Author's Note: Hoods up! I will be taking a hiatus for about two weeks to finish up my final papers for school and then I'll finally finish college and graduate!

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:

You should totally be part of the fun on my Instagram: artby0lemons0

I always post sneak peeks and extras. C:

Chapter 38 - "In the Gloaming"

With the sun barely over the horizon, Mack's eyes peeled open. He let out a big yawn and reached his front axles forward for a nice stretch, then pulled himself out of park. The trucker smiled to himself. The soundless calm from an empty interstate in the early morning hours married to the fresh air from a new day, made his job all the more worth it. He cruised around his trailer to see if anyone else was awake, but paused, as his eyes caught the taillights of a Firebird braking at the end of Lake Mohave's lot. His turning signal blinked on and off, like a countdown getting ready to pull away.

"Springwheel," Mack spoke softly, careful as to not wake any of the other cars, but the Firebird didn't hear him, so the teacher pulled off the lot.

Mack giddied up and hurried over before Springwheel could get too far, "Hey, Phoenix!"

The teacher's mirrors flicked at the sound of his stage name and he stopped, "Oh-," he turned himself to face the truck, "Good morning, Mack."

"Mornin' to you too," Mack towered over the car, "You getting a head start to California or somethin'?"

Mister Springwheel's axles shrugged, "I figured since I drove here alone, you truckers wouldn't want a car slowing you down the rest of the way."

Mack raised an eyelid. The veteran racer didn't make any sense, "We'd be the ones slowing you down. Besides, ironically enough, I think you're the only car to use 'slow' in any description of - well - you."

Springwheel let out a hesitant laugh and broke eye contact, "Yeeaah," he swallowed between the pause of what he could say next, "I didn't want to get in your way."

Mack shook his cab, "Nonsense, you could never. By the way, you're painfully quiet for someone who used to be a racer, you know."

"It's pretty early," replied Springwheel, swiftly pulling an excuse out of his enormous book, "I don't have the energy to talk yet."

"I'll accept that one," Mack gestured to the trailers behind him, "After all, the kiddos are still asleep. Hammer and I can get them hooked up and they'll be awake by the time we get to the border."

"If you guys don't mind me with you, then I'd love to drive with you," the history teacher leaned to one side, getting ready to drive around Mack, but his eyelids furrowed. He glanced at the trailers, all lined up in a row, but something didn't quite feel right.

"Hang on," Mister Springwheel said, looking past Mack, "Exactly how many racers were here?"

Mack tapped a wheel with every name he recalled, "There's Jane, and we got Murphy, we met Marshmallow boy, and that Impala kid."

"Luke," Mister Springwheel shifted into gear and drove over to the trailers.

"Ah, that was his name," Mack turned to follow, then gasped under his breath at the sight. Not at the sight of something, but rather, the sight of nothing. He didn't even realize a trailer was missing from the lineup when he awoke.

Mister Springwheel cruised past Jane, Murphy, and Lutum's trailers, then slowed to a stop at a depression in the earth where one more trailer once stood. The Firebird hovered his wheel over leftover tire tracks, "Luke couldn't have left more than an hour ago," he told Mack, who stood behind him, "These tire tracks are cold and they're soft."

"Which means…"

"Means they're fresh."

"Eh...something about that kid bothered me since we met 'em," Mack admitted.

"OH NO," yelled a voice behind them.

Mack and Mister Springwheel flinched, then turned their bodies toward the yelling car. Before them, a Subaru stood with panic in his idle. His eyes, owl wide, stared toward the bottom of his own trailer in a trance.

"What's wrong, Marshmallow?" asked Mack.

The Subaru shook his hood and backed away from his trailer, "THIS IS NOT GOOD."

"What isn't good?" Mister Springwheel asked.

The Subaru flailed an axle, pointing over and over again to one of its wheels, "WE GOT A FLAT."

Hammer pulled up beside the group, slumped down on his suspension. He spoke while he yawned, "Maybe you should have eaten less melted cheese, Lutum, and not so many marshmallows."

"Ah!" Mack smiled, "And that was your name!"

Lutum fluttered his eyelids, "YOU CAN CALL ME MARSHMALLOW!" but then he snapped his attention back to Hammer, "AND I AM NOT THAT HEAVY."

"You're gonna need a ride, buddy," said Mister Springwheel, "You can't drive alongside like I am. I'm not the one racing. You're gonna need to conserve your horsepower."

Lutum's expression stretched into a wide grin, "WOW YOU ARE NICER THAN MY COACH."

"I appreciate that, but I'm just advising you that it's better than-"

"HE USUALLY TELLS ME TO SHUT UP."

Mister Springwheel blinked, "W-..Well.."

"HOW AM I GONNA GET TO CALI NOW?"

Mack sighed, "I'd always offer," he looked at Hammer, "You know I would."

"He would," Hammer confirmed, "We're working really hard on teaching him how to say 'no' to other cars."

"But-," Mack rolled his eyes, "-my racer's father specifically told me to make sure there were no boys in her trailer."

Hammer smirked, "Funny you should say that, Macky boy."

Mack cringed, "...why?"

"Because," Hammer nudged Lutum, "My racer is a boy," he exaggerated a whisper, "And he has a girlfriend," then brought his voice back to normal, "-so I'm good with you taking a ride in my trailer!"

Mister Springwheel furrowed his eyelids. While he wasn't a student at Carburetor County High, he knew the scoop that traveled through the halls. He might not have known all of the gossip as in depth as the students, but he knew - along with the entire school - that Murphy broke up with Gianna in a fiery rage.

"ARE YOU REALLY OFFERING ME A RIDE?"

Hammer mocked the volume of Lutum's voice, "YEEES I AM."

"OH BOY!" Lutum jumped up and scurried over to Hammer's trailer.

Hammer bounced his eyelids at Mack twice, "Like a charm."

Mack chuckled, "What's that face for?"

"Murphy's radio broke, so he thought I had no way of bothering him anymore," Hammer couldn't contain his giggling between every few words, "Wh-heh-When he wakes up! Ah-hahaha!" he moved his tire and slid his harmonica out of his wheel well, "I won't be needing this anymore. Here, Springwheel! You can have it!"

"I don't know how to play the-"

Hammer tossed it at him anyway.

"O-Oof-," Springwheel jerked back before the harmonica hit him and he had to buy another new hood.

