It means that they didn't choose a student. It means they chose a legacy racer."
Mack chimed in, "Huh...McQueen if you did choose to retire, that means Jane would have-"
Luigi glared at Mack and nudged him.
"So that means," Mister Springwheel continued, "We have some convincing to do of our own, but Mister and Missus McQueen, both your daughter and Murphy showed an incredible display of sportsmanship when the racing trails were going on. I wanted him here to show the RSN officials that Jane still holds that same amount of sportsmanship. It'll not only impress them, but Murphy can offer his opinions too, and hopefully help convince them."
"Sounds reasonable," said Sally.
"What do you think, Jane?" asked Mister Springwheel.
"I think we can do it," she replied.
"Good...because now I have to call someone you're not really fond of, but I want to remind you that you have nothing but support behind you."
"Who is that?" asked Jane.
"...Coach Crankshaft."
Jane sighed and immediately slumped down on her wheels.
"No, no, no, no, no," Springwheel shook his hood, "Don't do that. Get up. We're gonna face him together."
"But, Mister Springwheel, he ain't gonna do nothin' but make it worse.."
"Jane, I won't let that happen."
She looked up at the camera, which on Springwheel's end made it seem as if Jane were looking in his eyes, "Promise?"
Mister Springwheel repeated this, so that she could feel him looking at her too, "I promise."
His axle moved to the side and he dialed another phone. As the phone rang, his image moved off to the side, splitting the screen in half. A circular loading symbol turned and turned while they waited for the coach to pick up the call.
Finally, the old Chevrolet Van picked up the call. He seemed to have been answering from an old garage. He snarled into the camera, "What do you want, Adam? Since when do you call-" he blinked, noticing Jane and her family behind her, "Oh."
"Crankshaft," said Mister Springwheel, "Stay right there."
"Right where?"
Mister Springwheel dialed another phone number and the screen split again. This time, the screen was split into thirds with his image being the largest on the bottom.
"What is this about?" asked Crankshaft.
Mister Springwheel didn't answer him. He just waited for the next phone call to be answered.
The loading screen blinked away as Darrell picked up. He was speaking from an office, "Phoenix! How are ya? Oh! Is that Lightning McQueen and his family?"
Bob drove in from the other end of the office, "Darrell, it looks like Murphy Hicks is there too."
"How exciting!"
"Let's not forget I'm here," mentioned the coach.
"I'm calling because I want to discuss the RSN program," said Mister Springwheel.
"This again," Coach rolled his eyes, "Springwheel, don't you have tests to grade? You're not a Piston Cup racer anymore. Stay in your own lane."
"Is there something wrong?" asked Bob Cutlass. His eyes showed concern.
"I just wanted to know what status you have Murphy classified under," said Springwheel, who ignored the coach.
"As far as we're concerned, he's classified as a legacy racer racing in our program," Darrell said.
"Exactly. Rules are rules," said Crankshaft, "There ain't nothing you can do about it."
"Let him talk," Jane said. Murphy smiled, glancing over at her.
"Good, because the rules said you needed a student," Mister Springwheel continued, "Not a legacy racer, which you said you put him under. Which means you're still missing a student from our school."
"Not necessarily," Crankshaft noted.
"HEY," Murphy raised his voice nudging Jane a bit to pull forward, "Coach, if you're gonna have me racing under a legacy like my father's then you better not treat me like just a student. I have enough to worry about, cleaning up the mess Chick made."
"Boy, I'm the reason your bumper is even in-" Coach's eyes widened and he immediately quieted himself.
Mister Springwheel smirked, picking up a picture on his desk, but he didn't show the camera, "Like I said, you two need a student from our school."
"We really loved the racing between Murphy and Jane, but the race was very close," said Bob.
"And the legacy law gave us more of a reason to choose Murphy," Darrell continued, "As Coach Crankshaft suggested…," but as his voice trailed off, he realized it may not have been the best decision.
Bob sighed, "We never really did get to see who crossed that finish line first."
"The race wasn't about who crossed that line first," Coach corrected, "It was about who lapped the fastest and which car had more of a right to be there."
"I have a right to be there," Jane said.
"Your father is still racing," said Coach.
"That doesn't mean she can't," Lightning narrowed his eyes.
"You didn't announce your retirement," Coach growled, "Murphy is Chick's son. He has more of a right to be there. He's finished."
"Jane is Lightning McQueen's daughter, bonehood," Murphy pointed out, "That should count."
Bob and Darrell looked at each other. They didn't say a word, listening to everyone's arguments. They both seemed so confused.
"You said it yourself. Murphy is a legacy racer," Springwheel said once more, noticing the looks on their grilles, "Please consider that."
"Well…," Bob exhaled a stressed sigh.
"Coach Crankshaft may have made Murphy seem like the right choice, and he absolutely was," Springwheel continued, "But you're missing out on one amazing opportunity here. One amazing student who can fill the hole in your roster, because you don't have a student from our school."
"I'm the right choice too," Jane defended, "We're both the right choice."
"Show them all that picture, Springwheel," said Murphy.
"What picture?" asked Sally.
"This one," Mister Springwheel turned the photo toward the camera and moved it closer.
The townsfolk all leaned in, staring at the screen with Bob, Darrell, and Crankshaft. Everyone's eyes exploded in enlightenment as Jane's nose pulled ahead of Murphy's in the black and white past of the vintage-style photo.
"Alright...don't stare at it too long," said Murphy, who lost that race, "It's embarrassing…"
"Look at that," Bob said, gazing at the sight.
