Codie’s POV
“Good luck Codie.” Were the first words I had heard from Louis for an entire week.
“Whatever.” Was my response. Seriously, he had ignored me the entire week, I decided to do the same to him. I still didn’t know why he had been ignoring me, and I had given up asking. This isn’t how I wanted the Bathurst race to go. I wanted it to be happy and would end with me winning. Neither of them seemed likely unless something happened along the lines of a miracle.
“Have fun.” Niall said giving me a hug. He had been my best friend while Louis has had his spaz attack all week. I’m starting to think that I had chosen the wrong one, maybe I should have gone out with Niall. All I would have to worry about is his food consumption.
“I’ll try.” I responded, giving Louis an evil glare. It wasn’t one of my friendly ones either. It was my best stink eye I could possibly give him. They were all going to watch qualifying from the stands, well, not just me. I was going to do a few laps and so was Jamie. For Bathurst 1000, you need to swap drivers. I’m sorry, but I’m not driving 1000 kilometres straight. I love racing, but that’s too much.
The rest of the boys wished me luck and left, but Louis stayed behind. “Codie, can we talk?” he asked me. I didn’t really want to talk to him, I was too angry at him. So angry I was near crying. He hadn’t talked to me since Monday, and it was Saturday now. I wanted to know why, but I don’t think I could ask him without punching him in the face.
“I have qualifying Louis. I don’t want to talk, you haven’t talked to me all week, why should I do any different?” I said before turning and walking to the pit stop shed, holding my arm while crying. When I got there I got swarmed by all of the girls, Frosty, and his team. Even though he had no idea what was going on, he was still worried for me. I suppose it was because I looked like a bomb had hit my face.
“What’s wrong Codie?” he asked, giving me a fatherly hug.
“I don’t know.” I told him. I really didn’t, I was hoping I didn’t do anything wrong, I really was.
“Well, whatever it is, escape it when you race. Don’t let it stuff you up.” He told me.
“I need to get changed don’t I?” I said stupidly.
“Yes, you do. Off you go now. Jamie’s already changed so she can do the first laps, take as much time as you need.” Amelie instructed me.
“Alright.” Was all I said before I left to change into the suit. ‘The suit’, hah, sounds like I’m Iron Man. I looked into one of the mirrors and saw how ugly I looked. My mascara had run, my hair was so messy and my eyes were red. Wow, it was a sexy look. Beautiful. I let my hair down and braided it back before I changed into the suit and wiped my face clean.
“That’s better.” I whispered to myself. When I finally get back to the pit stop, Jamie was halfway through qualifying but had had enough of driving.
“You sure you’re ready?” Clarisse asked me. I ran my hand over my braided hair.
“I hope so.” I answered before the rush of getting me into the car and going for some practice laps. When I came across the finish line for one of the laps, I took a glimpse at the big screen. All I could see on it was Louis. “Prick.” I said to myself, forgetting that the microphone was on to my team.
“Well then, I see how this is. I’m breaking up with you!” I heard Amelie talk to me though my earpiece.
“Not if I break up with you first!” I shouted back.
“Not possible, I already broke up with you.” She answered back. I hear some talk in the background along the lines of ‘what the hell are you two talking about?’ and ‘you’re clogging up the airways!’. I smiled and laughed.
“Idiots.” I said under my breath.
“Sorry, I missed that.” Amelie responded returning to all seriousness, thinking something was wrong.
“Nothing.” I almost shouted.
“You didn’t look at the big screen when you went over the line did you?” sounding hopeful that I hadn’t.
“Yeah, I did.” I was keeping my answers short to pay some attention to my driving.
“Take out your anger with your driving alright? I’m leaving you for a few minutes, so if you have a massive crash or something make sure to shout really loud through the microphone so I can hear you from the other side of the garage, alright?” she told me.
“Alright.” I agreed with her.
***
“Great job mate.” Clarisse said as she hugged me.