"Oh, Lutum! Allow me to show you how to use the trailer door," Hammer proudly drove over to help.

"I'm gonna go check on Jane," Mack said.

Mister Springwheel nodded, then looked down at the harmonica. He pursed his lips and gently blew air toward its edge. It made a low reedy howl.

Mack rolled beside Jane's trailer, smiling softly. Not one peep came from the walls, so he knew she was still resting. He quietly rolled ahead and hooked himself up. The steel hitch locked in place. Moments later, Mack turned his body, and the trailer pulled along. Mister Springwheel readied himself and drove beside the truck.

Meanwhile, Hammer quietly pulled his trailer door chain. It inched up slowly. Hammer whispered to Lutum in the meantime, "Make sure you keep yourself reeeeal quiet. Sleeping beauty needs to keep himself gorgeous."

"YE-"

Hammer threw his tire over Lutum's mouth, "Quiet. Right."

Lutum nodded and then Hammer moved his wheel away. He gestured to the ramp, "Go on now."

The Subaru climbed up and pulled inside. Hammer tightened his lips, closed the door, and locked it up. He snickered all the way to the front of the trailer, then connected his hitch.

"Ready when y'all are," said Hammer. Mack and Mister Springwheel nodded.

"All set," Mack said, then Hammer followed them onto the open road. Soon, the remaining racers were further on their way toward the West coast.

Another hour passed, lifting the sun higher in the sky. Jane's eyelids fluttered open to tiny slits. Her body barely moved, but the humming road reminded her that Mack was driving. She bucked her rear up and stretched her front axles out, then blinked her eyes open some more. It took her only a moment to realize she wasn't in her bedroom. She gasped under her breath and her irises darted around, but then she exhaled and shook her hood.

"Good job, Jane," she said to herself. She peeked out of her window to guess where they were so far. Beside the main road were long stretches of desert again. The trees she was just beginning to get used to have disappeared. She raised an eyelid in confusion. It almost looked like they were on their way back to Arizona.

She pressed her tire into a button on the floor to trigger Mack's intercom.

"Mack?" she asked, looking up at the ceiling.

"Hey! Mornin', Jane!" Mack said, so happy to hear her voice, "Rest well?"

"Yeah, like a baby," she extended her jaw and yawned.

"I don't think so. If I remember correctly, I thought you weren't a baby," Mack snickered.

"Maaaack."

"I'm glad you got your sleep," Mack replied, as his chuckled dissipated.

Jane smiled, "Can you tell me how long we've been driving since we left the carnival lot?"

"Give me just a second and I could make a good guess," Mack paused until he passed another road sign. He glanced at the angle of the shadow its pole casted on the road, "Hmmm," Mack hummed, "I'd say about an hour."

"Uh oh," Jane frowned, "Sorry for not being awake. I bet it was boring driving without someone to talk to."

"I have Hammer and Mister Springwheel. Besides, you should see how much your dad sleeps on these long trips," Mack shook his cab, "Don't say you're sorry. I didn't want to wake you anyway."

Jane swayed left to right, thinking of her family when he mentioned her father, then brought a tire up onto the window, "How come it looks like home again out there?"

"This?" Mack looked around, "Oooh, Little star, there's a desert on California's border. You're right though. It kind of does feel like home! You know, if we took the Northern route, we would have passed through Las Vegas."

Jane rose on her axles, "OH! Can we!?"

Mack laughed, "Jane, you're too young to have fun there."

"I can watch!" Jane insisted.

"You don't even know how to play poker."

"Someone say 'poker'?" Hammer asked, glancing over.

Mack swatted his tire in the air, "Not you. I'm talkin' to Jane."

"How hard can it be?" she asked.

"Harder than racing."

"Pffft," Hammer tried not to laugh at Mack's attempt to hold Jane back.

"I can watch the slot machines then!"

"If you want to watch them, you're gonna have to go all the way back to Lake Mohave and take the northern route."

Jane groaned, "Awww.."

"Vegas is really far in the other direction now."

"On the way back then?"

Mack chuckled, "Let's see how you enjoy city living when we get to Los Angeles. If you like it and Lightning and Sal- d'ayee...I mean mom and dad say it's okay, then I'll drive you through it."

"You mean stop and let meee drive through it."

"Jane."

"Okay, okay," Jane giggled.

"It's too early for you to be this silly."

"I didn't even have coffee ye-," Jane's eyes widened, "Coffee! Oh my gracious!"

"Hm?" Mack didn't understand.

"My mom told me about this really cool place that will make you any kind of coffee you want. Like, you name it, and they'll totally make it! And they have a bunch of them in California!"

Mack nodded his cab, "You're talking about Starbolts."

Jane tapped her wheel, "That was it! That was the place! I have to tell her! Maybe she can tell me what the best kind is! Speaking of home, I should give Alyssa a call. I have so much to tell her! Plus I want to know how Austin is too."

In Hammer's trailer, Lutum's eyes glued themselves to his phone. His trailer lacked any entertainment, so the Subaru resorted to watching his favorite Japanese show on his own. Every so often, when the show made a noise louder than expected, Murphy shifted his weight in his sleep.

Lutum glanced up to the corner of his windshield with every movement and adjusted the volume so he didn't disturb him, but the Grand National moved a lot for a car that should have been sleeping peacefully. Lutum wondered if he should force Murphy to wake up, but he kept to himself and continued watching his show instead.

Murphy's eyes rapidly darted underneath his eyelids, but in his dream, he was wide awake and settled at the dinner table in his Couperville home back in Carburetor County.

His father, Chick Hicks, parked on the opposite end with only a pizza box dividing them.

"Wipe your face," said the green race car, "You've got pizza sauce all over your bumper."

With a wave of his wheel, Murphy grabbed a napkin out of thin air, like magic, and brought it to his mouth. His eyelids wouldn't loosen out of being tight and frustrated.

"Dad...I got a problem," said a slightly younger Murphy, whose choppy melodic voice had not yet changed entirely into a young man's.

"You're in junior high," his father replied, "The only problem you should be having is - what - algebra? Is that what you're learning now? Solving for 'x'? Or something?"

"Mm..," the boy scuffed his tire.

"Wait. Don't tell me. I know what this is about," Chick smirked, "You're bummed 'cause you're after a mustache like mine and you're disappointed because you can't wear one yet."

