Author's Note: IM NOT DEAD! ALSO I'M NOT ABANDONING THIS STORY! IT. WILL. BE. FINISHED! Thank you all for being so patient with me! I especially been distracted with life stuff! Like me being Harley finding a Miguel! But then that Miguel ends up being a Jeremy... not really, but he's a bit of an ass. ANYWAYS, ENOUGH OF THE DRAMATIC LIFE OF EZERAY! HERE'S WHAT YOU WANT! CHAPTER 28! THE GIFT! Also, these chapter titles are in spanish, you can message me or search them if you wanna find out what they mean. MORE NEWS! CHAPTER 29 IS ALREADY IN THE WORKS! OKAY! NOW ENJOY CHAPTER 28! EZZIE OUT!


Chapter 28: El Don


Doc and Sheriff watched as Harley took a deep breath as she moved her tires into the dirt behind the rope line. She glanced up at an excited Camaro who smiled and cheer her on.

"Yeah, Harley!" he called and she smiled.

"He's cute…" she muttered then focused on the track. "Alright, let's go." she took another deep breath then revved her engine.

"Hijole! Whoo!" Miguel shouted, but Harley had already cleared her mind and ignored all comments coming at her. And in a blink of an eye, she was off. Doc watched and unconsciously nodded his approval when she began to scale the wall. She wasn't anywhere near the top, but it was a start. Doc then realized he was silently coaching and shook his hood. Miguel on the other hand was freaking out.

"Oh my gosh! She's on the wall!" he yelled out and Doc rolled his eyes. "That's sick!" Harley barreled down the track leaving a storm of dust behind her. She headed to the next turn without hesitation. Hitting it hard, she turned left for a split seconds then flipped her tires right and drifted around without losing speed. Doc smiled gently while Miguel again flipped.

"Ah! That was so cool!" he cheered as she came to the start and kept going. One lap, two three, all the way up to five. She turned her tires and breaker hard finally after she had crossed the finish for the fifth time and panted trying to catch her breath. She was covered in a layer of dirt, but it didn't bother her. Miguel went to meet her with wide eyes as big as his smile.

"So… what do you think?" she asked. Sheriff and Doc listened closely.

"I think you did alright." he said calmly, his features become much less bright.

"Uh, is… is that it?" Harley asked, surprised.

"Yeah, if you were a full time professional. But you're fifteen!" Miguel shouted and jumped up. "You're amazing for a beginner! I know some racers today who wouldn't know how to pull of that turn! Like, how even did you do that you were like," he turned his tires left, "and then you did something and…" his voice faded as he turned his tires trying to figure it out. "I don't know, but you did something and it was awesome!"

"Well, it's quite simply turning right to go left." Harley said with a shrug.

"Haha!... what?" Miguel asked and Harley chuckled.

"Yeah, it's weird, but it works." she said and began driving up, Miguel quickly following behind her.

"And it looks cool." he said and nudged her side. "Eyy, you could be a dirt track racer and a Piston Cup race! How cool would that be?" he suggested.

"Yeah, but is there a championship for dirt racing as big as the Piston Cup?" she asked not expecting an answer.

"Yeah," Miguel said and Harley was caught off guard. "The National Dirt Track Championship is pretty big. I mean, it's national. The best dirt racers in the country."

"Huh," Harley seemed interested. "That sounds pretty cool actually." she said and nudged him back. "I'll have to consider it and say you convinced me to race in it."

"You would?" he asked.

"Yeah, I mean, how else would I have known about it?" she rhetorically asked. "I mean, living here is great, but no one knows anything about racing." Doc quietly scoffed. "I'll mean except Doc." He then seemed surprised.

"Doc, that's that blue Hornet, right?" Doc rolled his eyes.

"Hudson Hornet. And yeah, that's him." she said. "We don't always agree in stuff, but he's always been there for me." Miguel smiled.

"Heh, yeah. Like me and Tio Francisco." he said as they continued to drive together not paying attention to their surroundings making it easy for Doc and Sheriff to continue spying on them. "You know, my dad used to watch a Hudson Hornet race when he was a kid." Harley laughed. "No really!" Miguel said and nudged her. "He was The Hudson Hornet. The Fabulous Hudson Hornet in fact!" Harley only scoffed again while Doc narrowed his eyes.

