Driven to Win

Chapter 37- Miss Fritter's Racing Skoool

Now, this is just a filler chapter and if you've seen the short on the Cars 3 DVD, then I think you know what this is! It takes place at about this point, so I figured why not include it? So, I did!

Chapter 37- Miss Fritter's Racing Skoool

Most everyone headed back to the hotel, but Lightning, Cruz and Fudge hung around a little while longer, not wanting the night to end.

The TV was on in the background as they talked. It was a late night rerun of one of the RSN shows, highlighting their interviews as well as Cruz flipping over Storm.

"We've witnessed racing history today as newcomers Cruz Ramirez and Fudge Rossi-Topolino upset Jackson Storm to win the Florida 500!" the announcer began.

"Yeah, we did!" Fudge exclaimed, glancing up from her phone and she and Cruz high-fived.

Lightning laughed, watching them. "Guys, let's put this right here", he suggested, shifting their Florida 500 trophy closer to the Thunder Hollow one, "where it'll be safe and sound."

Cruz chuckled.

"Yeah, 'cause then it's further away from you!" Fudge teased.

Lightning looked embarrassed and Fudge stopped smiling.

"Too soon?" she asked, worried that she'd hurt him or made him angry.

"No, no. It's not that. It's just... I'm really sorry I broke Cruz's first trophy. I still feel really bad about that."

"It's okay, Mr. McQueen", Cruz assured him. She gestured to the trophy that had been fixed with duct tape. "I don't see a broken trophy. Whenever I look at it, I think of all the awesome memories I have from the last two weeks with you and Fudge."

"It has been an awesome two weeks", Fudge agreed with a smile.

"Yeah", Lightning chimed in with a happy sigh. "And I don't think today could've gone better." After a moment of content silence, he added, "No regrets."

"None", Fudge confirmed, returning the warm smile that her older brother was giving her and her best friend.

"Are you feeling like your life is forever stuck in neutral?" a vaguely familiar voice asked on the TV, beginning a commercial.

When Fudge saw who it was, she gasped.

"Hey, look!" she cried, pointing to the TV with one hand and stuffing her phone into her pocket with the other. "It's the School Bus of Death!"

Indeed, it was Miss Fritter on TV. She was just driving across the Crazy Eight dirt track with a microphone in front of her. The trio couldn't help smiling. After the eventful couple of days they'd had, Thunder Hollow felt like forever ago! Heck, even that morning in Thomasville felt like it had been years ago!

"What's she doing on TV?" Cruz wondered.

"If we listen, we'll find out!" Lightning reminded them.

"...one long dead-end street?" Miss Fritter continued. "Well, that's how I used to feel when I was driving for the Lower Belleville County Unified School District."

She stopped and paused in front of a wooden sign, showing a scratch and dent-free, less intimidating-looking school bus with the words LOWER BELLEVILLE COUNTY on her side, holding a stop sign.

A second later, she burst through the sign, completely destroying it with a loud honk. "BUT I CHANGED THE DIRECTION OF MY LIFE!" she yelled. "WHEN I STARTED MISS FRITTER'S RACING SKOOOL! AND I CAN HELP YOU CHANGE THE DIRECTION OF YOUR LIFE TOO!"