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Chapter 3:

The Car-nival

The next morning, Marion told Carrie and Sarah that she had a treat for them. She informed them that Firewall City was hosting it's first ever carnival for cars in the dry riverbed and asked them if they wanted to attend. Carrie and Sarah thought about it, and decided that they should be brave and give it a try. So after a quick breakfast, Marion brought out her Double Agent and Donnie fired up his Afterburner; ready to head to the river. Sarah was planning to join Marion, but was approached by Jason.

"Hi, Sarah..." he said, "I hope you're excited about seeing the first ever Car-nival."

"I have to admit," said Sarah, "It sounds really interesting; and I'd like to see what it's all about."

"That's great;" said Jason, "In any case, I was wondering if you'd like to ride there with me."

"Well... alright!" said Sarah, "What kind of hotrod do you drive?"

"One of the fastest on the western seaboard;" said Jason, "But I'll take it easy for you."

"Thanks." said Sarah. With that, she went over to speak to Carrie. Her friend was riding with Donnie in the Afterburner.

"Coming with us, Sarah?" asked Carrie.

"Actually I'll be riding with Jason;" said Sarah, "Don't want to make him feel like the fourth wheel."

"That's really kind of you, Sarah," said Donnie, "I've been for a ride on his hotrod, and I can tell you its very exhilarating."

"Ride safely, Sarah;" said Carrie, "We'll see you there." With that, the Afterburner followed the Double Agent out of the neighborhood. Sarah followed Jason to his house and waited outside his garage. The door began to open, and then there was the sound of an engine starting. Sarah stood back as Jason drove his own hotrod out into the driveway.

"Wow..." she said, "Jason, it's... it's..."

"Yeah..." said Jason, "It's a motorcycle." And indeed it was; a motorcycle that looked like it had crawled out of a junkyard. The frame was built with bits of old steel, the seats were very low to the ground, the engine was a hulking Harley Davidson two cylinder, and she was painted yellow with black stripes. "Sarah..." said Jason, "May I please introduce you to the Yellow Jacket. The fastest hotrod in Firewall city."

"Gosh..." said Sarah, with a rather concerned look on her face, "She certainly looks fast. But... is she safe?"

"Of course she's safe;" said Jason, "Before any of our hotrods can be allowed on public roads they have to undergo a strict single vehicle approval test. Every last aspect of a vehicle is checked and triple checked to make sure that it's roadworthy." Sarah still looked unsure, so Jason added, "If there was any great danger in riding this thing, I wouldn't ask you to join me." Sarah looked into Jason's eyes. She could tell he was speaking with the utmost sincerity.

"Okay then!" she said, bravely, and sat down in the seat behind him. Jason passed her a helmet, which she quickly put on; then he put his own helmet on and revved the engine. The Yellow Jacket rumbled and roared as she drove out onto the street and headed for the end of the neighborhood. Sarah held very tightly to Jason as they picked up speed; as nerve-wracking as this was, she couldn't help but feel safe in Jason's capable hands.

After a ten minute drive through the city, Jason said,

"We're almost at the river, Sarah! In just a minute you'll be seeing the finest collection of vehicles on the west coast!" Sarah smiled with anticipation. As they drove over the lip that led to the riverbed, Sarah saw an awe-inspiring sight; there were colorful tents, inviting booths, a grandstand, and a plethora of vehicles. Jason drove over to where the Afterburner_and the _Double Agent were parked before shutting off his bike. "Here we are!" he said, "Firewall City's first ever Car-nival!"

"Holy smokes!" said Sarah, "It's just as festive as the Scouts Convention!"

"Well here in Firewall City, we take our cars seriously." said Jason. He and Sarah dismounted the Yellow Jacket and walked up to the tent marked for the Hotrod Heroes. Carrie, Donnie, and Marion were already there and talking with the team; who were quite a diverse bunch. Sarah counted a komodo dragon, a pygmy owl, two rats, a weasel, and a mole.

"Nice to see you made it, Jason;" said an orangutan, "And this must be Sarah if I'm not mistaken."

"That I am," said Sarah, "Who are you?"

