~ Outside The Speedway ~ (Lightning McQueen x OC)

Chapter 9

Once we got all our bags and umbrella out of the car, the three of us start walking to the beach.

Looking around, the place doesn't look as different as it did when I came on vacation years and years ago with my family. We took a trip right here to Manhattan Beach a few months after we moved to Radiator Springs because my mom didn't want my sister and I to feel left out of the 'city life' that she was able to experience in New York. But since she and my dad didn't have the money to travel all the way to the east coast, California was our best bet.

Manhattan Beach was the first beach I ever went to.

The boardwalk leading to the beach is still the same brown, worn-out wooden planks, tied together by rope and hammered down with nails. The palm trees line the sand next to the planks, creating shade everywhere.

Getting to the beach, it looked a lot bigger than I remembered. The coastline stretched for miles on each end, the water hitting the sand pretty hard. I could see about two or three people surfing on rather small waves, but I wouldn't know anything about that. I've never surfed in my life.

Sally walked over to an area where there weren't any people around. Surprisingly, there actually wasn't really anyone around. Like I mentioned before, only kids and their parents, but even then there wasn't much commotion.

Which I guess was just right if we wanted to relax before the race.

We set up our beach towels next to each other. Lightning was in the middle, with me to his left and Sally to his right. We took our hoodies off, but Sally decided to keep her sundress on for now. I put the umbrella right behind us, tilted a little so that we would get more shade from it. We got situated, rubbing sunscreen on ourselves, and making sure the food wouldn't get any sand in it by keeping it in our bags. Sally passed out one water bottle to each of us, and I'd say we were ready for fun.

"Hey Lightning, could you leave us for a few minutes?" Sally asked politely. She sat up and put her hands in her lap. Lightning looked over at me for reassurance, and I nodded.

After McQueen left, grabbing his phone to take pictures, Sal spoke up again.

"Listen, I'm really sorry about what happened on Saturday. I was just mad about the whole article and the way the writers made it sound, and the pictures. Things just came out of my mouth, and I regret it so much. I'm so, so sorry," Sally apologized, looking down and playing with the hem of her dress anxiously.

I move to sit on Lightning's towel, putting my sunglasses next to me, and held her hands.

"Sally, it's fine, really, I understand why you would react like that. But thanks for apologizing, I guess." I laughed a little, "Hey, so you texted that you needed to tell me about something you and Lightning talked about?" I ask, bringing up the rejection. Sal didn't know I knew though, which I wasn't going to tell her I did. I wanted to hear her side of the story to see if it matched up with Lightnings.

"Right. A few weeks ago, there was this meeting and Lightning was there as a representative for his sponsorship, Rusteze. And you know I was there for Casa Della Tires. Anyway, we talked for a while and goofed off during the meeting, but I guess I was too much because a few days later Lightning texted me a short paragraph telling me how he knew I liked him, and how he didn't like me back," Sally explained, her tone low and disappointed. I squeezed her hands for comfort.

"I- I didn't tell y- you- because... actually I have no idea why I didn't tell you, I guess I felt ashamed of the situation." Sal laughed. I laughed a little with her, trying my best to comfort her. "I kept pushing at him because I thought that maybe if I tried hard enough, he'd be able to return the feelings. But I'm not so sure anymore."