If Cars Could Think 7

Chapter 26

CHAPTER 26

"Just tomorrow, they're going to take me away," Cassie was telling Casey, unable to hide the desperation in her tone. "And that's it! We'll never see each other again."

"Nonsense," said Casey quickly. "I'll make time to see you, wherever you are."

Cassie turned her wheels uneasily in the garage they shared alone. "We have a few hours left to change this... for you to do something."

"What do you expect me to do?" Casey snapped. "Work a miracle? There's no convincing Dad! He says opening up a new position is beyond his power, anyways."

"Sure, it's beyond his power, but is it beyond yours?" There has to be hope.

"What?" Casey stared at her as if she just said the dumbest thing she'd ever heard.

"Dad has a soft spot for you. He's obsessed with you, can't you see that? All you have to do is come up with some way of making him hire me. It's not too late."

Suddenly, something new flickered in Casey's headlights. Cassie couldn't tell whether it was hope, fear, or a combination of both, but it made her pistons flutter optimistically.

"What do you think?" Cassie urged. "Are you coming up with something?"

"There's no hope." She rolled back a few inches. "I'm sorry."

"So you're giving up? On me?"

"It isn't like that." Casey sighed. "If you want a place in the fleet, why are you going to me? I have arguably the lowest position of anyone. Mike started calling me janitor, and oh – I hit him. I hit him right in the face, a few weeks ago, because he was being such a jerk, but now he's calling me janitor! I can't stand him sometimes."

Casey hit Mike? Since when did she grow so bold? Suddenly, Cassie's longing to be a part of it all grew much stronger. I need this. And I'll get it. "We could antagonize Mike together, if Dad had picked us both. I'd help you get him back for calling you a janitor, and we could-"

"Cassie," she interrupted. "Don't come to me with all this. Go to someone higher up."

"Not Dad?" She shifted her wheels, suddenly feeling uneasy. Could she do that behind her dad's back? Could she get someone else to sway his opinion?

"Get Mike or Bryan to like you." Casey's headlights started glowing as she began explaining her idea. "Pick one of them, just one. And when I say get him to like you, I mean really like you. Get him to fall in love with you."

"What?"

"Just listen to me. After he falls in love with you, he's basically under your control. Don't ask me; that's just how it works. Then, he could have you assist him in his high position. I'm sure they wouldn't mind help. I mean, he wouldn't be able to part with you, if he fell in love-"

"But we haven't got time!" Why is Casey suggesting this? I thought she'd want Mike and Bryan all to herself. "Dad's sending me off tomorrow."

"That's right." Casey let out a snort. "There's one more thing." She took in a breath that made her frame shudder, moving in close to Cassie.

"What is it?" Cassie breathed.

Casey remained still for a long time, headlights flickering with thought. "No," she whispered under her breath. "No, I can't. Sorry."

"What is it?" Cassie demanded. "If there's a way to help me, any way, you can't withhold it from me! You're in this for me, aren't you?"