Just then, Murphy couldn't help but snicker, "Noooo."

Seeing his son's eyes brighten up relieved Chick, "I don't see how it can be anything else, Champ," he joked.

"I'm nervous," Murphy moved one of his wheels up under his front bumper, right against his throat, "I soUND weird."

Chick laughed, "I told you. Give it a couple of weeks and your voice is gonna finish changing. It'll sound almost as handsome as mine."

"I have to sound-"

Chick pointed to him, "I said almost."

"But I have to soUND normal by Friday."

Murphy's father scoffed, "Giving a speech to the president?"

"Nope," young Murphy played with the edge of the table in his treads, "I have a date and she'll think I'm weIRD."

Chick raised an eyelid and flashed a grand smile, "I knew this day was coming soon."

"I really like her, dad...and I get so nervous enough around her. I don't need this too. My voICE cracks enough and now THIS."

"She's not gonna be focusing on that," Chick said with a sigh.

"But it's not jUST this. I don't even know what to do! I don't know where to take her or-"

"Hang on, calm down," Chick shuffled his tires in his wheel well, "I'll give you somethin' to help."

"If I mess thIS up she won't talk to me no more."

"You're not in school to say things like 'no more'. It's anymore," he put his wheel on the table and slid Murphy some money, "Here you go."

Murphy leaned over to take a look and his eyes widened, "Twenty dollARS?"

"Mhm. Take her to a movie. There's no talking at the movies, so the beauty of it is you don't have to say anything," he paused, "OH! And take her to a scary movie so she'll snuggle with ya," he pointed again, "But NOT TOO CLOSE."

Murphy gasped and grinned really wide, "Wow! Thanks, dAD!"

Chick laughed, "Of course."

The dream shifted. Suddenly the living room melted away into a midnight mist and Murphy's dark paint reflected the pale fluorescent glow of a convenience store. He stood with a silver sedan. Her eyes were narrowed, glaring at the twenty dollars Murphy presented to her with all the good intentions in his world.

"-so we can go see Rise of the Screaming Banshees," Murphy suggested, "It'll be fUN."

The moment his voice cracked in front of her, he slapped his tire over his mouth and gulped.

"I'm already listening to a screaming banshee in front of me," the sedan teased.

Murphy's mirrors lowered with his confidence. It was last thing he wanted to happen. He went to speak, but his date continued first.

"I have a better idea," she said, "We can spend that twenty a lot wiser."

"Yeah?" Murphy rose on his suspension and nodded with hope, "Anything," he looked down and realized he was still covering his mouth. He quickly pulled his tire away, "I-I'll buy you anything, Darcy."

Her eyes trailed up to the store's old wooden sign, swinging on two metal hooks. It only squeaked when it swung forward.

"Anything, huh?" Darcy asked, "Whatever I want?"

"Whatever makes you happy," Murphy rolled closer, "I wanna make you the happiest girl in school."

She gestured her tire to the front doors, "Then...how about you cruise on in there and pick us up a pack of Muffler Masters?"

Murphy rolled back an inch, "HUh?"

Darcy rolled her eyes, "Muffler Masters."

The young Grand National furrowed his eyelids, "I don't-"

"Chrysler, Murphy," she pointed to his money, "Cigarettes," and guided his tire toward the door with hers, "Go buy us a pack cigarettes."

"But-"

"You can do it," she winked, "So we can party."

He lowered his voice, "I-...I've never smoked."

Darcy shrugged her axles, "You were the one who said you wanted to make me happy."

"How am I supposed to go in there and buy them anyway? The guy is gonna see I'm too YOUng."

With a hard scoff, Darcy reached over and snatched the money right out of Murphy's wheel, "You're such a damn baby."

"Hey!" he tried to grab the money back from her, but she swung to the right, and pushed the door open with her nose.

Murphy reversed a bit after she drove inside. He bit his bottom lip and looked back and forth in case there were other cars around. A ghostly movement to his left buzzed into his hearing. He jumped and shot his front end to face it, but only found a little beetle flying around. His irises followed it around until a loud bang caused Murphy to yelp. He looked back at the convenience store and Darcy came driving out.

"You are the jumpiest boy I've ever met," she commented.

Murphy pulled up to her, "Did you get them?"

"Duh," she slid the box out from her wheel well. It was matte black on the inside of the shimmery plastic wrap - as if most of the money went into the quality of the packaging - with thin red lines coming to a point like a triangle where the brand name proudly stated in bold: Muffler Masters

"They look-..uh...good," Murphy cleared his throat, "Where's my chaNGE?"

"Change? You're expecting change?"

"Y-YeaH."

"That change is the fee I'm charging you for making me go in there and get them myself."

"I didn't make you do anything! That was the only money I had, Darcy!"

She swatted the air, "Relax, this is gonna be a lot more fun than whatever that stupid movie was gonna be."

"Darcy, really! I don't think this is a good idea!"

She ignored him and ripped the plastic wrap off anyway. With a heavy sigh, she said, "Open your mouth."

"No."

"Murphy, stop playing around!"

"I'm not playing!"

Darcy flipped the box top back and shook one of the cigarettes out, "Open."

Murphy reversed even more.

"Grow. Up. Get it over with."

Murphy eyed the box, then moved his stare back up to Darcy's jade eyes.

"If you don't smoke this with me, I'm turning around and driving home," she rolled forward and presented one to him again, "...but if you smoke this, I'll kiss you."

Murphy inhaled the wrong way through his grille and accidentally choked on some of his own saliva. He hacked a hard cough and froze.

"I knew that would get yoooou," Darcy smiled.

"You'll really kiss me?" he asked. His axles felt weaker by the second; becoming harder to hold his own weight.

Darcy's jaw dropped, "Don't tell me you've never kissed a girl before either. I thought you were a bad boy or somethin'.

"I-I've been toLD," Murphy stiffened all of his axles to stop them from trembling.

"It's time you start acting like one, then. Unless that's what it is. An act."

Deep in thought, Murphy sank on his suspension.

"If it's all an act, then you're full of it. You're just a liar. You're a poser," Darcy gestured to the air, "And that group of friends you hang out with? The ones that think you're just like them? The ones painted in all black all of the time?" Darcy chortled, "Wait until they find out how full of it you really are. Wait until they find out Murphy Hicks is just a-"

Murphy grabbed the cigarette from her, "Shut up."

