"Alright! Sam, Helio, load em up boys!" barked Roger Penske early the next morning.
Sam flashed a devilish smile and stuck his tongue out as he grabbed his helmet. Helio rolled his eyes at him as he climbed over the barrier to join his teammate. Kelly just looked on with a worried expression on her face. Sam didn't seem to think that last night's events were that big of a deal. She had tried to share her feelings about the situation with him but he wouldn't hear anything of it. He waved it off and called her paranoid, but Kelly didn't think she was…not in the least. In fact she thought she was dead-on accurate: Tony Kanaan wouldn't forget their little stunt yesterday and he'd make them pay for his humiliation last night. She was sure of it.
"Yo," said Sam as he nudged her shoulder, "Ease up would you? You've got that stupid look on your face again."
Kelly narrowed her eyes at him and pushed him back, "Just get in your car and keep your head on the track alright? You need to get a decent qualifying position to beat Kanaan tomorrow."
"Oh gee, really?" asked Sam sarcastically, "No shit! And here I thought if I started in last place I'd win the race!"
"Sam…seriously," said Kelly, giving him a harsh glare.
"Alright, alright," said Sam, looking annoyed as he pulled on his helmet and climbed into the car.
Helio and Kelly exchanged nervous glances as Helio climbed into his car next. At least one of the two Penske drivers had half a brain. Helio was right to be nervous…God only knew what would happen tomorrow when they all took to the track for the big race.
"Alright Helio you're up first," said Matthew, Helio's crew chief, into the headset, "Show em what you got!"
Sam flipped his visor open and yawned, looking bored as Helio tore out of pit lane to begin his two practice laps. Kelly gave him a nervous look before she turned to look at the screens and watch Helio as he warmed his car up. Once Helio completed the warm up laps he kicked his car into full gear and began his two qualifying laps. Kelly felt her insides tighten up like they always did whenever Helio or Sam took to the track. Her competitive nature and love for the Penske boys made her a nervous wreck by the time race day came around. One would think someone who had worked with a race car driver her whole life would be used to the stress but Kelly was convinced she never would be…especially with Sam.
"One more at the line," said Matthew into the headset as Helio rounded the fourth corner.
Kelly bounced on her toes nervously as she stared at the screen and watched the monitors as they recorded Helio's speed. As he passed over the start/finish line for the second time, the Indy Car officials posted his speed: 217.2 miles per hour.
"Hell yeah Helio!" shouted Kelly into the headset, unable to contain her excitement, "Atta boy!"
Helio laughed good-naturedly despite the fact that he felt like his eardrums were going to explode. He'd become accustomed to Kelly's outbursts and excitement and was more or less amused by her.
"Alright, Sam," said Kelly, feeling her insides twist again, "Let's hit it!"
Sam gave her a quick wink before he slammed his visor down and then tore down pit lane, his car swerving slightly from the sudden jolt forward. Kelly shook her head and sighed in frustration, "God, he can't even control himself enough to get out of the pits."
"That's Hornish for ya," smirked Helio as he took off his helmet and climbed out of his car.
Kelly was trying to keep herself from jumping up and down as Sam completed his two warm-up laps and headed into the two qualifying ones. She chewed on the end of her thumbnail nervously as she told Sam he had one lap to go at the line.
"Roger that, Kels," said Sam. Kelly could almost see the arrogant smirk on his face as he threw his car around the turns, so sure of himself and his vehicle. That was the thing about Sam Hornish Jr…. he never second-guessed himself. He was the very picture of confidence.
The second Sam crossed the start/finish line Kelly looked up at the monitors and then gave a scream of delight.
"Holy shit!" she screamed into the headset, "SAM! 218.5 miles an hour! You just got pole!"
"OW!" shouted Sam back to her, "Ears! Ears, Kelly! Watch the screaming!"
"Oops," said Kelly, looking sheepish as Sam pulled his car back into the pits, "My bad."
Sam gave her a feigned angry look and pulled her into a hug as he stepped out of the car.
"Why isn't that just the cutest damn thing you ever saw?"
"You've got to be fucking kidding me," muttered Helio as he recognized the cocky, nasally voice.
"What the hell do you want, Kanaan?" sneered Sam as he let go of Kelly and took a step toward his rival.
Franchiti and Herta instantly moved forward aggressively, but Kanaan waved them off. Wheldon hung back, looking awkward and glancing around as if looking for an excuse to escape.
"What'd you drag your team down here for this time, Tony?" asked Kelly as she gave them all a hard, cold glare.
Kanaan shrugged, his arrogant smirk never leaving his face, "Just thought I'd shake hands with the man who'll lead us all out on the track tomorrow," he said as he stepped forward and extended his hand to Sam, "Looks like I'll have to stare at your ass…for the first lap anyway."
Sam ignored Kanaan's hand and sneered, "Second place, second best, Kanaan. Now get the hell out of here."
"Second place?" mocked Kanaan, "Sammy…that was just qualifying. Wait til tomorrow. We'll see who finishes second."
Franchiti and Herta snickered as they flashed rather obscene gestures at the Penske crew before they stalked off behind Kanaan. Wheldon hesitated and gave Sam, Helio and Kelly an apologetic look, "Sorry…" he mumbled awkwardly before turning and following his teammates.
Kelly put her hands in the air, pretending that she was strangling the life out of someone, and growled in frustration, "God sometimes I literally just want to kill him! I hate him. Honest to God I HATE him!"
