A Girl Who Races

Learning Curves

A/N: The above picture is what Amelias car looks like.
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The Radiator Springs residents pull up all around Mack to greet Amelia and McQueen back home. Amelia and her car are the first to back out of the trailer.

"Ooooweeee, Amelia got herself a fine car." Flo exclaims.

"Oooo, how'd you end up with that one hey Amelia!" Ramone exclaims.

"That right tere is a dad-gum race car!" Mater says as he stomps his tire down on the ground.

There's ohs and awes from every single resident in town as Amelia backs her car out with a wide grin on her face.

"That'll match perfectly with your helmet." Doc says as he pulls up to Amelias window.

Amelia gets half way out of her car so she's sitting in the window. "I can't thank McQueen enough to get me that sponsorship." Everybody cheers at the red stock car whose only just pulling out of the trailer. "I've also decided that my car will be known as Tsunami." She reveals that beside her name above the window also has the word Tsunami.

"Amelia Tsunami... that has a nice ring to it." Sheriff comments.

Every car agrees. "So Amelia" Doc looks to her again, "now that you're a racer I expect you to be awake and ready to train at 6:30."

"A.m!!!" Amelia squeals.

"Yes a.m." Doc replies. Doc hears Lightning chuckling "I expect you to be there too rookie."

McQueens expression switches from joyful to very unimpressed within milliseconds. Now it's Amelias turn to laugh. She points at Lightning while she holds her stomach. It soon comes to an end when she loses her balance where she perches in Tsunami's window, she squeals as she flails her arms in the air to try and regain balance but it's hopeless. She falls on her back, her legs still straight up leaning on Tsunami. She gets up on her elbows as she rubs her head a bit. The residents laugh.

"I told you we need to work on your clumsiness." Lightning says between laughs.

It was close to 10 pm when they got back, after some talking with each other it's probably 11 o'clock by now. Everybody is starting to turn in for the night.

"Goodnight, A!" Mater yells

"Goodnight!" Amelia yells back. She hops back into Tsunami and parks him beside her Cozy Cone.
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"Ok, Amelia, driving a car is different from driving a quad, you got that." Doc states

"I think I know that already Doc."

"You and McQueen are going to race on a straight road for now until you can beat him. Then we'll add some turns and make our way to Willies Butte."

"But Doc, isn't that kind of unfair, I'm only a beginner and McQueen is a seasoned professional."

"Do you think the track will be fair? The racers out there don't care if your a beginner, so you gotta work harder to win."

"Yea, ok that makes sense."

"Luigi." Luigi comes out with a Ferrari flag as Amelia clips up her safety net over the drivers side window and flicks down her visor.

"Start-a your engines!" Luigi yells. Amelia turns over her key and Tsunami comes to life, she looks over to Lightning who returns the gaze and revs his engine. Amelia does so too, the purr of the engine exciting her, this is what I was meant to do.

Amelias eyes focus on Luigis flag again, both race cars still revving their engines, the instant that flag comes down there is squealing of tires as the back wheels of both cars try to find a grip on the smooth road. Once that grip is found Amelia is shot forward, Lightning skill-fully takes advantage of the fact she's a beginner, and decides to block her. I gotta get around him. Amelia watches for even the slightest mess up from McQueen but nothing happens. I have an idea! Amelia goes on the left side of the road and into the dirt, once Lightning is in the dirt she notices that he slows down a bit. Yes! It's working! She quickly pulls Tsunami back onto the smooth road after some bumper drafting, she acts too quickly for McQueen to pull in front of her again as she floors the pedal. Tsunami kicks up a gear and is side by side with McQueen, the moment they cross the finish line, Amelia and Tsunami are about a foot behind Lightning's front bumper. It takes awhile for the cars to slow down, but they eventually turn around and come to a stop in front of Doc.

"That. Was. Amazing!" Amelia squeals with excitement when she finally gets up to sit in the window of her car. "Tsunami wasn't even going his top speed, I was so close, I was only a foot behind your front bumper!"

"If only I could see your face right now." Lightning chuckles.

"What?" Amelia asks confused. Till she realizes she still has the visor on her helmet down. "Oh right, sorry." She laughs as she flips her visor up.

"That was some skill Kiddo." Doc says rolling up to her.

"Smart too." Lightning adds, "I never thought of you pulling me into the dirt to slow me down." Amelia smiles. "You're using your brains and your surroundings, that'll come in handy when you race." Lightning continues.

Amelia bursts out with excitement, squealing, pumping her fists into the air.

"Well, like I said, you have to beat Lightning to move on. You may have come close but you didn't cross that line before he did. Have fun rookies" Doc says as he leaves the two race cars. Sally drives up to him.

"Um, Doc, you really think it's a good idea to leave the two of them by themselves?"

"They'll be fine Sally, besides, Luigi will watch them."

The rest of the day there are sounds of engines revving down the road. The rest of the town folk and the customers are getting tired of hearing it but the two racers are having the time of their lives.

The sun is just about to set. "Ok Amelia, last time, I don't have headlights like your car has."

"You should really get some installed, but I'm gonna beat you this time. Watch your bumper McQueen!"

"Now your talking like a racer!" McQueen praises. Luigi stands in front of the cars again, sitting heavily on his axles for having to be out with the racers all day. His flag barely off the ground. Ok, what have I tried, bumper drafting, dirt, pure speed, and even trash talking... nothing is slowing him down, he's just as fast as Tsunami so I'm going to have to think strategically. The only thing I can think of trying is to get in front of him at the very beginning of the race. Let's do this Tsunami. Amelia silently thinks to herself. The flag is more or less lowered, and the cars are off down the road again. Amelia floors the gas first chance she gets, once the rear tires get grip pulling up right beside McQueen, she tries her best to keep him at her side and eventually she pulls slightly in front of him and doesn't give him the chance to get in front of her. C'mon T, go faster she silently pleads to her car, she puts her foot down ever so slightly more and Tsunami gains ground beside McQueen. All McQueen sees is Amelia pull in front of him, just barely missing his front bumper, Amelia is blocking him from advancing, he sees Tsunami's white and blue accented tail fin, he tries to pull around her but she blocks the red stock car. By the time Lightning gets beside the girl and her car it's too late, they have crossed the finish line. The racers hit the brakes.

"Yes! I beat you!" Amelia screams. "Finally..."

Her cheers and screams can be heard echoing through the silent town.

"Hey Doc, I think she won." Sally says with a smirk.

"Yea, tell me about it, we're never going to hear the end of it." Doc replies as he backs into his garage for the night.

"Nice job, Amelia." Lightning praises. "Don't let that go to your head. You still have lots to learn." He says as he laughs. "And besides, it took you long enough." Lighting rolls his eyes and teases Amelia.

"Oh come on, please." Amelia replies

"Come on, let's get back to town." Lightning says

Amelia and Lightning cruise slowly back into town. "Doc wanted me to tell you that we won't be doing training tomorrow."

"Oh ok." Amelia says a little disappointed from the drivers seat.

"Goodnight." Lightning says as he backs into his own Cozy Cone.

Amelia again parks Tsunami beside her Cozy Cone, puts her helmet on his seat and takes the key out before going inside.