Chapter Six
"Welcome to the Rust-Eze Training Center!" Sterling exclaimed as we entered the room. This place was amazing! There were so many different cars, all of them training on the millions of different machines.

"D-do you have th-the simulator?" Dad excitedly stuttered, his blue eyes lighting up. Sterling smiled, looking at Dad.

"Do we? We have the best one in the country. Jackson Storm wishes his was as nice as ours." Sterling gloated, driving us to the simulator. All of our eyes widen at the sight. Now I could see why Dad wanted to take that out for a spin.

A yellow car was driving on it, going 202 mph. Every turn she took was perfect. She was able to hold the racing line like a pro. She was really good. "What racer is that?" Dad asked.

"That is Cruz Ramirez. She's a part of the Fascia League. You know, where most cars get their first start as racers. That's where sponsors, like us, spot out potential racers. She works here as a part-time coach." Sterling explained. Cruz was panting, smiling as she came down from the simulator.

"There's my laps around the track! Didn't even have to go outside!" She cheered high fiving other racers. "Now, let's get to our training! Come on! Let's go, go, go!" She encouraged, taking her place in front of three different cars.

"Wow. Feisty, isn't she?" Dad chuckled, watching her coach the other cars.

"She's got a lot in her," Sterling agreed, nodding his head. "And she's going to be your coach." He added.

"Wait, what? A rookie?" Dad questioned.

"Mr. McQueen!" She shouted right behind Dad, making him scream and jump a full 180. His blue eyes were wide as he stared at her. Ethan and I tried to hold in our laughter. That was hilarious. "Hmm. Your reflexes are still good, considering how old you are." She complimented.

"I'm not that old," Dad replied, regaining his composure and steadying his breathing. Luigi nodded his head, agreeing with my father.

"Sure ya are! Just look at these lumpy tires!" She exclaimed, tapping his tires. Luigi let out a little scream, offended by her.

"His tires are not old! He's in da perfect condition!" Luigi defended. Cruz shook her head, driving around Dad.

"Nope. He's pretty old. Even The King retired four years earlier than him. Mr. McQueen is older than dirt!" She replied. "He's so old that I remember watching him on tv as a kid."

"You make me sound a lot older than I actually am," Dad grumbled, glaring at her. I couldn't help but laugh. I liked Cruz.

"Use that!" She shouted, making all of us jump. Dad softly chuckled and calmed down.

"Oh, I get it. That's supposed to be like my motivation, right?" He asked, a smile growing on his face. Cruz nodded her head.

"Yupp. That's your motivation, Mr. McQueen. Everyone is going to call you old and rickety, which is your greatest weakness. So we're going to use that to motivate you to get faster and show them whatcha got!" She explained, her optimism making me smile.

"Alright, so when do we start? When do we get to go on the simulator?" Dad grinned.

"We have to work our way up, Mr. McQueen. Don't worry, we'll get there very soon. But first, we all need to warm up!" She cheered, slightly jumping.

"Like all of us?" I asked, joining in on the conversation.

"Well, whoever wants to train," Cruz explained. "Actually, I never quite caught your names."

"This is Luigi, Ethan, and Stella." Dad introduced, pointing each one of us. Cruz stared at me, narrowing her eyes.

"You must be his daughter, right?" She questioned, looking into my blue eyes as she drove towards me. I sent Dad a nervous smile then looked back at Cruz as I slowly backed up.

"It's that obvious, huh?" I nervously asked. She stopped and nodded her head, smiling.

"Stella, you look like Mr. McQueen. It's really obvious," She grinned. "Well, let's go! We have a big day ahead of us Team McQueen!" She cheered, driving away. We followed behind her.

Ethan drove beside me, biting his lip and nervously glancing around. "Ya, I think I'm going to stay with Luigi. This racing thing isn't really in my comfort zone." He mumbled into my ear.

"What? You can't leave me alone." I frowned, looking into my best friend's brown eyes.

"Come on, you won't be alone. You'll have your dad. Just think of this as a father-daughter thing." Ethan persuaded, softly smiling. I let out a little sigh, knowing if I dragged him along he would be miserable.

