This is my first Cars fanfic, so any help portraying the characters' personalities correctly would be appreciated if I messed up on them. Thanks!

Cars and characters are copyrighted by Disney and Pixar!

It was a beautiful day in Radiator Springs. Just three days before the running of the first Radiator Springs Prix. Most of the cars were ready for the race. Except one. The problem: he didn't know how to turn on a dirt track. Thankfully for him, however, his new friend Lightning McQueen was willing to teach him how to turn on a dirt track. The scheduled meeting time for the practice was 1:00 pm.

It was 12:55 pm. Francesco waited rather patiently by the dirt track near Radiator Springs - the same track that McQueen first practiced turning on dirt on. He observed the dirt track. It was nothing special, with the one curve being on a butte, and the other curve was basically the top of a small hill that led into a field of Prickly Pear Cacti.

It was now 1:03 pm. McQueen arrived at the track. "Sorry if I'm late, but I was hanging out with Sally, and she did not want me to leave."

The fact that his new friend was three minutes late did not really bother the Italian race-car. "That is-a ok. Wait, is-a this the same Sally that your friend said was a huge fan of me? Will-a Francesco ever get a chance to-a meet her?"

"Yes, she's that Sally. And yes, I promise that I will let you meet her soon. So, are you ready for practice?"

The Italian race-car already started his engines. "Yes; Francesco is always a-ready to-a practice his racing skills! So, what is-a your secret method of-a turning on this dirt?"

McQueen smiled. "Ok, I'll tell you, but you'll probably not believe me when I tell you that you need to turn right to go left."

Francesco was puzzled. "Turn-a right to go left? But that is impossible!"

"I'd knew you say that." McQueen remembered when Doc Hudson first told him to turn right to go left. "To be honest, when I first learned that I did not believe it either. But it really works."

Francesco still did not believe McQueen. "Uhh...is there any other things that Francesco need to-a know to-a turn on dirt?"

"No."

The Italian race-car thought for a moment. "Hmm...how about if Francesco goes-a left to-a turn left. That-a seems much more logical."

McQueen sighed. "I know it seems more logical, but it doesn't work on dirt. Trust me; I've tried it before. You'll get hurt if you try!"

Francesco sighed. He really did not want to argue with McQueen about this turning thing; he just wanted to practice. "Ok, can Francesco a-practice now?"

"Yes, you can. Remember, turn right to go-" McQueen didn't get to finish his statement as Francesco quickly accelerated away. The American race-car thought to himself. He's probably still going to try turning left anyways. I might as well go get Mater; we'll need him. McQueen drove off to find Mater.

McQueen found Mater talking with the British spy Holley; just as he'd suspected. Mater quickly realized that his best friend was there. "Hi McQueen!" The tow-truck grinned his big goofy smile.

McQueen greeted his friend back. "Hello, Mater. Hey, listen, sorry that I'm interrupting your time with your friend and all, but I'm gonna need you to pull somebody out of the cactus field."

Mater was confused. "But nobody's in there. I didn't hear anybody fall in-"

Right at that moment, the three cars heard a scream. "He just fell in," McQueen indicated.

"A cactus field; that must be painful," Holley mentioned.

"Yeah, it sure is!" Mater replied.

"Wait...you've fallen in it before?"

"No. But McQueen has!"

McQueen sighed. His friend just had to mention that. "Well, yes, I did, but it was not that bad. I only had cactus pieces stuck in the front-half of my body, like on my hood and stuff."

Mater changed the subject. "So how's that dirt track practice with Mr. San Francisco turning out?"

"Yeeeaaauuuhhhh...not that well."

"Wait...did Mr. San Francisco fall into that cactus field?"

"Yeah...I think so."

"Well then, we must get him out." Mater followed McQueen as he called back to Holley. "I'll see you later, Miss Holley!"

"See you later, Mater!" Holley called back. She giggled to herself. "Later Mater...that rhymes."

Mater turned his attention to his best friend. "That's my new girlfriend Holley. She's a British spy!"

McQueen chuckled. "Yes, Mater, I know that. You already introduced me to her."

The two cars arrived on the race track, at the edge of the hill overlooking the cacti. Just as McQueen had suspected, Francesco was stuck in the cacti. "I told you that you would get hurt if you tried to turn left!" McQueen told the Italian race-car. The American race-car quickly realized that his new friend was too embarrassed to reply.

Mater looked down at the cactus field. "He looks like he's stuck in there purty deep...but that shouldn't be a problem! I'll get him out!" The tow-truck attached his hook to the Italian race-car's undercarriage to drag him out of the cactus field.

"MAMA MIA!" Francesco complained.

McQueen sighed. "Sorry, but we got to get you out of there. Isn't that right, Mater?"

Mater was not paying attention; he was just doing his job. "What'cha say, McQueen?"

"Never mind."

Mater finished pulling the Italian race-car out of the cactus field. Francesco was quick to continue complaining. "My beautiful body! Covered in spiny cacti! How could-a this of-a happened to-a Francesco?"

"Cause you fell into a cactus field, that's how!" Mater answered innocently.

Francesco didn't know how to comply, as he was completely overcome with disbelief - and pain.

Another car arrived at the scene. She looked rather similar to Francesco, but didn't have any green on her.

McQueen noticed. "Oh hello Mrs. Bernoulli. What are you doing here?"

Mrs. Bernoulli answered. "I'm-a here to-a see my son race in the Radiator Springs Prix, silly!"

"No, I meant what are you doing here, out near the race track?"

"I thought you were having tea with Miss Sally!" Mater added.

