Cars: My POV Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

The next morning, I woke up to Sarge and Filmore arguing, like they always do.  Sometimes I just wish that they would stop arguing!  They've been doing this ever since the moved here.  Wars don't even last this long.

I drove out of my house, hungry for breakfast.  The second I got on the road, I noticed Lightning had finished paving the road.  "He's done.  He musta finished it while we was all asleep." Mater said.

"Good riddance."  I headed back down so I could fill up at Flo's.  Everyone else came down.  And they were all sad.  Red cried like he always does, and I think I even heard Sheriff let out a sniffle.  Of course Sally was heartbroken.  How did they get attached to the kid?  He was nothing but trouble.

I headed back to my place, and I didn't notice Luigi flipping out.  I did notice everyone crowded around Luigi's though.  I headed over to see what all of the commotion was about, and I saw Lightning was getting tires from Luigi.  What the heck!?  I thought he wanted outta here!

"I can't believe this!  Four new tires!  Our first real customer in years!  I am filled with tears of ecstacy for this is the most glorious day of my life!" Luigi exclaimed.

"Okay, Luigi.  Give me the best set of blackwalls you've got!"

"No, no, no, no, no, no!  You don't know what you want.  Luigi know what you want.  Blackwall tires.  They blend into the pavement.  But these, whitewall tires!  They say "Look at me!  Here I am!  Love me!"  Luigi and his obsession with whitewalls.

"Okay, you're the expert."

I angrily left the scene.  That kid was done with the road!  What was holding him back!?  I headed back to my place and I got out a bottle of whisky from my stash.  I wasn't gonna get wasted.  I just needed one drink.  As I was drinking, I saw that kid heading to Filmore's.

Then, Drew called me.  "What do you want, Drew?"

"Dude, tomorrow's the Piston Cup and they still haven't found McQueen!  You have to tell me where you live so I can turn him in!"

"No!  You won't just turn him in; you'll come here and make my life miserable!"

"What makes you think that?"

"You already are!"

"Fine!  I'll give you the number!  It's 814-671-6842."

"Thank you!  Now I can get that hotshot outta my hair!"  I hung up the phone and dialed the number.

"Hello?"

"This is Doc Hudson.  I have the whereabouts of Lightning McQueen."

"Where is he?"

"The little town of Radiator Springs, Arizona.  It's located in Carburator County if you needed to know that."

"Thank you!  We'll be there as soon as possible!"

I hung up the phone as Lightning headed over to Sarge's.  In a matter of hours, you'll be outta here just like you wanted.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

That evening, the reporters still hadn't shown up.  It also seemed pretty clear that Lightning wanted to stay.  Too late for you.  You should have told me earlier.  I was just watching from my place when I saw Sally coming up to everyone all lined up.

"Hi, Sally."

"Okay guys.  What's going on?"

"Ladies and gentlecars." Mater said.  "Please welcome the new Lightning McQueen!"

"Ka-pow!  What do you think?  Radiator Springs looks pretty good on me!" Lightning said to Sally.  He had been to every store in town.  From the whitewalls from Luigi's to the paintjob from Ramone's, he was dressed hood to wheels Radiator Springs style.

"I'll say."  Sally said, "Ka-chow!  You're gonna fit right in in California.  Oh my goodness, it's like you've helped everyone in town!"

"Everybody except one.  Hey, is it getting dark out?"

"What!?  What did he just say?" Lizzie said.

"Let me say that again.  Is it getting dark out!?"

"Now what was I supposed to do after that?"  Of course Lizzie forgot.  She's too old to remember most stuff.  Hopefully, that never will happen to me.  Red hit the radio on with his tire and music started playing out of the old thing.  Then the next thing I know, the neon lights at Ramone's flicked on.  Then the one's at Luigi's.  Then the one's at Flo's.  I went outside to look at the sight.  One by one, all of the buildings in town lit up in different colors.  I couldn't believe the sight.  He actually got them to fix the neon signs.  Lightning got them to of all people.  Since when did this happen?

"Just like in it's heyday, right?" Lightning asked Sally.

"It's even better than I pictured it.  Thank you."

He made her dream come true.  Sally's always wanted the town to return to it's former glory.

All of the cars were crusing down the road.  I really was tempted to go and join them, but I refained myself.  There was no way I was gonna.

"Shall we have this cruise?" Lightning asked Sally.

"Oh, I'd love to!"  Lizzie had just came up and snatched Lightning away from Sally.

"Lizzie!"

I laughed at that scene.  That was too funny.  Who knew Lizzie had the hots for him?

Sally told Mater to go fetch Lightning for him, and when he came back, Lightning was towed over.

Sally and Lightning nuzzled up against each other.  You could really tell they loved each other.  It reminded me of the days when me and Marianne were still married.  Oh, Marianne.  I wish you were here.  You would have loved this.  It would have been a night to remember for you.

