The Chequered Flag || Lando Norris

25 | Unaware

I had flown to the States on Monday, it was now Friday morning. I was sat on the guest bed in my bomma's house, watching the beginning of free practice. I had stayed on BST even though that meant I was really only awake when the sun was down.

After FP1 and FP2, I sent Lando a text telling him he did well.

I got a call not too long after.

"What time is it there?" He asked.

"7:30 now." I replied.

"My goodness, Cami! " Lando said, "How long have you been up?"

"I wanted to watch Free Practice."

"You need to sleep, Cami!" Lando exclaimed.

"I don't." I said. "I'm staying on my normal sleep schedule, it just looks like it's about eight hours off because I'm in a different part of the world."

"You're impossible." Lando replied with a sigh.

"And I take pride in that." I said. "But, hey, enough about me, you guys are looking okay for this weekend."

"Well, we'll see how it looks after FP3." Lando said, a hint of disappointment in his voice.

"I'm sure you guys have the pace. Plus, you love Spa, so that should count for a couple tenths, right?"

Lando chuckled, "I can only hope. Hey, I gotta go. I'm so sorry."

"Don't be." I said, "I know you're busy. But, hey, feel free to call anytime, I'm still on your schedule."

"You really shouldn't be," He responded, "But I'll call you when I wake up."

I bit my lip to try to contain the goofy grin that had spread across my face. "Sounds like a plan."

. . .

I walked out of the guest room when I heard Bomma start to move around the kitchen.

"Morning, sweetheart."

"Morning, Bomma."

"Already watched FP1 and FP2?" She asked, teasing me.

"Yup." I responded with a smile. "Gotta make sure he's okay."

"God, it makes me sad."

"What?" I said, suddenly concerned.

"My little girl cares more about her boyfriend's safety than spending time with her old bomma."

"Hey," I said with a smile, "You know that's not true. I just don't have the discipline to change my sleep schedule that much. But I'll admit, I don't think I could deal with it if I was asleep, unaware something bad had happened to him."

As I said that, a memory from last night came crashing back to the front of my brain. I pushed it down as Bomma responded.

"I'm just surprised you were back in time to watch it, and sober enough to be talking coherently to me right now." She said in reference to my night out with Mia, Anna, Ella, and Thea last night.

I tried to give her a reassuring smile as I pushed down the memory again. "It helps when you drink so much you throw it all up."

"I suppose that's one way to do it." Bomma said with a disappointed tone.

I gave her a kiss on the cheek and made my way to the bathroom. I shut the door and leaned on the vanity as the memories of last night came rushing back up to the surface.

. . .

I was bent over, throwing up all the alcohol I had drank that night. I knew that drinking on an empty stomach wasn't smart, but I thought that I, of all people, could do it. How could I be so stupid.

I was catching my breath and trying to let my head clear as the fresh air was starting to sober me up. I felt hands on my hips from behind, and a slurred voice said, "Damn, you are looking good tonight." As a crotch was pushed up against my body.

I winced as I recognized that drunken voice. How could I forget it? I stood up and asked, "This why you got kicked out of the army, Vance?"

I felt a jolt go through his body and he let my hips go. I took a couple steps toward the mouth of the alleyway before turning toward him.

"Is that you, Cami?" Vance asked as he squinted at my face, swaying so much he looked just about ready to fall over from the slightest breeze.

I stared at the face I once found attractive. Maybe I still would now if he didn't have that greasy, shoulder length hair, unkempt beard, and dark circles that made it look like he had been up for about a month.

"God, you look amazing." Vance said as he looked me up and down.

"You look like a sad piece of shit." I shot back at him.

"Come on baby, I know you still care about me. How about a quickie, for old times sake." Vance said, a disgustingly sly smile.

"No, Vance, I don't care about you, I don't even have pity for you. You deserve everything you got, and to be honest, I'm starting to think that wasn't enough, 'cause you're still doing the same old shit. Have you learned absolutely nothing? Was losing everything not enough for you? I mean, look at yourself! Look at what you've become! Was this what you wanted? Are you even sorry?"

Vance just laughed at me as he continued to sway back and forth, "See, I knew you still cared about me."

Fuming, I walked straight up to Vance, close enough to smell the cheap beer in his breath, and jabbed my finger into the center of his chest as I said, "Let's get one thing straight Vance, I find you disgusting. What you did to those girls, what you did to me, is fucking despicable. You deserve to rot in jail for it, and I hope one day you will. And you know what, when you do, I will happily come and visit you. Maybe then you'd be sober enough to be sorry."

I turned away from him and started to walk out of the alley when he called after me, "You sure you don't wanna fuck?"

I stormed back toward him and punched him square in the jaw. Vance fell down onto the asphalt and moaned as he squirmed on the ground. "You bitch!" He shouted.

"Fuck you, Vance." I snarled and walked away, leaving him in the alley and walked home.