The Italian mother-car replied. "Well, yes, I was-a having tea with Sally, but I thought I heard-a my baby screaming, so I just had to-a come out and see what was-a going on."

It was then that Francesco noticed his mother was there. "Oh, hello Mama. What are you-a doing here?"

"I was-a just - mama mia, you've-a covered with prickly plants! How did this-a happen?"

"He fell into a cactus field, that's how!" Mater answered.

"He attempted to turn on this dirt track, but did not take my advice that would of prevented this from happening," McQueen added.

Mrs. Bernoulli started to inspect her son's injuries. "Goodness greatious, this looks-a painful! Here let-a me take those plants out!" She started pulling the plants off of her son's body, starting at his hood. She was careful to not allow the spines to ruin her tires.

"Oww...oww...OUCH! Francesco is in a lot of pain - oww!" Francesco complained.

"Relax, son, it'll be all over soon!"

"That looks sure painful," Mater mentioned. "This reminds me of the time you fell into that there cactus field, McQueen!"

McQueen rolled his eyes. "Yes, I know, you already mentioned that earlier."

"I did? Ohh...but it does. So who's she anyway?" Mater indicated to Mrs. Bernoulli.

"That's Mrs. Bernoulli."

"I know her name, but who is she?"

"She's Francesco's mother. His beloved mother that he misses when he races."

"Ohh...how do you know he misses her when he races?"

"He told me, during the World Grand Prix, in Italy. Of course it was part of his insult, but the way he acts around her makes it seem it's true."

"Ohh...then he's a Mama's Boy?"

"Between you and me...yes, he is."

Mater did not know how to keep silent. "Francisco is a Mama's Boy! Francisco is a Mama's Boy!" He started driving backwards, as he was enjoying what he considered to be innocent teasing.

"And what part of 'between you and me' did you not understand, Mater?"

The Italian race-car watched Mater as he drove backwards. "Francesco can-a hear you - oww!"

Holley drove up to the scene. Mater noticed. "Howdy, Miss Holley! What'cha doing here?"

Holley smiled at her friend. "It sounds like something's going on over here, so I had to check it out. You know, to make sure that nobody is being attacked by, say, the lemons who would want revenge-"

"Did somebody say lemons that want revenge?" Finn quickly drove up next to Holley and Mater. "Where are they? They haven't hurt anybody, did they?"

"There's no revenge-wanting lemons here," Mater informed the two British spies.

Finn relaxed. "So what's happening? Sounds like there's a commotion over here."

"Nuthing really, just that Mr. San Francisco here fell into that there cactus field."

"Oh, yeah, I forgot about that. Is he ok?" Holley asked.

As if on cue, the Italian race-car gave another scream of pain. Mater barely took notice of it. "I think he's ok."

"Mr. San Francisco, who's that?" Finn asked. "I thought that was a city in California."

Mater indicated to Francesco. "That's Mr. San Francisco!"

"Are you sure, Mater? He looks like that famous Italian race-car-"

"Francesco Bernoulli," Holley said, saying the name as if it had ten syllables in it.

"Why does every girl say his name like that?" McQueen asked. "And yes, that's him. Mater can't say his name, so he just calls him 'Mr. San Francisco.'"

"Oh, ok, that makes much more sense," Finn said.

The four cars turned their attention to Francesco, whom was complaining. "Francesco is-a not enjoying this..."

"Relax-a, baby, I'm almost done," Mrs. Bernoulli informed her son. "I just-a need to get the few in-a the back out..."

"Owww!"

"Sorry, son, but I have to-a get-a these so-called cacti out."

"Oww...oww..."

"Just one more."

"Ouch!"

"Done."

"Francesco is-a glad this is-a done."

"I am-a too. You need anything-"

"No, Francesco will be-a fine. You can-a leave now if you like, my beloved Mama."

"I'm sure Sally's wondering where you are," McQueen said as he drove up to the Italian cars.

"Mama mia, I almost-a forgot I was-a having tea with-a her! Well, then see you all-a later. Ciao!" Mrs. Bernoulli gave her son Francesco a quick kiss on the cheek, then left off to find Sally.

"Well, I better get back to what I was doing. See you later." Finn drove off back to Radiator Springs.

Mater looked at the two race-cars and his girlfriend. "Well...what do we do now?"

"We can get back to talking," Holley suggested.

"That's a great idea, Miss Holley! Bye, McQueen! Bye Mr. San Francisco! See you two later!" Mater and Holley drove off together.

It was now just McQueen and Francesco left on the race track. "So are you gonna be alright?" McQueen asked.

"Of course I'll-a be alright! Francesco will always-a be alright!"

"Ok, that's good."

"So Francesco hear-a you fell into this cactus field once too?"

"Yes, I did."

"Francesco is-a sure you didn't-a handle it as well as-a Francesco did!"

"Oh, yeah, of course. I only complained a little, while you were screaming the whole time. Yes, it sure sounds like you handled it a lot better than I did."

"You must of been imagining-a things. Francesco never screams-a from pain. He doesn't even complain-a from pain."

"Right..."

"Cause unlike-a McQueen, Francesco is-a able to-a handle pain."

"And I thought we would actually be able to get through this day without an insult. But I guess I was wrong."

"Of course you are-a wrong; Francesco enjoys insulting McQueen."

"I've noticed that. I knew that since we first met face-to-face in Japan."

The two race-cars drove off, talking to and insulting each other as they did so.

UPDATE (July 2017): This story shall become the first of a series of Cars mini-stories that I plan on writing soon!