"What did you just say to me?"

"Ain't no act," Murphy rested the cigarette between his lips. He pointed to her tire, "Give me a light."

Darcy raised an eyelid and scraped a match against the asphalt. As she pointed it upright, a fire already surrounded the tip.

"Bring it here," Murphy demanded.

Darcy obeyed, rolling close to him and bringing the match to the end. She instructed him with a low voice, "Just pull in some air nice and easy. Keep making your lips tighten and loosen a lot."

Although her guidance was unclear, Murphy tried, and he pulled in a gentle breath. The moving air caused the tip of the cigarette to glow red, then Darcy shook the match out. She threw it onto the ground, "You got it."

Murphy pulled smoke into his mouth and his eyelids furrowed at the taste of fire around his tongue. He opened one side of his lips to blow it all out into the air, while holding onto the cigarette on the other side.

Darcy groaned, "You're doing it wrong."

"I'm doing exactly what you said," Murphy protested.

She put her tire under his chin, "Pull it into your filter. You're supposed to feel it."

Murphy tried again, pulling in another drag, but he didn't hold it in his mouth again. Instead, he took the smoke down his throat. The heat seared him the entire way, making the bottom of his windshield swell up with tears.

"Now you're doing it right," Darcy praised, running her tire behind his bumper now. She felt around for his throat, "Now let the heat just rise up into your engine."

Murphy closed up the back of his throat. Slowly, he felt the heat rising back up as Darcy said, but as soon as he felt it move into this engine, Murphy's eyes widened and he coughed. He pushed her tire away from his throat and spat the cigarette out onto the floor. More smoke swirled up and out of his grille the harder he coughed.

Darcy grinned, "Good job," she said, "I bet that feels great."

"I think I'm on f-fire," he shut his eyes tight and coughed again.

"That's how it's supposed to feel, baby."

"No, no, I-I'm getting a hoODache," Murphy's eyes were still shut.

"I can fix that," Darcy brought her tire over the cigarette and pressed it down until it burned out, then she put her wheel back under Murphy's chin. She pulled him closer and planted her lips right against his.

In a flash, Murphy's eyes shot open to find that his own tire was covering his throat. He panted heavily, looking around the trailer, and only calmed down when he realized where he was. He exhaled a sigh of relief, then went to shut his eyes again.

But...wait.

His eyes shot back open and locked onto a Subaru that's been parked in front of him since they left.

"HI, KARAOKE PARTNER!" greeted the smiling Subaru.

Murphy grit his teeth and stomped the ground, "HAAAMMMEEEER!"

The trunk smirked and he looked over at Mack, "Guess what?"

"What?" he asked.

"Squeaky is up."

The angry teenager's muffled voice screeched from inside, "PULL OVER, DAMMIT!"

"Not gonna happen, Murphy. We're too close to California."

"I SAID PULL OVER."

"Lutum! If you can hear me, would you oil up that squeaky bolt?"

Lutum waved his wheel back and forth in front of Murphy, "HEY! HEY! HEY!"

Murphy snarled, "GET. OUT."

"SHHHH."

"Are you shushing me!?"

"CALM YOURSELF."

"What are you doing in there?"

"FLAT TIRE," Lutum gestured behind him, "TRAILER CAN'T MOVE. HAMMER IS GIVING ME A RIDE."

Murphy exhaled all of the breath he held under his hood and as he deflated, his eyes shut again, "Of couuurse."

Lutum bit his lip. He turned his wheels inward and Murphy didn't say another word. Lutum leaned forward, but somehow, even without seeing him, Murphy knew he got closer.

"Back up," he said.

"I CAN'T THERE'S A DOOR."

Murphy jerked forward with his eyes open wide, "THEN GET OUT."

Hammer could hear the arguing continue, "Hang on a second, Mack. I gotta put these two in order," then he yelled at them, "STOP IT," and he slammed on his brakes.

Murphy gasped and was immediately thrown to the back of the trailer. Lutum flew forward as the sudden stop tossed him right into Murphy. Their grilles locked and the boys looked into each other's eyes.

"Are you DONE?" Hammer asked from outside.

Neither Lutum nor Murphy moved. They desperately tried to keep still, before one of them accidentally kissed the other.

After a couple of seconds, they could feel the trailer moving again.

Lutum carefully reversed off of Murphy, and for the first time in a long time, his voice was soft, "This never happened."

"Deal," Murphy replied.

"CAN I HAVE MY PHONE BACK?"

"I don't have it," said Murphy.

Lutum pointed, "THE STOP MADE IT GO BEHIND YOU."

Murphy blew air out of his lips and felt around for the phone with his back tires. When he felt it under his treads, he kicked it towards the Subaru.

Lutum stopped it with his wheel, "THANK YOU."

"Whatever."

Lutum propped his phone up in front of him, then started tapping around until he started up another episode of his show. Loud upbeat music took over the trailer.

"Whoa," Murphy's mirrors twitched, "That sounds kind of familiar."

Once the singing began, the Grand National heard the lyrics were not in English and recognized it as being Japanese.

"What is that?" he asked.

Lutum glanced up at Murphy, then back down at his phone.

Murphy narrowed his eyes, "I don't get it. Now you're not going to talk?"

"YOU WANTED ME GONE."

"Because you scared me," Murphy rolled forward, "Imagine waking up to-," he shook his hood, "-ugh. For real though. Are you watching Signal Saga?"

Lutum's eyes brightened up again and he pushed himself up on his front axles, "NO WAY! WHAT?! You know SIGNAL SAGA?!"

"Sumimasen?" Murphy asked, in Japanese, "It's only the most addictive anime in the world."

"WAKARIMASU KA?" Lutum moved his phone to the side of the trailer, so it could face both of them, "OH MY GOODNESS."

Murphy moved in closer and so did Lutum.

"I've been waiting for the new episode for so long," said Murphy, "They take forever, but when they come out I'm hooked."

"I HATE when I'm excited for something and IT TAKES FOREVER for the next part to come out."

Both the Subaru and the Grand National scuffed their wheels against the floor, paused, then shook their hoods.

"I'm A PROUD MEMBER of the anime club in my school," Lutum declared, "EVER SINCE I WAS A FRESHMAN."

"Yeah, well," Murphy shrugged, "No one knows about my, uh...you know."

