Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Worthless ❯ Speed 5: A New Destination ( Chapter 5 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

By: MellyN

Worthless

By: Melissa Norvell

Speed 5: A New Destination

"You went to a street race?" Metro's question wasn't very positive towards the subject at all. In fact, it sounded as if I had committed the greatest sin on the face of the Earth. "Isn't that illegal?"

I tried to answer Metro's question, but Nash beat me to it. "Of course it's illegal. If Mistress Seinsnig found out, she'd scrap you for sure."

Thanks for the comforting words, Nash. I was already on edge with that woman as it was. This only made my fear of dying an early death worse. If anyone would be ecstatic to see me hauled off to the disposal, it would be Mrs. Seinsnig.

"I didn't perform in the street race," I defended myself the only way I knew how. "I just watched King and Phantom race."

"King and Phantom?" Metro asked with a hint of disgust towards the two muscle cars. "You mean that dented up Barracuda and the Purple Trans Am? Those cars are rugged looking, nothing like us." The little red car held a lot of pride in its perfect condition. It was a garage-kept car, much like myself. I felt very conflicted over how to feel at the moment. I felt like I should defend King. The Barracuda's earlier words about its dents being battle scars really touched me, and I was even a little miffed that Metro would say such a thing.

I knew that when I opened my bumper to speak, I would get preached at for defending an illegal action, so I was silent for a moment before I chose my words wisely. As I attempted to speak, Nash piped up.

"I used to have dents too. Are you going to hold it against me?" Nash questioned in a serious manner. The perky little car's expression fell to the ground. I was glad that Nash defended my side of the story. I had nearly forgotten that it had been restored.

"Well, but you're old-"

"So are you," Nash made its point clear. "You're only two years younger than I am. I'm not saying that I appreciate what they do. I am not a sports car, and I wouldn't know the feeling of longing to race and speed down highways at blazing speeds, but everyone gets a little dented. It doesn't mean that your master treats you horribly or roughs you up. It just means that you've been through an experience and lived to talk about it."

"What they do is very dangerous," I added. "They chance going to the junk yard whenever they race."

"Well, they shouldn't do illegal activities," Metro argued out the two points.

"Cars can't help what their masters decide their purpose to be," Nash discerned. "It's not as if we have a say in our own purpose. We just serve them in the way that they see fit. It's like saying guns don't kill people. People kill people. The gun only does what the handler instructs it to do."

I could tell that Metro was getting frustrated that Nash put up such a good argument. I felt a little bad that I didn't say much on the subject. It was my fault that the subject was even brought up. I was happy that Nash was defending the racers. I could tell that Nash really did love the race cars that passed in and out of its life.

"Have you ever been parked beside of those two? They like what they do," Metro was beyond irritated that King and Phantom took pride in their racing ability. I didn't know what to say, or who to agree with. I'm a muscle car, just like King and Phantom. Even if I didn't perform in street racing, I was still a vehicle designed for speed. I didn't think our purposes were very different at all.

"That's their decision. Why live your life hating your purpose?" Nash was trying it's best to gently explain to Metro that the street racers couldn't just eject their masters from their seats and drive away in refusal. Metro was having a real prejudice against the street racers. I wondered why.

Surely Metro didn't feel that way for no reason. It didn't seem like random hatred, and it wasn't in the red coupe's character to dislike something without a proper reason.

"Metro, I'm a race car just like they are," I tried to make it see the point by using myself as an example. "Aren't you being a little prejudice?"

"You don't race-" I knew that would be coming, so I cut Metro off before it could talk any more.

"So, if Blake got caught up in street racing and decided that he wanted to race me, we would be enemies?" I wanted to have faith that Metro would wise up and see how hurtful that kind of talk could be, but a part of me was filled with uncertainty and doubt.

"Well…no…I mean…" The coupe stumbled for words for a moment before it made an angry face and blurted out that it just didn't like King in general.

"Why? What did King do to you?" As a car who greatly respected King, I wanted an honest answer. Sure, King was a wild risk-taker and Jordan's driving probably did endanger people, but I just could not see King as malicious in any form.

