The race

[Garrett Duke]

(I haven't wrote here for a long time now and my own solo story has been stuck for awhile now due to my ornery and stubborn muse, so I thought I would try to start writing one here. It is open for ANYONE to join and write in, I just ask for it keep it smooth and following where the story is going. Don't have any real ideas for plots for the story at the moment other than what is written in this here post. Am looking forward to writing this story with whoever wants to join in! It is welcomed to anyone who wants to write with me.)

THE RACE

Walking up to the Hazzard Garage, Bo Duke comes to an abrupt halt as he notices the thick poster taped upon the garage's walk-in door. A colorful race car is located upon the lower half of the poster while the upper half of the poster is covered in thick bold red and black lettering that reads: LOOKING FOR A TALENTED DRIVER TO DRIVE FOR ME! With a moment of thought, Bo glances back at his cousin who is slow to follow him, "Hey Luke. Have a look at this," Bo states, pointing to the poster.

Luke Duke comes to a halt besides his cousin and scans the poster for a short second before shrugging it off. "What about it? You know damn well the General ain't in no condition to be in some race and we definately don't have the money to fix him up for the race," Luke finally states, reluctant to break his cousin's excitement over the race, "besides, with Hogg involved, it reaks of trouble."

Bo eyes Luke momentarily and then looks at the poster once again. "Yeah maybe. But why's this the first we've heard of it?" he questions. Races has been held annually in Hazzard ever since he could remember and the last race had been raced two months ago. When he went on to win the race. And yet, here is a poster acclaiming another race is planned to happen in their hometown in the near future. Which isn't neccesarily uncommon, but something of the poster screams that something is different or wrong about this race.

"Well hot damn. Look who just found my new poster!" Cooter Davenport states behind them, forcing Bo and Luke to quickly turn around to find their family friend with a huge crazy smile spread across his grease stained face. "Was wondering how long it'd take the two of you to find it hanging up. You'll never believe who visited me this morning to ask me to hang it up. Wanna guess?"

Luke shrugs, impatient with this conversation. Impatient in knowledge that it is only feeding onto Bo's pride, Bo's eagerness and excitement about the race. The race they both know they couldn't afford to enter due to their lack of money and now the lack of time. "Who cares, Cooter," Luke injects before Bo can say anything, wanting to end this conversation before Bo is tempted to agree to do something he knew he couldn't do, "Bo and I don't have the cash it takes to enter the race or to fix the General up. You know that. We owe you already for the quick fix last week. The General needs another fix whenever we can find the money. So -"

"I have a guess, Cooter," Bo slowly interrupts Luke while elbowing him in the sides, "this is gonna be a hard one, but I'm going to go with Boss Hogg. Though have to admit, he went all out with this poster. Color and all? Must be feeling generous with this race."

"Nope...wrong," Cooter laughs crazily, "though I am sure once Hogg gets word on all of this, he's gonna eat it up. Wanna another guess, Bo?"

"Not Boss?" Bo questions, "Dang you got me, Cooter. No one else here has the money or the leverage to rent the track or get the road closed for a race. Gotta be someone not from Hazzard."

"You got that right, Bo. Way outside of Hazzard," Cooter grins eyeing the poster with pride as if it was him who had made it. Looking back at the Dukes he says, "in fact, he don't even live in Georgia. Lives in North Carolina. What about you, Luke? Got a guess?"

Luke shakes his head in disbelief. Knowing he is losing the battle. "You aren't listening to me, Cooter. Bo and I don't have the money to enter to any race. So why does it matter if it is Hogg who is having this race or somem guy living in North Carolina?" he questions, irritated, "It don't matter."

Turning to Bo, he questions, "What's his problem?"

Bo shrugs. "I don't know. This lack of money thing has put him in a bad mood," he finally answers. "Forget about him, Cooter. You ever gonna reveal who's putting this race on?"

"Damn right I will. I've been excited as all gets out to tell you about this race. About the visit I got this morning. It's been the best day of life today!" he laughs crazily and turns to Luke, "And I am not going to allow you to ruin it for me, Lukas." He turns back to Bo and says, "Where's the drumroll when you need it? Anyway, Adrian McDeen was the man who paid me the visit this morning to ask me to post his poster up on my garage. He -"

"Adrian McDeen?!" Bo exclaims to interupt Cooter, "The Adrian McDeen that owns a team of cars in NASCAR? Can't be...no way. Why would he come to Hazzard for?"

Cooter laughs while he shakes his head. "Damn right it's the same Adrian McDeen. He owns four cars in NASCAR...he's a busy man," he pauses for a long moment as he once again eyes the poster and back at his friends, "According to my new friend, Adrian, his team is doing well enough without him and he needs to catch up on some charity work. After a couple of months of research he finally decided to put his charity race here in Hazzard. He will put on a qualifying run of the men that signs up for the race and he will chose the top ten driver to race against two of his drivers next weekend. They have an off weekend next weekend so they are free to race here in Hazzard."

"Damn...Hogg's gonna love the publicity this is going to bring Hazzard," Bo states in excitement. "We got to enter The General, Luke! How can we pass this up?"

"Easy. We don't have the money," Luke pestimistically states.