"Okay, I'll stay with old man McQueen. You watch Luigi and make sure he doesn't steal any tires." I commanded, seeing my best friend loosen up.

"Thanks, Stel. You're the best." He replied, a smile growing on his face.

"I know."

"I'll see you in a couple of hours, okay?" Ethan stated as he parted with Luigi. I nodded my head, hoping he would find something to keep him entertained.

"Why are we resting so much?" I heard Dad ask. I turned around, seeing them dancing. Well, more like saw Cruz dancing and Dad trying to copy her. Yup, racing really was one of the only things he could do.

"Because you're old!" Cruz shouted back, I giggled and joined in on trying to dance with Cruz. "Now reach for your lunch!" She exclaimed, making Dad and I cock our eyebrows.

"What?"

"Reach for your lunch!" She repeated, dancing around us. "Where is your lunch?" She asked.

"Um, I don't-"

"There is your lunch!" Cruz smiled. Dad groaned and rolled his eyes as I laughed. This was going to be a long workout.

xxx

We exited from the warmup station, Dad and I panting. I had no idea we were so out of shape. We were going to need a lot of help. "Now, it's time for your nap, Mr. McQueen," Cruz explained, leading us around.

"My nap? Then why did we warm up? And I'm not taking a nap." Dad quickly replied. Cruz smirked at him.

"Mr. McQueen, everyone knows that older cars need their naps. We had a long workout and you need to gain back your energy. Don't worry, you'll love it!" She cheered, lightly tapping his tires.

"I have plenty of energy. Plus, you can't make me take a nap." Dad scoffed. Cruz drove around him, eyeing him.

"Mr. McQueen, as your personal coach, I think it's best if you take your nap." She replied, her voice starting to sound stern.

"Look, I'm not a child. I don't need to take a nap." Dad fired back, watching her drive around him.

"Mr. McQueen, we can do this the easy way or the hard way."

xxx

"Well, Stella. Your dad is one stubborn car." Cruz lightly laughed as we headed for our next workout.

"Tell me about it," I replied as I playfully rolled my blue eyes. My dad could be stubborn and a pain in the bumper, but he's always meant well and tries to do what's best.

"So, are you a racer?" Cruz asked, making small talk. I shrugged my tires, giving her a soft smile.

"Naw. I may be McQueen's daughter, but I don't have a future in racing. I'm not fast enough." I answered. I just had to be honest with her. There was no way I could be a racer, no matter how much I wanted to.

"Hmm. Well, I'll get you started with our basic training then. I'll set the speed to about 150 mph and we'll see what to head for afterward." She explained as we headed towards the treadmills.

I drove on, feeling a little uneasy. I could feel the other racers' eyes falling on me. Slowly, it started, gently gaining speed with me. I bit my lip, my stomach starting to grow butterflies. "How are ya feeling, Stella?" Cruz asked, heading towards me.

"Uhh, good, I guess," I mumbled back. Soon, I could hear their whispers. Oh great, just what I needed.

"I'll bump the speed up a bit. I'll be back to check on you!" She smiled before she headed back down the row, going back to the beginning.

"Who's that kid?"

"I think she's a McQueen."

"Makes sense why she's here then. No way Sterling would pick to sponsor her unless she was McQueen's kid."

I closed my eyes, trying to tune them all out. I could feel myself swerving a bit on the treadmill, losing my ability to keep up. I had to block them out. They were making me lose my focus. "Stella. Stella!"

I opened my eyes, seeing Cruz staring at me. Her eyes showed concern, her lips slightly pouted. "You okay? You were doing so well." She asked, looking me over. Suddenly, I realized my speed was slower. I looked down, seeing I was only going about 10 mph.

"I'm okay. I think I just need a break to clear my mind a little." I stuttered back, trying to come up with an excuse. I wanted to get out of this room. Why was this so surprising to me? I knew people would just label me as McQueen's kid. Hell, I did it to myself earlier today.

"I think it's time for a yoga class. Follow me!" Cruz grinned, trying to bring light back into my eyes. I nodded my head and followed her. Maybe this would be good for me.