"I'm Willie Huynh," said the orangutan, "The ringleader of the Hotrod Heroes. I would like to welcome you and your friend Carrie to our fair city."

"It's certainly not what I expected." said Sarah. She dismounted the motorcycle and took off her helmet before going over to Carrie.

"How was the ride, Sarah?" asked Carrie, "Donnie told me it was a motorcycle, and I wasn't sure about whether you'd be okay with riding it."

"It was pretty fun, actually;" said Sarah, "Jason's a great cycle rider." Suddenly a trumpet sounded from the grandstand.

"That's for the opening ceremony!" said Willie, "Gotta run!"

"We better go too;" said Marion, "This is something I don't want to miss." The group made their way over to the crowd standing in front of the grandstand. Willie joined a pig and a hyena on the grandstand, and then a sharply dressed rhino climbed up to the grandstand and stood at the podium.

"Ladies and Gentlemen!" he boomed, "I, Mayor Charginburg, would like to welcome all of you to our first-ever Car-nival! As most of you are aware, for over half a century, our city has been gripped by a proverbial war of the wheels. But today, our two factions are putting aside their hostilities for a day of vehicular exhibition and fun. May I first introduce the leader of the Cool-Car Cruisers, Tom Peterson!" The pig waved as a light cheer went up from the crowd. "Next," said the mayor, "The leader of the Hotrod Heroes, Willie Huynh!" The Hotrod Heroes cheered loudly as Willie waved to them. "Finally," said the mayor, "I took the liberty of inviting some outsiders to join in on the festivities; daredevils who drive machines that tear up the dirt and rumble over rocks. Please welcome James McGarret; leader of the Off-Road Idols!" The hyena bowed to the crowd as they cheered for him.

"He never took a side in the war of the wheels;" Donnie whispered to Carrie, "That's why he was alienated from the city's gangs and moved out to the country to work on off-road cars."

"And now..." said the mayor, "I hereby pronounce the festivities... OPEN!" The crowd quickly dissipated and headed for the various attractions.

"Well, Girls;" said Marion, "I guess all we need to do now is have fun!"

"Thanks a bunch, Mom;" said Sarah, "Where should we meet you?"

"If you need me, I'll be right by the Heroes' tent." said Marion.

"Okay!" said Carrie, "I'm gonna go check out the Idols' vehicles!"

"I think I'll check out the Cruisers' vehicles if that's alright." said Sarah.

"Just don't let them know you're affiliated with us;" said Jason, "They're not the friendliest with anyone who is in with us."

"I'll keep that in mind;" said Sarah as she made her way over towards the Cruisers' tent.

The first thing Sarah noticed was the Studebaker that she and Carrie had seen their first night in town, blue lightning bolts and all. She peeked in the window and got a good look at the white leather seats, the chain-link steering wheel, the eight-ball gear lever, and... a scantily clad sow bobble-head on the dashboard. Well... bobble-head aside, Sarah found she really like the look of this car.

"Gosh..." she said in awe, "This thing's beautiful."

"You've got an eye for quality, missy!" said a voice. Sarah turned around to see the pig from the grandstand standing over her. Thankfully, he was smiling.

"Oh... thank you;" said Sarah, "I'm actually into the... finer things in life."

"Well it's a pleasure to meet you;" said the pig, "Thomas Peterson's the name, and beautiful cars are my game!"

"How long have you had this car?" asked Sarah, trying to make conversation without turning the subject to whom she was with.

"Just finished it last year as a matter of fact;" said Tom, "Cost me thirteen grand to get her back to running condition and spice her up with her bits and bobs, but it's been worth every penny. I call her the Pink Lady, and she's gonna pour cold water all over those Hotrod Zeros!"

"I don't doubt it!" Sarah fibbed. Then, feeling a bit curious, she asked, "How did this 'war of the wheels' begin, exactly?"

