Socket Wrenchturn rubbed the gloss white roll bar on the Dodge Victory Six Coupe as he thought. His sister, All Star Wrenchturn, walked into the garage and gazed at the low and open engine bay.
"Socket, that's a 392 Hemi," she said, shocked, and not acknowledging the lower than legal ride height.
"Yep," he said.
"Where's your windshield," she asked.
He pointed a hoof at the goggles on his head.
"You never change brother," she shook her head.
"I just hope that you make something of yourself," she said as she left.
Socket examined the rack and pinion steering system, and the open wheel wells. He had made this car to beat those Deuce coupes, and would. With four on the floor, and a barely legal 392 with Lake Headers and exhaust that ended just in front of the upper corner of the doors. The little roadster was truly a hot rod worth racing.
The last night of summer, then he was shipping off to a shop in Ponyville. He had butterflies in his stomach as he sheepishly stepped into the car. He was quiet all his life, but tonight he would open up.
“Oh, mare! It’s the last night of summer baby. Ain't that right Tavi. Oh, right, I still gotta call her,” DJ Pon3’s voice came out of the radio and filled Desert Blossom with a warmth in her gut as she fixed her ‘52 Hudson Hornet. She still had to meet her friends, at the drive in, in about 20 minutes. It was still six o'clock, but it felt earlier.
‘I wonder what captain shy is up to,’ she thought as she finished replacing the air filter.
“Children this is the Pon Three Y show on CPRB and I’ve got a surprise start for you tonight,” DJ Pon3 exclaimed.
“Here’s The Monotones, Book of Love,” she exclaimed with a laugh as the music roared forth with the mighty belch and growl of the 392 leaving the compound that Socket called home. He stepped on the gas, and pulled his bandana and goggles over his face.
“You guys don't understand dude, that kid is crazy. No one just doesn't talk,” Sunrise Summer said as she stood with her friend, a blue baby dragon in a leather jacket.
“You listening to me Fable,” she asked him.
“Yes Sunrise, I’ve been listening to you,” he said as he sucked on a toothpick.
The music played loudly through the drive in speakers as hot rods passed by, or stopped in.
“I still can't believe you're joining the army,” she said.
“I just want to protect my home,” he said.
“What will you do,” he asked her.
“I’m not sure,” she said truthfully as her gaze dropped.
A white roadster passed by with a mousy gray buck at the wheel passed, but his face was covered.
“I think you spoke of the devil, but I didn't know he had a car,” the dragon said.
“What do you mean,” she asked.
“He means that you were speaking of someone who appeared after you spoke of him,” a blue buck said standing by a ‘55 Chevrolet sedan.
“Names Silverstreak. I'm from the southside.” the blue buck said. “Built this little beauty myself” he said as he patted the sedan. Sunrise looked at the beaten looking hot rod and took note of the junker turned speed machine. “It looks like it came out of the Midtown Junkyard instead of a shop.” Fable said as he kicked the front fender.
“I'll have you know that this was my grandfather's drag car horns for brains!” Silverstreak said as he pushed Fable back. “Maybe next time consider your word choice before making assumptions puny.” he then got into the sedan and with a loud roar from it's v8 drove off away from the two.
“Some comeback,” Fable said with a mischievous grin.
“C’mon Sunny I’m sorry,” Lucid yelled after her friend.
“Go to hell Lucid,” Sunny cried as she walked away.
Lucid was left standing alone by her ‘58 Impala.
“I didn't mean it like that,” she called half heartedly as the song ended, and was followed by
The Flamingos, “I Only Have Eyes For You”
Blossom pulled up to a light, next to the unknown gray buck in the roadster, and looked down at the low roadster, and smiled.
The buck reached into his bomber jacket and tossed a card through her window that read, ‘I’m in love with you’, but before she could say anything, the light turned green and he took off.
“Shit,” she shouted as she tried to catch up to the roadster, but to no avail as he blew through a light, threading the needle through traffic.
She sighed and turned into the drive in, parking beside a Corvette.
