Chapter 2: Needing a Friend

Standing as still as a statue, Speed stared at Trixie's helicopter as Sparky walked up behind him. "Speed," Sparky said making Speed break his stance to look at him. "Where are you? You're definitely not here at the track."

Turning his head back to the helicopter, Speed said with concern, "Sparky. Can you go check on Trixie for me?"

"Check on Trixie?" Sparky asked turning his head to look at her helicopter. "Is she in there?"

"Yeah," Speed said hoping that she was all right as he felt badly about what he apparently had done to her.

"What do you mean check on her? What's wrong?" Sparky asked wondering if she was sick.

"I think I upset her more than I thought I would," Speed said unhappily as he turned to walk into the garage.

"Upset her about what?" the mechanic asked following Speed into the garage. He hated to keep asking questions, but he had to know why Speed looked so down.

Speed stopped walking and stared at the Mach 5 as he folded his arms. "I just broke up with her."

"What!" Sparky exclaimed shocked as his eyes widened in disbelief. "What happened? Why would you do that?"

Speed turned looking a bit uncertain as he faced his friend. "I told her that I want to see other people."

The mechanic immediately felt sorry for Trixie. Anyone who knew Trixie knew that she practically devoted her life to Speed. In a calm voice, he asked, "Have you two been fighting or something?"

Shaking his head no, Speed then unfolded his arms and put both of his hands into his pockets as he tried to figure out just what to say. "No. We've been getting along well like normally."

Sparky squinted his eyes at Speed like he was at a complete loss. "I don't get it. Then why did you break up with her?"

Not answering him, Speed grabbed a rag that was on a nearby table in the garage and started to vigorously wipe down the door of the Mach 5.

Moving closer to Speed, Sparky didn't see anything on the Mach 5's door that had to be wiped off. It was clear to see that Speed was upset and burning off some of that energy. However, Sparky still couldn't help but feel for Trixie. Though Speed was his best friend, Sparky had grown to think of Trixie as a very close friend as well over the years. "You're seeing someone else. Aren't, you?" the machanic asked accusingly because girls were constantly throwing themselves at Speed.

The young racer looked at Sparky feeling very insulted as he threw the rag down to the ground. The anger was obvious in his eyes as he roared, "No. I haven't been seeing anyone else but I want to! Is that all right with you! It's not like Trixie and I are married!"

Knowing it wouldn't be wise to answer at this intense moment, Sparky didn't. He hadn't meant to make himself sound like he was on Trixie's side. After a few seconds of staring at each other, Sparky said in a very low voice, "I'll go check on her like you asked me to."

"Good!" Speed growled just before he jumped into the Mach 5. "I need to get out of here!"

Sparky watched as Speed took off, wondering why the young racer was so upset since he was the one who broke things off with Trixie in the first place. Turning to the track, the young mechanic started to make his way to the helicopter. "Okay," Sparky said to himself as he got closer to it, "Trixie's definitely going to need a friend right now." Stepping up to the helicopter, Sparky didn't see Trixie in it. Opening the door, he saw the pilot seat empty, but then the sound of sniffling made him look down. On the floor of the helicopter, Trixie was curled up crying. She had somehow managed to fit in the tight spot between the seat and the controls. It was a sight that would make anyone feel very sorry for her.

After hearing the door open, Trixie lifted her red, tear stained face and whispered, "Speed?"

"No," Sparky said softly leaning into the helicopter, "It's only me."

Through all of her tears, Trixie realized that it was Sparky. She began to wipe her eyes with her hands and then noticed his gloomy face.

For seconds, Sparky wanted to deck Speed for the state Trixie was in. Her hair was a mess and the look in her eyes was heart breaking. Her voice was hoarse and there she was trying to hide herself in the little plane as if wishing she could disappear.

"Trixie," Sparky whispered with concern, "Let's get you out of here."

Trixie began to cry softly again. "Speed doesn't want me anymore. He wants to see other people."

"I know," Sparky said feeling so badly for her and then suddenly he wished he hadn't of said that.

Trixie put her face in her hands, depressed that Speed had already told someone that he wanted to see other girls. Obviously, he was more than ready to advertise that he was free.

"Come on," Sparky said gently pulling her hands away from her face. "We'll go get a cup of coffee."

Trixie lifted her face back to look at him and said softly as she sniffled, "Is he out there?"

