In the Spotlight (Max Verstappen - Book Two)

Bonus Chapter

Someone asked for a chapter from Max's POV so this is what I came up with...
******

Well...mission piss off Ellie was a success...don't ask me why I decided to screw with her simulator session because I don't know either.

Actually, that's a lie. I do know. My dad wouldn't shut up about it and since we broke up I've been stuck with him constantly. After winning Hungary, thank fuck Ellie finally had a DNF, I was back in the competition and she still had her comfortable lead but it was made considerably smaller. That DNF was one that I think Lewis, Charles and I were somewhat thankful for because it was the only way the door to the championship reopened. She was too consistent and we couldn't get close.

Anyway, after searching for Ellie when the podium ended left me feeling slightly stung that she hadn't hung around to talk about my win, I got on the plane with my dad. Where he proceeded to not shut up about how this should reinstate me as the team's first driver. I tried to tell him there was no first driver but he wasn't very interested in that so I tuned it out after a while, looking through her social media like a helpless puppy.

I missed Senna. God that dog was cute.

Anyways, my dad wanted to capitalise on my win and said that we should go to the campus and get as much simulator time in and I almost argued with him until I realised that would mean I could see her again.

Ellie...not Senna. Senna is a he.

She was so mad when I didn't even look up from the simulator when she walked in. She was so fucking hot when she was fired up I figured it was best not to look...but then she called me dumb. Which I'm pretty sure she knew was an insecurity of mine considering she has her languages and coding and it quite clearly the most intelligent person on the grid. I'm not dumb but she is smart. I always wondered how long it would take her to realise she was too smart for me, too good for me.
Well, I guess I managed to stop that from occurring.

Stupid Jos.

I knew there was no first driver, that was painfully clear to everyone and in fact it really should be Ellie. The second my breathing had recovered after she left the room and the empty hole in my chest returned I just told the engineers to reset it for her and walked out to the cafeteria, where Brad was sitting having not wanted to be around when Ellie arrived as he knew the inevitable fireworks that were coming.

"She kick you out?"

"I think I was about to be...or she gave up but that doesn't sound like her," I tell him as I fall back onto a chair and pull my knee up, resting an ankle on my knee.

"Why Max..." Bradley asks confused as to why I went out of my way to piss her off and I shrug, looking uncomfortably at the clock on the wall. "Nah, come on. We're doing this now. I can't coach you if you're going to be this difficult about the thing that affects you the most. She crashed out and you almost lost your mind. Want me to replay your radio?" He asks as he fiddles with his iPad and my eyes flick over to his as I shake my head rapidly. That was not something I wanted to relive in the slightest, although apparently what I wanted did not matter anymore.

"Wh-what was that? Is that Ellie? FUCK. Someone say something. Was that Ellie?" I hear my own panicked voice come over the radio, giving no one any time to actually respond to the question as I was suddenly back in my own car, driving past where Ellie's was in the wall, but only for a second before I was gone and filled with panic. I could see her car spinning into the barrier all over again. "Someone answer me."

"Max that was Elodie," I hear Christian's voice again as I clench my fist, the nerves getting the better of me as I relive that awful memory. Bradley stops the recording there and I glare at him, one that he meets with equal force because he was pissed off when I came home drunk and explained to him what I had done.