Author's Note: Hey I'm back again! Okay, so some language at the end, just wanted to warn y'all. Um, yeah that's it I guess. It kinda get's confusing so just bare with me!B Okay, I'll shut up! Enjoy!


Chapter 35: Around Town


Harley drove and drove until at some point or another she thought she had missed a sign or something. Where was she even going again? She had forgotten. A couple hours was a little more than she expected, but she knew she had to do it.

"Ryan... Lee... Muffler..." She said to herself refusing to forget the name. she hated driving so long in the sun, but at least it was the middle of December. She considered how this drive would be had it been the middle of June. It kept her grateful for the weather. She sighed often in her boredom, after all, there wasn't much to see in the openness of Route 66, at least not here.

She had driven for what had to have been five hours before she found the next town over. At least a town that looked like one. She had passed shacks and barns, but nothing that resembled a town. And now she was here, only, it looked even more empty that Marty's town was. She had to think about if she was in the right place

"Where am I at again?" She thought for a second to make sure. "Miles? No... Midtown, no! Mid-"

"Midway?" She heard the rough voice of another car.

'Oh great... more strangers!' Harley thought to herself

"You looking for Midway?" The nasty voice said again. Harley turned to see three cars behind her: a dark grey 1989 Buick Grand National, a silver 1992 Acura NSX, and the female car speaking, a black 1990 Corvette.

Harley was terrified. These cars looked mean. They meant business. They were all three covered in scratches and scuffs, dents and dirt. Was that oil?

"Don't make me ask you again..." the Corvette growled.

"Y-yes.." Harley squeaked backing up.

"Why?" the Corvette asked. She was chewing on a toothpick that made her look even more menacing.

"I, uh, I-I'm looking for someone..." Harley shuttered out. She hated her nervous stutter always has actually. Especially now.

"And who might that be, priss?" The black terror got closer and her acquaintances followed.

"R-Ryan.. L-Lee-"

"Ryan Lee Muffler!?" She spat out her toothpick landing a few drops on spit on Harley's face.

"Ah, she's looking for the coward Dez!" The Acura hissed.

"More like looking for hell." the Buick added

"Would you two shut up!" Dez spat at both of the male cars with her. "Why you looking for that asshat?!" She hissed at Harley

"Th-that's my business." Harley attempted to be upfront and brave, but it only sounded timid.

"Oh, okay. My apologies.." Dez said sarcastically. "Lemme ask again in a way that you can understand the situation, rich girl." Rich girl? "Any friend of that prick is and enemy of mine! So you tell me why ya need him and maybe I won't beat your ass to the ground! Depending on the reason of course..." Harley swallowed hard, her throat was dry. Her engine felt awful. She leaves Doc for a day and is now facing death!

"I... I'm looking for a, uh, a coach...?" She said softly.

"Coach? Racing coach?" Harley nodded then suddenly Dez laughed and her colleagues followed suit. "He ain't gonna train you, ya runt." She hissed. "You're a rich looking car who ain't even built for something like that."

"What makes you think that..?" Harley asked getting defensive. Still scared, but defensive nonetheless.

"For starters…." she began to circle her like prey. "You're a Cadillac. A bulky, pretty, fragile Cadillac."

"What does that even have to do with racing?" Harley demanded making Dez move back surprised.

"Everything.. You ain't streamline. The only car you gonna beat in a race is one who doesn't know what they're doing.." Harley thought it over, she had never thought about how her shape would make a difference. "Also, Cadillacs are too pretty for the racing world. Especially one that's a little girl." Harley revved her engine in frustration.

"A girl can be a racer!" She argued.

"Yes, but not one like you." Dez chuckled. "Who do you think you are! You think you're some hot-shot?" Harley was getting very mad at this point.

"No! But I do know who I am!" Dez paused at her sudden outburst.

"And who.. is.. that?" There was thick and heavy silence as the two glared at each other.

"Harley Davis Stockrim…" Dez was then taken aback.

"Stockrim?" Harley inched forward as she spoke.

"Yeah, Stockrim. As in the David Stockrim.. He's my dad. Was my dad.." Dez studied her over for a few seconds then sighed

"You know what, if I ever see that prick again, this would be a funny story." Harley bit her tongue. "Muff hadn't been in this town for decades." Harley then felt defeated. Of course he had been missing. Off the grid.

"So he's disappeared?" She asked and Dez looked to her acquaintances and back to her.

"Caleb." She then drove back and let the Buick speak.

"If you're really wanting to look for trouble, it's gonna cost you." Again, Harley was nervous. Cost?

"I have no money. I.. I can't pay you a-anything.." Caleb chuckled.

"Y-you can't?" he said, mocking her stutter. "What about the emblem on the back of you?" Harley had to think about the shining emblem Doc had given her for her birthday. She looked down.

"It's not worth anything…" Caleb said in a low voice.

"Then I'm sure you wouldn't mind giving it up…" Harley looked at him then at her hood.

"If you can get it off, it's yours." She finally decided. Dez scoffed and gestured for the Buik to get the job done.

"Trust me, sweetheart, we will figure it out," said Dez as she drive up to her, "even if we have to scrape of some paint and metal to get it off.." Harley felt a shiver run down her body. She was scared, but kept her composure.

"So, you wanna be a racer?" Harley fell silent and only nodded. "Coached my Muff?" She nodded again. "Well here's a tip. Drop the 'Stockrim.' off of your name." Harley furrowed her eyelids.

