Just a note for those who have been reading... I ditched the Kellan name per another writer's advice. =P
"We'll be back for our Hank Williams marathon after a Piston Cup update," the words could barely be heard crackling through the static on the radio. In his cell at the Desert Springs jail, Lightning McQueen groaned in frustration and the sheriff laughed. He found this entire situation very amusing. "Still no sign of Lightning McQueen," the radio went on and Lightning flung himself face-down on his cot and buried his face in the pillow. "Chick Hicks arrived in California and today became the first driver to spend practice time on the track."
"It's nice to get out here before the other competitors," Chick's voice filtered out over the radio. "Y'know, get a head start. Gives me an edge." He laughed uproariously. "Yeah! Hey, McQueen… eat your heart out."
"Yeah, McQueen," the sheriff moved to unlock the cell door. "Eat your heart out. C'mon, a new day's starting, and there's a road out there to pave! Up and at it, lazybones."
"Let me get this straight," Lightning interrupted Mater as the workings of the rather dilapidated paving machine were explained to him. "I can go when this road and the rest of the repairs are done. That's the deal, right?"
"That's what they done did said," Mater answered, looking mildly confused.
"Okay, outta my way. I got a road to finish." And forcing the ancient machine into the highest gear it could possibly go, Lightning moved forward rapidly, hot asphalt spraying haphazardly from the machine. Strange noises issued from the paver as it screeched desperately forward, at an extremely much faster rate than it was ever intended to go, even in its prime.
"Hey, Miss Sally!" Mater called, grinning in amusement as the roaring, sputtering machine careened down the road. "You gotta see this…"
Sally had already been watching from her office window, but at Mater's shout, she came out to gape at what looked now like a black cloud of smoke.
"What on earth does he think he's doing?" she cried, aghast. "He'll ruin the road, ruin it! He can't go that fast…"
"Hoo-wee!" Mater tossed his cap in the air. "He done thinks he's on a race track! Glory, look at that road!"
Sally looked, and she groaned. The rapidly-drying asphalt was streaked crookedly across the entire stretch of Main Street. In her head, she could already hear what Doc would say to this…
"I told you, Sally, he's no good for this town."
She clenched her fists at her side as a sudden determination welled up in her. She couldn't ignore this nonsensical conviction that had been creeping up on her since the moment she had seen Lightning's face under the street lights on that first night. Somehow, that smoking, speeding, crazy daredevil would be good for this town. She had no idea how, but she couldn't shake the feeling. And she was just as certain that this town would be good for him.
oOo
The paver ground to a wheezing halt at the edge of town and a blackened, greasy Lightning jumped down triumphantly.
"I'm done," he said to himself in a dazed sort of way and then grinned at Sally. "Look, I'm finished. Say thanks, and I'll be on my way. That's all you gotta say. Ka-chow!"
"Whee-hoo!" Mater yelped in the background as he ventured out on the pavement. "I'm the first one on the new road! Oop…" he tripped over a ridge and fell flat on his face. Clambering back up to his hands and knees, he chuckled and yelled over to Lightning, "Looks like it'll ride purty smooth! I oughta git my truck and test it out…"
"It looks awful…" was all Sally could manage.
"Well?" Lightning shrugged. "It matches the rest of the town."
"Who do you think you are?" she grit the words out between her teeth and narrowed her eyes in disgust.
"Look, Doc said when I finished, I could go. That was the deal. Only a few more minor repairs to do, shouldn't take me more'n a day, right? And then I can go."
"The deal was you fix the road, not make it worse, boy," Doc's voice thundered behind Lightning and he started in surprise. "Now, scrape it off! Start over again."
Lightning sized up the older man, glancing him up and down condescendingly as he folded his arms over his chest and tossed his head.
"Hey, look, grandpa, I'm not a bulldozer. I'm a racer."
"Oh-ho-ho!" Doc sized Lightning up in turn. "Is that right? Then why don't we just have a little race. Me and you…" he chuckled at Lightning's startled exclamation. "Me and you."
"That a joke?" Lightning scoffed.
"If you win, you go and I fix the road," Doc challenged. "If I win, you do the road my way."
"Doc, what are you doing?" Sally whispered, horrified, tugging on his sleeve.
"Ha!" Lightning laughed bitterly. "I don't mean to be rude here, but you probably go zero to sixty in, like, what? Three-point-five years?"
"Then I reckon you ain't got nothing to worry about," Doc said easily. "Luigi will get that fool car of yours fixed up and you'll be ready to go."
"You know what, old-timer?" Lightning grinned sarcastically. "That's a wonderful idea. Let's race."