"Like in most movies;" said Tom, "In nineteen fifty-four. Some hooligans thought it was cool to rip of hoods and trunk lids, exposing the vulnerable parts of their vehicles to the open air. They thought it would be fun to make noise pollution and drive around scaring pedestrians." He sighed and patted the hood of the Pink Lady. "We on the other hand, knew how to make a car the right way;" he boasted, "so we set out to put them in their place; with... limited success..."

"Really?" asked Sarah, "How many races have you won?"

"Let me see..." said Tom as he counted on his fingers, "Um, that's five... plus seven... carry the four... and another six... Only thirty-two races won since we started in the fifties to over two hundred lost."

"I'm sorry to hear that;" said Sarah, "Maybe you'll have better luck next time."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Missy;" said Tom, "Now why don't you go and enjoy the Car-nival? We're here for two whole days."

"I will." said Sarah as she walked away from the Cruisers' tent.

"Be here for the race tomorrow!" Tom called after her, "We're gonna cool those hot-rodders right down!" Sarah just grinned to herself, glad that he hadn't asked whom she was with.

As Sarah walked back to the Hotrod Heroes' tent, she noticed Carrie was walking with Donnie towards the Off-Road Idols tent. Upon looking closer, she discovered they were actually holding hands. She stopped in her tracks and stood completely still, watching her BFF walk off with a boy she seemed to like a lot.

"Sarah...?" a voice interrupted her thoughts. Sarah turned to see Jason looking at her with concern. "Is everything alright?" Jason asked.

"What?" asked Sarah, "Oh right! Yeah, I'm really enjoying the Car-nival."

"I'm glad;" said Jason, "But if there is something bothering you, you can tell me what it is." And he turned to walk away.

"Wait!" said Sarah, "Actually... there is something that is bugging me."

"What's that?" Jason asked as he wheeled around.

"It's Carrie..." said Sarah, "I've been friends with her ever since the first grade; but lately I've been feeling like our friendship could be... even stronger."

"Like as in love?" Jason asked.

"Well... yeah;" said Sarah, "You don't think that's weird?"

"Not at all;" said Jason, "Love is just love; why should it matter who we fall in love with?"

"Well, I guess I'm worried what she'll think of it." said Sarah, "I don't know if she feels the same way about me. I mean... I wouldn't want to impose anything on her." Jason strode back to her and put his hand on her shoulder.

"There's only one way to know for sure;" he said, "Just walk up to her and say, 'Carrie, there's something I need to tell you; I think our friendship can be something stronger'."

"Is it really simple as that?" asked Sarah, "What if she's totally grossed out by that idea?"

"Well..." said Jason, "Just tell her that you understand and you're sorry for imposing. But if she does like the idea, then I'm sure it'll work out; the two of you seem to be really great friends."

"Thanks." said Sarah. As she and Jason began to follow Carrie and Donnie, she asked, "Jason... If you liked someone, how would you let them know?"

"That's a tough question;" said Jason, "I guess the best thing to do is to be yourself; after all, you don't want someone falling in love with someone you're not."

"True that!" said Sarah. Then, well the only way I can describe what happened is that time seemed to stop. Sarah and Jason looked each other in the eyes, and for a minute, neither of them said anything. Finally, Sarah said, "You're a really wonderful boy, Jason; I hope you find the right one for you."

"Thanks;" said Jason, "I hope things work out for you too."

They spent a good portion of the day at the Car-nival. Carrie and Sarah got up close and personal with some sweet sets of wheels, and got some automotive souvenirs as well. Around four-thirty, Marion asked Carrie and Sarah if they were ready to go home for the day. The girls said yes; after all, they needed to save some daylight if they were going to explore the beach that afternoon. So they packed up and drove back to the neighborhood. Once the Yellow Jacket was safely in Jason's garage, and the Afterburner and the Double Agent were in Donnie's garage, Carrie approached Donnie.

"Hi, Carrie," he said, "Anything you'd like to do now?"

"Actually, yes;" said Carrie, "Sarah and I were wondering if we could go exploring on the beach."

"Sure!" said Donnie, "Are you looking for anything in particular?"

"Mud!" said Carrie, "I've never seen mud near a beach before, but I'm guessing there's some in this area."