We entered a calming room. The sound of waterfalls echoed around and the room was lit up with candles. Immediately, I was feeling better. "Take a seat, Stella, and relax," Cruz commanded.

I obeyed her, taking a seat beside her. She closed her eyes and relaxed, taking slow, deep breaths. I tried to copy her, hoping that maybe my mind would finally clear. I slowed my breathing and began to think about home.

I was beginning to feel like myself again. I didn't feel the need to impress everyone around me or be this image they wanted. After what felt like minutes, the door opened and I heard someone yawning. I opened my eyes, seeing Dad roll in. "Namaste, Mr. McQueen." Cruz greeted, bowing her head.

"Namaste, Dad," I repeated, copying her. Dad blinked away his sleep, obviously still a little tired.

"How was your nap?" Cruz asked. Dad softly chuckled and looked around.

"Actually, it was quite nice." He confessed. Cruz nodded her head and looked at me. I guess Cruz does know what's best.

"That's good to hear. Now, it's time to get to know yourself." Cruz began as four workers rolled in.

"Know myself?" He asked, obviously waking up. His eyes were now wide as he was raised into the air. They removed his tires, laying them on the ground beside him. He glanced between me and Cruz.

"Mr. McQueen, you have been driving on your tires for a very long time. Have you ever thought to give them a name?" She asked. Dad and I raised our eyebrows and made eye contact, both of us confused.

He looked back at Cruz, rapidly blinking his eyes. "Um, no. That's weird. I'm not going to name them." He replied.

"Name them!" She demanded.

"Uhhh, lefty, righty, backy, backy jr." He rambled off. I rolled my eyes.

"Dad, you're not even trying. Name them something realistic." I joined in. If he wanted to get better, he would have to try. So far, Cruz has been right about everything.

"Yeah, if you give them terrible names then they won't work as well," Cruz added. Dad let out a small scoff and shook his head.

"Ya know it's kind of hard to trust your tires when they, I don't know, almost killed you!" He exclaimed. Cruz nodded her head, taking in his point.

"Well, maybe they wouldn't have tried to kill you if you would name them." She calmly replied. I tried to hold in my laugh, but it came out, sounding like a cough. Dad glared at me, knowing was laughing at him.

"Not now." He mouthed, making it harder for me to contain my laughter.

xxx

Dad and I got back on the treadmills. Cruz wanted to see where we were. Dad went between me and the other racers. I had no idea if he knew I was kind of freaked out by them, or if he was just being overprotective.

Cruz started the treadmills. I sped up, keeping the pace, but Dad hardly moved. I noticed him looking at the other racers, his face dropping. I wanted to find a way to cheer him up, but how? "Who this guy?" Cruz exclaimed, flashing a picture in front of Dad.

"Storm," Dad answered, determination lacing his name. He narrowed his eyes, glaring at the screen.

"Go get him, Mr. McQueen." Cruz encouraged.

"How? This thing is going like 5 miles per hour." Dad argued.

"We need to see where you are," Cruz replied. Dad glanced behind me, his eyes lighting up.

"You know what, this has been fun, but I'm gonna go," Dad stated, driving off of the treadmill. I looked at Cruz, wondering if he could do that. I slowed down and followed him, seeing him head towards the simulator.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Stella, can you start this thing up? I want to test this baby out!" Dad smiled, looking over the controls. I groaned, rolling my eyes. I turned around, meeting Cruz's eyes.

"Fine. Let Stella on first." Cruz agreed, her voice stern. I shook my head, not wanting to get on that thing, but Dad pushed me on. Geez, okay, he really wanted on this stupid machine. Cruz pushed a button, tightening the simulator onto me.

I let out a scream as it started to play. "How does this work?" I asked, my voice slightly shaking.

"Just drive."

"Drive?"

"Yes. Go!" Cruz encouraged. I followed her command, staying on the track. It was actually a lot easier than you would think. Each turn I took made me feel faster and faster. Soon, I couldn't stop smiling.

Before I knew it, Cruz lowered me down, a smile wide on her face. "Nice job." She grinned.

