6. Dustys race (1/2)

ever since dusty left to new york for the race around the globe, chug, dottie, aggie, skipper, and sparky watched the race on t.v.. in that first day, when the show in on, every forklift dragged the planes out unto the runway, including dusty.

"it's dusty!" dottie exclaimed, spotting dusty on t.v..

chug reached out and pulled a cart of dusty-like souvenirs, all right, everybody, get your dusty bobbleheads. your oven mitts, hats, bumper stickers, and i also ordered, a thousand commemorative whistles." then, he whispered to sparky, "hey, you think you can help me set up a website?"

"does a giga bite?" sparky inquired teasingly.

"well, not if you pet him nicely." chug replied as they both laughed.

then, aggie arrived with a wagon of popcorn. "who wants popcorn, everybody?"

"hey, did you get them from our corn?" dottie asked.

aggie was too nervous to answer. she thought that she got herself into trouble because of using the town's corns to make popcorn, "well, uh…"

"because that would be perfect to watch a show! i'm starving anyway." chug said happily as he ate one kettle.

when dusty made it to the checkpoint in iceland, his friends was able to contact him on the radio.

"this is propwash junction to dusty crophopper." chug called.

"i read you, chug." dusty replied.

"so, how's it going there, dust?" aggie questioned.

dusty replied, "well, my wings froze solid. i had icicles hanging off my sprayer. and i nearly smashed into a 10-story iceberg."

"awesome!" chug yelled happily.

"yeah, 'awesome' is not quite the word that i would use to describe a gruesome near-death experience."

"you hang in there, buddy. there's nothing better than dying while doing what you love most."

dottie sighed, "that's gonna make him feel a lot better."

"yeah, that's not helping him." aggie added.

the, skipper cut in, "dusty, just like when the jolly wrenches were up in the aleutians the air down close to the sea has more moisture, which is why you took on ice. you gotta try to fly higher."

"great." dusty rolled his eyes.

"the good news is tomorrow's leg goes through the bavarian obstacle course. it's all about agility, so it's your chance to move up." skipper continued, "and remember, it's not speed that wins races, it's skill."

everyday, they've watched dusty racing half around the world, using all skills that skipper taught him. when the racers made it to india, dusty is now at eighth place, and even more reporters questioned him along the way.

"dusty, dusty, where did you learn to race?" one of the reporters asked.

"from my coach, skipper." dusty replied, "he's the reason i'm even here. he's an amazing instructor. and a great friend. he flew dozens of missions all around the world. and i'm sure, if he could, he'd be with us right now."

skipper was touched about what dusty said as he smiled warmly, but also guilty that he has a secret he never told anyone in town, except sparky, who already know what happened.