A/N: I must make a tiny confession: I was waiting to add this to the Cruz Chronicles, but I thought that this was too cute to leave until later. This was based on a writing prompt I received on Tumblr (requested by Whipplefilter). The prompt was for Jackson. It was, "I hate you... A lot... Some...a little... you're not bad." Hope you all enjoy it. Disclaimer: This story may come back in more detail in The Cruz Chronicles.
I hate you!
Jackson entered his dark garage as he slammed the door shut with his tire. He closed the blinds, rolled into his bed, and closed his eyes tightly. He felt the tears forming in his eyes as they cascaded down his fenders. He gnashed his teeth as the rage fumed within his engine. All he wanted to do was erase this night from his memory, but life is never that simple. In that moment, he felt like a lost soul searching for a place to call home.
I can't believe this. To think that I've worked hard for years to get where I am and she just comes and ruins everything! What makes her so special anyway? She was barely able to keep up with me. If it wasn't for her distractions and that little stunt she pulled, she would've never been able to beat me. McQueen didn't even have a chance against me. He knew it, I knew it, and the world knew it. He used that stupid costume girl just to get the glory for himself- how pathetic!
His oil pressure was soaring to unimaginable heights. The tears continued to fall as he thought about the evening. The crowds' cheers echoed in his mind; they weren't cheering for him, they were exalting her. He became invisible to the public once all eyes shifted on that little, yellow ball of mutiny. His thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock on the door.
"Go away!" he yelled as he turned away from the door.
"I didn't come all this way just to stay outside," the voice said.
Jackson's eyes shot open when he heard the voice of his crew chief. "Go away Gus! I don't care if you came from halfway across the world, you're not coming in here!"
"Come on Storm, just open up," Ray pleaded.
Jackson groaned. "If I open the door, will you go away?" he mumbled.
"I promise. Just open the door," Ray said.
Jackson slowly made his way to the garage door. He opened it slightly and then slammed it in Ray's face.
"There I opened the door, now leave!" Jackson snapped.
"Jackson, open this door! I need to talk to you!" Ray yelled.
"Look, if you want to talk about that stupid race you're wasting your time."
"I'm not here to talk about the race. I'm here to make sure that you're okay," Ray said in a gentle tone.
After a few minutes of silence, Jackson finally opened the door and stayed in the doorway, staring at Ray.
"Hey bud, how are you feeling?" Ray asked, giving Jackson a concerned look.
"Do you have to ask?" Jackson said with a huff.
"Listen, Jackson, don't take this loss too hard. You can always beat Ramirez next time."
"Oh don't worry about that, I have a plan for costume girl and she won't even see it coming. Good night!" Jackson said as he slammed the door again.
Ray sighed as he drove away from the door.
A lot...
"It's Cruz Ramirez for the win!" Bob Cutlass announced as Cruz crossed the finish line.
"Hoo-wee! #51 is on a roll!" Darrell Cartrip cheered.
Enjoy your little victory while it lasts, costume girl.
Jackson was fuming to the brim with seething, hot rage. He drove over to the entrance of the Dinoco building without anyone seeing him. He was careful enough to avoid contact with Lightning or anyone who would question his presence. He patiently waited for Cruz to drive over to the entrance of the building. He watched her fight through the swarms of paparazzi as she headed over to the building. It was finally time for him to make his move.
"Hey costume- I mean, Cruz!" Jackson called out to Cruz as he drove close to her.
"Oh! Good afternoon, Storm," Cruz said with a feeble smile.
"Please, just call me Jackson," he said with a spurious smile.
The two stared at each other, wearing their gawky facial expressions.
"Um, okay. Do you need anything?" she asked in an awkward tone as Jackson continued to stare at her.
"I just wanted to say congratulations on your win today, you earned it," he said as his phony smile continued to spread across his face.
"Wow, uh, thank you!" Cruz said with a nervous laugh.
"So, I'd like to treat you to a little celebratory lunch or maybe dinner?"
"Wait, are you asking me out?" Cruz asked as she gave him a confused look.
"What does it look like?! I mean, yes I am asking you out. Do you accept the invitation?" he offered as he tried to regain his composure.
"Um, sure. Where do you plan on taking me?"
Oh great! I didn't think ahead this far! Great job, Jackson!
He paused for a moment to think about his response. "I was thinking that you should pick the place," he said with a cunning grin.
Nice one, Storm!
"Nice going, Storm," he mumbled to himself as he and Gale waited outside Fireball Beach.
"It's so nice out here! You two are going to have such an amazing date," Gale said with a bright smile.
Jackson grimaced at her comment. "It's not a date! Besides, I'm not even interested in her. I just want to know the secret to her winning streak," he said as he grinded his teeth.
"The secret? How about hard work and determination? I bet your bottom dollar that if you asked her, she would tell you the same thing."
"Oh please! Hard work? She just showed up! Determination? She couldn't even pass me without doing that stupid stunt of hers! No, I want to know how she did it. I want to know what makes her crack under the pressure. I want to crush her!" Jackson said as he pounded his tire on the floor of his trailer.