"OBSESSION."

"I wouldn't call it that," Murphy looked up at the ceiling.

"YOU WERE SPEAKING JAPANESE."

"Okay, hang on."

"NERD."

Murphy laughed, "I only know like two or three sentences."

"You SHOULD join your school's club while you're STILL THERE."

Murphy shook his hood, "Nah, I'm already on the racing team. I'm trying not to be attached to my school as much as I already am."

"MISSED OPPORTUNITY. THE ANIME CLUB IS MY HOME."

Murphy raised an eyelid, "You mean your second home."

Lutum tapped his phone screen to pause the show, "NO. MY HOME."

"I think I'm not getting something."

"YOU GET IT," Lutum blinked, "YOU DON'T WANNA HEAR IT THOUGH."

"Sure I do."

"I THOUGHT WE WERE KARAOKE PARTNERS."

Murphy frowned, "Lutum, c'mon. I didn't mean to yell at you."

Lutum didn't answer. He just pouted.

"You're definitely my karaoke partner," Murphy assured him, "No one else."

"YOU YELLED LIKE LUKE."

Murphy pointed at him, "I'm really gonna yell at you if you ever compare me to that exhausthole again," he paused, "Sorry," he thought about what else he should say, then his eyes fell to Lutum's fenders. Murphy studied the tattoo of his name, "I-uh...hey, you gotta at least tell me how you talked your parents into letting you get that tattoo on your fender."

Lutum peeked down, as if he forgot that tattoo was there, then he blew air through pursed lips. He looked back at the Grand National, "REAL easy."

Murphy grinned, hoping he was about to hear his method, "Well? How?"

"I didn't HAVE TO ask them," Lutum grabbed his phone back and stuffed it in his wheel well, "PARENTS KICKED MY TRUNK OUT OF THE GARAGE."

Murphy's smile faded. He rolled up to Lutum, "Tough break, man."

"WAS MY FAULT ANYWAY."

Murphy leaned to one side, "You don't seem violent."

"YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW THIS."

Murphy leaned forward with anticipation.

"BUT SOMETIMES I GET LOUD."

Murphy furrowed his eyelids at the anticlimactic response, "You don't saaay."

"YEAH SO NOW I LIVE WITH MY GIRLFRIEND."

Murphy's entire expression dropped, "You have a girlfriend."

"HER NAME IS AMY," Lutum narrowed his eyes and interrogated Murphy, "AND YOU?"

Murphy reversed, "What about me?"

"I KNOW YOU HAVE A GIRLFRIEND TOO."

Murphy grit his teeth, "Dammit, I knew Luke was gonna say something."

"WRONG. YOUR DRIVER SAID SO."

"HAMMER," Murphy stomped his tire, "I'm gonna cut this guy's brake lines."

"NOT WITH ME HERE."

"No, Lutum. Of course not. I was planning on waiting for Hammer to take a really long drive off a really short cliff."

"WHAT'S HER NAME?" Lutum raised on his axles, curiously.

Murphy took a moment to think, but when he didn't answer immediately, Lutum noticed.

"OOOH NO! YOU FORGOT HER NAME!"

"NO, I didn't," Murphy assured him, "Her name is-uh-Taylor."

"TAYLOR IS CUTE NAME."

Murphy rolled his right front tire forward and back, "Taylor is a cute girl too," he changed the subject, "Hey, how about you take your phone out again. You know we gotta watch a couple more episodes of Signal Saga until we get to L.A."

Without hesitation, Lutum slipped his phone back out and presented it to Murphy, "HERE."

"Me? You're the one who knows where you store your videos. You can pick whatever episode you're up to."

"NO," Lutum shook his hood, "PUT YOUR PHONE NUMBER IN."

"I don't think that's such a good idea," Murphy warned, "We're racing against each other soon."

"SO?"

"So...we're racing against each other soon."

"I DON'T CARE," Lutum shoved his phone into Murphy's wheel anyway, "WE WATCH SIGNAL SAGA TOGETHER."

Yet another hour passed mind numbingly slow for the drivers. The long straight stretch of road wasn't enough of a challenge for them to stay as alert as they were supposed to. Still, Mack and Hammer were professionals.

Outside of the trailers, Mack used his intercom to speak to Jane, "Hey, little star," he said, "We're one minute away from the border! You excited?"

Jane heard his voice and she smiled wildly, "Really!?"

"I'll take that as a big ol' yes," Mack chuckled.

Jane took a look out of the window, but to her surprise she couldn't see any of the large buildings her mother told her about, nor did she see the hustling and bustling of traffic Los Angeles was so famous for, "It doesn't look like we are!"

"That's because Los Angeles is another five hours from California's border," he sucked his teeth, "Now you're getting a feel for how big the country is," he looked toward the right side of the road, "Here's comes their state sign now."

"Ooo!" Jane rustled her phone around in her wheels and propped it up against the window. She waited for California's 'welcome' sign to reach just the perfect spot and snapped a photo. She glanced at the preview and saw the gorgeous blue sign decorated with yellow flowers. In cursive font, as expected, it read: Welcome to California

"Woo hoo!" Jane cheered. She bounced on her axles, "I'm in pacific time now!"

"Just remember that when you're calling your friends or mom and dad," Mack shook his cab, "But they won't mind. Your mom and dad are gonna pick up the phone no matter what time you call."

"They'll be in California soon too, so I'm not worried!" Jane gasped, "But you just reminded me! I was going to call Alyssa!"

"I'll check in on ya later. In the meantime, try to stick out the rest of the drive. If you want us to take a stop though, let me know."

"I think I'll be alright. Thanks, Mack!" Jane turned off the intercom and moved her phone back over to herself. She tapped around for Alyssa's contact and when she found her, she tapped her name.

The Porsche waited for a few rings until, finally, her friend pick up.

The phone faded into camera view and a sleepy pastel pink Prius greeted her, "Jaaane," she groggily relaxed her front bumper on a pillow, "Raaace car."

Jane giggled, "Did I just wake you up?"

"Psssh," the Prius rolled her eyes, "Girl, I aaalways wake up at eight in the morning on Saturdaaays."

Jane could hear the heavy sarcastic tone in her voice, so she met her with the same, "Alyssa, you're not making all the other electric cars look good being tired all of the time."

