lemon and mint | Charles Leclerc

9.

October 2012

This time Pia convinced her mum to take her to race in Lonato. Her dad was already in Singapore, and it was better this way anyway. She didn't have to be cautious while showing affection to Charles because her mother knew about their relationship.

"How does it feel to start behind me every time?" Max asked Charles with a cheeky smile. He just loved to tease him from time to time. Charles was his biggest rival after all, so why not mess with his head for a bit?

"How does it feel to see me celebrating my podiums with Pia?" Charles said with an arrogant smile on his face. He was fully aware of Max's interest in Pia, and now he used it against him.

"You mean those podiums where you're second at best? She has to be so tired of being with a guy who can't win. I'm actually sorry for her," Max laughed at Charles. He didn't intend to argue about Pia, but it was Charles who brought her up. It seemed that she was the only thing Charles could triumph with.

"I'm so sorry that she has a taste when it comes to boys," Charles apologised to Max ironically.

"Well, she picked you, so I'm not so sure about that," Max said when he saw Pia coming in their direction. He didn't want her to hear this argument. It was just between him and Charles, but Charles was so annoying.

"Can you finally just shut up?" Charles was so done. It wasn't the first weekend that Max had come to him and started talking about Pia. He said every time pretty much the same thing. You don't deserve her. Maybe he didn't, but he was sure neither did Max. She was too precious for both of them.

She was the kind of person who would dance in her living room during a gloomy day or sing along to songs out loud in public because she didn't care about the opinions of others or gift a flower to a stranger in the street to make their day better. Her smile could light up even the darkest places and cure deadly diseases.

She was definitely stunning, but her true beauty was in her mannerisms, charisma, strength and kindness. Charles was nothing compared to her, yet he deserved her love.

"Why would I? Can't you stand the truth?" He always wanted to have the last word.

"I just don't want this to get physical. We both know you inherited anger issues from your father. Well, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, after all," Charles spitted out. Jos was Max's weakness. It was something that triggered him so quickly, and Charles knew about it very well.

"Charles. That's enough," Pia yelled at him. She knew that he'd never say that if he knew what was going on between Max and his father behind the scenes, but he didn't. He just knew that they didn't have a perfect relationship.

"It is true. Look at him. He cannot control himself." Max tried to be patient. He promised his mum he would control his emotion, but Charles just stepped over the line.

Max approached him quickly and threw a punch right into his face, causing Charles' nose to start bleeding. He just wiped away the blood from his face looking like he wasn't in pain at all. Pia hoped he would be the smarter one and say the fight wasn't worth it, but it was where she was wrong. Before she could do anything, Charles put his fist onto Max's nose as well. They throw a few more punches before Pia decided to stop them.

"Hey, I think that's enough," she shouted at them. She was so disappointed by the behaviour of both of them. Charles thought he'd leave with her, but instead, Pia just passed him and went directly to Max. "Let's go, Max. I'll take care of your nose."

"I'm so sorry for what Charles said," Pia said to Max when they were in his dad's trailer. She was indeed sorry for the words of her boyfriend. Max didn't deserve to be compared to his father. It has already done more than enough damage.

"Don't be. I mean, he has a point. We started fighting. That just proves I'm just like him." It was so hard to hear those words from Max because she understood that he saw himself as his father. A manipulative aggressor who is not afraid to cross the line if it means his success.

"It's not true. You're so much better." Pia hugged him tightly. "Just the thing that you think about it like this shows you're nothing like him." He was able to confess to himself that he went too far. It was something that Pia doubted Jos would do. Yeah, Max inherited plenty of things from his father, but that didn't mean he had to be like his father.

"Thank you so much, Pia. I'm sorry that we fought," he apologised and leaned closer to Pia. He wanted to taste her lips at least once. The kiss was so light, so sweet. Her lips tasted minty, and Max loved it. It felt like a dream until Pia pulled away.

"Maxy," Pia placed her hand on Max's cheek, lightly brushing his cheekbone with her thumb. "I'm so sorry, but I love Charles," she looked at him with sadness in her eyes. She didn't want to break his heart, but there was no other solution.

"I know," he sighed. He just took the opportunity, but he understood that nothing more would happen. "You should go check on him," he smiled sadly at Pia. No matter how much he wanted her, she didn't belong to him, and he had to accept it.

---

"I'm so sorry, P," Charles apologised when he saw Pia. He wanted to be angry with her for leaving with Max, but he quickly understood that Pia had a better reason to be mad with him.

"I'm not the one you should be apologising to," she said strictly. Pia was more than aware that they wouldn't apologise to each other. Their pride wouldn't allow it to them. She was young, and yet she knew it. Her father always had difficulty apologising to someone. He was looking for someone else to blame because he couldn't be wrong. Ever.

"I won't apologise to him. It was his fault. He was niggling me for a few weekends now. I won't listen to his tosh." He was used to being annoyed by his younger brother, but this was something completely different.

"I don't expect you to be friends, Cha." It was true. She didn't want them to be hanging out buddies, but she wanted them to go along. "You don't have to like each other. That's normal... Just show respect one to another."

"But he-"

"I know," Pia interrupted him. "In your opinion, Max doesn't deserve it but show him respect. Not as a reflection of his character but as a reflection of yours." It was crucial for their future life not just as human beings but also as drivers. It was something that Seb always told her. He didn't have the best relationship with plenty of drivers, but he respected them. Yeah, he called Mark Whinging girl, but somewhere deep down, he had at least a bit of respect for him.

"I'm really sorry about it." he apologised again. "I also wanted to ask you something. Is it true that he signed with your dad?"

"What?" She asked because she thought that she didn't hear correctly.

"Well, yeah, apparently he signed with him for next year," Charles explained to her.

"He did what?" Pia almost shouted in disbelief. So, Jos was successful after all. He really accomplished getting Max under Anthonie's wings. Pia never doubted Max's talent, but she wasn't sure how he would handle the pressure of his dad and Anthonie combined. It was obvious that Pia's father would want to get Max into F1 as soon as possible. He'd throw him into the sea and see if Max swam or drowned. It was the way how Anthonie Teunissen made world champions. Either you were a winner or loser with capital L.

"He said he did, but maybe he just wanted to make me mad." Pia was 100 per cent sure he wasn't just messing with Charles. She also knew that she cannot help him now in any way. Either it was the best decision in his life or the worst. Only time would show.