Sparks

IX

"And after starting a pole position, and defending their position, Giselle Senna takes the first win of the season!" the announcers yelled as I parked my McLaren. 

I got out of the car to see Charles and Max placed behind me causing me to grin to myself. Max and Charles ran over to me and we all shared a big hug, as the photographers snapped away at the rare show of support on the track. Max and I would usually be at each other's throats on the track but go back to normal after a race, but now we were just friends. Charles was equally happy for me to take the win. 

I turned to the media waiting for a statement, 

"Giselle, how does it feel to win in your father's team?" one asked causing me to chuckle. 

"Like winning at any other team, except it is nice to win over Ferrari especially after they dropped me." I chuckled. 

"Do you think you'll go back to Red Bull next year?" 

"If they'll have me," I replied. 

"Anything to say to Ferrari?" 

I smirked at the cameras, "I look forward to seeing Ferrari in my mirrors, if they even make it close enough for me to see without squinting," I quipped before turning to get weighed and go to the garage before the trophies. 

The dig at Ferrari would either go over well by everyone if they understood my position or be taken the wrong way. Above all I have to make sure never to let a Ferrari beat me so my words would remain true. 

***

A true my words remained. That season was incredible. Now here I am in Brazil, the last race before I would race in Abu Dhabi. This race would solidify whether I would take the win in Abu Dhabi or take the win for my Seventh WDC at this race. The tricky thing about Brazil is that it is the worse track that I usually race at because of the pressure that I find myself under. Every single year I've come in the top five at the race, but not first place. Ever. Now with me driving in Mclaren, the pressure was even more on, but for some reason throughout the season, I'd come to peace with being in a Mclaren for my record seventh win, tying me with Michael Schumacher. 

Of course the day of the race, F1 would be really milking and have me hear as they always do and I would be ceremonies and meeting celebrities and Q and A. It is the most tedious thing, but I do what I have to do.  At the moment I am walking to actually do a meet and greet type thing with Neymar, after I gave him a tour of the paddock even though he's been to these things, apparently it's good optics. 

"Ney!" I called out as I saw the football player talking to Lewis. 

Neymar turned around and ran to hug me, spinning me around, "Gosh I've missed seeing you in France during your off-season,"  he said while switching to the native language that surrounded us here at home. 

"I've missed you too," I whispered while giving him a kiss on the forehead. 

Neymar and I kinda grew up in the fame together as Brazil's young heroes. We were really similar and he was family at the end of the day. Everyone thought that if Neymar and I had less of an age gap, we would've been married by now but we settled for platonic soulmates, which is really what we were like. 

Funnily enough, Ney and Lewis were friends as well. Thought Neymar seemed to know something more about the enemy-type relationship Lewis and I had, and always encouraged me to give Lewis more of a chance. This season, I actually took his advice, and Lewis and I were now sometimes doing interviews together and saying hi to each other on the track. Now eight months after the first Grand Prix, we would complement each other when on the podium, and even exchange advice after races. We still hated each other and would be passive-aggressive a lot, but there were those rare moments like those when we got along. 

Neymar and I walked through the Pit Lane, and of course, the first garage was Mercedes and I saw Lewis inspecting his car. 

"Ney!" Lewis exclaimed and ran over to hug him. The two talked for a moment before I continued the tour. 

"Gigi!" Max exclaimed and ran up to hug me tightly while spinning around in a circle. "Excite?" 

My smile fell and Max realized something was bothering me, and so did Lewis who decided to take Ney on the rest of the tour, "Max, I have the worst feeling about the race," I whispered. 

Max held me tightly while letting me just hold onto him while taking deep breaths and whatnot. Max and I over the course of this season, had gotten so extremely close to each other. He squeezed me one last time before letting go to look me in the eye. 

"You have this Giselle," he whispered. "You deserve this win, you just have to win this race and you have the Championship in the bag,"

I nodded, "Max you have to promise me if anything should happen to me during this race...make sure Lewis wins," I whispered back. "He's going to want to forfeit the race, I know him, and make sure he finished the race today." 

"You're winning, and nothing will happen to you," Max said forcefully while I could see a flash of fear in my eyes. He knew every time I had a bad feeling before a race something bad would happen. Something bad always did happen, my gut was never wrong. "I love you, Giselle," he whispered. 

A few hours later we were all suited up and in our cars at the start line. As the countdown started I waited for my father's voice but heard nothing. 

"Shit," I whispered as the lights went out, and away we went. 

I made it through the Grand Prix and was on my fifth to the last lap when I felt the car skid a little before I realized the steered wheel locked up on me again. 

"Umm...everyone who is listening on the radio, my steering wheel is locked," I announced calmly. 

Benji my engineer came on and I could hear his shaking voice knowing the straight would be ending soon, "Giselle, if you break in the corner it will do more damage than good, so I'm going to ask for you to let go of everything, and brace for impact." he whispered. 

Tears started pouring down my face, "It's been an honor" I replied and I heard another voice cut in as the end of the straight became visible. 

"Gigi...you're the champion," he whispered. 

"No, you, Lewis..." I whispered before everything went black.