Through a yawn, Alyssa agreed, "Hold on, let me plug myself in."

"I bet you're gonna wake up once I get you all caught up on stuff."

Alyssa pulled a plug out from the side of her bed, which trailed on the floor and into the wall, "Caught up?" she asked. She furrowed her eyelids, "It's only been a day, right?" her eyes widened, "Has it finally happened? Was I abducted by aliens? I TOLD YOU there were aliens in our desert. How long have I been out? Be honest."

"Alyssa, calm down! It's only been a day, you're right," Jane replied, "And...one night."

She rolled closer to the camera, "Sounds like something big," there was a rustling in the background of the call as Alyssa kicked off her blankets and managed to plug herself in. She yelped when her daily electric shock jolted through her metal.

"Big is an understatement!"

The Prius rolled her eyes, "Jane, you're making it sound like you went out clubbing or something. Or you hooked up with a guy or something."

Jane didn't reply immediately, exchanging a smirk with her best friend instead.

Alyssa slapped her tire on her cheek, "YOU didn't!"

Jane laughed, "You're close. It falls under both of the 'or somethings' you mentioned."

"You met a guy?"

Jane bit the inside of her cheek, "Not exactly!"

"I'm right aren't I?"

"It does have to do with a guy."

Alyssa squeaked from Jane's phone speaker, "Tell me everything!"

Jane prodded the floor with her front wheels, "Alyssa, it was everything I could have imagined!"

"Yeah!?" Alyssa giggled, "WAIT...it? You said 'it'...IT? You did it with someone?"

Jane furrowed her eyelids, "Alyssaaaa."

"YOU said it! I didn't say it!"

Jane went to speak, but Alyssa cut her off, "Tell me! Tell me!"

"You have to let me tell you first!"

Alyssa grabbed her phone and shook it, "Gooo!"

Jane took a deep breath and with her exhale she confessed, "I kissed someone."

Before Jane could finish 'someone', Alyssa was squealing so loud that Jane's speaker crackled.

"I'm so happy for you!" she yelled.

"It was the scariest thing ever!" Jane admitted, "But I-...wanted it for a very long time."

"Sounds like my kiss with Austin!" she sighed, "Not that I ever dreamed of kissing him. I didn't think I'd do it, but he just looked at me with those puppy dog eyes and-...ahhh! How long did it last?"

"Our kiss?" Jane traced a heart into the floor with her tire, "Preeeetty long."

"Our kiss? What does that mean? Hmmmm? Are you still single, gal?"

Alyssa's excitement only entertained Jane more, "Yeah, our kiss," remembering every detail of it, Jane blushed, "And our lips weren't the only thing touching."

"SHUT. UP."

Jane winked and snickered.

"You didn't!"

"I DID!"

"Eeeee!" Alyssa cheered again.

Jane moved her face away from the phone, "You're about to make me go deaf!"

"I didn't even tongue Austin yet!"

"Well, you should try it," Jane bit her bottom lip to hold back another involuntary giggle, "It feels amazing."

"Aren't you gonna tell me who it was? You do know who it was right? Not a stranger right? OOo! Did you kiss some random guy!?"

"It-"

"Was it some sexy racer you met on the road? I bet it waaas. Get it, giiirl."

Jane shrugged her axles, "You're not too far off," her engine purred, "It was-"

"I KNOW," Alyssa's eyes almost bulged out of her windshield, "THE HOT RACING TEACHER."

"Mister SPRINGWHEEL?"

"Yeah THAT one!"

"ALYSSAAA."

"I'm liiistening!" she replied, "But you're not telling meeee!"

"You ain't lettin' me, crazy lady! But if I tell you, you have to promise you're not gonna freak out."

"Can I tell Austin?"

Jane nodded, "Yeah, you can tell Austin, since I'm not sure when I'll get to speak to him again, and you have his police academy schedule right?"

"He just left last night," Alyssa sighed, "I miss him already."

"I met a racer here that reminds me of him. A much sillier version of 'em. And louder."

"What's his name?"

"His name is Lutum."

"Ah-HAH!" Alyssa pointed at her camera, "I got you! That's the name of the guy!"

"No!"

"No?" Alyssa's tire dropped, "Jane, you're making me exhausted!"

"You have to say you're not gonna freak out or I'm not gonna tell you!"

"Alright, alright! I'm not gonna freak out!"

"..."

"Jane…?!"

"How do I know you really mean it?"

"JANE."

"Okay!" she lowered her voice, "I-hehe...I kissed Murphy."

A silence fell over Alyssa. Her smile bent back into flat lips and gravity pulled her eyelids down into a crinkle.

"...I said I kissed Murphy," Jane repeated, "Well, actually Murphy kissed me, but I went along with it," Jane studied her friend's expression and soon she was no longer smiling either.

Alyssa cleared her throat, "You made out with Murphy. As in that jerkface who bullies Austin with Caleb?"

"I know what you're thinking," Jane turned her wheels inward nervously, "But you gotta understand, Alyssa! Just listen!"

"No. You listen, Jane," Alyssa's voice grew stern, "Murphy? That same jerkface who you thought was your friend, but had no problem ignoring you and throwing you away because some other girl told him to never speak to you again?"

Jane sank on her suspension.

"Is it that Murphy?" she stomped a tire on her mattress, "Because if there's another Murphy 'round here, you have to tell me, and only then will I take back everything I just said."

Jane's gasoline tank flipped inside of her, "...yeah...that Murphy."

"You've GOT to be kidding."

Jane pushed her front wheels out, "You haven't seen the Murphy I've seen! You don't get it!"

"You don't get it!" Alyssa shook her hood, "You're so gullible!"

"I am NOT," Jane grit her teeth, "Don't talk to me like that."

"Or what?" Alyssa scoffed, "Are you gonna punch my lips all puffy and rip my jaw out of line like you did with Gianna?"

"How DARE you," Jane revved her engine, "I'm telling you something I ain't even tell NOBODY else."

Mack blinked when he heard the rev through the trailer walls. He figured Jane was only practicing and kept his focus on the road.

"Instead of trying to get everyone to listen to you all of the time, why don't you listen to yourself? Murphy is screwing with you already."

"Screwing with me? Really?" Jane's eyelids broadened with anger, "Alyssa, you have no idea what the past night has been like. You have no idea how hard he tried to make me smile. You weren't HERE."

