The Demetrian Value - A Cars Story

Chapter 18: Trust is a Privilege

Meanwhile...

Demetria awoke from her nap and stretched herself out. She sat in her spot and looked at an extra picture she kept with her at all times but was afraid to show it. It was Dash; possibly the most beautiful picture of him she had ever taken. It wasn't the two of them together – just him. It had been hard for her to look at the picture for the last couple days without regretting her last outing with him.

"I can't look at you anymore. I won't. I vowed to protect you from all harm and look at what you did to yourself; got yourself kidnapped, damnit. By the Manufacturer, now it's my fault? You should have thought twice before getting in the way of my dreams." Demetria thought to herself. "This isn't some race day, this is the real world. You hadn't even been in the real world before you came here – to me."

The picture bared unto her no response. It remained silent – staring with Dash's breathtaking smile – one she couldn't resist.

"Damnit, don't you make me cry. I'm too unstable at the moment, I can't help it! You're so damn... gorgeous. How could I have deserved you?" Demetria said to the picture.

Again, the picture remained silent.

"Oh, so this is your response? You're just going to sit there and stare at me with your smile – your beautiful... hypnotizing... alluring smile? No! I won't! This is on you! This is all on you!" Demetria exclaimed to the picture.

"See? That wasn't so hard, was it?" a car interjected.

"Ah!! Far out, it's you again?!" Demetria leaped back.

"Oh, sorry." the car excused.

"Agh, it's okay. What the hell is your name, anyway?" Demetria asked sternly.

"My apologies, I hadn't the time to introduce myself; I'm Jarred." Jarred introduced.

"Alright, Jarred... what wasn't 'so hard'?" Demetria asked.

"The nap?" Jarred asked.

"Oh... No, I guess not." Demetria sighed.

"Hey, what's the matter? I can tell something's up." Jarred asked.

"I guess... I haven't really been one-on-one with anyone in a while." Demetria sighed.

"Hey, is this about Dash?" Jarred asked.

"Yeah. It is about Dash. How could you tell?"  Demetria asked.

"...the picture you're holding?" Jarred pointed out.

"Oh, right," Demetria said as she put the picture away, slightly embarrassed...

"Look, I can understand both of your turmoils. I trusted that damn principal for half my own life too." Jarred admitted.

"Wait, wha-" Demetria perked up.

"Yup. I knew Dash from the academy... well, knew of him, anyway." Jarred admitted.

"You went there too? And you never spoke to him?" Demetria asked.

"Not once." Jarred advised.

"That's really surprising. He was the 'academy star', so I've been told..." Demetria remembered.

"Well, he really was. He was way too busy being popular to pay attention to us rookies and lemons, yet he really wanted to. Nettes wanted to keep him all to himself, however." Jarred admitted.

"Alright, so what did Nettes inform you of, then?" Demetria asked.

"Wow, not even gonna hear my backstory?" Jarred scoffed.