VIPER || Oscar Piastri

Chapter 12

[POV: Narrator]

Andreanna Saunterre wasn't the jealous type, she claimed. The look in her eyes said otherwise.

She always loved post-race celebrations; That moment where, even though you can't see the driver's face you know for definite that they're smiling behind their helmet. You also know that they're probably smiling the kind of smile you don't show off - you know, the smile you only smile to yourself, not the one you smile to the cameras.

For a fleeting moment, she recalled the feeling herself; The uncontrollable, though unseen, joy that came with winning. It was a feeling she knew and cherished. At least, a feeling she cherished until it became... diseased. — The first time she won a race, she thought her mouth would split open and require stitches due to how much she smiled. The last time, compared only to the first on account of the feeling that someone might need stitches. And it wasn't going to be Andi.

Post-race celebrates were probably only second to the actual racing itself, in terms of Andi's fondness of them.

But, today, they ranked at an all-time low.

It was just like the last race she won. The same feeling, the same people, the same look in her eyes.

The same view of Charles exiting his car, looking for a familiar face.

Last time, Andi thought he was looking for her.

This time, she knew better.
This time, she was out of his sight completely, leaving her to witness the same thing she did the last time she won a race. From the confines of the Ferrari garage, away from the roaring crowds of cheering faces, Andi watched as Charles scanned and searched for someone else.

It was times like this when she was grateful the helmets provided a cover, an excuse for Andi to think maybe he wasn't looking at the girl in his arms the same way he looked at her. Or, the way Andi thought he looked at her.

It was also times like this when Andi wished it was customary for everyone to wear helmets, lest they catch the scathing look on her face as she watched the two of them embrace.

Needless to say, even though Andi may walk around with a devil-may-care attitude that wards off any suspecting persons, and even though, when she stares at herself dead in the eyes and says 'So what? What's it to me?' she manages to convince herself of her indifference, it was times like this that betrayed her and showed the subtle vulnerability that lies just beneath her surface.

Andreanna Saunterre was not a jealous person, she claimed. But she was a terrible actress.

And she couldn't disagree with that.

*

Before 7pm that night, Andi was already back at the hotel ready to unwind, use (and steal) the complementary vanilla-scented bath salts and have an early night. Her father had sent her home early, as he'd taken note of how quiet she'd been all day. That was due to her muddled up brain. All day, Andi had been thinking of ways to commence phase 1 of her 3 phase plan: Charm Oscar.

The plan she'd decided on (pre-seeing-Charles-with-his-girlfriend) proved pointless by the end of the day, since she was completely planned-out. By the time she got back to the hotel, Andi was not in any mood for chit-chat. Which is what she knew Lando would be up for, no matter the occasion.

As she made her way down the corridor towards her room, she could hear something get louder and louder and louder. The louder it got, the more she prayed it wasn't coming from her room. But, the more she prayed, the more she knew that it was, in fact.