"You're right. I wasn't there with you guys," Alyssa agreed, but her tone changed again, "So I DON'T know what the hell he could have done in one night that would make you forget what he did to you and your OTHER best friend for WEEKS."

"That had nothing to do with Murphy. That was NEVER his fault. That was his stupid girlfriend's fault," Jane insisted, "He meant every word he said to me."

"I'm sure they were so special-"

"And he meant that kiss."

"-so special that they made you cry your eyes out of your windshield and pant and BEG for him on his voicemail again."

"You're WRONG."

Alyssa lifted the tone of her voice and accent to match Jane's, then recited the words Jane told her she left for him in his voicemail, "M-Murphy, I'll hold my speed baaack."

Jane pressed her treads into the flooring, "Stop."

"M-Murphy, you'll n-never have to speak to me again."

Jane shut her eyes tight, "Murphy CHANGED."

"You think so? You really think cars change?" Alyssa groaned, "I can't believe this. You're smarter than that. You're smarter than HIM."

"A-Alyssa.."

"I'm not mad at you," she assured her, "I'm mad at Murphy for doing this to you. You could have kissed someone special. Someone who actually likes you, Jane."

She opened her eyes slowly, "He's not doing anything. No. He's not lying to me."

"Murphy is USING you. He's using you the same way Gianna used HIM to mess with you. I wouldn't be surprised if they're secretly still together and they're just putting on a show for the whole school. Put him on the phone."

"No way. No. SHE HURT HIM."

"PUT HIM ON THE PHONE."

"I CAN'T," she lowered her voice, "He's in his trailer right now. And he can't be using me if we both see each other on the same level."

"You do realize you're both after a Piston Cup, right?"

"And we respect each other!"

"He has NO respect for you," Alyssa pointed out, "Maybe the smell of Gianna's yogurt being thrown in your GRILLE might speed your memory up to how fast he's gonna pass you on the track if you keep believing him. Murphy is a snake, Jane."

"But-"

"Nope. He's worse than a snake."

"Okay, now you REALLY have to stop."

"He's a HICKS."

"That…," Jane rolled back, "That doesn't mean anything."

"A 'Hicks' means a lot. Especially in racing."

"No," Jane tightened her lips, "I...won't believe that."

"Chrysler, it's happened already," Alyssa brought a wheel underneath her bumper, "You're brainwashed," she had to hold herself up from the shock, "Wake up and be the Piston Cup racer you ARE."

Jane pulled her axles into herself.

"Murphy is just buttering you up so you're distracted enough for him to beat you. If he doesn't have to worry about you, he just needs to worry about the other racers. Murphy knowing he has Jane Taylor McQueen under some spell is Murphy knowing he is - at the very LEAST - not going to lose in last place."

"That isn't true...n-no matter who wins, we'll-"

"Did he tell you that?" she asked, "Of course he'd tell you that."

"I said it to him," Jane corrected.

Alyssa quieted down, "Jane...I'm only saying all of this because I care about you."

Jane looked down at her hood.

"Please tell me you know that."

"Fine...," Jane replied.

"And...I can't believe I'm saying this, but….Jane, if this is what you want right now, I'll support you."

Jane's mirrors perked up, "Really..?" she looked back up to her camera.

"I will," Alyssa shook her hood, "But if I find out he-"

"Alyssa, if I get the slightest hint he's only acting, I'll call you immediately."

"If that happens, you better break up with him first and then call me. I'm gonna try to get a little more sleep before my parents kick me out of bed. Think about it, okay?"

"I will," Jane promised, "I'll talk to you later."

"I'll be here," said Alyssa, "Later…," and her face disappeared from Jane's phone screen.

The Porsche moved her phone away and looked at the porcelain Piston Cup on her shelf, "...it's just not true."

"I said MOVE," growled a flaming red Mustang. Her nose pressed roughly against the rear bumper of a Kia Sorento, who was grabbing at the front garage door frame of Vermella's cabin with his wheels turned outward.

"I-I'LL DO ANYTHING, VERMELLA," Caleb pleaded. His tires gripped the frame so roughly that his rubber bubbled under the pressure.

"GET INSIDE," Vermella continued to push, but Caleb continued to resist. His eyes shut tightly, holding on for as long as he could, but then his axles began to tremble. He couldn't hold himself in the doorway any longer. He turned his right wheel back into place and Vermella launched him into the cabin. She followed close behind, then reached up for the garage door. She yanked it down and it slammed into the ground.

Caleb turned around as quickly as he could with big eyes and a heaving breath. He looked into the Mustang's eyes and begged, "I didn't mean to tell him your name! I-It slipped out! I SLIPPED."

"Nonsense," Vermella drove up to him and grabbed the young car by his front bumper, "You are the FIRST car I've had in my possession who has EVER slipped."

"I wasn't tr-trying to-"

"And you're lucky he beat the daylight out of you before I could," she snarled, "LILITH," then grit her teeth, "LILITH!"

After a few moments, rustling could be heard below the floor the two vehicles idled on.

"Yes, ma'am? I'm down here!"

"GET OUT OF THE BASEMENT AND GET UP HERE."

Caleb shook his hood fast, "Wh-..wait."

"Shut up," Vermella snapped.

"V-Vermella, please," Caleb brought his tire up onto her axle.

"I'm coming!" Lilith responded.

Caleb's eyes snapped to the hole in the floor, which started the ramp to the basement. A vehicle's front end poked into view.

Vermella pulled Caleb's face again and pointed it back toward her, "Don't you DARE. You have some nerve pulling that name crap back there and now you're thinkin' you can do what you want without my permission. DON'T look over there."

"Okay, I'm here!" Lilith said proudly, "Let me know what you need!"

Caleb's bottom lip shook, fighting every instinct to look over at her assistant. His entire right side felt another car was in the room, but his left tire pressed into the wooden floor so he wouldn't peek.

"Grab that rope hanging on that there wall," Vermella instructed.

"You want the rope?" asked Lilith, "Why?"

The sound of her assistant's voice made Caleb's mirrors twitch. Even though she just asked a question, Caleb only heard the voice of the woman who taunted him every time his blindfold covered his eyes.

Caleb put himself into reverse and tried to pull away from the Mustang, but Vermella gripped behind his bumper better, "STOP STRUGGLING."