"Hey! Take it easy back there! What did that girl ever do to you?" Gale asked with a frown.
Is that even a question?
"Do I really need to explain that to you? That girl ruined my career and I hate her for it!" Jackson said as he turned up his dubstep music.
Gale sighed as Mack pulled up next to her.
"We're here, Cruz," Mack said as Cruz drove out of the trailer.
She breathed in the salty, sea air as she rubbed her tires in the sand. "Ah, it's good to be back," she said to herself as she gazed at the waves hitting the shoreline.
Jackson came out of his trailer once he saw Cruz exit her trailer.
"So, are we going to spend the day on the beach?" Jackson asked with a frown.
He wasn't really a fan of the beach. He hated the water and the feeling of the sand grains in his tires. He especially despised the small crabs that showed up on the shore.
"Nope! We're going to someplace better," Cruz said with a bright smile.
"A Crab Sanctuary?!" Jackson yelled as he read the sign on the building.
"Yup!" Cruz beamed.
"This is by far the most stupid thing I've ever done! We're not going in there, are we?" Jackson said as he glared at Cruz.
Cruz gave him a somber look as she lowered her frame into the pavement. Jackson rolled his eyes once he saw Cruz's grief-stricken expression.
"Fine, let's go. I mean, how bad can it be?"
He spoke too soon. While Cruz enjoyed the crab display, Jackson was ready to hurl. The sanctuary provided a very cushy atmosphere for the crabs. There were thousands of the tiny creatures kept in a massive glass dome. The dome encased the crabs in a mini beach environment, complete with sand, seashells, and a fountain which provided the water in the petite pool. Cruz marvelled as she saw the crabs interact with each other. They scampered around the pen, playing with the tiny toys that the crab keepers provided. Jackson wanted to destroy the glass dome. He kept eyeing the nearby exit, hoping for his chance to ditch Cruz. While the idea of escaping felt so gratifying, he couldn't help but notice how elated Cruz was. Her smile was beginning to make his engine melt. Her laugh, (although he's heard it a million times before) sounded like a melodious tune of joy. He didn't know exactly what he was feeling or why he was feeling this way, but it felt different. It felt good. He shook his hood to snap himself out of his trance.
"Can we go now?" he whined as he drove over to Cruz.
"Are you ready to go?"
"Yes! Let's get out of here," he said as he sped over to the exit.
Some… a little...
They got back to Gale and Mack who were watching the sunset together on the beach.
"Aww, would you look at those two? They're so cute together," Cruz swooned.
"Don't get any ideas," Jackson said as he rolled his eyes.
"Thanks for taking me out. I really had fun," Cruz said with a smile.
"Yeah, well don't mention it," Jackson said in an aggressive tone.
"Hey, I noticed that you were a little uncomfortable back there, do you not like crabs?"
Jackson was shocked at her question.
Why did she care?
"Um, no. They're not my favorite animals," he said with a sigh.
"But they're cute!" Cruz said, trying to justify her love for the crabs.
"Well not to me," Jackson huffed.
"Well, maybe we can do something that you want to do," she said in a gentle tone.
Jackson blinked slowly. "Are you saying that you want to go out again?"
"Yeah, sure. I don't mind. Are you free tomorrow evening?"
"Um, y-yeah. I should be," he stammered.
"Great! I'll see you then!" Cruz said as she made her way to Mack.
In that moment, Jackson was conflicted. How could someone that he hated so much show so much kindness toward him? Was she not aware of how much he despised her very existence? Was she really willing to give him a chance? Was she willing to allow this lost soul to have a place in her life?
You're not bad…
That night, after spending hours in an arcade, Jackson and Cruz made their way to a nearby pier. They parked on the pier to gaze at the stars.
"Isn't it beautiful?" Cruz asked as she stared up at the sky in awe.
"Yeah it is," Jackson said in a soft tone as he continued to stare at the starry sky.
Silence fell between the two. Jackson took his eyes off the stars and focused on Cruz. She was still enthralled by the atmosphere.
How did I get to this place? How could I have harbored so much hate against you? How can you care about someone like me? What do you see in me? I vowed to destroy you. I wanted to make you feel the pain that I felt of losing everything that I worked so hard for. I wanted you to burn. I wanted to snatch the life out of your eyes and the joy out of your smile. Yet, you welcomed me into your world. You looked past the rage and saw me. You were willing to give a chance.
They made their way to their drivers, who were enjoying the night for themselves. Before Jackson could get into his trailer, Cruz drove up to him and slid a small envelope in his direction.
Jackson stared at the envelope. "What's this?" he asked as he gave Cruz a confused look.
"It's a little something I wrote, just read it," Cruz said with a wink as she drove over to Mack.
When Jackson got inside his trailer, he opened the small envelope and read the message on the index card.
A few things I like about you:
-Your perseverance
-Your racing skills
-Your laugh
-How awesome you are at video games
-Your still, grey eyes
Mr. Storm, I think I'd like to add more things to this list. P.S. Yes, I'm asking to go on another date.
Love, Cruz
He couldn't believe his eyes. After all these years of feeling alone, he finally found someone who wasn't afraid to give his lost soul a home in their heart.