Helio smirked at Kelly's angry outburst, "Kinda weird of Wheldon though, eh? Doesn't look like the kid wants much to do with Kanaan's shit."
"Thank God someone on that worthless team has half a brain," sneered Kelly as she crossed her arms and kicked at a loose stone.
Sam raised an eyebrow at her and then glanced at Helio, "And you people say I'm the one that has the anger issues on this team."
Kelly couldn't help but smirk a little at that, "Oh trust me…when it comes to Tony Kanaan…hell hath no fury."
…
"Hey, Kelly?" asked Helio as he walked by the pits early the next morning, a worried look on his face, "Have you seen Sam anywhere? He asked me to give him some of this lens cleaning stuff for his visor before the race today but I can't find him."
Kelly felt a headache forming as Helio spoke to her. She closed her eyes and put a hand on her forehead.
"Oh no," muttered Helio as he watched her reaction, "He's disappeared again hasn't he?"
"Apparently," said Kelly, her voice very carefully controlled.
"What the hell does he do when he leaves anyway?" asked Helio, looking exasperated.
"Nothing…literally nothing," said Kelly as she glanced around the pit, "He goes off to be by himself when he's stressed or overwhelmed. He needs his space…he always has. The only problem is," she said as she picked up a cell phone laying on Sam's chair under the Penske tent, "He tends to forget his cell so I can't call him and tell him when he needs to be back."
"Can he just wear a watch?" asked Helio, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh he does…his Rolex," muttered Kelly, "But it doesn't do you much good if you don't check in with your manager before you head out to see what time you need to be back."
"Ah," said Helio rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, "Well, um, you want some help finding him this time?"
"No," said Kelly with a sigh, "No need for you to risk getting in trouble too. I'll take care of it…like I always do."
Helio smiled as he gave Kelly a sympathetic pat on the back, "Guy's lucky he's got you."
"Yeah…tell him that for me sometime would you?"
…
"Sam!" called Kelly, muttering curse words under her breath as she searched the pits, "SAM!"
"Shit! God, why do you always have to yell?" asked Sam as he rounded the corner and nearly plowed right into Kelly.
"I could kill you, you realize that? I could slit your throat and then hide your body and no one would ever know what happened THAT'S HOW MAD I AM RIGHT NOW!"
Sam's eyes grew wide as he gazed down at Kelly, her hands balled up into little fists as she glared up at him, "Well…tell me how you really feel, Kels."
Kelly just gave him another death glare, "Alright, look, I don't have time to argue with you…we gotta go back to the pits. Where's your moped?"
Sam's eyes widened a little bit in panic as he gazed down at Kelly, "Umm….okay don't hate me but um…"
"Please, please, please do not tell me you forgot your stupid moped again," said Kelly, feeling her migraine kicking her behind her eyes.
"Okay…I won't tell you then," said Sam as he took a step back, "But I'm sure we can hitch a ride, right?"
"Sam! Everyone else is already at their pits getting into their cars! You need to be there NOW!"
"Eesh, okay chill out, we'll make it…we always do right?" said Sam as he glanced around, "Oh hey…its Andretti-Green Racing's pits…oh lookie there…mopeds!"
Kelly gaped in astonishment at Sam, "You have got to be fucking kidding me!"
"You know it's not attractive when a pretty girl uses the F-word," said Sam as he fiddled with Kanaan's moped.
"This is the part where I'm supposed to tell you this is the stupidest idea ever," said Kelly slowly.
"Okay….so why aren't you?" pressed Sam as he pulled out a set of keys, smiling triumphantly, "You know, you'd think Kanaan would learn his lesson after yesterday."
"Well…I can't see any other solution and even though I know I'm pretty much pissing my career away, we have to get to the pit now…so…just…let's go before I change my mind," said Kelly as she climbed on behind Sam.
Sam grinned wildly as he revved the engine, "Now this is the Kelly I know and love! Wild and dangerous!"
"Oh yeah…that's me," muttered Kelly as she rolled her eyes, "Now hurry up before we get caught, would you?"
"Yes mam!" said Sam as they tore away from the Andretti-Green Racing pits and made their way down to Team Penske headquarters.
As they raced down the road they passed Dan Wheldon's pit. He was standing outside, zipping up his racing suit and preparing to hit the track when he saw Kanaan's moped go flying by…with Sam Hornish Jr. and Kelly Ferrell on it.
"You've got to be kidding me," he muttered, shaking his head, "Kanaan's gonna kill them…damn it!"
"Something wrong kid?" asked Kanaan as he walked by, pulling on his helmet.
"Huh? Uh, oh nothing," muttered Wheldon looking in the other direction, "Just you know…gearing up for the race."
Kanaan nodded knowingly, "I hear ya, Dan. Gotta get yourself revved up to beat that Penske shit. You got this kiddo, no worries. I'll help you out when I can out there."
Dan nodded, playing along, "Uh, yeah okay good…yeah sorry I guess I just, you know, get all worked up about the whole thing sometimes."
Kanaan sneered, "Trust me, I know the feeling. Alright get in your car kid…I'll see you out there."
Wheldon nodded as he turned back to get in his car. He frowned as he looked down the rows of pits and saw Sam Hornish Jr. stumbling over the barrier and leaping into his car, looking very anxious and irritated. Dan shook his head at the sight and silently prayed that whatever happened after the race wouldn't end in a nasty fight…but something deep down told him that that was inevitable…
…