"Sorry to interupt your pestimistic opinion on this race, Luke, but Adrian has agreed to fix up all cars that qualifies into the race," Cooter inserts, "and who ever wins the race will recieve a thousand dollars. The rest of the money he earns from this race will go to the children's hospital in Atlanta. The race is in Hazzard, but he's got posters scattered all over. If y'all plan on entering, you better sign up now. He's only going to accept the first hundred drivers to qualify for the race."

"This is too good to be true. Gotta be a catch somewhere, Cooter," Luke states, not wanting to believe it.

"Nope...all seems legit to me. So you can stop your worrying, Luke," Cooter pats Luke on the shoulder, "I've already signed up. As for The General, bring him in before qualifying and I'll fix him up and put him on your tab. You can pay me back with your winning money."

"Why enter if you already pegging us as the winners?" Luke asks, growing excited about the idea.

"I'm going to win, just had to say that to give you an added bonus to sign up," Cooter winks at him, "but honestly, you come in before qualifying and I'll fix him up and put it on your tab. You can pay me whenever you get the money to do so."

Luke pats his excited cousin on the shoulder and slowly nods. "Well it's looking good on us signing up then. We'll have to run this past Jesse and see what he says, but can't see how we can pass up this offer," Luke states as they slowly walk into the shadow covered garage, "Hogg know about it, yet?"

"Adrian tol' me he had his represenative talk to Hogg about it, but didn't give Hogg Adrian's name or any detail. Just wanted to rent the fair grounds for a couple of weeks to put on a charity race. He agreed to Hogg's prices and that was it. Adrian said he'd talk to Hogg himself when the time came for that. He wants people to sign up for the race on reasons for charity. Not for his name or his driver's names."

Luke laughs as he pulls a bottle of beer out of the fridge before grabbing one for Cooter and one for Bo and hands them out. "Hogg's gonna be rolling in dough once he hears this," Luke states and holds up his beer, "thanks for the beer, by the way. Looks like you're in for a busy day." He motions at his empty garage.

"Well how can I be busy at work if the two of you are in it?" Cooter asks as he opens his beer, "After all, it is the two of you that keeps me in business."

Bo takes a drink of his beer and states, "Well, don't ever say we don't do anything for you, then, Cooter. Looks like ol' Rosco is parked in front of the Sheriff's Station as well. He's the one that truly keeps you in business. Not us."

"True. But if you two didn't keep him busy in his pursuit to arrest you, he wouldn't need my business as much either," Cooter adds, "and trust me, I appreciate the business you bring me."

Bo and Luke nod, eyeing each other a moment before they both set down their half empty bottle of beer. "Well, Cooter, we appreciate the drink," Luke speaks up, a protective hand goes on Bo's shoulder, "but we really ought to get our tails in gear and get on with the chores Jesse sent us in town for."

"Sure thing. But boys," Cooter brings their attention back to him, "keep this thing about the race being held by Adrian between us until he reveals himself. He as real adament about not letting his name out about it."

"That's a big ten four," Luke nods silently, "it's safe with us."

"Figured as much. Have a good day," Cooter waves them off before they walk out of the garage and back out into the sunny day.

(FYI - Adrian McDeen is a fictional name and character that I created. As far as I know, there is no car owner by that name in NASCAR and created him out of my imagination...and will do so with his drivers in his team.

CUE ANYONE!)

[Garrett Duke]

Jesse Duke hears a sigh escape from him as he eyes this month's monthly bank statement that only increases the stress within him. There had been a day when he was able to keep caught up with the bills and had enough money stashed away in case of an emergency. But that had been back in the day when the boys and him were still runnin' shine.

But now? He's having a hard time keeping up with the bills and the mortgage and then to add on food and anything else they may need. Luckily him and his family were healthy and were barely ever sick, but if the boys ever got in an accident or Daisy were to get sick, he wouldn't know how he'd be able to pay for the medical bills.

"Something wrong, Jesse?" Daisy asks, breaking the silence behind him.

He slightly jumps at her question and turns around to face her as she continues to wash this morning's dishes. He finds himself shaking his head, knowing it would be best not to tell anyone about their financial worries. Not until it was neccessary. As of now he was still paying the bills and until he was no longer able to do so, he refused to give his adult kids anything more to worry about. "Ah nothing," he lies as she shoves the statement into his pocket and forces a smile as he pats her on the shoulder, "just wonderin' where the boys are. Sent 'em out over an hour ago and yet nothing."

"Ah Jesse you worry too much. You know how they are," she states calmly as she turns around to give him a care free smile, "they probably stopped at Cooter's and go caught up talking and all."

Jesse laughs. "I know damn well how they are which what leads me to worrying. Sure they could have gotten stopped by Cooter, but they could have also got caught up by Rosco and now sit in jail while they wait for Hogg to let them make their one phone call. To me," he states half heartedly.

She shrugs. "Very true...but that wouldn't be their fault. It'd be our crooked law's fault and would be due to them framing 'em. Not Bo and Luke," Daisy states strongly, "and if that is the case, we'll worry about it when the time comes. As for now," she pauses to turn around to face her dishes and movement out of the window catches her eye. A smile spreads across her pretty face as the orange muscle car slowly turns into their drive way, "well Jesse, hate to break it to you. You're wrong."

"Wrong?" he questions as he moves towards the living room. "How?"

"They boys aren't in jail waiting to make their phone call to you from jail. They're pulling into the drive as we speak," she gives him a smile, "I bet you a pie that they stopped to talk to Cooter."

Jesse smiles back. "I'd love a pie. You're on."

(CUE ANYONE)