When we met.

~2~

I now greet Charles at every race when I see him. Today I do exactly the same thing and he comes walking toward me. "Hey y/n everything all right?" "Yeah and how are you?" "Yeah I'm fine, looking forward to the race today?" I shake my head yes, "Y/n, can you come here for a minute!" It is my father's voice, quickly I say goodbye to Charles and walk towards my father. "You know you can't go talk to him every time, we're here for Max and distractions are better off not being used right now." "Sorry, I'll pay better attention next time." I go looking for Max maybe I can still help him with something. When I get to Max, he is smiling stupidly at me. "What are you laughing at?" I say to him. "Why do you like talking to Charles so much, you won't stand a chance once he knows what family you belong to." "What nonsense. Like family has anything to do with it?" Max shakes his head "You'll find out y/n. Give me a hand with that kart will you?" I help Max carry his kart to the start, once there I make eye contact with Charles again and I smile at him, I get a punch from Max on my upper arm. "Focus y/n!" I look at Max and quickly back at Charles, he already doesn't look back, I don't understand why Max is so bothered about me being a Verstappen, Charles already knew this the first time I talked to him. The race is also not going the way Max would have liked at all, and it is clear from his whole attitude that he hates it. I myself am secretly happy that Charles put up a good race this time, but as a Verstappen I have to root for Max.

I put my focus a little more on Max after the last race so it doesn't seem like I'm coming along just to talk to Charles. I myself am starting to see the fun in karting by now. "Can I give it a try Max?" I ask. "Huh, are you sure? Do you even know how it works?" Max looks at me a little surprised. "How hard can it be?" "Wait I'll go ask my dad first if we still have an old kart, soon you'll drive mine to pieces." Max sprints away and returns later with his father. "So you want to take a lap in a kart, are you sure?" Asks Jos. "Yes it seems like fun." Jos also looks a little surprised when I say this. "Go ahead then! Just don't drive too fast." Jos has pulled out an old kart of Max's that I get to drive for a lap. I find it exciting but am confident that I can do this too. It's a quiet day at the track, once I'm in the kart Max quickly explains what I need to do. "Good luck y/n." My first lap goes a little awkward and I'm too preoccupied with that I'm trying as much as possible not to get in the way of others, I don't want to break anything. "You rode a nice lap, now ride another one and then don't think so much about what others are going to think of you." Says Jos when I have stopped the kart for him and Max again. I drive another lap and I start to enjoy it more and more. When I stop again after my second lap my father is also watching. "How beautifully you did that!" I can hear the enthusiasm in his voice. I get to ride a few more laps. When I get out of the kart I am glad I did it once.

I went for a walk along the track to watch the other drivers. "Hey y/n, did I just see you driving on the track." It's Charles addressing me. "Yeah I wanted to give it a try too, it always looks so easy." Charles laughs. "Yeah it's harder than it looks." "Yeah that for sure, I found it a fun experience for sure." I stand around talking to Charles for a while, he is very friendly to me, he sometimes jokes about the sport, I don't get all of his jokes but I laugh kindly. "Y/n, your dad wants to go, will you go with him or will you stay with me and my dad?" Shouts Max as he comes running up. I see Max and Charles exchange a look that is not too friendly. "I'll be right there, I'll go home with my dad." I say goodbye to Charles and walk with Max.