Mon Champion

Chapter 11

TW: Use of homophobic slur, mentions of being kicked out.

Also, this chapter is going to be a bit long.

Oscar's POV:

People always say time heals all wounds. If there's one thing I've learned in the last almost 3 months, it's that that's bullshit. Time makes wounds worse. Believe me, I know.

-

It was now the beginning of February, but I still wasn't over what had happened that night. Honestly, it was all a blur before Charles said what he said. I still hadn't even spoken to Charles, and I didn't want to. He meant what he said that night, no matter if he was drunk or not.

I still have nightmares. This made me feel like a child, but this was the way life was. You have to relive the worst moments of your life over and over again.

I was trying to get over it, but there were so many things that made that difficult. From my previously mentioned nightmares to what people posted on social media.

On the night, paparazzi had caught me and Lando getting out of my car. These pictures, paired with the fact that I'd unfollowed Lando on all my social media, was a recipe for disaster. People were listing quite literally every possibility. I'd literally seen an article that said I tried to stab him, which nearly made me snap my phone in two.

Either way, I wasn't sure I'd ever get over it. Most of the time, you remember your first times, and this situation was no different.

-

Since Abu Dhabi, I was lucky enough not to see Lando or Charles around Monaco. My family thought it was best to move here over winter break, and we settled shortly after New Years.

Speaking of my family, today was a special day. It was my parents' birthday. Both had been born on the same day, which was fine by me because that meant only one overly extravagant birthday meal every year.

This wasn't the only reason today was a special day though. Today was the day my life was going to change. Whether it be for the better or worse, I didn't know.

Today, I was going to come out to my family.

I'd decided this on a bit of a whim. I just wanted to be happy, and I thought releasing my deepest secret would help in this.

The sadness was probably not helped by the fact that I was drinking more often, but I'd have to stop in a few weeks anyway before testing started. I'd be driving for DAMS this season, as Charles had bought the team. People were going to say I'd gotten the seat because of this, but I shut them up with my 4 victories from the season before.

The day started the same as any other did. I woke up and showered before making breakfast for my family. I was the only one in my family who could cook well, and they used this to their fullest ability. I didn't mind, as long as it distracted me from other things.

-

Around noon, I went out to grab a few things from the market. Nothing too important, just a few household things and more ingredients.

The market wasn't far away from our apartment, so I decided to walk. I felt like this was a good idea, just to get some fresh air. I thought nothing could go wrong, but this was a mistake.

The market was a quiet place, nothing more than quiet music and the sound of people whispering. I enjoyed this silence, probably more than I should have. It was a way for me to just think, which I was doing a lot more of now than ever.

Walking out of an aisle and towards the cashier, the flash of a camera caught my attention. I thought it could have just been an accident, so I ignored it. However, this flash was followed by another, and another.