Just when they thought they were back on track, fate had other plans. As they drove down the highway, they heard a strange noise coming from the car. "What is that?" Lucy asked, her eyes darting nervously around.
"I don't know, but it doesn't sound good," Alice replied, gripping the steering wheel tighter.
Suddenly, the car lurched to one side, and they felt the unmistakable sensation of a flat tire again. "No! Not again!" Alice screamed, pulling over to the side of the road.
They both got out, staring at the tire in disbelief. "This is a nightmare!" Lucy exclaimed, throwing her hands up in frustration. "We're going to miss the competition!"
As they fumbled with the spare tire, they couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of the situation. "At least we're in this together," Alice said, trying to lighten the mood.
"Yeah, but we're also going to lose to Veronica!" Lucy replied, her voice tinged with panic.
With their hearts racing and their hands covered in grease, they finally managed to replace the tire. But as they got back in the car, they realized they were running dangerously late. The competition was starting, and they were still miles away.