Fanfic: In The Fast Lane

Chapter 32- Some Arguing

Chapter 32: Some Arguing
December 3, 2000

Slowly, for some, but quickly for one, the days went on. The days, turned to weeks which melted into months and eventually a year. As far as her education went, Harley was in the middle of her first semester in her junior year of high school. But today wasn't about studies and tests.

"Today is the day." Harley said confidently as she made her way to Willy's Butte with Sheriff at her side.

"Alright. Confidence, I like it." he said as blink the sleep from his eyes. Harley look over and chuckled.

"Is the thingy down here?" she asked, getting a scoff, an almost laugh from Sheriff.

"The radar speed sign?" he asked with a raised an eyelid. Harley nudged him slightly.

"Yeah, that thingy." She laughed, and he joined in. Once at the Butte, Harley looked around, spotted the radar, then looked around once more. "Let's do this." she said with a determined expression. Sheriff smile and began driving off.

"I'll go and take my post, I'll be calling out your speed too!" He called back.

"Sounds good!" Harley called back as she went off to the starting line. She revved her engine just as Doc was driving up to watch. Sheriff looked up and saw his old friend, then sighed. He was told to not let Harley know he would be making an appearance. So he kept his mouth shut about it, and he didn't ask why. Doc had his own reasonings, and Sheriff respected that.

"On your mark," Sheriff called, cueing Harley to rev her engine, "Get set!" sheriff paused and watched from a distance Harley's expression dissolve from a wide grin, to one of intense focus and determination. Doc took notice as well and studied every millisecond of it.

"Hm.." Doc muttered to himself. "Interesting…"

"GO!" Sheriff called and Harley took off in a cloud of dust. She had improved and now was just a few feet shy from the top of the wall. Doc unconsciously nodded, but Sheriff was too busy cheering on Harley to notice. He then looked at the radar and eating for a three digit number to appear ready to shout it out as soon as she passed. In seconds, she zoomed by and he yelled out as soon as he read it.

"One hundred eighty-three!" Sheriff called with a smile. "That tops-" Sheriff shifted his eyes to find Harley, expecting her to have stopped, but she kept going for another lap. "Uh," he went back to the radar. "One hundred eighty-five!" another lap "One hundred eighty six!" another "One eighty-eight!... One eighty-nine!... One eighty-nine!"

"One eighty-nine…" Doc repeated softly. "That's her top speed?"she kept going and going, every lap topping at one hundred eighty-nine miles per hour. After countless more laps, her speed began to decrease and Doc shook his head disapprovingly.

"One hundred seventy-nine…" Sheriff half heartedly called. "One seventy-eight…" he shook his hood. "Harley! Harley you need to stop…." He yelled, but she kept going. "I'm not calling it out anymore!" She stubbornly kept going, forcing herself to go faster and she began to overheat. "Harley!" he yelled more forcefully. Doc was tense as he watched her push herself to her limit. He thought about making himself known, but just as he was about to, she slowed to a stop.

"That… that's not good enough…" Harley said as she gasped for air.

"Your topped off at one eighty-six last week, Harley. It is good enough." Sheriff argued, but Harley wasn't satisfied.

"No!... no it's not... " Sheriff sighed. Feeling Doc's stare on him.

"Harley-"

"Uncle Strip told me the my dad's top speed was one ninety-four when he was sixteen!" She spat back. "That's where I need to be! Where I should be!"