14th of March – Season 3

MONDAY MORNING: JVZ RESIDENCE

Teresa was angry. She was currently reading all the comments from the fandom on their "Super Couples" race from last week and they all thought it a good idea for her and Juan to break up. Who the hell did they think they were?

 JVZ walked into the room and noticed her mood. "Argh Teresa, please tell me you're not still reading those comments."

"What do you expect, Juan? They're saying we should break up."

"And what do you think we should do?"

"Tell them to go to hell because that's not happen–"

"Well, there you go, Teresa. Now it shouldn't matter what they think. Now, can you stop dwelling on the negative and focus on the positive?" JVZ showed her his own phone which had a poster of Festival of the Fall which had Stevie in a standoff with Plain Jane, Doris, and herself. While Moodswing had announced the 4-way title race weeks ago, the official poster had only been released this past week... It was worth the wait.

While Teresa wanted to thank her man for finding the bright side of this as he always did, she stopped herself upon finding a fresh video post on the Formulary. It was from the Queen.

F-X Queen, Darcy Stevens was dressed in an evening gown holding up a glass slipper. "Doris and Teresa call themselves sisters but I wonder how close their bond truly is because both of them are after something that only one of them can have.

"You see, they're not unlike Cinderella's evil stepsisters: both wanting to be the one to fit into the glass slipper, except worse because you both think yourselves Cinderella. So, I guess I ask you simply: whose got the guts to meet me at the ball and try on the glass slipper?"

Teresa was already typing and pressed send before JVZ could stop her. He grabbed her phone, asking what she'd just done. "I responded. I may not have her taste for theatricality, but I can send strong messages too." But instead of disappointment, JVZ's facial expression showed confusion. "What?"

"Did you respond on your sister's account or...?"

"No," she said grabbing the phone back. "Of course not. Why?" Her question was answered when she saw the last response on the Formulary message board was from Doris. "Nice speech, but this won't stop me from ending your title reign, Your Highness." Teresa slumped. "She stole my thunder. Just like Brenda last week, Doris just stole my thunder."

"Careful now, Teresa. You're letting them–"

"No, don't tell me to be careful right now, Juan. She's coming at me and you want me to be nice?"

"I'm not saying I want you to be nice, Teresa. I'm saying I want you to not be Moodswing." JVZ was of course referring to the ongoing feud between Moodswing and Glen which was looking to come to a climax at Festival of the Fall. Moodswing had all but confirmed it when he said that he wasn't expecting physicality or even complaints from Glen, but rather an apology.

However, Teresa was convinced that this wasn't that. "This is different, Juan. That's my sister and I know her. I know when she gets like this, all self-righteous. She won't step off that moral high ground she thinks she's perched on. She has to be pushed off."

JVZ sighed because he knew there was no stopping his girlfriend when she got like this. "I'm just saying, I don't think fighting with your sister is healthy."

"Yeah well, when it comes to shots at the title, health will have to take a back seat." Tonight was about revenge!

LATER AT THE FUEL SPEEDWAY

When Teresa arrived at the Fuel Speedway, she was glad to see that she wasn't the only one with revenge on her mind. She'd made her way to Moodswing's office only to find that he was already in a meeting – or screaming match rather – with Devì and Savana. In the waiting room was none other than 'The Impaler', Thawn Oberhauser who was smiling from ear to ear. Is hearing his girlfriend being screamed at exciting for this psychopath?

Thawn noticed the look on Teresa's face and seemingly decided to play his role as the devil. "Isn't the sound of that just beautiful?"

Teresa listened. "This gold-digging bimbo thinks just because she's sleeping with a feature-racer that that makes her somebody."

Teresa looked at Thawn, bewildered. "What's wrong with you, Thawn?" Thawn answered by shushing her with a finger to the lips and pointing to his ear, silently telling her to listen.

"Wow, bimbo? That's rich coming from someone who made her fortune as a glorified mannequin."

"Ladies, LADIES! I didn't invite you to my office to sling more insults at each other. I did it because of the comments you've already insulted each other with. Online, no less. I can't have that. And before you throw the words sports entertainment in my face, know right now that this is not that.

"For a war of words to be sports entertainment, it has to be about the racing. And right now, you're not talking about racing."

"Does that mean if I ask for a race against Thawn's shih tzu, you'll sanction it?"

There was suddenly a scuffle between Devì and Savana which sounded like it was easily broken up by Moodswing. Thawn, meanwhile, nearly fell out of his chair laughing. What is wrong with him?

Back in the office, Moodswing got control of the discussion. "Alright, alright. I SAID ALRIGHT! You guys want to race, then you've got it! I'll even make it the feature race." Outside, Thawn nearly jumped for joy. "But under one condition for each of you. Savana, you can never say anything unflattering about Devì's app or her fitness techniques or any of that. Devì, no more snide comments about Savana being a gold-digger or Thawn's trophy or any of that. Got it!?"

