Fake It - OP

Chapter 8

Ange and I finished up some more food before heading off into the paddock. We had decided to leave the air conditioning and experience some of the events we had come here to do because, despite all of the craziness that has been this weekend so far, this weekend was meant for us. And so after I put some more sunscreen on my face and tied Oscar's shirt loosely around my waist I followed after my best friend into the chaos that is the paddock.

The sun was getting lower in the sky so there was lots of shade, but the air was still warm as we wandered down the paddock. People swarmed everywhere. Some were dressed super fancy, others were in different team swag and athletic shorts to stay cool. 'Paddock fashion' was really what you made it I suppose.

Overhead the string lights had come on and danced like fairy lights over our heads. The pathways and sand-dusted flowering planters are illuminated by their glow. In every direction, there are different coloured team buildings, delicious-smelling food trucks as well as sparse trees and bushes. It was like walking through a Christmas light parade, only way cooler. I could hear the roar of the Formula Two race going on around the track, and although I couldn't see the cars, I could picture them and all the chaos that was the lower formulas. I was a Formula One fan, and I had been for years, so for a minute I let myself forget about the nervousness and apprehension that came with faking Oscar and I's relationship, and just let myself enjoy the racing.

"We should try to sneak into the grandstand to watch the last bit of the Formula Two race," Ange said, leaning towards me and grabbing my arm. 

I looked at her, she had a look in her eye that said she was going to do it with, or without me. So I just smiled and started assessing the grandstand that was adjacent to the paddock. We had seats in the paddock viewing section above it, so we probably wouldn't have to work too hard to get into the grandstand. Maybe.

"Lead the way," I said to Ange. She smiled, seeming to read my mind and started speed walking, less leading me and more dragging me towards the grandstand. We passed by some security guards and they didn't take a second look at us as we walked right through the entrance to the grandstand.

"That was easier than I thought," I whispered. The two of us started giggling like fools. Arms still linked we made our way up the stand, there were lots of empty seats thankfully. The metal steps seemed way too loud, despite the roar of the cars, but we must have timed it right as there was a big empty row with probably the best view in this grandstand.

"Go!" I whispered urgently to Ange, and the two of us took off in a dash up the last few steps. I quickly flipped down the bench of the seat and sat down, Ange following suit behind me. We tried to look as nonchalant as possible but the few people seated around us were staring. I leaned my head on Ange's shoulder as we both continued laughing.

Ange and I watched the cars fly past as the laps ticked down with the sun. We both stood up and cheered when the cars all flew past on the last lap, and we kept clapping until the last car passed over the line. The excitement was amazing, and it was only getting more so when I watched all the Formula Two cars file out of the garages and the Formula One teams began to flood the circuit.

"We should get out of here before we get kicked out," I said to Ange when I saw more and more people begin to fill the grandstand for the race. People that were meant to be here. Unlike us. 

"Agreed," Ange grabbed me by the arm again as we walked down the stairs and exited the same way we came in. We managed to find a quieter corner to regroup, and I sat down on the edge of a flower pot to wait for Ange who had ventured off to find a washroom. I readjusted my purse, and Oscar's shirt around my waist and pulled out my phone, checking if there were any new messages from Oscar. There wasn't one, but my Instagram wasn't quiet. I clicked on the notifications icon and scrolled down, I had been tagged so many times in a couple of different pictures, all of which were of me entering the paddock earlier today. I clicked on a few, and all of the pictures were captioned with something like;