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The Big news of a three-car win at a Piston Cup race was all over the news, TV, and radio stations. Everyone young and old heard about it. Even the God-forgotten corner like Radiator Springs. Once a jewel on a necklace of a Route 66. Where the yellow light blinks slower each time.
The town, where all building's colors faded in the sunlight, where no crime ever takes place, where everyone knows everyone. At least the whole twelve citizens. Most of them all since gone their ways in this small town. Expect four of them at Flo's Cafe.
Flo was making coffee while Ramone fixed the old radio that barely held up. After a small while they will hear about the racing news.
Hudson and Sheriff ordered coffee. It was after Doc's work hours and before the Sheriff's night shift. It was only a couple of hours a day they both could sit down and talk together. Honestly, that's the only time the Doc walks out of his house and work to socialize, but neither of them are social butterflies.
"Where did we put the TV?" Sheriff asked pulling his cup of coffee closer to himself.
Remone slapped the radio, and it surprisingly did not work and then he sighed. "Lizzie took it, to once again watch-" he paused, and hit radio again. "-Chaplin movies"
after a minute of the radio screeching, they finally heard the news about the race. About a Rookie not changing his tires, about The King's last race, and about crashes Chick caused.
To that Ramone sat back and took out a napkin to draw on, after all, he was thinking of getting a new tattoo.
"Looks like it's gas-and-go's for McQueen today, no tires again!" was heard from the radio, at which Hudson scoffed.
"Idiot" Doc commented and took a sip of his coffee.
"Why? It's a smart strategy, he saved some time" Flo argued picking up a dirty cup to clean it. No one at the cafe is big on racing. They only listen to it now, since it's all the stations talk about.
Hudson shook his head, he does not like talking about racing. But he is also stubborn: "No tires are made from gold, a single set of tires cannot last a full race"
"But for that guy, it works out just fine" Ramone interrupted "He may know something others don't"
"He's just lucky, or just probably a newcomer" Hudson speculated.
"There are no tires made from gold?" Sheriff finally said somewhat disappointed, and even late on the conversation.
Doc scoffed with a laugh even "That was a metaphor, Sheriff, but it's only a matter of time until-" Hudson gets interrupted by the news on the Radio
"McQueen has blown a tire!"
"What did I tell you"
It was Flo's time to scoff. "And I was rooting for the guy!" she even put the dirty-now-clean cup down.
And now both Flo and even Ramone put aside the napkin and listened to the radio waiting on the news of who won.
The tension rose. Well, at least for those who cared
"For the first time in Piston Cup history, we have a three-way tie!"
"If only the kid had changed his tires" Sheriff commented and finished his coffee.
"If only he had a good crew" Hudson added. He cannot stand the incomplete truth.
"Since when are you a racing expert, Doc?" Ramone asked and lay his head in his arms. But he still looked at the sheriff and doctor duo beside him.
"It is not rocket science" And now Doc finished his coffee.
"Maybe you should have become a racer instead of a doctor" Flo scoffed with a half-grin.
"Or maybe he is one" Ramone added to his wife's statement, and both laughed in disbelief, it's a bizarre idea! They have not seen docs drive faster than 20 miles an hour. To them, it was funny teasing.
Now at that Hudson froze, he is not a racing expert, and he dislikes racing. Yet his whole body had become motionless, at the thought of him being an expert at it, let alone a racer. It was not rocket science that the rookie needed a good crew. Why would they think he is a racer? Sure it's a joke, but it's a strange idea.
"Look at the time!" Sheriff stood up. He knew some things about where Hudson was from, but not in detail. He knew he was a racer, but what happened, and which one he was... Those details were kept hidden.
The sheriff's night shift doesn't start for another hour. Yet seeing Hudson's condition they had to go. Or was Sheriff just more worried than needed, since Doc after a minute of silence acted more usual?
"I forgot my hat at your place, Hud" The sheriff walked up to Hudson and put his arm over his shoulders.
Doc, of course, leaned back onto the half hug that it was, "And your jacket too" to which Sheriff just nodded. They paid for their coffee.
"Why would he-? Oh, I know what you are" Flo cut herself off. To which Ramone was in stitches. Holding his stomach and even lying on the table on how much he was laughing. What made it funnier for him was that his older friends didn't understand the joke.
They just looked at Ramone like he was losing his mind. And now Flo joined, but for her, her husband's laugh was funnier than the joke.
Sheriff and Hud looked at each other, one was wide-eyed, and the other shrugged.
"Yeah, we will go..." The sheriff was already on his way out, and even slightly concerned for that couple in the middle of laughing hysteria. Hudson just followed and patted Ramone's back as if he were choking. The doctor was even worried about how much the other was laughing.
For a while, one couple laughed, at just how clueless the other couple was. Maybe they were clueless, but they got to spend the couple of hours they had free together. And that's what mattered to them.