There was a small pause and they both spoke in unison. "Got it."

"Good. Now, get out of my office, and from here on out, start hyping your own rivalries rather than this nonsense. I expect big things from your races at my pay-per-view." Moodswing hadn't even finished speaking when Savana opened the door to leave. However, Devì pushed past her and stormed away. Meanwhile, Savana sauntered out of Moodswing's office and was actually smiling.

Thawn got up with a smile of his own. "Well done, gorgeous. That's three feature races in as many weeks. You're learning."

"Well, I have a good teacher."

"Indeed, you do. Now, let's talk about my new casino..."

Savana winked at Teresa before leaving arm in arm with her man.

As Teresa stood there, dumbfounded by the elaborate plan that had unfolded in front of her, Moodswing noticed her through the opened door. "Teresa. Fair warning: if you're looking for something from me, I'm in a giving mood. Just as long as it builds my pay-per-view."

This made Teresa smile. This isn't just going to build to your pay-per-view, Moodswing, she thought. It's going to hype the hell out of your main event!

LATER THAT NIGHT IN CATERING

Teresa had managed to get the race she wanted sanctioned with ease. Moodswing had liked it so much that he'd made it the second to last race of the night. He'd even gone as far as to say that if she'd gotten to him before Devì and Savana, he'd even have made it the feature race of the night.

And with her race being the second to last of the night, it gave her time to sit and enjoy the show. She'd found herself entertained by the races, such as Dime facing Blackcat following Dime's rant over the relay division; Jim Kieck and Brenda defeating Touch Mkhize and Plain Jane Deyi in a couples race – clearly designed to hype the PPV race against Thawn and Savana.

However, for Teresa, it was the interview sandwiched between these two races that entertained Teresa the most. It was an interview with the mysterious new guy who was set to debut in a Number One Claimant race at Festival of the Fall against Styles Sithole. He sounded like a real character, a cowboy complete with a raspy voice.

"Oldtimer, he called me. Well, he's not wrong. You know what they called me back in the Academy? The Old Razor. Because, like an old razor, I became more dangerous as the years set in. My touch is poison to others, like an infection..."

Teresa didn't hear anything else as she was robbed of that by the unwelcomed guest at her table. "Argh come on. Doris, what part of 'I don't want to talk to you guys anymore' didn't you understand?"

"The part where we're family and we don't walk away like that."

"Well, there was nothing compelling me to stay and listen to you guys judge me."

"So what, you're staying at his place now? Sleeping in his bed?"

"No, actually. But I don't have to explain my virginity to you." Nor the fact that it's still intact. "So, if that's why you're here, just leave."

"Actually that's not why I'm here. I heard our race tonight was because of you."

"Wow. You guys really don't know how to blame anyone other than me. Doris, you're the reason we're racing tonight not me."

"How do you figure?"

"Well for starters, you one-upped me with Stevie's post."

"She came at both of us, Teresa. What did you expect, for me to say nothing?"

"Well, I damn sure wished you'd said nothing last week with Brenda."

Doris was shaking her head. "Nah. That was not an option. When I see my baby sister acting like a brat, I will say something."

"And that's just it, right there. That's why I need to face you tonight because you and Brenda can't look past the fact that I'm not a baby anymore. I'm a grown-ass woman!" Teresa had stood up and slammed her hands into the table, elevating their discussion into a scene. It didn't matter though, because Teresa has done here. "A tip for next time," she said fishing something out of her pocket, "don't think that confronting me when my boyfriend is not with me is going to result in anything different." She handed her the brown R20 bill. "For the Swear Jar."

LAP 5 OF 10 LAP RACE

As Teresa led the race, allowing fury to give her focus, she thought about the true culprit of this story: the real enemy so to speak. She could almost picture Queen Stevie laughing not unlike Thawn as her plan to drive two sisters apart was working beautifully.

As the race continued, she anticipated Doris' every move. After all, she knew her like the back of her own hand. Perhaps a side effect of also being the reigning Relay Baronesses – a fact that was shockingly lost on some people. When Teresa had said what she said to Brenda about staying away from her and not talking to her, she'd really only meant it for Brenda. But then Doris had to stick her nose in it and now there was this awkwardness between the relay champions.

Thinking about the fracture in her relationship with Doris distracted Teresa towards the end of Lap 6 allowing Doris to take advantage. Doris then pressed this advantage, leading for the next two laps. Teresa managed to bounce back and recapture the lead in Lap 9.

Unfortunately, Teresa's thoughts crept back to how Stevie had played her and she lost her composure along with her lead. Doris would take advantage one final time and won the race.

Teresa was upset, but not at herself but rather with her sisters. Did they really believe that if they beat her, then they'd teach her something? Well, it wasn't going to be that easy. Fortunately, Teresa's mind was now in the right place because she realized at the end of the day, all this 'Koek vs. Koek' stuff didn't mean anything. Not next to the biggest opportunity of their careers: a shot at being the Formula-X Queen!