Eyes Don't Lie | Charles Leclerc

Part 17 | It Was All Yellow

September 2022

*Flashback*

The moment I read that message, it was like the world collapsed in on itself. My vision blurred, and the walls of the hotel room seemed to close in, trapping me in a suffocating box. The words on in the message burned into my mind, taunting me, reminding me of how utterly I'd lost control. I couldn't breathe. My chest tightened painfully, and it felt like something was crushing my lungs. 

Panic surged through me. I dropped the phone, backing away from it in horror. My vision started to go dark, and I could feel the fear of disappointment wrapping itself around my throat. 

"Charles?" Carlos' voice cut through my inner thoughts, but it sounded distant, like he was speaking to me from the other end of a long tunnel. I could barely focus on him, the panic consuming every thought, every sensation. 

"Charles, breathe. You have to breathe. Count to three with me." 

He was trying to reach me, his hands on my shoulders, but I couldn't respond. The air seemed to have been sucked out of the room, and no matter how hard I tried to pull it into my lungs, it just wouldn't come. 

I was drowning, drowning in my own fear, in the consequences of my actions, in the sheer weight of everything that had gone wrong. My mind was a whirlpool, dragging me down into the depths where there was no light, no air, only the overwhelming sense of failure and shame. What would my team think if they saw those pictures? Worse...what would my maman think?

I could hear Carlos calling my name, but it was muffled, like I was underwater, sinking further and further under the waves. My heart was racing, my heart beat pounding in my ears and I couldn't think, couldn't breathe, couldn't escape. 

"Fuck Charles. I'll get Pierre... I need Pierre," Carlos' voice broke through again, more frantic this time. I could hear the rustling of him grabbing his phone, the quick, rushed words as he called someone, Pierre, I think he was calling Pierre. 

I didn't know what was happening, didn't care. I was lost, spiraling deeper into the black abyss inside my mind. The air was gone, and I couldn't see, couldn't feel anything but the paralyzing terror that was clawing at my insides. 

Then, suddenly, there were more hands on me...steady, firm, but gentle. I could hear Pierre's voice, though it was still distant, muffled by the chaos inside my head. He was talking to me, saying something, but I couldn't make out the words. I was too far gone, too deep in the nightmare to understand. 

"Charles, look at me," Pierre's voice was clearer now, closer, more insistent. I tried to focus, to pull myself out of the dark, but it felt impossible, like I was trapped under a weight too heavy to lift. 

Then, I felt his hands on my face, warm and grounding. He was holding me, forcing me to look at him, and slowly, painfully, I began to come back to myself. The darkness stopped just long enough for me to see his eyes, those familiar, ocean blue eyes.

"Charles, listen to me," Pierre said, his voice steady and calm, though I could hear the fear he was trying to keep hidden. 

"I'm here. We're here. You're not alone. Just focus on my voice, okay? We're going to get through this." 

I couldn't speak, couldn't do anything but stare at him, my breath still coming in shallow, desperate gasps. But Pierre didn't let go. He stayed there, holding my gaze, anchoring me to the present, to him. I felt a pair of arms behind me, I think it was Carlos. He wrapped his arms around my shoulders while Pierre held my face. 

And then, Pierre began to sing. It was soft at first, just a hum, but I recognized it immediately. 'Yellow' by Coldplay. My favorite song. The one that had always brought me comfort, that had always reminded me of better days, of moments of peace and happiness. It was one of Jules favorite songs, he'd always play it on his iPod for us.

Pierre's voice was soothing, each note bringing me back to life and slowly, so slowly, I felt myself starting to calm. The panic didn't disappear completely, but it lessened, enough for me to take in a shaky breath, then another. The darkness in my mind began to lift, the suffocating pressure easing just enough for me to breathe again. 

Carlos was there too, his hands still wrapped around my shoulders, his presence a silent reassurance that I wasn't alone, that they were both here with me, pulling me out of the abyss I'd fallen into. 

Pierre kept singing, his voice unwavering, as he guided me back from the depths. And slowly, the world started to make sense again. The room stopped spinning, the walls stopped closing in, and I could finally breathe, really breathe. 

Tears were streaming down my face, but they weren't just from fear anymore. There was relief in them too, a release of everything I'd been holding in, of the pain and the terror that had nearly consumed me. 

When Pierre finally stopped singing, the silence that followed was thick with emotion, but it wasn't overwhelming. It was a silence filled with understanding, with the unspoken bond between friends who had seen each other at their worst and still stayed. 

I looked at Pierre, then at Carlos, who was watching me with a mixture of concern and relief. "Thank you," I whispered, my voice harsh, barely audible, but they both heard it. Pierre gave me a small, reassuring smile, his hands still on my face, grounding me. 

"We're going to get through this, Charles," Pierre said softly, his voice filled with a quiet determination. "No matter what happens, you're not alone. We're with you. Now tell me how I can help, let's take care of this threat you got." 

Carlos picked up my phone, showing Pierre the message from the girl in my hotel room. They  turned back to me. "We've got this Charles, no one will ever see these. We've got your back."

And in that moment, as I sat there between my two friends, I believed him. The road ahead was still dark, still filled with uncertainty and fear, but I wasn't facing it alone. And that made all the difference.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟 𓆞

Author's Note: Carlos Sainz...I die for you. Also, enter Pierreeeeee Gaslyyyy. Now let's get to the next chapter with an interesting coffee date for our Aria and Charlie ❤️