invisible string | c. leclerc

eight

VIII. Usual Reactions

CANADA: June 2023

TWITTER:

➥@fan109: for the fifth time this month????

➥@fan17: I swear it was a different girl last grand prix

➥@fan76: he really be living up to the name lol

➥@fan56: but thalie...

     ➥@fan88: I think they're strictly best friends

➥@tutur: oh for fuck sake. réveille-toi frère s'il te plait
(

Translation: "Wake up brother, please.")

➥@ateangie: should I be surprised???

     ➥@tripod: at this point, there's not point in being surprised

➥@honeybadger.: change of race suit @lightningmcharles?

     ➥@lightningmcharles: what do you mean?

     ➥@maxvers: idiot. You are stupid.

➥@fan19: oh. The timing thalie nooo

➥@fan82: this is the first time she tweets after drinking for a celebration

     ➥@fan099: I know right. Me and my friends saw her and her team celebrating and then this

➥@fan27: I mean its her life?? Let's not overanalyze????

➥@kinderjoy: oh. For free?

     ➥@lightningmcharles: no.

     ➥kinderjoy: no need to be rude, I was joking Charles

     ➥@lightningmcharles: not funny

     ➥@honeybadger.: oooh Charles is angry

Nathalie didn't know when she got home or when her team dropped her off. She can't remember when she took her shoes off, she can't remember when she plopped in her bed and saw the tweet.

She can't remember what her reaction was. Her head was aching as the sun light shined on her, she groaned and pulled the duvet over her head.

Although, she heard the incessant sound of her phone. It was ringing and she patted her hand on the bed, trying to find it.

When she finally found, she answered the call. "Hello?"

"Thalie?" She heard Angel's voice through the phone. It was uncommon knowledge that the two knew each other back in high school and college back in the Philippines. They used to play in the same volleyball team.

"Angel." She said as she laid on her back. The reporter sighed, "I know you're not okay."

It was not shocking the way Angel approached the situation that the model is in. But Thalie knew how to deal with her old friend's reaction.

"Care to elaborate what you are talking about?"

She heard Angel scoff, she stared at the ceiling, waiting for the revelation that her friend was going to tell her. Something that she believed she knew already but did not want to admit it.

"About Charles with a new girl." Angel simply said. Thalie sighed, "I don't know what you want me to say Angie. It's normal. It's a new gp, its bound to happen."

She heard her friend sigh again, "I'm worried Thals. Do you even know what you tweeted?"

This caught her attention, "Tweet?" she asked as she opened her app. Her jaw dropped as she left Angel on speaker, "You were celebrating last night?" the reporter asked.

Thalie hummed as she read the replies. "You tweeted right after, just a few minutes after the tweet about Charles and Inez. They're speculating." She said.

The model groaned and exited the app, "What should I do Angel?" she asked. She trusted her friend, she did knew the media more than anyone in her friend group (aside from Andrea of course).

"Maybe post something about your new sponsor. That way they know you were out celebrating with your team." Angel answered.

Thalie was quick to pick some pictures and compose a caption. The silence worried Angel, "It's going to be okay Thals."

"How do you know that?"

"Because for all they know, you could careless about being jealous about Charles' new girl."

The model huffed, "I am not jealous."

Angel scoffed, "You don't have to tell me. I know you Thals. You almost hit our opponent back in volleyball because they were talking about Charles in that way." She said knowingly.

"I'm not jealous though..."

The reporter sighed, "Then show them that. That this is just a normal reaction for you."

And so Thalie did.

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