“Considering everything going on in your life, that was amazing.” Elysse said, before hugging the other side of me.
“So glad you got us pole position, I would never be able to do that.” Jamie added, slowly turning it into a group hug.
“I don’t think I can talk to you, we broke up over the phone remember?” Amelie said. Jamie grabbed her and pulled her into our hug.
“You guys will be my friends no matter what happens right?” I asked them.
“Of course!” they all responded.
“Even if I’m not with Louis anymore?”
Louis’ POV
I was waiting at Codie’s car for her to turn up. She probably knew I was here, so she would probably be trying to stay away. I had been a complete dick head this past week. I should have told her, right at the beginning, instead of being silent all week. I was so angry at myself I wouldn’t be surprised if she broke up with me. Her father is probably going to kill me when he finds out.
She was finally walking towards the car, finally. I was going to talk to her this time, whether she was gonna listen or not. “Codie.” I said to get her attention.
“Louis, I’m not interested.” She told me, unlocking her car.
“Please, let me explain-” she cut me off.
“Explain what Louis? Why you’ve been such a prick over the last week? Why you’ve been ignoring me and everyone else? Why you haven’t said a word to anyone until today? Why do you think I should just forgive you for all of that? Why? Give me five good reasons, Louis. Five good reasons.” She was so angry at me, I was trying not to cry. I was so angry at myself that I had been hoping that Codie’s very nice side would be shown to me, I suppose I was getting what I deserved.
“I was too embarrassed to talk to you. I was too angry at myself. I didn’t know how to say it and I’m a complete idiot.” I said.
“That’s only four Louis.” She told me, her eyes turning pink, she was going to cry.
“Please don’t cry.” I practically begged her.
“What’s the other reason? The other four were shit, now what is your fifth? Do you even have one?” a single tear rolled down her cheek. Her eyes pleading for the right answer. I swallowed hard and tried to hold my tears back. I couldn’t bring myself to say it, I just couldn’t, it was ripping apart my heart. I left her with silence. It’s all I could do. I was helpless with her in pain and me being the reason behind it.
“That’s what I thought.” She said trying not to break out into tears and getting into her car. I got out of the way and let her drive off.
“I love you.” I finally managed to whisper. Why couldn’t I say it before when she was here? I am such a dick wad.
“Dude, weren’t you supposed to be going with Codie?” Harry asked me when I got back to our car.
“One thing we didn’t think of.” I said.
“What’s that? I thought we came up with an answer for everything?” he continued, grabbing my shoulder and walking with me back to the car.
“Not for if I couldn’t say anything.” I answered him.
“Oh.” He stopped walking. “Well, she’s gonna be pissed when we get back.”
“Thank you, for that supportive comment, right there.” I sarcastically commented.
“I know, it was amazing.” He said, putting a hand to his heart. I really needed to make this up to Codie, but how?
I clicked my fingers. “Got it.” I said out loud.
“What?” Harry asked me, not knowing what I was thinking.
“I will explain in the car.” Was all I said while I tented my fingers like Mr. Burns off of the Simpsons. “Excellent.” I added on that thought.
“What?” Harry asked me again.
“More explanation-ing in the car.”
Codie’s POV
When I got home last night I had gone straight to my room and cried, for a long time. I didn’t know if I wanted to break up with him or what I was going to do. There had been to many tears this week, I should have run out by now. Anyway, at the moment I was ready at the garage, Jamie was going to start off for us, then I was going to finish. We were just going over last minute checks on the car before we set out onto the grid.
“Yo, Frosty.” I greeted the obvious person as he walked in.
“What up?” he tried sounding cool.
“You got any pointers for me bro’?” we kept up the kind of gangster talk.
“Not really… nah, I can’t keep it up.” He sounded defeated.
“Ma nigs, you won last year, there has to be something you can tell me.” He kind of had that awkward smirk on.
“That was a lucky race, you know that right?” he told and asked me.