"No. He left," the mechanic said hoping that he could get the young pilot out of the helicopter.

Trixie made no attempt to move as tears continued to fall from eyes while she thought to herself, "Speed left - not caring that I'm in here...practically dying."

Sparky then began to ever so gently drag her out of the tight spot by her hands. When he backed out of the helicopter, she slowly followed him out. He noticed that once she was out, she didn't move. Hugging herself, she just stared at the ground.

Putting his arm around Trixie's shoulders as if she needed support, Sparky said in a gentle voice, "Let's get you away from here."

Trixie didn't say anything, but started to walk with Sparky.

As they walked to his red sports car, Sparky hoped that no once else showed up. They would only ask what was wrong, making Trixie feel worse. Once by his car, Sparky opened the door on the passenger side and then helped Trixie in. After closing the door, he walked around the back of his car and headed to the driver's side as he thought, Man, Speed. You really ripped this girl's heart out.

Trixie had her head leaning against the window as they began to drive away from the track.

Feeling uneasy, the mechanic looked at her and said, "Let's go get that cup of coffee."

Trixie slowly lifted her head and cleared her throat as she looked at Sparky and said, "Can you just bring me home?"

"Okay…sure," Sparky agreed, thinking that he wasn't going to leave her there alone.

They rode in silence to her apartment, which was only about ten minutes away. When they reached the parking lot to the complex; to Sparky's surprise, Trixie began to get out. He quickly got out and rushed to help her. "I'm going to come in with you for a little while," he said as a friend.

Trixie's tear stained face gave a weak smile before she said, "I won't kill myself Sparky, though I think I'd feel much better if I did."

"Trixie," Sparky said very serious. "No one is worth killing yourself over."

"I would never, ever do that," she said feeling more tears coming because of the serious subject at hand. "I'll just be depressed the rest of my life."

"Stupid Speed will probably want you back," Sparky said knowing how unique they had been together as a couple.

"No, he won't," Trixie replied just knowing that she was right. "There are so many girls; a lot prettier than me, who will go after him when they find out that we broke up. Shoot, they went after him while we were together."

"Look," Sparky said hating seeing her confidence gone, "I'm not trying to put the moves on you or anything like that, but you are very pretty. And...you're smart and reliable."

"Smart and reliable," Trixie said with a laugh. "That didn't get me anywhere with Speed. Did it?"

Not answering her, the mechanic put his arm around her shoulders again and said, "Come on."

When they got to the door of Trixie's apartment, she tried to open it but her hand was trembling too much. She began to get frustrated till Sparky took the keys from her, insisting that he open the door.

After walking inside the apartment, Trixie looked around as Sparky shut and locked the door. She moved across the room and stood in front of a picture of she and Speed, which was sitting on an end table by her sofa. They were all dressed up in the picture. The young racer had on a black tux and Trixie was wearing a very stylish, blue dress that matched Speed's eyes. That very romantic night, she and Speed had attended a wedding where the picture had been taken. Now as Trixie picked up the picture, she began to remember some of the things he had said to her when he brought her home that night. "You said I was made for you!" she screamed and then threw the picture against the wall making the glass shatter into a million pieces. She then sat down on the sofa falling over as she cried and said in agony, "I guess someone out there is meant for you and not me after all."

Not really knowing what to do, Sparky cursed Speed to himself for putting him in this situation, but then the other half of the mechanic knew he needed to be there for Trixie. He decided to let her cry some more as he started to quietly root around in her kitchen for the coffee pot.

After a nice steaming pot of coffee was made, Sparky poured two cups and walked over to Trixie with them.

She was still lying across the sofa looking crushed. Her eyes appeared very glassy as she stared out into space as if she could see right through Sparky.

"Drink some coffee," he said as he put a hand on her shoulder as if trying to spark some life into her.

Hesitantly, Trixie began to sit up.

Sparky handed her a cup and she took it in both of her hands. "I remembered that you like sugar and cream in it," he said as he picked up his cup and sat down on the end of the coffee table in front of her.

Trixie looked in her cup and then took a sip. "Thanks," she whispered still holding the cup as she then rested it on her knees.

"Don't mention it," Sparky said as if he was used to making coffee for hysterical, crying girls.

"You know," Trixie said looking away from Sparky feeling so stupid, "I actually thought Speed was going to propose to me today when he told me we had to talk."

