Lando's Love (2021)

Chapter 44

I turned around and saw my beloved in front of me. She was wearing black jeans and a grey jumper with a bow on the side. She had her white Reeboks on. The outfit was simple but it really suited her. She had her hair in two Dutch braids that she had pulled together into a ponytail. At least I knew she was barely out of uni when she came here.

L: TRIS! What are you doing here? You should be in Douai... And then you have class tomorrow morning...

T: Oh if you're not happy, I can go home and actually attend my class tomorrow morning...

L: I didn't say that...

She then laughed and hugged me before kissing me. That soft, crystalline laugh was the most beautiful sound in the world to my ears. Seeing her happy was all that mattered to me. We had fun all night and I thanked Max at least a million times over for bringing my beautiful girlfriend.

Tris and I flew from Nice to Lille the next afternoon to return to Tris' parents.

L: You still haven't told me how you managed to get to Monaco on a Thursday night...

T: Well, on Thursdays I have classes from 8 to 9:30 and then from 1 to 6:15. So when I finished my classes at 6.15pm, I left the university straight away to go to Lille airport which is 30 minutes away.

L: And Sigma?

T: She's at my parents'. When Max asked me to come, I left her with my parents for the whole week.

L: What about your class today?

T: It's just a lecture, Marion or Jo will send it to me and I'll be able to catch up. Apart from that, would you like to come with me tomorrow morning and dive into my past?

L: Why not...

T: Great!

And so, on Saturday morning, in my McLaren, Tris drove to a place with old, well-kept buildings. Next to the gate it said: "Collège - Lycée Pensionnat Saint Joseph". This was her school! We got out of the car, she took my hand and led me with her to the buildings she had been around for years. We entered what must have been the reception hall. Tris saw a woman and approached her.

Tris: Hello Mrs.

?? : Hello Tris and... excuse me young man, I don't remember having you in class.

Lando: Pardon my French, madam, I am Lando Norris, I am English.

?? : Oh I see. I am Mrs. Paresys, I was Tris' French teacher during her last year of middle school. What do you study?

Lando: I don't study, I'm a car driver.

Paresys: Okay, what kind of car?

Lando: I am a Formula 1 driver.

Paresys: Congratulations young man, I wish you good luck for your career. Tris, if you wish, there are several of your former teachers here today.

We thanked her and left for an adjacent room.  From the colours, it must have been the gym. We went round the whole middle school and then the whole high school. Tris told me a bit about the history of the buildings: it was a former monastery, then a boys' school, and after a fire it had become a mixed school.

We went home and were alone, her parents had gone to dinner with friends.

Tris kept moving around the house. She was nervous but didn't talk to me. After about ten minutes I got fed up, grabbed her wrist and sat her down on the sofa.

L: What's wrong?

T: I... I have to tell you something but you have to promise to try to understand my decision...