Chapter 5 - Painted Chaos
When Boost finally woke up, it was still dark, and a rather chilly breeze swept through the Impound Lot.
Great, we're back in this hellhole, Boost cursed in his head, and he especially wasn't happy when he realized he had a parking boot locked onto his front right tire.
"How do you feel?" a familiar voice whispered, and Boost slowly turned to find Queen once again chained to the closed fence of the Impound Lot on the other side, and he looked to his other side to find DJ, Wingo, and Snot Rod all fast asleep with parking boots on their front tires too.
"What?" Boost whispered back.
"Your engine. How does it feel?" It wasn't until Queen pointed a free tire at his hood that he finally looked down and realized that all the dents and scratches from the crash were all gone, and the throbbing pain in his engine was no longer there either.
"I-it feels fine," Boost muttered, ashamed to say thank you, but it was as if Queen read his mind.
"You're welcome, by the way."
"Yeah, about that…why didn't you cross the finish? You could've just left me, ya know," Boost whispered with confusion.
"Yeah, I know I could've—but I was hoping it'd be worth helping you if you agree to a little deal of my own," Queen replied with a smirk.
"Really?" the gang leader asked in disbelief.
"Yup. I'll stop calling you 'Booster Seat' and I won't disrespect your gang anymore, just as long as you promise to stop disrespecting me and cease to call me 'Princess' or 'Queenie'. Do we have a deal?"
The Kyoku-Jitsu stared back at the Ford Mustang for a few moments, pondering if it would be worth his dignity to actually be nice to her…but then an idea popped into his head. Say if he was nice to her, that might not only get her to be friends with him, but maybe he could convince her to join the Tuners.
And with that final thought, Boost smirked.
"Ok, I think that's even. No more nicknames, and no more dicking around with each other—let's just be neutral," Boost finally admitted.
"Good, then I think this'll be the start of a beautiful acquaintanceship," Queen quietly declared with a grin, making Boost grin back.
No more words were said after that, as the two awkwardly sat there in silence for a very long time until sleep finally started to pull at their eyes.
"ALRIGHT, LADIES! UP AN' AT 'EM!"
All four of the Tuners and Queen nearly shrieked when Deputy Angel shouted at the top of her lungs to wake them up bright and early in the morning, and an old 1949 Mercury Police Cruiser was parked right beside her.
"That's mah girl," Sheriff chuckled with a smirk at the Lamborghini, as he helped unchain Queen from the fence.
"Learned from the best uncle ever," Angel boastfully thanked while opening the fence once Queen was detached from it, but then she glared back at the Tuners, "alrighty, girls, got on up and go start your day before I chain you up to Bessie!"
"But why?! It's not even Sunday!" Snot Rod whined, as Angel and Sheriff were removing everyone's parking boots.
"You're right—we just like to irritate you juvenile delinquents 'cause you deserve it," Angel stated with an evil smirk, which she held longer towards Wingo.
"And as funny as this is, I gotta go ta Flo's for a fill-up. You comin', Deputy?" Sheriff asked his niece with a smirk while turning down the road to head to the café.
"I'll be there shortly, Sheriff!" Angel called as she waved a tire in the air when he finally left.
"I'm starved too. Anyone else up for Flo's?" Boost asked with a yawn, and the other Tuners quickly agreed with him.
"Yeah, I could go for a little caffeine," Queen replied with a shrug, and Boost grinned back at her. But just when they all started to drive down the road…
"Hey, you!" Angel suddenly snapped, and they all turned back to find her pointing a tire at Wingo.
"Me?" the said Gashi Wingo asked with confusion, and even a little fear.
"Yes, you—you're comin' with me." Long and suggestive 'oohs' were heard from the others when Angel said this and continued to scowl at him.
"Someone's in trouble!" Snot Rod quietly sang, only Wingo still heard him and punched the orange Bragatron Roadburner's side really hard in return.
"Hey, don't make me put a parking boot back on you!" Angel snapped, but then she looked back at the others intently, "you can all go, it's just this one I need to deal with."
The others didn't argue, but they also didn't leave without audibly snickering at Wingo and his situation as they left. And when Wingo finally looked at her again, she was no longer glaring…but smirking?
"I'm not really in trouble, am I?" Wingo stated matter-of-factly.
"Only if you won't cooperate. C'mon, I've got a few patrols to make around town, and you're coming with me," Angel explained with a smirk, and she put away her light bar as she turned away slowly to begin her rounds.
"Wait, what? Why?" Wingo asked in annoyance, as he quickly caught up with the black Lamborghini.
"Because judging by the way you've been treating me lately, I'd say you need a MUCH closer eye kept on you than your friends."
"So, you ARE my mother now."
"In a metaphorical way, yes, which brings me to my first question. What's your story?"
"Huh?"
"Your story. How did you get here, how did you meat the others—and what's with the seizure warning?"
"Hey, it's not a seizure warning, it's art! MY art!"
"So, you're a body artist?"
"Ever since grade school. Teachers never liked my creations 'cause it 'didn't obey the school's paint' code—bunch a squares," Wingo began with a scoff, but then he smirked, "when I dropped outta high school, I started painting for others, but since it didn't get me in trouble anymore, I left and eventually met the guys. I've been happily makin' painted chaos with 'em ever since."
"So, you're just a natural born delinquent, huh?" Angel asked flatly.
"That's what my mom says," Wingo replied with a dark chuckle.
"Of course it is…ok, let me ask you something else. Why don't you respect me as a woman?"
"What do ya mean? I like all women."
"That's not what I meant, and you know that. I could be nice to you if you just be nice to me."
"But I thought you said you weren't that kind of girl."
"I'm not, but I'm also not quick to judge." Wingo was actually taken back by her kindness, as his eyes slightly widened at her, especially when she smiled at him. "So, do you think you can start over to become a better citizen on your own, Wingo, or do I have to I have to force you myself?"
As Angel suddenly stopped and turned towards him with an expectant smile, Wingo was at a loss for words. He stared back into her amber brown eyes with his dark brown ones, but only for a short time when he noticed he was staring too long.
"Ahem!" Wingo awkwardly cleared his throat, "what if I did? What's in it for me, or even you?"
"You have a better life, and I have one less delinquent to chase down," Angel simply replied as she turned back around and continued her patrol, "you can go now, by the way!"
Wingo opened his mouth to speak and wanted to drive after her, but no words came out and his wheels wouldn't let him move toward her. He just sat there in silence for a few moments, surprised by their conversation.
Sure, he wanted her to love him, that was still very true…but that might not be so easy to convince her the only way he knows when she's being compassionate to him.
Damn feelings…Wingo growled in his mind, and eventually gave up and headed for Flo's café to catch up with the others.
Alright, we're makin' some progress here. Wingo may just be getting somewhere with Angel, and the same seems to be going for Boost and Queen. And in the next chapter, I'm planning on introducing another OC, so get ready readers!
Until the next chapter, I'm TRikiD, bye-bye!