"Because King brags on itself, it thinks it's all that because it supposedly never loses, and it cut me off on the road and nearly caused me to get into a bad wreck. I had to swerve to miss it and Phantom when they came blasting recklessly down the road. I nearly broke my axel pulling up on top of the curb," I understood where the red coupe was coming from, and why it was so angry. I felt a loss of words. It hadn't crossed my mind that their racing could kill Nash and Metro if they happened to be in their way when they were going down the street.

"That goes back to my point," Nash interjected. "They can't help what they are. Not saying its right or wrong, it's just how it is. You don't have to agree." I think Nash was tired of arguing. Metro had a comeback to everything it said. While Nash was good at proving points, it tended to get tired and give up on long-winded arguments.

"Well, if King ever parks by me, I'll give that road hog a piece of my mind!" Metro retorted and Nash just sighed.

Nothing good could come of this.

------

Needless to say, Metro got its wish when Jordan came over a few days later to work on college entry exams with my master. When the garage door opened, King pulled in behind me and the tension in the room skyrocketed through the ceiling. I felt incredibly uncomfortable as the silence suffocated everyone.

This was awkward, and I was just waiting for the altercation to happen.

Metro wasn't the type to hold itself back.

"Hey!" King spoke up, greeting everyone casually as it glanced around at the garage. "Nice garage. I could do a 360 in here there's so much room."

Metro just glared, unimpressed with a deep-set frown. Nash and I glanced at each other and wondered how long it would take until Metro exploded.

"Well, there are a lot of cars in here," Nash responded, trying to keep up conversation with the muscle car.

"To think, I'm in the garage of Number Fifty-two," King smiled happily and glanced to the trophy shelf with the famous picture of 52 and Seven, together with their masters.

"I take it you're a fan?" Nash asked warmly.

"Fan? I'm a fanatic! I only wish I could win that many races. I'd give my transmission to be that famous," King told it, and at the moment it was more than overjoyed at the fact that it was in the home of its hero, until Metro destroyed the moment.

"Keep dreaming. You're just an old, beat up muscle car,” the coupe sneered and King looked at it with a cryptic expression. Part of me thought that it was a little hurt by the remark, but I was later shocked to hear King's response.

"I know I'll never compare to a car like Number Fifty-two. I just look up to it. To know it was once here, and that I can spend at least a moment in this place makes me happy," I was surprised that King didn't seem offended at all. It was very respectful, even though Metro would have loved to dismantle it right then and there, part by part.

"Number 52 sat in that very spot for a long time," Nash referred to the spot that the Barracuda had occupied. This sheer fact made the car beam and rock back and forth on its shocks and struts with happiness.

"What an honor."

"Yeah, it's an honor that you don't deserve. Your tires taint that very spot," the red coupe continued its assault. "You should go and park yourself outside."

"Hey, I know when I'm not wanted, and I'd move if I could but this is where I was parked. I don't understand why you hate me so much," King was still trying to be nice, but I think that it really felt the flaming daggers that were thrown from the angry, round headlights of the smaller car. King was unaware of what it even did to the Metropolitan to make it so hateful towards it.

"I have plenty of reasons to not to like you."

"Why?" King was honestly confused. I don't blame it. It probably was pretty random for Metro to explode out of nowhere like that.

"You nearly killed me and my master. Why in the world would I ever like you? You're nothing but a stupid, wannbe race car," Metro really chewed King out and I was shocked to hear it say such things, especially about muscle cars. The little coupe was usually so kind to me.

"I'm guessing that you were one of the cars I nearly hit when I was speed racing-" King discerned, before Metro cut it off and let it have round two of its brutal verbal assault.

"More like ran off of the road!" The red car huffed. "You wonder why my master's family hates your kind! You don't care what happens to other cars or people, as long as your win your stupid street race! You're nothing but a road hazard." I felt sorry for King about now. I don't think it really deserved all of that. "You don't even care if you kill anyone, it's all objective to you."

I had to stop this.

I couldn't take it anymore.

"I'm sure that it cares very much," I interrupted. King looked at me, as if it was thankful that I had defended it. "I don't believe King is heartless."

"You're just defending it because you're a muscle car too," Metro snapped back.

"Your prejudice is showing, Metro," Nash commented, and the whole garage went silent. All that could be heard was Metro huff in anger.