I looked out in the distance and saw a bunch of headlights.  It's about time they got here.

"Is that what I think it is?" Flo asked.

"Oh, I don't know, Flo.  But I am going to find out, hello."  Yep, Sally was definately in love with Lightning.  Boy would this break her heart.

"Not that.  That!"

"Customers?"

"Customers everyone!  And a lot of 'em!  You know what to do!  Just like we rehearsed!"

Boom!  A large spotlight was right over top of Lightning.

"We've found McQueen!  We've found McQueen!"

All of the reporters came swarming in, pushing everyone away from Lightning.  They kept on asking him questions, but all Lightning did was call out Sally's name.  Soon, a semi truck whom I'm guessing was his driver came up to him.  "You're here!  Thank the manufacturer you're alive!"

"Mack!?"

"You're here!  I can't believe it.  You are a sight for sore headlights.  I'm so sorry I lost you, boss.  I'll make it up to you."

"Mack, I can't believe it's you."

"Is that the world's fastest racing machine?" said a voice.

"Is that Harv?"

"Yeah, he's in the back."

Lightning and Harv, who I later found out was his agent, started talking.  I couldn't hear what they said, but then I noticed Lightning left when he saw Sally.

"Sally, I. . . I want you to. . .Look I wish-"  He was at a loss for words.  He couldn't get anything out.

"Thank you.  Thanks for everything."  Tears were starting to form in Sally's eyes.

"Ah, it's just a road."

"No.  It's much more than that."

By then, Lightning had tears in his eyes.  Mack pulled up to him.  "Kid, we've gotta go!  Harv's going crazy!  He's gonna have me fired if I don't get you in the truck right now!"

"Mack, just hold it for-"

"You should go."

"I know, but-"

"Good luck in California.  I hope you find what you're looking for."  She started to leave off.

"Sally.  Sally!"

Lightning got mobbed by the reporters and was pushed back into the trailer.  He started to leave.  

The reporters follow, and one came up to me.  They better not recognize me!  "Hey, are you Doc Hudson?"

"Yeah."

"Thanks for the call."

"You called them?" Sally asked me.

"It's best for everyone, Sally."

"Best for everyone, or best for you?"  She left, heartbroken and disappointed in me.  What did I do wrong?  I pulled up beside everyone else.

"I never got ta say goodbye ta him."

Sally turned off the lights at the Cozy Cone.  That was not a good sign.  She always had her lights on.  Everyone headed back home, upset.  All of the neon lights were turned off.  I was left all alone, with only the broken streetlight for company.

What happened?  How am I the bad guy here!?  He's the one who is a, a- what Lightning told me the yesterday kept playing in my mind.  "You're just about as selfish as I am. But you know what? I'm gonna do something about it. I'm not gonna just sit around and let my life follow the same path as yours has gone down. I'm actually gonna do something about it. . . "  I guess he has.  He's changed.  For the better.  Because of, well, me.  I can't just sit around either.  I'm gonna fix this.

I went over to my place, and I knew just what to do.  I was gonna tell them that Lightning was telling the truth yesterday.   I had to.  Besides, I just realized how stupid it was to go into hiding anyways.  I came out with one of my trophies.  All I needed was one just to prove it to them.  I went and got everyone outside.  I said, "Remember yesterday when Lightning said that I was the Hudson Hornet and you didn't believe him?"  They shook their heads up and down.  "He wasn't lying.  I am the Hudson Hornet." I showed them the 1951 trophy, the first one I won.  Their eyes went big.  They weren't expecting this.  "If you don't believe me, I've got the others back at my place."

"This must be why you never let anyone in.  You didn't want them to know." Sheriff told me.

"Why are you even doing this, Doc?  You've just caused me to lose the love of my life, and you're gonna tell us you're the truth about you!  Why am I even bothering to talk to you anymore!?"  Sally was definately pissed off at me.  She stormed off back home.

"Because it's all a part of my plan to bring him back!"

Sally stopped and turned around.  "What did you just say?"

"I'm sorry for what I did.  I was stupid, selfish, not any better off than Lightning when he first got here.  But now I see that what I did was wrong.  If Lightning was able to change for the better, why can't I?"

"So what's the plan?"

"We're headed down to L.A. and be Lightning's pit crew for the race.  Trust me, he's got no pit crew.  He fired his crew chief and the others quit."

"Let me guess, you're gonna be the crew chief?"

"Yep."

"Listen.  As much as I would love to see Lightning again right now, I'm not going.  One, we need someone to stay behind and keep an eye on Lizzie.  Two, I left Los Angeles for a good reason, and I'm never going back."

"That's what I said about racing, but what am I doing now?"

"I just can't go.  Like I said, Lizzie needs to be watched."

"All right.  I'll get my old TV and you can watch Lightning there."

"Thanks."

"Ramone, can you paint me back in my old racing colors?"

"Sure thing, man."

"Let's just hope we can get to California in time.