“Hey Blossom,” Sunrise shouted as she and Fable walked to the car.
“Hey Sunrise. Hey Fable,” Blossom said, distant.
“What's wrong,” Fable asked.
She hoofed him the card, and said, “Somepony in a tricked out Victory Six gave this to me, and took off.”
“That's crazy,” Sunrise said.
Blossom wondered who it was when DJ Pon3y came back on.
“Hahaha! Oh, this is the Pon 3 Y show, and I’m DJ Pon3y. We got Octavia With us finally. So tell me Tavi, you ready to make a couple prank calls,” she exclaimed.
“Vinyl, it’s almost eight at night, and that hardly seems proper,” the second voice said.
“We’ll be right back after, Tequila,” She exclaimed.
VROOM!
A deuce coupe with a flathead revved at Socket, who looked at the driver, who said cheekily, “On green, I’m gonna beat you to the second light.”
The light changed, and Socket left the buck in the dust with a flurry of noise and movement, before turning left at the end, and cruising down the next boulevard, and was flagged down by a teary eyed white mare with a pink mane.
“Can I cruise with you for the night,” she asked him.
He nodded shyly and she got in, and held out her hoof.
“I’m Sunny Skies,” she said as she rubbed her eyes.
“I’m Socket wrench,” he said in a near whisper.
“What,” she asked.
He held up his drivers license, but covered the picture.
“Nice to meet you Socket,” she said.
He stepped on the gas as she buckled up, and he used his magic to open the glove box and write, why are you alone and crying, before showing it to Sunny.
“My best friend told me that she didn't want to be my friend anymore,” she burst into tears once more.
Socket felt guilty, but decided to try and distract her.
Equestrian Graffiti
Speedy gazed at the well kept 371 Oldsmobile Rocket under the hood, it's blue paint a beautiful sight to any smart hot rodder.
"That stupid pipsqueak has no idea what he'd be up against," Speedy thought as he looked at the blower that poked through the hood after he shut it.
He hopped in with the intention of racing any of the kids foolishly wandering his streets…
*
"I still can't believe it!"
"What happened Skinny," Fable asked the buck, who had pulled into the drive in.
"Some kid with a shitty roadster beat me," Skinny said, slamming the door on his Phaeton highboy.
"Was it white," Blossom shouted.
"Hey, cool it," Fable said, turning to Blossom.
He turned back to the yellow buck before asking, "So what happened?"
"I think I got dusted by a Vic Six with a Firepower Hemi," he said.
*
"You really pulled this motor from the junkyard," Sunny asked, all signs of her sadness gone from her face.
Socket nodded as they pulled up to the light just before mainstreet.
"I decided to clean it up and keep the original air cleaners because it looked nice," he quietly said, gesturing to the brushed gold valve covers and air intakes.
"But why a Dodge and not a Ford or a Chevrolet," Sunny asked.
"My grandpa always bragged about his Plymouth patrol car would always catch the V8 Fords when he was on the police force, so I started to like cars from Chrysler.
The light turned green and he turned left, preparing for another circuit through town before the police shift change ended.
*
"Hey Blossom," Sunrise called out.
Blossom sat, looking at the little card, before looking toward Sunrise.
"Yeah," Blossom said.
"You ready to head to the senior dance," Sunrise asked.
"Yeah, just get Fable before he orders any more milkshakes," Blossom said.
"Don't worry, I'll get him," Sunrise said.
*
"Alright Chef, I'm clocking off," a purple unicorn said, punching his card.
"Ok Gears, be safe," a deep voice shouted from the kitchen.
Ground Gears strode into the parking lot towards a '37 Chevrolet Truck with a nailhead V8 with the only thing on the front end being headlights and the radiator and the bed was missing entirely. Ponies called him crazy, but he was the fastest driver in town and the only rival to the demon tri 5 driven by Speedy Silverstreak. He hopped in, firing it up and revving the engine before taking off in a flurry of smoke. He drove down to the drive in, having received a phone call at work from his sister about her friend, Sunny.