"Oh, I'm sure that's my Doc out of the hundreds of Hudson Hornets that exist." Miguel scoffed.

"What, does Doc not like racing?" he asked.

"Are you kidding?" she sarcastically asked. "God, he hates it. Despises it!" she shook her hood. "He doesn't even want me to race."

"Why? You're good!" Miguel asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, well. He just doesn't want me to get hurt or mixed up with any bad cars." Miguel scoffed and shook his hood.

"Well, jeez. What does he think the world outside of this town is like?" he asked and Harley glanced up at him.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Well, out there is different. There's bad cars no matter where you go." he explained. "And there's always a chance to get hurt. That's stuff you just can't avoid." Harley scoffed and twisted her wheel slightly into the ground.

"Yeah, well, Doc doesn't even want me to leave this town." Miguel laughed. "What?"

"Oh nothing." he said as he continued to laugh, "It's just.. what the hell, man. That's like, holding you hostage, isn't it?" Harley shrugged.

"I don't know. But I do know this," she said as they neared the spot where Doc and Sheriff were hiding cueing them to leave, "as soon as I can, I'm leaving and I'm going after that Piston Cup." she said with determination gleaming I'm her eyes. "And, who knows. Maybe that Dirt Track championship too." Miguel waved his tire slightly in the air.

"Hell yeah!" Harley giggled again and Miguel eyelids fell to only being half open.

"You know, that little laugh is adorable." he said with confidence making Harley giggle again. "Yeah, that one." he said and poked her on the side with a tire.

"Haha, stop!" she laughed, but secretly didn't want him to.

"Stop what?" He said and poked her again and again.

"Haha! S-stop it!" she said and it did slightly tickle.

"Or what?" He said, but stopped anyways. "You'll tell Doc?" Harley laughed.

"No, I'll tell Sheriff to arrest you for being too cute." she said with equal confidence, which caught Miguel off guard.

"Uh, ha… I'm cute?" he asked and slightly blushed.

"Yeah…" she said and they continued on driving, only slightly closer than before. "Yeah you are." Miguel smiled as his engined warmed and hummed. Harley then slightly got closer then he slightly got closer until they were a centimeter from touching.

The next three days were spent with each other. Miguel and Harley would drive to Willy's Butte twice a day and Doc would follow. Sometimes with Sheriff, sometimes alone. He didn't like this one bit. They would hang out at the café, he'd drive her home at the end of the day, he even went inside the clinic to help Harley study, which Doc hated the most. He made sure he was there to supervise. And correct Miguel when he was unsure about something or just didn't know at all. Then came the day of the Quinceañera. Ramone had told Harley to meet him at Flo's early that morning, and so she did. He eyes were barely opened as she gave a sleepy yawn.

"Did I really have to get up this early?" she asked the Impala who seemed to be so awake, it was as if he drank an entire pot of black oil coffee.

"Yes, Mijita! I have to get everything in order and I need your opinion!" he said slightly raised on his hydraulics.

"On what?" She asked.

"Everything!" he shouted, but quickly dialed his volume down. "Now, you're gonna get painted for this. It's a special occasion kind of paint job, and I already got Doc's permission." Harley chuckled slightly remember how mad Doc had been when she first got painted and Ramone first let her paint. "So, color. You still want light blue, right? She nodded. "And purple detailing, right?" Rape asked with anticipation. Harley again nodded and yawned. "Alright, just confirming.." Ramone said and led her to the center of the cafe. "Okay. Now this is how it's gonna work," Ramone started to explain. "You're gonna have an escort lead you in. You can pick him. Doesn't matter who." Starting to wake up, Harley thought for a second then smiled.

"Miguel." she said noticing the surprised look on Ramone's face.

"Really?" the Impala asked "You just met him"

"Yeah, well, he's nice." she admitted while Ramone chuckled.

"Heh, alright." he said. "I'll tell him. Okay, so after you're escorted in, there will be the presenting of the, what I like to call 'special gifts' from the padrinos. And Father Julio will announce each one, say a prayer, then it's dance time!"

"Yes, dance party!" Harley said and started to shuffle her tires.

"No no, no party yet. Slow dance. You will dance with the men here. Not all of them, just the one that have been in your life."