"Remarkable," Darrell blinked away his shock and cleared his throat, "I-"
"He's only bringing this up because of Emily," Crankshaft snapped.
"Emily?" Murphy and Jane asked, at the same time.
Mister Springwheel's expression suddenly fell angrier.
Bob noticed the quick change and asked, "...Phoenix?"
"You leave her out of this," Mister Springwheel said, in a much more gravelly voice.
"It's true and you know it," said Crankshaft, "If she were a racer, you wouldn't even pretend this Porsche existed."
Lightning grit his teeth, "Excuse me?"
"I said," Mister Springwheel narrowed his eyelids, "Leave. Her. Out of this."
"Who's Emily?" Murphy asked again.
"Mister Cartrip, Mister Cutlass, would you please give me the chance?" asked Jane. She pulled up closer to the camera, "I've trained with Murphy since the beginning of the school year."
"Jane," Darrell said.
"I even trained with my father. He taught me how to turn on dirt with the Hudson Hornet."
Darrell snickered, "Miss McQueen."
"I promise," Jane pulled her lips in for a moment and swallowed heavily, "You won't be disappointed."
"I know we won't be," said Bob, "You were just as powerful of a racer as Murphy."
"But much more fearless," Darrell added, "Which is why-," he lifted a piece of paper from his desk. He presented it to his camera, which revealed a list of student names from other schools across the country. Right at the very bottom, in Darrell's own writing read:
Jane Taylor McQueen
"-we are letting you into the Racing Sports Network program."
"Welcome to Piston Cup racing," Bob said with a large smile.
Jane's eyes lit with passion and excitement as she read her name on the list. Lightning and Sally both turned toward Jane and cheered, as did the rest of the town behind her. Murphy chuckled under his breath, watching their enthusiasm.
"You just opened the garage door to let any car with four wheels into the Piston Cup," Coach Crankshaft shook his hood, "You don't even realize the awful mistake you two just made."
"I'm pretty sure Darrell and I didn't get this far in our careers making any awful mistakes," Bob raised an eyelid.
"You'll see," Coach Crankshaft lifted his wheel and slapped the end call button. Within an instant, his screen disappeared, and both Mister Springwheel and the RSN calls merged together again.
"I-I did it!" Jane called out, "I'm a Piston Cup racer!"
"Just in time for your birthday!" called Flo, "We need to celebrate!"
"That's right!" said Sally, "This means you're not going to be home when your birthday comes. You'll be on your way to California."
"We'll leave you all to celebrate," Darrell chimed in, "But Jane, you make sure you pack up your trunk."
"I will!" Jane hopped on her axles, "This is soooo amazing!"
Bob and Darrell disconnected their lines and Mister Springwheel's call screen was all that was left. He took up the entire screen again.
"Good going, little star," said Murphy, bringing a tire to her fender. It was a bit easier for him to do, since he was just a little taller than her, "You made it."
"You know," said Lightning, "We can send Jane's birthday presents to the hotel, but…," he smiled at her, "I think this calls for just one early birthday gift."
"I agree," Sally leaned against Jane, "For the past week, when we heard you lost the time trials, we were afraid we weren't going to be able to give you this one."
"Really?" asked Jane turning around, "Is it somewhere here!? What is it?"
Lightning and Sally laughed.
"Well, now that you're actually a Piston Cup racer," her mother continued, "You're going to have a looong way to go. You'll be too tired."
"Mmmhmmm," Lightning added, "California takes well over a day to get to."
"What is it!?" Jane patted her front tires on the ground quickly, "I wanna know!"
Suddenly the loud pull of a truck horn honked twice behind the little Porsche. She yelped and jumped into the air. She landed in the opposite direction, looking up at a big red truck.
"Ka-Chow! Surprise!" Mack bellowed, "Actually - well - stars are your thing right?"
"Mack?" Jane could feel her cheeks sting from the happiness she felt, "I can bring Mack!"
"Ka-Twinkle!"
"Stick to Ka-Chow, Macky Boy," Murphy said.
"You can borrow him for the trip," said Lightning, "Borrow. He's not your new apartment."
Jane giggled, "Okay, okaaaay."
Lightning continued, "Don't listen to the music too loud, don't break my massage-"
"Stickers, give her the rules when she goes," Sally smirked.
"Mom and dad, you're the greatest!" Jane pulled forward and nuzzled her nose against both of their cheeks, "Thank you!"
"Don't you worry, kid," said Mack, "We're gonna have a great time on the open road."
"I just realized…," Murphy furrowed his eyelids, "How...how am I getting to California?"
"I can fit ya both in my trailer," Mack replied, "But I don't think Lightning is gonna let that happen. Ain't that right, McQueen?"
Lightning replied to Mack with a swift glare.
"I'll take that as a 'no', heh, but I'm sure your dad's old hauler can drive you. The truck who used to transport him before he retired."
Murphy scoffed, "That guy doesn't want anything to do with my dad these days. Once he wasn't the boss of that truck anymore - oh boy - I don't think I've ever seen eighteen wheels drive away so fast in my life."
Mack laughed, "Truckers got an old saying that if you don't know where you're goin', any road will get ya there. We'll find a way. You'll get there."
"Hang on!" said Jane, leaning left and right to see past Mack, "Mister Springwheel! I have to say thank you!"
The racing veteran was still on the screen, aimlessly staring down at his hood.
Murphy noticed this too. He turned to the camera and pulled up to it, "Dude, you're zoning out."
Jane frowned, "Is everything alright?"
The Firebird looked up at the camera, into their eyes, then brought his wheel to a button and ended the call.