Connected | Olivia Rodrigo

22. Ghosts Of The Past

SUZUKA, JAPAN. APRIL 2025.

"What have you got to say?" the reporter bombarded Jacob. "That's the third race that Thierry Arquette has finished on the podium and you off it."

Jacob gritted his teeth, this was a tough subject to talk about. In the first three races of the season, Thierry had finished higher than him and Jake was still yet to get a single podium. The moves Thierry was bringing to the racetrack were pushing the limits, borderline dangerous and Jacob didn't have the steel to stay in so he always backed out. There was something crazy in Thierry's mind, like he had nothing to lose.

"He's having a good season in obviously a very good car." Jake said to the reporter.

"What did you think of your race today? What did you think of manoeuvres from other drivers, like Thierry when he overtook midway through?

"It was definitely a challenging race. As for the manoeuvres, some drivers push the limits in different ways, and today was a clear example of that. But that's racing, and we'll just keep focusing on our strategy and performance."

"Did you think the driving was a bit too aggressive in Japan today?"

"Well, everyone has their own approach. I believe in keeping it clean and making sure we all come home safe. It's important to maintain a certain level of respect and sportsmanship on the track. It's a long season and consistent, fair racing will always be my priority."

The rivalry was heating up between the two of them, Jake was slowly disliking the racer Thierry was becoming, almost a win-at-all-costs driver. The internet was going crazy over this, fans from both sides were commenting on how this childhood friendship, one that everyone thought had a bond that could never be broken, was slowly but surely disintegrating.

Olivia, Sophie and Jaxon were unsure of what to do. Olivia had messaged the other two about it and they told her they were staying out of it. The four had never encountered any sort of conflict before. Sure Jacob and Thierry had their rivalry on the course but it was never this serious.

For Olivia herself, she tried to comfort Jake and support him whenever she could but it was proving to be incredibly difficult given the fact she was in the midst of a worldwide, arena tour. She could tell that Jake mentally wasn't doing so well, for someone who was so good at staying calm and suppressing his emotions, he wasn't coping well with everything he was feeling at the moment. She could tell despite the mask he would put on - that's just how well she knew him.

One evening, when he was just lying in his hotel room bed and scrolling through his phone, he saw a notification come up that Olivia had posted. Like a reflex, he clicked on it.