"I am sorry if I ran you off of the road," King apologized after a minute of silence. It spoke in a passive voice, well, the most passive it could pull off with such a wild and raspy tone.

"You almost slammed right into me! We would have both ended up in the scrap heap," the coupe's voice subsided but it was still bitter.

Before the fight broke out again, King changed the subject. "Oh Expresso, did you hear the good news?"

"No, what?"

"Jordan and Blake will be attending college together. That means that you and I will be able to spend some time together, maybe permanently," Nash and Metro's expressions instantly dropped when they heard the not-so-good news.

"Permanently?" I inquired. What did that mean? Was Jordan going to move in with the Seinsnigs? I thought they didn't like him.

"Yeah, my master and yours were talking about getting a room together in a dorm. That means it'll be you, me and Phantom all sticking together." While King was happy about that, I couldn't help but feel as if a part of me had died inside.

"What about Nash and Metro?" I was curious, half dreading the answer I would get.

"You'll be moving out of here," Nash informed. "They aren't staying…You're going."

What? I could hardly believe such a thing! I would be…leaving the Seinsnig house? That wasn't funny. They had to be lying. I sincerely hoped this was a joke.

"It's a package deal. You're his car. He moves away, you move away. We don't have a say in what happens in cases like that."

"You mean I won't get to stay where with you and Metro anymore?" I knew the answer, but I didn't want to accept it. Nash and Metro were my family. I couldn't bear to think of what I would do without them being around me.

Tell me this isn't happening.

"I'm sure you'll visit, but you won't be staying here," Nash sighed. It was pretty let down about the news, and I didn't blame it. It had lost many sports car friends, and I was no exception.

"You act like you don't want to stay with me," King was a little down about my objection to possibly living with it. Not only did it feel unwanted by Metro, but now it felt as if I didn't want it around either.

"It isn't that I don't want to live with you, King, it's just that…I'll miss Nash and Metro…." I trailed sadly. It had been so many years. Even if I didn't have a say in my situation, I didn't like it.

"Hey, I'll miss my family too. I shared the garage with a 1966 Volvo who was like a sister to me. You've gotta understand though, it doesn't matter what you want," the Barracuda gave me a dose of harsh reality. "Humans don't acknowledge us as living things, so our feelings don't matter."

"King is right," Nash agreed sadly, "that's why they can scrap us and not think twice. You're a machine, and Blake may love you now, but there will be a time when you leave him, too."

"We'll miss you, Expresso," Metro finally decided to speak up as it cast me a worried look. "Just be careful out there and don't let yourself get tangled up with those ruffian street cars."

They were already sending me off, and I wasn't even leaving yet.

This was bad.

King sighed. It was disappointed that I wasn't happy about leaving. I could kind of tell that King didn't have a good day either, considering it had received a rather large piece of Metro's mind. It was put down, griped out and viewed as worthless and horrible.

"I knew the day would come when Blake moved away. I just didn't know that it would be so soon," Nash said. "I feel as if we didn't get to spend enough time together."

I glanced to King. "When is my master moving out?" I wanted to know how much time I had left to share with Nash and Metro.

"Well, he hasn't asked yet, so it's still a possibility that it may not happen, but if it does, you have a couple of weeks before college starts. If the guys don't get a dorm, they'll opt for an apartment nearby. It'll be me, you and Phantom. We'll have nothing but race days ahead of us!" The Barracuda beamed.

I didn't mind the idea of being around King and Phantom, I just felt very out of place with them. I felt lower than they were, like I didn't compare. Maybe I'd get used to being around them. They are racers and King and I were the same type of car.

Still, I felt empty knowing I'd be leaving Nash and Metro behind.

----

The next two weeks were filled with last moments between family as both humans and automobiles spent time together.

My master's family did many things with him- outdoor activities, picnics, trips of all sorts and going out to a lot of fancy restaurants. I got many chances to be around Nash and Metro as much as possible. We would spend hours talking in the sunshine of grassy areas and parking lots. They were happy times, but I couldn't help but feel emptiness, like these days would all turn into distant memories.

The closer I got to the predetermined date of my master moving out, the more depressed I became. I worried about what I would do when I was on my own. No one would be there to give me advice, except for King. While the Barracuda was admirable, I didn't know how helpful it was at giving advice on problems. I liked the helpful advice that Nash gave me and I'd miss it's warm, distinguished voice and humble presence.