"Why would I do that?" She asked, "It's all I have from my dad.." She then winced as Caleb cut a little to deep.

"For Muff's sake." Dez said getting another toothpick from inside her wheel well. "And yours."

"I.. I don't understand." Harley thought it over. What was wrong with her name?

"Muff's got a thing about training the kids of racers." Dez said as she chewed on her new toothpick, "It's that he doesn't. Don't ask about, don't even bring it up." she muttered.

"Huh..." Harley thought it over again. There has to be a reason, but with this bunch of cars, perhaps it was best not to press any further.

"Almost got it." Caleb said and seconds later, the 89 emblem had been taken off. "Perfection.." Harley got a glimpse of it as he drove back to Dez. She had expected to feel heartbroken, to feel like a part of her had been taken leaving an empty hole. But she felt nothing.. She felt absolutely nothing. Her life was starting over again. This proved it.

"Okay..." She muttered. "Your turn to give me what I want.." She asked with a new found confidence. Dez took notice, but didn't say anything about it.

"Ryan Lee Muff hasn't been in this town for over thirty years." She started. "He travels, he drinks, he don't race much anymore. It's a challenge to pin point the old bastard. But not impossible. You wanna find him, you gotta go north. You pass through ever town on the highway and ask for Muff. Everyone around there knows the guy... and resent him. So yeah, you definitely looking for trouble. But no one can doubt that he is a great crew chief... when he wants to be. Start asking for him about. mm... about after two days worth of driving up is a town he comes back around to maybe once, twice a year. They call it HayDay. The signs been written over so many times by stupid kids that that's what it says nowadays." Harley nodded taking everything in.

"So sounds like I should get going..." she muttered looking in the direction she was destined for.

"Yeah, sounds like..." Dez the chuckled. "Tell 'em Dez sent ya. He'd get a kick out of that." Harley took a mental note to never sa the name Dez once she meets this car.

"Will do." she lied. "Thanks."

"Get lost, runt." Dez said with a smile. It was a strange smile due to the fact that it wasn't warm and welcoming nor was it mischievous and malice. It was somewhere in between. Harley gave a nod and began to drive off. She kept them in her sights with her mirrors. The three were still then turned back and began to head west.

"Guess I won't be seeing them anytime soon..." Harley muttered then gave a heavy sigh. "This is gonna be a long drive..."


"Breaking News:" a static sounding old radio starched out, "Prison break in California's state prison! Red Dodge Charger jailed for-"

"Turn that shit off..."an electric blue car demanded as he knocked over the radio.

"Keep a look after this car." The blue car became agitated as the car with ice blue eyes and an awful patchy paint job refused to move.

"Damien!I said turn it off!" The blue car yelled as he smashed the radio waking up the young child.

"Daddy? What's going on!" a small car shouted from his room.

"Nothing, champ, go back to bed!" The blue car shouted back. "See what you did, dipshit.." Daimien only sighed as he continued to stare at the wall.

"Dad...what was that sound?" The kid asked still nuzzled in his parking spot of a bed.

"The radio fell down. We might have to get a new one." He smiled at his son and kissed his head. "Don't worry about it." Jack nodded sleepily.

"Okay, daddy.." His eyes once again fluttered closed.

"Good night, Jack." His father said and drove back to the living room of the tiny apartment. "Hey, dumb ass.." he scowled at the blank faced, smudged car that was still sitting in the same position. "We're expecting company. So you can keep sitting there with your mouth shut. Got it?" The ice blue eyes of the silent Daimien glanced at the big mouthed one and back to the wall. "Perfect." Just then there was a knock at the door.

"Hey! Open up!" Came the voice of a female car on the other side.

"Calm down!" He barked back. At the door was a sleek, black Corvette. "Keep down you bitch, my son's asleep." He growled.

"Never was good with kids." She said as she drove passed him.

"Where's the others?" He asked out of curiosity.

"They're my guys, not yours." She said in an agitated tone, "Or his for that matter so why don't we discuss your guy and not mine. Got that, Charles?" She said with venom in her tone.

"Fair enough. What do you got?" The Corvette glanced at the quiet car in the dark.

"Same as last time I was here... freak.." She retorted.

"Hey, he's my guy so get to what your job is. Have you seen her?" Charles demanded.

"Yeah yeah, I saw her. She's headed north. Looking for Ryan." Damien's eyes moved from the wall to Dez.

"What?" He asked.

"Hey! I thought I told you to zip it!" Charles barked back

"Oh shut up you arrogant son of a bitch!"

"What the hell did you just say!"

"Who did you find! What did you do to her!"

"You two, shut the hell up!" Dez demanded. "Yeah yeah, it's her. I got this to prove it. Got some of her paint on that damn thing too. Now shut the hell, pay up, and leave me alone for now on!" she slid something that had been wrapped in cloth over to Charles.

"I remember this.. nicely done." he said. "Wait here, I'll get your cash." He then disappeared.

"What did you do to her..." Damien asked again.

"Nothing. We talked is all. Leave me alone." He was about to asked again when Charles came back.

"Here, now get outta here!" He said and gave her what she wanted.

"Thanks. I hear your guy got out?" He nodded and she glanced at Daimien. "In that case, everything's going to shit from here on out. For everyone."

"I do plan on it." Charles escorted her out and shut the door. "I really really do."