Fanfic: In The Fast Lane

26: Some Help

Chapter 26: Some Help
Several Months Later: November 1996

Every morning and every evening for the past seven months, Harley would go down to Willy's Butte to practice her racing. She was fourteen and with a hot-headed stubbornness like Doc, it was hard for the two to talk any. In fact, Harley didn't talk much to Doc anymore. They would say a few words, but the fact that Doc would never support her idea of being a racecar never left her. She spent her days talking to Flo and Sheriff, who often went down to Willy's Butte to make sure she was safe. The months past, but she still couldn't perfect that one seemingly simple turn. She had gotten to the point that she could turn on it without spinning out of control, but she had to slow down immensely, which she knew wasn't good. One afternoon, the phone at Flo's café started to ring. Everyone was parked at the café, all except for Doc. And Lizzie, but that was because she complained about it getting too cold for her to leave her shop.

"I got it!" Flo said with an excited tone and rushed to pick up the phone. "Hiya! This is the V8 Café! The very one and only Flo speaking!... oh?... yes… yes, I can get her…" She said and moved away from the microphone. "Harley, sugar! It's for you!" Harley smiled brightly as she looked over towards Flo.

"Okay!" she called back. "We'll talk about this some more later." She said to Sheriff who was explaining how she thought she could get the turn faster. Sheriff nodded, but of course, hadn't a clue what she was even talking about the whole time.

"Here she is." Flo said to the phone. "It's your uncle." Flo said to Harley before leaving the café.

"Uncle Strip!" she said happily.

"Heh heh, hey Harley." He said calmly. "I just wanted to call you before my season started. How have you been?"

"Oh I've been pretty good." she said joyfully. Taking to her uncle had always put a smile on her face. "I've been trying to get that turn down still, but I c think I've almost got it. I just need to, uh…" She moved her tired as she thought of a way to explain it. "I need to hit it harder, I guess."

"Well, don't get hit or run off the road in the process." Strip said sternly. "Last thing you need being a new racecar is getting into your first wreck. It's never a fun experience, but it's one you don't forget."

"Have you been in a wreck?" Harley asked, hoping for a story.

"Not anything major, thank the Manufacturer. But I know it'll happen. It could happen this season or any other down the road. But Harley," his tone slightly changed to be kinder, "I just want you to be safe. Take any criticism anyone has to offer." he said and his voice seem to indicate that he smiled. "You're gonna do great out there. On a real track."

"Ha, thanks! I'm excited for the real thing! But I was looking through my history book, and not many cars like me have ever raced before." she said in a much heavier tone than before.

"This is true. You're not exactly the type of car built for the track." Strip explained. "You're a Cadillac CTS-V, if i remember correctly." Strip explained.

"Mhm!" Harley verified. "And I'm lightning fast!"

"I'm sure you are, just look at your lineage." Strip agreed. "But remember, you need to take precautions, criticism of all kinds, and most of all, you need to keep an open mind. Asphalt racing isn't the only racing out there." He said. "You're practicing on a two turn dirt track. That's very different than a four turn asphalt track."

"Yeah, I know… but one of these days, I'm gonna get a Piston Cup with the name 'Harley Stockrim' scripted on the side!" she said with much enthusiasm.

"Slow down there, hotshot," The long was quick to put her in check. "As much as I would love to see that, you're not exactly a stock car."

"So what?" Harley asked.