NASCAR Imagines

Love Triangle - Noah Gragson | Todd Gilliland

HEY I'M REALLY SORRY, WHOSE EVER THIS WAS GOT CUT OFF IN MY SCREENSHOT SO I CANT TAG YOU-- BUT HERE?

~~~

After the NCWTS race at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park, Estella Snider was torn. Noah Gragson had been her longtime friend, but so had Todd Gilliland. When their feud began, she was very vocal about being indifferent and unbiased-- but now? Now their fighting was growing immeasurably intense and she had no choice.

Pick a side-- which essentially meant losing one of them. It made her sick, it made her stomach ache, it made her nights seem far longer than they truly were, resulting in a surreal amount of serious insomnia. Their fight was causing her health to deplete. It was time to choose, she knew. But it didn't dawn on her until Matt, her protective brother, snapped at her about how ridiculous it was. Regardless, to her request, he kept out of the fight but left her with a little advice...

More like an ultimatum.

Either pick, cut one boy off and focus on herself... Or he'd pick. And his choice would be neither, cutting them both off from her life and possibly soiling his reputation and career (potentially) fighting one of them. And Stella knew what she didn't want-- and if it isn't obvious, it's Matt's option two.

So when she walked up to the boys, who coincidentally were in a rather dramatic, heated argument. She swallowed thickly, and normally in a typical conversation would have been audible-- but the boys were basically shouting over each other. Todd silenced at Stella's presence, shaking his head with his lips pursed as she nervously wove her fingers together. "So, do you see now why I'm right?" Todd asked sharply and Stella simply inhaled deeply, nervous eyes darting to Noah.

"Oh, shut up. Nobody cares." He spat at Todd, who turned, fists clenched. Stella quickly cut in, hands out.

"Noah, please-- be nice. Todd.... don't even act like you'd hit him. We know you won't." She didn't mean to offend him, but she was just being honest. Which clearly made him the slightest bit insecure. "I think that... that this is growing into something bigger than what it was. It's making me chose between two friends and I don't want to. But you guys are making me... which is sort of cruel..." She began, sighing heavily at the impending choice she was making. Both boys silenced, preparing for her choice. "And I respect that you don't get along and I understand why... but I... I don't think its far that... Noah, you're dragging this out. Todd tried moving on." Noah's face visible paled as she turned to face him. "And nobody is innocent... but... but Todd has at least reached out to me to make sure I'm okay. You're letting this be bigger than you, Noah, and until you can learn to control yourself and settle things..."

"She picked me." Todd finished for her, Noah shaking his head as his usually big, bright eyes were covered in tears. 

"I want nothing more than for this to be okay, but--"

"Save it." Noah snapped, tone clipped as he stepped back with his hands extended to silence her. It was effective. Her brows flinched as her eyes clouded in a flurry of unshed tears. She watched him rush off, Todd shaking his head as he watched him go, rolling his eyes.

"Glad he can stage cry. C'mon." He held out a hand to lead her away. Her eyes only darted to it before she stepped back, biting down on her bottom lip. She simply shook her head, sighing softly.

"I just need some time, Todd." The boy beside her realized how her voice wavered and eyes held hurt and pain. And her two supposed best friends did this to her--

She turned and rushed away, only her feet took her to her childhood best friends favorite spot behind the race track. She saw him, sitting with his head in his hands, shoulders rising and falling as he cried. She swallowed thickly and walked over slowly, plopping beside him just exactly like she did when he cried about the loss of his grandfather. Her arm wound around his back, head resting against his shoulder as he continued to cry, hunched over.

Her choice had killed two of the three's hearts-- and for what?

A little fight?

All is fair in love and war...

Right?