Nash was the calm in my life, and Metro was the fun-loving side-kick that I loved to joke and be happy with.

Metro had its bad points, but it never failed to cheer me up. We always joked about various things, and made fun of each other. It was nothing serious, and we never got offended. I learned quite a bit from Metro about Mr. Seinsnig and his love of the races, as well as his personal life with his wife, Gary and Blake.

I would miss those times, with good friends and loving family.

I didn't want it to end.

----

Soon, Blake was loading me up with a few belongings that he could fit inside of me. The rest of the things were moved out with a trailer. He and Jordan had rented an apartment near the college.

Nash and Metro had told me their good byes to me earlier that morning when they heard the news. I felt an overwhelming sorrow befall me when it was finally time to say good-bye to all of the things that I was once familiar with. All of the things that were home and family. There would be no more long talks in the garage about our daily activities, and no one but King to take advice from.

For once in my life, I felt like I didn't belong anywhere.

The good-byes between my master and his parents were very emotional. There were a lot of tears that were shed and I'm sure that if cars could cry, Nash, Metro and I would still be weeping right now. Despite how much they hated me, I could tell that they really loved their son. Hugs, kisses and kind words were shared, as well as promises of visits. At least I could see Nash and Metro here and there, even if it wouldn't be the same.

Even if I had lived here for three years, this place didn't feel like home anymore. Isn't it strange how a once warm place could feel cold in an instant?

Blake hopped inside of me and we took off towards the apartments beside of the university. The apartments were large, and each one had its own garage, which was barely big enough for two cars and a drab brown in coloration.

King and I parked inside, and it was very cramped. This was nothing like the Seinsnig's house, where it was spacious and had plenty of room. This small compartment wasn't even big enough to move an inch in without part of my body scraping something.

We sat in silence for a while and glanced around at our new surroundings. This was awkward, and I could tell that my new garage mate thought so too. We didn't speak for a long time.

After the awkward silence, our masters emerged from the apartment and gathered the few small things that they had brought inside of us. They had been moving in all week, but this was the first time I had seen this place for myself. Our masters seemed happy that they were finally at a house that they could live in for themselves. They were overjoyed that they could act as independent adults and live on their own terms, versus obeying their parents. They both seemed a lot happier outside of their homes but a part of me wondered if they would grow homesick soon.

I couldn't say that I was happy, at all.

"So, how do you like the new homestead?" King asked after the masters went inside. It felt a little awkward saying such a thing, but the red car tried to be humble.

"It's…so small," I hesitated to say anything.

"Well, it's not like that place you were living in, but we have to make it work somehow."

"Hey, King."

"What is it?"

"Do you think we'll get along together? I mean, we'll be living together from now on," I brought up the subject, a little uncomfortably.

"I think you'll be fine. No need to be intimidated. I may be a Barracuda, but I don't bite," King smiled a little at its own joke.

"You act like nothing affects you, even when you almost tipped over in that street race. You must have nerves of steel," I complimented the other car. If ever there was a definition of fearless, King was it.

"Well, I can't say that I've ever been bothered by anything. I'm pretty carefree,” King replied. "Oh, and don't worry about me. I've completely rolled over and popped back up. I can take a pretty good beating."

What a car! King was a real dare devil. Things like that really gave it a rush.

"Don't you ever worry about getting into a wreck?" I asked.

"All of the time. Man, the first time my head light popped out, I thought I was going to get scrapped. I went around one-eyed for a while after that race," King told me its previous injury from a dangerous race it competed in. That sounded awful, but the racer made it seem so minor. I know I'd hate to lose an eye, though it would be harder for one of my headlights to pop out because they were retractable. I felt very bad the cars that had seen those types of wrecks. Part of me didn't want to know how King had acquired that type of injury, but the curious side of me wished to know.

"How did your headlight get knocked out?"

"I got T-boned in a race. My door was badly damaged and my headlight fell out. It's still a little unsteady but I'm not one-eyed anymore. My master found a red door from a Barracuda at the junk yard and rebuilt me," the car must have seen so much. The more I was around King; the more I became immersed in its stories.

It was the most amazing car that I had ever met.