"Well..." said Donnie, "It's mostly marshes on this beach; less than a foot deep." He paused a moment and gave Carrie a sly look. "But there is one place..." he said with an ominous tone, "A deep pit just a mile up the shore; when it fills with rainwater, it's full of awful, gelatinous MUD that's deeper than the Cruisers' bowels!"

"Ew!" said Sarah, "Did you really have to make a joke like that?"

"Not really..." said Donnie, "But the way those Cruisers go on about beating us even though they haven't in fifty years, they're all full of crap."

"Sounds great!" said Carrie, "I'd love to check that place out!"

"We can if you want!" said Donnie. Just then, Jason came in.

"Hi, everyone!" he said, "What's goin' down?"

"Hi, Jason;" said Sarah, "Donnie's gonna take us mudding in a spot up the beach. You wanna come?"

"Sure! Why not?" said Jason, "But if we're going into the mud, we should wear some dirty, expendable clothes, and something tight underneath."

"Jason's right;" said Carrie, "If we get stuck, we can slip out of our clothes leaving them stuck and hopefully our skin-tight clothes will fit our bodies and not drag in the mud."

"Well if that's the case," said Sarah, "I'd rather not soil my brand new bikini... just yet."

"I think there are a couple of Abby's old swimsuits in the cellar;" said Donnie, "I'll go see if I can find them."

A short time later, the four felines were suited up for a session of mudding. Donnie was wearing a pair of cargo shorts with a blue speedo swimsuit underneath; Carrie was wearing an old sleeveless shirt and a pair of loose shorts with a skin-tight black one-piece bathing suit underneath; Jason was wearing a pair of green swim trunks with a super-tight waistband to prevent it from sliding off; and Sarah was wearing a pair of black basketball shorts with a red bikini swimsuit underneath.

"Mom!" called Donnie, "We're going exploring up the beach!"

"Okay!" called Marion, "Just be careful! There might still be some water in the sediment!"

"Don't worry, Mom!" said Carrie, "Sarah and I are experienced with this sort of thing!" With that being said, the four of them left through the back door and stepped into the cool sand. Sarah looked up at the clouds.

"Looks like rain..." she said, "I sure hope it doesn't start until we're done."

"Hey, rain is perfectly cool for after;" said Carrie, "It'll be like a natural shower after we get all swamped!" Sarah just grinned.

"True that!" she said, "Let's go, boys; lead the way!" she grinned to Donnie and Jason, though kept a close eye on Carrie.

After skirting the marshes, and weaving around soft boggy soft spots, the feline friends had managed to come upon an area that was the side of a bit of salt marsh and the end of a stream. It yielded a long flat area and a weaving stream that snaked slowly out to the sea.

"Ooh this is a salt marsh," Carrie practically purred, "The plant life out here is always unique" she mentioned as they all stood at the shore. The boys were looking to the mud in the messy little channels. Carrie pipped up "Somebody find a big long stick!" Donnie was already halfway down the bank with mud oozing into his toes and slurping him in to about his shins.

"Why would you need a stick?" he asked as Carrie watched him wade in.

"Oh just so you can feel out how deep the mud is, or for rescue purposes." she mentioned. At this point, Jason was joining Donnie as they wadded into the mud slowly. Sarah giggled slightly as the boys seemingly dared the girls to the challenges of the mud. Carrie bounded away briefly and came back not too much later carrying a big long stick as tall as she was if not taller. By the time Carrie had gotten back, both Donnie and Jason were practically wallowing in the mud. Donnie almost up to his crotch and Jason not too far away. Sarah had managed to find a log and had straddled it, shimmying herself forward on the log.

"Hey Carrie, hurry up with that stick!" she called, "I think the boys are gonna get stuck!" Donnie and Jason just laughed as they plowed themselves deeper into the muck; both worming and helping each other.

"Nah, we're boys; we're totally used to the mud." said Donnie, "Its you girls that we gotta watch out for!" He and Jason chuckled lightly with a sheepish glint to their eyes and a joking attitude.