“It was still a good race though. There has to be one thing.” I was almost begging on my knees.
“Well, there is one thing.” He was stringing me along, this was going to be something really obvious and stupid.
“What is it?” I asked him seriously. He walked outside of the garage and shouted back to me.
“It helps, if you don’t run out of petrol!” he shouted back giving me a thumbs up.
“You little bastard!” I shouted back as I ran after him. He was walking suttly, then turned around to find me charging for him.
“AAAHHHH!!!” he screamed trying to sprint away but tripping over his own feet.
“Good job mate.” I said, offering a hand to help him up.
“I know it was.” He strutted off after saying that very sarcastic line. By the time the cars were on the grid we were all waiting for the people to sing a song and the Australian anthem.
“Do you know who’s singing?” I asked Amelie as we were all standing around the car at Pole Position.
“No, what about you guys?” she said and asked.
“No.” Jamie answered from inside the car.
“Nah.” Clarisse answered.
“Nope.” Elysse chimed in.
“Great. Just great.” I said before seeing the boys take the stage. “Oh, just perfect!” I shouted very sarcastically. Whoops, I’m fairly sure everyone from here to 1 kilometre away heard that. I bit my lip, that was embarrassing. Louis had a sad look on, and his stupid face was really tempting to punch right now. My fists were clenched at my sides. I felt a hand on my shoulder.
“Calm down Codie. Everything will be fine.” Amelie told me.
“Will it Amelie? Will it?” I said in a harsh tone.
“This is dedicated to Codie Badress-” Niall said.
“-Amelie Ford-” Harry added.
“-Clarisse Derchin-” Liam smiled when he said it.
“-and Jamie Grey.” Zayn finished.
“Mostly Codie Badress.” Louis said. Was this his way of trying to fix this thing that was like an argument but wasn’t? Because I don’t think it would work.
“Hah, you miss out Elysse.” Amelie pushed Elysse’s shoulder.
“Shut up!” she said pushing her back.
“So you don’t want to be missing out?” Amelie asked her.
“I didn’t say that!” Elysse pleaded.
“Your tone says everything for you.” Amelie turned up her nose. “Wait a minute, there’s only one boy left!” she shouted.
“So what?!” Elysse shouted.
“I see it all clearly now-” I kind of stopped listening because the boys had started singing.
“Written on these walls are the stories that I can’t explain
Leave my heart open but stays here empty for days
She told me in the morning she don’t feel the same about us in her bones
Seems to me that when I die these words will be written on my stone
And I’ll be gone, gone tonight
The ground beneath my feet is open wide
The way that I’ve been holding on too tight
With nothing in between
The story of my life
I take her home
I drive all night to keep her warm and time
Is frozen
The story of my life
I give her hope
I spend her love
Until she’s broke inside
The story of my life
Written on these walls are the colours that I can’t change
Leave my heart open but it stays right here in it’s cage
I know that in the morning now, I see ascending light upon the hill
Although I am broken my heart is untamed still.”
I knew Louis’ solo was next, but I was trying to block it out, it really didn’t work. I heard every word clearly, and it went straight to my heart. It’s gonna take more than words to make this better, I just have to say that.
“And I’ll be gone, gone tonight
The fire beneath my feet is burning bright
The way that I’ve been holding on so tight
With nothing in between
The story of my life
I take her home
I drive all night
Too keep her warm and time
Is frozen
The story of my life
I give her hope
I spend her love
Until she’s broke inside
The story of my life
And I’ve been waiting for this time to come around
But baby running after you is like chasing the clouds
The story of my life
I take her home
I drive all night
Too keep her warm and time
Is frozen
The story of my life
I give her hope
I spend her love
Until she’s broke inside
The story of my life”
How many times can this repeat for god’s sake?
“The story of my life
The story of my life
The story of my life”
The song finished and I felt different. The race started, and when I finally got to racing, I didn’t know I was going to end up in hospital.

Notes