"I've never had any damage what-so-ever. You're stronger than I am and you've been through a lot more than I have." It was simply amazing that one car could handle so much. Who cares if what King did was illegal? It was my hero, and I was happy to share a garage with it. "You're amazing, King. No wonder everyone likes you."

"Not everyone likes me. With fame comes hate. There will always be someone who wants to take your dreams away, or hate you for who you are or what you do. Not everyone I come across is always friendly. There are quite a few cars who hate me," King seemed to take that well. Then again, the Barracuda was used to the racing atmosphere. "I hope that you don't feel too awkward around me. I was actually nervous about knowing that we'd be staying together. I know I'm not like Nash and Metro-"

I cut it off. "I'm probably not like the old Volvo you stayed with either."

King chuckled a little. "Well, it was an old grouch but it cared about me in its own tough-love way."

"You know," I stated thoughtfully, "you're nothing like I thought you'd be when we first met."

"Oh? What were you expecting then?" King was interested in my opinion of it, so I gladly gave it the information it so desired to know.

I remembered my first impression of the Barracuda when I first saw it. At first, I was weary and intimidated. At first glance, King was sort of scary looking, even for me. It was rugged and tough. Many things about it were unrefined and when it spoke, it held no shame.

King hadn't been afraid to tell me exactly what it was. It was a very proud machine and its self-confidence could easily be mistaken for arrogance. I couldn't say that I didn't think about it to an extent.

When I saw it race, then I realized why it called itself King. It stood behind its word and I don't think it's lied about winning any of its races.

Even thought it was so famous, it never acted like it was better than the other cars. It never let it get to it. King was a good sport. It was surprisingly nice for a car that's seen as much as it had. I was shocked to find out that it was so nice when I got to know it.

"I'm flattered you think that way," the Barracuda heard how my opinions had changed over time, "either cars think I'm scary, intimidating, a ruffian or the nicest thing you'll ever meet."

"Wild comes to mind. You're a daredevil on the speed way."

"Oh yeah!" King beamed. "Hey, I'm not scrap metal yet, and now that your master is away from the folks, maybe he can take a few hints from my master and turn you into a proper street racer."

There were those conflicting feelings again. Every time I saw the street races, I longed for the feeling of the race way, but when King talked of the consequences, I wanted to shrink away and think that I'd be scrapped if I didn't stay at a normal speed.

There is no one here to judge me like his parents had been before, but I think a part of me had become used to being a luxury car.

I was silent for a while and I could tell that King had felt a little awkward.

"Unless…You don't want to…" I heard it trail off after a moment.

"It isn't that I'm not excited about it or anything, if it does happen," I explained, "I'm just used to being a normal car and getting my master from point A to point B, so to speak."

"You do know that your master loves the races, right?" King wondered if I truly did know my own master.

"To an extent, from what I've heard him talk to Ken and Jordan about on the phone when he was around me," I felt a little stupid not to know this about my own master.

Then again, we did have limited time together; when he washed me and fixed me up, when he took me for a drive or needed to get somewhere, and when he was sad or stressed out, he liked to hop inside of me and listen to the radio. He rarely talked to me, and when he did it was thinking aloud or complimenting me.

"When Blake, my master and Ken all rode together inside of me, they always talked about the races. Before your master moved in with mine, he used to tell my master that when he got away from his parents, he would keep trying to become a race car driver like his father and brother had been. Just because Gary died, didn't mean that he wouldn't put his dreams aside," King informed me of the things that I had not heard my master say." He said that even if Gary hadn't died, he would have gone back to racing. I agree with him, actually. If you love something, then you stick with it. You'll fight for it, no matter how wrong everyone thinks it is."

Blake was determined like that, but I never knew that he had planned on being a stock car driver when he was away from his parents. It seemed that King knew a side of my master that I didn't know about. When Blake was around me, he seemed so different. I know that he let some of his true self come out when he was away and with his friends, but I didn't know that side of him existed and I've been his car for nearly three years now. I guess you never learn all there is to know about someone, even when you've known them for years.

I think that phrase applies to everyone.

"I never knew that. He'd not mentioned anything like that around me," I let information sink in. I wasn't sure about changes or if I liked them, but one thing was for sure, things were fixing to change, whether I was ready for them or not.

…To Be Continued