"D-Don't DO THIS," Caleb swallowed hard.

"You ain't got a clue what I'm gonna do."

"Y-You're gonna ch-choke me and I know it. I KNOW IT."

"LOWER your VOICE," Vermella demanded.

The threat of the rope clashing with the assistant's merciless taunts festering in Caleb's mind drove him off the edge, "I KNOW IT. I KNOW IT. I KNOW IT."

"Dammit," Vermella threw a wheel over the Kia's mouth, "LILITH, I said GET THE ROPE."

She flinched, "Right! Going!"

Caleb pulled his face away fast enough for her tire to slip off his mouth, "LET ME CALL MY MOM. PLEASE."

"I'm not gonna choke you, now STOP," she tried to cover his mouth again.

"L-LET ME TALK TO MY BROTHER."

"RELAX," Vermella slapped her tire over his mouth once more.

The young Sorento growled and fury dribbled through his corneas. He opened his mouth wide and sank his teeth into the Mustang's tire.

"Ah-AH," Vermella yelped loudly and pulled her axle back, "You LITTLE-"

Caleb narrowed his eyes and turned his attention to Lilith while Vermella shook her tire in pain. He revved up his engine and shifted his tires toward the assistant.

There was no way he'd let Lilith get that rope.

Vermella gasped, only realizing then that she hadn't put on Caleb's blindfold, "LILITH, GET BACK."

"Huh?" she stopped in her tracks.

"GET BACK."

"But you just told me to come up here!"

When her attention focused on Lilith, Caleb accelerated away.

"LILITH, I SAID-," her eyes caught him at the corner of her windshield, "VIDEL! LILITH, DON'T-"

"Don't move?" the confused assistant asked.

Caleb clenched his teeth. He had the chance to see the woman who splashed water in his face in his desperation. He had the chance to see the woman who played games with his misery.

And he knew Vermella didn't want him to see her.

He slammed on his gas pedal and went full speed ahead over to the Mustang's frozen partner.

Before Vermella could speed after him, Caleb already reached the other side of the cabin.

"N-NO," the Mustang shuffled around in her wheel well with her panicked stare locked onto the Kia.

Crazed and with nothing to lose, Caleb giggled, "You want some water!? Huh, bitch!?" he slammed on his brakes and looked her assistant right in the eye, "You want a drink of-!" his face dropped at the sight, "W-Wait."

Lilith gasped, "Vermella! H-Help!"

"DON'T TOUCH HER," Vermella screeched.

"Lilith...?" Caleb's wheels went to roll forward, "You-"

Suddenly a bright light filled the cabin and a piercing bang rattled in all of the vehicles' hearing. Lilith screamed at the top of her voice, but under the noise her voice was merely a muffle.

A fiery, pulsating burn caused Caleb to freeze.

Lilith watched in horror as Caleb's body idled stiff. His eyes stared ahead of himself, infinitely, and his bottom lip no longer trembled. As his eyes moved around his windshield to scan the room, his sight doubled, and everything in the cabin seemed to have its own tail. His engine went from idling high, to humming a soft rumble. His tires caved inside of his wheel wells, but Caleb kept standing.

Vermella's jaw was as wide as her eyes with her axle stretched out and holding her smoking desert eagle aimed tightly on the teenager.

Caleb's front tires managed to turn away from Lilith, but his thousand-yard stare kept ahead of him. He faced Vermella and inched toward her.

Lilith's body quaked on her shocks, "N-nNnn..."

Vermella watched Caleb drive closer to her. Her breath shook as she whispered, "Videl...?"

What seemed like Caleb's eyes making contact with Vermella's was only an illusion. Just before driving too far, Caleb's wheels turned inward completely and he collapsed onto the floor. His axles spread out and splayed all four of his tires.

"Videl!" Vermella caught up with the rest of the distance between them and threw her gun toward Lilith. She pulled up to the Kia and brought one wheel under his chin and the other under a fender. Caleb's eyelids pulled shut, like curtains closing in on a stage play, and his lips loosened. Vermella brought the closest tire in front of his mouth and grille. His gentle breath caressed her treads, slowly fading until it became still. His engine shut itself off and his headlights dimmed until they burned out.

Lilith stared down at the gun, still idling at the top of the ramp. She knew better than to reach for it. She exhaled a shaking breath to calm down, only to suddenly notice how wet the tip of her hood felt. She caught the wall in front of her and her eyes trailed the oily blood splatters all the way down to her nose where even more oily blood stained her paint.

Vermella adjusted Caleb's face to the only light in the cabin, looking around until she caught the gunshot wound. The bullet effortlessly ripped right through his metal, just under his fender, and through his engine. It ricocheted out of the other side of his hood. Pouring out of the wound came more oily blood, trickling through her treads, and onto the floor between them - as red as the paint she was enrobed in.

Lilith managed to squeak out a couple of words, "Vermella, y-...you-..."

But Vermella didn't respond. She just held Caleb's face, feeling the warmth of his metal leave his body by the second.

Through all of the threats she's made and all of her sins, she had not once killed a young car with her own treads. Her pupils constricted and her tongue receded back in her throat.

"V-Vermella," Lilith said once again, "Wh-..What do we do?"

Vermella had no answer. Caleb's chin only trembled from her nervous tire holding him.

Her assistant quieted her voice, "I feel dirty, Vermella. I think some of Videl's-"

"Caleb," Vermella's eyelids fell, "H-His name was Caleb."

Lilith's mirrors slumped down, "...what a pretty name..."

Vermella looked up at who was then the only other car in the cabin with her, "Lilith, dear," she said with a soft tone, "Don't worry," she moved her tire away of Caleb's chin and gently guided it back onto the floor.

Lilith corrected herself, "I think I have some of Caleb's-"

"Those ain't his fluids," she assured her, although she knew Lilith knew better, "You just got some dirt on you, is all. Red dirt."

"Smooth red dirt," Lilith added.

"Go dip yourself in your water. You're gonna feel a lot better."

"But, Vermella, I really think-"

"Lilith," Vermella pulled her tire away, but she didn't raise her voice, "Do as I say. P-..Please."

"What are we gonna do?"

Vermella clenched her eyelids tighter. She didn't want Lilith to see a tear stream down her hood, "I said you ain't gotta worry about n-nothin'. I-," Vermella's voice choked, "I'll take care of him...in the gloaming."