Sparky felt even worse for her. "Gee, Trixie, I'm really sorry," he said not knowing what else he could say, especially since Speed was his best friend.

"It's not your fault," Trixie said putting her cup on the coffee table just before wiping away another tear. "I just didn't expect him to...break up with me. I really thought he was happy with me," she said with pain in her voice.

"He was," Sparky said remembering how Speed had bragged several times about her skill at being his navigator and the fun that they had had on dates.

"I'm so dense," she said standing up. "I've caught him watching other girls a few times before, but I always told myself that he was only looking and not touching."

"Trixie," Sparky said putting his coffee cup on the coffee table next to hers just before standing up. "If it's any consolation, I know that he did care for you a lot."

"Thanks," Trixie said still clearly upset as she walked over to the window to look out. In her mind, she could hear Speed telling her that he wanted to see other people. Her heart hurt at the memory. Recollections of their kisses started to flood her mind as well as thoughts of all of their intimate conversations, making her start to cry... again.

Walking over to her, all the mechanic could think to do was to hug her. She hugged him back, not knowing how she was going to live without Speed.

.

Late that afternoon, Trixie convinced Sparky that he could leave her alone and that she could pick up her car from the track the next day.

After leaving her apartment, Sparky headed to the track since he knew there were still a few things there that had to be done.

When he pulled up to the track, he noticed the Mach 5 in the garage. Getting out, he couldn't help but hear someone whistling. Walking in, he found out that the whistling was coming from a very, happy Speed. When Speed noticed Sparky, the whistling stopped and he began to look concerned.

Sparky looked at his friend wanting to ask him how he could have sounded so happy while Trixie was so miserable.

"Sparky," Speed said walking up to him and placing a hand on his shoulder, "How was Trixie earlier?"

"The same as she was when I left her just now," Sparky said not making eye contact with Speed as he began looking under the hood of the Mach 5.

"You've been with her all day?" Speed asked; surprised.

"Someone had to be there for her," Sparky said continuing to fool around under the hood.

"She's that upset?" Speed asked now sounding guilty as he pushed his hand through his hair.

Sparky pulled out from under the hood and looked at him as if he was crazy. "Speed. She's in love with you and has been since she met you. How do you expect her to feel when you tell her you want to see other people?"

Speed turned and walked over to the open garage door. "I didn't want her to be that upset. She'll be okay."

Sparky shook his head, then walked to the side of Speed and looked out of the garage. "Look, Speed. You're my best friend but put yourself in her shoes. Saying she had no idea that you were going to break up with her is an understatement. I'm not trying to make you feel badly, but she's devastated. You mean everything to her."

Looking suddenly scared, Speed looked at Sparky and said, "You don't think that she'll do something crazy, do you?"

"I'll admit that I was worried at first, but she'll get through this," Sparky said remembering her saying she would never hurt herself.

"I should go check on her," Speed said walking to the Mach 5 and closing the hood.

"No, Speed," Sparky said moving towards the car as Speed jumped behind the wheel. "Give her some time alone. Will ya?"

"No," Speed said starting the engine. "She's not going to lose me as a friend. I already made my mind up."

The young racer then took off before Sparky could tell him that Trixie had already admitted to him that she couldn't handle just being Speed's friend.

.

Once outside of Trixie's apartment, Speed knocked on the door. When he didn't get an answer, he turned the doorknob, and to his luck it was unlocked. Letting himself in, he then called out her name. There was no answer as he noticed the picture of them, and the broken glass from it still on the floor. Sparky had tried to clean it up but Trixie hadn't let him, insisting that she'd clean it up herself when she felt like it.

In the bathroom, Trixie looked at herself in the mirror as she pulled out a brush. Her hair was a complete mess and her eyes scary looking from all of the crying she had done. She made a face at herself then turned mad as she thought, Speed probably wants someone with long, thick model type hair. She backed up and looked into the full-length mirror on the back of the door. Though her body was slender, having nice curves, her chest was average. Trixie then whispered, "He'll probably start dating someone with a huge chest." Sadly, she began to think she wasn't pretty enough, forgetting all of her other wonderful qualities, and that she was pretty.

Trixie soon turned away from the mirror, feeling very mad now that Speed had made her feel this way. She thought, I swear if I saw him right now, I might just tell him off. Swinging open the bathroom door, she then walked down the small hall to the den. At first, she thought she was really losing it when she saw Speed standing in her den looking at the broken picture on the floor.