"I really hope I didn't give her bad advice," he thought as he lit a cigarette with a '35 Zippo lighter.
He pulled up to the drive in, spotting the '58 Impala parked next to a white Corvette. Gears laughed as he stalled his truck, letting it roll into the next spot before hitting the brakes and pulling the parking brake. He hopped out and walked up to his crying sister, pulling her into a hug.
"It's ok Lucid, just tell me what happened," Gears said, worry etched into his features.
"I bucked it up," she bawled.
"I tried to tell her that I couldn't just be friends with her like you said, but she thought I just didn't want her to be my friend," she managed before breaking down into sobbing.
"It's ok, just go home and I'll find her," Gears said, before walking back to his truck.
*
Blossom had pulled the Hudson out of the parking lot as the nailhead Chevrolet pulled into the parking lot, driving toward the high school.
"Hey did y'all see Lucid," Fable asked.
"Yeah, the poor dear probably got shot down," Sunrise said, looking out the window with disdain for her sister.
"By who," Fable asked.
"Don't worry about it," Sunrise said.
"Hey, Blossom are you ok," Fable asked.
*
THIS IS THE DJ PON3 SHOW WITH TAVI! SORRY FOR THE LONG PAUSE, BUT WE'RE FINALLY GONNA DO SOME PRANK CALLS!
I STILL DON'T THINK THIS IS A GOOD IDEA VINYL.
OH RELAX TAVI, IT'LL BE FUN!!!
ALRIGHT, IT'S RINGING.
Hello, Wickersham's Tool Shed, how can I help you?
(In a southern drawl) YES AH'D LIKE THE BIGGEST TOOL YA GOT!
That would probably be our pipe wrench.
NAH, IT'S YOU!!
*CLICK
That was rude.
THAT'S THE POINT TAVI, BUT IT'S FUNNY! HERE YOU TRY!
Aw, Vinyl, I don't want to do this.
AW COME ON TAVI! YOU PROMISED!
*sigh
Fine. Give me the receiver.
Chef's Diner, how can I help you?
Hello, I was calling about the reefer.
YOU WON'T GET ME YOU FEDS!!!
*Click
HAHAHAHA
(Gentle refined laughter)
That was pretty fun.
TOLD YOU.
NOW BACK TO THE MUSIC! HERE'S LITTLE MARE OF MINE BY THE CLEFTONES!
*
Speedy drove back toward town, pulling up beside a patrol car and rolling down his window.
"Hey there sis," he said to the mare behind the wheel.
"What do you want Speedy," she said, annoyed.
"World peace, but for now I'm wondering who's fast and wandering the streets tonight," he responded with a grin.
She looked at him and deadpanned before saying, "You know grandpa will slap you AND sell that nailhead that you want from him, right?"
"Only if I'm caught, please tell me," Speedy said excitedly.
She sighed, before she reluctantly spoke, "There's a Victory Six making the rounds and Grinding Gears is doing the same, but other than that there's just a couple deuce coupes and a black vette cruising around."
"Thanks, I'll be home by 8 o'clock," Speedy said, taking off.
*
"Hey, nice ride! Still can't believe you beat me," the driver of the black Corvette said.
Socket gave him a thumbs up before the light turned green and he turned left.
He made another left, parking in front of a liquor store and stepping on the brake.
"What's wrong," Sunny asked.
Socket took a deep breath, before asking through the anxiety, "Why were you crying?"
Sunny didn't expect this, suddenly feeling the pain in her chest return.
"My best friend said she didn't want to be my friend anymore and we're going to the same college. I-she's my only friend," Sunny said.
"What did she say," Socket asked.
" I don't know, I was too upset to let her finish," Sunny said, earning a sigh from the colt.
"You realize that you could've completely blown off something important, right?"
Socket stared at her as she seemed to think it over.
"That doesn't make sense," Sunny said, earning another sigh.
"Good grief," Socket said.
Author's Note
Welp, not sure if this is any good, but I'm back. If anyone enjoys this or has any suggestions, then let me know. Y'all have a wonderful time.