"Oh really, boys?" laughed Carrie, "Well then, why don't you try going up on your tippy tip toes, and try jogging in place, like your trying to touch the bottom" She grinned to Sarah who just let her jaw drop,

"Carrie!" she shouted. But the boys were already busy with the dare. Donnie let out a gasp as he and Jason suddenly found themselves deeply mired up to their chests. "Okay, Okay! Stop your squirming!" Sarah laughed as the boys had found themselves in quite the predicament. The girls were pretty much all the way clean, except for Sarah's legs and the bottom piece of her swimsuit, which was pretty messy from sliding across that muddy log to get out to almost where the boys were stuck at. Carrie pulled off her bulky outside clothing opting for just her tight black swimsuit and she too started to wade out into the mud following up in front of the boys,

"Ok, you two, are you both really, really stuck?" Donnie nodded and so did Jason, "Can't touch the bottom? Even with your toes?" she asked.

"Uh... yeah, pretty much!" Donnie said. Sarah just sat there and giggled some, but then she noticed their position was a little deeper than before.

"They're still sinking..." she said, "Slowly right now, but still sinking, Carrie. We gotta get them out of there.

"Oh we will..." said Carrie as she grinned to the boys; she knew that there wasn't a chance in heck that they'd get out on their own like that. "Ok, boys, if you can get yourselves out on your own... Sarah and I will take off our swimsuits and come into the mud with you!" Carrie grinned. Sarah just jaw-dropped,

"Carrie!" she shouted at her as she blushed. Carrie just laughed and pulled one of her shoulder straps off to hang loose. This suit was tight enough that it wouldn't reveal anything by loosening just one strap, but it still added fuel to the fire.

"These swimsuits are soooo tight!" Carrie said while watching the boys stare, "I can't wait to take it off!" Donnie and Jason looked at each other, grinned, and began their escape attempt. But it didn't take long for them to sink down to their shoulders in the muck. Carrie and Sarah just giggled at their futile attempts.

"That was cruel, ya know!" Donnie shouted with a little laugh. A few seconds later and Jason said,

"Uh... Okay, okay; we admit that we got ourselves stuck; really, really stuck, and as much as we'd like to see you without your swimsuits..." he blushed before continuing, "I uhh... I still can't feel the bottom!" Jason kinda sheepishly grinned while Donnie actually asked,

"Uhh... could you two please rescue us?" Sarah practically beamed with pride having seen the boys get so muddy and so helpless.

"Oh, of course" she laughed to them, "A true Swampfox Scout would never leave someone to drown. Even if they were a bit... big for their britches!"

"But what are you going to do for us if we do rescue you?" Carrie asked. Sarah gasped and just stared.

"Carrie! They need to keep their clothing on! I mean really!" Carrie could be such a perv sometimes.

"Well they could lose their baggy clothing in the mud..." Carrie hinted with a big grin, while Sarah contemplated it.

"That sounds about right" she murmured with a shrug as her wading had started to turn into a muddy sloppy crawl in the deepening muck. Both girls started into the muck after the boys. Their approach wasn't just walking on in, but crawling slowly. Both Sarah and Carrie were getting horribly muddy from the process, but soon found themselves right up beside the boys. Carrie had the advantage of using her big long stick to help balance herself in the mud, and support her weight, Sarah was just crawling and sorta wallowing in the mud on her stomach, and she was actually almost getting stuck in the mud too. Both girls were laughing and grinning though, so their spirits were high and still both having fun regardless of how muddy they were getting. Donnie and Jason watched with awe as Carrie and Sarah's swimsuits became so soiled, slathered and slippery that the girls both looked naked in the mud! Carrie was still wearing her black one-piece even though it was blending with the mud on her body, and Sarah still had on her bikini top and briefs; though her bikini briefs had slid down quite a bit from her struggle, she occasionally did have to stop and tug them back up a little, as the mud was rather insistent on claiming something for itself. Donnie grinned at the absolutely muddy girls, from chin to toes and some of their long hair too. Jason on the other hand, felt a bit awkward. At one point, Sarah had to stop and pull her briefs up again; and she did so with such force, she actually pulled herself forward and bumped into Jason. Carrie and Donnie just giggled at the sight. Sarah on the other hand looked up and found herself looking straight into Jason's eyes.