"Yes, yes. Wonderful job, Little Red. My turn!" Dad quickly exclaimed, giving me a peck on the headlight. I rolled my eyes, knowing Dad was super excited to try out this machine. He hopped on, his smile wide.

He began driving but was completely off of the track. "Umm, why isn't it turning?" He asked.

"You're fighting the machine. Just drive like you usually do." Cruz instructed.

"This is nothing that I'm used to!" He replied, his mood changing. He seemed nervous, not liking what was happening. Suddenly, a black figure zoomed by. "Who was that?" He asked.

"Storm just lapped you," Cruz answered. Suddenly, Dad sped up, trying to catch him. It was like I was watching his crash all over again. He began panting, his face contorting.

I noticed something silver sparkling is the distanced. Sterling. Cruz noticed it, too. I watched Dad, seeing his top speed at 198 mph. Cruz's mood changed, her optimism was gone. "Mr. McQueen, I think we should keep on our schedule. Please, come down." She stated.

"Yeah, Dad. I think its time for a break." I joined in, not taking my eyes off of Sterling. Not only was I afraid of Sterling was thinking, but watching Dad struggle up there was causing me to panic.

"Stella, no." He argued. Suddenly, he flew off the track. The simulator was going insane, telling him the multiple things he was hitting. Dad freaked out, taking his wheels off of the machine. I let out a scream as he smashed into the screen.

"Mr. McQueen!" Cruz shouted, running to the back. "Are you okay?" She questioned.

"I have crashed." He replied.

xxx

"Ethan, he's been in there a long time," I mumbled back as we waited outside of Sterling's office. I figured we would have to pay a huge fine for Dad's crash. He broke the country's best simulator.

"Stella, I'm sure he's okay." Ethan comforted. I let out a sigh and shook my head. Something wasn't sitting right in my stomach. For some reason, I hoped this meeting was about a fine.

"I don't think he is," I mumbled back, looking at the ground.

"Why wouldn't he be?" He asked, concern lacing his words.

"Because maybe this is about more than just a fine," I replied, my voice starting to shake. I thought this trip would turn out good. I thought I would get to see Dad get better, but I hadn't seen him improve yet.

"Stella, what are you talking about?" Ethan questioned, furrowing his eyebrows. I shrugged my tires and began to pace around the room.

"Ethan, I saw Sterling in the training room. I saw his face when he watched Dad on that simulator. This meeting can't be just about that simulator." I explained. I glanced at Ethan, his face scrunched in confusion.

"I don't under-"

"Ethan, you saw the way Sterling had everything set up in the main entrance," I replied, cutting him off. "Didn't it remind you of someone who was-"

"-retiring." He finished. I nodded my head. Suddenly, we heard yelling coming from the other side of the wall. Ethan and I glanced at each other and knew what the other was thinking. We leaned our ears against the door, hoping we could hear something.

"You think getting your tires dirty is going to make you better?" Sterling spat. I furrowed my eyebrows, angry at him. This car didn't know the first thing about racing.

"Yes! I'll go outside and train, just like the first racers! Please, Mr. Sterling, just give me one last chance!" Dad pleaded.

"Lightning, I'm afraid I can't do that," Sterling answered. I heard my dad pleading, begging to get another chance, but I couldn't take it anymore. I slowly backed away from the door.

Dad wasn't going to race anymore. This, this wasn't okay. My eyes began to water as I started to pant. I couldn't handle this. He wanted to race so bad and now some selfish jerk wasn't even going to let him try. "Stella," Ethan called, following behind me. "Stella, it's okay." He spoke, looking into my eyes.

"No," I argued, shaking head. My tears began to blur my vision. "He's not racing. He's not racing." I blubbered. Ethan drove beside me, holding onto my wheels so I couldn't leave.

"Stella, look at me," he commanded. I cried, trying to look into his eyes. "Your dad is getting one last chance. You have to be here for him. He's getting one week. One week to train the way he wants."

"What happens when that week is up?" I asked. He let out a little sigh and looked to the side.

"He has to win the race. If he doesn't, then he's retiring." He softly answered. I nodded my head and narrowed my eyes. I was going to help Dad win that race. He was going to keep racing. I had to be strong, for him.

~~~~~~~~~~