"Oh, okay." she said, still confused but agreeing anyways.

"Then after that, the meal is served then after that it's presents then it's dance party time!" Ramone said. The sun had lifted up and the morning haze began to fade out. "Andale, go to my shop, my cousin Rosia is in there right now. The other niñas will meet you in there." Ramone said then left to the Cozy Cone to begin waking up the rest of his family. Harley rolled her eyes with a small smile as she saw him hurry off in her mirrors. She slowly headed over to the paint room where a navy blue 1964 Corvette Stingray was darting around making sure everything was ready for the big day.

"Aye, Harley!" she exclaimed with a big smile as she spotted the young car. "Las otras vendrán pronto. Primero, tenemos que conseguir que la reóxia para su trabajo de pintura especial!" Harley had a very blank look on her face. "Oh, my bad." She said with a Spanish accent. "My Spanish slips when I'm excited! I'm Rosia Hernandez, but simply call me Rosia."

"Hi, nice to meet you." Harley said, keeping her distance as she usually did with new cars. "You obviously already know who I am.."

"Si, mijita! You're the future racecar, Miss Harley Davids Stockrim! Ey," she said quickly lowering her voice. "Ya know racing is no job fit for a woman? Harley sunk down on her tires. "At least that's what my mother would say." she added with a half smile. Harley smiled too and rose up on her tires. "Yes, in a place dominated by men, us women need to fight for our spot in it. Did you know, I'm one of the many painters in my family… but I'm one of the only female painter to live in East L.A." Harley brightened up and drove closer.

"That's so cool!" she said.

"Yes it is. Do you know how I got here?" she asked and Harley shook her hood. "Heh, I told the men 'Eh, any job a man can do, a woman can do better, move aside and let me show you how a real painter does it.' Those men had never seen a woman pick up a brush in their shop. I was persistent, and now I'm here and honored to be the painter for the Quince, Harley." Harley smiled and slightly giggled.

"Thanks, I guess I'll just have to do the same thing when I go race." Rosia stamped her tire in agreement.

"Yes! Us women, we fight!" she said then rushed over to get her paint. Alright, we got a party to get ready for!" just then a few other girls and women came driving in all at once.

"Rosia! Don't start yet, we're here!" called a '62 Chevy Chevelle.

"Ey, we agreed that's my brush!" Yelled a '72 Chevy Corvair.

"Calm down!" Rosia shouted back and before long, Ramone's House of Body Art was filled with loud Spanish accented and Spanish speaking women and a single very English speaking, American sounding, but most of all, confused Cadillac. Harley then realized that it was going to be a long day.

Meanwhile, it was 11:05 am and Ramone had woken up the entire town. Red and Mater were helping with banners and streamers. Sheriff kept everything in check, but he was more concerned about the alcohol being in check and that no one was drinking anything until the night had come. Doc hated the idea of alcohol being present, but not even Ramone could stop his family from bringing it. Flo was making sure the food was ready. Her and the other women of Ramone's family were bustling around finishing the meal for later that evening. Lunch wasn't a big priority at the time being. Ramone made sure the men knew what they were doing as far as the dance and the ceremony. He explained it all the same as he explained to Harley. Doc then pulled Ramone to the side.

"Isn't is great, Doc, it's all coming together." He said as he looked around. The live band was setting up their equipment, lights were being strung around the café. Doc nodded as he continued to think.

"Yeah, it sure is…" he said still in thought.

"Ey, something wrong?" Ramone asked after a slight pause.

"Well, no not really… I was just wondering, with the padrino stuff, is there room for one more important gift?" Doc questioned glancing over at Ramone.

"Huh? Like what?" He asked. "I mean, those at some special gifts intended to represent her going into womanhood. So I just depends on what your wanting to give." Doc nodded.

"Come here, I'll show you." he said then drove to the clinic Ramone cautiously followed Doc inside and waited in the front room and Doc disappeared inside the clinic. He soon came back with a small shiny object. "I found it in my office. I think she'd like it, don't you?" Ramone smiled then looked up at Doc.

"Oh yeah, and from you? It would mean a lot." he said and gave Doc a nod. "It's perfect for a padrino gift. I'll be sure to add you name in there." Doc gave a nod to him.

"Thank you" He said, grateful for the opportunity.