"Um... hi..." Jason stuttered.

"Hi..." Sarah replied; she couldn't resist smiling, and Jason blushed in return.

"Are you two stuck?" Jason asked with a hint of concern.

"It's really deep and sloppy," said Sarah, "But I'm mostly unstuck; my swim-panties just keep slipping off!" she admitted openly.

"Not even a little stuck, boys!" Carrie laughed, "Grab my stick and slowly pull yourselves up until you're like us and crawling on the surface,"

"If you say so," said Donnie, "Gosh... I have to admit I'm a little embarrassed."

"Yeah!" said Carrie in a teasing voice, "I don't know how you macho boys could get stuck so easily!

"Or how you would need girls to come to your rescue like this." piped up Sarah with a grin. Carrie held hands with Donnie, while Sarah did the same with Jason. At the same time, the girls slowly began to pull the boys from the ooze; and it wasn't long before the girls saw that indeed the mud had taken its toll. Donnie had lost his baggy shorts to the mud leaving him in his tight and slippery speedo brief, which the girls could only grin at. Jason's suit while baggy clung to his form as well; it was so soiled and heavy with mud. He was lucky it was tied tight or it would have been gone! With both boys now freed from their entrapment, the danger had passed.

"Thanks a bunch, Carrie;" said Donnie, "I don't know how we would have gotten out if it hadn't been for you."

"Don't mention it!" said Carrie, "Just following the code of the Swampfoxes!" With that, she playfully grabbed Donnie and pulled him into the shallower soupier mud with her. Sarah turned to Jason.

"So Jase..." she said, "You can ride a motorcycle pretty well, but how are you with mud wrestling?"

"There's only one way to find out!" Jason replied. He let Sarah tackle him into the shallow mud and gently wrestled with her. They spent a whole hour playing in the mud; splashing each other, mud wrestling, even making a makeshift sandcastle from the sodden silt. By the time the felines returned to shore, all four of them were covered in mud head to toe!

"Check it out!" said Donnie, "We look like swamp creatures!"

"I know!" said Jason, "I don't know why Donnie and I never did this before."

"Probably because you'd most likely wind up stuck up to your necks!" Carrie remarked. She and Sarah laughed while Donnie and Jason blushed, knowing full well that it was true. Once the moment had passed, Sarah was the first to speak.

"Well..." she said, "Looks like we're all going to need showers; we're filthy!"

"Not to worry!" said Donnie, "We've got the world's biggest bathtub right here!" He gestured to the ocean. After a quick swim, both boys and girls were clean. Carrie retrieved her shirt and shorts and Sarah got her shorts back on, but Donnie's shorts had been lost. With all recovered articles of clothing in hand, they made their way back to Donnie's house.

Dinner was a rather quiet affair. Carrie noticed that Donnie wasn't saying much and became worried that something might be wrong with him. That night, she tiptoed down the hall to where she knew Donnie's room was. She gently opened the door and saw Donnie lying awake in bed. He looked like he was looking up at something scary and trying to react to it. Suddenly, there was a creak; Donnie snapped out of his trance and looked at the door. Into the room, Carrie poked her beautiful face.

"Carrie..." said Donnie, not sure what to make of what was going on.

"Donnie..." said Carrie, "I couldn't help noticing you were quiet at dinner tonight. Is everything okay?"

"Well..." said Donnie, "Nothing really disastrous has happened; apart from me losing that baggy swimsuit in the salt marsh." He put on a smile, but Carrie could tell that something was bothering him.

"I don't mean to be rude, Donnie," she said, "But there's something you're not telling me."

"You're right, Carrie;" said Donnie, "I'm really concerned about losing the _Afterburner_if I lose the race tomorrow."

"Losing the Afterburner?" Carrie asked, "Why would that happen? Do you mind if I come in? We could talk about it if you want."

