Ride

Chapter 6- The Call

"Pick up, pick up, pick up!" Lightning cried into the phone, getting more and more desperate with each ring that came from the phone. Why was nobody answering?!

Meanwhile, everyone else was at Flo's, talking and laughing. They were in a good mood as they usually were at the end of the working day when they all gathered at Flo's.

"Boot camp's going well", Sarge was happy to report to his friends that evening. "Had quite a few new recruits in the new year. Most of them have done well on the obstacle course today. Of course, there are always one or two that could do with some work."

"You always do well at the start of the year, honey", Flo commented with a laugh as she served everyone with oil. "Meanwhile, I'm sufferin' with everyone still on their diets."

"Give it a couple more days, baby!" Ramone told his wife, also laughing. "Then everyone'll give up the boot camp and get some grub off you!"

That got everyone laughing.

"Guido and I have been very busy too", Luigi remarked happily. "It is the new year, everyone wants to look good with new tyres. Business is-a good at Luigi's Casa Della Tires."

Guido smiled proudly. "Peet stop!"

"Yeah! And so's the love life, it seems!" Ramone added. "I saw you two flirtin' with those two pretty pink French cars!"

Luigi's eyes sparkled. "Ah, yes! Those angels!"

"You think this could go somewhere?" Sheriff asked them.

"Well, we have their phone numbers." The Fiat turned to the blue forklift beside him. "I want to call them! Do you want to call them, Guido?"

He nodded enthusiastically. "Okay."

"Well, I got the same good business goin' on for me, man!" Ramone got back on topic. "Lots of cars wantin' new paint jobs to look good!"

"Yeah, and the diet thing's been good for me too, man", Fillmore chimed in. "I got so many cars comin' in for some of my organic fuel."

Sarge made a face, letting everyone know what he thought of that. Even before he gave his retort of, "Are you sure that it isn't cars whose New Year's resolution it is to poison themselves coming in?"

"Come on, Sarge!" Sally insisted. "Fillmore's organic fuel's not that bad."

Sarge glowered at the hippie van, who didn't say a word, but was smirking triumphantly.

"I will never understand how anyone can possibly drink that freak juice!"

"Well, Sally thinks it's not bad, man!" Fillmore pointed out. "And it hasn't put anyone in the hospital since 2009!"

"Yeah!" Sarge scoffed. "Put that in the commercial!"

"Here comes the rain", Sheriff announced, taking note of the sudden change in weather in town and everyone looked to see that the squad car was right.

"Do you think this storm is going to be bad?" Luigi pondered.

"Probably not as bad as that storm back in 2004, man", Ramone commented.

"Oh, yeah", everyone recalled. That had been a bad one.

"What?!" Lizzie asked, confused.

"Ah, yes!" Luigi chuckled. "Poor Fudgie was so scared during that one! She hid in her closet until Guido and I found her and gave her cuddles."

Everyone laughed, remembering Luigi telling them all that story nearly a decade ago.

"What about the time Mater said that the hail got so big, he was thrown into the air and the hail hittin' the ground shook out his headlight?" an amused Sheriff added.