Should it upset Reese that she walked into the Martin House, and her father didn't even acknowledge her?
It didn't.
She just wanted to know if it should.
==W&R==
Reese walked up to the Flynn-Fletcher house. Phineas called her earlier in the morning with his idea to help Candace, so Reese had a head start on calls to make. Everything would be ready for Candace to practice soon enough. Reese found herself directing phone calls for the event, asking local news channels to clear time for the Monster Truck rally.
It helped that so many others of the group were onboard. Somehow, Buford had a lot of numbers for monster truck drivers. Reese barely had to strong arm him to hand them over. Still, Reese got to strong arm a bully into doing something. That was a positive, in her opinion.
"Take it all the way back. Keep it moving." She snuck in between the trucks, standing next to Phineas to just watch the trucks pull in. "Waterfall, the orange cones, parts, left to the garage, bleachers, right, um, Giant Baby Head... anywhere's good." Phineas turned to Reese. "Hey did you get-?"
"The crowd will be pouring in at the usual time." Reese reported. "Well the usual time that you guys finish everything."
"Yeah, that looks like it." Phineas confirmed. He held up a screwdriver. "Wanna help?"
Reese grabbed it. "Totally!"
==W&R==
Reese had helped the boys design the racetrack. She had taken the driving tests a lot over the years, so she knew what to expect. She even researched the one for Danville county areas to better help Candace.
She really wanted to help the eldest Flynn-Fletcher. Candace deserved to have a nice day. The boys were so eager to help give her a helping hand, who was Reese to change it?
When everything was ready, the boys and Reese set themselves up in the announcer booth. She equipped Candace and Mr Fletcher with microphone helmets. Flynn-Fletcher events were always better when the crowd could hear them.
Reese turned off the introduction music, nodding at Ferb. Ferb held up a thumb to Phineas.
Phineas leaned up to the mic. "All right, Candace. All you have to do is maneuver through this traffic cone course."
The dirt was set up with a simple long line of cones. Reese pointed out in the setup that traffic cones were too close for them to work with the monster truck Candace was driving.
"Oh. So I put it into drive-" The monster truck revved up. It drove forward over the cones, crushing them all. Reese winced. She tried so hard to make it easy for Candace. The teenage driver screamed as she repeatedly ran the cones over. "AAH! AAH! AAH! AAH!"
"I don't think we're gonna get a deposit back on those cones." Phineas told Reese.
She sighed.
"Okay, Candace." Phineas began, after Candace finally stopped screaming. "All you have to do on this test is go up this gentle incline."
Down below, their sister looked up at the dirt pile Ferb and Reese constructed. It...okay yes, they made a giant loop straw out of mud. Reese was impressed at Ferb's ability to make the impossible happen.
Candace seemed more impressed that her dad hadn't run off screaming. "Dad, you look nervous."
"No, of course not." Mr Fletcher was happily taking advantage of the extra seat belts Phineas installed in the car. "I- I have full confidence in you."
Reese watched Candace drive up the steep incline. Not even an incline, really, more just a completely vertical road.
"Phineas, this incline is getting kind of steep!" Candace shouted from the speakers.
"Don't worry, Candace. It gets steeper!" Phineas assured her.
Reese followed the monster truck as it drove in the loop, to the top of the pile. She could see the tension in the stands, people waiting to see if Candace could make it.
The crowd was still silent when Candace reached the peak.
"Next, the break portion of the test." Phineas instructed.
Candace drove back down the vertical loop. When Candace made it safely, everyone in the stadium cheered. Reese clapped. The boys smiled, whooping and cheering for her.
"I can't believe I did it!" Candace cheered for herself.
"Oh, well done!" Mr Fletcher praised.
Ferb would fix the car's handrail later. Reese made sure of it.
==W&R==
Reese lifted her head from her phone. "The other drivers are here."
"Awesome! Candace is gonna love this!" Phineas cheered. "Oh, did you get the cowboy hats out of storage?"
Reese pulled them out of her bag. She also pulled out an acoustic guitar.
"Even better!" Phineas pulled the guitar over his head, plopping the hat on next. "Ferb wrote some lyrics early. They'll be perfect for a monster truck rally. Ready Ferb?"
Ferb, now in a cowboy hat, raised a thumb. Reese snickered. "A British boy in a cowboy, who'd've thought?" Ferb just shrugged.
The other monster truck drivers pulled up. All of them rushed past Candace and their dad, spilling mud all over their car. They spoke to their competitor before speeding away.
Their father encouraged her to make those guys "suck their mud!"
The car sped off. Phineas and Ferb began playing the song. Reese connected their song to the stadium speakers. The crowd got to hear the new anthem as Candace competed with them.
==W&R==
"It's a photo finish!" Announced Phineas, cheerfully handing Reese back the guitar. She tucked it away in her bag. "The winner will be decided by our final event: The Parallel Parking Challenge!"
The other car went first. He ruined the trash cans for parking, bumping and banging into them again and again. He completely failed.
Candace went next. Slower, steadier, and better. She parked perfectly in the middle of the bins.
Ferb played victory music.
"Perfect!" Phineas announced.
The crowd went wild.
==W&R==
Candace walked out of the car to meet the adoring public. She forgot the car was elevated, so she fell face first into the mud again. Phineas and Ferb went to meet her there, and award her the prize. Phineas and Ferb met her down there. Her opponent did too.
"Gotta admit it girl. You're good." He nodded at her, holding out his hand for a shake. Candace shook his hand.
"Hey, aren't you Buck Buckerson? The famous monster truck rally promoter?" Phineas asked.
Buck Buckerson "That's right, and me and my boys are headed to a rally up in Badgertown. Only the track up ain't near as good as this one." Buckerson
Phineas "You can have ours. We're through with it."
Buck Buckerson "That's mighty nice of you."
Reese held up a clipboard. Buckerson quickly signed the document. A simple transfer of owner, no charge. They got enough sales from tickets to cover construction, and down payments on equipment for tomorrow.
"Haul her away, boys." Buckerson called out.
His fellow truck drivers (and the ones known by Buford) drove the stadium away. The Flynn-Fletchers stayed behind. The audience left along the way. It's not very often they can say their cab ride home was a monster truck driven stadium!
==W&R==
She came home. Her father never acknowledged it. She made herself a PB&J for dinner, quiet as a church mouse. None of the dishes were clean. Reese glanced out to the living room. Her father was asleep on the couch. She'll do the dishes when he's out for the night. For now, she can use paper plates and a plastic cup for milk.
She's not upset. She's excited, that's what she told herself. This is the perfect chance to work on her stealth training. She never gets chances like this!
Her snake hissed. Reese pet the cobra on the head, brushing gently down her scales. Zara curled around her arm. Reese snuggled her. This good snake deserved a treat.
==W&R==
Thanks to HeisenbergTwiggy, bailey fox, luffymonky26, nicopop, ChaCha07, lartoli25, yukicarr, Stella-Nyx, Zorua1, and LoyalBookster, for following
Thanks to HeisenbergTwiggy, Vick Porsnape, bailey foxluffymonky26, lartoli25, yukicarr, Stella-Nyx, Zorua1, LoyalBookster, and just. . , for favoriting!