"You sure you'd be okay with that?" asked Donnie, "I mean... I wouldn't want to impose on you." Carrie just smiled a warm smile and entered the room. Donnie was already under the covers, so she lay down on top of them and said,

"You've helped me and Sarah feel much better since we came to Firewall city; it's my turn to help you feel better; if I can." Donnie gave a shy smile and said,

"Earlier today, just before we left the Car-nival, Tom came over to me and challenged me to put up the Afterburner's pink slip as the prize for winning the race. I agreed, but only on the condition that he give me the Pink Lady's pink slip if I won."

"Oh..." said Carrie, "Just like the old races in the fifties."

"Exactly;" said Donnie, "Heck, James agreed to put the pink slip to his car up for grabs if he lost the race, so the winner's prize for the final race is going to be the losers' cars." He sighed before continuing, "If I'm honest, Carr, I almost can't decide what's worse; losing the Afterburner or dying trying to keep it."

"I'm guessing that car means a lot to you because it's your first;" said Carrie, "I felt the same way about an old green bikini that I used to own."

"Why was it so special?" asked Donnie.

"It was the first one I used as a mudding suit." said Carrie, "I remember the first time I went mudding in it; I had just joined the Swampfox Scouts and we all got the chance to go swimming in a mud hole after a good rainstorm." She smiled as she recalled the fond memory.

"Sounds like a lot of fun;" said Donnie, "I never joined any camp troops or anything like that. So anyway, what happened to your swimsuit?"

"It's hanging on my wall now;" said Carrie, "Along with lots of pictures of me in it. That way I can keep it with me along with all the memories I have of it; even though I outgrew it last summer." Donnie smiled at her and said,

"That's a good way to keep your memories alive." Then he suddenly became very serious and said, "But I know for a fact that if the Cool Car Cruisers get their grubby hands on the Afterburner, it won't be going any further than the bottom of the ocean." Carrie felt like she should have been shocked, but after seeing the Cruisers in person that day, she really wasn't.

"Are they really that sore about the Hotrod Heroes' win to loss record?" she asked.

"They sure are;" said Donnie, "And what makes the situation even worse is the fact that the _Afterburner_is all I have left of my father." Carrie was caught completely off guard by this revelation; she hardly even thought about where Donnie's father was during her visit.

"What happened to him...?" she asked.

"It all happened a few years ago..." said Donnie, "I was six years old, and Dad was driving an experimental jet propelled VW beetle at a drag race between us and the Cruisers." He paused a moment and sniffed; "Dad was way in the lead..." he continued, "There was no way he could lose; and then... right on the finish line, the beetle... disintegrated...!"

"Oh gosh!" said Carrie, "And... did what I think happened... happen...?"

"Yeah..." said Donnie, fighting back tears, "He was dead before the wreckage stopped spinning..." He choked back a sob, "Mom... Abby and I... the other Heroes... No one could have saved him..." Carrie remained silent; thinking it best to just let Donnie get the sadness out of his system. After stifling a few more attempts to cry, Donnie looked back up at her and said, "You're lucky... you have both your mom and dad to love you."

"I'm so sorry, Donnie," said Carrie, "I've never even considered what it must be like to lose a parent."

"It's absolutely heartbreaking..." said Donnie, "When Dad died, Mom, Abby, and I mourned for months. It was only after Christmas of that year that we realized how lucky we all are to be alive, and how important it is to keep each other close and love one another."

"That's right!" said Carrie, "But what I don't understand is how your dad ties in with the Afterburner."

"He started building it a few weeks before the race;" said Donnie, "Mom, Abby, and I knew he would have wanted us to finish it. Soon after it was finished, I started training to drive and when I got my license, she was mine." Carrie sighed and said,

"Now I understand better; but do you know what I think?" She gently turned his face towards her and said, "Your dad would be proud of you just for being an excellent driver. He sounds like a really nice man; even if you lost every race you entered, that wouldn't change the fact that he loved you."

"Well..." said Donnie, "I'd sure like to think so. Thanks, Carrie; I feel a bit better now."

"I'm glad;" said Carrie, and she gave Donnie a kiss on his cheek. "Goodnight!" she said, and headed back to her own room.

To Be Concluded...